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Housing industry officials are anxious that the two agencies could wind up under the regulatory yoke of the U.S. Treasury, which hasn't been shy about expressing its antipathy toward Fannie Mae's and Freddie's Mac's expansion.
Builders and developers that have paid attention to their community intranets report some excellent results.
Detail can make all the difference in winning the battle for a buyer's heart. The high school colors and information about nearby activities immediately give the customer a vision of life in the house and the community.
ONLY THE WEALTHIEST CHINESE people can afford to live in the Western-style subdivisions rising from the ground around cities such as Shanghai and Beijing. But with billions in foreign investment pouring into the country, the number of well-off Chinese is growing, as is their demand for new homes...
WITH PRE-ELECTION POLLS FLUCTUATING daily, it's anyone's guess which candidate the public will elect next month. But most builders are pretty clear whom they would like to see as the next president. Based on two surveys Builder conducted this year, nearly three out of every four builders will vote...
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ONGOING GOVERNMENT INVESTIGATIONS INTO THE ACCOUNTING practices of the nation's two largest secondary mortgage financing institutions have certainly gotten home builders' attention. And now those agencies—Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac—face draconian reform measures that, if realized, could be even...
Meet thee judges for the 2004 Builder's Choice Design & Planning Awards.
THIS SCULPTOR'S STUDIO CONJURES UP FAIRY-TALE IMAGES WITH a contemporary twist. Complete with a stone path winding through a sculpture garden, a cerulean blue exterior, and a lead-coated copper roof, this funky 1,100-square-foot studio provides the perfect escape from the real world while finding...
AN EFFORT TO INCLUDE MATERIALS REFLECTIVE OF THE SURROUNDING environment shaped the planning of this living room. The bluestone and limestone are a nod to the abandoned quarry on which the house sits, while the Douglas fir ceiling and truss work evoke images of the nearby tree-lined river.
THIS UNIQUE LIBRARY SERVES AS BOTH a handrail and an intellectual center in the home of two Connecticut professors. Built into the stairwell, the stylish maple bookcases are also equipped with removable sliding panels and two-sided openings that allow more light to pass through the house.
THE HAND-CUT PIETRO CARDOSA STONE CENTRAL HEARTH, TOPPED BY A POLISHED stainless steel chimney, ensures there is always a fire in this kitchen. The fireplace provides an unusual barrier between dirty dishes and guests while still allowing conversation to flow easily.
A LARGE WINDOW AND LIMESTONE INTERIOR BRIGHTEN THE MASTER BATH OF THIS hilltop home, yet the most impressive feature is all natural: a view of the picturesque Santa Ynez mountain range in the distance.
BAASSENIAN/LAGONI'S DAVID M. Kosco says that “a courtyard always makes strong impression.” This certainly rings true in Plan 3 of The Sycamores at Shady Canyon. Inspired by authentic Spanish architecture, the courtyard comfortably allows for such traditional elements as a mosaic fountain and...
IT'S "GONE WITH THE WIND" without the hoop skirts. The very model of an antebellum plantation house but dedicated to the pursuit of golf and leisure, the 18,000-square-foot Ogeechee Clubhouse is the focal point of a sports-oriented residential community outside of Savannah, Ga.
CUSTOM AND CHOICE are words not often associated with affordable housing. But in Birmingham, Ala.'s Southampton Timberline development of eight lease-purchase homes, buyers selected colors, hardware, light fixtures, and patios or decks.
DESPITE ITS AFFORDABLE housing intent, this mixed-use project in the South Market section of San Francisco is designed better than many market-rate residences. The 74-unit complex features studios as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments and has six community rooms and a child-care...
LOCATED, AMONG A COLLECTION of funky houses, restaurants, and shops on Balboa Island, this retirement home offers its residents a casual beach-house feel with inviting spaces for visiting children and grandchildren. George Bissell, the project's architect, had to deal with a small lot size, minimal...
THE OWNERS OF THIS 1980s neotraditional located in a tony Atlanta neighborhood might be considered lucky that their home was constructed so poorly. A home improvement project to create more closet space morphed into an extreme makeover that left them with a structure that is part residence, part...
A FLUENT TRANSLATION OF JAPANESE style is precisely what architect Stephen Muse brought to his design of the interior of this home. Muse used bare maple for trim, columns, and beams to make subtle references to classic Japanese architecture. A lower-level tatami room (a room with natural grasslike...
PUTTING THE GARAGE in back almost always improves the front elevation of a home, but it can cause problems, too. Namely, how practical is it for a family to cart groceries all the way from the garage to the kitchen? Architects Looney Ricks Kiss solved that problem with this 3,680-square-foot beauty...
UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, a house that violates local ordinances and requires a gaggle of variances would be a pariah in a community. Not this one. In fact, the city overwhelmingly approved the house, feeling that its architectural merits would be good for the community.
IT'S NOT EASY BEING THE ODDBALL house on the block, something this former brick-and-block rambler put up with for more than 50 years. But thanks to a very sensitive remodeling, this little charmer can now proudly mix with its nearby historic Craftsman bungalow neighbors.
MANY PROJECTS CLAIM TO be lofts, but they are usually built as brand-new structures instead of carved out of pre-existing industrial buildings. Previously home to a furniture factory and warehouse, the Alexan Lofts project fits the true definition of a loft. But to pull off this award winner, the...
A MAHOGANY BARN. A home built in pieces and scattered across a Napa Valley, Calif., vineyard. This is how a San Francisco businessman's private residence is shaping up at his 65-acre getaway ranch. “Instead of moving into a 5,000-square-foot house, you have these little houses moving throughout the...
THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF THE West Indies and a touch of St. Augustine, Fla., in the design of the four homes that make up the Bougainvillea Courtyard project. But they look right at home in their well-established, Vero Beach, Fla., neighborhood, a feat that's not always easy when it comes to infill...
LOS ANGELES BUILDER TIM Lefevre of Lefevre Corp. is here to tell you that building spectacular attached housing isn't more difficult—or that much more expensive—than putting up mediocre buildings. And he's got the story behind Harper Court: Seven Fountains to prove his point.
SAY RUSTIC, IF YOU WILL. BUT please don't call the Mayacama Golf Clubhouse Tuscan or Old World. Architect Barry Berkus has soaked up plenty of the architecture of Mediterranean Europe over the years, but with this project he took his inspiration from the rough, arid environment of California's...
Part of the challenge for the design team was that each home had to be designed as the new zoning laws were being written.
This project expands on a current trend in home design to take the indoors outside with features such as a full-scale fireplace that turns this space into another living room.
Affordable projects beat out market-rate entries for inventive architecture and site-sensitive design, especially in urban areas
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Two federal offices have come to radically different conclusions about the fiscal impact of the Zero Downpayment Act of 2004, a proposed law that would authorize the FHA to insure mortgages for first-time home buyers who can afford a house payment but lack a down payment. The Office of Management...
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Boise to spin off paper, forest products, and timberland assets for about $3.7 billion.
At least 60 university-based retirement communities are already operating or are about to be developed, or the schools are seriously looking at bringing in such housing.
A program by the Bank of America aims to make more lower-income employees homeowners.
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A regional financial partnership recently announced that it had contributed $1.29 million in loans and grants to the Provo (Utah) Housing Authority and the City Center Affordable Housing Coalition. The funds support the restoration and adaptive reuse of the historic Maeser School into affordable...
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Respondents who said they would choose an ARM tended to be younger, less educated, less wealthy, and less familiar with how changes in interest rates can affect mortgage payments
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Some evidence suggests that high taxes can flatten an area's real estate market.
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Apartments in Manhattan have broken the million-dollar mark. According to the quarterly “Manhattan Market Overview” report, released by the brokerage firm Prudential Douglas Elliman, the average price for an apartment in Manhattan hit $1,047,938 in the second quarter of 2004, up 20.9 percent in...
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Who says that housing is out of reach? If you're willing to live on a former Navy bombing range in Arlington, Texas, KB Home is offering floor plans starting at $108,000 in Southridge, a 127-acre community. The catch: The Army Corps of Engineers has found unexploded munitions site, such as the Mach...
GOOD DESIGN DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXPENSIVE. At least that's the theory behind Charter Homes' new Architect Series, which offers buyers at The Lakes community in Lancaster County the opportunity to add sought-after custom features to homes priced from the low- to mid-$200,000 range. The 10 floor plans...
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At least nine builders have been linked to the lion's share of the 2,745 foreclosure filings in the Pocono Mountains from 2000 to 2003, according to a study that was commissioned by Pennsylvania's Housing Finance Agency and the state's banking department. Problems with foreclosures and predatory...
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Builders and contractors are paying upwards of 20 percent more for concrete than they did last year as robust housing demand and China's building boom hinder supply. Projects in Southern California, Florida, and more than two dozen other states have been delayed as a result. The shortage eventually...
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A Web tool is dedicated exclusively to improving sound control and adding privacy to residential construction.
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The Florida HBA (FHBA) is doing something about the industrywide shortage of skilled workers. The trade group recently launched the National Future Builders of America program. The FHBA now has six local future builders chapters up and running and is looking to expand the program nationally. The...
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In an uncommon type of deal, Barratt American's management team on August 30 acquired the company from its British-based parent corporation, Barratt Developments PLC, the top home builder in the United Kingdom, for $165 million. Barratt American, a private company now, will continue to expand in...
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The president cites home builders as a major contributor to America's Strength
Smarter tool management can help builders retain up to 96 percent of their tools and save 40 cents per hour for every person in the field.
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Most builders now believe that the added cost of fine design pays for itself in higher margins and faster absorption.
VectorWorks Architect has all the industry-specific features that builders expect: wall panel design, roof framing, automatic windows and doors, and a stair modeler with an automatic railing generator.
Modeling software calculates the impact of the trusses on the beams and headers.
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- InterActiveCorp (IAC) aquires Service Magic, an online portal connecting home buyers with home builders, contractors, real estate brokers, and lenders.
- New-homes portal American Home Guides joins forces with online lead tracking and prospect management service BeHomeWise.
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Perfect customer relationships can be damaged in a hurry if their new homes are not delivered defect-free and warranty-service requests are not handled efficiently.
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WITH ALL UNITS RENTING FROM $897 TO $1,371, SAN JOSE, Calif., teachers now have housing options that are comfortable, modern, and, most important, affordable. The building also has a spacious pool and fitness center, a computer room, a conference room, and a children's play area.
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THE METRO IS A FOUR-story apartment complex that consists of three buildings in Denver's historic lower downtown, or “LoDo” district. Its 415 units, which are aimed at urban professionals, emphasize spectacular views of downtown, the Rocky Mountains, and nearby Coors Field.
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YOU CAN'T GET DEEPER into the heart of traditional New England than Plymouth, Mass. In an attempt to distinguish their product from that of the seven other builders at The Pinehills' master planned community, the designers of Winslowe's View offered their target market of empty-nesters what might...
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FOCUS GROUPS TOLD THE developer of Mirasol at Celebration that some seniors are not ready for assisted-living/independent-living communities, but they can afford luxury and want the freedom of rentals. The 209-unit, active adult community helps fill the void. Architect Paige Close designed a...
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BEFORE THE ROOSEVELT fell on hard times, it was among Washington's finest hotels. In its new incarnation as the Summit Roosevelt, the landmark is a 198-unit luxury rental building, refurbished in part with federal tax credits. Architect Chuck Travis' painstaking restoration and modernization...
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OPENED A YEAR AGO on a mixed-use, redeveloped site, this 60-unit assisted living center aims to help its downtown residents feel as if they were living in a swanky apartment building or ritzy hotel. With its two-story atrium, grand staircase, and second-floor garden, the 68,405-square-foot center...
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THIS 1,684-SQUARE-FOOT, one-story, two-bedroom, single-family move-down is tucked among the other attached dwellings in this 10-acre desert development. The 88 units were built in 12 groupings of six and eight units, with garages arranged around a common motor court.
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IT WAS ROSS WOODS' HILLSIDE site, which overlooks San Francisco Bay and is loaded with mature trees, that dictated the house's architecture as much as anything. “We felt the Shingle Style would be particularly in keeping with the unusually wooded nature of the site,” says John Eller, president of...
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THERE'S A SMALL-TOWN, “Music Man” feel to the Mossburg Building's charming front elevation—and it did not happen by accident. “More than giving it a particular style, we wanted to design a building that looks like it's been a part of the fabric of Harbor Springs for years,” says architect Robert B...
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EVERY NOW AND THEN, constraints can work in a project's favor. At Italian Gardens, a mix of affordable and market-rate apartments, an irregular site led the architects to design a blend of buildings that unfold in an “episodic manner,” with central courtyards acting as both a children's play space...
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YOU DON'T FIND MANY affordable housing projects with original art work hanging on the walls. But Riverwood Place SRO—designed for individuals who earn less than 50 percent of the county's median income—is no ordinary housing project.
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IF ARCHITECT JONATHAN SEGAL relishes the challenge of designing for difficult sites, he must have jumped for joy when he saw the San Diego property where The Titan lofts now stand. It was a .02-acre infill parcel adjacent to a freeway with a steep drop at its rear.
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ARBOR PARK VILLAGE IS A PARADOXICAL name for a townhouse community built on redeveloped inner-city land. Perhaps it reflects the optimism about the 36.3-acre development near downtown Cleveland that, until recently, had suffered as the site of blighted and boarded-up public housing.
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THE RESIDENTS OF MEMPHIS, Tenn.'s struggling South End have much to cherish about their neighborhood, including LeMoyne-Owens College, a historic black institution founded in 1862. But there were cheers all around when LeMoyne Gardens, an impersonal and dilapidated barracks-style public housing...
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A 109-YEAR-OLD BUILDING with an assortment of Old World touches, gingerly connected to a six-story contemporary residential mid-rise, is becoming the focal point of San Francisco's Japan Town. The Kokoro Assisted Living Center took both a Grand award for assisted living and a Merit award for infill...
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THE LINDEN COURT DEVELOPMENT is another example of high-design affordable housing that appears to be taking hold in this country. This one, designed and built in collaboration with existing residents, shows what can happen with a little ingenuity and planning.
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WHEN THE STATED GOAL IS to provide mixed-income housing, the end result often makes it clear just who lives where. Not so with Rollins Square, an unusual 184-unit community in Boston's South End, where low-income tenants enjoy the same design standards and amenities as those who paid market-rate...
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AT $300,000 TO $425,000 PER unit, Magnolia Row may not seem like affordable housing. But when you consider that the project is located in the San Francisco Bay area and consists of two-and three-bedroom townhomes, affordable seems like an appropriate term. “The units are inexpensively priced, but...
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Inspired by the railway vernacular, the design team organized the cluster of five buildings as a collection of boxcars on the triangular lot.
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Mabuhay Court is just what a successful project should be: It's complex and full of design touches that make a great community.
WHY IT WORKED: This low-density, high-amenity community surrounded by a new public golf course offers value to buyers from nearby counties.
WHY IT WORKED: Located west of fast-growing Orlando, Fla., Summerport manages to marry a neo-traditional look to the untraditional Florida lifestyle.
WHY IT WORKED: Bluffton, the gateway to Hilton Head Island, is part of the fastest-growing area in the state. Newcomers are do-it-yourselfers who want a home with flexible space.
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Teicher has a knack for reversing troubled projects and calming frustrated buyers.