Resources: Blog

We are passionate about sharing knowledge with our community of builders, manufacturers, and service providers. Here you will find a curated selection of articles on a variety of topics for your reading pleasure.

New, more sustainable portfolio will reduce homeowners’ energy costs and carbon footprints and advance company’s emissions reduction targets including Gigaton Challenge

Fire-resistant decking you won’t find anywhere else. TimberTech Advanced PVC offers both beauty and fire resistance, giving you peace of mind and a deck you can enjoy for years to come.

Every year, we get decked out and show up strong for The Home Building Association of Richmond’s annual Major Achievement in Marketing Excellence awards, or MAME awards. These honors recognize the best of Richmond’s homebuilders, communities, homes, builders, and campaigns, while also spotlighting our industry’s brightest talent with Personal Excellence Awards.

There’s no doubt about it, the bathrooms in this year's HGTV® Dream Home 2024 are an absolute showstopper and Delta® faucets and fixtures add a stylish yet functional touch to each one.

When it comes to first impressions, nothing speaks louder than a home's façade. On HGTV's newest series, Renovation Aloha, this truth was spectacularly brought to life with the help of Wayne Dalton.

Now there is a solution to protecting your structures from termites that can earn you points in green building programs such as LEED® for Homes, NGBS Green Poduct Certification ProgramTM, EarthCraft® and many others. Instead of poisoning the soil under a home, Bora-Care eliminates the wood as a food source while saving you one full day of cycle time.

The Affordable Door Hardware Solution for Your Single-Family or Multifamily Home

Despite my many years of attending the International Builders’ Show, this year, it felt like I was seeing everything through fresh eyes. What was the catalyst for this new perspective? Before the show, I attended several NAHB committee meetings. What I learned in the meetings, and the inspiring people I met there, sparked a new outlook and momentum for me that prevailed throughout the entire event.

The International Builders Show in Vegas was the highest-attended show in 15 years with over 75,000 attendees.

TruTeam, the nation’s largest network of local installers, has been named the Builder Partnerships Partner of the Year for 2023. The award was announced during Builder Partnerships' 18th Annual Networking Reception at the International Builders' Show.

I recently had the opportunity of speaking at NAHB’s International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2024. As we navigate the evolving landscape of home design, I’m thrilled to share insights into how BSB Design is leading the charge in crafting spaces that transcend mere aesthetics to foster genuine, enriching living experiences.

Builder Partnerships is pleased to announce the newest service provider member to our organization.

Industry leaders Lennox Residential HVAC and ServiceTitan forge a partnership to help contractors digitize processes, increase profitability, and enhance the customer experience.

Every year, the Best of IBS Awards recognize outstanding products and services in various categories that set benchmarks in design, technology, and functionality. This year, Empervious™ by Emser enjoyed top honors for its innovative design.

Our remote and on-site consulting and coaching packages are designed to help home builders transform their organizations by addressing problem areas and building systems to deliver profits well above the industry standard.

How did your company measure up in 2023?

Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED), is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices that have a positive impact on the health of occupants, while promoting renewable, clean energy.

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, the synergy between social media and search engine optimization (SEO) is undeniable. As businesses strive to maximize their online visibility, the role of social media management services becomes increasingly crucial.

Trane® has been named the top residential HVAC brand in Lifestory Research’s America’s Most Trusted® study for 10 consecutive years.

The driving force behind success with technology is people, not the technology itself. Understanding this fundamental principle is essential for harnessing the full potential of technology for the benefit of an organization.

Let's explore why negotiation skills are so important. For a purchasing team, they're like the secret sauce of success. Have you ever felt like you’re not getting the best deals or that you’re leaving money on the table? That's your cue to focus on sharpening your negotiation skills.

Does a six-figure boost in earnings sound good to you?

Now, more than ever, fresh, clean air is essential to a healthy home. Good indoor air quality means there is just the right amount of humidity as well as low amounts of harmful chemicals, smoke, and particles in the air. More states and homeowners are demanding better air quality inside because fresh, clean air is essential to good health.

The homes combine off-site construction with site-built features and are positioned to help increase inventory while tackling restrictive zoning policies.

We have had several years of sales price escalation and cost increases. In that time, it was easy to load up our homes or get careless in our design process.

Exclusive first look at new 2024 lighting innovations, featuring sleek fandeliers, geometric light fixtures, and cutting-edge LED lighted mirrors & more.

Introducing limitless lighting control with the newest advanced LED dimmer from the radiant® Collection.

Create an entrance that says you have high standards for style, quality and craftsmanship.

In the competitive landscape of the real estate market, builders and developers are constantly seeking ways to set their homes apart and attract potential buyers. One powerful tool in their arsenal is the strategic use of interior design in model homes.

Builder optimism is up: The share of builders that are optimistic about the state of the markets in which they operate rose to 63.6%, about a 10-point bump up from our survey last year.

Going to IBS 2024? Don't miss our 18th Annual Networking Reception, our NAHB educations sessions, and be sure to visit us in booth W3759.

Together with our parent company, The AZEK Company, we’re creating a lasting impact on the world by transforming hundreds of millions of pounds of landfill-bound waste and scrap into beautiful, low-maintenance, long-lasting TimberTech products each year.

The power that construction schedules have over the success of your home building business cannot be denied. Extended, unreliable construction schedules have a devastating domino effect, sabotaging every area of your business, including your profitability. 

Expanding its Industry-Leading Outdoor Living and Home Exteriors Portfolio

It has been an absolute pleasure for Homes for HOPE to serve alongside McGuinn Hybrid Homes on their first Homes for HOPE Project.

ChatGPT, by OpenAI offers your business the potential to elevate your customer support game, streamline operations, and ultimately improve customer satisfaction.

Successful use of artificial intelligence requires human intelligence. For home builders, optimizing technology hinges on discipline, with effective leadership being the key component of this transformative process.

Tile wood-looks only continue to grow in popularity as a long-standing design trend for floors.

On November 3rd, amidst the backdrop of the Bentonville Community Center, the Schuber Mitchell team, joined by dedicated trade partners, launched yet another transformative Homes for HOPE project. 

As a reminder, any/all closings not previously submitted going back to January 1, 2023 can be included in this year-end submission.

​​​​​​​There has been a great deal of discussion over the past several years regarding the makeup of the housing industry. While the manufacturers are giving the large national public builders a great deal of attention, the industry as a whole, should not lose sight of the importance of the mid-tier segment of builders. 

Much like fishing, selling exists at the intersection of opportunity and preparation. One without the other often results in a skunked day. In order to obtain success, you must put your best line forward.

The last thing a home builder should do—given the financial risk involved in building homes and the cyclical nature of the industry—is settle for single-digit profits.

To combat affordability issues for home buyers due to high interest rates, home builders are looking for ways to cut sales prices by 20% or more to keep mortgage payments within reach for their buyers.

Below is a Lennox update on EPA/DOE progress and expectations regarding the A2L (Low GWP) refrigerant regulation slated for implementation in January of 2025. This article was written in a bullet point format in order to deliver the information in the most efficient way possible. Please contact the Lennox team for more details.   

In today’s competitive marketplace, it can be a challenge to stand out in a crowd. Earning awards is a credible way to boost your brand, attract top talent and new customers.

A shared understanding of measurements and reporting mechanisms provides the foundation for trust with employees, investors, customers and communities.

Maverick Announces Strategic Partnership With Builder Partnerships

This year’s Driving for Kids event was very successful thanks to the generosity of the twelve participating driver teams and their contributing members. The event raised $95,820 for chronically ill children and their families to experience a week of camping at Roundup River Ranch in Gypsum, Colorado.

The cottagecore look is a study in romance and simplicity. Inspired by rustic farmhouses mixed with edwardian elegance, cottagecore takes vintage antiques and partners them with modern, neutral elements. As cozy as it is creative, our Homestead Collection captures the quintessential quality of cottagecore beauty.

Our lifestyle activities have an impact on the environment, which is why it’s important to seek opportunities to make a positive difference. Let’s explore practical ways to contribute and create a greener future together. This includes areas we might not normally think about, such as our driveways.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) annual Housing Innovation Awards recognize builders in the U.S. for their commitment to providing high-performance, energy-efficient homes on the path to being zero energy ready. 

Homes for HOPE is delighted to announce that Providence Homes is the recipient of our second annual Bigelow Award.

Be ready to react no matter the outcome. As economic factors deploy either in a favorable direction or exacerbating the challenges that are peeking into the future, the time to plan for a change of direction is now.

Transform the entry into a one-of-a-kind experience. One that blends artistry, craftsmanship and modern engineering. Because the entry is where home begins. And homes with uncompromising style demand uncompromising entryways.

I was speaking to a group of home builders several months ago and was blown away by how many of them said that they “forgot about purchasing.” Purchasing, the key to cost control, was left to run on its own while all the focus was put on sales and production.

Backing our commitment to providing innovative solutions for homebuyers, Legrand is proud to expand our current offerings for the Connected Home. Introducing our Builder Partnerships Program Recharge with the addition of our at-home EV chargers and the Luxul Wi-Fi Assurance Program. We’re here to make it easier than ever to build in connectivity that modern homebuyers want and expect.

When the largest electrical installation company in Texas decided to open up a new smart home and security division, In Charge Electric turned to Brilliant and Resideo to power their smart home offerings.

Wayne Dalton Garage Doors has added models 8300 & 8300AG Wood Grain Impressions™ to their rebate program available to members of Builder Partnerships.

Learn Top Tips from Manager's all across the Country to Help you Sell More Homes Now!

We design and merchandise model homes and amenity spaces that elicit dreams of home ownership and a lifestyle worth living, set our client’s product apart from the competition, and help homes sell.

Track your qualifying BP rebates in one easy-to-use system and get paid quickly without all the hassle.

Daikin Industries, Ltd. has released the English edition of its Sustainability Report 2023. The report includes the overall approach of the Daikin Group for contributing to the realization of a sustainable society through its business and technological innovation, along with its fiscal 2022 results and plans for the future.

It was a time to celebrate the thousands of lives that will be impacted by Pahlisch’s donation, as well as a time of fellowship among colleagues who had just constructed an award-winning home.

Garage doors went from a single panel that opened manually to sectional pieces that rolled up overhead in 1921. Since then, homeowners have had the chance to exchange a single section of a garage door instead of buying an entirely new one — a much more affordable option.

New-home orders increased 51% year over year as demand remains strong in the home builder’s infill and infill-adjacent locations.

Incentive compensation programs for construction personnel allow home builders to keep base salaries at a manageable level given the cyclical nature of the industry. During the inevitable downturn, if base salaries are too high, builders could be forced to cut high-performing staff to stay in business.

As we all know, with the boom that we experienced in most States, we had more clients than we could handle. Now that the market has normalized it’s time for our salespeople to step up and implement prospecting activities, which will become a habit and sustain them for their whole new home sales career.

With a wide variety of stain and paint options to choose from, you can pair on-trend colors with our industry-leading Therma-Tru doors, delivering lasting beauty that you can trust.

As a leading energy technology company, Generac remains focused on advancing our Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) vision.

Training women in roofing and other trades can help strengthen the US economy by addressing the country's massive skilled labor shortage.

​​​​​​​The Aerotherm® Series heat pump water heater is an innovative, highly efficient solution for domestic hot water.

A sale extends far beyond the physical meeting. While polite conversations, firm handshakes, and detailed infographics are key elements of a successful sale, many other factors influence the results. Preparation is imperative to converting a prospect into a loyal customer. 

The first six months of 2023 far exceeded home builders’ expectations from the beginning of the year. Builders were forecasting a 30% drop in home sales based on the fall off of sales during the fourth quarter of last year when the interest rate for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage increased to over 7.0%. At the half-year mark, actual new home sales were only down 2.8% from last year.

As someone who is new to the housing industry, expanding my knowledge of home building is a top priority. After completing many of the courses in our new technical training lineup where I learned everything from jobsite safety to water management, I wanted to further my knowledge with an in-person visit to a home building company. Joe Loidolt from Classic Homes in Colorado Springs graciously agreed to host me for a two-day visit last month.

Builder of Choice status is something that is earned, and it encompasses much more than your reputation with your trades and suppliers. Your entire organization contributes to, and benefits from, becoming the Builder of Choice. 

We often say partnering with Homes for HOPE is all about the long game. Partnerships take a while to cultivate, homes take a bit to be built, and loans take time to be repaid. But in the end, partnerships are solidified, homes are built, and loans are repaid by HOPE clients helping them break the cycle of poverty.

Exactly how hot does a roof get in the summer? According to the US Department of Energy, traditional darker asphalt shingle roofs can get up to 150°F on a sunny summer day. And prolonged exposure to high heat like this can damage your roof. Four Potential Effects of Summer Weather on Your Roof:

Do you have a question about our products or services? Visit our brand-new, 24/7, online support center to explore valuable resources, frequently asked questions and much more.

The Problem: Preparing your homes to meet the fast-growing demand for electric vehicle charging. Homebuyers also happen to be drivers. And it’s no longer a question of if drivers will go electric, but when.

TruTeam’s project leaders and coordinators are local, hand-selected professionals who care about completing your project safely while providing the maximum return on investment.

Daikin is the global leader in air conditioning, with HVAC&R, fluorochemical, and filtration products powered by unlimited human potential.

Innovation is one of Bulbrite's core values. Check out a few of our newest products that help Turn Life On!

Builder Partnerships is pleased to announce the newest manufacturer member to our program

Named One of America’s 2023 Climate Leaders by USA Today; Wins Environment + Energy Leader 2023 Product of the Year Award for TimberTech Advanced PVC Decking

2022 was a year full of challenges for the home building industry with all kinds of twist and turns throughout the year.

Builder Partnerships recently conducted a survey of our builder community in order to remain abreast of the market and its impact on our members. Builder responses indicate changes in sales backlog, cycle times, starts and closings.

Our new online technical training programs powered by IBACOS will benefit field personnel and anyone interested in expanding their knowledge of the home building process.

We are pleased to announce that 75% of the top 240 companies on Pro Builder's 2023 Housing Giants list are members of Builder Partnerships.

Unifying four existing home building entities operating in Arizona, Alabama, and Georgia, American Southern Homes is transitioning to Evermore Homes.

The 2023 Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) is scheduled for July 19-20, 2023, in Orlando, FL. Programming will include two days of hard-hitting education, the regions's largest building industry trade show, networking opportunities, and more!

In pursuit of forging industry connections, we encourage our manufacturer and service provider members to participate in events as sponsors. Explore the benefits of this incredible opportunity and discover how it can propel your organization toward successful relationships. 

The term 'Net-Zero Home' may sound futuristic, but it's an increasingly achievable and popular goal. A net-zero home is a residential structure that, within the span of one year, produces an equivalent amount of energy as it consumes. In this guide, we will explore the necessary steps for constructing a net-zero home and examine its associated benefits.

A Testament to Excellence: 2023 Best of the Springs

Wood is the most expensive item in a new home. Protect that investment.

Buying an ERP system isn’t something you can do quickly if you want to get a good fit. It’s a process. However, it doesn’t have to be complicated or take a long time. Here are five questions you can ask to help search more effectively.

If your team can’t make it to one of our in-person seminars, our instructors will come to you!

The U.S. economy and the housing industry have performed better than expected this year. However, both are showing signs of weakness in the face of the Federal Reserve’s battle against runaway inflation.