Builder Magazine

World Changers

In times like these, people often turn inward, focusing only on their own problems. This year's Hearthstone BUILDER Humanitarian Award recipients, however, took a different path and are changing lives in the U.S. and around the world.
The New American Home 2008

With authentic detailing and conveniences to suit the modern boomer, this stately Gulf Coast plantation home brings a fresh look to Orlando’s luxury market.
Navigating The Downturn

Ever the optimists, a clear majority—55 percent—of the 744 home builders who responded to our "State of the Industry" survey say 2008 is the year the downturn hits bottom and the industry begins to recover.
Ripped Off

To say that jobsite theft is rampant in home building would be an understatement. In a recent Builder survey, 90 percent of respondents said they had been victims of theft within the past year. Losses ran from lumber and copper wiring to office supplies and diesel fuel. Of those who reported thefts...
Cash Flow

Now more than ever, managing cash flow is crucial, as builders seek to survive and thrive during the downturn.
Tradewinds

Of course, post-industrial houses do have their benefits (indoor plumbing, beer fridges, hi-def surround sound), so the task becomes figuring out how to integrate antiquity’s greatest green lessons into designs that meet the lifestyle demands of today. That is what Tradewinds, our show home for the...

The Survivors

Only the fortunate will be attending this year's NAHB convention.

Claim Your Winnings

The Florida State Supreme Court rules that an insurance company must pay builders for defects claims.
Free for All

A Dallas 'burb is looking to attract development by waiving fees for builders.

Rebel Sell

Peek inside the homes in venerable neighborhoods in and around Raleigh, N.C., and you’ll likely encounter a preponderance of dark-glazed cabinetry, crown molding, tray ceilings, and ordered rooms with walls intersecting at 90-degree angles.

Gateway to Green

One knock on sustainable housing is thatit’s pricey. Green is good, some say, but only for those who can afford it. Not at EcoUrban Homes, a St. Louis start-up that’s bringing green to the masses with LEED Platinum–rated prefabricated homes for urban infill sites throughout the city—and maybe other...
Air Apparent

The GreenT line of hardwood plywood panels from Springfield, Ore.-based Timber Products Co. (www.greentproducts.com) is now available with resins containing no added urea formaldehyde, thus reducing emissions that can degrade indoor air quality. The proprietary process also helps the panel line...
A New Mold Standard

A risk management expert works with PATH to employ new protocols for preventing and mitigating mold in new homes.
Call for Entries

The Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction in Switzerland is soliciting entries through Feb. 29, 2008, for the annual Holcim Awards, a global program with a $2 million purse.
Land(scape) Value

The American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA) is spearheading a rating system for landscape design and implementation to supplement other green building programs. The Sustainable Sites Initiative focuses on soils, water, vegetation, materials and waste, and energy, and will include a pilot...
Green by Design

A sincere effort to improve energy and resource efficiency has sparked the resurgence of professional architects in housing.

Advice to Builders

Still looking for a New Year's resolution worth keeping? Try cutting costs in 2008.
Tips To Live By

Chuck Shinn offers suggestions on how builders can trim fat from their construction processes.

Why Buy New?

Sales pros share responses to buyers weighing the choice between new and existing homes.
R U Ready 2 Buy?

What’s the one thing that virtually every new-home buyer (and new-home sales agent) has in common? They all have cell phones. And if they’re in their 20s or 30s, chances are they’re using text messaging on a regular basis.
Driving Traffic

Most new-home sales agents have fond memories of seeing a steady stream of prospects walk through the door. In today’s market, you need a strategy for generating traffic. Fortunately, there are only two limits on the number of ways to do this—your creativity and your willingness to work hard. Here...

Hearth to Hearth

Q & A: Double-Sided Fireplace Designs. These days I'm building smaller and smarter with an emphasis on innovative design. Fireplaces are an upgrade that most new-home buyers expect, but standard applications can be pretty boring. How can I make them more integral to my plans and show-stopping in...

Show Motion

Things may not be as rosy for the home building industry as they were, say, two years ago, but the show must go on. Of course, by “show” we mean the International Builders’ Show, which is taking place this year for the last time (for a while) in the land that Mickey Mouse built—Orlando, Fla. From...

No Strings

Builders looking to put a package of Z-Wave products together will want to include the wireless thermostat from Residential Control Systems. The wireless system lets home buyers manage their HVAC system with a remote, over a PC, or with a cell phone. The unit works with all standard gas/electric...
Livin’ the Life

EI’s new system lets builders offer a digital concierge service.
Custom Control

A Las Vegas builder now offers Control 4 as standard.

Small-Sized Success

Seminars for smaller and newly started Eastern hardwood manufacturers are scheduled for 2008.
Back in Action

Everybody knows that Congress tends todrag its feet when making decisions on the major issues of the day. But as we saw by the tail end of last year, that definitely was not the case when it came time to consider what to do to stop the nation’s deepening mortgage credit crunch and build a new...
Deep End

Proposed legislation that would broaden the authority of the Clean Water Act is a leap in the wrong direction, the NAHB told the U.S. Senate Committee on Environmental and Public Works on Dec. 13. The NAHB has long supported the goals of the Clean Water Act, which is called into play when homes are...
Green Day

In recognition of the phenomenal growth of green building, the NAHB will celebrate Green Day on Thursday, Feb. 14, at the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. On Green Day, the association will officially launch the NAHB National Green Building Program and will unveil the new Certified...
New Terms

The House Judiciary Committee on Dec. 12 completed its markup of the Emergency Home Ownership and Mortgage Equity Protection Act of 2007. Introduced by Rep. Brad Miller (D-N.C.), the measure would allow bankruptcy judges to reduce the value of a home loan, extend the terms of the loan, lower the...