Ask America's top private home builders if going public is a good idea and you're likely to get a smile and a cryptic, "Not for us." Still, the debate rages — public v. private — and each side has plenty of arguing points. The public companies are on

The National Housing Quality (NHQ) Awards give the highest recognition in the housing industry for quality achievement. The NHQ Awards are sponsored by the NAHB Research Center and Professional Builder magazine. Entries are judged by panels of experts wh

Whether we are weathering a minor blip in home sales (like 2001) or the major housing market downturn many analysts have long expected (like 1991), only time will tell. Whichever it is, it's already profoundly affecting the home building company merger a

The public home builders' filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission show these companies made their best margins ever in 2005, even though they don't separate land profits from those made by building and selling houses. It will be a tou

These are the metrics used to score National Housing Quality award applicants. A list of winners dating back to 1993 is also included.

This month, we feature two markets that have strong job growth and excellent affordability: Austin and Salt Lake. Both markets are experiencing job growth in almost every sector of the economy (see chart included) and both markets have experienced very l

Thus far in 2006, sales per community are down in comparison to prior years in most markets around the country. Salespeople around the country can learn from the salespeople in Denver and Austin. Sales professionals in these two cities are generally the

BASF has constructed a new Better Homes, Better Planet: Near Zero Energy home in Paterson, N.J., that not only utilizes energy efficient and sustainable building practices, but also incorporates elements of universal design — features that make a h