Despite what many believe, builders can construct homes that withstand tornadoes. Here's how.

How much land is enough? You never can tell, but don't despair - neither can Wall Street analysts or GIANTS such as Toll Brothers, the $2.3 billion luxury home builder based in Huntingdon Valley, Pa.

Perhaps most important, J.D. Power and most other customer satisfaction surveys miss the most critical factor of all because it's so hard to measure, and that is the impact of relationships.

Under a fun-focused management team that now owns the company, Professional Builder's 2004 Builder of the Year, John Laing Homes, is morphing into a new breed of home builder.

Your assets, including your brand, present opportunities that you might not be realizing.

Builders faced with a permit fee hike might want to resist the urge to rush in plans before it takes effect.

From CEO Larry Webb to the last employee on the organization chart, John Laing Homes (or WL Homes as it officially was known then) went through a difficult first half of 2001.

Set the bar high and understand which steps, people and skill sets are needed to reach it. Dedicate yourself and your associates to living the story you want told.

It has been compared to the video game SimCity, but at $4,995 a pop, CommunityViz 3-D simulation and modeling software is no toy.