Builder Magazine

FEATURES

Builders Flinch about Rebuilding after Disasters

After natural disasters hit, many builders flinch at getting involved in rebuilding efforts.
Home Builders Around the Country Are Barely Surviving the Housing Downturn

As winter arrives, many builders find themselves at the mercy of increasingly desperate lenders, their companies upside down.
Small Affordable Single Family Homes Gain Popularity

Small houses sell when they offer three things: well-designed space, the right price, and a distinct sense of place.

EDITOR'S NOTE

The Economy Isn't Likely to Recover Until The Strength Returns to The Housing Industry

The economy isn’t likely to recover until strength returns to the housing market.

INSIDE STORY

A Startup Venture Markets Projects in Need of Completion

A Web site in Florida markets unfinished structures.
Low Prices Don't Guarantee Higher Sales

One builder finds fewer takers for affordable homes.
Lenders Are Dragging Their Feet Disposing of REO Properties

Banks take their time reselling foreclosures, modifying mortgages, and approving short sales.

SUCCESS STORIES

Palmer Hil Townhomes and Condos Appeal to Empty Nesters, Manhattan Commuters

Attached homes outside of Manhattan have a New England state of mind.

TOP SHELF

Top Shelf Products: November 2008

The latest and greatest building products.

GREENHOUSE

Participation in the National Association of Home Builder's National Green Building Program has exceeded expectations.

Participation in the National Green Building Program has far exceeded expectations.
Living the Vision

BUILDER’s newest show home combines affordable construction, quality design, and sustainability.
California Builders Work Together to Create More Stringent Green Building Codes

Builders in the Golden State take a collaborative approach to new, more stringent building codes.

BUSINESS UPDATE

National Center for Construction Education and Research Offers Construction Skill Assessments in Spanish

A nonprofit offers skill certification for Spanish-speakers.
Home Builders Must Be Wary Offering Home Buyer Incentives As An FBI Investigation Moves Forward.

An FBI investigation takes aim at builders.

SALES STRATEGIES

Builder Uses the Natural Benefits of the Land as An Amenity in His New Community

Builders and developers are eschewing traditional amenities for natural features.
New Book Provides Valuable Insights for Builders and Sales Associates Who Want to Know What Female Home Buyers Look for in a Home

A new book helps builders attract female home buyers.
Al Trellis Recommends that Having a Couple of Spec Homes can be a Valuable Asset in a Slow Sales Environment

Here’s how to leverage the value of your standing inventory.
Real Estate Agencies and Builders Will Need to Adapt to the Next Generation Entering the Real Estate Sales Workforce

The next generation of sales agents are motivated by a different set of standards and practices.

PRODUCTS

Compact Flourescent Versus LED

Can LED lighting replace the incandescent bulb?
Installing A Bath Fan

A well vented bathroom is more important than you think.

TECH TOOLS

Instead of the Usual Paper Homeowner's Manual, Constellation HomeBuilder Systems is Marketing a New Multimedia Experience for New-Home Buyers

A new service from Constellation brings homeowner’s guides to life.
To Stay Competitive, Builders Need to Run their Companies More Efficiently, and One of the Best Ways is to Use the Latest Software Technology

Best-of-breed technology lets a Canadian builder keep pace in the challenging market.

NATIONAL BEAT

Surge of interest in FHA-insured mortgage loans.

Home buyers are rediscovering FHA-insured mortgages.
Start Planning Green Aspects of Projects Early to Gain Green Certification

Now is the time to start planning for green approval.

SEIDERS' ECONOMY

The Government Must Stabilize Housing Prices

The government must help support house prices.

LAST WORD

Q&A with Haven Custom Homes' CEO Jerry Smalley.

“We have to be far more precise than a site builder due to how we assemble our units."

OTHER ARTICLES

New Orleans Shows Lack of Urgency Towards Emergency Homes Program

Pilot programs to build cottages for emergency housing in disaster areas haven’t played out as planned.
Industry Waiting to See the Impact of the Government's Bailout

We have yet to see how the government’s actions will affect the housing industry.