Susan Bady | ProBuilder

Susan Bady

Susan Bady has been writing about the housing industry for 30 years. She is senior editor of Professional Builder and Custom Builder magazines, and produces the Design Innovation e-newsletter. Bady has also written for such consumer magazines as Cabin Life and Better Homes and Gardens’ Home Plan Ideas.

RELATED STORIES

Multifamily

Inward-Focused Design Promotes Social Interaction

Focusing a project inward can help residents make important connections with one another

The Design Side

Blight Fighter: The Other Bill Pulte

How Bill Pulte's grandson is grappling with helping rid Detroit of its urban blight

Derelict Detroit housing; Photo: Flickr user Stan Wiechers (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Planning + Development

Manifest Density: Maximum Value With High-Density Detached Homes

High-density detached housing offers maximum value on small lots

The Design Side

Tiny-House Lovers, Take Heart

There's a market for tiny homes—and it's growing, with more tiny house options available

Front facade of the Mini Lotus tiny house by Blu Homes, in Vallejo, Calif.

Outdoor Living

Outdoor Spaces Go Upmarket

The homes show how well-designed exterior living enhances a new home’s appeal in all types of climates

Modern home outdoor living space with large openings, summer kitchen, and koi pond

The Design Side

On Trend: 8 Real-Estate Trends for 2016

Midwest residential trends reflect national developments. Here's a look at the top eight trends for the coming year.

In 2016, we'll see a revamping of the traditional game room as builders look for new ways to differentiate their product

The Design Side

The Hollywoodization of Residential Architecture

As viewers, we primarily focus on the actors and storyline of the movies we watch, but buildings are often essential for setting the scene and heightening mood. So what about the way Hollywood treats architecture in movies?

Design

Universal Principles: Five Key Trends in 55+ Housing

Five trends show how universal design is reaching beyond mobility to embrace walkability, wellness, and community connections

Universal principles are showcased in these winners of the 2015 NAHB Best of 55+ Housing Awards

The Design Side

Modernism Flourishes in North Carolina

North Carolina, I recently learned, has the third largest concentration of Modernist houses in the United States. And there's a design competition especially for these homes.

The Aiyyer residence won first place in the 2015 George Matsumoto Prize design competition for Modernist homes in North Carolina.

Modular Homes

9 Reasons to Go Modular

With today's technology, modular homes can be built in any style, and completion time for a home can be reduced by up to 50 percent

Built with a proprietary steel core, Karoleena’s homes in Okanagan falls, B.C., are extremely strong.

New Urbanism

Traditional Neighborhood Development: Past, Present, and Future

Involving the public, addressing affordability, and embracing product diversity are some of the lessons learned from successful New Urbanism. We look at how the most successful communities get it right

A single-family home at NorthSky at RidgeGate, a traditional neighborhood development

The Design Side

Regarding the Bungalow

Across the U.S., the bungalow is an enduring and well-loved house type—and for good reason

Business Management

Collaboration: Forming Effective Partnerships in Design

The team approach to designing a community results in a more cohesive result—and one that’s often more creative

Teamwork on design_collaboration on design_interior_Victory at Verrado development_Buckeye, Ariz.

The Design Side

Lean Lessons From the New Urbanism

Small, infill multifamily projects like this one exemplify the tenets of Lean Urbanism, a growing movement that was born out of New Urbanism...

Small, infill multifamily projects like this one by nderson|Kim Architecture & Design, in Chico, Calif., exemplify the tenets of Lean Urbanism.

The Design Side

Get Ready—the Millennials Are Coming

If the Boomers were a tidal wave, the Millennials are a tsunami—there are 92 million of them, compared with 77 million Boomers. The...

The Design Side

Good Design, Good Vibrations

I have a talent for stating the obvious, so I might as well tell you right now that when I visit a well-designed community, it just feels...

The Design Side

The Custom Side of Manufactured Housing

I sang the praises of Grass Valley, Calif., in an earlier blog, so I might as well give up my secret: my wife and I are planning to move...

An example of a single-family manufactured home in California.

Multifamily

Downtown Delights: Urban Infill Housing

Urban infill housing continues to follow a growth trajectory as builders seek out locations that are close to life’s necessities

urban infill housing rooftop decks at Little Falls Place, Bethesda, Md.

The Design Side

Think Smaller: Singles as an Emerging Niche for Home Builders

With their laser focus on the 55-and-older market, I wonder if home builders and developers might be overlooking an emerging niche: singles ...

Little homes like those by Four Lights Tiny House Co. fill a key market niche

The Design Side

Smart homes versus smart gadgets

The cover story of Time’s July 14 issue is a 39-page special report, “The Smarter Home.” Naturally, I had to read it. There’s a lot of talk...

The Design Side

My ideal home office

A recent blog post on the Estes Builders website got me thinking about what my ultimate home office would look like. I’ve been working from...

The Design Side

Great books for home design

Back to the Cabin: More Inspiration for the Classic American Getaway. This companion piece to 2001’s “The Cabin” is a collection of 37...

The Design Side

Don’t let setbacks get you down

I’ve been talking to builders lately about coping with tight lot setbacks. Some build in the city, where it’s commonplace to see a new home...

The Design Side

Home as the realm of the senses

Remember when interior designer Carole Eichen coined the term “merchandising” to describe her approach to model homes? I’m not sure how many...

The Design Side

Mid-century modern stirs passions

Where do you stand on mid-century modern design? Do you love it or hate it? In the San Francisco Bay area, a resurgence of interest in...

Kephart Community: Planning: Architecture in Denver

Home Builders Institute's Schools to Skills Grant Application Open Through December

As Mortgage Rates Rise, Buyers Lose Purchasing Power

Renters Are Choosing Single-Family Homes for These Features