CoreLogic Reports February Home Prices Increased by 4 Percent Year Over Year
Annual change by state ranged from a 10.2 percent high in Idaho to a -1.7 percent low in North Dakota The HPI Forecast indicates a pickup in prices after some initial moderation Home-price growth is trending slower in 2019 than during the same time period in 2018 IRVINE, Calif., April 2,...
Bringing Building Codes into 2019
Title 24’s 2019 regulations bring changes in building standards for a sustainable built environment By MS. YING WANG AND LANCE A. WILLIAMS Newly adjusted Title 24 standards are core to the interests of any developer or architect committed to effective building strategies in California. With these new standards, the state maintains...
Outdoor Advertising: Your First Customer Service Step
Homebuilders can serve both a customer’s sense and sensibility with effective outdoor advertising campaigns By JONATHAN WILHELM It is often said that the cost of acquiring a new customer is much more expensive than retaining an existing one. This means businesses should leave no stone unturned in serving their customers and...
The Power of Merchandising Model Homes
Model homes can be the key to sales; this is how By MARY COOK Driving occupancy rates is the ultimate goal in the housing industry, where potential renters or buyers decide if they are interested in a place within a few moments of walking into its model apartment or home. Like a proverbial blank canvas, those empty spaces are supposed...
The Extraordinary Design Center Experience
Five steps to drive sales from referrals By BOB MIRMAN It was a brief, but memorable experience. At Edith’s restaurant in Cabo, my shirtsleeve caught the tines of the fork and sent it skittering across the table to the tile floor. I retrieved it, placing it on the table’s edge, all the while debating whether the 3-second rule...
Developing a Sustainable Master-Planned Community
Terramor is a prime example of a community that harmonizes sustainability and incredible design By STEVE CAMERON Homebuyers not only want community, they want healthy lifestyles, they want to stay in touch with nature, and they want a comfortable — and energy-saving — home. Enter Terramor, a sustainable master-planned...
The B&D Interview: Drew Bohan, Executive Director, California Energy Commission
Executive Director Bohan gives us a preview of what to expect from the latest updates to Title 24 standards Builder and Developer: What are the biggest changes coming to Title 24 Standards for home energy efficiency? Drew Bohan: The 2019 Building Energy Efficiency Standards take effect on Jan. 1, 2020, and focus...
Customer Service Keeps the Homebuilding Market Going
Why customer care plays a huge role in the housing market By BRIANNA FRIES The year of 2019 is in full swing and the homebuilding market is looking hopeful. Homebuilder confidence has improved, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders Housing Market Index. Prices seem to be balancing out for multifamily homes,...
Builders and Developers Adjust to a Softer Market
Incentives, education, and digital marketing all play important roles By PATRICK DUFFY If there is one thing that building industry pros are good at, it is adjusting to the ebbs and flows of the cyclical nature of the housing market. Due to a combination of rising home prices, higher interest rates, and low...
Become an Adviser and Make More Sales
Best practices for becoming an adviser, rather than a vendor, to your customers By JASON FORREST Imagine you walked into a psychologist’s office, spent the entire hour talking while the psychologist silently listened, and at the end of the hour the doctor tells you, “Eventually you’ll figure it out. See you next time.” How...
The 2019 BIA Outlook Dinner
Industry experts came together, sharing insight to build towards success By Julia Edinger The annual Building Industry Association (BIA) outlook dinner for Orange County took place in Irvine, Calif. on January 28. Industry leaders from all over Southern California came together to network with professionals, share their expertise,...
CAMELOT HOMES UNVEILS FIRST MODEL HOME AT NORTH SCOTTSDALE COMMUNITY
Lane’s End has opened its highly anticipated model home for prospective homebuyers PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dec. 18, 2018 – Camelot Homes, one of Arizona’s most prestigious family-owned homebuilders, announces that Lane’s End has opened its first of two model homes. The gated North Scottsdale community is comprised of 15...
Bassenian Lagoni Provides Design With a Vision
By designing a rock solid base for their business, Bassenian Lagoni has excelled in the US and international arenas, being known for innovative design and wonderful customer service By Brianna Fries How does an architecture and design firm with projects around the world ensure that they deliver well-designed and functional...
The B&D Interview: Steven Dewan, Senior Principal of Bassenian Lagoni
Dewan explains Bassenian Lagoni’s approach to design and gives his thoughts on what may be coming in future projects Builder and Developer: Tell us about your background with architecture and interior design. Steven Dewan: Since its founding in Orange County, Bassenian Lagoni has always combined architectural innovation with...
2018’s Evolving Home Market in Terms of Current Home Prices
The growth of price appreciation is moderating, which is to be expected By ALI WOLF The growth of price appreciation is moderating, which is to be expected. Mortgage rates are just below 5.0 percent, year-to-date existing home price appreciation is up between 6 percent and 15 percent YOY for the top housing markets, and national...
A Year in Review: Increasingly Cautious Heading into New Year
A close look at the numbers of the past year helps professionals get a better idea of what to expect in 2019 BY KATE SEABAUGH First half of 2018: We see the strongest housing conditions of this recovery. The 2018 housing market started off strong in January and continued to gain steam through late summer, propelled by very solid...
Solid Efforts by the NAHB in 2018
From regulating lumber prices to addressing excessive regulation, these are the biggest initiatives that the NAHB has been focusing on over the last year By RANDY NOEL The year of 2018 was busy and very productive for NAHB in our ongoing efforts to ensure an optimal business environment for members. At the top of our agenda:...
2018, the Year in Review
A Stronger Economy vs. A Slowing Housing Market By PATRICK DUFFY About this same time a year ago, I wrote about an economy which was gradually building enough strength to spark inflation, thus impacting costs for suitable land, labor, and materials. Following that, the tax cuts enacted at the beginning of 2018 have certainly...
Put Wellness First; Sustainability and Community Will Follow
New eras demand new thinking. Amenities have gone wild. And increasingly, ESG—the environmental, social, and governance aspects of an investment or business—is being applied to real estate. These are three top themes from the just-released Urban Land Institute (ULI) 2019 Emerging Trends in Real Estate, and they speak volumes...
Pardee Homes is a Step Ahead of Title 24
Since 1921, Pardee Homes has been committed to building premier master-planned communities and improving the quality of life for our residents. During that time, the homebuilding industry has been challenged to create award-winning communities while adhering to stringent environmental processes and standards. The latest change comes...
Perspective Is Key When Discussing Housing Market
Prices appear to have hit a ceiling in some of the nation's top housing markets. Given the changing housing dynamics, we thought it was time to dust off our peak pricing graph (below) to put things in perspective. Meyers Research’s Director of Economic Research, Ali Wolf, explores trends related to the price growth since the previous...
Publisher's Notes: ABC Green Home 4.0 LUXE Build
Hello Readers, in print and online, and a very happy New Year to you, Volume 13 of GHB gets underway with this issue. We are pleased to begin construction of our all new ABC Green Home 4.0 LUXE Build in the mountain resort community of Crestline, in southern California. Our Net-Zero, LEED demonstration home build will be the...
Multifamily Units are Growing Up Green
Multifamily builders can include a variety of sustainable features to keep up with the green industry By SCOTT HARRIS We are currently in a very thought-provoking time in the construction and development industry regarding communal living. A large majority of the original, multifamily buildings in every urban city throughout...
CITYVIEW Announces Opening of the Pearl on Wilshire In Koreatown
With a walk score of 97, residents of the luxury mixed-use development can easily access a host of entertainment, dining and shopping offerings Los Angeles – Nov. 27, 2018 – Cityview, a premier urban multifamily investment management and development firm, today announced the opening of The Pearl on Wilshire, a luxury mixed-use...
It’s Time to Commit to Green Building
Environmentally conscious construction no longer has to be viewed as a liability By STEVE PALLRAND Resources for green building design are vast and growing rapidly each year. However, for a field that has been burgeoning since the 1970s and has been pushed tirelessly by environmentalists and government programs, it...
CoreLogic Loan Performance Insights Find That the Overall US Mortgage Delinquency Rate Drops to a 12-Year Low
Foreclosure rate is the lowest for July in 12 years Florida and Texas are the only states to post annual gains in serious delinquency rates Economists anticipate a spike in mortgage delinquency in several Southern states as a result of damage from Hurricane Florence IRVINE, Calif., October 9, 2018-CoreLogic (NYSE: CLGX), a...
CoreLogic HPI Report: CoreLogic Reports August Home Prices Continue to Rise but a Slow May Be on the Horizon
CoreLogic Reports August Home Prices Increased by 5.5 Percent Year Over Year, Homeowners Expect Sale of Current Home to Fund Downpayment for Next Purchase Homeowners waiting to sell, hoping to afford larger downpayment on next home Nevada and Idaho were the only states to post double-digit annual price growth in August ...
Strategies for Timing the Market
By Kristine Smale, Vice President Our clients frequently ask, “When is the market turning, and how should I plan for the inevitable downturn?” To answer their question, we advise our clients to assess their tolerance for risk, their short- and long-term investment horizons, their competitive positioning, and their capital...
Building a Better Home
Energy efficiency takes on larger role as builders compete for buyers who value conservation By DON NEFF Designing and building an energy efficient home is not rocket science, but requires knowledge, experience, and expertise, including careful coordination of your team. According to a National Association of Home Builders...
Surviving the Storm in Style
Building homes that offer curb appeal and weatherization to survive a possible housing bubble burst By BRIANNA FRIES The beginning of September tends to mark a time of year when the home buying season slows down. School is back in session, families are settling in for the year, and the industry is already bracing for the start of...
Don’t Call It a Downturn
As long as the economy stays healthy, there is no reason to fear a downturn By GLEN RENNER Each month, HomeSphere, in partnership with investment bank BTIG, takes the temperature of our builder members – nearly 2,500 local homebuilders that each build an average of 100 homes per year. We ask them about sales, traffic, pricing,...
Dissecting Myths About Millennial Homebuyers
What Millennials really want in a home is affordability and smaller, shared spaces By ALI WOLF I became obsessed with studying Millennials a few years back after attending session after session of hearing Boomers tell me, a Millennial, what my generation wants. At a certain point, I realized very few of Millennial “wants”...
The Strongest Growth Since 2014, But Will it Last?
An outline of housing market data for the year so far, and expectations for the future By PATRICK DUFFY It was certainly good news to hear that the initial estimate for GDP growth of 4.1 percent in the second quarter of 2018 was the fastest since the third quarter of 2014. This recent rate of growth compares to 2.2 percent in the...
Sales from Referrals: Two Overlooked Opportunities
You need more than home quality to drive sales from referrals By BOB MIRMAN Twisted my knee a couple of days ago. Not sure how. Probably doing something extremely strenuous, like getting into my golf cart. So, at 5:25 this morning, I limped out to my community spa for some whirlpool action. Turned the timer-dial to 20-minutes. Nothing...
Yes, Curb Appeal is Still Important to Today's Buyer!
Today’s Millennial buyers are searching for homes that reflect their personality and lifestyle By GREGG TAYLERSON You never get a chance to make a first impression. This not only applies to people, but to real estate as well. But what is “curb appeal” and why it is so important? Simply put, curb appeal is the first impression a...
Technology Can Help Solve America’s Infrastructure Challenges
Investing in Maglev technology would boost commerce, while relieving overcrowded airways and highways Can technology provide the solution to America’s infrastructure challenge? You bet it can. Will it? It depends on if we find the political courage to make real, substantial investments in our future. For example, let’s look at one...
Redeveloping Brownfield Sites for Energy-Saving Advantages
Zoning for small cottage developments offers energy-efficient value for developers By KATHERINE AUSTIN There is a tremendous challenge we face in the business of producing housing in this country. The lack of affordability has reached a critical stage, specifically in the most desirable regions. Not only did the recession put an...
Observing Possible Changes Ahead For the Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards
California’s residential ZNE by 2020 mandate was and continues to be a goal rather than a requirement for new construction, as reflected in the proposed changes to the code By DAN KREKELBERG At the start of 2017, new Title 24 Building Energy Efficiency Standards went into effect for residential construction in California that...
Resiliency for Homes in an Uncertain World
How to prepare for the unexpected? Be resilient By HEATHER ROSENBERG In traditional planning and design, we look ahead by looking to the past, despite knowing the future will be different. For example, while we’ve had disasters in the past, the combined effects of climate change, population growth, and urbanization will cause the...
Greener Postures: The Future of 55-Plus Senior Living Calls for Total Sustainability
The definition of what’s green is expanding to ensure structures that are environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable By Mary Cook The Baby Boomers that pushed America towards its first environmental awakening in the late 1960s are now hitting retirement age. And the issues they put aside as they raised families and...
Sustainability is the Smart Solution
The importance of eco-friendly designs and smart home technology is imperative for attracting today’s buyers by Abby Pittman Green sustainable homebuilding is creeping through the crevices of the industry, and builders should be prepared to catch up. The soon-to-be biggest trend, implementing sustainable and smart home...The Rise of Sustainability in Luxury Home
Big, luxury homebuilders are focusing on sustainability more than ever by Megan Wild Within the last 10 years, the demand for eco-friendly houses has soared. This is partly due to increased sensitivity to climate change among homebuyers and their awareness of global warming’s impact on wildlife and the environment. However, it is...
Barb VanderMolen, A. O. Smith vice president-finance, receiving recognition with a Women in Manufacturing STEP Ahead Award
Barbara L. VanderMolen, A. O. Smith vice president-finance for North America Water Heaters, will be recognized by The Manufacturing Institute with a Women in Manufacturing STEP (Science, Technology, Engineering and Production) Ahead Award on April 10. The STEP Ahead Awards honors women who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in...
The Silver Bullet for Reducing Litigation
It’s time to stop shrugging off responsibility for everything that happens to your homes after the first year BY DICK BRYAN As a builder offering the standard 1-year home warranty, you know that things are generally pretty good for that first year: Homeowners contact you for general repairs; you send your trades or service...
Maracay Homes’ 10-Step Plan to Improved Customer Ratings
10 steps Maracay Homes followed that helped improve their “Willingness to Recommend” rating from a 73 percent at the beginning of the year, to an 85 percent by the end BY JEFF ESCHLIMAN Since starting the Eliant customer experience management process a bit over a year ago, our scores on the “Key Measures Index” have improved...
Marketing and Selling Homes Through a Technological Experience
Majority of homebuyers today focus primarily on online resources when researching homes BY LISA MEYLOR Emotional aspects of the home shopping journey have stayed the same throughout the years. We all want to find a place to create memories and have a sense of belonging. What has changed, however, is the way we shop for homes....
Being Eco-Adaptive® with Developments
Next to air, water is the most important thing on Earth BY PATRICK R. FUSCOE Without air you are dead in two minutes, and without water you are dead in a few days. You can go months without food or shelter, so water is pretty important. Only 1 percent of the Earth’s water is drinkable, so you would think it would be most important to...
Data, Data Everywhere/Nor Any Drop to Drink
Making Sense of the Economic Data Deluge BY PATRICK DUFFY In his lengthy 1798 poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” Samuel Taylor Coleridge tells the story of a group of sailors stranded at sea, surrounded by salt water they cannot drink, writing, “Water, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” This famous line also...
