Hire Locally Will Become the Law in San Francisco New York Times “Under the ordinance, city contractors and subcontractors working on city-financed construction projects worth $400,000 or more would be required to hire at least 20 percent of their workers from San Francisco. The requirement will increase by 5 percent each year until it reaches [...]

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 [...]

A couple of interesting items on the Wall Street Journal’s “Developments” blog delve into recent data showing a huge drop in home sales based on last month’s data and what impact — positive or negative — the $8,000 homebuyer tax credit might have had. The first piece explores whether the tax credit might have been [...]

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 [...]

The Home-Buyer Tax Credit May Have Actually Worked Developments Blog by WSJ “Did the last round of the home-buyer tax credit have a bigger impact than analysts had previously anticipated? When it comes to new home sales, the answer may be yes. Consider that U.S. existing home sales ran at an estimated seasonally adjusted rate [...]

The big homebuyer tax credit expired on Friday, and many buyers, sellers, Realtors and builders scrambled to make sure people who sought to take advantage of the credit were able to. But was it the boon builders hoped it would be? Will construction and existing-home sales (and the remodeling work that comes with them) fall [...]

Tax Credits Make It Difficult to Interpret Housing Data WSJ.com Developments blog “The home buyer tax credit continues to complicate the task of figuring out what’s going on with underlying demand for homes. … After the tax credits expire, buyers will have less reason to rush. If interest rates start to rise from today’s unusually [...]

We’re big fans of building green around here. We know lots of you are too, so here’s a little inspiration to start off your week. Home Design Find recently profiled the Cold Spring Green Condos in Massachusetts. What makes these condos green? Let’s count the ways: Geothermal energy! Instead of using electricity to heat and cool, [...]

Contractors talk kitchen and bath trends Professional Remodeler “The National Kitchen and Bath Association predicts 2010 won’t see any dramatic or sweeping changes in terms of consumer tastes; traditional styles, dark colors and flexible faucets round out the top picks for remodeling projects. Remodelers can expect homeowners to be prudent, experts say.” California’s Tax Credit: [...]

New Lead Paint Law Effective April 22, 2010 Home Construction and Improvement “The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has new lead paint laws going into effect on April 22, 2010. The new lead paint laws require any renovation work performed on houses built before 1978 to be performed by a certified contractor. Obviously his new [...]