According to most sources, the housing market has still not fully rebounded from the 2008 recession although there are some positive trends (prices rising, low interest rates) as well as some negative ones (sales growth flat). That said, spring is traditionally a big...
New Construction
Builder Declares Top 10 Design Trends of 2012
It's inevitable that these start coming out. And with the impending Mayacalypse, we'll likely see some Top 10 (In the History of the World) lists, too. Builder came up with some bulls eyes with their Top 10 Design Trends of 2012, though, including: Open Spaces Making...
New Homes Sales up in April
According to a recent article on Builder Magazine's website, new home sales in April were up 3.3% over March's numbers. The total figure came in at 343,000, which exceeded the consensus expectations of 335,000. Median home price also ticked upwards with a 0.7% gain to...
Smaller Homes A Passing Fad?
According to a recent article on Builder Magazine, the trend that saw home sizes decreasing may be reversing. When the housing market tanked, new homes went down in square footage. The McMansion seemed destined to go the way of the dodo, while smaller, more efficient...
What $8 Million Buys in a Calgary Condo
Got an extra $8.3 million laying around? Feel like relocating to Canada? You could be the proud owner of this record-breaking Calgary condo, billed as the most expensive condo sold in the city. As part of a $130 million development called "THE RIVER," the unit will...
U.S. Employment Up But Construction Numbers Static
The U.S. Department of Labor just released its latest Employment Situation Summary for the month of April. Although things are looking promising for the overall U.S. economy, the construction business hasn't enjoyed the same gains. Almost a quarter of a million jobs...
Overall Construction Spending is Up
A Census Bureau report indicated that March construction spending was up 1.4% to an adjusted annual rate of $768.9 billion. Builderonline.com's coverage of the announcement by the Census Bureau reveals a deeper truth - that although construction spending may be up,...
Builder Concept Home 2010
Want to see the "Home for the New Economy?" Check out the virtual tour of this Builder Concept Home 2010, designed to be sustainable, compact but livable and built to hold its owners as they age. This is one of the better virtual home tours I've ever taken, with a ton...
Should We Stop Building New Homes?
The word in new home construction, according to Martin Holladay of the Green Building Advisor is that energy consumption matters more than any other "green" consideration, including energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and those other factors that make a home green....
Builders and Remodelers Hopeful for Upturn | Housing Economy
Home improvement spending is set to recover this Fall, according to the recent forecast from the Remodeling Futures Program at Harvard University's Joint Center for Housing Studies. This after a decline from 2009 levels, which were low enough as it is. Conversely,...