Market Update: PB May 2013
Towns experiment with different approaches to stimulate new-home building during the recovery; Home builder bonds still draw speculative grades; Ontario’s building code embraces DWHR technology; More home builders head for Wall Street
Building middle ground
In looking ahead to 2013, we asked builders who placed in the middle of the pack in our survey about the lessons they learned from the downturn, and how they are applying that information to future opportunities.
The search for the magic model
For this issue Pat O’Toole, our venerable publisher, asked me to write about the best business models among those home builders in what is often termed the second tier of the industry, or those companies ranked in the top 25 to 100.
Off to the races
After years in the wilderness, big builders are once again hot properties among investors. The overall numbers from this year’s Housing Giants help explain why.
Professional Builder's 2013 Housing Giants
Our list of the top U.S. home builders sorted by 2012 residential construction revenue.
The underutilized and awesomely powerful spreadsheet
From what I gather in my dealings with builders and designers, our industry underutilizes spreadsheets.
Word is the market is coming back. Are you?
Having been in this industry for more than 40 years, I know from personal experience that our industry has always recovered from previous recessions. I contend, however, that great marketing and sales strategies are not honed during good markets, but during tough times.
The great outdoors
Outdoor living spaces continue to rank high on most homeowners’ wish lists. The desire to incorporate a functional outdoor entertaining area into the overall home design appeals to virtually all segments of the market.
Get more out of less space
Seattle architect Ross Chapin knows all about designing smaller, smarter homes. Chapin, principal of Ross Chapin Architects, Langley, Wash., has long been a proponent of conserving resources by cutting down on unnecessary square footage.
