Brick Industry Association manufacturers report cool shades are trending among... More
What is the best exterior material to use on your houses? More
Big builders are walking away from land options by the millions, so it might be logical to assume that there are plenty of land deals waiting for small- to mid-sized builders. While The Orange County Business Journal ran a story last week that reported how local builders now have land opportunities that weren't available to them 12 to 18 months ago, by and large most builders around the country don't report similar opportunities. "In talking with a couple of mid-size builders they say the big guys are walking away from deposits, but the sellers have not come down in their expectations of the land's value," said Jim Williams, executive vice president of the Northern Virginia BIA. More
THE BIA OF WASHINGTON STATE IS applying more heat to politically motivated arsonists. On Sept. 20, the Olympia-based trade group offered a $100,000 bounty—the highest-ever in the housing industry—for information leading to the arrest and conviction of members affiliated with the Earth Liberation Front (ELF), which according to BIA estimates is responsible for $8 million in property damage in the state since 1996. (See “Burning Issues,” August, page 144.) More
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation in early October that the California BIA says could possibly free up the majority of the state's 90,000 to 100,000 brownfield sites for development. The bill says builders are free from liability if they have complied with the state's cleanup requirements that address public health issues. If builders comply, liability then rests with the original polluter. “The door has swung open to the infill opportunities that exist throughout the state,” says Tim Coyle, CBIA's senior vice president for governmental affairs. More
A new study released by the California BIA maintains that the state's complex and uncertain governmental regulations have led to a cumulative shortfall of 500,000-plus homes and apartments since 1995. The study, conducted by Bain & Co., found that there is only a 6 percent probability that a California development will be approved without modifications—compared with Texas and Arizona, where projects are approved 75 percent of the time without modifications. More
By Christina B. Farnsworth. The importance of housing and the defeat of "dream-killer bills" were the focus of building industry participants as they rallied at the state capitol in Sacramento, Calif.The California BIA held its sixth annual rally May 14. Housing's profound effect on the California economy was documented this year in "The Economic Benefits of Housing in California," prepared by the Sacramento Regional Institute. More
Fireplaces are so popular that according to figures from the Arlington, Va.-based... More
Northern Virginia home buyers with imperfect credit or limited savings will be able to apply for financing to become first-time home buyers under a new Hope International home buying program. The Northern Virginia BIA will work with Hope to encourage borrowers to use the program. More
