In the Current Issue

Extra amenities and luxury are tipping points for fast selling projects.

Despite the economy, developers and designers are differentiating themselves by using premium products such as automatically dimming windows, glass walls, coursed limestone and original artwork. Ari Meisel, an independent and successful developer, and David Ertz, a partner at Cope Linder Architects, both prove the point.

No easy answer

New laws and regulations in flux

Stopping erosion on a job site is like herding cats – there are myriad of ways to accomplish it but new rules and regulations pop up on a monthly basis that make most builder’s heads spin. Bottom line: Stopping erosion on your jobsite simply comes down to controlling the surface water runoff.

Finding construction financing in the economic desert

One of the biggest challenges facing new homebuilders isn’t finding new homebuyers—it’s pulling the funding together to secure land and build new homes. And even if you have stellar credit and an extensive portfolio of experience, there’s still no guarantee you will be able to find the necessary funding to start new projects.

Playing the long vs. short game

In boom times, builders, developers and even remodelers attempt to turn property as fast as they can sign contracts to purchase them. Not exactly a pyramid scheme, but the essentials are still the same: unload a higher debt burden on someone else while taking an (inflated) profit, leaving the new owner to worry about debt.