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Decrease in median home price from September 2005, the biggest year-over-year drop since December 1970.
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It's fairly routine to hear people grumble about how the media only report bad news. It's much less common that those people do something about it.
The third-quarter release of the Remodeling Activity Indicator (RAI) reflects a slowdown in the home improvement industry.
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Average price of a “typical middle-management home” (four bedrooms, 21/2 baths, family room, and two-car garage) in Minot, N.D., lowest of the 317 markets surveyed.
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Bethesda, Md., remodeler Mark Scott has noticed the spec housing market dying in his area. The owner of Mark IV Builders — who got his start in commercial construction and moved into spec homes before switching over to remodeling —knows from experience that many of those builders will turn to home...
The second-quarter report of the House Price Index (HPI) reveals another sign of a slowing housing market. Published by the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), the report shows that house prices appreciated 1.17% — more than one percentage point lower than the previous quarter...
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What distinguishes your company from the competition? The only thing no other remodeler can match is the unique experience that your company delivers.
The phones ring off the hook for about two weeks every fall at Phase II, says Rick Hjelm, president of the Lakewood, Wash., design/build company.
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Demolition releases toxic residues, wood dust can be carcinogenic, and building materials often contain cancer-causing formaldehyde. Ready to get to work?
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First impressions will always count, but final impressions are more likely to have an impact on referrals and repeat business.
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A year-end tally form measures performance and spurs friendly competition.
Remodelers don't usually think of aging-in-place modifications as a chance to upsell, but Dan Bawden does. Earlier this year, his Houston-area company, Legal Eagle Contractors, opened The Idea Center: a home remodeled into an office/showroom equipped with aging-in-place innovations, from the front...
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When Gehman Custom Remodeling got a flattering writeup in the The Philadelphia Inquirer last year, president Dennis Gehman opted for a more animated alternative to conventional reprints.
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Sometimes it pays to work with a headhunter to find highly qualified employees.
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I'm struggling with how much time to spend in the office vs. time in the field. Aside from cloning myself, how can I balance what feels like the need to be both places at once?
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For effective hiring, “You should have your campaign going all the time and try to snag folks even though you may not immediately need them,” says Mike Denker, vice president of Hopkins and Porter, in Potomac, Md.
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Finding good tradespeople “is difficult in a metropolitan area where success in the school system is defined as ‘percentage college-ready,' implying that those not college-bound are not successful,” says Jerry Liu, owner of DG Liu Contractor, in Kensington, Md.
Brothers Ethan and Chris Landis, owners of Landis Construction, had home offices for the first 13 years of their company's existence, and then had temporary offices adjacent to their current office for two years.
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Growing up, brothers Joel and Neil Kristianson couldn't have been more different. “We were four years apart … enough to make sure that all we did was bug each other and fight,” Joel says. Yet, years later, they're in business together as owners of Crimson Design & Construction, Naperville, Ill. —...
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Always be careful with pricing models and the impact of discretionary price reductions. What you want is for Johnny Sales Representative and Bobby Sales Representative to each be able to visit Mrs. Jones separately, price the same job, and come up with the same price for that job (subject, of...
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It's not rocket science, but it is a link between building science and diagnostic testing, says Walt Harwood of the new home-performance division he runs for Neil Kelly Designers/ Remodelers, in Portland, Ore. “We do it to create homes that are comfortable, durable, safe, and cost-effective.”
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AARP's Deborah Russell, director of workforce issues, and The Herman Group's workforce futurist Roger Herman offer these suggestions for hiring older workers.
Although the labor pool for the trades is tight, most remodeling companies wouldn't go looking for workers in the over–55 crowd. “But the maturity that comes with an older worker is particularly valuable in this field,” says Roger Herman, workforce futurist and CEO of The Herman Group. “In most...
Products from DeWalt, Timberland Pro, North Safety Products, and Elvex.
Remodeling Magazine staff picks the latest products..Bosch. Produced with Bosch's own carbide for quality and consistency, 78 new router bits have been added to the product line now spanning more than 550 bits. The new additions are useful in many applications, including cabinetry/joinery, straight...
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No matter its capability as a workhorse, starting the New Year with a dirty, dented, or rusty truck could leave clients thinking less of your ability to be careful and considerate of their own property. (Not to mention, your company logo is much more noticeable on a shiny, up-to-date vehicle.)...
Products from National Gypsum, Carlisle Coatings and Waterproofing, Georgia-Pacific, and MP Global Products.
Remodeling Magazine staff selects the best new tools. For effective jobsite clean-up in a small package, try the 2,200 psi Ultra Compact Pressure Washer (model HU80520), available exclusively at The Home Depot. The machine features a 11/8-inch tubular roll cage that protects the Q45 Briggs and...
Products from Bosch, Panasonic, and World Vision.
With the flip of a switch, the leading man dims the lights and the stereo plays mood music. Seem futuristic? Once just a movie fantasy, now home automation product manufacturers say on-demand control of lighting, audio, temperature, and more, is becoming more popular in the remodeling market.
Can reflective roofing materials help homeowners beat the heat?
If a tall glass of water containing dirt, metals, and bacteria doesn't sound refreshing to you, you're not alone. Though the Environmental Protection Agency and water suppliers regulate drinking water contaminant levels, tap water can contain traces of everything from lead and arsenic to waterborne...
Heat up your sales — and your clients — with radiant floor heating installations.
Wood-plastic composites are steadily chipping away at the pressure-treated wood market.