Builder Magazine: Construction Trends

Boom cycle: counting all bicyclists

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:40 EST

Fast Company's Zak Stone reports on new ways to tally traffic volume ... of bicyclists.

Build a home with a 3D printer

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:35 EST

Movoto's Randy Nelson has figured out how much time-and money-it would take to print a house the same size as yours. Spoiler: It's a lot.

Students are piling on debt fast

Wed, 19 Jun 2013 04:52:30 EST

MarketWatch's Robert Schroeder reports that student loan debt has nearly doubled in the past five years, according to a congressional report released Tuesday, less than two weeks before interest rates on federally backed student loans are set to jump to 6.8% from 3.4%.

Light motif

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:40:33 EST

Houzz contributor and architect John Dorman posts on how architects use a variety of ways to engage our senses, especially with light.

More homeowners buying 'air rights'

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:40:28 EST

The latest trend in one real estate market has homeowners looking up. Some are paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for air rights, reports Heather Graf, KVUE TV.

Style standard setters

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 09:42:24 EST

The architectural style of a house can have a big impact on its value. Take a look at the most expensive home styles in the U.S. MarketWatch taps Trulia data to spin up a top 10 rankings pegged to homes' architectural genre.

Americans spend 41% more on mom than dad

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:29:24 EST

It must have been a bad year for Dads. For the first time in four years, the gap between what Americans plan to spend on Father's Day and what they plan to spend on Mother's Day widened. The Wall Street Journal's Phil Izzo runs the numbers. The WJS is a paid-subscription site.

Americans' outlook clouds, as fewer look ahead with optimism

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:28:52 EST

Americans in general should take a page from home builders. But they don't. Fewer of us are looking ahead to this time next year, imagining we'll be better off. Why? Uncertainty about jobs remains, and certainty about higher taxes gets clearer.

House Kits And Affordability Don't Always Mix

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:43:58 EST

House kits aren't always affordable, but a few kit suppliers have come up with ways to reduce total construction costs.

A Prefab Home Strives to Keep Pace With Changing Technology

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 04:17:25 EST

Proto Homes markets its concept house as a product that can change with lifestyles and tastes.

Materially different ... pre-fab construction, sealed with a new type of adhesive

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:43:18 EST

Gizmag's Ben Coxworth reports on researchers' development of an electrically-activated adhesive tape, which can be used to put together prefabricated homes.

Tipping point for white Americans ... deaths outnumber births

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 07:43:14 EST

New York Times staffer Sam Roberts reports that deaths exceeded births among non-Hispanic white Americans for the first time in at least a century, a demographic inflection point.

A California Builder Sees Rebuilding Teardowns in Its Future

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 04:28:11 EST

RSI Development uses a manufacturing process to complete houses in three to four months and offers customers locked-in pricing that starts at around $90,000.

Wanting beats the hell out of having

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:53:16 EST

Even for the most materialistic consumers, it's the experience of shopping (and the anticipation of buying) that makes us truly happy. The Atlantic's Derek Thompson reports on a new Journal of Research paper from Marsha L. Richins of the University of Missouri.

Myth and multigen: not all grandparents want to live with their kids' kids

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:52:17 EST

New Strategist Publications editorial director Cheryl Russell looks at data that reveals that older Americans aren't happy about having to share their home with young children. The National Bureau of Economic Research studied the households, and found grandmas and grandpas who live snappers to be a sullen bunch.

Green standards alter behavior

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 08:52:13 EST

Atlantic Cities contributor Kaid Benfield writes that LEED For Neighborhood Development certified buildings dramatically cut down on driving rates.

Out of student housing, and into the real world ... or mom and dad's

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:53:13 EST

What's next for the graduates of Class 2013? We follow them for a year, looking at their career prospects, their living situation and their goals. Here, the Wall Street Journal's Zara Stone takes a look at their employment and living situation a month after graduation. The WSJ is a paid-subscription site.

Self reliance: trends in entrepreneurialism

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 07:53:09 EST

New Geography contributor Wendell Cox takes the pulse on self employment and entrepreneurialism trends. In the last decade the number of non-farm proprietors grew by more than 10 million, which has ramifications for housing and policy.

Americans' spending patterns are up to highest level since '08

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:16:38 EST

Americans' self-reported daily spending rose to an average of $90 in May, the highest since October 2008 and higher than it has been in May since the $114 found in the same month in 2008. Spending is up from $86 in April and on par with the $89 found in March.

A $1 million nest egg ain't what it used to be

Mon, 10 Jun 2013 08:16:35 EST

The topsy-turvy world of the markets--particularly the ultra-low yield of bonds--is upending what many people thought they knew about saving for retirement. The New York Times' Jeff Sommer offers analysis.