Blogs

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Lean Design

Simple makeover breathes new life into outdated design

The housing market has changed so drastically in the last few years that it can be difficult for builders to stay current with their plan...

Building Operations

Be like Mat: Go big

Comas :: 2 Broken bones :: 21 Surgeries :: 23 Concussions :: 100+ Stitches :: 300+ You don’t become the greatest vertical ramp...

Building Operations

Text Mex: Meet ‘em where they are

Would you ever use Twitter to announce your family dinner is being served? Ridiculous question, right? Wait. Hold that answer…. The...

Remodeling Insider

Echoes fuel remodeling resurgence

Remodelers, are you ready for more work? The Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) of Harvard University recently unveiled the report, ...

The Design Side

Glass House campus opens for tours

Art and architecture lovers, rejoice: Tour season is about to begin at architect Philip Johnson’s Glass House campus in New Canaan, Conn....

Building Operations

Confessions of a bilingual construction guy

His candor surprised me. I’ve never had anyone actually admit it. But there it was. In digital ink on the email in my Inbox. The...

Building Operations

The Inverse Golden Rule + 3 CYA tools when working with Hispanics

You know The Golden Rule, right? He who has the gold makes the rules. On the jobsite today, there is an inverse to The Golden...

The Lean Builder

Even Lean Is Local

It's said that home building is a local business. Regardless, you should still measure all of your costs

Lean Design

Check out this 1,860-square-foot charmer!

Like Reese Witherspoon in a romantic comedy, this house flat out exudes charm. It’s a simple ranch that hits all the key marketing hot spots...

The Design Side

Retirement rocks, if you can afford it

Active-adult communities sure have come a long way. We all know that the massive numbers of baby boomers hitting retirement age want to...

Building Operations

'I see dead people' + 3 other common sensibilities

An obstacle to better jobsite safety is the English-Spanish language gap. Here are three Spanish phrases you can use to communicate the obvious—but essential—on the jobsite

Hispanic jobsite accidents_jobsite safety_increase jobsite safety with these three Spanish phrases

The Design Side

Ideas for making small spaces live large

Seattle architect Ross Chapin has been designing and writing about small homes for 30 years. Examples of Chapin’s work can be found in...

Building Operations

Micro-fluency: Sí se puede!

Working at my second office yesterday (Starbucks), two latino twenty-somethings and their language choices caught my attention. They were...

Remodeling Insider

PR's 2013 40 Under 40 deadline extended to April 15

Professional Remodeler’s 40 Under 40 program is open to remodeling professionals in North America. Professional Remodeler is currently...

The Design Side

How much living space do we really need?

There’s an interesting article in the March 25 issue of Time magazine called “10 Big Ideas” (read the digital version here). Some of the...

Remodeling Insider

Are you a Market Leader?

Professional Remodeler wants to hear about remodeling companies who thrived in 2012. In the May issue of Professional Remodeler, we will be...

Lean Design

Hot elevation + Lean = Fast sales

The overriding principle of Lean Design is marketability. The winning combo is to make the home simple and efficient to build while having...

Quality Management

Quality is a companywide issue

Quality is not about tunnel vision, a focus only on the reduction of variation in production alone. Quality is no longer just about the...

Building Operations

Excuse me, sir…your PowerPoint sucks

Stop me if you’ve heard this before. Guy gets up to give a presentation. Self-deprecating intro. Well-dressed. Strong voice. He’s...

The Design Side

Investors buying to rent give the market a boost

An article in today’s Wall Street Journal shed light on investors who are buying foreclosed homes, fixing them up, and renting them out....

Remodeling Insider

Momentum gaining at IBS 2013

The past few years have been excruciating for the National Association of Home Builders’ International Builders’ Show. However, the falling...

Building Operations

Translation consternation

“I’ve got a 40-page company policy and about 40 Hispanic employees. Any advice when it comes to translation?” This question came at me...

The Design Side

More Americans courting indoor-outdoor living

The courtyard, an ancient concept for bringing natural light into homes while preserving privacy, is in full flower in America today as lots...

Courtyard living gains appeal with homebuyers

Building Operations

Communicate your vision like Amazon.com's CEO

Wanted: Woman who could get me out of a third world prison. This is how Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO of Amazon.com, articulated what he was...

The Design Side

Greening initiative serves twofold purpose

Last June, Retrofit Chicago’s Commercial Buildings Initiative was launched as part of the Obama Administration’s Better Buildings Challenge....

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