Times are a changin’ for subcontractors — and for once, we’re not talking about the housing slump. Even in the midst of the drastic U.S. housing downturn, there’s good news from the American Subcontractors Association. Its local chapters have lobbied for a number of public policy reforms, according to Contractormag.com, which should make working conditions, contracts and other building aspects easier. A few highlights achieved in 2007 through successful lobbying include: Colorado: Gov. Bill Ritter signed an indemnity reform bill (S.B. 87) on April 11 that prevents any party in a construction agreement from contractually indemnifying another party for damage…

We’ve all received a number of big residential outlooks and predictions this week — some just today, as industry players like McGraw-Hill Construction and the Commerce Department weighed in on the current and future housing situation. Commenting on the residential decline is nothing new; but within these takes was hope — some actual positive findings that indicate improvement to balance out the negative — making this series of forecasts more encouraging than most from the past six months. And that’s newsworthy, indeed. The picture this week’s data painted, in fact, was somewhat rosier than many people — possibly even the…

For communities interested in green building, a little push may be all it takes to incorporate sustainability into future building and expansion plans. Supporting green building is one thing — encouraging it, entirely another. Aside from passing an all-construction mandate or instituting a fine, how can towns — and builders — inspire sustainability? Take a look at ways some communities are promoting green building: Test-Driving a Green Program. Los Altos, Calif. recently approved a 12-month green building program, which requires require new single-family homes to meet Build It Green’s standards, according to the Palo Alto Daily News. Increasing Home Sales…

We’ve become accustomed to hearing that home prices are down, housing supply is up and residential construction is sharply slowing down as a result. But there’s another threat looming on the new project horizon — construction costs — and developers are directly in its path, according to Financial Week. The Associated General Contractors of America warned builders that construction costs would increase in 2008 in its Construction Inflation Alert report, issued earlier this month. Even with the current residential decline? It’s possible. Why overall costs are rising: Wages. When the residential market fell this year, many workers switched into the…

An interesting article in today’s New York Times outlined the rising popularity of social networking sites designed for residential buildings — and the article makes a good case for building-exclusive online communities. Since March, more than 335 buildings have signed up for the Brooklyn-based LifeAt.com service for the $6,000 start fee, according to the Times. Since, as of now, LifeAt doesn’t charge an annual fee, that isn’t a bad investment for a building to make, considering the potential payoff with owners. Who could benefit from a social networking site? A number of residential buildings: Small Buildings. Condos with just a…

This summer, a New York Times article about parking introduced non-New Yorkers to a shocking concept: the $225,000 parking space. Think that sounds high? Some New Yorkers don’t — there’s a waiting list for those spaces in Manhattan. If that price tag blows your mind, considering we’re in the midst of  a national housing decline in which homes are losing value, the concept of the auto condo — essentially a purchasing living space for several high-end cars — likely won’t make much more sense. But some developers are revving up to build them all the same. Luxury on Main, opening late…

A good friend of mine is currently renovating a condo in an up-and-coming (actually, a somewhat-already-here) neighborhood. The neighborhood has turned out to be a real find, so much so that a relative who works in real estate is thinking about buying down the street. Now, this family member is a classy lady. I don’t see her being interested in a fixer-upper, but rather a home that is ultra-modern, something hip. New construction condo, I asked? The friend lowered her eyes, sheepishly. "No," she said, somewhat nervously. "She’s actually thinking about buying a foreclosed property. It’s for the investment. I…

Yesterday, we discussed the housing slump’s effect on real estate agents — which, in many areas of the country, isn’t looking pretty. And yet, as the housing slump drags on, the National Association of Realtors remains overwhelmingly positive. Just this week, the NAR said that mortgage conditions are improving and that while sales are down from their 2005 peak, 2007 will mark the fifth-highest year on record for pre-owned home sales. That’s indicative of NAR’s other recent forecasts. In July, the NAR said it expected home prices to increase throughout all of 2008; yet it at the same time decreased…

The housing slump has hurt U.S. construction companies, banks and a number of related industries, from home renovation material retailers like Home Depot to power tool companies. And let’s not forget real estate agents. How are they faring as the market crumbles? Not well, according to a number of recent reports. For the first time in a decade, the National Association of Realtors expects membership to decline this year, the Associated Press reported this week. Last year, the NAR had almost twice its 1997 membership. Realtor income has also dropped — falling on a national level from $49,300 in 2004…

This week’s news that property moguls landed three of the four top spots on Forbes Asia’s annual list of the 40 richest people in China highlights an interesting trend — China’s real estate tycoons. That includes 26-year-old Yang Huiyan, who was named the richest person in China this week, with shares of the development company her father founded, Country Garden, valued at about $16 billion. As the U.S. sinks further into housing despair, China’s residential sector is booming. Real estate investment development grew 29 percent in the first eight months of 2007 to 1.4 trillion yuan, or $186.5 billion, the…