Thoughts on the housing market, discounts, incentives and speculative buyers.

Builders participating in the most recent Harvard Distribution Study significantly downplayed the contribution that improved operating efficiencies have had on their bottom line growth. Yet it's precisely those efficiencies that might end up helping pull

My partners and I are in a fascinating line of work. Every day we get to talk to interesting people from across the country about what's going on in our industry. Here're some things we've run across lately that may help you on the HR side.

The sizes of newly constructed homes have grown significantly over the last 30 years. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the number of new homes with 2,400–2,999 square feet has grown 75 percent.

What began as a predicted 5 percent slowdown for 2006 has now passed 10 percent nationwide and may reach 15 percent, or more. Some of the nationals are really hurting, with one of the Top 10 builders reporting sales down 45 percent as of August. With a n

In many ways, the current housing market slowdown is similar to what happened between 1990 and 1992, although that one had a national economic recession to deepen it. We've avoided that this time — so far.

There are two kinds of salespeople today: those who don't know how to sell at all and those who do but haven't had to do it for years — and when you don't exercise professional salesmanship, those skills erode.

The Gulf Coast housing crisis created by Hurricane Katrina is churning up innovation on a broad scale, and the solutions taking shape in Louisiana and Mississippi may eventually land at your door, wherever you do business.

Toll Brothers Chairman Bob Toll talks about the current housing envrionment and how he is positioning Toll Brothers for what he believes will be a re-ignition of the housing boom.