Tuesday, May 21, 2013
State sprinkler code receives initial approval
KENTUCKY - An exemption to allow some multi-family housing in the state to be constructed without a sprinkler system has been put back into the state building code after its initial removal – a move supported by the local builders association. The code must be approved by the Administrative Regulation Review Subcommittee before it goes into effect. While some think the move will allow housing variety to thrive in the area, others are concerned about the safety implications of multi-family housing not having sprinklers. Full Story.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
ANSI Supports Building Code and Standardization Efforts during Building Safety Month
NEW YORK - On Tuesday, April 30, 2013, President Barack Obama signed a proclamation officially designating May as Building Safety Month. In the document, President Obama encourages U.S. citizens, “government agencies, businesses, nonprofits, and other interested groups to join in activities that raise awareness about building safety. I also call on all Americans to learn more about how they can contribute to building safety at home and in their communities.” Full Story.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Designers Call for Coordinated Effort To Improve New York City Region's Flood Resistance
NEW YORK, NY - Seven months after miles of New York and New Jersey waterfront were slammed by Superstorm Sandy’s surge, the area's design and planning groups are calling for the creation of a pan-regional entity to organize and lead the effort to deal with flood-resilience and climate change. They also are trumpeting the need for other reforms to eliminate myriad obstacles to climate adaptation, including the creation of a so-called Waterfront Lab to test innovative systems to make flood-prone areas more resilient. Full Story.
Monday, May 20, 2013
Maryland's Building Codes Tightened for Storms
MARYLAND - Maryland closed a loophole in its building code with a law signed May 16. The measure prevents jurisdictions from weakening Maryland's Building Performance Standards for wind design and windborne debris resistance. Full Story.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Rapid City setting new standard for substandard homes
RAPID CITY, SD - A new ordinance to try and help clean up some of Rapid City's most unsafe and unattractive homes has many landlords up in arms. Last winter, Rapid City adopted the International Building Code to create a standard for landlords to follow, which primarily focuses on proper upkeep and safety for their tenants. "What we don't believe in from a public safety stand point is having such dilapidated and rundown house," said LT. John Olsen of the Rapid City Police Department. "That people are in danger of living there." Full Story.
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Your fabulous dream house could be prefab
FORT WAYNE, IN - Author Sheri Koones is on a mission to educate American homeowners about home building. Her first three books focused on the basics on home construction, borne of her own experience as a frustrated homeowner trying to remodel her Greenwich, Conn., house. Full Story.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
BRADNER: Troubled projects create tough news for local construction industry, economic developers
EVANSVILLE, IN - The news for workers in Southwestern Indiana’s construction trades couldn’t get much worse. The last month has seen state policymakers move - for very different reasons - to scuttle two projects that each promised more than 2,000 construction jobs, plus hundreds more once they were up and running. The Indiana General Assembly approved a tough, new regulatory measure that left developers of the proposed $2.6 billion Rockport coal-to-gas plant say that, save a Hail Mary pass in the state Supreme Court, leaves them no way to go forward. Full Story.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
New roofing law aimed at protecting consumers
GARDEN CITY, KS - Come July 1, not everyone will be able to hang out a shingle and call themselves a roofing contractor. A new state law, called the Kansas Roofing Contractor Registration Act will require residential and commercial roofing contractors to register with the state. The law is aimed at protecting Kansas home and building owners from "unscrupulous activity," especially after a severe storm, DV Douglass Roofing co-owner and Kansas Roofing Association President Steve Douglass said in a press release. Full Story.
Friday, May 17, 2013
IBHS Stresses Importance of Building Codes as Part of National Building Safety Month
Federal legislation would provide incentives for states to enact, enforce modern model codes
TAMPA, FL - During Disaster Safety and Mitigation Week (May 13-19) – which is part of National Building Safety Month – the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is touting the importance of state enactment and enforcement of modern building codes. “Severe weather events cause billions of dollars in property damage and economic losses every year,” said Julie Rochman, IBHS president and CEO. “The supplementary disaster aid is designed to incentivize states to do the right thing by adopting and enforcing strong building codes, which would help their citizens, businesses and communities during the recovery process following a disaster. Full Story.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
U.S. housing starts drop, but permits issued rise
WASHINGTON, DC - Residential home building starts dropped sharply in April, but permits for new projects rose soundly, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Thursday. After housing starts topped 1 million in March for the first time since June 2008, building starts fell 16.5 percent in April to 853,000. The March figure was revised, but held above 1 million with 1,021,000 projects started, the department's Census Bureau News said. Full Story.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Home building rises 49 percent in St. Louis
ST LOUIS, MO - Permits for new homes jumped 49 percent in April, compared to same month last year, on the Missouri side of metro St. Louis. The Home Builder Association of St. Louis also reported that permits for the first four months are running ran 36 percent over last year. Full Story.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
How Should Geophysics Contribute to Disaster Planning?
Earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters often showcase the worst in human suffering - especially when those disasters strike populations who live in rapidly growing communities in the developing world with poorly enforced or non-existent building codes. This week in Cancun, a researcher from Yale-National University of Singapore (NUS) College in Singapore is presenting a comparison between large-scale earthquakes and tsunamis in different parts of the world, illustrating how nearly identical natural disasters can play out very differently depending on where they strike. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Homebuilder confidence rises in May as home inventory thins
Confidence among U.S. homebuilders improved in May for the first time in five months as buyers rush to take advantage of near record-low mortgage rates. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of builder confidence rose to 44 from a revised 41 in April, the Washington-based group reported today. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey called for an increase to 43. Readings below 50 mean more respondents said conditions were poor. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Futurist Says Technology Will Impact the Housing Market, One Way or the Other
MIT’s Andrew McAfee fears that as machines get smarter and more agile, they could potentially destabilize the economy.
Much has been written and discussed in recent years about just how automated the home building process can ever become. But technology’s forward march may actually have a far greater - and potentially more deleterious - impact on the ability of people to afford a house, however it gets built. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Custom Home Building Hits Higher Pitch
Increasing Interest Reported as Market Conditions Improve
CENTRAL OREGON - Custom home building in Central Oregon looks to be on a healthy upswing after a relative lull in the wake of recessionary headwinds of the last few years, with a number of professionals and projects reporting brisk activity. Full Story.
Monday, May 13, 2013
Construction industry returns to metro Phoenix
PHOENIX, AZ - You may have noticed it as you drive around town. Construction is starting to pick up in many parts of the valley. More than 6,000 construction jobs have been added over the past year. So what's fueling the big boom? Full Story.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Students look to construction industry for jobs
PINELLAS COUNTY, FL - More Bay area students are studying to take advantage of the rebounding construction field. Over the last year, instructors at Pinellas Technical Education Center have enrolled double the number of students in construction courses. Full Story.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
N.J. construction industry finds sudden surge after recession-laden stagnation
NEW JERSEY - Raking mulch on a housing site isn’t most people’s idea of heaven, but Jared Ethington smiles as he wipes the dirt from his eyes. “I’d say things are looking up,” says the Burlington Township man, who like many others has endured a long spell of unemployment in recent years. In 2008, Ethington was a casualty of post-recession job cuts and was laid off from his post as project manager of a sign company. He lost his job at about the time his two small children began school. “At first, it was nice to spend time with them,” he said. “But it got to a point where I was just doing handyman stuff on the side. Then I lost everything. Lost my house, lost everything.” Full Story.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Supply costs raise Middle TN home prices
Buyers pay more for new construction because materials, labor in short supply
NASHVILLE, TN - If you are looking to buy a new home in Middle Tennessee, prepare to dig even deeper into your pockets. Surging materials costs and tightening labor supplies have pushed up new home prices by 5 to 10 percent so far this year, local homebuilders say. They add that prices could climb by up to another 10 percent as higher land prices kick in later this year.Full Story.
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Is the Lean Building Revolution About to Hit New Zealand?
NEW ZEALAND - Is the Lean Building Revolution About to Hit New Zealand? Lean manufacturing has revolutionised industries throughout the world – and now it could be time for New Zealand’s homebuilding industry to capitalise on the successful philosophy. That’s according to international building consultant Scott Sedam, who is the keynote speaker at the Certified Builders Association of New Zealand’s “The Best Tools to Build Your Business” conference in Blenheim on 17 and 18 May 2013. Full Story.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Homebuilding in Louisville on the upswing
LOUISVILLE, KY - The homebuilding industry in Louisville and nationwide is off to a strong start in 2013. Nationwide in February, builders began work on single family homes at the fastest pace in five years. "The lots are being absorbed at a pretty good rate and activity is brisk in all of our developments," says Rocky Pusateri of Elite Homes in Louisville. Full Story.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Construction industry in Park City slightly outpacing 2012 numbers
PARK CITY, UT - The Park City construction industry finished April slightly ahead of the dollar figure recorded during the same period in 2012, the Park City Building Department reported. According to the department, the industry had posted a little less than $11.6 million in construction by the end of April. Through the same period in 2012, the figure sat at a little more than $10.7 million. Full Story.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Credit Pinch for Small Business Impedes U.S. Job Growth
Jim Brown, owner of JWB Properties LLC, says community banks called him almost every day in 2006 trying to lend him money. Now, his homebuilding business in Atlanta can’t get a loan. “The small banks became really, really cautious, and real estate became a dirty word,” said Brown, 65, whose one-man company takes on workers on a project-by-project basis. Tighter lending standards among U.S. community banks help explain why small businesses are adding jobs at only half the pace of large employers. Full Story.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Ont. fire code upgrades sprinklers in seniors homes, care facilities
New Ontario regulations make automatic sprinklers mandatory
ALBERTA, ONTARIO, CANADA - New changes to fire and building codes in Ontario will make it mandatory for all retirement homes and long-term care facilities to have automatic sprinklers. The regulations will take effect Jan. 1 of next year, and licensed retirement homes and the majority of private care facilities will have up to five years to make the upgrades. Full Story.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Summerlin’s surge in land sales signals a healthier Las Vegas housing market
LAS VEGAS, NV - Summerlin land sales almost quadrupled last quarter from a year before, a sign of homebuilders’ increased appetite in Las Vegas. The 22,500-acre master-planned community, which runs along the western rim of the valley, had $28.2 million of residential land sales in the quarter ending March 31, up from $7.1 million a year earlier, according to a financial report Thursday from developer Howard Hughes Corp. Full Story.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Area homebuilding permit filings surge 41 percent
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - Single-family building permits rose 41 percent in the nine-county Indianapolis area in April, the 10th straight month of year-over-year increases, the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis announced Thursday. Full Story.
Thursday, May 9, 2013
U.S. home building is surging, but job growth isn't
The resurgent U.S. housing market has sent builders calling again for Richard Vap, who owns a drywall installation company. Vap would love to help - if he could hire enough qualified people. “There is a shortage of manpower,” says Vap, owner of South Valley Drywall in Littleton, Colo. “We’re probably only hiring about 75 or 80% of what we actually need.” U.S. builders and the subcontractors they depend on are struggling to hire fast enough to meet rising demand for new homes. Builders would be starting work on more homes - and contributing more to the economy - if they could fill more job openings. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
IAFC and IBHS Urge Congress to Enact Federal Building Code Measure
Organizations call upon Congress and Senate today to enact the Safe Building Code Incentive Act
FAIRFAX, VA and TAMPA, FL - The International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) joined the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) in calling upon Congress and the Senate today to enact the Safe Building Code Incentive Act (SBCIA), which provides financial incentives for states to adopt and enforce strong building codes. The SBCIA will be introduced in the House and Senate today. “There is no question among first responders, and the fire service in particular, that strong building codes provide vital life safety protection during natural disasters such as wildfires,” said Chief Hank Clemmensen, IAFC president and chairman of the board. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Home builders struggling to find enough construction workers
The real estate bust drove many workers out of the construction industry. Luring them back, or training new skilled laborers, is no easy task.
LOS ANGELES, CA - The real estate bust idled hundreds of thousands of construction workers. Now, with housing on the mend, builders are hiring again. Trouble is, many workers aren't coming back. Years of sporadic employment drove many from the industry. Incomes aren't what they used to be. Laid-off workers remember the sting of lost livelihoods; some have had enough of boom and bust. Full Story.
Monday, May 6, 2013
April housing starts in Clark County up from 2012, down from March
CLARK COUNTY, WA - April homebuilding permits issued in unincorporated Clark County were up by 75 percent compared to April 2012, according to a Monday report. Full Story.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
US economy gradually improving - Buffet
Warren Buffett said on Monday the United States economy was gradually improving, helped by the efforts of Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke to stimulate it, Reuters reports. Speaking on CNBC television, Buffett said the economy is benefiting from improvement in areas that had not previously performed well, particularly homebuilding. Full Story.
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Energy efficiency plus more reasons to build a prefab house
Author Sheri Koones is on a mission to educate American homeowners about home building. Her first three books focused on the basics on home construction, borne of her own experience as a frustrated homeowner trying to remodel her Greenwich, Conn., house. At that time, she said in a recent interview, there was almost no information to help her make intelligent choices as she faced an endless number of decisions about this or that flooring material, plumbing fixture, roof shingle and on and on. Full Story.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Not all windows are created equal…nor will they pass inspection!
CANADA - If you are considering a home improvement project or new construction for any project that includes the purchase and installation of windows or doors and is one that requires a building permit, you should be aware of significant changes in the building code that will take effect July 1. Full Story.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Twin Cities construction industry ramps up hiring efforts
MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL, MN - After a historic contraction that sent tradespeople fleeing the industry, a resurgence in homebuilding and remodeling is creating demand for workers. Fresh out of college in 2009, Nick Conniff found that his prospects for landing a housing design job were grim. The recession had set in, homebuilding had screeched to a halt and the architecture firms where he’d hoped to find work were slashing jobs. "I honestly can’t explain the frustration," he said. "I felt like I’d went to college for no reason." Full Story.
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Building materials could contribute to quicker burning fires
The fire Wednesday that destroyed one house and damaged four others near Crystal Lake burned the cedar shake on most of the houses. Those shingles are more combustible than other types of roofing materials, fire officials say. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Lumber mills back on track
Housing recovery drives renewed demand for wood
The Plum Creek Timber mill in Montana is far removed from the housing recovery making headlines nationwide - but its fortunes are not. After a four-year shutdown, the mill reopened in March, thanks to rising lumber prices and a resurgence in home building. The mill, which makes studs used to frame houses, now employs 30, half of its former workforce. It carries a $1.5 million annual payroll that’ll roll through the local economy. “It’s a big deal to see this mill reopen,” says Tom Ray, Plum Creek vice president. The recovery of the housing market is benefiting many industries. But few are as directly tied to home building as wood products and timber. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Jobs Report Shows Construction Still Lags, Washington Stands in the Way of Robust Recovery
WASHINGTON - While the dip in overall jobs growth that economists feared did not occur – the national unemployment rate went down slightly to 7.5 percent - the construction industry lost 6,000 jobs in April and construction unemployment remains in the double digits at 13.2 percent. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
UK Government shifting BIM focus from adoption to implementation, says adviser
United Kingdom - The UK Government is shifting its focus from encouraging the adoption of building information modelling (BIM) technology by the construction industry to driving up its implementation, an adviser has said. In comments reported by Building Magazine, David Philp said that the change in emphasis followed the publication of a suite of contractual and technical standards for BIM projects in February. Philp, who is head of BIM implementation at the Cabinet Office, was speaking at BIM Show Live, an industry conference. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
How construction can lose jobs in middle of home building rebound
The April jobs report showed a drop in construction employment, but it isn't because the housing boom is slowing. The sector lost about 6,000 jobs overall, according to the Labor Department's jobs report. This was largely due to a decline in hiring for non-residential buildings or public works projects like roads or sewer plants. Combined, these two areas lost 19,700 jobs. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Scientists find way to simulate Category 5 hurricane
HOUSTON, TX - Although it feels more like winter outside right now, it won't be long and we'll be tracking storms in the tropics again. Hurricane season begins June first, but there's a place in Florida where they can create hurricane winds any day of the year. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Some fear unemployment benefit cuts may stall recovery
As a custom home builder, Randall Smith once won awards. Now he relies on unemployment checks to keep a roof over his own head. Those benefits are now being reduced, thanks to cuts to the federal budget known as the sequester. And the effects will be felt across the country. In Colorado, recipients of unemployment benefits will see an 11 percent cut during their first 28 weeks and an 18 percent cut in the final nine weeks. For Smith, that means his biweekly checks will be decreased by at least $50, making it harder for him and his wife to pay their mortgage. Full Story.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Container houses become a green urban reality
Dwellings fashioned out of used intermodal shipping containers continue to spread into new places. Their spread is slowed by the resistance of many US cities to altering their building codes. A three-story home made of five stacked containers, said to be the first in New York City, finally won approval for occupancy this February. Full Story.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Outlook Improving for North Carolina Construction Industry
RALEIGH, NC - North Carolina's construction outlook appears to be improving as a result of proposed legislation before the North Carolina General Assembly, ranging from improving underground safety and damage prevention to more funding for construction and design. That was the message delivered by Dave Simpson , Carolinas AGC (CAGC) NC Government Relations and Building Director, at a recent annual meeting of the United Minority Contractors of North Carolina (UMCNC). Full Story.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
Homebuilders Get Nailed By Rising Costs
As if U.S. homebuilders haven't had enough woes over the last few years, there's now this: rising costs of materials and labor that are squeezing already-tight margins. Prices of essential building materials for home construction - such as lumber, gypsum and concrete - have been on a rapid rise as demand for these goods outpaces supply. At the same time, for some builders, prices of homes aren't rising fast enough to cover the added expenses, leaving many of them with no choice but to swallow the costs. Full Story.
Thursday, May 2, 2013
High Desert home-building comeback?
Groundbreaking on first home to be built in Hesperia in more than three years
HESPERIA, CA - City officials are hoping that Thursday's groundbreaking ceremony for a new home may signal the end of a three-year residential-construction drought in Hesperia. "Let’s hope that this will inspire more contractors to start moving some dirt all over the High Desert," Mayor Pro Tem Thurston “Smitty” Smith said as he stood at the one-half-acre property on Mojave Street. Full Story.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
US construction spending down 1.7% in March
WASHINGTON - Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in March as the biggest drop in government projects in more than a decade overwhelmed strength in home building. Construction spending fell 1.7 percent in March, compared with February, the Commerce Department reported Wednesday. It marked the second decline in the past three months. January activity plunged a record 4 percent, which represented a downward revision from a previous estimate of a 2.1 percent decline. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Fatal Carmel fire unable to alter building codes, 1 year later
Officials criticize light building materials, lack of sprinkler law
CARMEL, CA - If the fire that claimed four members of the Sullivan family sounded a warning about how quickly the lightweight construction materials used in many newer homes can go up in flames, that lesson has had little impact on building codes. The rapid spread of the May 1, 2012, fire that killed Thomas Sullivan Sr., a 48-year-old Larchmont police captain, his wife, Donna, 47, and two daughters, Meaghan, 17, and Mairead, 15, was attributed, in part, to the Wyndham Lane home's lightweight materials. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Florida forest acreage rising
TALLAHASSEE, FL - Florida's forestry authorities are confident of the state’s program to expand the amount of forested acres and ensure those lands can support the natural environment and the needs of the construction industry. About 120,000 acres of trees are replanted annually to maintain the timber resource and promote the forest cover in the state, said Jarek Nowak, forest utilization specialist at the Florida Forest Service. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
High Performance Home Builder Hammer & Hand’s Video Series Details A-to-Z of High Performance Window Installation
PORTLAND, OR - Portland and Seattle high performance home builder Hammer & Hand announced today the premiere of a new video series detailing the complete installation process of European style high performance Passive House windows. Zola Windows’ Florian Speier provides an A-to-Z overview of unpacking, installing, and adjusting high performance windows on location at the Pumpkin Ridge Passive House, built by Hammer & Hand. Full Story.
Monday, April 29, 2013
Sandy credited for rise in construction jobs
NEW YORK - Thanks, in part, to a boost from post-Sandy work, employment in New York state's construction industry is inching its way back to its pre-recession peak. In the first quarter of the year, the industry employed 111,333 workers, up 1.3% from the same period of 2012, and up 5.4% since the first quarter of 2011, according to an analysis of state labor department data released today by the New York Building Congress. Full Story.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Unfinished FEMA Flood Maps Put Sandy Victims In Limbo
NEW YORK - Superstorm Sandy pummeled the East Coast six months ago, and, as with other natural disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency was there from day one, finding people temporary shelter and later supporting rebuilding efforts. FEMA also has a lesser-known role. It oversees the creation of flood maps, which model the risk of flooding in different areas during storms. These maps are also used to set building codes and flood insurance rates. In New York and New Jersey, FEMA is updating those maps, and so far many homeowners don't like what they are seeing. Full Story.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
DIY homebuilder beware
SPRINGFIELD, MO - Homeownership is the foundation of the American Dream, and in today’s do-it-yourself culture, where how-to advice for just about anything can be found on the Internet, many people think they could save a lot of money by building their own home. But your home is likely the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime, and not hiring an HBA of Greater Springfield home builder could be a costly mistake for many reasons - financial, emotional and physical. Full Story.
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Norman home builder partners with ONG to build gas-powered concept home
NORMAN, OK - Fill up your car in your home’s garage. After living in Oklahoma all his life, Dan Reeves understands the twists and turns Oklahoma weather can take. With more than two decades of home-building experience, Reeves works to make families cozy and comfortable no matter what’s going on outside. Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Weyerhaeuser: U.S. housing market continues recovery towards L-T trend demand
In WRECO, says all markets continue to improve, on a path to recovery. Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Building code panel says no to flood-level bathrooms
WESTERLY, CT - Two homeowners who lost ground-level bathrooms during Superstorm Sandy will likely not get them back. Their requests to rebuild were denied Thursday by the Building Code Board of Appeals. Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Weyerhaeuser 1Q net income jumps on higher demand
FEDERAL WAY, WA - Weyerhaeuser Co., one of the world's largest lumber companies, said Friday that its first-quarter net income soared, as the continued rebound in the housing market boosted demand for its products. Homebuilders, and the companies that supply them, took a big hit during the Great Recession and the years that followed. But over the past year, better economic conditions and record-low interest rates have sent more buyers back to the market, boosting profits for companies like Weyerhauser. Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Self-certification idea hits a snag
BISBEE, AZ - An idea that came out of the Cochise County Business-Friendly Task Force to have architects, engineers and contractors do their own certification of designs and construction, according to county building codes, may not move forward as planned. Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Wisconsin homebuilding on the rise
LA CROSSE, WI - Wisconsin’s new home market is expected to start picking up across the state after years after slow business for homebuilders. The National Association of Home Builders predicts housing starts will be up 21 percent this year and 29 percent next year in Wisconsin.Full Story.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Arizona construction suffers under SB 1070
The controversial immigration law SB 1070 has apparently affected Arizona's construction industry since the bill was signed by Gov. Jan Brewer in 2010. Dan Withers, president of D.L. Withers Construction, said the bill negatively impacted the overall labor force and "tourism tax dollars" because of the declining construction jobs in the Valley. "We already had a 50 percent reduction in labor in this state, so we were already hurting," Withers told News/Talk 92.3 KTAR's Bruce St. James Show. "When all those tax revenues dropped and capital improvements started dropping, we lost a lot of work." Full Story.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
North Charleston approves commercial building code enforcement rules, addresses mitigation funds
NORTH CHARLESTON, SC - At a short City Council meeting tonight where every agenda item was approved unanimously and without discussion, North Charleston adopted new regulations aimed at dilapidated commercial buildings, and shifted authority over millions of dollars in port mitigation funds away from neighborhood groups. Full Story.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Clackamas County building and permitting services to be open five days per week, instead of four
CLACKAMAS COUNTY, OR - The permitting, inspection, building codes and other building services are switching back to a five-day work week. It's the first of what could be several departments moving back to a traditional business week after about five years of working four 10-hour days. Full Story.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Building permits bloom in April
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Despite the prolonged winter and rising costs, the Twin Cities homebuilding market is wrapping up its busiest April since 2007. So far in April, building permits in the metro area are up nearly 27 percent compared with April 2012 and total planned housing units are up more than twofold, according to the Keystone Report. Local cities issued 372 permits for 817 housing units in April, by far the most in any April since 2007 (486 permits, 895 planned units), according to numbers from the Builders Association of the Twin Cities. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Building up to code not your insurer's problem
If a disaster covered by home insurance destroys your house, one big expense might catch you by unpleasant surprise -- the cost of meeting new building codes. Most standard home insurance policies don't cover the expense of bringing the house up to current codes if the structure didn't meet the latest regulations before disaster struck. It's a problem that many East Coast homeowners face in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. Hundreds of residents in risky flood zones in Connecticut, for instance, must elevate their homes if they want to rebuild them. Houses that suffered serious damage must meet current sea level elevation requirements and all other building codes when they are rebuilt. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
The 'master' bedroom falls out of style
The master bedroom is on the way out, thanks to politically correct builders who want to avoid sexual politics with home buyers. New homebuilders are increasingly calling a house's largest bedroom the "owner's bedroom" or "owner's suite," according to The Washington Business Journal, which surveyed 10 major homebuilders. What's behind the master bedroom's fall from grace? Builders want to avoid negative connotations with gender, since "master" denotes men, and with race, because of the term "slave master." Full Story.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
How to Profit From the Housing Recovery
The U.S. housing market is finally recovering. But that doesn't mean investors seeking to profit from the recovery should jump into shares of homebuilders, which look pricey today. Instead, consider playing the recovery with home-furnishings and home-improvement companies. The U.S. housing market is on the mend. According to the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Index , the average price of U.S. homes hit bottom in January 2012 and rallied 8% through January of this year, the most recent month for which data is available. Shares of homebuilders, which were brutalized during the 2007-09 bear market, have soared as the housing outlook has improved. On average, the stocks have climbed 260%, or 38% annualized, since the group hit its bear-market low on March 6, 2009 (prices are through April 19 unless otherwise noted). And some of the largest companies have done much better. For example, Lennar (symbol LEN ) surged 551%. Full Story.
Monday, April 22, 2013
What 6 Homebuilder CEOs Are Saying About the Housing Industry
Few industries were as savagely beaten down during the recession as housing. Today, few industries have as much potential to rebound. What are CEOs from some of the nation's largest homebuilders saying about the housing industry? I scanned through a pile of recent conference call transcripts to find out. Full Story.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Starting Next Month USA Business Insurance Services Will Start Offering Custom Insurance Programs for Roofing Contractors and Carpenters
BURBANK, CA - In the next month, USA Business Insurance Services will be expanding its small business coverage to include insurance packages for roofing contractors and carpenters. The expansion will help even more small business owners get access to the individualized policies created by the professionals and experts at USA Business Insurance. Having a comprehensive and personalized insurance package is an essential element for the success of any small business. Having coverage that is specific to the roofing and carpentry industries is invaluable for the owners of these types of businesses. Full Story.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Home building industry seeing resurgence
ROCHESTER, NY - "Over the past year, we've been seeing an increase in sales in the marketplace. Nationally, sales were up 15.6 percent in January for new construction. So, we are seeing continuous momentum in the marketplace for the new year,” said Frank Barbera, Custom Home Builder. If you are thinking about building a new home, now might be the optimal time with interest rates still so low and the warmer weather on the way. What does the process entail? "The home building process itself seems daunting at the beginning, but it's actually a very structured process. And, we try to make it as easy for the customer as possible to make good decisions, as far as the proper building lot, the style of home, based on their budget and what features they would most benefit from,” said Barbera. Full Story.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Ferocious Beetles Destroy Forests and Hurt Homebuilders
A little over two years ago, the timber industry witnessed a boxing match between two international market leaders. In one corner was the champion of cheap construction, questionable lending practices, and overabundance of housing: Uncle Sam. In the opposite corner was, well, whoever represents Canada. In the international lawsuit, the United States accused its neighbor to the north of selling good-quality timber at low-grade prices, allegedly taking advantage of a nationwide infestation of mountain pine beetles (link opens a PDF) to undercut the American timber market. Full Story.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
KB Home, Ford team up on energy efficiency
LOS ANGELES, CA - KB Home is teaming up with Ford Motor Co. in hopes of making energy efficiency a more compelling proposition to would-be homeowners who also drive hybrid and plug-in vehicles. The homebuilder-automaker partnership announced Friday doesn't involve any financial considerations, the companies said. Full Story.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Interior Design and Homebuilding Industries Are Buzzing with Curiosity about Spectacular New Kentucky Mansion in Greater Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, OH - A spectacular new luxury home near Cincinnati, Ohio which has been nicknamed the Kentucky Mansion has piqued the curiosity of residents in the mid-west, as well as interior designers and fine homebuilders. This new Kentucky Mansion, built by Tim Burks Builder, Inc. features an elegant architectural design reminiscent of a centuries-old European chateau, along with exquisite interior design by Grace Jones of Dwellings - Cincinnati Interior Design. Full Story.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Stonewood Homes growth from Eco homes
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND - A record March was the ideal end to a record year for Christchurch-based home building company, Stonewood Homes who has been focusing on green building for healthier new homes. Brent Mettrick, Managing Director of Stonewood Homes believes one of the main reasons behind Stonewood Homes’ meteoric rise from local home builder to one of the biggest national homebuilding companies in New Zealand is the company’s commitment to Eco Homes and green building. In Stonewood’s case this translates to a focus on homes which are better insulated and therefore cheaper to run, along with use of renewable resources and non-toxic building materials. Full Story.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Landlord: Code, police calls put kibosh on party place
JOPLIN, MO - While multiple misdemeanor charges have yet to play out in court, building code regulations apparently have prompted the owner of a building to pull the plug on its use for dance parties that two brothers have been throwing on Saturday nights at 1202 S. Wall Ave. Seventeen people were arrested at or near the location in the early morning hours of April 7 during what police termed “a near riot” involving about 200 people. Officers broke up another purported party at the address last weekend, serving a search warrant and arresting four on misdemeanor offenses. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Interior Design and Homebuilding Industries Are Buzzing with Curiosity about Spectacular New Kentucky Mansion in Greater Cincinnati
CINCINNATI, OH - A spectacular new 15,950 square foot luxury mansion in the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky area has sparked the curiosity and imagination of residents in the region, along with the interest of interior designers and fine homebuilders in the home and design industries. Excitement builds daily as the dramatic private residence nears completion in time for the May 2013 Northern Kentucky Cavalcade of Homes. The new classically inspired home, located in Edgewood, Kentucky, just five minutes from downtown Cincinnati, Ohio, was designed and built by Tim Burks, owner of Tim Burks Builder, Inc. in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. The elegant French chateau-themed residence is situated atop a peaceful rolling hillside and backed by dense woods. Grace Jones, owner and talented lead interior designer at Dwellings, an interior design firm and chic boutique and atelier in Cincinnati, Ohio, has served in the role of the visionary interior designer throughout the project. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
WVU to break ground for solar home contest entry
MORGANTOWN, WV - West Virginia University students are preparing to begin construction of the school's entry in a national solar home building contest. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Fitch: Spike in Starts a Sign That U.S. Housing is Now Thriving
NEW YORK - Single family U.S. housing starts posted a solid March while multifamily results were spectacular, an encouraging sign that the housing market's moderate recovery may pick up in intensity in the coming months, according to Fitch Ratings in the latest edition of the 'Chalk Line'. Single-family starts came in at 619,000 (down 4.8% compared to February) and up 28.7% year-over-year, largely in line with expectations. Total starts for March were 1.036 million, up 7% compared to February and 46.7% higher year-over-year. Total starts were significantly higher than expected because of the multifamily component. That said, multifamily numbers are often extremely volatile month-over-month and are coming off a somewhat disappointing February. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Area homebuilding is up 30 percent
KANSAS CITY - The homebuilding industry in the Kansas City area continued its recovery during the first quarter with 832 single-family permits issued, up 30 percent from last year. Johnson County showed the strongest growth with 394 permits issued in the first three months of 2013, 47 percent of the metropolitan total, according to the latest report from the Home Builders Association of Greater Kansas City. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Regulators ask court for clarification on codes
SANTA FE, NM - New Mexico construction regulators are asking the state Court of Appeals for clarification on which building codes should be enforced as it battles with environmental groups. The dispute centers on a 2011 decision by the Construction Industries Commission to revamp green building codes that were adopted by former Democrat Gov. Bill Richardson's administration. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Glass Panel Railing System maximizes visibility and transparency.
CINCINNATI, OH – Hollaender Manufacturing has introduced the new post mounted Interna-Rail VUE glass railing system. The handrail system is constructed using Hollaender's aluminum Interna-Rail handrail, glass or acrylic panels, and Hollaender’s panel clips and bottom support channels. The modular system is simple-to-install, maximizes visibility through the handrail, and is a more cost effective alternative than stainless systems. Full Story.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Widely Observed Safety Programs Used at Large Contracting Firms But Smaller Firms Lag, According to McGraw-Hill Construction Study
Industry reports insurance rates can help to accelerate adoption of more robust safety management programs
NEW YORK - Contractors are reporting high use of safety practices, but fully-inclusive programs are not yet taking place in smaller firms, according to a new study by McGraw-Hill Construction on safety management in the construction industry. Ninety-two percent of firms with over 500 employees report having fully inclusive and widely observed safety programs, but smaller firms lag with nearly half, 48%, reporting the same. However, individual safety practices are widely adopted across the industry demonstrating an awareness of the importance of safety programs - 60% of contractors report that they use eight of 15 practices included in the survey. The most widely used practices demonstrate the value construction firms place on bringing safety practices directly to jobsites. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
High Desert slow to catch home-building wave
VICTORVILLE, CA - Though home building is experiencing a national surge, local developers say construction in the Victor Valley continues to creep along. Builders across the nation reported a seasonally adjusted home building rate of 1.04 million in March, the highest level since June 2008, according to a U.S. Commerce Department report this week. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Increased Housing Demand Set to Spur Job Growth in Construction Industry, ConstructionCrossing.com Finds 8,000 Jobs
Increasing demand across the country for new home construction could see the construction industry add 500,000 jobs this year and 700,000 in 2014, according to Bloomberg News. ConstructionCrossing.com, a job search website dedicated to finding only construction industry jobs, has also been able to track down over 8,000 construction jobs as of mid-April. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Hotel Construction in the US Industry Market Research Report Now Available from IBISWorld
As disposable incomes rise and consumers return to spending on hotel stays, demand for construction work on hotels and motels will continue to expand due to rising occupancy rates at existing accommodations. For these reasons, industry research firm IBISWorld has added a report on the Hotel Construction industry to its growing industry report collection. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Building home not simple as it seems
SAN ANGELO, TX - Homeownership is the foundation of the American dream, and in today’s do-it-yourself culture where how-to advice for just about anything can be found on the Internet, many people think they could save a lot of money by building their own home. But your home is likely the single largest investment you will make in your lifetime, and not hiring a professional homebuilder could be a costly mistake for many reasons — financial, emotional, and physical. Getting financing is an important consideration. As a self-contractor, lenders have strict guidelines and limits on how much money they will give you, and they will require that you provide house plans, specifications and an itemized list of documented costs and bids beforehand. Even if you feel that you have enough cash to do the job, it is wise to get a loan to cover material or labor cost increases, upgrades or material overruns. Many mortgage companies will not lend money to cover unanticipated costs on a home when construction has already begun. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Lumber Prices Up 120%: Will Homebuilders Be Hurt?
The National Association of Homebuilders index, or the HMI, has dropped over concerns that homebuilders are struggling with, among other things, construction costs rising faster than appraised values. One major contributing factor to this is the current runaway skyrocketing lumber prices. In this video, Motley Fool consumer goods analyst Blake Bos tells investors what's behind these sky-high lumber prices and how to play the housing boom as an investor while keeping this risk in mind. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Homebuilding pace tops 1 million in March
U.S. homebuilders broke the 1 million mark in March, the highest level since June 2008. The overall pace of homes started rose 7 percent from February to March to a seasonally adjusted rate of 1.04 million, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. Apartment construction, which tends to fluctuate sharply from month to month, led the surge: It jumped nearly 31 percent to an annual rate of 417,000, the fastest pace since January 2006. By contrast, single-family homebuilding, which makes up nearly two-thirds of the market, fell 4.8 percent to an annual rate of 619,000. That was down from February’s pace of 650,000, the fastest since May 2008. The government said February’s pace was 5.2 percent higher than previously estimated. Full Story.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
City boasts first to adopt WaterSense building code
SIERRA VISTA, AZ - The City of Sierra Vista was recently notified by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that it is the first community in the nation to adopt the agency’s WaterSense program for future residential development. WaterSense is a partnership program by the EPA that seeks to protect the future of the nation’s water supply by offering people a simple way to use less water with water-efficient products, new homes, and services. Sierra Vista has been a WaterSense partner since April 2012. All new homes constructed in the city are potentially eligible for WaterSense certification as a result of the latest water conservation ordinance passed by the City Council on Jan. 24. The new code language requires the use of WaterSense labeled fixtures for all interior residential uses, including on-demand pumps or manifold designs for hot-water delivery. This action is the latest in a nearly 20 year commitment by Sierra Vista to help manage the community’s water use, in order to assist Fort Huachuca in meeting water conservation requirements and ultimately protect the San Pedro River. Full Story.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Rising costs weigh on US homebuilder confidence
U.S. homebuilders are concerned that limited land and rising costs for building materials and labor will slow sales in the short term. Still, their outlook for sales over the next six months climbed to the highest level in more than six years — suggesting the obstacles could be temporary. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday fell this month to 42 from 44 in March. It was the third decline since January. Measures of customer traffic and current sales conditions both declined from March’s reading. Readings below 50 suggest negative sentiment about the housing market. The last time the index was at 50 or higher was in April 2006. Full Story.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Construction Industry Making a Steady Comeback
LAS VEGAS, NV - A steel skeleton along the 215 Beltway near Charleston Boulevard has for years been a reminder of an soured economy but in just a few weeks construction will start again. It is just one of several commercial construction projects underway in the Las Vegas valley, which are all adding jobs. A spokesperson for the Howard Hughes Corporation said construction of the shopping complex will employ 1,700 people, and when finished in 2014, 2,000 people will work there. Full Story.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Delayed building code adoption process to cost homeowners soon
CHARLESTON, SC - A fire at 213 East Bay had many in the community wondering why the building didn't have a sprinkler system. At the time that building was occupied for its use as, a bar night club, which I believe was in the mid 90s when it was first converted to that use, sprinklers would not have been required," said Charleston Fire Marshal, Mike Julazadeh, "If the building owners changed the use of the property, then current code regulations would be applied. Even in 2010, Julazadeh said the codes in place were not exactly to date. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Counties still offer impact-fee breaks despite homebuilding rebound
ORANGE COUNTY, FL - Central Florida counties may be losing millions of dollars by continuing to give homebuilders breaks on the fees they're charged to pay for the cost of growth. So-called impact fees, used primarily to build schools, parks and roads, were reduced, suspended or even eliminated in Orange, Lake and Osceola counties to stimulate construction after the housing market crashed in 2007. But now, even though home construction is rebounding, Orange and Lake are still extending some breaks to builders. Orange County's impact fee for schools is $6,525 per single-family home — about half what was charged before the downturn. If the higher fee had been restored — and if construction activity had remained unaffected — the county would have collected an additional $14 million in 2012, almost enough for another elementary school. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Area homebuilding permits jump 10 percent
INDIANOPOLIS, MN - Single-family building permits rose 10 percent in the nine-county Indianapolis area in March, the ninth straight month of year-over-year increases, the Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis announced Tuesday. Builders filed 434 permits in March, compared with 395 during the same month a year ago. On a percentage basis, it was the largest year-over-year increase in March permits in 14 years, BAGI said. Permit filings rose 8 percent in Marion County, from 63 to 68. Johnson County saw filings jump 54 percent, from 35 to 54. Filings increased 6 percent in Hamilton County, to 157, and 24 percent in Boone County, to 46. Full Story.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Construction Booming In Texas, But Many Workers Pay Dearly
TEXAS - Like almost everything in the Texas, the construction industry in the Lone Star State is big. One in every 13 workers here is employed in the state's $54 billion-per-year construction industry. Homebuilding and commercial construction may be an economic driver for the state, but it's also an industry riddled with hazards. Years of illegal immigration have pushed wages down, and accidents and wage fraud are common. Of the nearly 1 million workers laboring in construction here, approximately half are undocumented. Many of those workers have been in the U.S. for years, even decades. This critical mass of eager, mostly Hispanic workers means it's possible for a family from New York or California to move to Texas and buy a brand new, five-bedroom, 3,000-square-foot home for $160,000. Full Story.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Homes for sale are down in Bakersfield, home building goes up
BAKERSFIELD, CA - With so few houses for sale in Bakersfield right now, home-builders are finally seeing their business going up. Local real estate appraiser Gary Crabtree says the current supply of existing homes is at an historic low, and he sees both local and national construction companies gearing up to build houses. "Everybody's busy," Towery Homes owner Matt Towery told Eyewitness News Friday. "Due to the lack of inventory of existing homes, there is now a need to build homes again." He's got a batch of homes going up in northwest Bakersfield near Olive Drive and Calloway. Towery says that was a subdivision that "collapsed" during the real estate bust of 2006-2007. "So we were able to pick up the rest of this subdivision and start building again. A lot of the foreclosed lots, we were able to buy," he explained. Full Story.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Construction hiring up, most others not
The construction industry added 18,000 new construction jobs in March -- 20 percent of the total monthly gain in new jobs nationally. The sector’s unemployment rate fall to 14.7 percent in March, according to today’s employment report by the U.S. Department of Labor. Associated Builders & Contractors “has been warning for several months that growing fiscal headwinds emerging from Washington, D.C., would eventually interrupt the momentum of the U.S. economic recovery,” said ABC Chief Economist Anirban Basu. “That time may have come.” Even as his particular construction sector is coming on stronger, Basu said, “The hope is that the March employment data represent a one-month blip–a statistical aberration in the wake of several surprisingly good employment reports in prior months.” Full Story.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Audit finds problems with Clarksville's permitting process
CLARKSVILLE, TN - An internal audit on the Clarksville Building & Codes’ permit process found that permit fees are being calculated inconsistently or incorrectly, the department was forgoing a validation requirement required by city law and the department’s permit tracking system had a number of errors. This is the second internal audit that has found problems with the Building & Codes department in six months. An internal audit in October found, amongst other problems, that the department’s Abatement Division had failed to collect over $500,000 in abatement bills owed to the department. The permit process audit’s findings are far less dramatic than the previous audit, which was released a month before Mayor McMillan pushed the former director out, and Mike Baker, interim director for Building & Codes, has already started implementing changes aimed at rectifying the problems identified. Full Story.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Home building at highest level in four years
Construction spending in the U.S. rose in February, paced by the highest level of home building in more than four years. Outlays climbed 1.2 percent to an $885.1 billion annual rate, following a 2.1 percent decrease in January, the Commerce Department reported today in Washington. The median forecast of 41 economists surveyed by Bloomberg called for a 1 percent rise. Near record-low borrowing costs and an improved outlook for jobs are lifting demand for residential real estate, giving a boost to homebuilders including KB Home. Faster hiring would ensure a more sustained rebound in the industry, allowing for bigger gains in construction spending. Full Story.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Millennials Won't Be Life-Long Renters
PulteGroup Survey Shows Strong Interest in Purchasing a Home; Majority of Millennials Not Living Alone
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI - Millennials continue to show a strong interest in purchasing a home, according to the PulteGroup Home Index Survey (PGHI) by national homebuilder PulteGroup, Inc. For renters ages 18-34 with an income of more than $50,000, 65 percent indicated their intention to buy has significantly or somewhat increased in the past year. Full Story.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Colville plywood mill to reopen after 4 years
OMAK, WA - A plywood mill in Omak, Wash., is restarting operations this summer after closing down in 2009 when the recession hit the construction industry. The Wenatchee World reports the Colville Indian Plywood and Veneer plant plans to hire 100 mill workers when it restarts. Eventually about 200 workers will operate the mill, located in the north-central Washington county of Okanogan. The company laid about 230 workers in 2009. Full Story.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Homebuilding bounces back - but not everywhere
PEORIA, IL - A 10-year look at new housing construction across 25 western and central Illinois cities finds growth returning in the greater Peoria area. Recovery from the recession, however, is coming more slowly - or not at all - for rural cities and villages. Sixteen of the 25 cities surveyed in this GateHouse Media Western Illinois Division project showed an increase in housing construction permits from 2011-2012. Full Story.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
New Tappan Zee Bridge Project Reaches Environmental Approval Milestone
TARRYTOWN, NY - Yesterday, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced an agreement between New York State and two leading environmental groups regarding the types of environmental protective measures that will be put into place during construction of the new Tappan Zee Bridge. The Construction Industry Council of Westchester and Hudson Valley, Inc. (CIC), a professional trade organization representing more than 500 local construction and building industry firms working throughout the Hudson Valley region, applauds this milestone as the next important step toward beginning construction on what will be among the most impactful projects in the history of the region. Full Story.
Saturday, March 30, 2013
New Seattle Home Construction Project on its Way to Achieving World’s Most Stringent Energy Performance Standard, Passive House
SEATTLE, WA - Home builder and contractor Hammer & Hand announced today the results of its initial blower door test at the Ballard Passive House. The still-under-construction home clocked in at an impressively airtight 0.29 ACH50 (0.29 air changes at 50 pascals of pressure) on its first test, easily beating the maximum value allowed by the Passive House standard of 0.6 ACH50. “We’re all really excited about the initial results,” said Hammer & Hand project lead Dan Whitmore. "We found a couple of pinhole leaks but that’s not bad for the first time out. Now we’re set and we’re ready to rock-and-roll on the exterior." Full Story.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Obama calls for bolstering infrastructure
President says strengthening infrastructure should be nonpartisan issue
MIAMI, FL - President Barack Obama called Friday for Congress to fund proposals to expand public-private programs to build and repair modern ports, pipelines, schools and other infrastructure. At a campaign-style event in Miami, Obama said strengthening the nation's infrastructure should be a non-partisan issue because it helps American business and creates jobs for the construction industry. Full Story.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Home Builder Association Holds "Home Builder Robot Contest 2013" to Make a Revolution in Home Building Sector for ASEAN
BANGKOK, THAILAND - Home Builder Association joins hands with Tra Chang and Home Buyers Group to hold "Home Builder Robot Contest 2013" as the first time in Thailand to make a revolution in home building sector. It is ready to develop prototype robot and bring advanced technology innovation idea to support in hope of reducing housing construction period, replacing labor which is in shortage and leading to ASEAN level competition development. Full Story.
Friday, March 29, 2013
Carpet Protection Film for Builders
FARMINGTON HILLS, MI - Surface Protection International has a solution for protecting carpets during construction. This innovative solution has proven to help builders and remodelers save money on surface damages. Full Story.
Friday, March 29, 2013
State jobless rate falls as employment highest since 2008
Greenville's rate of 6.6 percent second only to Lexington County
GREENVILLE, SC - The slight drop in the state’s unemployment rate last month is part of an improving trend, marked by a positive change for the construction industry, according to a Clemson economist. According to figures released Friday by the state Department of Employment and Workforce, the unemployment rate dipped to 8.6 percent in February from January’s rate of 8.7 percent. The number of people employed statewide increased to 1,991,575, and the unemployed total fell to 187,673.Full Story.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
New building codes from April: BCA
SINGAPORE - Singapore will adopt a new set of building codes from next month to raise industry standards and design, but industry players will have time to adjust to the change, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said on Monday. It will become one of the first countries outside Europe to adopt the Eurocodes to specify standards and principles for the structural design of buildings. Full Story.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
HOA suing home builder
SAN ANTONIO, TX - You've heard of homeowners fed up with their HOA, but now an HOA is suing a home builder. The Hearthstone PUD Homeowners Association is taking on Meritage Homes in court. In the lawsuit filed this week, the HOA claims Meritage "exhausted" a $58,000 capital reserve fund, which was supposed to pay for repairs in the neighborhood. Board member Jon Hubbard explains neighbors each paid $1,000 into the fund while they were closing on their homes, and when the board took over, they learned the fund had been depleted. "We need to be able to go to the person who was originally responsible for this issue and be able to say, 'hey, you were supposed to leave us something and you didn't.'" Full Story.
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Appeals board says Hidden Meadows in West Rockhill isn't required to have a generator
WEST ROCKHILL, PA - There’s no requirement in the state and international building codes that Hidden Meadows on the Ridge have an electrical generator in its planned new building that will house people with dementia, the joint Uniform Construction Code Board of Appeals for East Rockhill, West Rockhill and Dublin ruled following a March 19 hearing in West Rockhill. Hidden Meadows does, however, have to meet the code’s requirements for a backup power source to kick in when there is an outage and must submit plans showing the code is being met, as well as proof it is a type of facility in which a generator is not mandated, the board said. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
House OKs automatic door bill
NORTH DAKOTA - In a 63-29 vote, the state House on Tuesday passed Senate Bill 2129 that requires larger new public buildings to install automatic doors as part of the state building code. The bill mandates all buildings larger than 7,500 square feet have a bi-parting, push plate or pull handle automatic door. Costs range from $2,000 to $10,000 for the devices. The measure was amended by the Senate to exclude buildings less than 7,500 square feet because it was felt that would place too much of a hardship on owners. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Sprinkler rules spark debate
Builders say they're not necessary in some apartments; safety advocates disagree
BOWLING GREEN, KY - Some local builders hope legislators will allow them to keep a building code provision exempting them from installing sprinkler systems in many of the multi-family housing units they construct. But fire safety advocates say the use of sprinkler systems in residential buildings can help save lives, allowing people extra time to escape a blaze and are worth the cost. The lack of an exemption allowing construction of multi-family housing units of two stories or less without sprinkler systems could lead to higher prices on a popular kind of housing in southcentral Kentucky at a time when people can’t afford it and could stop some builders from investing in multi-family housing, said Anita Napier, chief executive officer of the Builders Association of South Central Kentucky. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
The True Life Companies Accelerates Its Arizona Expansion With Acquisition of 172 Acres in Tucson
PHOENIX, AZ - Accelerating its growth as a leading supplier of lots and land to home builders, The True Life Companies (TTLC) is moving to alleviate the current lot supply shortage facing public and private homebuilders in the Arizona markets with its recently completed acquisition of Rincon Knolls, a 172-acre residential property located in Vail, Arizona (City of Tucson). Full Story.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Construction industry group calls for government crackdown on 'unscrupulous contractors' in Metro Vancouver
VANCOUVER, BC, CANADA - A group of construction professionals is pressing the federal government to crack down on "unscrupulous contractors" they say have made it impossible for law-abiding companies to compete in the industry. In a letter sent to Public Safety Minister Vic Toews last week, Wayne Cox, executive secretary-treasurer of the B.C. Regional Council of Carpenters, said the problem of unethical payroll practices and illegal workers in the Lower Mainland is rampant. Full Story.
Monday, March 25, 2013
S.C. construction jobs rise 3%
CHARLESTON, SC - Construction employment in South Carolina rose 3% over the past year, according to data released by the Associated General Contractors of America. The state’s construction industry increased by 2,600 workers to 77,600 between January and the same month in 2012, the association said. It added figures were culled from federal labor statistics and not seasonally adjusted. Full Story.
Monday, March 25, 2013
Manitoba homes for people with disabilities sit empty
MANITOBA, BC, CANADA - Manitoba houses destined for people with disabilities are sitting empty after the province adopted the National Building Code, delaying construction and driving up costs of homes. The amended code requires commercial grade fire systems in homes purchased or built by community groups for people with disabilities. Full
Story.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Appeals board says Hidden Meadows in West Rockhill isn't required to have a generator
WEST ROCKHILL, PA - There’s no requirement in the state and international building codes that Hidden Meadows on the Ridge have an electrical generator in its planned new building that will house people with dementia, the joint Uniform Construction Code Board of Appeals for East Rockhill, West Rockhill and Dublin ruled following a March 19 hearing in West Rockhill. Hidden Meadows does, however, have to meet the code’s requirements for a backup power source to kick in when there is an outage and must submit plans showing the code is being met, as well as proof it is a type of facility in which a generator is not mandated, the board said. “The code specifically says that a generator is not required for the building that’s proposed. That’s the bottom line,” Kevin Sommar, Hidden Meadows’ attorney, said. Full Story.
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Legislation would end local governments' rules on home appearance
ARKANSAS - The legislature is on track to stop cities and towns from enforcing rules that control the color, shape, placement of the garage and other aesthetics of their homes. Homebuilders want the restrictions to go away, saying the government has no business controlling such things. They also say the rules create unnecessary red tape and costs. Leaders of some municipalities say their rules protect the character of their communities. They argue that it should be left up to local voters through their city councils, not 170 lawmakers in a distant state capital, to set their standards. The legislation is state House Bill 150, which passed in the House 98-18 on Wednesday. It is pending the Senate Rules Committee. Full Story.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Boulder considers boosting energy efficiency rules in new construction
BOULDER, CO - As Boulder looks for ways to cut its greenhouse gas emissions, some city leaders are looking to the building code for at least one of the answers. Boulder's current building code was well ahead of national conservation standards back in 2006 when it was adopted. However, international building code standards have evolved since. The 2012 codes published by the International Energy Conservation Code and the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) bring the rest of the country up to Boulder's requirements. The city is in the process of updating its energy code. The proposed changes, which will be presented to the Landmarks Board and Planning Board in April and the City Council in May, will require new construction to be roughly 20 percent more energy efficient than the current IECC and ASHRAE standards. That puts the city where the international code is expected to be in 2015. Full Story.
Friday, March 22, 2013
Construction Firms Say Labor is Harder to Come By
Anyone who watches the job market closely knows that the construction sector has been weak in this recovery. Employment in construction is still down 25 percent from its pre-recession peak, and the industry has a 15.7 percent unemployment rate. So it came as something of a surprise when a trade association representing the construction industry announced that it was experiencing a growing labor shortage. In its most recent survey of its members, the National Association of Home Builders found that labor shortages have grown across a variety of positions and professions since June 2012. For example, 38 percent of firms currently report "some shortage" of carpenters for rough work, up from 24 percent June 2012. Meanwhile, only 57 percent report no shortage, compared to 71 percent in June. And 23 percent reported some shortage of roofers, up from 14 percent in June 2012. A similar trend holds, to varying degrees, across many other construction-related occupations, including electricians, bricklayers, plumbers and workers in framing crews. While these figures may indicate a strengthening industry, they also could signal future constraints on growing firms looking for workers. Full Story.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Iowa Senate OKs bill requiring radon tests for schools, protection for new homes
IOWA - The Iowa building code would include provisions to protect newly constructed homes from radon and school districts would be required to test for radon gas under a bill approved 37-13 Wednesday by the Iowa Senate. Senate File 366, proposed by Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, is aimed at addressing high levels of radon in Iowa, which have been linked to lung cancer. He said 400 deaths annually in Iowa are tied to exposure to radon gas. The bill, which was sent to the House, would apply to public and nonpublic schools, but would not include home-school education programs. Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, proposed to exempt new home construction from the bill, saying the free market should rule. But McCoy objected, saying, “To do less than this would be negligence on our part.” He said a radon mitigation system would allow the poisonous gas to be vented out of the home and would cost about $300 per home. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Bills would undercut quality of new homes
NORTH CAROLINA - North Carolina’s homebuilders, hard-pressed to find work in recent years, have used their downtime to hammer on one big house – the state House of Representatives. Now all their political investment is paying off in two House bills aimed at making life easier for homebuilders. But that relief would come at the expense of homebuyers and towns that set standards to promote high-quality and visually appealing housing stock. House Bill 120 would prevent local governments from requiring inspections for one- and two-family houses other than the eight types delineated in the state building code. The bill also doubles the time between updates to the state’s home building code. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
US builder confidence falls on weak supply, labor
USA - Confidence among U.S. homebuilders fell this month because of concerns that increased demand for new homes is exceeding supplies of ready-to-build land, building materials and workers. In the short term, those constraints could slow sales. But builders' outlook for sales over the next six months has reached its strongest point in more than six years. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Monday fell to 44 from 46 in February. It was the second decline since January, which was preceded by eight straight monthly gains. A measure of current sales conditions declined from February's reading. Readings below 50 suggest negative sentiment about the housing market. The last time the index was at 50 or higher was in April 2006. The index began trending higher in October 2011, when it was 17. That increase coincided with the start of a housing recovery. An improving job market, persistently low mortgage rates and rising home values have helped fuel U.S. homes over the past year. New-home sales jumped 16 percent in January to the highest level since July 2008. Full Story.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Construction laws shouldn't be changed
GARDENERVILLE, NV - The building industry’s proposed changes to Nevada’s construction defect laws would have devastating consequence for homeowners like me. If they had been in effect when I sought to repair defects in my home, I would never have been able to pay for the repairs the builder refused to perform. Average people cannot afford to pay out of pocket to take on national homebuilding corporations and their insurers. Nevada law enabled me to fix my home and pay my attorney only after I’d proved that defects existed that my builder refused to fix. I urge the legislature to reject attempts to remove this important protection for Nevada families. Full Story.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Pine home builder prefers homes without rain gutters
LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - History and a desire to avoid unpleasant tasks can lead to the elimination of gutters and downspouts on houses. While that form of design can fit into some plans, there also are reasons to stay with what has become the most-common method of handling water off the roof. “Usually, you can't have enough gutters around here,” says Greensburg architect Lee Calisti. Yet, home builder Don Horn has structured the greater part of a career building homes without gutters, including on his own new home in Pine. John Schombert, executive director of 3 Rivers Wet Weather in Lawrenceville, owns a gutterless vacation home in the highlands of Fayette County. Full Story.
Sunday, March 17, 2013
The 'Last American Man' is facing a government shutdown of his camp in the Appalachian Mountains for not adhering to building codes
WATAUGA COUNTY, NC - A man who has dedicated nearly 30 years to building and living off of his 500-acre farm is facing having his entire way of life shut down by the state government. Eustace Conway, 51, who has been called ‘The Last Great American Man’ for his rustic way of living, could lose his camp in the Appalachian Mountains, his home for the past three decades. The Watauga County Planning Department in North Carolina has found several health and sanitary violations in his encampment and has threatened to condemn the buildings. Conway, who was given the title of the ‘last great American man’ by ‘Eat, Pray, Love’ author Elizabeth Gilbert in her 2002 biography, is fighting the department over their violations. Full Story.
Thursday, March 14, 2013
A New Generation Of Smart Homes Designed For America’s Wounded Veterans
Homebuilders have never had to think before about the design challenges presented by someone like Brendan Marrocco, the first surviving quadruple amputee to come home from Iraq. He and now dozens of other severely wounded veterans like him--triple and quadruple amputees and soldiers paralyzed by IEDs--compose a new population in America created by the particular weapons of these wars and the medical advances that have saved them. And they need new kinds of homes. It’s tremendously daunting, though, from a design perspective, to think about how the limitations of severe war injuries change the way someone goes through their most private, mundane movements. Wheelchairs, for instance, are much harder to use on carpet. From the seat of one, bathroom mirrors become useless. A veteran in a wheelchair with the use of his arms, or prosthetics, might be able to stir a pot on the front burner of a stove. But he can’t see what’s inside of it. Full Story.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Rebuilding Sandy-damaged homes to new building codes saves money, reduces risk
NEW JERSEY - A clear path does not exist for homeowners and contractors navigating the maze of rebuilding post-Hurricane Sandy, but roughly 200 people gathered in Neptune today seeking some direction. The Shore Builders Association of Central New Jersey — a trade association that is a chapter of both the New Jersey Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders — hosted a panel of building and insurance experts at the Jumping Brook Country Club to help guide that process. The discussion touched on federal flood maps and disputes with insurance companies. The panel also advised homeowners who can afford to build higher and stronger, to do so. Full Story.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Mental fitness is vital, Kennett tells construction workers
VICTORIA, AU - JEFF Kennett was in Ballarat last night to address a crowd of men and women from the construction industry about the management of mental health. Speaking to The Courier before his talk to more than 250 people at Ballarat Lodge, Mr Kennett said people in the construction industry needed to understand the importance of good mental health on themselves and their work. “I am trying to stress to everyone, particularly those in the construction industry, that it is terribly important they take note of their mental health,” Mr Kennett said. “It’s not just about safety on the job, it’s about individual health and feeling good in yourself.” Full Story.
Monday, March 11, 2013
1 Great Sign for the U.S. Economy
Last Friday's jobs number was the best report since last November and second-best report in the past year. The 236,000 jobs added to our economy in February is a huge step in the right direction, though we do have a lot of work to do, as we're still about 3 million jobs short of our pre-recession highs. While the overall employment number was great, there's one number embedded in there that's even more important, and that's the number of construction jobs added. While movie-goers will appreciate that Hollywood hired more than 20,000 last month, it was the 48,000 construction jobs added in February that's huge for the economy. That's the most construction jobs created since December 2007 and probably just the beginning of things to come. Full Story.
Monday, March 11, 2013
NC building codes would last longer in House bill
RALEIGH, NC - North Carolina lawmakers tentatively agreed Monday night to leave residential building codes in place longer and block local governments from additional kinds of inspections without approval by state regulators. A bill approved by an 88-29 vote in the state House would extend the cycle for revising new home building codes from the current three-year practice to a required six years. Cities and counties also couldn't initiate regular, routine inspections on their own beyond what the state code requires. The bill could have a final House vote Tuesday and also must pass the Senate before going to Gov. Pat McCrory. The bill is backed by the North Carolina Home Builders Association, which says the longer cycle period would save money for builders and designers that must purchase new codes and be trained in them. It will also help a rebounding construction industry and prevent additional costs upon homes with more requirements, said Rep. Mike Hager. Full Story.
Monday, March 11, 2013
1 Great Sign for the U.S. Economy
Last Friday's jobs number was the best report since last November and second-best report in the past year. The 236,000 jobs added to our economy in February is a huge step in the right direction, though we do have a lot of work to do, as we're still about 3 million jobs short of our pre-recession highs. While the overall employment number was great, there's one number embedded in there that's even more important, and that's the number of construction jobs added. While movie-goers will appreciate that Hollywood hired more than 20,000 last month, it was the 48,000 construction jobs added in February that's huge for the economy. That's the most construction jobs created since December 2007 and probably just the beginning of things to come. Full Story.
Monday, March 11, 2013
'Roofs to Roads' recycling program helps Marin aim at zero waste
MARIN, CA - Marin is marching toward a zero-waste goal with the help of a new program seeking to divert tons of old roofing shingles from landfills and using them instead to pave roadways. Beginning this month, local roofers are able to recycle composition shingles at Marin Sanitary Service as part of a pilot project dubbed "Roofs to Roads." "This will result in a great reduction of tonnage from going to the landfill," said Dave Garbarino of Marin Sanitary Service and a board member of the Marin Builders Association, which helped start the program. More than 4,800 tons of roofing shingles from Marin are dumped in local landfills every year. Under the new program, instead of being discarded the shingles will be trucked to a plant in Alameda where they will be turned into a renewable asphalt base or hot mix additive for paving.Full Story.
Monday, March 11, 2012
Buying land in bad times leads to pay dirt
TOLEDO, OH - In the depth of the recession, homebuilders stopped building. Sales offices closed. Buyers vanished. Developers mothballed housing projects. But as the housing industry reeled from a global economic meltdown, Irvine, Calif.-based Standard Pacific Homes began to invest in the next housing boom. By late 2009, the company had begun to buy land. “If there’s a silver lining to the lousy market, it’s the land-buying market,” former CEO Ken Campbell said during a 2010 call with industry analysts. “[In] 2014, the market’s going to be good, and you need to buy the land now for 2014.” Full Story.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Home building shows signs of improving
LOCK HAVEN, PA - People who make a living in home building and home improvement businesses think it's a pretty good time for them. "We just had the best couple of months we've ever had for sales," said Scott Walker, of Hearthstone Inc. in Lock Haven. Walker said people are buying timber and log homes his company sells, a sign that the housing industry is on the rise. He was among a number of vendors at the West Branch Susquehanna Builders Association Home Show hoping to find even more customers this weekend. "We do everything from one-room additions to entire homes," he said. Full Story.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Home builder submits plan to protect cave
SAN ANTONIO, TX - A local land developer said it will not build homes on top of a newly-discovered cave unless its engineers determine it is safe. McMillin Land Development contacted KENS via email after we aired a story about the Rock Dove Cave, which children uncovered while exploring the construction site. “If the engineers determine it is safe, a disclosure will be made to prospective purchasers of the existence of the cave and the opinions of the engineers,” said McMillin Homes’ representative Jo Ann Schweers in the email. The expansive cave exists under a parcel of land McMillin is developing for residential homes. No homes have been built on the sites, but bulldozers continue to clear the land in anticipation of the project. Full Story.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Bay State leaders tackle the problem of climate change
BOSTON, MA - Warning that the Massachusetts coastline could face water levels at least two feet higher within 30 years, a group of leaders in government and science met Tuesday to discuss plans to change building codes, slow greenhouse gases and develop disaster plans for future calamities similar to Super Storm Sandy. Brian Swett, Boston's chief of Environment and Energy department, described the city’s plans to implement new regulations on new construction, install solar powered street lights, lay out new emergency routes out of Boston and away from flood zones, and Boston Mayor Thomas Menino’s plan to increase trees by 35 percent, or an estimated 100,000 new trees, by 2020. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Metro Detroit new home construction permits rising, but values still struggling
BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI - Building permits for new homes in Metro Detroit rose by 84 percent year-over-year in January, according to the Homebuilders Association of Southeastern Michigan (HBA), but values are still struggling. In its Southeastern Michigan Residential Building Activity Report, the HBA says that 250 building permits for single-family homes were issued in Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair and Wayne Counties in January 2013, compared to 136 in January 2012. It marks the fastest start to a year since 2007. However, average permit values for the four-county region increased just 1 percent to $217,320 in year-over-year in January, mainly because of Oakland County, where the average permit value climbed 17 percent to $255,168. Full Story.
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
What Sequestration Means for Home Builders
Just how much impact government spending cuts under sequestration will have on home building depends on who you talk to. Even in the Washington, D.C., area, where government employees abound and the cuts are expected to be most significant, builders give different answers to the question. Last weekend, home builder Robert Wormald spent a lot of time talking to some of the hundreds of buyers who trekked through Wormald Homes’ models during its annual spring sales event, and the experience left him worried that sequestration’s spending cuts will impact his business. “A lot of them said they were waiting to see whether they are going to have a job or not” before committing to buying a new home, recalled Wormald, a Frederick, Md.–based builder, who also builds in Pennsylvania and Virginia. The potential impact of sequestration was clearly on the minds of home shoppers. “It was a recurring discussion.” Full Story.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Green Building Trends Attract Attention of Trinity Custom Homes, Construction Industry Positioned to Evolve
AUGUSTA, GA - According to Trinity Custom Homes, a southeastern homebuilder, the "green movement" is one that has pervaded virtually every aspect of life and has prompted changes in nearly every industry. In particular the company notes that eco-friendly trends have become increasingly noticeable in the properties people work or live in. Although many homes and office spaces offer energy-efficient utilities and design, a recent article from Green Building Elements reveals that many are starting to look at how green these homes actually are, from construction to eventual occupancy. In the article, author Andrew Gough states, "What we really need to consider when designing and constructing green buildings is not only the actual design itself but also where we source the raw materials, and also consider the people we hire and machinery used to create it, if we truly want to refer to it as a 'green building'." He notes that while eco-friendly practices are becoming more prevalent throughout modern homes, the actual equipment that is used in construction may pose a threat to the environment, creating an inconsistency in the green building process. The article reveals, "Regardless of the increased pace toward environmentally-sound residential and commercial construction, large parts of the old-style building infrastructure will still dominate the landscape for the next 100 years at least." Full Story.
Monday, March 04, 2013
Clear-Eyed Homeowners Are Renovating Existing Homes More Often
WAYZATA, MN - HSH survey results released news that potential home buyers are more pragmatic and clear-eyed about the risks and rewards of homeownership. Destiny Homes, a Minneapolis / Wayzata area home builder, comments on the recent housing report and offers insights that help homeowners be clear-eyed as they determine if it is best to be a move-up buyer or to renovate their existing home. Homeowners, buyers, and investors seem all the wiser from experiencing the U.S. recent housing ups and downs. Many are following housing data closely to make decisions on whether it is better to buy or renovate an existing home. Overall, the fundamentals of housing demand appear to be improving, according to recent reports from HSH and FBR Capital Markets. Destiny Homes owner Butch Sprenger says, "With fewer homes on the market to chose from, and home values increasing, we are seeing more homeowners opt to renovate their existing homes. Homeowners have a keen interest in making home improvements for a long-term investment, and are better informed than before the housing market tumble and recovery".Full Story.
Friday, March 01, 2013
US housing recovery incomplete
When US homebuilder Pulte announced earnings last month, it boasted higher profits and a surge in new orders as fresh evidence of an improved American housing market. But perhaps the most striking aspect of the report was Pulte's bet on the future. The company boosted its budget for land purchases by 27 percent to $1.2-billion for 2013 and 2014. Still, Pulte chief executive Richard Dugas pledged the group would remain "prudent." "We are not going to chase volume, but intend to invest intelligently," Dugas said on a conference call with analysts.Full Story.
Friday, March 01, 2013
Commercial contractors are still struggling in state
OXFORD, MS - The news is mainly good on the residential side of the construction industry that is currently weathering its worst cycle in decades. Unfortunately, the commercial contractors are still having a hard time finding work. And while industry leaders see some optimistic signs, the outlook remains guarded at best. The firm’s national Foreclosure Market Report released last month showed foreclosure prices have bottomed out in recent months and the foreclosure market has stabilized while underlying home values are rising. Full Story.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Mountain man fights local government to keep nature school natural
NORTH CAROLINA - A self-styled 'Mountain Man' who left modern conveniences for the backwoods of North Carolina decades ago is butting heads with local officials who say his forest compound isn’t up to code – and he may have television to blame. Eustace Conway, who owns and operates a school that teaches hundreds of people how to live closer to nature, received a cease and desist letter from county officials who say his buildings don't meet code. "Basically I'm living like the American heritage pattern of all our ancestors and the modern world isn't, and they don't know how to accept me," said Conway. Full Story.
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Single Story Modern Homes In High Demand By Affluent Retiring Seniors
EDEN PRAIRIE, MN - The National Association of Home Builders’ announced that their 55+ Housing Market Index has five consecutive quarterly reports of year over year improvements, with an increase in retrofitting and remodeling homes to age in place. Destiny Homes, an Eden Prairie / Minneapolis home builder, comments on the report and that ranch home remodels are back in demand. Housing data continues to be positive, showing strong growth in requests to remodel and retrofit homes for retiring seniors seeking single-story ranch homes in upscale residential neighborhoods. The National Association of Home Builders/ First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) increased to levels of 259 in February, up from 242 a month ago. The recovery in housing is solid nationwide, with every state gaining rank on the IMI list in at least one category. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Sioux Falls fire officials urge sprinkler requirement
SIOUX FALLS, SD - The City Council has formed a task force to study whether all apartment buildings in Sioux Falls should have fire sprinklers, as recommended by the International Building Code. An amendment to the building code requires automatic fire-extinguishing systems only in multi-housing buildings with two or more levels or 16 or more units. The code doesn’t cover townhomes or single-family houses. City staff have recommended passing an ordinance to change that. Proponents say such a change would ensure equal safety for all renters; opponents say the measure would be too costly and deserves more study. The last fire death in Sioux Falls, in December, happened in an apartment without sprinklers, Fire Chief Jim Sideras said at a recent meeting of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee. He urged the committee to pass the sprinkler ordinance.Full Story.
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Technology Upends Another Industry: Homebuilding
ROCKVILLE, MD - Years into the economic recovery, hiring remains slow. Many businesses learned to do more with less during the recession, so they don't need to bring on as many people now. These new efficiencies have led to what economists call "labor displacement," which is taking place around the country. One business in Rockville, Md., is doing the same amount of work with half its original staff. Two things are noticeably absent from the offices of Mid-Atlantic Builders: people and paper. John Lavery, vice president of sales for the residential builder, keeps a relic in his office of the company's recent past: a binder heftier than a phone book that's filled with sketches and floor plan options of all the homes the company builds. Full Story.
Monday, February 25, 2013
Architecture Billings Rise Strongly in January
WASHINGTON, DC - As the prognosis for the design and construction industry continues to improve, the Architecture Billings Index (ABI) is reflecting its strongest growth since November 2007. As a leading economic indicator of construction activity, the ABI reflects the approximate nine to twelve month lag time between architecture billings and construction spending. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) reported the January ABI score was 54.2, up sharply from a mark of 51.2* in December. This score reflects a strong increase in demand for design services (any score above 50 indicates an increase in billings). The new projects inquiry index was 63.2, much higher than the reading of 57.9 the previous month. Full Story.
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Construction industry makes a comeback
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY - Coming off a successful year in 2012, some experts agree the construction industry will continue its recovery. Mark Kastner, president at the Chazen Companies in Poughkeepsie, said there was a surge in construction projects last year and, while the industry has not completely rebounded to where it was before the Great Recession, it’s making a comeback. “The worst is clearly behind us,” he said. Kastner said he is seeing increased optimism from the business’s client base, and the Chazen Companies is growing as a result. The corporation hopes to add 10 to 15 employees to its staff of 100. “We have a lot of confidence for this coming year,” he said. Full Story.
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Home builders seek relief from new seismic codes
MEMPHIS, TN - Memphis-area homebuilders have turned to Tennessee lawmakers for help in avoiding new and stricter seismic building standards that they say would drive buyers out of the still-beleagured market for new houses. Bills filed in the House and Senate would grant local governments the power to adopt building code amendments that are less stringent than those enforced by the State Fire Marshal’s Office. Under current law, local amendments are supposed to be at least as strict as the state-mandated codes. The proposed legislation, backed by the Memphis Area Home Builders Association and others, comes less than five months before the structural and seismic provisions of the 2012 International Residential Code are set to take effect in Shelby County. Last year, County Commissioners delayed the enforcement of those provisions until July 1, giving legislators time to change the law. Full Story.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Waterfront Properties Sees Housing Starts Spike
JUPITER, FL - In South Florida and the rest of the United States, building permits and new construction are off to a great 2013. U.S. homebuilders made history in January when they filed for the highest number of building permits in four years, according to a CNNMoney report. The last time home construction surged to such a strong start at the beginning of the year was in 2008. Analysts see it as a sign of confidence and an indicator of recovery in the real-estate market, as well as the overall economy. According to the report, homebuilders filed for 925,000 building permits – the annual rate – in January, which is a rate that is 2-percent higher than in December of 2012, and 35-percent higher than in all of last year. While the annual rate of housing starts, which are different from building permits, and which track a little more slowly depending on weather situations, came in at 890,000 in January. That number is a 24-percent increase compared to 2012. Full Story.
Friday, February 22, 2013
More Sunroom Customers Over Past Six Months Choose To Match Roofing of Home, Says President of Venetian Builders, Inc., Citing Better Economy, Low Interest Rates
MIAMI, FL - More people who expand their homes with aluminum sunroom additions have been choosing to match roof materials to those on the original home, said Christopher Noe, president of Venetian Builders, Inc., Miami, commenting on a trend he’s seen develop over the past six months. “Sunrooms can stand safely and weather tight with just their insulated roofing panels,” Noe said. “Many homeowners go that route simply because it’s the most affordable way to get all-season square footage. But increasingly, especially over the past half-year, buyers of sunroom installations are asking us to match the roofing on their home.” The advantage of matched roofing is purely aesthetic, Noe said. Full Story.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Canada housing agency cuts 2013 forecast, sees firmer 2014
Canada's federal housing agency scaled back its forecast for homebuilding in 2013 on Friday, saying that a slowdown in economic growth and job gains will dampen demand for new homes, the latest sign that Canada's housing market is cooling rapidly. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp said that while it expects the housing market slowdown that hit in the second half of 2012 will continue into 2013, it believes momentum will return later in 2013 and 2014. "CMHC expects housing construction activity will trend lower in the first half of 2013, before gaining more momentum by the end of the year as economic and employment growth remain supportive of the Canadian housing market," CMHC Deputy Chief Economist Mathieu Laberge said in a statement. Full Story.
Friday, February 22, 2013
As Housing Recovers, Will Gen Y Workers Follow?
Builders who worry about the trickle of younger adults coming into the housing industry need to do a better job of convincing high school and college students that residential development and construction are offering employment opportunities again after several years of deep layoffs and business failures among home-building companies. That’s even true for students enrolled in secondary and collegiate construction management programs—presumably where the next generation of leaders for the housing sector should be emerging. A good number of these students still gravitate toward careers in commercial or industrial architecture and construction, because that’s where the economy and the media are telling them jobs are more likely to be in the immediate future. Take, for example, Laura McCree, a senior at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., who was one of the recipients of the NAHB’s Outstanding Student Awards for 2013. She says that she wouldn’t mind “trying” home building eventually, but for now she thinks commercial is the better path to take to achieve her long-range goal of becoming a structural engineer. Full Story.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Workers put on illegal industry blacklist
BASINGSTOKE, NH - UP to 50 workers in the Hampshire area are on an illegal blacklist that prevented them from working in the construction industry, it has been revealed. Three workers in Basingstoke are among those on the list that makes the county one of the hotbeds for what the Labour Party has branded a “national scandal”. The High Court is hearing a £17million claim into an alleged “conspiracy to blacklist” 3,213 people from working on Britain’s major building projects. Workers have had their livelihoods destroyed and reputations tarnished, Labour has protested – simply because they “raised health and safety concerns or were a member of a trade union”. Full Story.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Homebuilding takes a breather, wholesale prices up
WASHINGTON - Residential construction fell in January but a jump in permits for future home building to a 4-1/2 year high offered hope the housing market recovery remains on track, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Another report on Wednesday showed wholesale prices rose for the first time in four months in January as rising food costs offset weak gasoline prices. However, sluggish economic growth should keep price pressures muted. Housing starts dropped 8.5 per cent last month to a 890,000-unit annual rate, pulled down by a sharp drop in the volatile multi-family unit category, the Commerce Department said. But starts for single-family units hit their highest level since July 2008 and permits for future home construction were at a 4-1/2 year high. Full Story.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Rich Homeowners Are Savvy And Quietly Buying Up Luxury Homes
MINNETONKA, MN - Luxury real estate is already well on the way to a great year in 2013. Previews specialists conducted the Luxury Side Of Real Estate summary of 2012 report for Coldwell Banker. It comes up with a strong Luxury Homeowner Profile for $10 million and above home buyer demographics and preferences "It’s exciting to be a part of the demand to build luxury homes and sales in the Twin Cities market again. There’s an interesting shift in the high end of the market. More high-end homes have been sold and buyers often have a home renovation plan ready to execute within six months of moving in. With fewer new lots available to build on, a tight housing inventory and escalating home values, Minnetonka and Wayzata home renovations are keeping us busy," commented Butch Sprenger, owner of Destiny Homes. Coldwell Banker Luxury Homeowner Profile summarizes luxury homeowners as 68% buy due to their own hard-earned money, where as 11% build their homes from "old" or " inherited money". As we embark on 2013, 44% of the ultra-affluent real estate buyers are entrepreneurs. The same study conducted in 2002 found that entrepreneurs who own their own businesses were then a close second to business executives as owners of luxury homes. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
US housing starts dip but remain at solid pace
WASHINGTON, USA - U.S. homebuilders began work at a slower pace in January than in December. But all of the drop occurred in the volatile area of apartment construction, which sank 24 percent. By contrast, the rate of single-family homebuilding rose 0.8 percent. Even with the overall decline, the pace of home construction in January was the third-highest since 2008 and was evidence of continued strengthening in residential real estate. And in an encouraging sign for the rest of the year, applications for building permits, a signal of future construction, topped December's rate. Applications for permits are at their highest point since mid-2008. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders started work at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000 homes last month. That was down 8.5 percent from December, when housing starts had hit an annual rate of 973,000, the most since June 2008. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Homebuilding slows down in January but still remains steady overall
WASHINGTON - U.S. homebuilders began work at a slower pace in January than in December, though activity was the third-highest since 2008. The steady pace of construction is a sign of continued strengthening in residential real estate. The Commerce Department said Wednesday that builders started work at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 890,000 homes last month. That was down 8.5 percent from December, when housing starts had hit an annual rate of 973,000, the most since June 2008. And in an encouraging sign for the rest of the year, applications for building permits, a sign of future construction, rose to an annual rate of 925,000 in January. That was 1.8 percent more than in December, which had been the high point since mid-2008. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Lumber Falls Most in Two Weeks on Signs of Slower Housing Demand
Lumber fell the most in two weeks as confidence among U.S. homebuilders unexpectedly dropped in February, signaling slower demand. Builder sentiment in February fell to 46 from January’s 47, which matched the highest reading since April 2006, a National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo report showed today. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists projected a rise to 48. Lumber prices surged 42 percent in the past 12 months on signs of a rebound in the U.S. housing industry. This is one group that a lot of people look at, and believe in,” so the report caused prices to fall, Hakan Ekstrom, the president of Wood Resource International in Seattle, Washington, said by telephone. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
US homebuilder confidence slips as measures of current sales and customer traffic decline
LOS ANGELES, CA - Confidence among U.S. homebuilders slipped this month from the 6 1/2 year high it reached in January, with many builders reporting less traffic by prospective customers before the critical spring home-buying season. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday dipped to 46 from 47 in January. It was the first monthly decline in the index since April. Readings below 50 suggest negative sentiment about the housing market. The last time the index was at 50 or higher was in April 2006, when it was 51. It began trending higher in October 2011, when it was 17.Full Story.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Brookfield Says U.S. Home Rebound Just Begun
Brookfield Residential Properties Inc., the second-best performing home-building stock in the Americas over the past year, said the recovery in U.S. housing is only just starting to add to earnings. “We’re just at the beginning” of the recovery, Brookfield Chief Executive Officer Alan Norris said in a telephone interview from Calgary, where the company is based. “If you take a look at our numbers, all of our profit is from Canada. We’re only just starting to get to the point where the U.S. is going to be contributing.” Shares of Brookfield, which is considering Phoenix and Las Vegas for expansion, surged 113 percent in the 12 months through Feb. 15, the second-best performance on the Bloomberg Americas Home Builders Index. The advance stands only behind Pultegroup Inc., which posted a 125 percent gain. Brookfield Residential rose 1.2 percent to C$21.85 in Toronto today. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
With Home Builder Confidence in Holding Pattern at 6 Year High, Security America Mortgage VA Home Loan Lending Increases
HOUSTON, TX - According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), its NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for February was virtually unchanged as builders experience uncertainties about the economy. The Index, a reflection of home builders' confidence in the housing market, declined one point from January's level to 46. Though the index remains steady, Security America Mortgage, Inc. VA home loan lending continues to increase, showing a gain of approximately 3% over the previous month. NAHB surveys its residential builders monthly as to their impressions of the single-family home market on three parameters; current home sales, builders' expectations for sales over the next six months, and the current level of buyer traffic. The first two can be rated as "good," "fair," or "poor", the last as "high to very high," "average" or "low to very low." Scores from each component are then used to calculate individual seasonally adjusted indices and a composite index. Any index number above 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor. Full Story.
Monday, February 18, 2013
New Home Building Up
ATLANTA, GA - Home builders in Georgia are seeing slow, but steady growth and expect strong sales this spring. One expert predicts double digit growth in new home sales for 2013. Steve Palm, president of the real estate research firm Smart Numbers, says he expects double digit growth in the Atlanta, Columbus, Savannah, Macon and Augusta markets this year. “Builders have taken advantage of low priced lots that have been foreclosed on by the lenders that they can now buy at a pretty good rate.”he says. Full Story.
Friday, February 15, 2012
Southwest Ranches wants out of state law exempting farms from building codes
SOUTHWEST RANCHES, FL - A feud is brewing in this feisty rural town – a battle between multi-million dollar mansions and the traditional ranch house. Horse farms and plant nurseries in Southwest Ranches may feel the pinch of local government if a town-sponsored bill wins favor in Tallahassee, say critics of the legislation. The Legislature amended the state's right-to-farm laws last year, relaxing the definition of local farms and making them exempt from the Florida building code and municipal zoning laws. Full Story.
Thursday, February 14, 2012
Detroit Mayor Bing taking fight to blight with demolition plan
DETROIT, MI - Mayor Dave Bing and Bill Pulte, a 24-year-old home-building company heir, announced Thursday morning a potentially new and effective model for clearing land and decrepit structures on a 10-block site east of St. Aubin. Pulte, and other stakeholders, have created a new nonprofit, the Detroit Blight Authority, which is taking on the mission of effectively and quickly clearing larger sites, especially near schools, that are now breeding grounds for crime and despair. In his State of the City speech on Wednesday night, Bing described a new public/private partnership between the city and the nonprofit. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
County considers building code update
WATERLOO, IA - Black Hawk County is updating its rural building codes to match those followed in the cities. Members of the county Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to approve the first reading of an ordinance adopting the 2009 International Building Code and 2009 International Residential Code. A second public hearing to adopt those codes --- both replace the 2006 versions now applied --- is scheduled for the March 5 board meeting. While city building inspectors are enforcing the 2009 code in Waterloo, they are expected to utilize the 2006 code in the rural area now. But Waterloo Building Official Craig Clark said there are very few changes between the two versions. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Southaven to Adopt New Building Codes
SOUTHAVEN, MS - Builder Donnie Chambliss says his business is finally starting to crawl out of the economic slump of the last few years, so when he heard about proposed building changes in Southaven, he had to come have his say. ”In the past, no fault of any, I’m sure that most of the codes, the changes, we find out about on the job site, this has been changed it’s kinda hard to go back and re-do it,” said Chambliss. Southaven proposes to update its building codes, which will require some changes that might cost home builders and home buyers a little more. City planners say it’s needed in the same of safety. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Chino Hills gets court judgment against alleged maternity hotel
LOS ANGELES, CA - The owner of an alleged “maternity hotel” in Chino Hills has agreed to shut down and to fix all building code violations. The city of Chino Hills had already obtained an injunction to stop the hotel from operating, and the property appeared to be vacant, according to city officials. City officials alleged that the hilltop mansion on Woodglen Drive was illegally subdivided into 17 bedrooms and 17 bathrooms. A massive sewage spill in September appeared to be caused by an overloaded septic system. The hotel allegedly housed women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
N.J. home building permits rise in 2012 in housing construction
NEW JERSEY - After three years of deeply depressed home construction activity, building permits in New Jersey jumped by a third last year, buoyed by multifamily construction. While the number of units approved by the state, almost 18,000, remained far below the annual averages of a decade ago, it made 2012 the busiest year for housing construction since 2008, according to U.S. census figures. Nationally, housing permits also remained below long-term averages but rose 31 percent from 2011. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
AIA Sees Incremental Increase in Nonresidential Construction Spending in 2013
WASHINGTON, DC - Growing at a faster rate than the overall U.S. economy, the nonresidential construction industry is expected to see solid, yet measured, increases in activity this year. High demand for hotels and retail projects have the commercial sector pacing what projects to be a rise in spending this year for nonresidential construction projects of 5.0% - up from a projection of a 4.4% increase in the July 2012 forecast. The American Institute of Architects (AIA) semi-annual Consensus Construction Forecast, a survey of the nation's leading construction forecasters, also projects a 7.2%% increase of spending in 2014.Full Story.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Permits for home construction jump 38% in January
MILWAUKEE, WI - Home building permits in Wisconsin's biggest metro areas rose almost 38% in January, the best start for new-home construction since 2008. A total of 201 permits were issued in the greater Milwaukee area, Dane County, Green Bay-Door County area, Fox Valley and the Racine-Kenosha area in January, according to MTD Marketing Services of Wisconsin Inc., of Oshkosh. That compares with 146 in January of last year, and is the first time in five years the total has topped 200. Dane County led the way, nearly doubling the number of January permits to 63 from 33 in 2012. "January is off to a great start in most areas of the state," said MTD's Dominic Collar. "This is a very good sign for Wisconsin's homebuilders and consumers." Full Story.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Twin Cities New Construction Inventory is Pushed by a Booming Demand
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The Minnesota Association of Realtors released the Twin Cities Housing Market 2012 Report that coincides with the Creighton University Mid-America Business Conditions Index showing that Minnesota's new construction spending has out paced national levels contributing to a strong economy. Destiny Homes, a Minneapolis luxury home builder comments on the findings and threads the reports together for a Twin Cities overview of new construction homes for sale. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Cochise County weighs change to inspection program
SIERRA VISTA, AZ - Cochise County officials are studying a proposal to scale back the county's building code inspection program by allowing licensed contractors, architects and engineers to certify that certain types of work meets requirements. County building official Jack Holden says architects and engineers would be responsible for certifying compliance for the plan review portion of projects, while participating contractors would be responsible for meeting building codes. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Hailey adopts ‘green’ building code
Build Better Program to become mandatory May 1
HAILEY, ID - The Hailey City Council voted unanimously Monday to make mandatory the Build Better Program for all residential and commercial building permit applications, but allowed for “flexibility” in case of undue hardship placed on contractors or homeowners because of the requirement. Full Story.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
6% rise in N.H. future building contracts reported for 2012
NEW HAMPSHIRE - The New Hampshire construction industry closed out 2012 with an across-the-board monthly increase in the value of contracts for future construction, ending an up-and-down year on a high note. But the numbers still show signs of a struggle to revive completely, at least in some sectors. The total value of future construction contracts in December 2012 was $90.5 million, an increase of 47 percent from the year before. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Council hears about updated building codes
YUMA, AZ - In a monumental effort, city of Yuma building safety officials with the help of two advisory boards have developed five new building codes, including a code that for the first time establishes energy conservation standards. The new codes were presented to the Yuma City Council during its work session Tuesday evening. They will then come before the council during introduction of ordinances on Feb. 20 and for adoption on March 6. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Jonesborough building codes lapse; town preparing to adopt updated codes
JOHNSON CITY, TN - The town of Jonesborough’s residential building codes have lapsed approximately 10 months beyond the maximum 7-year code revision interval allowed by Tennessee code enforcement regulations. Town Administrator Bob Browning said Monday an ordinance to adopt the 2006 International Residential Code currently in use in Washington County and Johnson City is being drafted and will be presented to the Jonesborough Board of Mayor and Aldermen next week. Full Story.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
UK Construction output to remain negative, but 2013 should see "turning point" says expert
The construction industry is likely to continue to struggle this year but 2013 should see a "turning point" for the troubled sector, an expert has said.
UNITED KINGDOM - Graham Robinson of Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind Out-Law.com, was commenting as a monthly survey of activity in the sector showed that output had fallen for the third month running. Some respondents to the Markit and Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply's Construction Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for January 2013 blamed the weather for reduced activity, but the majority cited "weak underlying client demand and a lack of new projects". Full Story.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
North Texas Home Building Boom Revives Struggling Business
FORT WORTH, TX - An increase in demand in new home construction has revived a shuttered North Texas business. The Acme Brick plant west of Weatherford is back in business after closing its doors in 2009, when the recession due to a decline in new home construction. At its peak, the plant was providing bricks for 45,000 to 55,000 homes a year. Full Story.
Monday, February 4, 2013
UK construction industry still extremely fragile
UNITED KINGDOM - The UK’s construction industry has witnessed another poor month. January’s activity matched December’s low, although there were reports that companies were starting to hire staff for the first time in four months. This latest report, based on figures from the Markit/CIPS purchasing managers' index, shows that the sector remained at the 48.7 level recorded in December, below the crucial 50 point mark, which separates an expanding situation and a contracting one. Full Story.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Irish house building lowest since 70's
IRELAND - Fewer houses were built last year than in any other year since records began in 1970. This year even fewer are expected to be built. New figures from the Construction Industry Federation reveal that less than 8,500 homes were constructed last year. Full Story.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Australia's Construction sector recovering slowly
AUSTRALIA - The recovery in Australia's struggling housing sector endured a setback in December as building approvals suffered a surprise fall. Residential building approvals fell 4.4 per cent, seasonally adjusted, in December but gained 9.3 per cent over the 2012 year, figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on Monday showed. Economists had expected a one per cent rise for December. Full Story.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Matthew Waller: Study of construction industry finds several immigration issues
AUSTIN, TX - A common argument for restricting illegal immigration asserts that undocumented immigrants take jobs from U.S. workers, say, in the construction industry, by working for much less. If it happens that a sheetrocker is replaced because others will work at a tenth the wage, it’s a problem, but it’s a problem that strikes against both workers: the U.S. worker is displaced, and at the same time the undocumented worker is exploited, even if willingly Full Story.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Homebuilding activity in Twin Cities continues upward trajectory in January
ST PAUL, MN - Twin Cities builders pulled about 300 permits to break ground on new projects in January-- a nearly 70 percent increase from the same month last year. The dollar value of those permits was also considerably higher. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
More Jobs Added in Construction; Architecture and Engineering Jobs Down
The U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs in January: 300 were lost in architectural and engineering services, but the construction segment gained 28,000 jobs
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released its January employment report this morning. For the first month of 2013, the U.S. economy added 157,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate remaining going up a tenth of a point to 7.9 percent. With the new year, the BLS has revised its numbers for 2012, so while the 157,000 jobs would have beat the previous average for job growth for 2012 (153,000 jobs per month) by last month’s calculations, the number is below the new average of 180,000 new jobs added per month for last year. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Developers and unions agree for a change
NEW YORK - It didn’t seem possible, but prominent real estate developers are actually agreeing with labor and construction industry officials. The two sides have formed an alliance to lobby for rules to allow for new office towers around the Grand Central Terminal in midtown, according to The New York Times. The effort goes beyond the city’s plans to rezone the midtown east area and calls for a loosening of proposed rules so that more skyscrapers can be built on more sites at a faster pace. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Homebuilders, facing new challenges in single-family homes, look to apartments
PORTLAND, OR - Last year was the best since 2009 for selling new houses. This year is expected to be better. Yet Arbor Custom Homes of Beaverton - one of the largest local homebuilders, and as optimistic as anyone -- expects its home sales to decline. That's in part because this year the firm is shifting more of its efforts toward for-rent apartments, rather than single-family homes or condos. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Ontario seniors deserve better fire protection
TORONTO, ON, CANADA - Mandatory sprinklers in Ontario retirement homes are a big step in the right direction but seniors also need the protection of more fire-resistant building material such as concrete block. This statement from construction and fire-safety representatives comes in response to proposed changes put forward by an Ontario Government task force reviewing the province's Fire and Building Code. "Sprinklers are only the first step," says Paul Hargest , President of the Canadian Concrete Masonry Producers Association (CCMPA). "This is especially true in newer building areas where septic and well systems may rely on pumps - pumps that will stop functioning if the power goes out, a likely possibility not only in the event of a fire but also as a result of the extreme weather we're experiencing due to climate change." Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Homebuilding returns with smaller, less expensive models in Myrtle Beach area
NORTH MYRTLE BEACH, FL - The Grand Strand’s housing market is beginning to awaken from a long nap during the great recession, but planners are noticing that there appears to be new trends in the industry that are a result of the economic downturn that began in 2007. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Recovery for local homebuilding remains on track
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Last year’s homebuilding recovery is continuing in 2013. Single-family homebuilding permits totaled 178 in January in Colorado Springs and El Paso County, according to a report Friday by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. January’s total was more than double the 85 permits issued during the same month last year, Regional Building records show. Full Story.
Friday, February 1, 2013
Jobs Still Lag, But Homebuilding May Soon Help
Here in the depths of winter, U.S. economic numbers aren't looking so hot. This week, new reports showed growth started to freeze up last fall, and the unemployment rate rose a bit in January, to 7.9 percent. But most economists say you shouldn't let those cold facts fool you: This spring's data could look much brighter if the housing market continues to heat up. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Portland Home Builder's Pumpkin Ridge Passive House Project Garners Regional and National Attention for 'Super-efficient' Design and Construction.
PORTLAND, OR - Portland home builder Hammer & Hand's Pumpkin Ridge Passive House construction project has attracted a flurry of recent attention – both mainstream and industry-specific – for its fusion of super-efficiency, high design, and reasonable price tag. The project was first recognized by Northwest ENERGY STAR last fall when the agency selected Pumpkin Ridge Passive House as one of six super-efficient demonstration homes in the Pacific Northwest. Since then, KGW NewsChannel 8, Green Building Advisor, Energy Design Update, and EarthTechling have all featured the project and its accessible path to high performance home building. Last week The Oregonian newspaper covered the story, including interviews with client, builder and architect. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Mayor Bloomberg issues executive order to waive building codes
NEW YORK - Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday he signed an emergency executive order to suspend height and other restrictions so substantially damaged buildings and new construction can meet the new flood elevation standards. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
FRESNO, CA - Homebuilders are opening new neighborhoods early this year -- a good sign that the new-home market continues to improve. Clovis builder De Young Properties will open CountrySide, a 30-lot development, this weekend at Armstrong and Ashlan avenues in Clovis. CountrySide is near the builder's sold-out 41-lot Countryview neighborhood that opened in August. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Home Remodeling Index Points To Top Home Design Trends For 2013
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - The Home Remodeling Market Index (RMI) published by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reached 55 in the fourth quarter of 2012, increasing five points from the previous quarter, showing home builders strong muscle helping the economy as Minneapolis home builders prepare for an influx in home improvement projects in 2013. This is the highest Remodeling Market Index reading since the Q1 in 2004. An RMI above 50 indicates that more home remodelers report market activity is higher over home remodelers that report it is lower. The overall RMI averages ratings of the current U.S. remodeling industry with indicators of future remodeling levels. The good news is sparking homeowner interest to implement home design trends for 2013 and increase spending on home remodeling. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Homebuilders Cautiously Optimistic as Construction Permits Rise
COLUMBUS, OH - At the peak of the housing boom, more than 10,000 homes a year were built in central Ohio. Last year, 2,558 were. So why are homebuilders smiling? Because -- for the first time in a decade -- things are looking up. Last year, builders secured 21 percent more building permits for single-family homes than in 2011, the first meaningful increase in a decade, according to Binns Real Estate Services of Columbus. In addition, condominium construction rose 5 percent from 2011 to 2012. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Nate Orr and Other Experts Predict Colorado Construction Will Rise Sharply in 2013
DENVER, CO - "Colorado will benefit from the continuing housing recovery and 2013 will be stronger than expected," says Nate Orr, a Colorado-native who has worked in the construction industry for over 24 years. According to a Jan. 16 report from the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce, Fidelity Investments, Visa, and Redwood Trust announced a total of over 1400 new jobs and Forbes named Colorado as the fifth-best state in the country to do business. A pro-growth agenda and favorable economic conditions are contributing to a growing optimism among real estate experts, construction companies and others. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
ADP: 15,000 Construction Jobs Added in January
Yesterday, Automatic Data Processing (ADP), a leading provider of payroll services, released its January employment report, which it creates each month in association with Moody’s Analytics. According to their calculations, the national economy added 192,000 jobs (from nonfarm private employers) in January. December’s job totals were also revised downward by 30,000 jobs, from 215,000 jobs added to 185,000. Full Story.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
U.S. Housing Market Recovery Continues as Prices in November Post Largest Gains in 6 and 1/2 Years
Five Star Equities Provides Stock Research on Beazer Homes and D.R. Horton
NEW YORK, NY - U.S. homebuilders prospered in 2012 as rising prices and shrinking inventories provided ample opportunities for growth within the industry. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) has gained over 50 percent in the past year. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Residential Construction Industry and provides equity research on Beazer Homes USA, Inc. ( NYSE : BZH ) and D.R. Horton, Inc. ( NYSE : DHI ). Full Story.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
New home sales climbing in Tri-State
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP, OH - Mike Powell navigates a new home looking for trouble. "I make sure they're hanging everything correctly," he said while inspecting a home under construction on Manchester Court in Liberty Township. "(I) make sure all the insulation's up where it's supposed to be." Full Story.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Tampa Bay home prices keep climbing; home building reawakens
TAMPA, FL - When Charles Dowman, a hydrogeologist moving from San Francisco, began house-hunting with his wife and two children, he sought a charming, craftsman-style home in South Tampa and didn't mind a fixer-upper. But after looking, and missing out on, about 35 houses, Dowman found "it was hard to find something before it got gobbled up by everyone else. It went fast." On Christmas week, the family decided on a home that was about 50 years newer - and $100,000 more than expected. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Home Builder Confidence Increasing
According to the Federal Savings Bank, now is a great time for first-time homebuyers to purchase in a positive trending market.
CHICAGO, IL - The Federal Savings Bank thinks now is a great time for first-time homebuyers to invest in the housing market, as home prices continue to increase monthly and foreclosures decreasing. Further, More Americans are able to afford the homes they are living in. Recently, homebuilders also showed a sign of confidences, as the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index showed its eighth consecutive month of improvement. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Is the Housing Market on the 'Cusp' of Recovery?
LAS VEGAS, NV - Despite a skittish economy, rising materials prices and mortgage woes, today's surviving builders are embracing adaptation, reinvention and optimism as they await a housing-market rebound in 2013. Attendance at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas last month reached 48,722, down 5.3% from the previous year, but many still remain hopeful about the market. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Exclusive Interview with AdNation News: TV and Radio Personality Danny Lipford Discusses Trends in the Home Industry for 2013
In an exclusive interview with AdNation News, media personality Danny Lipford discusses trends in the home building and remodeling industries.
NEW YORK, NY - Lipford has been a presence on syndicated television for 15 years, and when asked about its advantages as an advertising medium, he noted that "The numbers that it reaches surprises a lot of people." He explains, "Many cable shows are limited in being able to reach a broader audience; many times it will be in the 200 to 300 thousand household range." "Today's Homeowner with Danny Lipford," which does not have a New York City affiliate, nonetheless exceeds 500,000 households each week, "which translates into over a million (television) viewers per week," he says. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
2013 California Building Standards Code Adopted
New energy code, accessibility standards, green building and water use modifications
SACRAMENTO, CA - The California Building Standards Commission announced today the adoption of the 2013 California Building Standards Code. The adoption of the 2013 code comes after a comprehensive multi-state agency and stakeholder update of the 2010 building codes. The Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of the State Architect, Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, Office of the State Fire Marshal, Department of Public Health, the California Energy Commission, industry stakeholders and members of the public participated in the development of the new code. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Spending on housing surges
NEW YORK - A large part of the optimism surrounding an economic recovery this week is due to evidence of a surge in spending on homebuilding and remodeling. Although the housing sector of the economy is still showing signs of weakness in the supply of distressed properties and lingering reluctance of lenders to provide mortgages, several corporations related to housing are reporting strong sales last quarter, according to The Wall Street Journal. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Demand for interior designers growing as homebuilding, remodeling recovers
APPLETON, WI - Sixteen years working in retail was enough for Ross Proulx. When he was considering a new career, he wanted a job that centered around his interest in design work and architecture. Proulx found it in interior design. “Many years ago, I had considered going to architectural school but didn’t,” said Proulx, 39, of Appleton. While working full time, he reviewed programs at Fox Valley Technical College and was one of the first graduates of the school’s commercial design program in 2011. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Expert: Nashville housing market on the upswing
NASHVILLE, TN - The Nashville region’s housing market has recovered and is growing again, but potential headwinds could hamstring any improvement, a national economist told local homebuilders today. Brad Hunter, chief economist for Metrostudy, said he expects construction activity in the region to rise by 19 percent this year over last year. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Housing Markets Will Probably Never Return To Pre-Crisis Levels: Case-Shiller Chair Blitzer
Excitement over the emergence of a housing market recovery has led to initial exuberance, at least when it comes to media reports and the rapidly rising stock prices of homebuilders. Market participants should take a more cautious approach and acknowledge that the 2006-2007 state of the housing market was unsustainable, Case-Shiller index chairman David Blitzer says, adding "we aren’t going back there for a long time, maybe never." Full Story.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Tampa Bay's construction industry still among hardest-hit nationwide
TAMPA, FL - Tampa Bay leads the state in job creation, but construction is sitting out the rebound. The bay area's decimated building industry posted the third-biggest loss in construction jobs over the past year among 337 metro areas, a report released Monday shows. Tampa Bay is down 3,500 more construction jobs for a 7 percent loss from December 2011 through December 2012, trailing only Atlanta (down 4,900 jobs) and the Portland, Ore., region (down 3,600 jobs), according to the Associated General Contractors of America. Full Story.
Monday, January 28, 2013
FEMA releases new flood maps with 'significant changes'
HUDSON VALLEY, NY - New federal flood maps released Monday could force residents to follow stricter building codes and possibly pay more for flood insurance. The draft maps developed in response to Superstorm Sandy double the amount of buildings in Westchester and New York City that are potentially at risk from rising water and waves. Homeowners can learn if they are in a flood zone and how high their home’s first floor should be to lessen the danger from flooding, said Mike Byrne, the Federal Emergency Management Agency coordinator for New York. Full Story.
Monday, January 28, 2013
St. Cloud extends home-building incentive for 6 months
ST CLOUD, MN - A St. Cloud program meant to encourage single-family home building will be extended for another six months with an eye on foreclosed lots. After a lengthy discussion Monday, the St. Cloud City Council voted 5-2 to extend the Build It in St. Cloud program. The program will start up again in March and last for six month and be limited to 30 permits, with 15 of those permits reserved for foreclosed lots. Full Story.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Developer anxious to build new homes
Will Evergreen Homes' lot development signal rebirth in High Desert residential construction?
APPLE VALLEY, CA - During the housing boom, new home construction helped the Victor Valley experience one of the fastest growth rates in the nation. But when the market crashed five years ago, the fall of the construction industry dragged the entire local economy down with it. Home construction nearly ceased. The unemployment rate skyrocketed due to the loss of construction jobs. Homeowners were left with hefty mortgage payments they could no longer afford. Full Story.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Home builders in Charleston, elsewhere, challenged by lack of skilled contractors
CHARLESTON, SC - The Lowcountry's improving real estate market and thinning housing inventory once again has triggered the sounds of hammers and power saws as new homes spring from the ground. But builders are discovering it’s no easy task to find the skilled labor they need to keep up with the burst of activity. The lack of skilled construction labor, from framers to drywall installers, is an issue resonating on job sites across the region and the rest of the country. Full Story.
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Home building, piece by piece
WOODLAND PARK, NJ - Factory-built homes appear to be on the rise in North Jersey, as climate-controlled home-building factories in Pennsylvania and New York are increasingly are catering to high-end home buyers and investors in the region with customized, amenity-filled homes. Full Story.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Santa Rosa County seeing a homebuilding boom
Development near military bases keeps builders busy
SANTA ROSA, CA - A little ways into Summerset Estates along U.S. 98 near Navarre, you'll see a blast from the mid-2000 housing boom past. "Welcome: We’re open" signs flapping in the wind in front of model homes. Construction workers teetering on roof trusses. Cement trucks pouring driveways. Cable installers connecting lines to newly sold speculation homes. A row of sold signs sticking out of newly laid sod. Full Story.
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Central Oklahoma homebuilders surge in 2012
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Homebuilders last year had their busiest year since 2007, as construction expanded. That stands in contrast to six years ago when, even though more permits were issued, housing here was slumping amid a national housing bust. Final figures from the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association show 4,684 building permits issued in 2012 in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, Moore and Norman - a 31 percent increase compared with 2011 and the most since 2007. Full Story.
Friday, January 25, 2013
New home products at the builders' show: touchless faucets, heated carpet and light-up rains
LAS VEGAS, NV - If you missed this week's International Builders’ Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center, don't worry. It will be back next year. And the year after. And the year after that. Representatives of the Washington-based National Association of Home Builders signed an unprecedented four-year commitment to Las Vegas, ensuring that the international trade show for the home-building industry will be here annually through 2016. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Home building outlook is cautiously optimistic
LAS VEGAS, NV - Although recent months have seen improvement in the number of housing starts and permits pulled, it will be multi-family builders that feel the uptick initially, according to a panel of economists speaking at the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas Tuesday. Apartment builders will be the first to benefit by an increasing number of new households as young adults move out on their own and fewer households double up, the experts said. Continued low interest rates and an increase in homes prices in most markets are likely to bring back home buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines, they said. "Finally, people feel if they buy a house, it will appreciate," said David Crowe, chief economist for the National Assn. of Home Builders. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Statesman Watch: Little progress in fixing neighborhood complaints
AUSTIN, TX - The wheels are turning slowly toward resolving two Lake Travis area issues featured last fall in Statesman Watch: Five uninhabitable, unfinished houses in the Cardinal Hills neighborhood near Lakeway are still there, and the Paradise Cove Marina is still out of compliance with Austin city building codes and a federal law that protects water and land around it. While the eyesore houses off of RM 620 appear headed for new ownership and possible sale, nearby Cardinal Hills residents aren’t pleased that it’s taking so long, said Lakeway area developer James Duncan. “It’s not moving as quickly as people would like because the homes are still there and still deteriorating,” said Duncan, who has a business interest in the area. He said he owns 30 lots in the area and can’t find buyers. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
SolarCity Unveils Broad Homebuilder Program at IBS 2013
LAS VEGAS, NV - SolarCity (Nasdaq: SCTY), a leading provider of clean energy, is promoting energy efficient homes by featuring the Net Zero' model home concept to the homebuilding industry at this year's International Builders Show (IBS) hosted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Full Story.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Mortgage Loans Rates, Spur Home Building
WASHINGTON - The pace of home building surged in December, as the market bounced back from the impact of Superstorm Sandy Builders started construction at an annual pace of 954,000 home last month, the Census Bureau reported, up more than 12% from November’s pace. That’s a nearly 37% leap from December of last year. Full Story.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Builders see rising material costs
As residential construction rises, so do material costs. With multifamily construction booming and homebuilding on the mend, drywall and other materials used in residential construction are getting more expensive - and some experts don’t expect prices to level out anytime soon. Construction materials costs in general rose a modest 1.3 percent from December 2011 to December 2012, according to an Associated General Contractors analysis of the federal producer price index for construction inputs. Full Story.
Monday, January 21, 2013
Wyoming-based National Nail Corp. innovates its way out of home building slump
WYOMING, MI – When the bottom fell out of the home building industry in 2008, the National Nail Corp. was forced to regroup and diversify, says W. Scott Baker, president and CEO of the employee-owned company. Instead of continuing to sell nails to independent lumber dealers, the 50-year-old company created the Camo Hidden Deck Fastening System, a new line of products aimed at changing the way carpenters build outdoor decks. Full Story.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Homebuilders feeling more confident
Surge in construction likely to continue
WASHINGTON - The aftermath of the housing bust forced many homebuilders to dramatically scale back construction on new homes to avoid the risk of ending up saddled with a trove of newly built, yet unsold properties. But an improving housing market has homebuilders feeling more confident about sales, and that's likely to kick the pace of new construction into a higher gear this year. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Rise in local home building permits may signal housing market on mend
HAMILTON, OH - New home building numbers for 2012 in Butler and Warren counties are giving local officials and others a glimmer of hope the economy may be rebounding from its free fall. Single family home permits were up 4.4 percent in 2012, and Warren County was tops in southwest Ohio with 534 permits, according to an annual report by the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati released Wednesday. Butler County came in second with 394 permits, followed Clermont County with 348 and Hamilton County with 326 single family home permits issued last year, according to the report. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Surge in home construction likely to continue
WASHINGTON - The aftermath of the housing bust forced many homebuilders to dramatically scale back construction on new homes to avoid the risk of ending up saddled with a trove of newly built, yet unsold properties. But an improving housing market has homebuilders feeling more confident about sales, and that's likely to kick the pace of new construction into a higher gear this year. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
U.S. Housing Market Recovery Continues as Prices in November Post Largest Gains in 6 and 1/2 Years
NEW YORK, NY - U.S. homebuilders prospered in 2012 as rising prices and shrinking inventories provided ample opportunities for growth within the industry. The SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB) has gained over 50 percent in the past year. Five Star Equities examines the outlook for companies in the Residential Construction Industry and provides equity research on Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. and Standard Pacific Corp. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Stanford students build solar home in national competition
In a competition that could help transform the homebuilding industry, a team of Stanford students is redesigning the common house by putting utilities in a common core.
STANFORD, CA - A team of Stanford engineering students is constructing a solar house that could ultimately serve as a model for the sustainable home building industry. The dwelling, dubbed Start.Home, is based on a revolutionary design that integrates most of the infrastructure required for a home in a centralized utility unit. It will be unveiled at a solar home competition next fall in Southern California. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Brevard homebuilders see signs of resuscitation
Some contractors remain a bit wary
BREVARD COUNTY, FL - The carpenters, drywall hangers and the concrete trucks are moving again. After several years of recession, foreclosure and unemployment, the Brevard County housing market appears poised for real growth. Several developments which had been dormant are seeing homes go up on the lots, which have lain fallow for several years. Full Story.
Friday, January 18, 2013
Fitch: Strong Starts a Sign That U.S. Housing Now Firing On Most Cylinders
NEW YORK - Last month's solid single family housing starts and an unexpected jump in multifamily starts are clear signals that 2013 should begin strongly for U.S. housing, according to Fitch Ratings in the latest edition of the 'Chalk Line'. Single family housing starts came in at 616,000 for December, which was on target with Fitch's expectations. However, multifamily housing starts vaulted to 338,000. This increase may be attributable to good weather and the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. However, it should be noted that the multifamily numbers were strong in most regions of the United States. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Homebuilding Is Booming, But Skilled Workers Are Scarce
The construction industry in the U.S. is staging a comeback. In one indicator, the Commerce Department announced Thursday that new homebuilding has reached its highest level in 4 1/2 years. While that's a promising sign for the industry, more than 2 million construction jobs have been lost in the sector since employment hit its peak. While some might expect that means plenty of people are ready to fill the new jobs, many markets around the country are actually experiencing a shortage of construction workers. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
New home building rate shows sharp increase in December
The pace of home building surged in December, as the market bounced back from the impact of Superstorm Sandy. Builders started construction at an annual pace of 954,000 homes last month, marking an increase of more than 12 percent from November's pace. The numbers also show almost a 37 percent leap from December of last year. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Jobless Claims At Five-Year Low; Home Building Hit Five-Year High In 2012
WASHINGTON - There were 335,000 first-time claims for unemployment insurance last week, down 37,000 from the week before, the Employment and Training Administration reports. That's the lowest total for any one week since January 2008. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Home building surges 12%
Builders started construction at annual pace of 954,000 homes last month
WASHINGTON - The pace of home building surged in December, as the market bounced back from the impact of Superstorm Sandy. Builders started construction at an annual pace of 954,000 homes last month, the Census Bureau reported, up more than 12 percent from November's pace. That's a nearly 37 percent leap from December of last year. The reading smashed the 889,000 that economists surveyed by Briefing.com were expecting. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Home building rebounds in 2012
Strong December ends best year for residential building since bubble burst
WASHINGTON - Builders started work on homes in December at the fastest pace since the summer of 2008 and finished 2012 as the best year for residential construction since the housing crisis began. The Commerce Department said Thursday that builders broke ground on houses and apartments at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 954,000. That’s 12.1 percent higher than November's annual rate and nearly double the recession low of April 2009. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
U.S. home-building rebound tops forecasts
WASHINGTON - The rebound in U.S. home building accelerated in December, capping the best year for the industry since 2008 and adding to signs residential real estate is contributing to economic growth. Housing starts climbed 12.1 percent last month to a 954,000 annual rate, exceeding all forecasts in a Bloomberg survey of economists, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Minnesota construction jobs down by 3,500
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - Minnesota continued to see strong employment growth in December, but Mother Nature may have dealt the construction industry a bump as the sector shed 3,500 positions. Last month’s construction jobs decline was likely a blip related to the industry’s winter wind-down starting later because of a mild November, which then affected the seasonally adjusted nature of the numbers, said Steve Hine, research director for DEED’s Labor Market Information Office. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Analysts see housing improving in 2013
Analysts see housing market improving in 2013, helping lift homebuilders' business
LOS ANGELES - Two analysts say they anticipate the housing market recovery continuing this year, helping lift business for U.S. homebuilders. Driving housing over the next few years will be moderate job growth, a low inventory of homes for sale, foreclosures becoming less attractive and Federal Reserve policies that support assets like real estate, said KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Kenneth Zener in a client note Wednesday. Full Story.
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Apartment Demand Leads Broad Gains In Homebuilding
WASHINGTON - Strong apartment demand led a broad advance in new-home construction last month and looks to remain the housing recovery's main engine. Total housing starts rose 12% vs. November to an annualized 954,000, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. That's the most in 4-1/2 years and far above the 887,000 expected. Construction on housing with five or more units shot up 23%. Single-family starts were up 8%. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Survey shows hope for commercial real estate
VAN NUYS, CA - Better days are ahead for L.A.'s commercial real estate market, still reeling from the effects of the Great Recession, industry experts say. Let's hope they're right. The Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast released its California Commercial Real Estate Survey last week, with executives and experts predicting how the market will look in three years. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Builder confidence holds steady in January
WASHINGTON - An index measuring home-builder confidence failed to post any gain this month, remaining unchanged after eight consecutive months of increases. The National Assn. of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index held at 47, which was its highest level since April 2006. Any reading over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good rather than poor. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
New-Home Permits Jump 37 Percent in Quarter
MEMPHIS, TN - Local homebuilders saw a 37 percent increase in filed permits in the fourth quarter year over year. Shelby County homebuilders filed 202 permits during the final quarter of 2012, compared to 147 in Q4 2011, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Solano County housing market officially improved, Napa area close
SOLANO COUNTY, CA - Solano County has joined a growing list of improving housing markets, a national home building industry spokesman said. Napa County is likely not far behind, Washington, D.C.-based National Association of Home Builders economist Robert Denk said this week. Though not necessarily in good health yet, two-thirds of the markets the association tracks "have turned the corner and are improving," Denk said. "The purpose (of The National Association of Home Builders / First American Improving Markets Index) is to draw attention to the fact that many local markets in the country are actually doing well," Denk said. "It's to focus on some of the markets doing a lot better than the national market." Full Story.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
West Newbury weighing Stretch Code
WEST NEWBURY, MA - The Energy Advisory Committee is holding an informational meeting next week for residents interested in learning more about a plan to make the Stretch Code part of the town's Building Code. Voters at the annual town meeting this spring will be asked to consider adopting the optional appendix to the state's energy building code. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Metro Detroit shows 30% rise in building permits as of November
DETROIT, MI - Metro Detroit's housing market showed additional signs of a rebound with a 30% year-over-year increase in single-family home building permits issued as of November, according to data from the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments. The data cover permits issued in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and St. Clair counties, or 3,358 for that 12-month period. The permits exceeded 300 per month for seven consecutive months - April through October, the first time for such a streak since 2006. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Year-over year US home prices up sharply in Nov.
WASHINGTON - U.S. home prices in November extended their steady recovery from the housing bust, rising 7.4 percent compared with a year ago. It was the biggest year-over-year increase in 6½ years. CoreLogic, a private data provider, said Tuesday that prices also rose 0.3 percent in November from October. The month-to-month figures are not seasonally adjusted. CoreLogic compiles its indexes by tracking sales of the same homes over time, using data on sales in all 50 states. Full Story.
Monday, January 14, 2012
Input wanted on Fire Code changes
BRAMPTON, CANADA - Ontario wants Brampton residents and others in the province to provide comment on changes to the Fire Code and Building Code proposed to improve safety in residences for seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable individuals. The proposed changes are based on recommendations from the Technical Advisory Committee led by the Office of the Fire Marshal.Full Story.
Saturday, January 12, 2012
Twin Cities Realtors detail a recovering 2012 housing market
TWIN CITIES, MN - Buyer demand led to more sales, more sales led to rising prices, and that rise may lead more people to put their homes on the market. That's the picture of the Twin Cities' housing market in recovery, as pent-up activity that had been stifled by foreclosures and dropping home values starts to loosen up. The Twin Cities' real estate market showed ongoing signs of recovery last year, and Realtors believe that 2013 will see rising prices as more sellers and buyers get off the sidelines. Buyer demand rebounded last year, with closed sales up 16.9 percent, even as the inventory of homes for sale sunk to levels not seen in a decade. Full Story.
Friday, January 11, 2012
New home building came roaring back last year in these West Michigan communities
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - New home building activity came roaring back in West Michigan last year as unemployment and interest rates fell in tandem, according to In Kent County, contractors started 816 new single family homes, a 28 percent increase over 2011, according to BuilderTrack, which compiles construction statistics throughout West Michigan. Overall, residential construction leaped 56 percent in Kent County as builders also re-entered what had been a dormant market for condominiums and apartments. In total, 1,123 housing units were started last year compared to 719 units in 2011. It marked the most housing starts for Kent County since 2007, when builders started construction on 1,255 housing units. Full Story.
Thursday, January 10, 2012
Multi-dwellings dominate home building
AUSTRALIA - Australia’s residential building industry is becoming increasingly dominated by multi-unit developments. Thirty years ago, townhouses, apartments, semi-detached homes - anything except free-standing houses - made up less than one-fifth of all residential building approvals. The monthly building approvals figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics go back as far as July 1983. And in that month, multi-unit developments made up only 17.4 per cent of the total. Since then, though, their importance has grown. At last count, in the November 2012 figures released by the bureau today, that proportion had risen to 42.5 per cent, nearly two and half times the share measured in the mid-1980s. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 9, 2012
New Boulder County homes to go green
BOULDER, CO - Boulder County is requiring new single-family detached homes to be set up so owners can charge an electric car there - or at least be able to accommodate installation of an outlet to charge a 240-volt vehicle later. The county's new building code also requires new single-family detached homes to have solar panels or solar thermal systems - or at least a conduit so the necessary wiring and plumbing can be easily installed later. The changes took effect Jan. 1 and apply to construction on homes in unincorporated Boulder County. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 9, 2012
Vigo property declines 7.4 percent after reassessment
TERRE HAUTE, IN - It’s been 10 years since Indiana had its last general reassessment, and during that decade the state was part of a national recession during which home building and sales plummeted. Property owners statewide have or will soon receive county notices of their assessed property value, and the picture of those values varies in each of Indiana’s 92 counties. Overall, Indiana has experienced a 1.1-percent decrease in the median assessed value, said Barry Wood, assessment division director for Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 9, 2012
Housing recovery leads some banks to offer builder financing
RALEIGH, NC - When gauging the overall health of the housing market, much of the focus tends to be on the number of homes sold in a particular month or quarter and the prices buyers paid. Equally important to the industry, however, is access to capital, something that has been in short supply since the housing market crashed. While most community banks remain skittish about making construction loans to homebuilders, there are signs that may be changing. This week Raleigh-based VantageSouth, the community bank that now includes what used to be Crescent State Bank, launched a Builder Finance Division that will target small- and midsized homebuilders in the Carolinas and Virginia. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 9, 2012
Neosho City Council advances updates to building codes
NEOSHO, MO - The Neosho City Council on Tuesday night gave initial approval to changes in city building, electrical, plumbing and other codes that have become out of date. The council also discussed a vacant building on the square. The structure’s roof has collapsed. City building inspector John Harrington told council members that a review of city codes by authorities with the International Organization for Standardization, usually referred to as ISO, determined that the 2003 building code and the 2002 electrical code were out of date. Harrington said the city’s insurance rating would be jeopardized if the city didn’t take action to update the codes. He said the organization has given the city a year to correct the situation before issuing a ruling. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
US construction spending dips, as decline in federal projects offsets home construction gain
WASHINGTON - Spending on U.S. construction projects fell in November from October because a steep drop in volatile federal projects offset another gain in home building. Construction spending dipped 0.3 per cent in November, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. It was the first decline since March and followed a 0.7 per cent increase in October, which was revised lower. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Local homebuilding in 2012 jumps to highest level in 6 years
COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Homebuilding made a big comeback last year in the Colorado Springs area, as construction activity surged to its highest level in six years. Full Story.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
'Builders who survived are best of the best'
Tight lending continues, but HBA head predicts construction growth
CINCINNATI, OH - The new president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati sees better times ahead for the long-suffering home-building market. Incoming HBA President John Ballantyne has been a homebuilder for 25 years, including a stint with Ryland Homes. He started his own custom home-building company, the Leland Group, in 2004, at the peak of the housing bubble. The Enquirer recently asked for his thoughts on the industry as we head into 2013. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Custom home builder back in business following recession
HOUSTON, TX - A custom-home builder who became the owner of a burger joint when the recession hit is back to building houses for the new year. The owner of Sunrise Custom Homes, N. Harris Malik, is finishing up a contract and preparing two more next year, a feat that seemed unlikely a little more than a year ago. Malik is experiencing a phenomenon felt all over Houston: 18 months of positive home sales. Full Story.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Orlando's construction industry shows signs of life
ORLANDO, FL - Tucked in the thicket of numbers produced each month by government analysts is a note of hope for an industry battered by the Great Recession. The past three months of employment data hint that construction hiring in Central Florida may be shuffling toward recovery. The signs are faint, and it is far too soon to declare the patient healthy, but at least he appears to be up and moving about. Full Story.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Standard Pacific Homes Debuts All New Home Designs In Orlando Market
ORLANDO, FL - Standard Pacific Homes, one of the nation's leaders in homebuilding quality, today announced the grand opening of Hunters Run, the first Orlando area community to feature the Company's all-new architectural concepts. Two stunning model homes set on oversized homesites within the beautiful gated-community are now open for public tours. Full Story.
Saturday, December 29, 2012
2012 Homebuyer Trend: Prioritize Family over Economy by Destiny Homes
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - PulteGroup Home Index released a summary of 2012 survey findings that family relationships are a growing priority for homeowners and trends show homebuyers are more optimistic about buying their next home. Destiny Homes, a Minneapolis luxury home builder and home renovator, comments on how to build a home with a family focus. Full Story.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
U.S. home building permits approach four-and-half-year high
WASHINGTON - U.S. homebuilding permits touched their highest level in nearly 4-1/2 years in November, pointing to strength in the housing market, even though groundbreaking activity dropped. The Commerce Department said on Wednesday building permits increased 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 899,000 units, the highest since July 2008. That was well above economists' expectations for an 875,000-unit pace. In contrast, construction starts fell 3.0 percent to an 861,000-unit pace, but that followed three straight months of solid gains and a three-month moving average showed a firming trend. Full Story.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Wall Street is betting on a housing recovery. Here’s why that’s great news.
NEW YORK CITY, NY - Wall Street is betting big on housing, And that could bode well for the economy in 2013. The highest return among stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 index for the year so far is Pulte Homes, the major homebuilder; as of Wednesday morning it had returned investors 195 percent. No. 6 on the list is Lennar Corp., a Pulte competitor. S&P’s overall index for the homebuilding industry is up 59.4 percent this year, and across the homebuilding industry, sentiment rose to its highest level since the middle of 2006, the National Association of Homebuilders said Tuesday. “The quality of the traffic is superb and visitors are very serious about buying,” said Douglas Yearly, the chief executive of major homebuilder Toll Brothers, in a conference call with analysts earlier this month. Full Story.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
New homebuilding policy in El Paso County aims to make homes safer
EL PASO, TX - The New Year will bring a new policy for homebuilders in El Paso County. The county announced the new initiative Wednesday. It requires homebuilders to hire an independent third-party inspector to perform three inspections throughout the building process and provide the results of those inspections to potential homebuyers. "It tells commercial builders, if you are going to build out in the county, there is going to be a standard you are going to have to meet. You are going to have to hire a third-party inspector and you are going to have to provide the purchaser with that inspection," explained County Judge Veronica Escobar. Full Story.
Thursday, December 20, 2012
US homebuilder confidence at 6 1/2-year high
LOS ANGELES, CA - Confidence among U.S. homebuilders inched up this month, to the highest level in more than six and a half years, as builders reported the best market for newly built homes since the housing boom. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index released Tuesday increased 2 points to 47 from a revised 45 in November. That's the highest reading since April 2006, just before the housing bubble burst. Readings below 50 suggest negative sentiment about the housing market. The last time the index was at or above that level was in April 2006, with a reading of 51. It has been trending higher since October 2011, when it stood at 17. Full Story.
Sunday, December 23, 2012
Local construction companies expect smaller projects in 2013
CENTRAL OHIO - Central Ohio will have fewer projects in the $50 million and up range next year, but a steady supply of smaller developments will help a once-thriving construction industry continue its painfully slow recovery from the Great Recession. The residential sector will maintain its recent momentum, especially Downtown, and some businesses might start loosening their purse strings and break ground on long-needed expansions, especially if the government can get its act together and avoid that “cliff.” These are some of the predictions for the local construction industry in the coming year, made by executives of two of the area’s largest construction companies. Full Story.
Monday, December 24, 2012
Builder Permits Rise 10 Percent in November
MEMPHIS, TN - The National Association of Homebuilders said Tuesday, Dec. 18, that sentiment across the homebuilding industry rose to its highest level since the middle of 2006. National housing permits in November posted a 26.8 percent increase from November 2011. And while they’re not up quite that much, local starts are seeing increases as well. Shelby County homebuilders filed 68 permits in November, a 10 percent boost from the 62 filed during the same month last year, according to real estate information company Chandler Reports, www.chandlerreports.com. November permits posted an 18 percent decrease from the 83 permits filed during October. Full Story.
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Builders target families with multiple generations under one roof
MIAMI, FL - Viewed from the street, the single-family home at the entrance to Lennar’s Traditions at Bella Casa community looks just like any of the homebuilder’s other models. Until you spot the second door. From the home’s porch, visitors have the choice of entering into the main home or a side door that leads to a 500-square-foot suite. The suite, which has all the amenities of a second private residence, is the latest – and most emphatic – attempt by a Triangle homebuilder to appeal to a growing demographic of buyers: those with multiple generations of family members living under one roof. Full Story.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Rising building material costs may dampen new home sales
Homebuilders, in the midst of recovering from slow sales caused by the Great Recession, have received a new blow that could slow sales again. The cost of materials used to build houses is jumping. Prices for drywall, cement and lumber are fast outpacing inflation of 2 percent, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Lumber prices have increased 35 percent since December 2011, the association said, reaching a seven-year high on Wednesday. Lumber futures for March delivery gained 3.8 percent to $399 per 1,000 board feet on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange after touching $399.50, the highest since April 2005. Full Story.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
House construction at 90-year low
UNITED KINGDOM - House construction is set to plunge to its lowest level for 90 years as councils have cut their home-building targets by more than 270,000 in the past two years, a report warns. Moves to give English town halls more power over planning have backfired as the numbers of planned new houses are scaled back in areas worst affected by homelessness, according to the Policy Exchange think tank. The Coalition scrapped quotas set by the last government for building in each part of the country, devolving responsibility for the issue to local authorities. Housebuilding targets have been slashed by 57,000 in the South-east and by 108,000 in the South-west since 2010. Full Story.
Sunday, December 10, 2012
Homebuilders Boom as Lending Masks Uneven U.S. Recovery
Construction is taking a back seat to lending for some U.S. homebuilders, turning the uneven housing recovery into an earnings boom. At PulteGroup Inc. (PHM), the second-largest builder by market value, mortgage revenue jumped 70 percent in the third quarter, almost six times the revenue gain from home sales. At Lennar Corp. (LEN), the No. 1 builder, mortgage-unit revenue surged 60 percent, double the increase in sales revenue. Aided by lucrative lending units, both companies posted the biggest overall profits since 2006. Full Story.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Construction workers in demand
The homebuilding industry has seen a bit of resurgence lately, leading some builders to what might seem to many of us a surprising problem: finding skilled workers. Recovery and construction employment has been bumpy to say the least. That's why students at the Potomac Job Corps Center are feeling new power in their power tools. That's because builders need skilled workers. "About two weeks ago we started getting calls - like 7 or 8 a day - and we've been asked to bring students to work sites," Linda Thomas with the Potomac Jobs Corps Center said. "We said look just bring them with their resumes, we've got work, we're pushing more contracts now." Full Story.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Bloomberg Launches Study To Make City Better Prepared For Extreme Weather
MANHATTAN, NY - Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced in Downtown Manhattan Thursday that he is launching a comprehensive, long-term initiative to help the city fully recover from Hurricane Sandy and protect the five boroughs from eventual climate change. In a speech to the Regional Plan Association Thursday, Mayor Michael Bloomberg stressed that New York City should not avoid developing its waterfront following the devastation of Sandy, but said that future development should take account of rising sea levels and potential storms. Full Story.
Friday, December 7, 2012
Code Green
WASHINGTON DC - Three days after joining 57 other cities in a worldwide climate change-fighting club, D.C. has taken a major step in reducing its environmental footprint, releasing eco-friendly new building codes. According to a press release from the mayor's office, the city's first Green Construction Code will apply to all commercial projects over 10,000 square feet and to all multi-family residential buildings four stories or taller. The city has also proposed to adopt the 2012 International Code Council recommendations, a slew of codes that includes energy-saving requirements. The city currently follows the 2006 ICC codes, but will "leapfrog" over the 2009 codes to adopt the 2012 ones. Full Story.
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Homebuilding crawls out of doldrums
PORTLAND, OR - In the tough past few years, Portland-area homebuilders have gone from a pessimistic could-be-worse attitude to one laced with more optimism as the region’s housing market slowly climbed out of the Great Recession. On Wednesday morning, homebuilders heard more good news that things are definitely looking up for the local housing market, according to speakers at the annual Home Builders of Metropolitan Portland Housing Forecast Breakfast. “To climb steep hills requires slow pace at first,” said Tom Potiowsky, director of the Northwest Economic Research Center at Portland State University, quoting Shakespeare during his presentation at the Oregon Convention Center. “That’s a nice way of taking a look at it, because what we’re really doing is we’re in a very dark, deep, dank, horrible hole and we’re trying to crawl our way out of it. We’re doing it, but it’s a slow pace going.” Full Story.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Award-Winning DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingles Expand Availability
MIDLAND, MI - The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) today announced a major expansion of the DOW POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle availability, an award-winning residential roofing system that protects a home like a standard shingle but also has embedded solar cells to power it. Dow has been piloting the POWERHOUSE Solar Shingle in Colorado, Northern California and Central Texas since earlier this year, and is now doing a major expansion to bring this breakthrough solar roofing system to homeowners in New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, D.C., Louisiana and Michigan. Full Story.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Official: Code inspectors will work more closely with neighborhoods
AUSTIN, TX - Austin’s code compliance director said his department is progressing in its new approach of identifying and enforcing city building codes as a batch of new inspectors will work in smaller regions with police and fire officials and neighborhood associations. The more “proactive” approach will partially focus on aging apartment complexes, Carl Smart told members of the Public Safety Commission on Monday. Though Smart did not mention the Wood Ridge Apartments, where a second-storybalcony collapsed and others were found unsafe this year, the South Austin complex is a perfect example of an aging complex where building code violations persisted. Full Story.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Construction Industry Keeps Going on Green
SAN DIEGO, CA - Green construction and improvement projects already figure prominently in the work of local contracting firms, and national projections suggest that dollars invested in energy-efficiency upgrades could nearly triple over the next four years. Calling green building “a bright spot in a still uncertain economy,” industry data provider McGraw-Hill Construction recently reported that the value of U.S. energy-efficiency work - nonresidential and residential - is expected to grow from $85 billion this year to between $204 billion and $248 billion by 2016. Full Story.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Avoid Roofing Problems During the Winter, by Reviewing the Top 5 Winter Roofing Dangers from Reroof America
EDMOND, OK - In preparation for the winter and holiday season Reroof America Contractors, who installs thousands of roofs every year, knows how to make a quality roof instillation last. “Unfortunately many roof leaks are not due to poor workmanship, they can often be the result of negligence, poor maintenance, or sometimes by unfortunate acts by Mother Nature”, said Mark Lenzer, Vice President of Reroof America. Full Story.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Construction field struggles with worker shortage
Full Story.
Saturday, December 1, 2012
Construction Connection Helps Companies Find Skilled Workers To Rebuild East Coast After Hit From Hurricane Sandy
Full Story.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
New Jersey residents want shore rebuilt with strict standards
Full Story.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Construction Unemployment dips to 11.4% in October.
Full Story.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
U.S. Homebuilders Continue to Rally as More Data Released Supporting Recovery of Housing Market
Full Story.
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Homebuilders Looking Strong as U.S. Homebuilders Confidence at a 6-Year High and Home Sales Increase 2.1% in October
Full Story.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Construction Unemployment dips to 11.4% in October
Full Story.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Housing Data Are Stable. Housing Stocks Are Awfully Hot
Full Story.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Iron Workers Lead the Construction Industry in Wind Turbine Erection and Safety Training
Full Story.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Builders Warn on Housing
Full Story.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Homebuilders Have Been Some of the Hottest Stocks in the World — But One CEO Just Sent Out A Big Caution Warning
Full Story.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Green Building Accelerates Globally through Economic Downturn, According to New McGraw-Hill Construction Study
Full Story.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Good housing news is bad for housing stocks
Full Story.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Filipino steel manufacturers raise alarm over proliferation of substandard angle bars from China
Full Story.
Monday, November 12, 2012
Sandy throws wrench into city stimulus plan
Full Story.
Saturday, November 10, 2012
UK construction industry output at 13-year low
Full Story.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Canada’s home prices seen falling, not crashing
Full Story.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Caribbean expo set for builders
Full Story.
Friday, November 9, 2012
Fed report: Florida lost half of its construction jobs in the recession
Full Story.
Monday, November 5, 2012
CTA Unions trade work-rule changes for no-layoff guarantee
CHICAGO, IL - Mayor Rahm Emanuel cut a five-year deal with CTA construction and maintenance unions Monday that trades cost-cutting work-rule changes for a no-layoff guarantee, setting the stage for a similar agreement with bus drivers and motormen. The agreement with a dozen trade unions is expected to reduce skyrocketing CTA health care costs by $5 million a year and impose work-rule changes that shave an additional $1.5 million in annual costs. Employees working the afternoon and evening shifts will be paid straight time and a “shift differential” instead of overtime. The CTA will get greater flexibility to schedule starting times. Full Story.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Post-Sandy Construction Hiring May Get Boost
NORTHEAST, USA - Hiring in the long-depressed U.S. construction industry will get a boost from the rebuilding that will follow Superstorm Sandy. Those jobs, in turn, could raise economic growth, analysts say. The modest lift to the economy is expected to come in the first months of 2013. Construction firms, contractors and local governments will hire to rebuild or renovate homes, buildings, roads and bridges that were damaged or destroyed. “This is going to be a net positive, particularly in the mid-Atlantic,” said Sophia Koropeckyj. Full Story.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Former Forks Township supervisor says wall construction didn't conform to zoning laws
EASTON, PA - A former Forks Township supervisor again is blasting township zoning laws, saying a concrete wall being constructed in her neighborhood doesn’t comply with the ordinance, is unsafe and will lead to decreased property values. Bonnie Nicholas twice has come to board of supervisors meetings asking municipal officials why homeowner Maron Koorie received the go-ahead to build a concrete barrier wall around his property in the 1800 block of Bushkill Drive at the intersection with Hill Road. Full Story.
Friday, November 2, 2012
Home building spiraling up
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Home building in San Antonio continues to climb, as the sector posted an increase in home starts for the fifth consecutive quarter. During the third quarter, builders in the Alamo City started 2,245 single-family homes, a nearly 24 percent jump compared with the same period in 2011 when there were 1,817 home starts, according to housing research firm Metrostudy. On an annual basis, builders have started 7,792 homes, a 14 percent jump from 6,838 starts recorded at the same time last year. Full Story.
|
|
|
