New Construction - Real Estate, Updates, News & Tips

Most Homeowners Planning a Renovation This Year

Complaints about the condition of homes on military bases, including lead poisoning, mold, and poor construction, have grown worse since the problems were first revealed in a Reuters investigation last August. NBC News did a follow-up piece Friday looking at whether there has been any improvement but found that the number of complaints by military families has increased, now getting the attention of lawmakers.Seventy-three percent of homeowners

Read More

TIP: Here's How to Mix Metals in Your Home

Your color palette makes a huge difference. Bronze, brass, nickel, or chrome? Choosing metals for your home can be daunting, so here's a suggestion: Don't choose just one. All the best designers know there's no magic in being matchy-matchy—and that policy is true for metals as well as bedroom sets. Instead of agonizing over the "right" metallic finish, consider mixing them up.We realize this concept might be daunting to some, so, to

Read More

TIP: Spring Home Design Trends are Getting Warmer

Home interiors are softening up with lighter neutrals and more casually designed modern spaces, according to PulteGroup’s in-house team of interior designers that furnish model homes nationwide.“Much like a change to spring weather, warm natural elements are brightening up homes this season, in combination with a clean, modern approach that does not sacrifice comfort,” says Angela Nuessle, national director of interior design

Read More

Lower Mortgage Rates Give New-Home Sales Best Month Since Spring

Sales of newly built single-family homes picked up at the end of last year, reaching the highest level since May 2018, a newly released report from the U.S. Commerce Department shows. New-home sales increased 3.7 percent in December to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 621,000 units (the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued over the next 12 months).“Despite a period of weakness in the fall, new home sales ended the year wit

Read More

The New-Home Pipeline Takes Another Hit

Fewer new homes are being built across the country, despite desperate calls from the housing industry to build more. New-home starts plunged to the lowest level in more than two years in December, the U.S. Commerce Department reported Tuesday.New-home construction dropped 11.2 percent in December and is now at the slowest pace of construction since September 2016. Housing starts have dropped 10.2 percent over the past year, with decreases in both

Read More

TIP: Be Cautious About Renos Without Permits

Some homeowners bypass the permit process when they remodel their home. They may find the process too expensive or cumbersome. Permitting fees can sometimes cost hundreds of dollars or more. Some homeowners may believe that if they go ahead with a kitchen or bath remodel without a permit, they’ll likely never get caught.But failing to get a permit could be troublesome when they go to sell the home.Most states require homeowners to fil

Read More

Tubs and Laundry Rooms Gain Prominence as Builders Update Floor Plans

Designing houses with features buyers want is a continuous process for the home building industry. During a Feb. 19 session at the 2019 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, builders and designers took a break from their work to talk about some of the changes they're seeing.Curved entryway staircases step back.A curved stairway leading to the upper floor can make for a grand entrance into a home, and certainly serves as a focal poi

Read More

More Owners May Reconsider That Remodeling Project After All

Homeowners are hitting the pause button on remodeling projects, which may prompt home renovation activity to fall to its lowest level in three years, according to a new report from Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies.“Remodeling activity tends to go hand-in-hand with home sales, so when a homeowner is preparing their home for sale they’re likely to do some work just getting their home ready for the market,

Read More

What’s the Difference Between Modern and Contemporary?

Your buyers may say they want a “modern” or “contemporary” home, but those two words are not interchangeable. So, what do they really mean?Modern and contemporary styles do share many of the same traits, but they are two distinct styles. And they often get confused, according to an article by Marvin Windows and Doors that sets out to clarify the two styles.Contemporary tends to refer to architecture of today and, as such, it is constantly

Read More

Builders Bet on Luxe Townhomes to Win Over Young Buyers

Builders across the country are betting on luxury townhomes to try to get more young adults into homeownership. Open floor plans, high ceilings, and upgraded amenities are features they hope will lure millennials to buy their first home.“When a lot of people think of townhouses, they think of these very narrow homes because the floors are stacked on top of one another,” Felix Bravo, a sales executive with Pordes Residential in Miami, told For

Read More

This website includes images sourced from third party websites including Adobe, Getty Images, and as otherwise noted.