News
News
Remodeling Spending To Tick Up Through Mid-2025
The Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity report says things will trend up after a modest downturn
Business
Curbio Joins NAR As New Member Benefits Partner
National Association of Realtors members receive access to the Curbio home improvement platform
NAHB
NAHB Announces Action Plan for Housing Affordability
Six of the proposed 10 action items are important to residential remodelers
Home Improvement
Re-Bath Expands its Reach with New Franchise
The company signs a deal with brothers who are first-time franchisees
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Project Spotlight: Historic restoration spans the generations
A contractor-client relationship that began in 2007 leads to a updating of a historic home in a whole-house renovation by S.D. Lohr that links 19th-century charm and 21st-century comfort.
Study: 81 percent still think home is best investment
Despite the housing bubble and subsequent crash, more than 80 percent of Americans still think buying a home is the best long-term investment a person can make. That's according to a recent Pew Research Center study, which found that 37 percent strongly agreed with that idea and 44 percent somewhat agreed with it.
LEED for Homes program certifies 10,000th home
More than 10,000 multi- and single-family homes have been certified under LEED for Homes since the program’s launch in 2008, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced. As of April 5, 10,161 homes were certified, and approximately 38,000 more in the process.
EPA updates Energy Star standards for light fixtures
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last week updated its Energy Star standards for light fixtures. Beginning Oct. 1, light fixtures must be 30 percent more efficient than currently qualified fluorescent-based light fixtures to qualify. By 2013, all light fixtures must increase efficiency 40 percent over the current standards.
Construction employment sees slight improvement
Construction employment saw an uptick in February, as 141 out of 337 metropolitan areas had increases in construction jobs compared to one year earlier, according to an analysis of federal employment data by the Associated General Contractors of America. Dallas-Plano-Irving, Texas, had the largest increase in jobs, adding 7,500 (8 percent).
Private residential construction spending declines
Residential construction spending dropped in February, with home improvement spending leading the decline, after an unexpected increase in January.
Russian billionaire pays highest known price for U.S. home
A Russian billionaire purchased a new home in California for $100 million, the highest known price paid for a single-family home in the U.S. Yuri Milner, who made his fortune investing in enterprises like Facebook and Groupon, built the 25,500-sf French Chateau-style home in Silicon Valley.
Shadow inventory supply remains high
The “shadow inventory”—the supply of homes in foreclosure or owned by banks but not yet listed for sale—fell in January, but could affect the housing market as weak sales and prices persist.
NAR: Second home sales drop, but hold market share
The number of second home sales dropped in 2010, but the market share held steady, according to new data released by the National Association of Realtors. The 2011 Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey found that sales volume for vacation homes fell 1.8 percent in 2010 from 2009, while the volume for investment homes fell 7.8 percent.
Census Bureau: 13 percent of U.S. homes vacant
Thirteen percent of all U.S. homes stand vacant, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.