Best of the Blogs

What we can learn from Australian construction practices; Using checklists to ensure quality management; Market update - what the bears see

Lean Building

10 Steps to Adopting Lean Building

Implementing the principles of Lean in home building is no easy task, but the payoffs in waste reduction and cost savings can be substantial. Here's a road map for getting started

What Home Builders Learned From the Downturn

Now in year five of the worst housing market downturn since the Great Depression, most builders have tackled monumental challenges just to keep their doors open. Here are key takeaways from three home builders

Residential construction down 0.3 percent

Residential construction fell 0.3 percent in August to an annual rate of $238.5 billion, the Commerce Department reported Friday. This marks the fourth consecutive month that residential spending has dropped. Spending temporarily rose earlier in the year, as buyers took advantage of the homebuyer tax credit. But home construction has stagnated since the tax credit’s April 30 expiration.

Harvard Report: Excessive Risk Taking, Lapses in Regulation Led to the Nonprime Mortgage Lending Boom

The boom and then bust of nonprime mortgage lending in the United States caused enormous damage to individuals, communities, the national economy, and the global financial system, according to a report by the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

First-Time Home Buyers Stoke Demand for Smaller, Less Expensive Homes

According to research from economists at the National Association of Home Builders, first-time home buyers are contributing to an increase in demand for smaller and less expensive new homes.

Right-to-Rent Approach May Change Nation's Foreclosure Crisis

A report just released suggests that giving homeowners the right to rent their house at a fair market price could be a game changer in the nation's foreclosure crisis. Gains from Right to Rent in 2010, from analysts at the Center for Economic and Policy Research, suggests that ownership may not be the smartest option for some.

Foreclosures Cause Year-Over-Year Home Price Drop of 3.3 Percent Nationwide

Foreclosures are boosting the supply of available properties and reducing prices, even as mortgage rates tumble to record lows. U.S. home prices dropped 3.3 percent in July from a year earlier, the eighth consecutive decline, the Federal Housing Finance Agency in Washington said in a Sept. 22 report.

Home building Industry Years Away From Recovery

Signs are increasingly pointing to a home building industry that is years away from recovering from the excesses of the housing boom. Even with a modest rise in construction last month, the pace of building would need to at least double to signal a healthy market and contribute in a meaningful way to job growth, according to most economists.

Mortgage Giant GMAC Halts Foreclosures in 23 States for Review

GMAC Mortgage is imposing a moratorium on many of its foreclosures as it tries to ensure they were done correctly. States where the moratorium is being carried out include New York, Connecticut, New Jersey, Illinois, Florida, and 18 others.