Boyce Thompson: Boyce On Building
Boyce Thompson is editorial director of the BUILDER group of magazines published by Hanley Wood. Drawing on his years of experience covering home building, architecture, and retailing, Boyce tackles diverse and far-ranging industry topics in his twice-weekly blog.
I'm no John Naisbitt, but I did unearth a "megatrend" of sorts last week digging through data on the top 100 housing markets. Builders in some of the "best" housing markets flocked to city offices late last year, pulling permits at a much higher rate than the previous year or quarter. Some of the percentage increases were big, especially on the single-family side.
Ted Cushman: The Ten-Penny News
Ted Cushman covers the home building industry as a freelance writer from his base in the hills of Western Massachusetts. His blog promises insightful, accurate, and practical coverage of home building techniques, building science, and housing economics.
In the New Orleans courtroom of Federal Judge Eldon Fallon, the second of several "bellwether" trials is unfolding this week in the Chinese-made drywall fiasco. Facing off are the Hernandez family of Mandeville, Louisiana, and the Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Co. Ltd., based in China but owned by the German conglomerate Knauf Gips.
Chuck Shinn: Rx from the Profit Doctor
Charles C. Shinn, Jr., PhD, often referred to as the Profit Doctor, is the founder of the Shinn Group of Cos., The Lee Evans Group, and Builder Partnerships. His constant focus is to help builders and manufacturers to improve the performance of their companies, enhance relationships, and ultimately maximize their total profits.
For the last several days I have read articles by housing industry pundits and listened to the weekend financial shows about the January seasonally adjusted annual new home sales rate being the slowest pace on record at 309,000. They stated that the housing recovery is fragile, which it is, and that the housing recovery is uncertain. Some have said that housing is headed for a double dip recovery. I am not as pessimistic about the January new home sales and want to put a different perspective on the meaning of the January numbers.
Mollie Elkman: Modern Marketing
Mollie is Vice President of Group Two Real Estate Marketing and Advertising, one of the largest homebuilder marketing and advertising agencies in the United States. Mollie¹s blog focuses on initiating thought provoking conversations within the building industry. She focuses on new and controversial trends in the increasingly Internet savvy world we live in.
Are you addicted to facebook? I clearly am! I recently found this report which shows that facebook addiction may not be such a bad thing after all. For all those parents out there... You may not want to show this to your kids!
Mary Lou Denny: Educating The Trade
Mary Lou Denny, co-founder and executive vice president, heads the public relation division of Walt Denny Inc., an advertising and public relations agency in Hinsdale, Illinois. She and her husband Walt, started the agency twenty years ago based on the credo to provide creative marketing solutions, combined with a high value on personal relationships and accountability.
Are you blogging? You should be. A “blog” (Web log) is an easy-to-use Web site for posting commentary about specific topics. As more people discover this dynamic form of content, company blogs are becoming popular as effective tools for raising awareness of products and expertise. Blogs can open the lines of communication with customers, suppliers and distributors. They also enhance brand credibility and build excitement about your business.
Jane Meagher: Think Like A Consumer, Act Like A Retailer
Jane Meagher is President of Success Strategies, the nation’s premier design studio strategy, training, and consulting company, and the creator of many national award-winning design studios. Jane shares insights from working with leading builders in over 30 states and Canada, through extensive studies of consumer shopping behavior and retail-based on-site presentation, and from over 20 years experience in new home sales and marketing.
You’ve probably worked hard to create a superb process for bringing your buyers through a framed or rocked home to show them the quality of construction and teach them about your building methods, answer their construction questions, and use the experience to build trust and relationships. Awesome. That is what you SHOULD be doing.
Patrick Duffy: The Housing Chronicles
Patrick Duffy has consulted for nearly 20 years for the country's leading home builders, land developers, investors, and lenders on residential, mixed-use, commercial, and industrial projects. An expert on local housing markets, Duffy offers his thoughts on what’s happening around the country.
Economist Mark Zandi, co-founder of Moody's Economy.com and author of the book Financial Shock (which I reviewed last November for Inman News), hosted a webinar last Friday on the state of the economy, and he thinks the recession will officially be over by the end of 2009.
David Miles: Miles on Branding
David Miles’ award-winning advertising agency, Miles Strategic DNA, integrates business strategy with brand strategy through the use of a proprietary decision-making code. He shares some of his hard-won knowledge with you in this blog.
By the end of the 1970’s, more than 70% of the merchandise in a large department store was identical with that of any other department store. The shopping experience had become commoditized much like the home-buying experience today. In response, consumers have grown increasingly concerned with individualism. There is a growing demand for uniqueness, differentiation, and mass customization on every level, which in turn demands greater diversity and creativity in design.