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Happy Tuesday, Reader! If you happen to follow me over on LinkedIn, you may have noticed I did a series of videos about a motion-based measuring tool and app called Moasure. This little device - coupled with an app on your phone had been intriguing to me since I started seeing buzz online. So when one of their folks reached out to me and asked me to take it for a spin (and report out my findings), I jumped at the opportunity! They sent me their Moasure ONE device, and I went out to measure...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! Here's to hoping you are doing amazing things in the homebuilding industry today (and every day)! I've been thinking a lot about how bull-headed many are in this industry. Folks know how to do something a certain way and don't see a need to change. And I'm not casting stones at others. My family was no different when we were running our own homebuilding business. We did things the "hard way." It was a very manually-run business: Excel spreadsheets, scheduling on a...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! Last week, I let you know a little bit about water in basements and how you might handle it. I thought I'd continue with some other things that Home Builders happen to find when they start to dig a foundation - things that can add (sometimes significant) costs to a new build. Here are a few things: WATER - Water is one of those things that can be found, and it's rarely welcome. You start to dig and the hole fills up with water. This could be from an underground spring...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! It rained last night in Central Pennsylvania. A good hard rain that lasted most of the night. It's been a very dry Summer so far - so - the rain was a welcome guest (and it sounds really nice to fall asleep listening to the rain outside). As much as I was enjoying it, rain isn't always welcome on a jobsite. In fact, rain often hinders the homebuilding process until the house is "under roof" and dried in. One of the biggest pains of building a home is when you dig the...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! Do you think that affordable housing and offsite construction is just a topic of today? Think again! I recently heard about the Dymaxion House that was designed in the late 1920's to solve the affordable housing problem of the time (um, maybe something to do with the Great Depression???). Anyway, I thought you might find this information interesting - as it's a part of housing's past (though it very much looked like the future). The Dymaxion House got it's name from...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! This week, I'm starting to jump in to try out and learn how to use a new product called Moasure. Truth be told, the folks at Moasure reached out and asked me to do this - and - they sent me a unit to try out (and provide some video back to them to use for their marketing). I got out yesterday afternoon for my first try - and - I can say that I have a lot to learn to use it efficiently. I'm going to post my initial thoughts on my blog in short order. In the meantime, you...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! The homebuilding industry can be a paradox for some. I mean - you're building a product for people to fulfill dreams and wishes, and that's a great thing. But, often, Home Builders are using up land (taking over old farms, etc.) to build their homes. And that can be somewhat of a downer to folks who hate to see the ground give way for "McMansions" and other housing. As a Home Builder since 1993, I've struggled with this same paradox. The industry is what put a roof over...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! If you've ever wondered just how different Home Builders structure their businesses, this email might just help! Of course, it might even create MORE questions for you - but - that's ok. Questioning is good. It's how you get better in this great homebuilding industry! When it comes to how Home Builders structure their businesses, there really isn't a simple answer. There are so many different ways to do it - but - today, I'd like to talk about two ways that some Home...

Happy Tuesday, Reader! If you have a family member who served in the armed forces and is no longer with us - my thanks to them for their ultimate sacrifice on this Memorial Day Week! And - if you or a family member served and still with us (or is currently serving) - thank you!! SPEC Homes That Sit Are No Fun! There! I said it! If you're a Home Builder who sells SPEC Homes (either exclusively OR as part of your product mix), you know that the key to these being successful is to actually SELL...