News

Recovery Watch

• Pending Homes Sales Rose Unexpectedly in July

  But National Association of Realtors’ chief economist thinks homes sales will remain soft for “months ahead.”

   

• Aggressive Marketing and Discounting Drive McBride Homes’ Success

  St. Louis-area builder positions itself as a housing “retailer.”

   

• When They Start Hiring Again, Builders Could Have Some Landmines to Step Over

  Noncompete and severance agreements, as well as potential discrimination issues, must be reconciled.

   

• Home Building 360: For Architects, Downturn is All About Survival

  Architecture firms have laid off workers, closed offices, and filed for bankruptcy protection as their builder clients have cut back or failed.

   

• Public Builder Earnings Roundup

  Financial news from Beazer, PulteGroup, Taylor Morrison, D.R. Horton, Ryland, Standard Pacific, MDC, M/I, Meritage, and Brookfield.

   

• Home Building 360: Product Suppliers Expect Housing Recovery to be Long, Slow

  Several companies are already looking beyond new-home construction for growth.

   

• 10 Best-Selling Master-Planned Communities

  RCLCO’s annual list highlights the building blocks of housing's new normal.

   

• NAHB Report: Home Builders Turning to Remodeling, Land Development in Downturn

  Nearly three-quarters of NAHB members built 10 or fewer single-family homes in 2009.

   

• Fledgling Builder Upstages Vegas Market

  Land acquisitions propel Harmony Homes, which now wants to grow by expanding to other states.

   

• Private Capital Gives Boost to California Startup Builder

  City Ventures, founded by former Olson Company executive, will focus on under-built coastal markets.