According to recently released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau, sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 2.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 546,000 units in May. This is the highest new-home sales rate since February 2008. The National Association of Realtors reported that the…
Your home is an investment, and the value of that investment is determined by the housing market. According to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker, nearly two-thirds of homeowners say they will invest in renovation projects this year. You can increase the value of your home as an…
The 2010 AVID Home Design Driver Research Survey showed that the majority of home buyers rated energy efficiency as a “Must Have” for their new homes. Although Boise and southwestern Idaho have some of the lowest power rates in the nation, home buyers still want their new homes to be…
The 2010 AVID Home Design Driver Research Survey provides some insight into what features today’s home buyers equate with a green home. AVID Ratings is a a leading provider of enterprise-level surveys specializing in the home building industry. The AVID survey studied the preferences of nearly 12,000 North Americans who…
The median size of new homes in the U.S. increased from just over 1,500 square feet in 1973 (the first year the Census Bureau began tracking new home size) to 2,309 square feet at its peak in 2007. The median size has declined almost 10% since then. Will the trend…
Are you considering purchasing a “fixer-upper” or remodeling your older existing home? Here is something to consider. Highly regarded throughout the 20th century, asbestos gained immense popularity because of its reluctance to conduct electricity and fire resistance qualities. Asbestos can appear in roof shingles, dry wall, attic insulation, popcorn ceilings,…
Last month by a 33 to 25 vote, the House Energy and Commerce Committee approved legislation that would limit greenhouse-gas emissions and create a national building code that completely supplants the national model code development process.Prior to consideration of H.R. 2454, the American Clean Energy Security Act, NAHB sent…
