Building Business

Survey: 64% of Remodelers Expect Business to Increase in 2011

By all accounts, 2010 was a year of mixed signals for brands in the housing, construction and the building products sector. Despite conflicting indicators, remodelers are viewing the immediate short-term with renewed optimism. According to a new survey from Housingzone.com, 64 percent of remodelers expect business to increase during 2011, and only 15 percent expect it to decrease. This survey, conducted annually, found more optimism today than any point since the height of the housing boom! While acknowledging the uncertainty surrounding foreclosures, Housingzone.com states that positive economic indicators such increasing consumer confidence and slowly decreasing unemployment are playing strong roles in remodelers’ rosy outlooks. 

@NeilAndrewJames

The Coolest, Most Innovative Green Building Products of 2010

Winning market share in the building products industry isn’t that heard. Just converge stunning design, innovative thinking, strong utility and sustainable efficiency into a value unmatched by your competitors. Pretty easy, right? It was for these 16 products identified by Preston Koerner in the article for Jetson Green, 16 Green Building Innovations of 2010. Our favorites? PowerPly solar panels by Lumeta, Inc. are backed with an adhesive and are applied directly to the roof, reducing installation time and material costs. Plumen 001 light bulbs by Hulger last eight times longer than regular incandescents and saves 80 percent on energy bills. Especially cool is the eMonitor whole house energy monitor by PowerHouse Dynamics which provides electricity use, cost and carbon footprint information in real-time. 

@NeilAndrewJames

Green Builders Ignoring Recession as Business Soars

No different from any other industry, the construction sector overall has been affected by the current recession. Despite this fact, the green building market is on the rise - in a big way. As Earthandindustry.com reports in a new article, Despite Recession, Green Building Soars in U.S., green building represented 25 percent of all new construction activity in 2010 and that the value of green building construction starts was up 50 percent. And the growth spurt still expected to rise. Not only is it positive to know that green companies are thriving in this market, it will be a tremendous benefit to our environment. 

@JoniArtz

Consumers Growing Warier of Foreclosed Properties

In many cases, foreclosed properties epitomize the notion of “too good to be true.” The value proposition of a foreclosed home sold at a fraction of its market value dissipates quickly as homeowners discover the true extent of restoration costs. A new Trulia/Reality Trac survey, as chronicled by Alison Rice in her article for Builder Online, Americans Become More Wary of Buying a Foreclosed Home, finds that 81 percent of consumers believe there are downsides to purchasing a distressed property. Furthermore, an increasing number, 54 percent, acknowledge purchases of distressed properties as risky – up five percentage points from the last survey. This doesn’t mean builders can discard to threat to their business posed by foreclosures, however. Forty-nine percent were still “at least somewhat likely” to consider purchasing a distressed home, up four percentage points from the previous survey. 

@NeilAndrewJames

Seven Green Building Predictions for 2011

With each year, not only have green technologies grown, but so has consumer demand for sustainability. So where is green going next year? Mitchell Funk and the team at Green Building Pro has released their second annual list of green building predictions in the article Green Trends in 2011. Among their predictions, Green Building Pro foresees strong growth in Building Information Modeling (BIM) which provides designs for more sustainable buildings and helps optimize construction practices for efficiency. In addition, Green Building Pro predicts a wider variety of options for builders to finance energy efficient improvements, including new tax credits, utility rebates and state grants. 

@NeilAndrewJames