Author Archives: trevorspear

How to Make the Most of Small Business Week

More than 50% of Americans own a small business or work for one, and small business owners create two-thirds of all new jobs in this country. You’re not just the backbone of the U.S. economy, you’re also the feet and … Continue reading

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VALUE OF EXISTING HOMES CONTINUES GROWTH IN FEBRUARY, BUT AT A SLOWER RATE

According to the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index released Tuesday morning, price appreciation of existing single-family homes continued in February, but at a slower rate than seen in recent months. The national index, covering all nine census divisions, was … Continue reading

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How Much is Free Publicity Really Worth?

Getting your name in the news is as good as gold. In fact, when your business is mentioned in the media, you can put a value on it—and compare what this free publicity would have cost in advertising. For example, … Continue reading

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THE MOST (AND LEAST) AFFORDABLE EXISTING HOME MARKETS AT THE END OF 2015

According to the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) Metropolitan Median Area Prices and Affordability report released Wednesday morning, the national median price of an existing home fell to $222,700 in the fourth quarter, a 2.8% drop from the third quarter, … Continue reading

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CUSTOMER CARE CENTRAL

As Eliant honors 43 builders for achievement in customer-centric business operations, we look at how that all ties back to smarter, more profitable business. By John McManus You figure, for insight on how to bake customer care into a business … Continue reading

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At the Warranty Chain Management Conference

Rather than a data warehouse, which is built to spec and then filled in an orderly fashion, WCM keynote speaker Richard Vermillion wants to fill a “data lake” with information and then figure out how it might be useful. For … Continue reading

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WOMEN ARE A GROWING FORCE IN CONSTRUCTION

Female executives are breaking new ground in the building industry. By Jennifer Goodman In 2014 nearly 9 percent of people working in the construction industry were women. Considering the national pay gap of women earning on average 82 percent of … Continue reading

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The Costs New Homeowners Are Blindsided By

Everyone knows buying a home is expensive — the median sales price of a U.S. home was $278,800 in January, according the Census Bureau — but there’s much more to it than the cost of the house. No matter how much research … Continue reading

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HOW THE NEW SALES AND USE TAX CHANGES AFFECT RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION

By J. Michael Carpenter, NCHBA General Counsel* NO SALES AND USE TAX CHANGE IN THE LAW AND NO SALES AND USE TAX DUE ON LABOR For many, if not most, residential construction activities, there is no change in the law … Continue reading

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REDUCING ANXIETY FOR HOME BUYERS

Three ways to improve customers’ experience and comfort during the sales process By Bob Mirman In the past 32 years of reading surveys completed by new-home buyers, I have seen some pretty dicey comments from these consumers. And, as I … Continue reading

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