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  • Housing History Repeats Itself

    How The New York Times and Time Magazine Got It Wrong

    September 2, 2010

    The naysayers and pessimists are out in full force with their doomsday proclamations that homes are no longer a solid investment. The New York Times printed this headline in August, “Housing Fades as a Means to Build Wealth, Analysts Say” and the September issue of Time Magazine has the following cover story: Rethinking Homeownership: Why Owning a Home May No Longer Make Economic Sense. Right now, people are reading these articles and thinking that they shouldn’t buy a home.

    (Read more)
  • Selling Homes in the ‘Experience Economy’

    How leading builders have moved beyond customer satisfaction to create customer advocates.

    August 30, 2010

    Home buyers will remember little of what you say and do, but they will absolutely remember how you made them feel. This is the reality of doing business in today’s “experience economy,” where customer satisfaction is now the price of entry and no longer a differentiator.

    (Read more)
  • Social Media — Establishing Policies and Guidelines for Your Organization

    August 9, 2010

    Remember the early days of the Internet, when employers were worried about their employees wasting time “surfing the Net”? Initially, many home builders simply thought, “We must block access to this distraction from work.” Quickly, however, builders are realizing that the Internet and the increasingly popular social networking sites are valuable and indispensable tools for business and life.

    (Read more)
  • Tilson Goes Upscale with ‘On-Your-Lot’ Building

    Texas home builder offers lessons in rural construction.

    August 4, 2010

    Texas is different in many ways. For one thing, it has a vibrant, job-growing economy and a housing market that’s a lot healthier than those of most other states. However, Texas has some idiosyncrasies, too. For one, production home building in the Lone Star State is not limited to the recognized commuting range surrounding cities and towns, making on-your-lot construction a successful business model for some builders.

    (Read more)
  • The Perfect Storm for Sales Management Demise

    August 2, 2010

    For a sales manager working in the housing industry, the only thing worse than not making your sales goals is not working as smart as you can to reach those goals. Now more than ever, sales managers need to clearly define the strategies and tactics they’re using and continually modify their approach as necessary.

    (Read more)
  • Canadian Banks Regain Appetite for Residential Projects

    July 14, 2010

    The financing freeze for Canadian residential developers has thawed considerably with the economic recovery, but it’s still not back to pre-recessionary “business as usual.”

    (Read more)
  • Back to the Dark Ages in Service … But Not for Housing

    Real-life stories illustrate statistical decline in customer service.

    June 18, 2010

    As we continue to recover from the worst recession since the 1930s, it appears that most industries have relegated service to the back burner. But not housing. The home building industry has done an incredible job improving its customer satisfaction over the past six years. Research conducted by AVID Ratings reveals that the building industry improved its annual Total Home Buyer Experience Score by 7 points from 2005–2009.

    (Read more)
  • Delight Drivers

    Where the best home builders make their difference.

    June 15, 2010

    In home building, the quest for industry-leading levels of customer delight demands quality and excellence, from sales through to service. Although there are many moving parts that require consideration, a few key areas stand out, where industry leaders truly separate themselves from the pack.

    (Read more)
  • Canada’s “Hidden Costs” in Housing

    June 11, 2010

    It’s time for the Canadian government to address the financial burden it imposes on new homeowners, rather than just bemoaning the shortage of affordable housing. How much money does a Canadian home buyer need to earn just to pay the government-imposed charges on a new house?

    (Read more)
  • Selling Expectations

    How critical sales knowledge drives customer delight.

    June 11, 2010

    To succeed in home building today, you must deliver an outstanding home-buying experience. This requires a selling process that delivers superior knowledge, conveys extraordinary value, and sets reasonable expectations. By the time prospects arrive at your sales office, most of them have already been introduced to your company through advertisements, Websites, and other marketing efforts.

    (Read more)
  • The Value of a Rapid Response Program

    June 10, 2010

    When a homeowner makes a warranty claim, all the work you did to create a delighted customer is at risk. In fact, how quickly you respond to a warranty call is directly related to the home buyers long-term satisfaction. To expedite service calls, many builders have taken advantage of the Internet by allowing customers to submit warranty claims online. As efficient as this may seem

    (Read more)
  • Engaging Employees Through Better Communication

    June 10, 2010

    If you’re like most home builders, you want employees who consistently strive to fulfill your company’s goals and mission. Yet, chances are that poor organizational communication is preventing that from happening. As a follow up to last month’s article on employee engagement, I want to expand on that topic and provide some more useful ideas for improving engagement within your organization.

    (Read more)
  • The Right Stuff

    June 7, 2010

    When the franchising giant Epcon Communities confronted the recent cataclysm, it took the actions all builders should consider. It found a market niche and developed a product that sells. Here’s a lesson in how to survive and prosper in today’s demanding housing markets.

    (Read more)
  • It Will Never Be the Same

    Ideas for an Emerging Market

    June 4, 2010

    Higher density development allows builders to get home prices down where they need to be, and allows homes to be designed to today’s changing lifestyles. To serve emerging markets, reconfiguring parcels into smaller lots and detached cluster homes may be the way to go for some small and mid-size builders.

    (Read more)
  • Personal Knowledge

    June 1, 2010

    Getting to know your front-line employees can lead to greater profitability and customer delight. They are the lifeblood of any organization. In most cases, they are the only people customers see. That’s why it’s so important that our employees come to work every day with passion and purpose. If they’re not passionate, we are failing as managers.

    (Read more)
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30 yr fixed mortgage4.32%
15 yr fixed mortgage3.83%
5/1 ARM mortgage3.54%
10 year treasury composite2.73%
prime rate3.25%
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  • Ear to the Ground - Include Energy in Mortgage Qualification

    Home buyers could be motivated to purchase higher energy-efficient homes if the mortgage qualifying formula were changed. The mortgage qualification process should factor in energy costs for a home, just as it does for property taxes and insurance. If the U.S. Congress is going to pass a new energy bill, why not include this as a mechanism for increasing the demand for energy-efficient housing? It would create new jobs, save homeowners money, conserve energy, and reduce carbon emissions. [Vlog, HD]

  • At Your Service - The Rapid Response Program

    How quickly and effectively you respond to a warranty service call is directly related to a buyer's long-term satisfaction. Although the Internet has changed the way many builders handle service requests, by itself it is not an effective tool for fielding buyers' concerns. Here, Bill Frey shares his recommendation for what he calls a successful "rapid response program." And yes, it integrates an online component. [Vlog, HD]

  • The Human Edge - 5 Keys to Employee Engagement

    Employee engagement refers to “the extent to which employees put discretionary effort into their work, in the form of extra time, brainpower and energy" (Towers Perrin Talent Report, 2003). Employers need to understand five key areas in an organization that have bearing on whether or not employees will be enthusiastic performers. [Vlog, HD]

  • Inside Canada - Government Imposed Charges Hurt New Home Affordability

    In Canada, government-imposed charges on new homes can add as much as 20% to a home's selling price. It's time for municipal, provincial and the federal governments to reconsider the burden they're putting on buyers and make housing more affordable. [ vlog in HD ]

  • Bring Back the Tax Credit!

    Bring Back the Tax Credit!

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Heartland Homes

    Heartland Homes of Calgary is the number-one rated builder in Canada for customer experience. A division of Carma Development Corp., Heartland attributes over 30% of its sales originations to customer referrals, twice the industry average. Not surprisingly, the busy home building company's marketing expense is minimal. Two part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle. Five part series.

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Starward Homes

    98% of Starward's buyers would recommend them, 78% already have. The Ontario builder is presented with the 2009 Avid Canada Award for best customer experience, followed by a revealing 2-part interview with president Ward Campbell and Starward's management team. Two part video series

  • CEO Spotlight - Peter Gilgan, Mattamy Homes GTA

    Mattamy knows how to please its buyers. To learn about the corporate culture and business strategies behind Mattamy’s success, AvidBuilder sat down for a Q&A with Peter Gilgan, CEO of Mattamy Homes.

  • Welcome to AvidBuilder.com!

    AVID CEO and AvidBuilder founder Paul Cardis introduces a new and exciting housing industry "knowledge exchange" developed to serve the U.S. and Canadian housing industries as a resource for housing news and information, and much more.

  • The Human Edge - 5 Keys to Employee Engagement

    Employee engagement refers to “the extent to which employees put discretionary effort into their work, in the form of extra time, brainpower and energy" (Towers Perrin Talent Report, 2003). Employers need to understand five key areas in an organization that have bearing on whether or not employees will be enthusiastic performers. [Vlog, HD]

  • Inside Canada - Government Imposed Charges Hurt New Home Affordability

    In Canada, government-imposed charges on new homes can add as much as 20% to a home's selling price. It's time for municipal, provincial and the federal governments to reconsider the burden they're putting on buyers and make housing more affordable. [ vlog in HD ]

  • Bring Back the Tax Credit!

    Bring Back the Tax Credit!

  • CEO Spotlight - Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes, Part 1

    Rated high for materials, workmanship, and service, Canada's Mattamy Homes is a perennial award winner for customer satisfaction. Peter Gilgan, CEO of Mattamy sat down with AVID CEO Paul Cardis for a one-on-one discussion that revealed Peter's emphasis on the Golden Rule, the difference between cult and culture, and Mattamy's ROI for investing in the buyer.

  • Welcome to AvidBuilder.com!

    AVID CEO and AvidBuilder founder Paul Cardis introduces a new and exciting housing industry "knowledge exchange" developed to serve the U.S. and Canadian housing industries as a resource for housing news and information, and much more.

  • The Human Edge - 5 Keys to Employee Engagement

    Employee engagement refers to “the extent to which employees put discretionary effort into their work, in the form of extra time, brainpower and energy" (Towers Perrin Talent Report, 2003). Employers need to understand five key areas in an organization that have bearing on whether or not employees will be enthusiastic performers. [Vlog, HD]

  • CEO Spotlight - Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes, Part 2

    The home builder also shares his philosophy about customer service and the importance of metrics in the company's customer-centric culture.

  • CEO Spotlight - Peter Gilgan of Mattamy Homes, Part 1

    Rated high for materials, workmanship, and service, Canada's Mattamy Homes is a perennial award winner for customer satisfaction. Peter Gilgan, CEO of Mattamy sat down with AVID CEO Paul Cardis for a one-on-one discussion that revealed Peter's emphasis on the Golden Rule, the difference between cult and culture, and Mattamy's ROI for investing in the buyer.

  • Bring Back the Tax Credit!

    Bring Back the Tax Credit!

  • At Your Service - The Rapid Response Program

    How quickly and effectively you respond to a warranty service call is directly related to a buyer's long-term satisfaction. Although the Internet has changed the way many builders handle service requests, by itself it is not an effective tool for fielding buyers' concerns. Here, Bill Frey shares his recommendation for what he calls a successful "rapid response program." And yes, it integrates an online component. [Vlog, HD]

  • Inside Canada - Government Imposed Charges Hurt New Home Affordability

    In Canada, government-imposed charges on new homes can add as much as 20% to a home's selling price. It's time for municipal, provincial and the federal governments to reconsider the burden they're putting on buyers and make housing more affordable. [ vlog in HD ]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes, Part 4

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle. Part 4 of 5

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Heartland Homes, Part 1

    Heartland Homes of Calgary is the number-one rated builder in Canada for customer experience. A division of Carma Development Corp., Heartland attributes over 30% of its sales originations to customer referrals, twice the industry average. Not surprisingly, the busy home building company's marketing expense is minimal. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes, Part 1

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Starward Homes, Part 2

    98% of Starward's buyers would recommend them, 78% already have. In this video, the Starward team shares why buyers praise the Ontario builder for the quality of their homes. Part 2 of 2

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes, Part 2

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes, Part 3

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes, Part 2

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle. Part 2 of 5

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes, Part 5

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle. Part 5 of 5

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes, Part 6

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Gold Medallion Homes, Part 4

    Winner of the AVID Award for Best Customer Experience in the U.S. among builders with less than 50 closings per year, this Utah home builder reveals why they are one of the nation's best. Six-part series. [HD]

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Starward Homes, Part 1

    98% of Starward's buyers would recommend them, 78% already have. The Ontario builder is presented with the 2009 Avid Canada Award for best customer experience, followed by a revealing 2-part interview with president Ward Campbell and Starward's management team. Part 1 of 2

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes, Part 1

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle.

  • AvidBuilder Profiles - Ruiz Homes, Part 3

    Ruiz Homes' buyers give the Laredo, Texas builder high marks, high enough to win the AVID Diamond Award for best customer experience in the U.S. In Part 1 of this 5-part series owner Jesus Ruiz delivers a poignant "thank you" to his team after receiving the award. Later, Ruiz and his team sit down with Bill Lurz and Paul Cardis for an insightful interview about the values and practices that make this Texas diamond sparkle. Part3 of 5

What level of sales has your company had following the expiration of the Federal Tax Credit Program?