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Glidehouse Is a Prefab That's Sleek, Modern
Marin County, CA-based architect Michelle Kaufmann designed the prefabricated Glidehouse in response to the state's affordable-housing crisis. The factory-built modular home aims to merge the indoors and outdoors with a wall of glass, and several eco-friendly features allow owners to cut energy costs. These features include gliding sunshade panels, which give the home its name; durable bamboo floors; and a proprietary insulation system that recycles 30% of the energy used by the home owners. Buyers will shell out about $120 per square foot for the Glidehouse, which ranges in size from one to four bedrooms. Kaufmann is currently working on models that encompass two or three stories in an attempt to meet the needs of the urban market. The Glidehouse is nearly 90% complete when it arrives at the construction site, and the buyers must ensure that the land and foundation, utility connections and kitchen appliances are waiting. "This is the first real example of a new breed of house which really marries an architect design solution with all the benefits of factory production," remarks Fabprefab.com editor Michael Sylvester. "It's subtle, it's accessible and it's affordable." (www.miami.com)
Miami Herald (06/13/04) P. 22H; Boatman, Kim
The New Housing Market — And How to Make the Most of It
Though most experts do not foresee a housing-market crash over the next five or 10 years, buyers are expected to encounter higher interest rates and weaker price gains. Interest rates will rise from historical lows, although they are not forecast to reach the double-digit levels of the 1980s. More and more buyers are opting for riskier adjustable-rate mortgages to cushion the blow, but many still will be priced out of the market. Some observers believe housing could take a hit from the rental market as a growing number of buyers put homeownership on hold and instead take advantage of deals offered by landlords, many of whom experienced hard times in recent years as renters turned to homeownership. Price gains, meanwhile, are expected to weaken and fall more in line with income growth. As for the aging population, experts anticipate stronger second-home sales in the near future — especially in the traditional retirement havens of Florida, Texas and Arizona — but sellers could find it difficult to unload McMansions as baby boomers scale down to more modest dwellings. Immigrants and minorities are expected to drive the housing market, and many will have access to homeownership if lenders continue to ease underwriting guidelines and provide innovative loan products. Furthermore, housing inventory continues to be constrained by the lack of developable land and environmental regulations; and while price gains remains strongest in areas with a limited supply of homes for sale, these markets will likely be hardest hit during a downturn. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (06/14/04) P. R1; Barta, Patrick
Noise Limits for Builders Postponed
Earlier this week, a group of nearly 100 home builders convinced a majority of Port St. Lucie, FL, council members to postpone action that would restrict construction hours within city limits. The builders cited the fact that they have initiated a public information campaign to help ensure workers are not disruptive to the neighborhoods in which they are building in as the reason for the delay. Under the proposed law, no commercial or residential construction would be allowed to occur on Sundays or legal holidays. Residents making home repairs and city employees working on projects would be exempt. Councilman Christopher Cooper was dismayed by the decision to postpone. One of the ordinance's most vocal supporters, Cooper responded, "This ordinance isn't designed to take food off anyone's table. It still gives you 63 hours a week to work." A compromise that would restrict all noisy work to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. weekdays and 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays is possible; current laws allow such work to proceed seven days a week from 7 a.m. to sundown, with builders arguing in favor of this status quo. (www.palmbeachpost.com)
Palm Beach Post Online (06/15/04)
Panels Gain Favor in Construction
Structural insulated panels (SIPs) are being used in more and more commercial and residential construction. The panels resemble large wooden sandwiches and consist of polystyrene foam insulation stuffed between two panels of oriented strand board. SIPs can be manufactured in a wide array of shapes and sizes to fit design and building needs. The panels can then be linked together, kind of like toy Lego building blocks, to form everything from walls to floors to ceilings. Due to the fact that they fit together so tightly, less energy is required to heat or cool a home or building. Cabaniss Construction founder Larry Cabaniss remarks, "It's an Igloo cooler. In a SIPs house, you can go up in the attic in the summer and go to sleep." Another advantage is the fact that SIP structures can be constructed faster and with less labor than traditional building methods. (www.timesdispatch.com)
Richmond Times-Dispatch (06/13/04) P. F1; Yellig, John
Industry Questions State-Run Storm Water Inspections
The New Mexico Environment Department (NMED) will shell out over $1 million per year — $550,000 of which will come from the state and the remainder from federal grants — to run the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System program. The money will pay for state inspectors to ensure that builders comply with federal storm water runoff limits. Permits from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for commercial or residential development on more than one acre are presently free, but contractors are concerned that permit fees will be imposed to cover costs when the state assumes responsibility for the program. Once in control, NMED hopes to manage water quality on its own and alter the program to fit state needs. According to Golden Associates' Bob Goodman, "A storm water plan for one acre could cost anywhere from $1,200 to $4,000 and that would be passed onto the home buyer." The Rio Grande Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors is launching an educational campaign regarding upcoming changes in the permit program. (www.msnbc.com)
MSNBC (06/13/04) O'Hara, Sean
More Than Empty-Nesters Flock to Carriage, Patio Homes
Empty nesters often flock to carriage homes — also called patio homes or villas — because they offer an open floor plan and the convenience of having plum amenities on a single level. At the Adams Crossing development in Adams, PA, 60 carriage homes are clustered in groups of four and feature lofty ceilings, gourmet kitchens, breakfast bars, a laundry area and master-bedroom suite on the first floor and a great room complete with a fireplace and loft. The 2,500-square-foot dwellings are priced at $285,000 or more. Though one-level homes are usually geared toward retirees, they are attracting more and more young couples and singles without children. "It's amazing how many people in their 30s and 40s feel they're buying their last home and are preparing to live in them forever," remarks Pat Self, a Pennsylvania realty professional. Many are drawn to carriage homes for their maintenance-free lifestyles, as snow removal and landscaping tasks are handled by the home owners association for a monthly fee. (www.shns.com)
Scripps Howard News Service (06/14/04) McKay, Gretchen
Builders Fight Bush Plan on Low-Cost Housing
Since the failure of legislation that would have beefed up oversight of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, HUD has proposed a rule that would gradually boost the number of low-income mortgages that must be bought by the firms each year from 50% of their total purchases today to 57% by 2008. The National Association of Home Builders, the National Association of Realtors® and the Mortgage Bankers Association are among the industry groups that oppose the regulation and are planning to submit a comment letter to HUD and several key lawmakers. They believe the rule inadvertently could hike costs for middle-income borrowers if the government-sponsored enterprises are forced to cut their purchases of middle-income loans in order to meet the new low-income threshold. In addition to imposing stricter terms on mortgage lenders that sell loans to the GSEs, the rule could jeopardize the Federal Housing Administration program if the GSEs limit their purchases to lower-income borrowers with more favorable credit ratings, leaving the FHA with the weakest performers. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (06/17/04) P. A4; Hagerty, James R.
Homes for Sale: Wooded Lots, Great Views, Logging Optional
Timber companies in Washington state, Northwest Florida and other areas of the country are promoting "forest reserve" communities where buyers can purchase a small tree farm, build their dream home on it and either preserve the timber or sell it for profit. For example, Weyerhaeuser Co.'s McKenna Forest Reserve in Pierce County, WA, offers 20-acre lots for $140,000 to $250,000, 80% of which already have been sold. The land retains its forestry zoning designation when it changes hands, so buyers need to obtain residential permits from the county and install septic systems, water wells and other essential infrastructure. However, the contract prevents buyers from developing more than one acre of each lot. Similar farmsteads are being marketed by St. Joe Co. in Leon, Wakulla and Gadsden counties in the Florida Panhandle, ranging from five to 15 acres each. Some tree farmers and environmentalists oppose these communities, insisting that they cast a deceptively favorable light on logging practices and encourage development in forested areas. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (06/16/04) P. B1
Anti-Mold Industry Grows With Debate About Damage
Home owners worried about mold can spend anywhere from $10 to $2,000 on testing, ranging from visual inspections and air sampling to do-it-yourself kits and mold-sniffing canines. Supporters of mold testing believe early detection can reduce remediation costs, which surpass $100,000 in the most serious cases. Others attribute the testing frenzy to class-action lawsuits with hefty payouts. Most mold infestations can be blamed on leaky pipes or sudden bursts, but shoddy construction that leads to moisture buildup also can be the culprit. Though the fungus has been linked to asthma, allergies and other respiratory illnesses, recent research by the Institute of Medicine failed to find a connection to cancer, memory loss, fatigue and other health problems. However, some experts do not believe the results of the study will put an end to home owners' concerns. (www.denverpost.com)
Denver Post (06/17/04) P. C1; Arellano, Kristi
VoIP Reduces Costs, Boost Productivity
Small businesses can benefit from Voice-over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology in terms of productivity gains and cost-savings. However, owners of small companies are hesitant to embrace the technology because their existing phones still work, and they do not want to deal with the hassles that oftentimes accompany new systems. Many VoIP systems can be integrated with the e-mail, customer relationship management (CRM) and accounting applications already in place, and vendors can make the transition easier by implementing them in phases. Avaya IP Office-Small Office Edition is one such product geared toward small businesses, which works with analog, digital and IP-based phones. The $1,900 system easily integrates with content-management and e-mail systems, as well as various software applications, and even permits incoming calls to open applications and retrieve customer information. (www.crn.com)
Computer Reseller News (06/14/04) P. A13; Ohlhorst, Frank J.
Reusable Paper: It's Here!
With Secap's Re-Writeable medium, users can print, erase and reuse the same sheet over 1,000 times. The paper-like material needs no inks or toners, and its accompanying desktop printer simultaneously erases and re-images documents. The Re-Writeable medium — which is both waterproof and dust-free — should help companies cut down on paper usage and eliminate the need to shred confidential papers. Pilot studies are presently underway in Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Miami and the District of Columbia. (www.os-od.com)
Office Solutions (06/04) Vol. 21, No. 3, P. 19
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