PB March 2005

At first glance, it looks like a meticulously detailed 19th-century rehab. Upon closer inspection, Brian Pennings' home reveals a new custom home clad in vinyl, composites and seemingly every engineered building innovation. Only the beveled-glass mahogany front door and stone veneer of the exposed foundation is real.

The Council of Community Services and the Art Museum of Western Virginia hosted some of the world's top leaders in design, housing and sustainable development on January 14 for the Cradle to Cradle Housing Design and Construction Competition. A team of international jurors reviewed more than 625 submissions.

Today's homebuyer is more aware of design elements than ever before. Even first-time buyers have definite thoughts and ideas regarding what they consider "good design." Because today's homebuyer is so keenly aware of design, it pays for builders to analyze their floor plans before beginning work on a project.

Clopay Building Products introduces its new Avante Collection of garage doors. "This door was exclusively available for commercial use, but we saw an opportunity for a residential application to meet the needs of design-conscious homeowners seeking urban accents for modern homes," says Pat Lohse, director of residential marketing for Clopay.

With water heating accounting for 17–25% of the average household's energy expenditures, it's no wonder new home buyers are looking for ways to save energy — and money — when it comes to their energy bills. While most homes in North America use a conventional storage tank water heater to provide hot water in the home, in recent years, manufacturers have begun offering tankless...

Medallion Cabinetry recently introduced several new one-piece wood hoods to enhance its current selection of wood range hoods. With the growing trend toward larger commercial cooktops, there is a corresponding need for greater ventilation and larger wood hoods. The range hoods of today are no longer just utilitarian mechanisms for venting the cooking area.

Financial Management - Part 1 (January 2005) discussed the importance of setting up a solid accounting system comprising four key elements: When set up correctly, these four elements ensure the information you look at on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis is as accurate as possible.

The California Association of Realtors (CAR) recently published its year-end housing affordability index, showing the percentage of households that have the ability to afford a median-priced home in that state. The index fell to 19 percent from 23 percent the previous year. The median price of a single-family home in California increased 18 percent in December over that month a year earlier, to...