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The International Builders' Show is here once again and offers a wealth of products, exhibits, speakers, and more. Make your plans now with our online guide to Vegas and the show.
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Craig Schweikart, a senior consultant at Shinn Consulting who follows builder technology closely, has some simple advice for builders looking to deploy an accounting and construction management system: Figure out why you are buying a new system and what business problems you hope to solve.
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Services listed are a range assessed by governmental agencies throughout the state. Dollar amounts of fees are limited to those charged to residential builders. Comments in quotations are from staff members of state and local HBA offices.
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Carpenter Scott Kahle wanted a better way to work with and move his portable table saw. The result is his new rolling, collapsible Kwik-Stand. In the open position, the unit is a wide, stable surface for ripping, including an integral outfeed that's just the right height. Collapsed, the Kwik-Stand i...
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Single-family housing starts should total 1.633 million units in 2003, the NAHB's chief economist said as the 2003 International Builders' Show opened today in Las Vegas.
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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 21, 2003 (Hanley-Wood News Service) - The latest edition of the International Builders' Show opened today at the Las Vegas Convention Center amid glowing reports on 2002 housing starts.Las Vegas hotelier Steve Wynn greeted builders at the show's opening ceremony at the Aladdin Theate...
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The pool market is taking off, and experts say that pool and spa retailers -- in their role as backyard professionals -- are perfectly positioned to corner it.
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Rational nexus involves the physical location of your project in relationship to where the impact fees are going to be used.
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Both experts and builders had plenty of advice on what to do -- and what not to do -- when conducting market research. "Builders also make the mistake of not adjusting absorption levels to fit where prices have gone," says Deborah Rosenstein, of Rosenstein Research Associates Inc.
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Bruce Karatz, KB Home chairman and CEO, says he believes expanding into the Rio Grande Valley will enable the company to capitalize on the population explosion in the city of McAllen. The former president of Mulvaney Homes has partnered with two industry executives to launch Evergreen Home Builders,...
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By taking a hand in the development of a luxury master planned golf course and country club community, Toll Brothers has entered its 22nd U.S. market: South Carolina. He said he anticipates local residents to be drawn to "the high amenity lifestyle" that is being offered.The remaining 755 lots that ...
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The vacation-home sector in the United States is larger than most analysts -- and subsequently, most home builders -- believe, according to results of a survey conducted in fall 2002 by the National Association of Realtors (NAR). Census results show that there are 9.2 million homes held by owners in...
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PCi Corporation, a provider of compliance risk management solutions, has announced its rankings of the nation's leading Bank Holding Companies in mortgage lending. The categories include total originations, originations to minority borrowers, originations to low- to moderate-income borrowers, and or...
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A new survey reports that 16 states experienced negative growth during fiscal 2002; for fiscal 2003, 17 states have budgeted for negative growth.Two-thirds of states report spending growth of less than 5 percent in both fiscal 2002 and fiscal 2003. The study was released in November by the National ...
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Bringing home builders and home buyers together is just part of Insperience Studio. The 12,000 square foot facility in Atlanta -- built by Whirlpool and Kitchen-Aid -- offers a hands-on approach to testing kitchen and laundry room appliances.
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New Jersey-based K. Hovnanian Enterprises has found an entry point into Houston's lucrative home building business. Through the purchase of Parkside Homes' assets, K. Hovnanian is gaining control of about 2,200 lots in the Houston area -- a significant platform expansion.Parkside Homes is ranked as ...
If you have impact fees in the markets where you build, expect more of them. If you don't have them yet, they are coming. Even if you are in a slow-growth or no-growth state. Even if they are illegal in your state.New York City's Lee says the best defense is to take the approach of the Wisconsin hom...
The task of presenting a fluid, enjoyable home buying experience can be daunting. The folks at Anthem Arizona must have realized that early. That's a good thing. From the day the doors opened in the spring of 1999, Anthem has had a welcome center.
"Closet systems are no longer a thing builders can forget about," says Kristina Ferrigan, marketing director for the National Closet Group -- a coalition of independent closet-organizing companies -- and Closet Works, both based in Chicago.
Instead of just lobbying state and local governments to dump impact fees, the National Association of Realtors promotes the use of tax increment financing (TIF) bonds. An alternative to politically risky general obligation bonds, TIF bonds don't require voter approval or raise anyone's taxes, says B...
My company, Unity Marketing, in association with House & Garden magazine, recently conducted a marketing study of the nation's luxury market. Using the results, we identified three different psychographic segments of luxury consumers that are distinguished by their attitudes and motivations in buyin...
Fifteen years ago, only about 20 percent of consumers were involved in selecting plumbing products for the home. Today, it is about 75 percent. But you can't have unlimited choices and have a cost-effective supply chain. So our major challenge, in partnership with our distributors and builders, is t...
When K. Hovnanian purchased Goodman Family of Builders three years ago in Texas, senior managers from both sides met and drafted a list of transition tasks, ranked the items, and worked methodically through them. "All the major transitional issues were completed within two years," says Bobby Ray, pr...
One of the marvels of a free market economy is the extent to which marketers keep rolling out ever more tempting ways to get cash-strapped consumers to buy things they otherwise couldn't, or shouldn't, afford.
If you're not sure whether market research is a wise investment, just ask Tony Green, managing partner of the Pinehills development in Plymouth, Mass. "Market research was at the heart of choosing a different path for us," Green says. The result was a 1.3 million square-foot village center, 3,000 ho...
Presented by BUILDER magazine, HomeDestinations was unveiled at this year's International Builders' Show. Check out the products that were showcased in the Las Vegas show home.
BUILDER magazine would like to thank our "dream team" of builders, architects, interior designers, and landscape architects who worked tirelessly to create our most amazing Builders: The Christopher Homes team: Steve Hackney, president, J. Christopher Stuhmer, founder and CEO, Erika Geiser, vice pre...
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Behind the walls of this glamorous architectural beauty is a wealth of stability--thanks to tons of engineered wood--and (believe it or not) energy efficiency. The home not only received the Energy Star rating, it was also awarded the more stringent ComfortWise designation from ConSol, an independen...
The master suite is an intimate space, rather than an outlandish Vegas-style pad. Residents can enjoy the view of the golf course and mountains, a cozy fire in the fireplace, or watch the television housed in a custom wood cabinet from Collings Inc.
A top priority for the wives in our focus group: an out-of-the-way space for all the piles of mail, magazines and catalogs, volunteer work, and projects. It features a spectacular view of the golf course and mountains.
In a house this size, getting from room to room is half the fun. Hard-surface custom limestone marks the entry, hallways, and staircases.
"The pool had to match the sophistication of the house," says Paul Haden, president of The Collaborative West.A basement grotto, located down a circular stairway from the adult lounge, provides a sanctuary for evenings of cigar smoking and male bonding. It's anchored by a wet bar, pool table, and a ...
"We needed to do an inset of iron in the floor at one point," recalls Sarret, general manager of Granite World, who knew from experience that thinset mortar does not adhere well to iron. This is also the kind of detail that could lead to callbacks, so Sarret took precautions.
"It's comfortable and sophisticated," says Chris Johnson, president of Design Tec Interiors, who designed the entire home with a color palette of brown/black, claret, and neutral accents. "This home combines all of the deluxe electronic features in one," notes Steve Raleigh of Desert Home Electric, ...
Las Vegas, land of make believe, fantasy castles, faux European cities, all-night neon, grand marquees, fabulously feathered showgirls, and big dreams of striking it rich. That was the challenge BUILDER faced when we embarked on our annual show home to premiere at the International Builders' Show 20...
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Would you hire a salesperson who avoids the telephone? Employees who feel uncomfortable browsing the Internet or sending e-mail are fast becoming as much a liability. But while your salespeople need not become IT experts or know how to design a Web site, they do need to know how to send an e-mail wi...
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While over 350,000 contractors use QuickBooks and QuickBooks Pro accounting software (www.quickbooks.com), it has always lacked the industry-specific features needed to hang onto builders for the long haul. To address the problem, Intuit, which publishes the software, has unveiled QuickBooks Premier...
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Timberline Precision Estimating and Gold Accounting have always been regarded as rock-solid products. I'm impressed with the Office approach: It provides a clear implementation strategy for Timberline and partnering products, which makes it easier for builders to evaluate what they need and to deplo...
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If you happen to be driving around and see funny marks on the sidewalk, it might be kids playing hopscotch, it might be the utility company marking out gas lines, or it could be "War-Chalking"--the latest method hackers are using to identify an accessible wireless network. The term derives from "War...
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Premium toolmaker Bosch will unwrap a new line of tools for 2003 at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas this month. As far as we can tell, "Bosch Digital Power Tools" is the first serious foray into the digital realm by a sticks-and-bricks tool manufacturer.
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Two home builders and two home products manufacturers have won Outstanding Web-site awards from the Web Marketing Association (WMA), a virtual organization that evaluates corporate Web sites. Each year, WMA picks 200 winners based on design, innovation, content, technology, interactivity, navigation...
While there hasn't been much news lately surrounding CAD products per se, I recently came across two remarkable new innovations that could enhance any builder's use of CAD as a sales and presentation tool. You can with Affinity for Residential (starting at $750), a design automation tool from the Ho...
Here are the five keys to unleash the power of sales referrals in your company:Roger Fiehn, a Houston-based consultant, claims that builders should get 20 percent to 25 percent of their business from referrals.
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Don't miss your chance to be included in BUILDER's annual list of the top selling home builders. Send your survey(s) to: Survey/BUILDER, Attn: Loretta Williams One Thomas Circle, N.W., Suite 600, Washington, D.C. 20005 FAX: (202) 785-1974 Questions? Call Loretta Williams at (202) 736-3455
To find out, we dropped in on Inland Homes, a Tampa, Fla.-based company that will build 540 units this year.While Inland has fully embraced evenflow, company president Jim Clark wonders whether his firm is the best example of a practitioner of the technique. We find out why the system has worked for...
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The recession may have ended in March, but the economy hasn't fully escaped its grip. In October, consumer confidence fell to its lowest level since 1993.
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Kentlands, Gaithersburg (www.kentlandsusa.com) Well-executed main street with live/work units. Cherry Hill Village, Canton (www.cherryhillvillage.com) One of Michigan's first TNDs, this 1,200-unit development was able to push density to keep prices affordable.
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Not only do builders need to educate themselves on TND details and logistics, but they also have to teach their subs. "Plan to see costs rise as subcontractors figure this out," Burton warns.
Part of "getting" TND is understanding that the architecture of the homes takes a backseat to the quality of life in the neighborhood. "You can use those items to sell your TND through zoning but don't forget that it's about quality of life."
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As the TND process evolves, compromises--or hybrid communities--will have to be built. "Many builders feel they have to cave on one or two things," admits Speck, "but though they might achieve a certain bonus in the marketplace by providing the TND look, the true large-scale gains that one accrues i...
I'On is a successful 759-unit community in Mt. Pleasant, a bedroom community of Charleston, S.C. Civitas, the developer of I'On had a green light to build its high-density community. Graham found his project the subject of a South Carolina Supreme Court case tasked with deciding whether you could ha...
Traditional neighborhood developments work. "They can't explain the TND concept in their own minds, let alone rationalize it to family and friends helping them house hunt." TNDs, most simply described as compact, walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods, run the gamut from communities that adhere rigorousl...
When the NAHB Research Center measured the materials used to build new homes a few years ago, they made an observation that has since become prophetic. The result: a dramatic impact on biodiversity and the landscape in a country with "one of the lowest population densities in the world."
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In response to the uncertainty, some major builders, such as Shea Homes and Pardee Homes, have begun including solar-power systems in their houses, especially in California, where favorable tax laws help make solar technology affordable. In Woodlands, Texas, outside of Houston, a fuel cell system ha...
Drive through Loudoun County, Va., 40 miles west of Washington, and you'll see the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, rolling green hills, and the waves of rooftops belonging to the thousands of homes built annually in the county. Their election ballots reflected those concerns: Voters encountered ...
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A few years ago, laminate flooring made headlines with new technologies and more convincing natural looks. And while laminates continue to experience significant growth, they're not alone in innovation. During the past year, several vinyl-flooring manufacturers unveiled unique looks and new technolo...
Despite the consistent popularity of whirlpool baths, recent bathroom trends toward elaborate shower systems may make you wonder if you should swap a whirlpool for a shower tower in your next bathroom project.Although they aren't geared for the mass market, Jacuzzi's Private collection of whirlpool ...
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Just because it's a garage door doesn't mean it can't have as much curb appeal as an entry door. For these reasons, manufacturers and associations are constantly working to build new safety features into garage doors to protect kids and adults.The Door and Access Systems Manufacturers Association (D...
When the water dries up, home building comes under fierce scrutiny. One reason for that scrutiny, says water conservation expert, consultant, and author Amy Vickers, has been the exponential increase in household water use for lawn irrigation. "The greatest irony is we are at the same latitude as Sa...
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Part one of a two-part series on building homes while protecting limited natural resources. As mass consumers of resources, builders and developers have an enormous stake in the current and future shape of the world's water, wood, land, mineral, and energy resources. For we happy few who dwell in th...
By converting to a paperless office and linking documents to work orders, this past America's Best Builder winner has streamlined its operations. A study by the National Archives and Records Administration found that a cubic foot of paper records costs $23.24 per year to store, based on typical offi...
Pardee Homes builds homes and communities for the long term. That proved, once again, to be a Pardee home, and in 1999, the Vierras turned into Pardee "three-peat" buyers, purchasing a two-story, 3,500-square-foot home in Carmel Country Highlands, a community in north San Diego County.
At Don Simon Homes, the company measures its progress toward perfection every step of the way. If that statement by the president of Don Simon Homes is true, there's not a shred of myth left at the Madison, Wis., company, where everything--punch-list completion, customer satisfaction, job applicant ...
Thompson Homes wants customers to live happily ever after. Before Matt or his sister (Tracey, 34) could join the company, John believed "they should go out and work and earn a living and find out what it's like to earn a paycheck on their own without being under the wing of their parents."
Sattler Homes builds custom estate homes the same way, every time. While the homes may be one-of-a-kind, Sattler's approach to building each one remains remarkably constant. Those systems also netted the 20-year-old company an America's Best Builder award in a home building niche often known more fo...
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Winning builders stand firm in recession and sputtering recovery, supported by sophisticated systems, dedication to detail, and buyer-friendly approaches. How many of you, in this age of NIMBYism and public fights over planning and zoning proposals, have had a day named in your honor by your city co...
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Why it worked: These large duplex plans offered empty-nest baby boomers large square footages, wide-open plans, and amenities to match active lifestyles. The plan leaves plenty of open space for a clubhouse and walking/jogging trails.
Why it worked: The luxury housing market was hit hard this year, yet this gated community of million-dollar-plus homes continues to sell well thanks to a great location, a sensitive land plan, and traditional designs with updated floor plans. Local, third and fourth move-up buyers are attracted to t...
Why it worked: Brand-new floor plans, with more efficient layouts and handsome elevations, at a price that beats the competition. Ninety percent of sales are families relocating within the master planned community of Highlands Ranch.
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Why it worked: A great location and character-rich architecture has helped sell 17 homes per month. Project: Verrazzano, San Diego; Sales started: April 2002; Sales through October: 119; Units planned: 218; Price: $480,000 to $676,000; Unit size: 2,576 to 3,750 square feet; Developer/ Builder: Shea ...
Dallas native C. Kent Conine comes from a long line of Texans involved in the construction As Conine sees it, the proposed tax credit would be paid to builders to help moderate-income home buyers, such as teachers, policemen, firemen, and minorities, buy new homes. One of the ironies of Conine's cli...
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- Builder and developer Leon N. Weiner dies. Weiner was saluted by the NAHB in 2002 as the "conscience of the housing industry in America."
- "Homes of Our Own," the NAHB's CD-ROM home building game, sells out its first run of 10,000 copies in just six weeks.
- The U.S. Court of Appeals rules that...
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The Southern Arizona Home Builders Association (SAHBA), based in Tucson, raised $20,000 in seven months to benefit the local community food bank. "Only an organization like SAHBA could coordinate such a huge project and do it effectively," he said.
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The single-family housing market has performed quite well during the massive contraction in the stock market that began in the spring of 2000.
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Although it seems like only a few weeks ago that I was sworn in as the NAHB's president, almost a year has passed since that proud day. No discussion of my year as NAHB president would be complete without a word of thanks to the other senior officers and NAHB members and staff who made it all possib...
Occupying more than 1.2 million square feet of floor space at the Las Vegas Convention Center, this year's show will be a downright monster.
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After increasing about 2 percent almost every quarter for two years, housing appreciation slowed significantly in 2002's third quarter. Average home prices increased just 0.9 percent between July and September, compared to a 2.4 percent rise between April and June, according to the Office of Federal...
I have a very successful plan that works well in my suburban subdivisions, but how can I adapt it for a resort community? When it comes to designing resort homes, a fun, less conservative approach is greatly appreciated.
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One of the easiest ways to build trust with clients is to be completely open about the financial aspects of the construction of their home. You will surprise customers when you tell them you will reveal all construction costs and your margin during the bidding process.
When Del Webb opened Sun City Hilton Head in 1995, the community represented the West Coast active adult builder's first splash back East, where it hoped to sell 400-plus homes annually in South Carolina's low country. "Hilton Head is a destination resort, but it's not a destination retirement marke...
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With the Colorado River at its lowest level in decades, one would think that developers would get a dry, dusty shoulder at the suggestion of putting a 15,000-home development on 1,000 acres of federal land being auctioned off in the Las Vegas Valley. "We actually have water resources identified that...
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Harold was the company's former chairman and Michael served as president. No specific financial terms of the agreement were disclosed.As part of the settlement, Olympus also dropped its lawsuit against Harold Holigan.
Ballot initiatives that authorized bonds for affordable housing and school construction projects fared well in California, but that was about all that went well for builders in last November's elections. High-profile sales and gas tax hikes that home builders supported for transportation projects in...
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Davidsonville, Md.-based Newport Partners provides analytical and technical services to its clients in both the manufacturing and public sectors. Though its first clients are in the building industry, the firm, says Bowles, is also interested in information technology clients.
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Architects are usually the first in the industry to experiment with new products. And many have long recognized the virtues and versatility of rubber flooring. They like it because its rich colors are more appealing than vinyl; its resiliency makes it perfect for kitchens, baths, and laundry and exe...
Bruce E. Sutter has many fans, even among those who have yet to use Builders Auction Co., in Houston. His is the first firm to make a business of auctioning model-home furnishings, most of which are out-of-date and unsuitable for new models.
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Builders continually seek ways to create eclectic streetscapes without busting the budget. Color--the least-expensive tool to achieve variety. Use colors that are "true" to the architectural style.
For 2003, The New American Home features townhomes designed to suit three home-buying market segments: a single woman, a pre-retiree couple (empty-nester), and a married couple with a child. The homes are part of a six-unit building located in prestigious Lake Las Vegas, Nev. The smallest of the thr...
"Water neutral" is a phrase on many lips in Santa Fe, N.M. And the toilet exchange now taking place in the capital of "The Land of Enchantment" is in lieu of a building moratorium.Early versions of the much debated toilet exchange threatened to require a ratio of as many as 15 toilets be replaced fo...
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Newly discovered properties of an overlooked alloy promise vastly less expensive, more durable, two to three times as efficient, and easier-to-produce solar cells. The discovery is by researchers at the Materials Sciences Division of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, working with crystal-growin...
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The Sewerage Commission of Northern California's Oroville region has become the first wastewater treatment plant in the United States to be powered predominantly by solar energy (80 percent). They'll be manually dropped back to the "summer" position in February when the sun begins to move higher.
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Known for its port, pulp mills, and manufacturing operations, not many think of Tacoma, Wash., as a place with architectural treasures. A new museum district, featuring the $79-million Museum of Glass and Dale Chihuly Bridge of Glass, are also part of the renaissance project.
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Compensation for construction company CEOs rose 31.6 percent--the most of 14 industries surveyed--between 2000 and 2001, according to a survey by The Conference Board.
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Home improvement contractors received the most consumer complaints in 2001, according to an annual survey by the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators and the Consumer Federation of America.
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Costs are up, and revenues generated from tourism, sales, and income taxes are down. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for example, presented a plan that called for $4 billion in tax increases and $2 billion in service cuts.
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Brera Capital Partners, a New York private equity firm, has purchased 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, a nationwide company that provides warranties to 15,000 builders and 1.26 million new and existing homes.
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Brookfield Properties Corp. is getting out of the U.S. home building business. The transaction, with an estimated equity value of $322 million, will establish Brookfield Homes Corp. as a separate public company, which is expected to apply for a New York Stock Exchange listing under the symbol BHC.
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In mid-November, shareholder California State Teachers' Retirement System filed suit in Los Angeles District Court against online real estate company Homestore.com. This latest accusation pairs Homestore and AOL Time Warner for allegedly concealing questionable three-way transactions, with other com...
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On October 31, 2002, in Las Vegas, the Urban Land Institute announced its annual Awards for Excellence winners. The winner for new residential community was Summerlin North, in Las Vegas, developed by the Howard Hughes Corp.
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The situation playing out in Minnesota involves a disagreement over Lake Elmo's comprehensive plan, a long-range land planning document that localities create to address and manage future growth. "But the residents of Lake Elmo should have some say in what we do, and not have someone else come in an...