As consumers rush to meet the Dec. 31 deadline for the  tax credit on energy efficient home improvements, builders are finishing off a flurry of end-of-the-year projects. When things slow in January, builders should cast their gaze to clean technology, which benefits from a tax credit that won’t expire until Dec. 31, 2016. Just like the [...]

Green Building Goes on a Budget Wall Street Journal “Casa Feliz is one of a growing number of affordable-housing projects nationwide that have been built “green”—that is, with nontoxic materials, highly energy-efficient appliances, and features such as green roofs and solar panels. Thanks to tax credits designed to attract private capital and aggressive cost-cutting on [...]

We want to know: How important is green to your customers, really? Most everyone would agree that green can be an attractive selling point — for some people. But how do homeowners feel about green? There can be a difference in perception between “green” and energy efficient.” Most people will eagerly replace appliances and devices [...]

In 2004, Potomac Yard Development, LLC (PYD) collaborated with the City of Alexandria to execute a mixed used project, developing 167 acres on the edge of Alexandria, Virginia, into a walkable, urban community.  This now thriving neighborhood is enhanced by its unique town center, convenient office and retail space, affordable housing and 24 acres of [...]

EPA’s Paint Law Frustrates Hardworking Contactors Home Construction Improvement “Here on our Home Improvement site we’ve been covering the EPA’s new Lead Paint Law closely since early spring when it went into effect. We’ve written lots of articles on the new law, training, fines and cost implications. So far we’ve met very few people that [...]

A blog entry on BUILDER Online posed a provocative question: Can big homes be green? The answer, as with most things, is “it depends.” As everyone knows, there’s been a shift away from McMansions. Not only can they cost more to build, but they’ll also be more expensive to heat and cool — not to [...]

This week’s Builder Blog post examines what the next ten years will bring for building trends, practices and products. New ideas and technologies will be shaped by consumer needs and wants for the home, builder preferences and societal trends. The environment will have a say, as well; as our growing population requires more resources and [...]

The New Remodeling Rules WSJ – Personal Finance “According to an April 15 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, annual spending on remodeling is expected to accelerate this year, with nearly 5% growth over 2009. This year could produce the first annual spending increase for the industry since 2006, the [...]

Greenhaven. The name of this home is meant not only to evoke peaceful green glades but also reminds people of its green credentials. Greenhaven is located in Marietta, Ga., in the Chelsea Landing neighborhood. Chelsea Landing is the first green neighborhood in East Cob County. The design of Greenhaven homes was conceived by Pace Homebuilders. The “Green [...]

A recent Newsweek article by Cathleen McGuigan discusses the phenomenon of iconic architecture and experimental design that was fostered by the economic boom of the late 90s. Now, as we climb out of the recession, architects seem to have learned the lesson along with the rest of the population: bigger, more extravagant building isn’t always [...]