Pro Remodeler Wins Two Prestigious Jesse H. Neal Awards
The editorial team was honored with one of B2B journalism's most prestigious awards in the categories of Best Subject-Related Package and Best Range of Work by a Single Author
News
Business Coach Cited in Attorney General Lawsuit Against Contractor
A New England contractor faces a civil suit alleging his company’s growth was tied to a business coach with a model that “encourages fraud"
News
Harvard Says Remodeling Spending Downturn to Slow
Could the drop in remodeling spending from post-COVID levels regulate soon?
News
Power Home Remodeling Now Offers Subsidized Childcare
The home improvement giant's move seeks to address a greater industry issue
Advertisement
Freddie Mac CEO: Government involvement in housing market must continue
The government will have to continue its involvement in the housing and mortgage markets, as the industry forecast for the next year remains dreary, said Freddie Mac CEO Charles E. Haldeman Jr. The government currently backs nearly nine out of 10 new loans.
Existing Home Sales Up, Median Prices Down, Says National Association of Realtors
Existing home sales increased 10 percent in September according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), said a report by Forbes.com. There were 4.53 million existing home sales last month, up 10 percent from the 4.12 million sales in August. Sales were 19.1 percent lower than September 2009, however, with 5.6 million existing home sales.
Federal Reserve releases interim rule on home appraisal process
The Federal Reserve released a new interim rule on home appraisals that helps to clarify the home appraisal process. Under the guidelines, home builders may ask appraisers to consider additional information about the property being appraised, including information about comparable properties.
Former economic adviser proposes solution to foreclosure crisis
Former White House housing finance issue adviser Peter Swire proposed that senior bank officials personally vouch for the quality of their banks’ mortgage documentation process. Swire, now a law professor at Ohio State University, based his proposal on the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which required certain disclosures to restore faith in financial statements after the Enron and WorldCom scandals.
NAHB: Smaller homes to remain popular even after recession's end
A new look at housing starts based on data from the Census Bureau finds that single-family homes in the U.S. continued to get smaller last year, and the downward trend is likely to last significantly beyond the end of the recession. From a peak of 2,268 square feet in 2006, the median size of new single-family homes dropped consistently through last year, when the size was down to an even 2,100, according to NAHB.
Chinese drywall manufacturer settles lawsuit, to repair homes
A settlement was reached last week for some of the homeowners who filed suit against a Chinese manufacturers over faulty drywall. A New Orleans federal judge signed off on the settlement, in which Knauf Plasterboard Tianjin Company agreed to pay repair and relocation costs for 300 homeowners in Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
NARI Supports National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week
The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) is planning to observe National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week to raise awareness on the dangers of lead, according to a press release on the NARI website. The event will take place Oct. 24 to 30, and this year’s theme is “Lead-Free Kids for a Healthy Future.”
States Announce Investigation of Mortgage Companies
A coalition of state attorneys general this week announced that they will be launching an investigation into the mortgage servicing industry, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The decision was made due to the recent allegations of fraudulent documents and “robo-signers,” workers who allegedly signed foreclosure documents without reading them.
ThermaSol Easy Start Control
Instead of stepping inside the shower to start the steam session, users can now program their steam session to start from up to 50 feet away from the…
Lutron Sivoia QS Wireless
Sivoia QS Wireless from Lutron Electronics offers daylight control for new or retrofit applications with ultra-quiet performance, precision shade…