OTHER ARTICLES

  • Integrating HVAC Gets Easier

    When builders put together home automation systems for their customers, HVAC is rarely on the list. Most builders are more than comfortable installing traditional energy-efficient, set-back thermostats and don't have any intention of changing until more customers start asking for automated HVAC.

     
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    Productivity Software for Builders

    The clear majority of builders are ideal candidates for handheld productivity software. They run small companies with sales under $5 million and operate with a few employees and a cadre of reliable subcontractors and suppliers. These builders don't have thousands of dollars to spend on technology...

     
  • It's Mealtime!

    The first attempts at a networked kitchen failed miserably when the Web hit the scene eight years ago. One problem was the public wasn't ready. But precious little was done to figure out how people could really use the Web in the kitchen.

     
  • Deal is Off

    The proposed merger between Leviton Manufacturing Co. and OnQ Technologies was terminated this past spring. The original plan was to create Leviton OnQ by integrating Leviton's structured wiring and home controls products with OnQ's line of structured wiring gear. The combined company would have...

     
  • On Ice

    Icebox LLC, makers of home entertainment centers for the kitchen, is looking to market through home builders. Under the company's new program, for every 35 homes a builder pre-wires for Icebox, the builder receives a free Icebox for his model home. Kirby Watson, director of business development for...

     
  • People Power

    About 10 years ago, Symes Associates in Beverly, Mass., was building 25 houses a year. At that size, the builder could manage its work flow and stay profitable by using only a paper-based system supported by mobile phones.

     
  • How-To: Minimize to Maximize

    Frost-protected shallow foundations. In-line framing. Single-layer subfloors. These techniques can save on your hard costs, at the same time benefiting generations of homeowners. Here's how to shave costs without sacrificing quality or energy efficiency.

     
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    Trade Secrets: Part IV

    Tips from visionary builders who have implemented far-reaching strategies to transform their companies.

     
  • Trade Secrets: Part III

    Tips from visionary builders who have implemented far-reaching strategies to transform their companies.

     
  • Trade Secrets: Part II

    Tips from visionary builders who have implemented far-reaching strategies to transform their companies.

     
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    Trade Secrets: Ideal World

    Tips from visionary builders who have implemented far-reaching strategies to transform their companies.

     
  • Golden Glow, part III

    Never have the Golden Nuggets winners been more responsive to local settings in their use of materials and details and more romantic as a result.

     
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    Golden Glow, part II

    Never have the Golden Nuggets winners been more responsive to local settings in their use of materials and details and more romantic as a result.

     
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    Golden Glow

    Never have the Gold Nugget winners been more responsive to local settings in their use of materials and details and more romantic as a result.

     
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    Hot Sellers: Bigger is Better

    Doing the homework, buying the land right, and developing what the market needed.

     
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    Hot Sellers: Lakes and Lifestyle

    Lakewood Grove's homes include basements and two-car garages.

     
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    Hot Sellers: Desert Oasis

    Nobody does lifestyle better than Del Webb, and Anthem Parkside proves its formula for success goes beyond active adult communities.

     
  • Found Water

    Public environmental concerns have forced builders to investigate how to address water shortages.

     
  • Seiders Economy: Land is King

    The future shape of the building industry will be heavily influenced by the distribution of land inventories among companies of different sizes.

     
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    From the President: Housing for Heroes

    "Workforce heroes" -- firefighters, police officers, teachers, nurses, and others -- can't afford to live in the communities where they work.

     
  • NAHB Briefs: August 2003

    - The NAHB supports passage of H.R.8, the Death Tax Repeal Permanency Act of 2003. - Many still have difficulty becoming homeowners or finding affordable rental housing. - The NAHB releases a free publication charting advancements made in housing quality, design, and performance in the last 100...

     
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    Size Matters

    Demand for 8-foot doors has surged dramatically over the last two years.

     
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    Structural Support

    As larger-sized dimensional lumber becomes harder to find, manufacturers have stepped up to fill the void. The result: a large breadth of engineered structural lumber products available to builders. It all depends on your preferences and your needs, but chances are there is a product out there for...

     
  • Vital Signs: Job Squad

    Construction payrolls have increased for four months in a row, a rare spot of optimism.

     
  • First Draft: It's in the Details

    Charm and character are first in the planning, then in the details.

     
  • Wetland Drama

    A U.S. Appeals Court decision could broaden what's considered a wetland.

     
  • Sell FAST

    Selling FAST would enable Hyphen-Solutions to concentrate on developing and marketing its BuildPro and Supply products.

     
  • Waiting to Exhale

    Freddie Mac disclosed the details--and projected amount--of its expected earnings restatement.

     
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    Service First

    If you're a huge builder or a small mom-and-pop shop, buyers have the same expectations and judge builders with the same sort of criteria.

     
  • Midwest Merger: Green Giant

    The two biggest builders in Madison, Wis., create a new company expected to be the largest home builder in the state.

     
  • Builder Thaws Costs

    Robertson Brothers pours its basements only during the summer.

     
  • Builders Fight Back

    Builders expect that a smart-growth bill will be introduced in the New Jersey legislature.

     
  • Sue Who?

    Just like corporate executives, elected officials can be held personally liable if they act beyond their legal authority.

     
  • Bike Trail Bonus

    Local officials are considering making the most of planned sewer upgrades by adding bike trails along the lines.

     
  • Twice as Nice

    Double suites give everyone their own private space.

     
  • Still Needs Work

    Builders need their cell phones but are less than satisfied with the service.

     
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    Editor's Notes: Power Transformers

    Twenty trade secrets that could make the biggest difference to your business.

     
  • Bought & Sold

    In its first acquisition since Del Webb, Pulte Homes has bought Sivage-Thomas Homes of Albuquerque, N.M., a private Builder 100 company that closed 1,100 homes last year, with revenues of $149 million. Terms of the cash deal were not disclosed.

     
  • Home Matters

    Homeowners are happier, healthier, and participate more in their communities than renters.

     
  • New Leader

    Pulte Homes has a new CEO.

     
  • Editor's Notes: Power Transformers

    Twenty trade secrets that could make the biggest difference to your business.

     
  • Fast Track 2002: All for One

    These builders crush the competition by collaborating with their employees, subs, and buyers.Amber Homes has reaped the benefits. Last year, the company generated $31 million in revenue on 213 closings, making it the fastest-growing builder in terms of closings and the second fastest in revenue...

     
  • Fast Track 2002

    In a record year for housing, these fast-growing builders set a dizzying pace. Our fourth annual list shows who can race with the pack.Sounds like NASCAR, but fast-growing home builders also know that the right mix of strategy, speed, and seamless teamwork can propel them to the winner's circle of...