The National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show kicks off on Feb. 8 in Orlando — that’s just one week from today. Are you going? Over the past several years, a growing number of builders have answered, decisively, with ‘no.’ Industry reporters have lamented decreasing attendance aplenty the past handful of years, and builders [...]

Does your marketing strategy include social media? According to a study from Professional Remodeler, remodelers who have ventured into Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other popular social networks have seen a positive impact on business. In fact, social media was identified as one of the most effective avenues for marketing. Jonathan Sweet, editor-in-chief at Professional Remodeler, [...]

What does 2012 hold for home building? Best as anyone can guess — more uncertainty. But builders should take heed of Builder Magazine‘s list of 10 business trends to look for in 2012 as they gather themselves and strategize for the year ahead. After all, one shift in strategy could be all it takes to [...]

As the current recession turns in to years, the homes we live in are changing and the effects of this could very well influence home building for decades to come. The Wall Street Journal recently covered some trends they’re seeing, as well as things that are fading by the wayside. The end of the closed-off, [...]

According to NewUrbanism.org, new urbanism ”promotes the creation and restoration of diverse, walkable, compact, vibrant, mixed-use communities composed of the same components as conventional development, but assembled in a more integrated fashion, in the form of complete communities.” Perhaps no one has championed the benefits of New Urbanist construction like architect Sarah Susanka, author of the best-selling [...]

Real estate search engine Trulia released findings from its bi-annual American Dream survey on Tuesday, which polled 2,207 U.S. adults aged 18 and over. While home sales continue to struggle, 80 percent of respondents indicated homeownership is still an integral part of the American Dream. Among respondents currently renting, 51 percent said saving enough money [...]

As Congress battled over whether to raise the debt ceiling last week, economic uncertainty drove mortgage rates down, leading many potential buyers to pounce on low rates. For those in the lending or building industry, the political drama was a spark plug for market activity, according to the Wall Street Journal. The Mortgage Bankers Association [...]

It’s common knowledge the current housing market works in the buyer’s favor. But that might be painting the picture too broadly. Polyana de Costa of bankrate.com points out five trends to look for during the summer 2011 home-buying season. Some of them might surprise you. Mortgage rates are unlikely to go lower: “Mortgage rates are [...]

We ran across an article with some interesting tidbits about what homeowners want in 2011. As a builder or remodeler, are any of these on your radar? Outdoor living areas: Are you paying more attention to things like porches and patios? An outdoor kitchen (from simple to grand) and a fireplace can add a whole [...]

Across the country, home shows act as a show-and-tell for local housing markets by showing the latest trends in construction and design, but also telling the story about consumer confidence. For this week’s BuildChat, we interviewed Bryce Johnson, the executive vice president for the Home Builders Association of Fargo-Moorhead. We wanted to hear what Johnson [...]