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Builder Confidence Drops
The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index declined slightly in October, showing a retreat in all three areas the index tracks. The National Association of Home Builders says political turmoil in Washington is to blame.
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Self-Taught MBA: You're Fired!
10 commentsIt’s the hardest thing you'll ever do as an employer--so hard, in fact, that some firms hire it out. But you can't, and shouldn't, so from time to time you'll have to say those two devastating words: “You're fired.” Still, you can break off with kindness and with a touch of class.
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Self-Taught MBA: Writing Job Descriptions
Every position in your company, including yours, should come with a written job description. What basic elements should a job description contain? Here, you'll find a quick guide to help you create clear, concise descriptions for your employees.
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Self Taught MBA: New Recruits: The Art of Hiring Right
Faced with a shortage of qualified workers, contractors suddenly have to confront hiring decisions. In case you've forgot how, here’s a primer on handling the good hire.
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Spending on New-Home Construction Up
The Commerce Department reports a modest gain in July as private residential construction spending hits its highest level in almost five years
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Self-Taught MBA: Motivating Employees Through Lean Times
Anyone making weekly payroll knows the meaning of stress. Avoiding white-knuckle Fridays while still motivating your employees requires creative, nonmonetary incentives. Here are a few tricks for keeping the troops happy without a raise.
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Single-Family Starts Fall in July
Construction of single-family homes is down by 2.2% for the month, but multifamily projects show a sharp gain.
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Self-Taught MBA: Strategies for Communicating With Couples
4 commentsBuilding or remodeling a home can stress couples to the breaking point. On a scale of 1 to 10, with the highest number equating to the death of a child, psychologists place remodeling at about 6 in terms of relationship stress.
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Self-Taught MBA: Good Communication with Homeowners is Crucial
2 commentsThe most basic element in good customer service involves frequent and fluent communication. But this simple chore eludes many in the construction industry and represents the number-one customer complaint. How do you handle communication?
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Extended Tailgate Interview: Susan Marvin, Window Manufacturer
Editor's note: We didn't quite have room for the entire interview in the recent issue of Fine Homebuilding so we're posting it here SUSAN MARVIN, WINDOW MANUFACTURER Keeping a labor force intact was...
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New-Home Sales Up in June
2 commentsSales of single-family houses increased by more than 8% as the inventory of new homes declined.
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Housing Starts Fall in June
Builders may be feeling more upbeat, but the number of new homes started in the month of June showed a sharp decline.
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Builder Confidence Going Up
The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo housing-market index rises to highest level since January 2006.
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Housing Market Looks Brighter
1 commentMore than one-third of all new homes sold in May were not yet under construction, a signal that the housing industry continues to gain strength.
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Self-Taught MBA: Collaboration and Competition
In real estate and construction, you will engage in every sort of negotiation, from win-win to the most disheartening losses. By learning the techniques and tactics of professional negotiators, you will see through the fog of war, understand the gambits being played to focus on achieving desirable results.
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Getting Help With Social Media
A book by a public-relations expert offers help to builders who want to expand their use of social media.
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Owens Corning Buys Mineral-Wool Maker
2 commentsThe fiberglass insulation giant adds to its portfolio with the purchase of Thermafiber Inc., an Indiana manufacturer with a single plant in Wabash
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Self-Taught MBA: Let's Make a Deal
The negotiator's playbook includes a handful of tactics and a few dirty tricks.
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Supply of Homes Tightens
Home prices climbed nearly 11% in March as buyers competed for a limited number of houses. An improving housing market should be good news for builders.
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When's the Right Time to Go Out on Your Own?
5 commentsA carpenter who works for a custom-home builder is entertaining thoughts of starting his own remodeling business, but he doesn't know if this is the right time or how to get started.
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Ultimate Deck Build 2015
Step-by-step instructions on how to build a better deck read more
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