Two Big Builder Failures Show We’re Not Yet Out of the Woods BUILDER “Just in the last few days, in a reminder of how treacherous home building remains, two of the biggest companies in the business have gone under. First, Minnesota’s Rottlund Homes, during its heyday the 40th largest builder in the country, announced that it would liquidate. [...]

In September, the National Association of Home Builders and First American introduced the Improving Markets Index, which utilizes a set of key indicators to identify housing markets poised to bounce back from the recession. According to NAHB.org, “The three indicators are employment growth (from BLS), house price growth (from Freddie Mac) and single family housing [...]

Hold the Salt BUILDER “But perhaps the coolest aspect of this luxury residence is its water story. In an area where fresh water is often scarce, it’s got the requisite low-flush toilets (which use salt water) and a side yard and third-floor deck outfitted with synthetic turf. To keep the natural landscaping healthy and prevent [...]

Usual growth leaders absent from recovery New York Times “Why has the job picture been so bleak in the current recovery? A large part of the problem can be traced to unusual weakness in two categories: construction jobs and government jobs.” 9 tricks for creating a super model HousingZone.com “Believe it or not, if you [...]

With the housing market continuing to decline it’s not difficult to guess at what keeps people from buying: it’s the economy, stupid! With people being laid off, working at reduced pay or worrying about getting laid off, fear is a powerful motivator for letting houses sit on the market. But it’s not the only thing. Over at [...]

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 [...]

The Price of Electricity Marketplace This interactive map shows average prices for residential and commercial electricity state by state. You can also compare 2011 prices to 2010 data. As pointed about by Daily 5 Remodel, Hawaii, Connecticut and New York are consistently expensive and North Dakota and Idaho are consistently the least expensive. Check out [...]

8 best-selling home designs HousingZone.com “What makes a home a best-seller? Price, location, and amenities are important, but design can make or break a sale. Buyers can tell if a floor plan flows well and takes advantages of views and sightlines. They’re turned off by wasted space — rooms that will never be used and [...]

Gathering Strength: The Healthiest Markets for 2011 Builder Online “The year’s list of the top 20 markets contains many of the same markets from last year, though we have a new leader of the pack. Housing markets in Texas and the Carolinas, where homes are relatively inexpensive, and where price appreciation didn’t get completely out [...]

Foreclosures fell 26% in Dec., but 2010 filings set a record USA Today “The pace of foreclosures has slowed since revelations that thousands of foreclosure documents may have been improperly prepared, but for all 2010, almost 2.9 million U.S. properties received foreclosure filings, a record high, and up 2% from 2009.” 7 down payment assistance [...]