Journal of Light Construction: In the News

Investors Start Snapping Up New Houses for Rentals, Not Just Foreclosures

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:25:13 EST

Big private equity firms that started out buying up foreclosures as investment properties are now moving into the new home market.

North Carolina: Bill Rolls Back Commercial Energy Code to 2009

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:13:07 EST

A bill in the North Carolina legislature will re-set the state’s energy code for commercial construction from the 2012 version back to the more permissive 2009 edition.

California Builders Say Help is Getting Harder to Find

Wed, 15 May 2013 11:03:10 EST

Economic health is returning to the California homebuilding industry. What’s not returning? The skilled workers.

Alabama: Neighbors Band Together to Save a Neglected Mansion

Thu, 9 May 2013 10:29:59 EST

Hidden behind vines and overgrown trees, the stately old Montgomery, Ala., house was condemned to be torn down before it fell down. But now, neighbors are teaming up to save and restore the home.

Pennsylvania: Rural Contractors Troubled by Proposed Septic System Rule

Thu, 9 May 2013 10:30:29 EST

Landowners and builders in rural Pennsylvania are voicing concerns about a proposed new environmental rule that could force costly changes in on-site wastewater treatment practices.

Rising Materials Costs Force House Prices Upwards

Thu, 9 May 2013 10:30:54 EST

Tight supplies of labor and land, along with rising prices for lumber and other materials, are putting a speed bump in the way of the housing market recovery.

Offcuts

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:22:40 EST

A new home in Dillingham, Alaska, has set a world record for the tightest residential structure ever built.

North Carolina Grapples With Local Design Restrictions

Mon, 13 May 2013 01:22:22 EST

The North Carolina House of Representatives has approved a bill that would prohibit local governments from using zoning ordinances to regulate building-design elements for single-family homes or duplexes

Appraisal Catch-22 Hampers Detroit Housing Recovery

Thu, 2 May 2013 09:34:03 EST

Civic groups and non-profits trying to turn Detroit’s dismal housing market around have a relentless enemy: the appraisal process.

Oklahoma: Town Rejects International Building Code, Fearing U.N. Control

Thu, 2 May 2013 09:17:03 EST

Mustang, Oklahoma (pop. 17,395) has voted down adoption of the 2009 International Codes after a city council member argued that the codes represent an implementation of a United Nations resolution known as “Agenda 21.”

Florida: Are Small Builders Being Squeezed Out?

Thu, 2 May 2013 09:34:28 EST

Small independent builders say they can’t get equal access to land or financing in Florida’s hot housing market.

South Carolina: Failure To Update Codes Could Cost Residents

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 07:47:20 EST

South Carolina’s decision not to adopt the 2009 building codes on schedule could result in the loss of favorable insurance rates, a Charleston official says.

Lumber Prices Up Sharply On The Year

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:14:27 EST

Prices for framing lumber and structural panels (plywood and OSB) have risen dramatically this spring, market watchers report.

California Foreclosures Plunge In First Quarter

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:34:43 EST

A new “homeowner bill of rights” law in California appears to have cut the state’s foreclosure rate significantly.

Dispute Drags On Over Hard-To-Heat Energy-Star Houses

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:20:38 EST

Homeowners at “Somerset Run” in Franklin Township, New Jersey, have been complaining since 2003 that their Energy Star rated houses are drafty and expensive to heat. And they’re still not happy.

In New York's Pricey Suburbs, A Rise In Home Elevations

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:24:23 EST

The New York Times takes a look at the effort by homeowners in the Hurricane Sandy impact area to elevate their houses.

Maryland Stormwater Fees: A “Tax On Rain”?

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 01:24:57 EST

Maryland communities are are charging property owners a yearly fee based on stormwater runoff, and attracting attention in the national press.

Court Overturns Move Abolishing Energy Code

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 09:03:15 EST

A New Mexico court has ruled that the state board setting construction rules can’t overturn a building code without providing a reason.

Forecasters See Active Hurricane Season For 2013

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 11:54:02 EST

Hurricane Sandy’s effects still being felt. But next year’s hurricane season is approaching — and forecasters expect an active one.

Brown Backlash: Kansas Moves To Prohibit Sustainability

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 12:03:44 EST

The Kansas legislature is considering a bill that would prevent state funds from being invested in any “sustainable” project.