Picture It: Yosemite, Palm Springs in China
In China, American-themed housing developments are becoming popular among local buyers who equate success with the U.S. lifestyle. In fact, French Center for the Study of Contemporary China Director Jean-Pierre Cabestan says the United States has had more influence on the country's development than the European nations. Rather than the typical cramped apartment shared by numerous relatives, homes in China's new America-themed communities have as many as three stories and five bedrooms in addition to lawns, swimming pools, tennis courts and other amenities previously uncommon to the country's housing market. The developments even mimic American city names — including Palm Springs, Orange County, Villa Yosemite and Lane Bridge Villas.Even though most of China's population earns less than $900 annually, some of these Americanized dwellings boast price tags of more than $700,000. (www.usatoday.com)
USA Today (07/02/03) P. 6D; Lynch, David J.
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Engineer Advocates Using Earth Energy
Brian Beatty and his wife Margaret Black have not only advocated the use of geothermal systems in home building, but have also shown that it is a viable alternative by using the system in their own home. Beatty, an engineer and hydrogeologist, has been advocating the use of earth energy across Canada. The geothermal system in their house uses a well that is 400 feet deep, which circulates six gallons of water a minute through a heat pump, providing the heating and cooling for the house. The windows on the house, which face the south and west, are designed to let in certain amounts of sunlight during specific seasons of the year. The couple says the geothermal system did add additional expense to the construction of their house, but the cost was recovered in energy savings within five years. (www.thestar.com)
Toronto Star (06/28/03) P. L14; Dexter, Brian
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Life's a Permanent Vacation at Themed Retirement Communities
The newest trend in retirement communities is "theming," whereby builders recreate the Wild West, Southern plantations, vacation resorts, nature retreats and other eras or regions. Besides the themed events and activities — such as cowboy cookouts and horseback riding at a Western community in Overgaard, AZ — retirees also enjoy high-speed Internet, top-quality kitchens, fitness centers, golf courses and other upscale features and amenities. "What these builders are selling is a lifestyle," remarks Retirement Living Information Center Inc. President E. Thomas Wetzel. However, prospective buyers are urged to do their homework and make sure the rules and regulations, as well as the services and activities, meet their needs and expectations. "A theme-park atmosphere might be great for a vacation, but you might not want to live there," warns "50 Fabulous Planned Retirement Communities for Active Adults" author Robert Greenwald. (www.orlandosentinel.com)
Orlando Sentinel (06/29/03) P. J19; Vann, Korky
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Tax Breaks for Low-Cost Homes OK'd
Officials in Orange County, CA, recently approved a plan that will exempt affordable-housing developers from property taxes. Supervisor Chris Norby argued that developers should be forced to pay one-time fees to cover public services, but he faced opposition from officials who worried that low-income residents would ultimately shoulder the costs. The cash-strapped county could pay $20 million over the next five decades for the tax exemptions under the plan, which has been an unofficial policy for years but will now be formally adopted. (www.latimes.com)
Los Angeles Times (07/02/03) P. B3; Pfeifer, Stuart
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City's Plan for Housing a Success, Says Menino
Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino has proclaimed his Leading the Way initiative a success. Menino announced that the program — which aims to construct and preserve housing — has surpassed its goal of 7,500 new units, with 7,726 residential construction permits issued in the past three years. The city promised to provide low- and middle-income households with 2,100 units, nearly 90% of which target families of four earning no more than $64,000. In addition, 3,100 federally subsidized apartments were saved; and 1,032 public housing units have been rehabilitated since the program's inception in October 2000. According to Citizens' Housing and Planning Association Executive Director Aaron Gornstein, "It is making a dent, and it does show that when people pull together and when there is strong political leadership and government funding, a lot can be accomplished." However, Charlotte Golar Richie of Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development says 15,000 people continue to wait for public housing; 6,000 city residents are still homeless; 40% of renters spend more than 30% of their earnings on housing; and many families making under $20,000 set aside 50% or more of their incomes for rent. Menino soon will discuss new strategies to improve the housing crisis with real estate professionals and housing advocates, many of whom believe that developers should pay more to opt out of affordable housing rules requiring them to set aside 10% of their units for low-income residents as well as construct housing on foreclosed and city-owned parcels. (www.boston.com/globe)
Boston Globe (06/28/03) P. B1; Greenberger, Scott S.
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City Looks to Boost Small-Lot Building
Officials in Portland, ME, have submitted a proposal that would facilitate construction of single- and multifamily homes on 200 or so undersized lots in the downtown area in an attempt to increase the housing supply and curb sprawl. The ordinance would permit development without zoning changes on lots smaller than 10,000 square feet, provided that all other requirements are met. Under current zoning rules, the city council would have to grant special permission — a process that can prolong the approval process by as many as six months. Though some residents are worried about the loss of parking lots to housing, supporters of the plan say alternative parking is certain to replace any lost car lots. Other residents believe the infill development will not complement existing structures, but Bayside Neighborhood Association Chairman Ronald Spinella contends that smaller setback requirements should eliminate those concerns. (www.pressherald.com)
Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram Online (07/01/03) Bouchard, Kelley
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KB Home Ending Binding Arbitration Rule in Some Home Warranties
KB Home has scrapped a provision that bound both the company and home buyers to decisions made by arbitrators. Though the company still will be bound to the results of arbitration, home owners in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and Utah now will have the option to sue if they are dissatisfied with the arbitrator's ruling. Buyers who complete home purchases after July 21 can choose 10-year or 12-year warranties, with the binding arbitration provision absent from only the 10-year policies. The company says the change was neither mandated by the Federal Trade Commission nor the result of a pending lawsuit filed by a home owner in Texas, who claims the binding arbitration clause is illegal and cannot be enforced but rather, as a KB spokesperson phrased it, a voluntary change meant to "reflect the way we conduct our business every day." (www.ap.org)
Associated Press (07/01/03) Veiga, Alex
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Plugging Into the Sun
Photovoltaics (PV), a solar technology that transforms sunlight into electricity, is gaining momentum. While once relegated to off-the-grid homes and rural locales, PV is getting a boost from such residential regional and national builders as US Homes, Shea and Pardee — which are introducing the technology into suburban markets. PV systems also are gaining in popularity because of tax incentives and rebates offered by a number of state governments and also because of electric-utility deregulation, which lets home owners receive credits on their power bills for selling their leftover electricity to the utility company. The technology has not been widely adopted, though, because of regional climate differences, the lack of recognition and the costs involved. To determine if a PV system is a worthwhile investment, home owners must consider the system size, amount of sunlight in their area, electricity costs and state incentives. They can easily pay for a system, save money and reap the benefits of tax-deductible interest with a home-equity loan. The system would drive up the home's sales price by about 20 times the yearly savings. (www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding)
Fine Homebuilding (07/03) No. 156, P. 72; Provey, Joe
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Preservation, Profit Co-Exist
In North Georgia, preservationists and developers are working together to preserve historic areas while continuing to build homes to meet the needs of the growing population. "There has to be a marriage between growth and history," says Walker County Historical Society President Clayton Bell. Officials in Chickamauga, for instance, look at history when approving residential and commercial zoning changes. Meanwhile, other cities in Walker County want to control growth by creating a comprehensive plan that takes historical areas into consideration. (www.timesfreepress.com)
Chattanooga Times Free Press (TN) (06/29/03) P. NG1; Baydala, Kathleen
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Luxury Living, Ranch Style!
An increasing number of wealthy home buyers are purchasing anywhere from 50 to 24,000 acres of land to build ranches. These buyers must first consider whether the ranch is for business or pleasure before concentrating on appearance, views and amenities, agents say. Privacy is the most important consideration among ranch buyers, even though the land can be used for fishing, hunting, gaming and cattle raising. "Most people want it both ways, they want all this privacy and want to be close to an airport for private jets," notes Don McAfee, a Montana-based broker for Sotheby's International Realty. (www.uniquehomes.com)
Unique Homes (07/03) Vol. 32, No. 4, P. 155; Giegerich, Arielle Egan
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Squeezing Green Out of Brownfield Development
Although brownfields typically are more expensive to finance, take longer to develop and carry more risk than conventional properties, developers are showing a growing interest in the niche. They recognize the potentially lucrative rate of return on such an investment — especially one that boasts a desirable location — at a time when urban infill sites are beginning to diminish. Moreover, government incentives — such as tax increment financing, which puts a portion of the property taxes toward redevelopment activities — clarification on liability issues and technological advances that subsequently have reduced cleanup costs also have made brownfield redevelopment attractive. Lennar Corp. is just one of many developers that have been lured to brownfields; the company plans to build 1,500 homes and 6 million square feet of commercial space on 680 acres of a former Navy shipyard in San Francisco Bay. (www.nreionline.com)
National Real Estate Investor (06/03) P. 6; Leon, Hortense
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State Gives Green Light to Granny Flats
Throughout California, county governments are working to ease the housing affordability crunch by relaxing restrictions governing granny flats. The effort is being helped by a new state law designed to streamline the permitting process. Under the statewide measure that took effect on July 2, public hearings will no longer be held; and permits for granny units will be approved by planning staff as long as all requirements have been met. Some cities and counties are using this opportunity to loosen size and parking requirements for granny flats, while others are seizing the chance to expand the number of residential zones open to granny flats. Pismo Beach is even granting amnesty to home owners whose units were built illegally during the city's 19-year ban. At the same time, some counties unhappy with the increased density that could stem from more granny flats are taking steps to limit them. Nonetheless, more permits are expected — which could result in hundreds, if not thousands, more cottage and studio apartments cropping up to serve the needs of service workers, elderly parents or college-aged children. (www.sanluisobispo.com)
San Luis Obispo Tribune (07/01/03) Finucane, Stephanie
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When VPNs Work for Smaller Businesses
Virtual private networks (VPN) offer an opportunity for small businesses to improve their productivity, particularly when employees are away from the office. Small businesses have joined large enterprises in rolling out VPNs, now that they are no longer considered too expensive or complex to deploy. VPNs essentially provide secure communications, over the Internet, between remote users and the internal network of a company. According to Michelle Drolet, CEO of CONQWEST, a Holliston, MS-based technology security firm specializing in small- and medium-sized businesses, VPNs are less expensive and more flexible than other secure connections options that are available. A VPN makes use of a firewall sitting at the perimeter of an internal network and the other end of communications, such as a remote user's laptop, using authentication to make sure the persons seeking access are who they say they are. VPNs also encrypt data, send it over the Internet and decrypt data at the other end. Companies can implement a VPN using software versions of firewalls and encryption, or deploy dedicated hardware, which is more expensive and would require that an IT professional install it. (www.sbcmag.net)
Small Business Computing (06/03) Haskins, David
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Selling Imaging Systems — The Paperless Chase
Although there is nothing new about the idea of implementing a document management system to help harness sometimes massive amounts of paper, sales and installation of the systems might be handled by a CPA or VAR firm. Companies such as IDT Consulting; Videre Group; Habif, Arogeti & Wynne; and Net@Work have joined the trend by supplying business geared document management systems to their clients. Docutrend Imaging Systems, a branch of Net@Work, has partnered with Sharp, Fujitsu, Kodak, Digitech and Kofax in order to give customers a comprehensive management system that automates the capture of sales orders, uses scannable packing slips and invoices, and allows the system to be searched by check number so that all supporting documents are presented. GoFileRoom was launched by Immediatech, and provides online storage for company files, maintains off-site storage for protection and is geared for adaptation to the legal, healthcare, banking, insurance and engineering industries. Habif, Arogeti & Wynne developed a proprietary system in 1998 that has allowed it to reduce head count and reach its highest revenue performance. The company has had 17 installations in CPA firms, and allows client access to password protected Web sites, which enhances communication between firms and clients. Integrated Document Technologies has produced a system that addresses content management, data-and-image capture and process automation products. Its sister company, IDT Consulting, has developed Pilot Packs, which involve ERP and CRM capabilities, along with automated work flow, document imaging, licensing, installation, hardware and software support. (www.electronicaccountant.com/accountingTechnology)
Accounting Technology (07/03) Vol. 19, No. 6, P. 39; Lombardo, Carly
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