Home Depot Adds to Perks for its Pro Loyalty Program
In another sign that the big home improvement chain is focusing on builders, it said it would be adding partner rewards to the program. Both Depot and its chief competitor, Lowe’s, continue to try to build out their pro programs by adding more benefits to members and this addition of partner rewards by Depot is […]
The Great American Home Buying Trend is Alive and Well
Even as the housing market continues to be slow, a new survey shows current homeowners will buy again. More than half of current homeowners — 52 percent — said they fully expect to be back in the market for another home sooner or later. And more than a fifth of those people — 22 percent […]
Congress Passes Builder-Friendly Bill, but Will It Be Signed Into Law?
The 21st Century Road to Housing Act passed both the House and the Senate last week and is headed to the president to be signed into law.
Berkshire Hathaway Doubles Down on its Home Business
Its acquisition of Taylor Morrison Home shows it believes the housing market will come back. It’s just not saying when. Under legendary leader Warren Buffett Berkshire Hathaway invested modestly in the home and home furnishings industry so industry observers wondered if his successor Greg Abel would continue along the same path. Last month he did. […]
Are Lumber Prices Stabilizing as 2025 Approaches?
New data suggests that pricing for lumber will be more predictable giving builders more confidence in pricing. Madison’s Lumber Reporter, the well-regarded source for pricing information, is forecasting more stability going forward for lumber producers and end-users. “Given that the macroeconomic indicators and specific factors affecting the lumber industry last year are well known,” Keta […]
Peel-It-Off Paint? It’s for Real Now with Unpaint
An accidental discovery led to the creation of what is the first temporary paint you can peel off the wall. For builders and contractors involved in finishing out interiors, painting those spaces was always subject to client’s ever-changing opinions and whims. Now that could be a thing of the past. A Colombian company called Glasst […]
Do 15-Minute Cities Represent the Future for Builders?
Mixed-use neighborhoods combining residential, commercial and recreational uses are another post-pandemic trend. Most American cities, particularly in areas outside of the older Northeastern portion of the country, are clearly demarcated into office, retail, residential, cultural and entertainment sectors but a new phenomenon growing out of the work-from-home movement of the pandemic is starting to take […]
New York State’s New Builder-Friendly Laws Could Be Model for Other States
They are not yet law, but a series of new legislations in New York State is designed to spur residential construction by builders. New York State is not always considered the most typical in the country, especially when it comes to what some view as archaic rules and regulations, particularly in building and development. But […]
What Does AI Mean for Builders?
AI – artificial intelligence software – and what it means is a big topic across the entire American economy… including contractors. If those two letters – AI – seem to be turning up in just about everything you’re reading these days, you’ve probably been wondering what exactly it means for the building trade. Associated Builders […]
Have Building Material Prices Peaked?
New data from the Producer Price Index suggests that costs are coming down on things like softwood lumber as part of an overall decline in material costs. The wild ride up in construction materials in 2023 may have peaked as the year ended and going into 2024 we could see some declines in those costs, […]