PB August 2003

More tips on how to control land.

Wayne Colmer's firm has developed and built approximately 600 homes in his 16 years as an independent builder/developer. The common thread: All the homes were built in communities where entitlements are tough to come by.

The first minutes with a client set a pattern for the relationship that follows. Unrealistic expectations at the outset lead to customer dissatisfaction down the road.

The benefits of a vapor barrier are indisputable — it retards moisture penetration into insulated cavities, thus reducing the chances of moisture buildup, rot and mold growth.

One of the biggest impediments to doing a deal for brownfield land revolves around future liabilities and who retains that risk.

Industry notes about research, education and training.

Steps thousands of builders need to take to cover themselves as states await federal approval of storm-water procedures.

In a few months, the Color Marketing Group, an international, not-for-profit association, will predict the color directions for the next few years and identify some of the strongest continuing trends.

Under terms of a rolling option agreement, William Thomas Homes was required to take down finished lots under a predetermined time line. Because it owned a 50% stake in the land development company, it received the lots for half the retail markup.

A number of nonnative species available today are on the scene, borrowing familiar American hardwood names that are actually misleading marketing names.