April 1, 2008
Benefitting from Foreclosures
I've seen several items, including video on our own site, that offer information for builders and remodelers who want to buy foreclosed houses and resell them at a profit. From a financial point of view, it makes a lot of...Continue reading "Benefitting from Foreclosures"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 4:45 PM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2008
Is the End of the Bust in Sight?
Yesterday's news that sales of existing homes increased in February offers another bit of hope that the housing market is starting to recover -- or at least stabilize. Other indications include the Housing Market Index from the National Association of...Continue reading "Is the End of the Bust in Sight?"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 1:04 PM | Comments (2)
March 20, 2008
Green is Everywhere
Last week brought the announcement of yet another certification program for professionals in residential construction. This one, called ReGreen, comes from the American Society of Interior Designers. It follows the release of NAHB's National Green Building Program last month at...Continue reading "Green is Everywhere"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 1:37 PM | Comments (1)
March 14, 2008
The Narrowing Window of Opportunity?
Ever since the housing slowdown hit, the bright spot in the construction industry has been nonresidential building. Until very recently, it has been booming with the same enthusiasm as we saw in housing a couple of years ago. More than...Continue reading "The Narrowing Window of Opportunity?"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 4:01 PM | Comments (0)
March 4, 2008
The Cost of Doing Business
I had lunch today with Bob Gatton, a good friend who also writes for HGTVPro.com. Somehow we got to discussing how little attention some business owners pay to the numbers involved in running a business. Since Bob knows a lot...Continue reading "The Cost of Doing Business"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 3:28 PM | Comments (3)
February 25, 2008
Integrated Supply: Coming to a Distributor Near You?
During the first half of the 15 years I've spent writing about the residential-construction business, I worked for a magazine called Supply House Times. Its audience is wholesale distributors of plumbing and HVAC materials, as well as industrial piping for...Continue reading "Integrated Supply: Coming to a Distributor Near You?"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 2:47 PM | Comments (1)
February 21, 2008
The Whole World is Going Green
If you were at the International Builders' Show in Orlando last week and did not notice a huge emphasis on green building ... well, it reminds me of the joke, "If you remember the '70s, you weren't really there." Green...Continue reading "The Whole World is Going Green"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 10:40 AM | Comments (1)
February 11, 2008
Off to the International Builders' Show!
It's that time of year again. I leave tomorrow for the International Builders' Show in Orlando, where I'll get to see old friend and make new ones. The thing that has me really psyched, though, is the emphasis on green...Continue reading "Off to the International Builders' Show!"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 11:14 PM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2008
Modular Houses and Insurance
I learned something from some of the comments to my previous blog about Systems-Built Houses. It sounds like people who own them sometimes run into trouble getting homeowners insurance because insurers assume that a "manufactured" home is a trailer and...Continue reading "Modular Houses and Insurance"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 2:37 PM | Comments (11)
January 29, 2008
Systems-built Houses
It's hard to find information about systems-built houses. For one thing, it's not the catchiest term in the world, and it's not common outside the construction industry. If a homeowner wants information about a house other than stick-built, he's likely...Continue reading "Systems-built Houses"
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 3:16 PM | Comments (22)
