August 2007

  • Georgetown, Colo.

    Breaking free from their mining party in Central City, Colo., miners George and David Griffith set out to find gold. Within two days, on June 17, 1859, the pair spotted a glimmer in Clear Creek on the site of what is now Georgetown. The town was officially recognized by the territorial legislature...

  • Safe Haven

    When Brookfield Homes first laid the groundwork for Mystic Point, a suburban village of 252 attached homes just around the bend from the acclaimed white sand beaches of Carlsbad, Calif., the plan was to target small, first-time buyer families. But when 23 percent of the homes were snapped up by...

  • Room to Breathe

    WHEN BELLEVUE, WASH.–BASED Bennett Homes acquired the parcel that was to become the Harmony Collection at Dahlia Park, an enclave of 60 homes in the master planned community of Issaquah Highlands, the builder was intent on outfitting each residence with a strong connection to the outdoors. No...

  • What (Single) Women Want

    Single women now represent 22 percent of home buyers, up 14 percent from a decade ago, according to the National Association of Realtors. So what exactly do they seek in a home?

  • House of Cards

    When 1,300 members of the NAHB made their annual trek to Capitol Hill on June 6, they checked their usual swagger—which came from representing what once was the country's primary growth engine—at the door. That engine was sputtering and could seize up entirely if foreclosures kept mounting. So the...

  • Crunch Time

    For builders, the current market conditions are no game and the stakes are nothing less than survival. You can't afford to drop the ball because there just aren't that many opportunities right now to put points on the board. That's why it's critical to master the fundamentals of the business:...

  • Designed to Sell

    WHY IT WORKED: Even in uncertain markets, homes that are well-located, well-designed, and well-priced continue to sell. At Knightsbridge Gate, Winnick Homes came up with plans that work well on smaller lots, which allowed the builder to charge less than the going rate for new construction.

  • Smooth Sailing

    WHY IT WORKED: Attractive, no-maintenance townhomes, plenty of storage, and access to the Intracoastal Waterway for yachts up to 100 feet—what could be better for an active downsizer?

  • Move-Up Appeal

    WHY IT WORKED: These semi-rural estate homes, located in an established community that borders one of the region's largest open-space preserves, have been especially popular with move-up buyers. They like having more square footage and a bigger yard without having to leave a quality school district.

  • Safe Guard

    THE NAHB RESEARCH Center and the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA) are partnering to conduct an independent study on guardrail safety in relation to young children. In contrast to past industry studies focused on jobsite fall protection, this study's goal is to analyze...

  • Are We There Yet?

    THE DRAMATIC DOWNWARD CORRECTION IN U.S. housing markets has been underway for roughly two years. In this regard, the NAHB's single-family Housing Market Index (HMI) hit a current-cycle low of 28 in June, down from a high of 72 in mid-2005. The HMI was down by more than 50 percent in all four...

  • Justice Prevails

    The NAHB's first venture before the U.S. Supreme Court as a named party resulted in a great victory for members earlier this summer. In a 5-4 decision, the court ruled in favor of our position that the EPA did not need to consider listed endangered species when handing Clean Water Act permitting...

  • NAHB Briefs: August 2007

    - Online registration is now open for the 2008 International Builders' Show. - The NAHB urges lawmakers not to abandon efforts to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. - The NAHB produces two new products to increase jobsite safety and reduce the chance of job-related accidents.

  • Tech Tools: August 2007 no. 2

    - Mark Systems and QlikTech offers users an Executive Dashboard—a system that gives builder owners a fast snapshot of their business. - BuilderMT's Trade Portal to home builders continues to grow in popularity.

  • A Welcome Return

    DANIEL ZINMAN, GENERAL manager for Markham, Ontario–based Constellation HomeBuilder Systems' new BuildSoft group, is quite aware of what he's up against in reviving the old guard software brand.

  • Tech Tools: August 2007

    - IT systems offer home buyers the information they need at the point of sale. - Constellation's plan to revive BuildSoft is on a slow-but-steady course. - Mark Systems and QlikTech offers users an Executive Dashboard—a system that gives builder owners a fast snapshot of their business.

  • Keep an Ion Lithium

    Once upon a time, power tools came with a cord and life was good. Then came cordless, and life got better. Today, as more manufacturers adopt and perfect lithium-ion battery technology, tool users can be downright giddy at the prospects.

  • High and Rising

    While foreclosures were down 7 percent from May to June, they were up 87 percent in June of this year compared to June 2006, according to RealtyTrac, an online service that tracks foreclosure activity and acts as a marketplace for foreclosed properties.

  • Smart Sense

    New marketing and sales techniques with proven results.

  • Waste-Pipe Trade-offs

    My town has recently started allowing plastic waste-pipe instead of cast iron in residential construction, and a lot of my competitors are making the switch. What are the big differences between the two kinds of pipe?