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.
Builders faced with a permit fee hike might want to resist the urge to rush in plans before it takes effect.
Demand remains strong, though first-time affordability, tech toys and demographic changes beckon competitive builders.
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.
A new study from market researcher The Freedonia Group forecasts that U.S. demand for kitchen and bath countertops will grow more than 2% annually to 467 million square feet in 2007.
If you haven't seen your planned tax refund turn into a tax payment, be patient. Your time will come. Virtually every method you have used to reduce your federal income tax works against you under the AMT.
