I find myself looking to that great sage Yogi Berra, the former manager of the New York Mets and Yankees, whose comments would seem to provide powerful insight into the current state of housing and the economy. Yogi said this to Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig when attendance was down...
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"Got anything other than asphalt?" Minneapolis remodeler John Sylvestre, owner of Sylvestre Construction, had a problem a few years ago when he contracted to build a garage in the rear of a house designed by Prairie School architects Purcell and Elmslie, the only such house in St. Paul. Most of his...
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Whether you're putting in the windows on your own job or subcontracting the work out, it's important to make the whole process painless for the crew coming in to install. Tim Murphy, president of Tim Murphy Carpentry, a full-service remodeling company in Chicago that specializes in window...
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Even though swimming pools and hot tubs have become inexorably linked over the past two decades, many service technicians and firms remain reluctant to work on hot tubs. The reasons are many. For example, hot tubs are equipped with various types of control boards (with everything from digital...
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M/I Schottenstein Homes Inc. reports record financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2001.
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Mel Martinez, U.S. Housing and Urban Development secretary, announced President Bush's proposed budget will nearly triple funding of "sweat equity programs," which help low-income families become first-time homeowners.
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Beazer Homes USA Inc. and Crossmann Communities Inc. today announced that they have signed a definitive merger agreement, under which Crossmann will merge into a wholly-owned subsidiary of Beazer Homes and the Crossmann shareholders will receive a combination of cash and Beazer stock.
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Home builder KB Home has announced its entry into the Tampa, Fla., market through an initiative launched last July with the acquisition of Trademark Homebuilders in Jacksonville.
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The nation's home builders strongly support the goal of ``broader homeownership, especially among minorities,'' expressed last night by President Bush in his State of the Union address.
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New data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows the United States had 73 million homeowners at the end of 2001, the largest number ever recorded.
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REDWOOD SHORES, Calif.( BUSINESS WIRE)- BuildPoint Corporation, a provider of bid and risk management for the construction industry, today announced that it has reached a major milestone in enabling over 50,000 users and powering nearly 1.6 million construction bids.
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USBuild, a supply chain company for production homebuilding, today announced the completion of its second round of financing, bringing the total raised to $15 million.
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In nearly every measurable category, the housing industry is expected to do better than average this year.
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Sales of new homes continue to post all-time records, despite last year's recession.
Should you let buyers view lots in real time? Village Homes uses an interactive mapping program by Media Lab. This protects the company from someone who might try to interfere with its back end through Web access, says Connie Dahl, the company's webmaster.
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Demand for dealer-installed home security systems is growing. New single-family starts will constitute the fastest-growing market. The report also expects a 10 percent annual growth rate in multiple-dwelling housing units.
The Web can help keep your homes code-compliant.Trenton Whitman of American Design Build in Coarsegold, Calif., was meeting with a client to discuss a home design.
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Home building comes out from under recession and terrorism; sales are expected to gradually increase through second quarter of this year. As David Hill surveyed the field of battle late in the third quarter, everything that could go wrong had for the housing industry. "Consumer confidence dropped...
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Annualized housing starts are expected to regain ground by 2003.
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Aging boomers promise enormous demand for age-sensitive housing.
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Prolonged decline in the economy could rapidly put buyers back in the driver's seat.
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If cities decide to focus on increasing residential districts, they can be successful, says Dayton, Ohio, Mayor Mike Turner.
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Mel Martinez, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, announced the advent of the American Dream Downpayment Fund, a fiscal year 2003 initiative to help 200,000 low-income families purchase homes.
When a home is much more than just a house, you open the door to a whole new world of imagination, light, and color. Sixty kilometers north of Queretaro, Guanajuato, Mexico, the colonial hillside village of San Miguel de Allende contemplates the Laja River and distant mountains ranging to the...
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Final regulations issued last week by the National Marine Fisheries Service to protect habitat of commercial fish species only marginally improve the permit review process for builders constructing homes in protected areas, according to the NAHB.
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EBN is to the greening of the building industry as Consumer Reports is to consumer product performance ratings. Subscribers also get access to password-protected online links that offer to adapt guideline specifications to their own building projects.
The great room, with windows that frame views to the street and a wooded backyard, may be the best room in this house. "The volume is important because it adds to the sense of arrival," says Looney, who used volume sensibly in this design. A grandiose 24 by 19 square feet, the great room serves as...
Look up at the ceiling in virtually every room, and you find a pair of high-performance speakers. Also in the lower level, Homelink includes a luxurious, dedicated home theater room. "We realized that when the typical builder puts in a home theater, he goes into a Circuit City and pulls out a big...
BUILDER, Morrison Homes' Atlanta division, and Looney Ricks Kiss architects of Memphis, Tenn., set out to demonstrate that new homes are better than old ones in almost every way. With buyers' objections foremost in mind, we built a show home that embodies all the best practices of the home building...
BUILDER's 2002 showcase of techniques and products is designed for the way builders really build and the way buyers really live. Ah, the appeal of an old house--a charming, character-rich design on a spacious lot with mature trees. But in their nostalgic haze, most buyers forget that old homes are...
With a real family in mind, the architects focused on lifestyle enhancements rather than showy money wasters. A favorite term of the Looney Ricks Kiss team is the "liver," which refers to the area between the garage and the kitchen that filters out all of the day's junk, so it never makes it to the...
The kids wing, with two children's bedrooms (each with a private bath) and a playroom, occupies the second floor. "We designed a big landing at the top of the stairs," says Looney, "because this is a modest house, and it allows a little bit of breathing room." The bright-yellow girl's room features...
Light my fire: The Icon 160T fireplace from Heatilator is the focal point of the great room. The manufacturer's Caliber GCDC60 direct-vent gas model was used to warm up the screened porch off of the kitchen.
The door hardware inside the home also comes from Kwikset. Product lines include the Bedford and Windham knob, Savannah French Door Combinations, Pembroke, Tulane, and Hampshire Levers, each available with a low-profile deadbolt. Other designs in the Society Brass Collection include the Tiana...
Sterling's exclusive stainless steel Vikrell laundry sink is the shining star of this essential space. Engineered for durability and lasting performance, the single bowl sink is a classic addition to practically any decor. The Vikrell line also includes bathing fixtures, lavatories, toilets, and...
The shower is a mix of molding pieces and tumbled marble-like tiles from Crossville Ceramics. The through-body color, fired deep into the material, won't flake or fade. The sturdy dual lever, chrome faucet from Price Pfister lends a sleek, modern element to the master bath.
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Pulte Homes announced yesterday it has combined two operating entities in Mexico into one company, Pulte Mexico.
When you build in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, it's pretty obvious when you don't have enough resources.Fifteen of 22 entries in the recent Parade of Homes were participants in Hawaii BuiltGreen.
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Centex Corporation today reported record financial results for both the third quarter and the nine-month period ended December 31, 2001 -- the third quarter and first nine months of fiscal 2002.
The Internet-enabled aspects of Homelink gave the project planners a wild ride. For the time being, says Schmidt, the system will focus on entertainment, but eventually it can tie in with other functions in the home, including lighting, HVAC, anappliances.Tie it all together with a product like...
If Homelink is designed for the way people really want to live, the lower level is where they will want to spend much of their time. And, unlike a basement that's built out later on, this one was designed from the beginning to stay dry and livable. To help prevent mold formation, BSC came up with...
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ebuild, the comprehensive Internet site for building products, announced today its new agreement with BuilderFinish, LLC to license and distribute ebuild?s product data to the home building and home improvement markets.
About half of Atlanta buyers opt for a first-floor master suite, but at this price point it is a must. "People don't use sitting rooms, so we cut it out and used the square footage elsewhere," says Looney, who used the savings for a dressing area and spacious his-and-her closets. Rather than design...
Survey after survey reveals that a big well-equipped kitchen is what really sets new homes apart from resales. Homelink really delivers on this score, with a warm kitchen design that includes many progressive features.The brick stove surround, wood floors, industrial-style chrome faucets from Price...
Homelink's engineers wanted to prevent the typical pressure variations between rooms that are found in modern, tightly constructed homes. The other half of the equation meant allowing conditioned air to flow passively through "jump ducts" in walls. The result, a two-speed Carrier condensing unit...
If all manufacturers handled product defects the way these three companies did, builders would find protecting their reputations a whole lot easier. DryVit and Louisiana-Pacific had problems with moisture rotting their siding products; a preservative on Marvin's window and door products failed.But...
Estimating software saves time and takes the guesswork out of estimates.Estimating software can't prevent you from procrastinating or waiting until the last minute to submit your bid, but it can help you when time's running out. Alma Jessop, president of L.A. Construction in Salt Lake City, says...
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Do you belong on our expanding list of the country's largest builders? If you build more than 100 homes a year, send your address and phone number to lwilliam@hanley-wood.com, or by regular mail to Loretta Williams at BUILDER, One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20005. Call...
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The first and best place to turn for help with a home theater is a qualified home-systems installer. This professional carries audio/video gear and will install it as a subcontractor. Experienced in the home building process, a home-systems installer can configure a custom theater for each home or...
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It's a position coveted by all of the nation's largest home builders. Having long cited the economic harmony a merger of two or more of the industry's five largest titans would bring, Wall Street has had to settle for multiple marriages of large- and medium-sized builders.
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The 2002 edition of The New American Home opens next month at the International Builders' Show in Atlanta. This year's plantation-style, move-up home was built by Atlanta's John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods and showcases the latest in new-home products and appliances by members of the NAHB's...
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As consolidation continues in the housing industry, the merger last year of Pulte and Del Webb has resulted in the elimination of Del Webb's public relations functions at the corporate level. Valerie DoLenga, Pulte's corporate PR person, will handle all inquiries about both companies. Since Del...
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That expected boom of boomers' kids is here. At more than 80 million, the kids of the post-war generation are now entering the workforce whether out of college or while studying. Born between 1977 and 1997, the echo boomers may be "the most productive 20-somethings on the planet" despite recent...
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On Tuesday, D.R. Horton Inc. reported its 97th consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth in profitability, which increased shareholders' equity to a record $1.3 billion.
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What will be your buyers' favorite color this year? Like last year, ethnic-inspired shades of red and gold are still hot, but the weakening economy is the main influence for the 2003 palette. Technology is also an influence, as metal colorations like Silger--gold overlaid on silver--come into vogue.
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Decorative ceilings in the dining room or master bedroom can add value to modest homes without breaking the builder's bank. Boulder, Colo., architect Jerry Gloss, of Knudson Gloss Architects, recommends a process, which he refers to as "the poor man's coffer," that doesn't require raising the plate...
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The U.S. economy officially sank into recession last March, and the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 put additional downward pressure on our economic system. The automakers and major retailers became quite aggressive after Sept. 11, and home builders quickly rolled out sales incentives of their own.
Prefab framing has saved Japanese builders time and labor. The Chmielewskis were the first people in North America to use a prefabricated, post-and-beam framing system from the Shimane, Japan-based Kato Sangyo. Though Brew hasn't finished verifying the numbers, he says that when a large, national...
"Good Times" rolled in the 113th Tournament of Roses Parade.The NAHB celebrated the new year and housing's national importance with a float in the 113th Tournament of Roses Parade, whose theme was "Good Times." The NAHB president Bruce Smith's daughters, vice president and treasurer Kent Conine's...
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Owners race to update seven key housing industry back-office accounting competitors. Now it's the name of the game--the home building industry's back-office software survival game. Holigan explains that when he bought Fast, its fees "were priced from 30 cents to $14 per active unit [a home under...
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Lennar has signed an agreement to purchase Patriot Homes, a leading home builder in the Baltimore marketplace, for an undisclosed price. "We have said for some time that the Baltimore/Washington market is very desirable," explains Marshal Ames, Lennar's investor relations director.
Home theaters can mean big profits. The reasons for this popularity are obvious: The experience produced by today's big screens and surround-sound Unless you're building very high-end homes, the space and budget may not allow a dedicated home theater.
The landscape of our lives changed irrevocably over the course of a few terrifying hours on Sept. 11, 2001. The twin towers of the World Trade Center symbolized America's enduring economic strength.
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The U.S. Department of Commerce's actions to impose 12.6% anti-dumping duties and a 19.3% countervailing duty on Canadian lumber shipments is bad trade policy, bad economic policy, and would act as a new hidden tax on American home buyers, renters, and consumers. So says Bobby Rayburn, vice...
For several years now, low mortgage rates have helped boost housing. Renters rejoice: McStain Neighborhoods sells its High Plains Village at Centerra by making rentals the enemy.
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Architectural plans always had copyright protection as drawings, but a 1990 federal law added structures to copyrightable creative works. No more, says Zahn of Sabo & Zahn, perhaps the only legal firm in which the partners are also architects.
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The first and best place to turn for help with a home theater is a qualified home-systems installer. This professional carries audio/video gear and will install it as a subcontractor. Experienced in the home building process, a home-systems installer can configure a custom theater for each home or...
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A new year has begun, yet more than 1,000 people who lived in the lower portion of the 22.7 square miles that make up Manhattan still have not returned to their homes because of damage from Sept. 11. Some have simply gathered up what possessions they could carry and fled to New Jersey.
Homelink show home aims to dispel some old notions about design and technology in new homes.With our Homelink show home, we set out to overcome the objections that people might have to new homes and change perceptions in the process. And I welcome you, while you're at the International Builders'...
Despite a few bumps in the road, the costs of most building materials show surprising resilience.When we reported in November about how well the housing industry had weathered the economic turmoil following Sept. 11, we kept silent on one key part of the long-term economic prognosis--the costs of...
With growing consumer fears about mold, the big builder recently announced a program targeting indoor air quality. In partnership with Masco Contractor Services of Florida, the "Environments for Living" construction program will begin with Pulte's Dallas-Ft. "It was a big step for us," Pulte...
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Why is California's housing least affordable? "Local fees add a staggering $64,320 to the cost of every new single-family home in Danville in the San Francisco Bay area," says Mick Pattinson, president of San Diego-based Barratt American and the newly elected president of the California BIA. Below...
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Custom Home magazine's design awards program salutes the finest custom home design work. The closing date for entries this year is April 30, 2002.
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Lennar Corporation announced yesterday it completed its acquisition of Patriot Homes, a leading Baltimore home builder, for an undisclosed purchase price paid in cash.
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Homestore.com yesterday announced additional disciplinary actions related to its previously announced internal accounting inquiry.
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Federal regulatory changes for wetlands development activities would reduce only slightly the amount of red tape confronting builders and developers, according to the NAHB.
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Home builders nationwide are finding an unpleasant surprise in their mail these days: letters stating their liability insurance rates are rising 10 to 20 percent and sometimes even 100 percent or more.
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HUD officials permanently have withdrawn a Florida mortgage company's authority to make or acquire FHA-insured loans, and have withdrawn a California lender's FHA authority for three years.
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Indicating that builders once again view the market for new single-family homes as optimistically as they did prior to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the NAHB's Housing Market Index (HMI) rose four points to its highest reading since November of 2000.
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WASHINGTON (Hanley-Wood News Service) - Nationwide housing affordability dipped slightly but remained on very solid ground in the third quarter of 2001 as interest rates on home mortgages continued downward for a fifth consecutive quarter, according to the NAHB's Housing Opportunity Index (HOI)...
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More than 70,000 building industry professionals from around the world are expected to attend the 2002 International Builders' Show, scheduled for Feb. 8-11 at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.
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Fannie Mae has donated $300 million of common stock to the Fannie Mae Foundation to continue funding the foundation's mission of expanding affordable housing opportunities.
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Need a BUILDER 100 survey form to submit your company's information? You'll find them here, ready for download.
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Washington state's Growth Management Act is generating some unintended consequences and contributing to rising home prices.
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WASHINGTON (Inman News Features) - The nation's economy has been plagued by a patten of job layoffs and slow job growth since it sunk into recession in March, but the impact of rising unemployment on the nation's housing markets has been difficult to assess, in part because the manufacturing and...
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Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. announced that it closed yesterday the acquisition of the California homebuilding operations of The Forecast Group, L.P., a privately held, single family homebuilder headquartered in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
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The nation's housing market is expected to soften ever so slightly this year, but still post exceptionally strong sales activity as the economy rebounds from a shallow recession, according to the National Association of Realtors' latest economic and housing forecast.
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SAN FRANCISCO (Inman News Features) -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco last year subsidized 123 housing projects through its affordable housing program. The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco has $140 billion in assets and is the largest of the 12 banks in the Federal Home Loan...
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By offering everything from robust search features to extensive specifications to easy-to-follow installation details, Building Products' 2001 Favorite 50 product manufacturer Web sites are the cream of the crop. They have many characteristics that readers said they want in a Web site and usually a...
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Homelink is a unique concept -- a show home that combines the ambiance of the past with the technology of tomorrow. The partnership of BUILDER magazine, Morrison Homes and Looney Ricks Kiss has created a home that will deliver comfort and convenience to the homeowner and innovative construction...
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ARLINGTON, Texas (Hanley-Wood News Service) - D.R. Horton Inc. reported net sales for the quarter ended December 31, 2001 increased 22% to 5,144 units ($1,021.4 million) compared to 4,229 units ($900.3 million) for the same period of fiscal year 2001.
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In a SEC filing, Homestore.com contends AOL has breached certain obligations relating primarily to Internet traffic commitments under a five-year marketing and distribution agreement between the two companies.
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In new homes, the Internet needs to become a utility like gas, electricity, and phone service, says Michael Moore, a group vice president at Cisco Systems.
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The National Association of Home Builders today applauded the efforts of U.S. trade officials and former Montana Gov. Marc Racicot for their determination in working with Canadian trade negotiators to seek a resolution to the U.S./Canada softwood lumber trade.
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Pulte Homes announced that Mark J. O'Brien officially took over Jan. 1 as president and CEO of the company.
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Huttig Building Products Inc. today announced the appointment of Thomas S. McHugh as vice president of finance and CFO of the company. Mr. McHugh will replace Kenneth E. Thompson, vice president and CFO, who is retiring at the end of this month.
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In a move that may or may not be related to class-action suit by its shareholders, Homestore.com announced yesterday it overstated its online advertising revenues in the first three quarters of last year by $54-$95 million.
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The complaint alleges that Homestore violated generally accepted accounting principles required by SEC rules by engaging in improper "roundtrip" transactions that resulted in overstatement of the company's revenues and assets.