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At more than 2,000 square feet, the spacious, ranch-style Kingsley is perfect for small lots. It's also affordably priced, at between $128,000 and $160,000. So it is little wonder why [...]

Re-creating the classic architecture of 1920s American homes is a tough nut to crack, but Simonini Builders took on that challenge and more at Heydon Hall, the firm's latest high-end [...]

Green building, loosely defined as building with reduced environmental impact, continues to grow in importance in the home building industry. Once the practice of boutique builders willing and nimble enough [...]

Everyone knows that good design sells. But is having a solid floor plan with strong elevations in a well-planned community enough if five other builders in your market have those [...]

Remember 'Wayne's World' from Saturday Night Live? Wayne and his buddy Garth did an underground television program from Wayne's basement, and Wayne frequently offered half-baked ideas that prompted Garth to [...]

The Home Builders Institute is offering a five-part sales and marketing course in conjunction with Professional Builder magazine. The first part of the course provides readers with an overview of the basics of marketing and sales management. One of the course's objectives is to teach readers how to interpret market information to better decide when and where to build houses. Other objectives include teaching how to develop market plans and budgets, how to identify appropriate on-site sales and marketing techniques and how to leverage the benefits of buyer service programs., The right marketing information is the foundation your business needs to ensure home sales in the future. Welcome to the first installment in the HBI sales and marketing course. In [...]

Many custom builders are realizing the value of using showrooms to display their products. Showrooms have showcase a custom builder's design concepts and their product selection. Showrooms have become especially useful in marketing decorative plumbing and bathroom products. To develop their own showrooms, custom builders should forge alliances with product suppliers and should carefully evaluate their target customers' needs., Showrooms specializing in decorative plumbing and hardware for discriminating homebuyers are adding new merchandise and services - not to mention getting downright competitive. In many cities today, custom homebuyers are [...]

Consultant David B. Wolfe, Wolfe Resources Group, Reston, Va., recommends that builders who are interested in selling to seniors take a good hard look at market realities. 'To understand older [...]

Modular housing will become more important to builders' efforts to cut costs and improve construction time. Modulars are slowly beginning to penetrate new geographical markets and niches. There is disagreement [...]

You know the benefits of hiring a professional builder/remodeler, but, unfortunately, many consumers don't. Flashy, fly-by-nighters who offer low prices may get them to sign a contract with little thought [...]

Prevailing wisdom holds that builder-oriented yards must target D-I-Yers and remodelers to survive the housing slump. Indeed, a balanced and diversified customer base has been prescribed as a cure-all for [...]

The best new home salespeople of the 1990s may not be selling houses today. They may not even be in sales. But almost certainly, they are not builders. That's because [...]

The Geneva is a rare home, indeed, because it doesn't feature a lot of extras. That's because the extras are considered standard, not add-on options. 'The Geneva provides buyers with [...]

Whitaker Homes enjoys a give-and-take relationship with St. Louis-area homebuyers. The latter share their must-haves, and Whitaker gives them their preferred layout at a reasonable price. 'St. Charles County market [...]

Bozzuto Homes, Inc. designed the Faulk plan at King Farm with empty nesters and seniors in mind. Bozzuto had been a traditional apartment-building company that moved into the condominium business [...]

The Willow, one of five home plans Centex Homes is offering at Settler's Grove and Settler's Meadow in the Seattle area, has taken the market by storm. This 2,023-square-foot home [...]

It's the house that Jane and John Doe built. Plan 601 at Autumn Glen in Moreno Valley, Calif., wasn't the result of an architect sitting at his desk, rendering his [...]

It's the floor plan that goes by two names. For years, the award-winning 'Cornell' had been one of Toll Brothers' best-selling models. Then, seven years ago, this builder redesigned the [...]

'It fits the needs of homebuyers in Minnesota,' states Annisa Olsson Jones, marketing manager of Centex Homes' Minnesota Division, explaining the popularity of the Whitfield. 'The floor plan's innovative design [...]

The 2,312-square-foot Cantabria has created quite a stir among West Coast buyers for its unique layout. The home is actually a 'split-level' design, which inspired its local nickname: the 'upside-down' [...]

Columbus, Ohio, homebuyers know the value of a dollar. They want value in their homes, which explains why the Shenandoah from Beazer Homes is a best-seller. 'This plan is offered [...]

The Wexford offers homebuyers true Southern hospitality. 'The family room and kitchen make the Wexford a truly great home for families and entertaining,' says C. Matthew Dooley, architect for Ryland [...]

The Lillington at Heydon Hall in Charlotte, North Carolina, has been a best seller for numerous reasons, according to Alan Simonini, president, chief operating officer and director at Simonini Builders, [...]

The 20 largest builders in the country build homes in 84 metropolitan areas. The average top-20 GIANT builds in 23 metro areas, and most of these GIANTS are looking to [...]

Ever hear of Harry Beckwith? Maybe you've read one of his books, Selling the Invisible and The Invisible Touch, or listened to one of them on tape. Harry tells great [...]

We have defined, proposed, dissected, budgeted and planned the implementation of adding design to build. Marketing and selling the new service is the next step. Is there anything special about [...]

If you've ever tuned to The History Channel, MTV, Fox News or just about any other cable channel, you've seen the work of Robin Fisher Roffer, brand strategist. She tells [...]

Home builders should be aware of the unique needs of buyers from various immigrant and minority groups. Quite often, adjustments have to be made in product design and marketing strategy. The Chinese are a case in point. Members of the Chinese community often demand designs that are in line with Feng Shui and prefer sales people who are sensitive to the needs of their families. As a rule, builders should recall that members of each community tend to have very different views of what constitutes a good home. Tips for dealing with Asian, Hispanic and Pacific Islander home buyers are given., Growth in immigration and minority groups challenges home builders to rethink product design and marketing strategies. As the 1990s draw to a close, U.S. immigration is reaching record levels and [...]

Main Street Homes built the Steeplechase community on affordable land south of Austin in Kyle, TX. Steeplechase features homes built on lots averaging 60 by 130 ft with prices of $68,900 to $82,000. Being the only rural-flavored community between Austin and San Antonio, TX, Steeplechase targets first-time buyers with affordable prices resulting from good relationships with trade contractors. Main Street features flexible space, such as a home-office option, and vaulted ceilings, TV niches and artistically-shaped windows which give the homes a more interesting and attractive look., How do you turn renters into homeowners? This builder successfully markets low prices with a small-town atmosphere and assistance programs. Just south of Austin in Kyle, Texas, Main Street Homes [...]

Stone Mountain, GA-based Monarch Developments of Georgia has been using special promotions to boost its brand name awareness among local realtors. Monarch Developments' special promotions involves giving special cards to realtors who conduct business with the company. The special cards give points to realtors for each view, preview and closure of a sale which could earn them special discounts and promotion items., Realtors need to be reminded on a regular basis about what makes you special as a builder, and rewarded for their loyalty. Creative ideas that increase Realtor business run the [...]

New Cities Development Group's Tresor courtyard cluster housing in San Jose, CA, features affordable detached houses equipped with private backyards and side yards. New Cities, which has already sold 130 units, noted that city officials were so impressed with Tresor that they asked its architect to incorporate cluster housing in the city's zoning regulations. The units are priced from $260,000-$299,000., Detached cluster of houses are more inviting than townhouses for first-time buyers in San Jose. Building single-family detached houses at 10 units to the acre is enough to raise the [...]

Squires Homes built four model homes in Charlotte, N.C., to provide home buyers with more choices. Squires, which also offers eight plans per location and perceived-value extras, developed the model homes in 60 days. The houses were designed by VP Gonzalo Romero, cost less than $140,000 and feature different interior decorations. The houses are equipped with built-in cabinetry, fireplaces and entertainment centers., Disdain pre-selling in favor of a major grand opening event. Build four models when everyone else has only one. Include perceived value extras in the base price. In major urban [...]

Staff Reed Construction Media, a division of Reed Business Information that includes Professional Remodeler, Professional Builder and HousingZone.com, has launched the National Housing Quality Executive Council, a group of 29 [...]

It may feel as though the Gold Rush days of the last few years are over, but for any builder smart enough to know where to look for it, there's [...]

When markets go soft, the soft get tough. No, Vice Lombardi did not say that, but considering what's happening in today's marketplace, he might have. In fact, that's exactly the [...]

Staff More than 250 golfers participate in annual golf outing Illinois Association of Aggregate Producers (IAAP) conducted its annual golf outing recently at Piper Glen Golf Club and Panther Creek [...]

By Rick Heaston, R.A. Heaston and Co. Improve your sales with your senses. Remember 'Carnac the Magnificent,' Johnny Carson's fortune-telling alter ego? Carson wasn't the only one; I can predict [...]

By Bill Lurz, Senior Editor Texas Giant Wilshire Homes uses Burger King's customization strategy to sell houses. You're looking at the 3,315 square-foot Gunnison, Wilshire Homes' new model home at [...]

By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor As the market slows, builders get creative with incentives for Realtors and buyers. The slowing housing market has created new incentives for home builders to [...]

Mike Venetis, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Aurora, Ill. Solatube Tubular Skylights Mike Venetis www.solatube.com Although today's buildings rarely have enough natural light, it's possible to change that with [...]

By Paul Cardis, NRS Corp. How to turn customer information into sales With housing starts on the decline, home builders need to hustle just to stay even with last year's [...]

By John Rymer, New Home Knowledge John Rymer Customers do not always tell us about key underlying motivations for purchasing a new home. For example, I know that many people [...]

By Laura Butalla, Senior Editor Outdoor rooms become retreats for busy homeowners. Our lives get busier and busier. We don't have enough time to relax. Tension builds. People get sick. [...]

By Scott Sedam, True North Development A lesson in builder/supplier/trade relationships. A strange and sadly touching thing happened today. Our two family pets died within eight hours of each other, [...]

By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director For most builders, strategic planning entails sitting on the deck, frosty mug in hand, and daydreaming about what their company could be if they just [...]

By Paul Deffenbaugh, Editorial Director The easiest way to close a sale is to offer a discount. Telling a prospect that if he or she signs a contract this month [...]

By Matthew Phair Despite passage of funding bills, states still struggle to make ends meet. The year 2005 will go down in history as the year the financial dams broke. [...]

By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor With hundreds of builders as competitors, what makes your company stand out in the crowd? Builders across the country do a great job at what [...]

By Felicia Oliver, Senior Editor Research, referrals and resourcefulness help custom builders market on a shoestring budget. Custom builders are typically small builders, and budgets for expenses like marketing tend [...]