Newsletter Stories

• New single-family homes shift to smaller lots
  The long-term trend of building single-family detached homes on smaller lots appears to have stabilized. According to an analysis from the National Association of Home Builders, new single-family detached homes have steadily shifted toward smaller lots as a direct result of builders’ efforts to improve affordability and attract homebuyers. According to the latest Survey of […]
• These 5 design trends are back in style
  This year has been the year of comebacks; previously outdated trends are making their way back into the limelight. Interior designers weighed in on the former trends they have seen coming back in style in today’s homes. “After years of safe neutrals and minimalism, there’s a renewed desire for personality in interiors, spaces that people […]
• June AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index gains three points
  The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently released the AIA/Deltek Architecture Billings Index® (ABI) for June; the score at 47.3 is a three-point increase from May. While the reading increased, a metric below 50 indicates an equal share of firms reporting decreases and increases. The South continues its reign as the strongest market with a reading […]
• June housing starts and completions exceed estimates
  On July 17, 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development released their new residential construction report for June 2026. According to the report, privately-owned housing completions in June were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1,392,000, 3.3% above the revised May estimate of 1,347,000 and 1.5 percent% […]
• D.R. Horton realigns outlook despite strong Q3
  In this challenging market, the nation’s largest homebuilder, D.R. Horton, just exceeded its Q3 expectations with 23,983 homes closed and a home sales gross margin of 20.7%. Yet, the builder is realigning its full-year revenue and closings guidance. On the company’s Q3 earnings call on July 21, 2026, David Auld, Executive Chairman, noted that the […]
• Michigan governor signs bills to boost homebuilding
  On July 21, 2026, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed three bills into law aimed at increasing homebuilding across the state. The bills will enable the Michigan Housing Opportunity Tax Credit to work in tandem with the federal low-income housing tax credit to build more affordable housing and cut red tape to help build new homes. […]
• Stanley Martin Homes Acquires Holiday Builders
  Stanley Martin Homes announced it entered into an agreement to acquire Florida-based Holiday Builders. This acquisition would increase Stanley Martin Homes’ controlled lot count to approximately 10,600 and strengthen its presence in the Northwest Panhandle and Southwest Gulf Coast of Florida. Holiday Builders closed approximately 1,050 homes in the state in 2025.  Stanley Martin Homes […]
• Florida and California lead in luxury home sales
  June’s largest home sales were split between the coasts of Florida and Southern California. Luxury home sales strongly led each of the state’s housing markets. The most expensive U.S. home sale of the month, a beachfront estate in Manalapan, Fla., sold for $71 million. The second largest sale was a $47 million compound in Beverly […]
• Fusing Luxury and Functionality
   Understanding the role interior designers play behind the scenes  For me, luxury and functionality are inseparable. It does not make sense to design something beautiful if it does not support the way a person actually lives.  Before I ever think about the aesthetics, I think about the problem: What needs to be solved? How does […]
• Lennar approved on 2,360-home Florida development
  Lennar, one of the nation’s largest homebuilders, just received the thumbs-up on its 2,360-home Everlands West development from the Palm Bay City Council. The project is noted as one of the most ambitious residential projects for the city in recent memory. Lennar plans to build an estimated 1,600 single-family homes and 760 multi-family homes. The […]