For small builders such as Parkwood Homes Ltd. of Gaithersburg, Md., the benefits of being among the first to build live/work units have far outweighed the significant risk of taking on a unique product.

As our grandfathers told us, “Trust is something to be earned. It’s not a right.”

In a recent Sears survey of 100 top home builders, 71% said home buyers ex-pressed interest in buying energy-efficient appliances.

At a firm as large as Huntingdon Valley, Pa.-based Toll Brothers Inc., which has more than 3,000 employees in 21 states, keeping connected is no small feat.

As wood floors are becoming standard in many new homes — rather than pricey upgrades or risky features from a sales and resale standpoint — unusual materials are becoming more popular as well.

It’s hard to do well — or even want to do — a job that is poorly defined, lacks clear measures for success and depends on information from others to complete.

What’s the greatest 'guy movie' ever made?

Sixty-one percent of buyers closed on their new homes on time.

The first line of defense against mold is preventing the entry of bulk water into building assemblies.