Other stories by Roberta Maynard

  • The Bull Case

    With her core group of builders trading at 6.4 times 2003 estimated earnings, Ivy Zelman, of Credit Suisse First Boston, caught more than a few people off guard when she downgraded several builder stocks. Summing up, she says, "Although we do not expect the housing market to collapse, the so-called...

  • The Year of the Tiger

    According to Chinese tradition, 2003 will be the year of the sheep. In the home building business, it will more closely resemble the year of the tiger.

  • Hispanic Heartland

    Among the 100 largest MSAs, Hispanic growth continues in the 16 established metro areas that have long attracted Latinos, including, New York, Chicago, and Houston. Topping the list of new gateways are Atlanta, North Carolina metros, and Washington, D.C.

  • Web Trends

    For builders who wonder whether their Web sites are keeping pace with consumer preferences, here's a chance to find out. The Boston-based Web Marketing Association (WMA) just completed its sixth annual Web site competition.

  • Payback Problem

    The increase in delinquencies of both conventional and FHA mortgages in the second half of 2002 has some industry-watchers concerned. In 2001, the FHA loans in that category accounted for 58 percent of total FHA loans compared with 43 percent in 1990.

  • Big Orders

    With closings of 3,200 units this year, Morrison Homes can't be counted in the ranks of mega builders. And when it comes to product purchasing, its size has not been a huge asset, acknowledges Morrison's head of purchasing and construction, Greg LorenzettiIncrease your purchasing power," Morrison...

  • Equity Exit

    The reverse mortgage industry, which had a robust year in 2001, is poised for record volume again this year. The most common type -- FHA Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECM) -- are on track to increase 64 percent in fiscal year 2002 over the previous fiscal year.

  • Capture the Flag

    With its latest East Coast acquisition, KB Home has made its way into a third Florida market.

  • Size Wise

    Industry observers are fond of saying that the biggest builders wield unprecedented clout when it comes to buying products. That seems to make sense when you look at the enormous volume concentrated at the top.

  • Stand by....

    If there were any doubt about the likelihood of continued consolidation in home building, this year's merger activity should have dispelled it. A dozen or so noteworthy deals have come to pass thus far, half of them involving one Builder 100 company buying another.