Real Estate Wire/Green Trends News Wire

Ed Brady WASHINGTON  -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 14.5 percent to 501,000 units in 2015, the highest level since 2007, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.  Meanwhile, sales in December increased 10.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 544,000 from an upwardly revised November reading.   "The December sales report is a great end to a very strong year," said Ed Brady, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill. "As we move forward in 2016, we should see the housing market continue to make lasting gains." Sales increased in all four regions in December. The Midwest, West, Northeast and South all posted respective gains of 31.6 percent, 21 percent, 20.8 percent and 0.4 percent.  "Relatively low interest rates and an improving economy are motivating buyers to make a new-home purchase," said NAHB Chief Economist ...

By MIKE BONTS Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.  and  TripAdvisor  announced today they have partnered to make Starwood’s global hotel portfolio accessible on the TripAdvisor instant booking platform.  The partnership enables Starwood to market and merchandise its brands to a unique customer base, starting in the first half of this year. “We are excited about an enhanced relationship with TripAdvisor as it allows us to deepen our touch-points with TripAdvisor’s global community of travelers while maintaining a consistent connection with guests before, during, and after their stay at a Starwood hotel,” said Julie Atkinson , Senior Vice President of Global Digital for Starwood Hotels & Resorts . “We appreciate the work TripAdvisor has done to expand upon the existing distribution models and the partnership will provide a clear benefit to our global hotel portfolio.” With TripAdvisor instant booking, users click on a “Book Now” button to initiate...

The expo halls and education sessions were packed at the Las Vegas Convention Center Jan. 20-22 for the NAHB International Builders’ Show® – another indication that the home building industry is one more leg up on its climb out of the doldrums. More than 60,000 attendees walked through the doors, part of the more than 100,000 who attended this third annual Design & Construction Week, which included exhibits and education from the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show, The International Surface Event and International Window Coverings Expo. New products focused on home technology and increased energy efficiency: two factors boosting the return of buyers to the new home market. All together, IBS boasted nearly 1,400 exhibitors and more than 500,000 square feet of real estate, including a record-breaking 30,000 square foot outdoor exhibit space. Show organizers also noted an increase in international exhibitors, led by China, whose participating businesses made up more than 35,000 ...

LAS VEGAS -- Refined Desert Haven, a Spanish-style-inspired home in Scottsdale, Ariz., has been selected as Home of the Year in the 2015 Best in American Living Awards (BALA) by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  The home was designed by PHX Architecture and built by Luster Custom Homes, both based in Scottsdale. The land planner for the project was the City of Scottsdale, and its interior designer was Kim Scodro Interiors, LLC of Chicago, Ill.  The team collaborated on the single-story, hacienda-style structure with an open floor plan and sweeping vistas overlooking a neighboring golf course. Long, adjacent hallways lead to the private quarters, while expansive glass doors seamlessly connect the home's interiors with the outdoors.  Reclaimed barn-wood shelving and alder ceiling beams mirror the textured white-oak floors and 18th-century Spanish doors. The coffered office ceiling is adorned with faux hide that took three days and nearly 3,800 indivi...

LAS VEGAS -  The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) named Sagewood at Daybreak the 2016 Community of the Year, as part of the Best of 55+ Housing Awards. The annual awards program, held during the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, honors excellence and innovation in the design, development, lifestyle and marketing of housing that appeals to the mature market.  Located in South Jordan, Utah, Sagewood at Daybreak is a part of the new Daybreak transit-oriented community that includes a diverse mix of adjacent housing, business, recreation and medical services.  "Sagewood at Daybreak demonstrates how senior living can be seamlessly integrated into the community to connect all generations," said Dennis Cunningham, chairman of the Best of 55+ Housing Awards and president of ActiveWest Builders in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. "Plus, the state-of-the-art amenities help promote active lifestyles both at home and outside." Sagewood offers a full con...

LAS VEGAS - A record 117 single-family, multifamily, remodeling and community projects were honored at the 2015 Best in American Living Awards (BALA) Gala held during the 2016 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. These award-winning projects represent the nation's best in home and community design, interior design and remodeling. "BALA continues to be a snapshot and a directional for the way forward in home building and design," said Heather McCune, co-chair of the Best in American Living Awards Subcommittee and director of marketing at Bassenian | Lagoni. "Something in each year's winners will help you do your next project better - no matter who you are. That's the power of a program like BALA." This year's BALA winners also showcase design trends that home buyers can expect to see in homes and communities over the next several years. Some of the most prominent trends include: Intimate Outdoor Spaces: Many single-family custom and p...

LAS VEGAS - Avid® Ratings and Kohler Co. are collaborating to offer marketing assistance toward Avid’s award-winning GoTour™ home virtualization system to home builders using all KOHLER® plumbing products.  An online and mobile app allowing home buyers to conduct self-guided video tours of a home for sale in high definition (HD), GoTour is designed to bridge the new home sales process with today’s widespread consumer demand for an online shopping experience.  The program expands a previous pilot program conducted by Avid Ratings and Kohler, which produced increased options sales for both Kohler and its builder partners.  “GoTour is the first online home virtualization system that combines virtual fly-throughs of a home with product option browse and selection capability, and verified customer reviews of a builder and the products featured,” said Paul Cardis, CEO and founder of Avid Ratings, the full-service customer engagement and loyalty management firm specializi...

LAS VEGAS - -The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today named Karen Benner, director of architecture for The Neighborhoods of EYA, as the 2015 Best in Green (BIG) Young Professional of the Year. The award was given at the Best in Green Awards event held today during the International Builders' Show. The annual award recognizes up-and-coming green and sustainable professionals in the building industry. Nominated by the Maryland Building Industry Association, Benner was honored for her dedication to the advancement of sustainable green building practices. She inspires others to get involved by holding the seat as Green Building Council President of Maryland BIA. With an advanced architectural engineering degree, LEED AP credential and Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation, Benner pioneered the green building strategy at EYA, leading the company to certify nearly 1,000 green homes in the past five years. "Karen is a true leader in the green and sustaina...

By MIKE BONTS LAS VEGAS - Sweden’s Bluewater launched a new range of second generation residential water purifiers at 2016 Kitchen and Bathrooms Show in Las Vegas that address consumer concerns about tap water quality and safety. “Bluewater’s latest point-of-use Spirit and Pro water purifiers harness unique, patented new-generation SuperiorOsmosis™ reverse osmosis technology, which is designed to remove practically all waterborne contaminants, including microorganisms and toxic metals such as the lead plaguing the residents of Flint, Michigan,” said Mr. Niclas Wullt, Bluewater managing director. Designed to fit under a kitchen sink, the compact, contemporary Bluewater Spirit and Pro water purifiers address consumer concerns about contaminants in drinking water, including lead, chlorine, pesticides and herbicides, prescription drugs and detergents. Clare Controls Introduces Smart Home Display for Design Centers To help builders take control of the home technology sales proces...

By MIKE BONTS LAS VEGAS — Carrier has introduced the Carrier® Côr™ smart home automation system at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) International Buiders Show (IBS). The system is designed with the flexibility and low cost  that Carrier thinks homebuilders will appreciate.  The Côr home automation system, which enables homeowners to secure, control and remotely manage their home’s most critical systems from an intuitive mobile app, will be available later this year.  It builds on Carrier’s commitment to deliver the “heart” of a smarter home. It provides homeowners a single solution to easily connect their home’s most important systems: heating and cooling, safety and security. Once set up, users can manage connected devices, view live video of their home from connected cameras and remotely manage access from the system’s app, anywhere in the world.  With Côr home automation system enabled devices, homebuilders can leverage a tool that merg...

LAS VEGAS – The building and construction sector, currently the second largest consumer of plastics behind packaging, will increasingly use plastics and plastics derivatives given its wide functionality and distinct advantage over other traditional building materials in terms of flexibility, lower costs, energy and weathering efficiency, and durability according to an SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association report issued at the 2016 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas. The report, “Plastics Market Watch: Building and Construction” is the fourth in a series published by SPI analyzing key factors impacting the plastic industry’s key end markets. “From floors to roofs, inside and outside of walls, plastics are a go-to product on construction sites around the world,” said William R. Carteaux, SPI President and CEO. “Innovation in the plastics industry to improve and diversify products is matched by the building and construction sector’s pace to find, and use, new solution...

By MIKE BONTS LAS VEGAS - Pardee Homes, a member of TRI Pointe Group, announced the completion of the Responsive Home project, in partnership with BUILDER Magazine, to design, build and sell the ideal home for today’s young home buyers.  The two, new concept homes is being unveiled during this week’s NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Las Vegas.  Located in suburban Henderson, Nevada, just a few minutes away from the urban conveniences of the Las Vegas strip, the 2,145-square-foot Contemporary Farmhouse and the 3,194-square-foot Contemporary Transitional cater to Millennials’ desires for design and performance at a price point that young buyers can appreciate.  Built in partnership with architect Bassenian Lagoni; landscape architects, AndersonBaron; along with celebrity interior designer Bobby Berk, the project’s Creative Director and fellow Millennial; the Responsive Homes maximize new home owners’ financial investment by increasing the longevity of th...

By MIKE BONTS REAL ESTATE WIRE LAS VEGAS -  New technology that helps builders and contractors is a major theme of this years NAHB International Builders Show (IBS) being held in Las Vegas this week. Builders increasingly expect software solutions that integrate with their existing systems. As such, technology providers continue to come to market with new solutions and partnerships. BuilderMT recently announced its interoperability with seven other software vendors in the mid-market home builder market.  BuilderMT’s WMS (Workflow Management Suite) is an end-to-end workflow automation and integration package intended to link builders’ existing software solutions for CRM (customer-relationship management) and sales, BIM (building information modeling), estimating, purchasing, scheduling, supply chain management, warranty, accounting, and builder portals. BuilderMT’s include Avid Ratings, CG Visions, Hyphen Solutions, Punchlist Manager, Sales Simplicity, and Western C...

By MIKE BONTS REAL ESTATE WIR E LAS VEGAS -   A natural cedar replacement for the hardboard market, Grayne Engineered Shake & Shingle incorporates every detail of cedar shingles. This enables Grayne to deliver all the warmth and ambience of real cedar, without the costly maintenance.  The 5-inch plain sawn shingle’s sharply defined edges and grain patterns create realistic depth and shadows. As natural cedar ages, the light, thicker grain and dark, thinner grain have distinct color differences.    To deliver this authentic multihued, aged cear appearance, Grayne utilizes a proprietary coating process. Another benefit of this process is that Grayne’s unique palette, available in 6 popular colors, bypasses the three  to five year natural cedar weathering process to deliver the perfect aged color from the day it’s installed. Its grain texture is visible from every angle. The deep keyways create pronounced shadows, which make a bold statement up close a...

TALLAHASSEE - The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) membership has elected Nathan Ritter to serve a second term as president, which begins Jan. 14.  Ritter is Vice President of GreenBuilt Solutions in Orlando and holds professional designations as an FGBC Certifying Agent, a LEED AP BD+C & Homes, Certified Green Professional (CGP), Florida Water Star (FWS) Certifier, and Class I Energy Rater. Ritter has an undergraduate degree from Florida Southern College and earned his Master's degree in Sustainable Construction Management from Drexel University. He has spent the last 16 years in sustainable construction and consulting on high-performance homes and commercial structures. Also elected to FGBC Senior Officer positions in unchallenged races were: Jeremy Nelson - Treasurer Currently, Jeremy Nelson provides consulting services to local governments on sustainability and green certification. Previously, he was a senior research technician and sustainability coordinato...