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A chieving the top spot in a local market is a coup for any builder, even if it only translates into 4 percent or 5 percent market share, a pretty typical figure for the leading builder. But being king of the hill can provide more than a PR boost. It can get a company first crack at the precious...
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April 4, 2002 -- Baldwin Hardware Corporation put its engineers and designers to work to insure that the public's favorite Baldwin Bath suite would coordinate even better with the public's favorite choice for bath fixtures. The company attributes Laguna's popularity to the eclectic appeal of its...
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Private builders are here to stay.
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With the acquisition of not one, but two Florida companies, Standard Pacific enters its fifth market and its first one east of Texas.
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Regulations and the market drive developers to create less toxic, more natural courses.
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In a mail survey conducted by the National Association of Realtors and the NAHB in April, respondents from 2000 households, who purchased a primary residence within the last two years, ranked the importance of features they considered when deciding on a community.
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With its purchase of the WL Homes operations in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, M.D.C. Holding's plan to double in size by 2007 gains momentum.
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A few years back, one of Meritage Corp.'s most popular plans wasn't popular among Asian buyers.
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News, trends, big deals, and insights.
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Whether or not Congress enacts the pending Community Character legislation this year, one thing is certain: We haven't heard the end of the sprawl issue.
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Does land use planning, traditionally a responsibility of local governments, need help from the feds?
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Manufacturers of products from window glass to kitchen and bath fixtures call consumer demand the driving force behind their torrent of low-maintenance products over the past decade. Karie Johnson, senior product development manager of bath products for Delta Faucet Co. in Indianapolis, says, "One...
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Wisconsin builder aims to dominate markets where nationals fear to go.
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Builders use sound control to create soothing havens for buyers.
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Bucking the trend, a Houston project goes golf-less.
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Internet-based software exclusive to Coldwell enables its affiliates to manage the thousands of requests, as well as the numerous alliances formed with builders and vendors, at no extra cost to the consumer.
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Ryland's smart efficiencies keep profits flowing.
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Every one of the 2,500 homes built by Pardee Homes this year will be Energy Star compliant.
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Builders knock the stuffing out of their merchandising budgets, but in a good way.
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Lennar finds value in cozying up to its partners.
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The Census Bureau said Tuesday that housing construction in the United States soared by 11.6 percent in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.733 million, the biggest increase since July 1995.
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Provide better information for Spanish-speaking employees and subcontractors with Hanley-Wood's newest magazine. Improve skills in framing, roofing, drywall, masonry, and concrete work. Also included are OSHA-approved safety training sessions in both Spanish and English, so the whole building team...
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Terrabrook, a nationwide master planned community developer headquartered in Dallas, has committed to putting an intranet in every new community. The first one went live at the Vista Lakes community near Orlando, Fla., on Oct. 15, 2002. Six more are planned this year. This level of commitment from...
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You don't need an engineering degree to create an IT plan for your company. But you do need a map."People's worst fear is not knowing what to do and not trusting that the builder knows what it's doing," she says.Michaels' system addresses both by automatically notifying customers when it's time to...
Just over a year after it launched, the San Diego-based ConnectHome has found that providing builders with pre-screened integration companies can be a winning niche. Bob Johannsen of Paridigm Integration in Tracy, Calif., signed up for the program in late 2001, after trying for years, with mixed...
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Home automation took a leap forward in March, when the Cary, N.C.-based Home Director released the latest version of its Control Point automation server. Underneath, its object-oriented system lets hard-core programmers go even further.Home Director isn't the only company using SYS. It's also part...
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Arc faults, dangerous electrical arcs caused by damaged wiring, cause many house fires. Beginning this year, the National Electric Code will require the installation of arc-fault circuit interrupters or AFCIs in bedroom circuits.
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Briggs and Stratton (www.briggsandstratton.com) has made engines for backup generators for years. Now for the first time, it has decided to introduce one under its own brand, citing growing concerns over power reliability.
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Storm Shelter actually unplugs sensitive electronics during lightning storms. Cost: $75, plus a $9.95 per month fee.
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When Sammy Saloum contracted with a Dallas-area builder for a new home in 1999, he asked for a complete data, audio, and video network. CompUSA is preparing to take part in several Parade of Homes projects, which Saloum hopes will win over builders and consumers alike.
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At this southern California community, architect and builder eschew tried-and-true design in favor of innovation and historical reference. If your niche market is only 5 percent of the overall market, but you can attract 100 percent of that 5 percent, you can have a very successful new-home...
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Home builders should examine their accounting practices now to avoid potential trouble later.Carefully review all joint-venture and partnership agreements to ensure that your company's true ownership percentage and true exposure to loss are properly reflected and disclosed in your financial...
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The Andersen-Enron scandal should serve as a wake-up call to builders: Ignoring the books could cost you a bundle.Knowing that the proper accounting expertise could potentially save the Rockville, Md.-based company thousands by preventing errors and helping it grow, Haese immediately searched for a...
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The housing sector helped the economy get through the recent recession not only by generating high levels of home sales and production but also by contributing high rates of home price appreciation that fueled consumer spending. In this regard, Greenspan noted that "the underlying demand for living...
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Computers have changed much more than just the way we do business, communicate with one another, and play solitaire.This fast-paced, interactive CD-ROM game introduces teens to the entire home building process. The NAHB will be promoting the program extensively in the coming months, and we're also...
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- Robert Lawson testifies in support of the Housing Affordability for America Act of 2002, urging legislators to focus on the housing needs of "working poor" households.
- Passage of a Senate energy bill may provide builders with a voluntary tax credit.
- NAHB president discusses the growth of...
In the past five years, the noise level of air conditioning units has become a big issue," says Matt Schulz, product manager for Amana Appliances. "Builders are building on tighter lots and AC units are getting bigger so they need to be quiet."
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Over the years, manufacturers have developed high-output ranges with enough BTUs to flash-fry a buffalo, energy-efficient dishwashers that use very little water yet provide extremely clean dishes, and high-speed ovens that cook dinner in the time it would take to set the table--if people still did...
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Between their new houses, mortgage refinancings, and shiny new SUVs, free-spending consumers saved the U.S. economy from a far deeper downturn last fall. According to David Wyss, chief economist for Standard and Poor's (S & P) in New York, Americans' debt-service burden is approaching the high...
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After the initial novelty and praise subsided, Celebration, Fla., Disney's utopian TND, had its fair share of criticism. "We couldn't have come up with stuff as great as what these kids wrote and drew about their experiences," notes David Miles, president of the Denver-based Miles Advertising...
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What's in a name? A lot. Names carry meaning and conjure images and opinions--both good and bad. For example, naming a community Horr's Island is risky. "I have never come across a piece of property that didn't have at least one unique feature," Roxburgh says.
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After weeks of speculation, Florida's largest independent real estate brokerage has a new owner. As a result, St. Joe expects the sale of ARS and its 3,700 agents to have little effect on Arvida, which maintained a separate sales force.
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Uncertain fiscal and social times prevented most Americans from spending on discretionary items last year, but it didn't seem to affect the wealthiest segment of the population. In 2000, luxury homes--those over $500,000--accounted for 3 percent of homes sold; in 2001, they accounted for 4 percent...
To demonstrate the viability of alternative materials, several bold custom builders assembled an unusual showcase of pricey homes. Called the Showcase for Better Built Homes, and organized by the Omaha-based home planning firm Design Basics, this unusual project allowed area builders to demonstrate...
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The Home Depot has overcome a lot of obstacles during its rise to the top, navigating through ugly gender bias lawsuits and past environmentalists and corporate watchdog groups, grinding its competitors into dust, and earning the conditional adoration of Wall Street.But now the Teflon-coated giant...
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In 1988, concerns about environmental and human health effects stopped the use of chlordane and heptachlor (poisons effective for 30-plus years), says H. Alan Mooney. "The objective," Mooney, president of the Portland, Maine-based Criterium Engineers, says, "is to establish a continuous horizontal...
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Southern California's post war boom created housing, jobs, and, of course, strip malls. A concept rendering of The Planning Center's "suburban village" model illustrates the pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use communities it hopes to design.
Although it has long been used to make furniture, bamboo is also a viable hardwood flooring alternative. Bamboo is gaining popularity because it wears well, looks good, and is a renewable resource.
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One example is ABD Development's new lakefront community, Vizcaya, which features a ship-shaped clubhouse that never leaves the dock. The Orlando, Fla., builder and developer created the 2,000-square-foot building to resemble a cruise ship.
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Pardee Homes launched its "Living-Smart" program, a green building development of environmentally sensitive and healthy homes at Santa Barbara, the first neighborhood built at Pacific Highlands Ranch in San Diego.
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The Internet Home Alliance wants to de-stress travelers. A future pilot will explore communication technologies, including videoconferencing.
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M.D.C. Holdings, one of the 10 largest builders, just got bigger. Terms were not disclosed; Lennar is still completing due diligence.
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That's right, those proud, colorful little guys that merchandisers have used to punch up model home kitchens from California to Pennsylvania are history. "Barnyard animals are out in general," says Stephanie Henley of Beasley and Henley Interior Design in Winter Park, Fla.
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Although 70 percent of home buyers want energy-efficient appliances, only half of large builders offer them, according to a survey by Sears Contract Sales of the nation's top 100 builders. The survey, completed in January, didn't call dissatisfaction a major problem or imply that it had any effect...
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Standard Pacific Homes may need to add "Atlantic" to its name. The acquisitions will give Standard Pacific an immediate presence in Florida: Colony and Westbrooke closed a combined 1,307 homes last year for a total of $248 million in revenue.
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A new study on the impacts of gentrification on older, poorer neighborhoods may please infill developers. One reason: Rental assistance programs often soften the blow to low-income tenants.
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Florida luxury builder WCI Communities has joined the public builder club. "Valuations [for home building stocks] were so low, and we weren't constrained for capital," says WCI president Jerry Starkey, who expects that the newly public company will see lower capital costs, improved access to...
Word travels quickly through the neighborhood when everyone's biggest asset takes a quantum leap in appreciation. Make no mistake--housing is a great investment.
Decorative door hardware upgrades are getting a handle on the housing market. Selling deadbolts and multi-lock systems has long been a natural way to upgrade hardware, especially when one out of 10 homes is burglarized each year, according to the National Crime Prevention Council in Washington, D.C.
Should you go real or repro hardware on your next remodeling job? One manufacturer architects turn to for painstaking reproductions is Exton, Pa.-based Ball and Ball, which offers a complete line of interior and exterior door hardware in brass, cast iron, hand-forged iron, and bronze. Another trade...