Journal of Light Construction: In the News

As Market Tightens, Home Buyers Find Out They Need Cash

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:06:10 EST

Never mind interest rates. Home buyers in hot markets around the country are finding out that they need to show up with cash — and move fast, or lose out.

Homes For The Wildfire Threat

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 10:23:19 EST

Experts say homeowners should get prepared for what could be a bad year for wildfires.

Michigan Builders Feeling Labor Pinch

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 09:49:09 EST

Down and out a few years ago, Michigan’s building industry is coming back. But a shortage of skilled workers worries builders.

Cookout Season Brings Rash Of Deck Failures

Thu, 6 Jun 2013 10:48:51 EST

Memorial Day weekend was the occasion for deck collapses as well as celebration.

Judge Backs Homeowner In Fire Code Case

Thu, 6 Jun 2013 09:44:25 EST

A Montana judge has ruled that a town’s wildland fire-prevention code can’t restrict building material choices.

Investor Buyers Drive House Prices Upward

Thu, 6 Jun 2013 10:17:28 EST

Home prices are surging this spring. One big reason: Wall Street investors are buying.

Energy Efficiency And Affordability: Searching For The “Sweet Spot”

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:25:28 EST

A Northwest nonprofit is trying to raise the bar for energy efficiency.

Massachusetts: OSHA Fines Framer $300,000 For Fall Protection Violations

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:24:02 EST

OSHA is ready to sock a Boston-area framing contractor with $300,000 in fines, alleging a willful violation of fall protection rules.

House Prices Bounce Back, Lifting Economy

Thu, 30 May 2013 10:25:06 EST

Home prices rose sharply in April, buoying the nation’s economic recovery.

Hanley Wood, USGBC Establish a Strategic Partnership with Greenbuild

Thu, 23 May 2013 06:31:45 EST

Hanley Wood LLC, the premier media, event, information and strategic marketing services company serving the construction industry and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced today a strategic partnership whereby Hanley Wood has acquired the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo.

Carrying Your Iphone? Unlock Your Door With Your Finger

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:20:36 EST

The next thing from Kwikset: a Bluetooth-powered lockset that lets you unlock your door with a fingertip touch.

Joplin, Missouri: Two Years Later, Tornado Recovery Progresses

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:31:06 EST

Devastated by a killer tornado two years ago, Joplin, Missouri, is well on the road to recovery.

Homes Could Be Toughened Against Most Tornadoes, Says Engineer

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:31:39 EST

Damage from deadly tornadoes could be reduced with simple construction upgrades, experts say.

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.