Helena Habitat for Humanity Aims to Build 1,000 Affordable Homes
A new Habitat for Humanity project in Helena, Mont., aims to deliver 1,000 affordable housing units and outdoor community amenities
How Eminent Domain May Be Used to Respond to Climate Crises
Eminent domain, which grants the government power to take private property for public use, has displaced thousands of Americans for the sake of infrastructure in the past, but it may be used for a better purpose in a global climate crisis
Soil Connect Is Moving Dirt and Building Relationships
Cliff Fetner created Soil Connect so builders and developers could more easily move dirt and other aggregates from jobsite to jobsite, but it has expanded to become something much more
NAHB Develops Land Use Resources for Home Builders and Buyers
NAHB Chairman's Message: An NAHB Land Development Committee working group is creating educational resources to help make land-use policy information more accessible
How to Transform a Non-View Lot Into an Eye-Catching Home Site
Not everyone can afford to pay a premium for sought-after view lots, but following these design tips can turn any basic yard into a charming outdoor living space
North Carolina Habitat for Humanity Buys 100 Acres of Land for Workforce Housing
The Sandhills, NC, office recently bought 100 acres of land to build workforce housing for hundreds of families
Expanding Market Horizons
Phoenix, a consistently strong housing market, keeps pushing its boundaries with communities on the fast-growing citiy's outer ring. One of the newest is the master plan of Verrado, a half-hour drive west of the city. There, with its Horizons neighborhood, Engle Homes' Arizona Division shattered preconceived notions of the prices the market would support at the edge of suburbia.
Zero-Energy Homes is Latest Option
San Francisco Bay area's Ponderosa Homes showcases its Zero-Energy home — one of the home builder's newest options — at The Classics at Ironwood in Pleasanton, Calif., through an inviting "Green Gallery." The gallery, located in the garage of a Zero-Energy model home, features comfortable seating, Zen-like décor, and four main exhibits: Energy Efficiency, Natural Resources, Wat...
49 Home Sales In One Day
Crosswinds Communities, headquartered in the Detroit area, recently enjoyed huge success with a lottery that resulted in 49 home sales in one day in its 727-acre, award-winning master-planned community, The Sanctuary, in Ovieda, Florida. While most lottery-style sales are used when demand far outstrips supply, Bob Kanjian, president of Building Solutions, who handles marketing and on-site sales...
Good News for Home Sales
How are new home sales likely to fare in 2005? According to economists at the National Association of Home Builders' Construction Forecast in October, single-family production will set another record next year. However, says David Seiders, NAHB's chief economist, "activity will flatten in 2005," as it is in the process of "topping out.
Local Leaders Lack Stately Vision
Peter S. Reinhart, senior vice president and general counsel for Edison, N.J.-based K. Hovnanian Cos., believes the ever-populous Garden State needs higher density zoning. But first, state planners must wrest power from municipal leaders, who lack the political will and courage to implement it. "If we continue to allow local authorities to make these decisions without consideration of overall s...
Public/Private Partnerships Pay
Public/private partnerships present a compelling win-win for builders of all sizes. When, for example, planners in Washington, D.C., wanted to replace a 1920s-vintage public school, they put out a request for proposals, but no bidders emerged — that is, until a restructured RFP allowed development of an apartment building on a 1.
The Affordable Zoning Paradox
Builders have long railed against inclusionary zoning, a popular municipal tactic that requires a number of homes in a new community be set aside for sale at below-market prices. Builders say it violates supply-and-demand common sense and yields less, not more, affordable housing. New research from the Los Angeles-based Reason Public Policy Institute bears them out.
San Francisco's $100,000 House
Clever Homes, a San Francisco construction-systems company that develops pre-fabricated homes partnered with Affordable Green Development and CNet Networks to unveil the "Now House," a 2,400-square-foot-house that cost a little over $100,000 to build and includes the latest electronic gadgetry. On display in the parking lot at SBC Park in San Francisco, the project demonstrates that affordable ...
Two of the Top 10
TimberSIL Nontoxic Pressure-Treated Wood: A sodium-silicate-based pressure-treatment system for wood that relies on a mineralization process rather than toxins to prevent infestations and decay. The patented chemistry and heat-treatment process result in the infusion of microscopic glass "crystals" throughout the wood, providing a permanent, insoluble treatment with no dusting or leaching.
Eucalyptus Hybrid Flooring
A hybrid eucalyptus tree, Lyptus is quickly becoming one of the world's most important hardwood lumbers, says manufacturer Weyerhaeuser, primarily because it represents a sustainable and renewable resource. In density, strength and technical properties, it compares favorably with hardwood maple, and it rivals cherry and mahogany in appearance.
