PATH Report: Wind Power Generators for the Home
Wind power is the world's fastest-growing energy technology. Could it be too futuristic or too expensive for your clients? Because energy prices are volatile and concerns about energy dependence exist, it might not be.
Customer Satisfaction
The Customer Satisfaction Acid Test
Most home builders are seeing their worst margins in 15 years. Thus builders in America now face the acid test on quality and customer satisfaction, when you can no longer afford to give away
Floors Heat Up
Using radiant floor heating seem like a sound idea for years. However, failures in a piping system in the 1980s and 1990s threw doubt on the soundness of hydronic heat systems. In response, radiant floor systems, such as NuHeat, stepped up marketing efforts, touting the dry installation option as a safe, reliable and simple solution to keep floors nice and toasty.
Idea Puts Safety on the Job Site
One home builder hopes a recently introduced falls prevention program that anchors trades to the roof will reduce risk. A practice calling for the use of permanent roof anchors was accepted by OSHA.
Monetary Gains
Poor credit quality is here to stay. Builders who want to survive with only good or great credit customers will not be able to achieve their fair share of the market. Begin by educating yourself on the mortgage business.
Books Worth Noting
Speakers at Professional Builder's 2006 Benchmark conference shared the books they say have driven them to success.
Estate Homes with Creature Comforts
Four design principles are incorporated into every Charter Homes home plan: flexible spaces, natural light, site lines and timelessness.
New Magic Bullet: Internet Selling
If you attend the International Builders Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla., expect to see lean, hungry builders prowling the exhibits for sales-related software, and packing the more than 40 seminars in the sales and marketing track. The smart ones will be asking every expert they meet how to take Internet selling to new extremes.
Web Site at Your Service
An online concierge named Kim takes center screen when online visitors arrive at the Web site for Tampa, Fla.-based home builder Smith Family Homes. Judging from industry accolades and the increase in traffic the site has experienced, this virtual concierge is doing her job well.
Want to Build Defect-Free? This Book's For You
Robert S. Mann's "Defect-Free Buildings: A Construction Manual for Quality Control and Conflict Resolution" defines physical and legal defects, tells builders how to prevent them and trains builders on what to do when disaster strikes.
