Mixing It Up in Suburbia- Mixed Use Property Skyrockets in Dallas Submarkets

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The suburbs of Richardson and Plano are upping the ante in the Dallas real estate market. In an effort to anticipate the demands of an increasing population density in the region, both cities are raising height limits for office towers and expanding their zoning for mixed-use properties. Fully entitled, vacant land is becoming scarce in the Dallas area, which the raised height limits and mixed-use zoning for both cities are hoped to alleviate.

A 55-acre tract along U.S. Highway 75 and Renner Road in Richardson has received increased office tower height limits. The maximum building height for the office building along central Expressway and the Bush Turnpike was raised from 180 feet to 300 feet. The growing demand for more office development is reflected in the increased project height. The development will be build beside the 1.5 million-square-foot State Farm Insurance Corp. campus currently being built in the CityLine development. As yet unnamed, this project will combine retail, residential, and commercial office space plotted along a central boulevard.

Richardson mayor Laura Maczka acknowledges that although multifamily developments “are a hot-button [topic] in this community,” the multifamily provision for the tract has been in place for years, and they aren’t “adding more multifamily that’s not already on the books.” In fact, The number of multifamily residential units has dropped to 100 units from the 1,250 that were originally planned.

Last February, retail giant J. C. Penney partnered with Karahan Companies, Columbus Realty, and KDC to develop the Legacy West business park on 240 acres of vacant land surrounding its Plano headquarters. last week, the Plano town council approved of zoning changes for the first phase of the Legacy West project that will include mid-rise residential towers of 5-12 stories in height. Similar to the Karahan’s other project, Legacy Town Center, this $300 million project will include a hotel, shops, restaurants, and offices along with the multifamily housing. The Council also approved Legacy West’s rezoning request to include 800 units of multifamily housing and single-family homes on 70 acres along the southwest corner of Dallas North Tollway and Headquarters Drive. The project will also include a highly concentrated business center near State Highway 121 and the Dallas North Tollway that will include up to 1,000 multifamily units.

This rezoning has allowed the Legacy West timetable to be accelerated. According to developer Fehmi Karahan, the partners plan to have Legacy West ready for the arrival of Toyota’s North American headquarters in California that will serve the 4,000 workers who will be employed at the company’s new U.S. Headquarters. The developers’ decision to make the area pedestrian-friendly was one of the Council’s major motivating factors.

 

 

 

Aubuchon Homes Expands into Southwest Florida

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HBW subscribers know that Southwest Florida is a boom market for residential construction. The boom has grown so strong that Cape Coral builder Aubuchon Homes is expanding deeper into the region. Aubuchon Homes is accomplishing this goal by taking its Sterling collection to Fort Meyers. They are showcasing their new collection with one display home located on McGregor Boulevard, and plan to build another on an adjacent lot. Unlike model homes, which are for show only, these furnished display homes are being built for market.

Public perception of Aubuchon Homes as a Cape Coral builder is part of why they decided to build in Fort Meyers. Company president Gary Aubuchon says that, “people associate us as a Cape Coral builder and we want to change that,” said Gary Aubuchon, president of Aubuchon Homes.”

Aubuchon builds homes in every county of Southwest Florida, and they plan to strengthen their presence as a regional builder by opening an office near Bonita Beach Road. The office is slated for a January opening. Bonita Springs Chamber of Commerce president  and CEO Christine Ross is thrilled to see Aubuchon move into the city. “[Businesses] are returning to the community and it’s really exciting for us,” she says, adding, “I think it speaks to the health of the market and to the progressive protocols we have in place in the city of Bonita Springs to be builder-friendly and a one-stop shop.”

Ross’ enthusiasm is matched by Aubuchon’s excitement at solidifying their operation expansion into the region. According to Aubuchon, “Our plan is to be known as a regional builder in Southwest Florida.” They are still building homes in the Cape Coral and Lee County markets, and they are returning to Collier County after a 20-year absence. “We are building our first Collier County home since the 1990s,” says Aubuchon.

Homes in the Sterling collection are based on the company’s older styles, but they have been considerably revamped for the mid-range market. The seven home styles will range from $259,900 to $384,900. Another selling point for Aubuchon is that each of the seven floorplans can be modified; bedrooms and walls can be added or removed, and double doors can be substituted for walls. Of this design flexibility, Aubuchon states, “there are a lot of different ways the house works depending on the client’s needs.”

Of his company’s unique homes, Aubuchon says that “they have been designed for maximum value; it’s all the home you need without the home you don’t need.”

Building professionals seeking residential construction permit information or home building job leads with Aubuchon Homes and other Southwest Florida builders should investigate HBW’s permit reports and building activity data. Or, save yourself  time and energy by searching for Aubuchon’s latest projects in HBW’s cloud-based database.

Quality May Falter During Construction Industry Boom

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The enormous growth in residential and commercial construction might suffer from quality issues, according to Quality Built, LLC, a firm that offers quality assurance and risk management support to the construction industry.  Quality Built’s construction defect data bank is the largest in the nation. That, along with their quality assurance program, makes them one of the “Big Data” authorities for the construction industry.

Brian Kramer, P.E. and C.E.O. of Quality Built, says the firm’s available data indicates that “construction [is] continuing to grow at a rate that is nearing long-term averages on a national scale…while at the same time approach[ing], if not nearing, “boom levels” in certain markets.” In areas with significant construction activity, there seems to be “little that will slow demand for new construction as low-interest rates, available capital, and strong demand from lack of construction during the post boom years,” and these conditions are driving market demand for residential and commercial construction.

But, Kramer, explains, these boom trends bring a spike in risk that needs to be properly managed. In their recently published white paper report, “A Decade in Construction Inspections,” it was revealed that the quality levels for construction for all asset classes had reached its lowest point just as the real estate market began to recover from the depths of the recession. The report identified a “perfect storm” of factors which contribute to the current situation. Builders are under increasing pressure to meet difficult delivery demands with shorter deadlines and tighter budget controls, and the in-house quality assurance programming is often sacrificed to meet budget and time constraints. The recession drove a roughly 40% of the skilled and experienced trades professionals out of the industry, leading to the current shortage of experienced, qualified labor and field management personnel.  The tighter budget and time constraints squeezing quality assurance endeavors out of the planning and building process, along with the lack of builders skilled in producing high-quality work, has resulted in the “perfect storm” of otherwise preventable construction defects and lower construction quality across the board.

To meet this powerful need in the construction industry, Quality Built has specifically designed its quality assurance and risk management program to meet the needs of today’s market. Quality Built president Beth Michaels explains that the firm has responded to the current crisis “by expanding our risk assessment protocols to integrate educational programs, trade contractors and internal QA metrics into a closed-loop process guaranteed to promote continuous improvement in a cost-effective manner.” Additionally, Quality Built’s 3rd-party quality assurance program offers “a second set of eyes in the field,” to aid with “quality assurance inspections and technical peer plan reviews,” in addition to offering “web-based technical training on construction defects and how to avoid them,” with programs tailored to meet the individual needs of the builders.

To learn more about Quality Built’s programs and products, contact them, or visit their website.

KB Home Moves in to Converse

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HBW subscribers looking for residential construction job leads and home building permit activity information have their eyes on KB Homes’ new Converse, Texas development. KB Homes welcomes all to Windfield, their expansive new planned community in Converse, Texas. Homebuyers will be able to choose from over a dozen fully customizable one- and two- story floor plans.  Residents will enjoy living within minutes of the Houston Loops 1604, 410, as well as IH -35 & IH-10, which places them near major employment corridors, For Sam Houston, Randolph Air force Base, Brooke Army Medical Center, and attractions throughout central Texas.  Families in Windfield will also find themselves convenient to A-rated middle schools and high schools.

 

The floor plans featured in Windfield come from KB Home’s signature Sterling collection. The development will feature 115 single-family homes ranging from 1,516-2,960 square feet, with accomodation for up to 6 bedrooms, 3½ baths and a two-car garage. KB Home’s San Antonio division president Brett Dietz says that “we are excited to invite home shoppers to visit Windfield and discover everything this new neighborhood has to offer.” Dietz stresses that the Sterling offers everything “from exquisite exteriors and curb appeal, to spacious living areas perfect for family gatherings and entertaining.”

 

If Windfield’s configurable lofts, open kitchens, and spacious master suites aren’t impressive enough, KB Homes is offering Energy Star appliances and other energy-efficient features. Each home is Build San Antonio Green certified to be water- and energy- efficient to conserve natural resources as well as cut down on the monthly utility bills. The WaterSense water fixtures that are standard in all of Windfield’s homes will help homeowners conserve almost 30,000 gallons of water and nearly $300 on their utility bill each year. High-performance windows and insulation, along with radiant barrier roofing and programmable thermostats will help reduce household energy usage as well.

USGBC Announces 3 LEED Courses to Grow Your Business

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LEED certification has become a highly-sought-after credential for developers and builders alike. But initial LEED certification is only the first step in a career-length journey into mastery of LEED principles. Continuing education units are integral to the LEED certification system, because you need to accumulate a number of units to qualify for re-certification every four years. The United States Green Building Council offers online courses to help LEED-qualified professionals earn their CEU’s and keep their knowledge and skills up-to-date.

One webinar offered by the USGBC is the “Optimization of Commercial Building Systems: Technologies, Practices and Strategies” course. This course focuses on the tools, tech, and best practices for energy management in commercial buildings. The course will teach building professionals how to minimize energy use by maximizing their HVAC and lighting systems. Variable-frequency drive (VFD) and Light-Emitting Diode (LED) retrofits will also be discussed. According to the USGBC, “operational practices, often the lowest cost energy conservation measures, can provide significant returns in energy and dollar savings. Efficient scheduling and sensor error remediation can produce results with very little investment.” This webinar will cover operational adjustments, airside economizer optimization, slider controls for lighting and ventilation as well as fan controls for improving indoor air quality. 1 CEU, $45.

Another popular webinar offered by the USGBC is the “Basics of Building Sciences” course. The course is designed to provide a solid foundation in basic building science principles. Participants will be introduced to the “house as a system” model. In addition to addressing the fundamentals of heat, air, and moisture flow in buildings, this model is useful for improving and assessing building performance.  Two key objective of the course are to “recognize the basic principles of building science as they relate to heat, air, and moisture movement in a building, and to examine the multiple components of the building envelope and how they interact with each other to produce an efficient system.” The review questions that appear throughout the presentation aid participants’ retention of information, to help pass the end-of-webinar test in order to receive the CE credit. 1 CEU, $45.

To learn more, or to enroll in these webinars or any of the USGB’s LEED courses, check out Education @ USGBC.

Build Faster, Cheaper, and Greener With 3D Modeling

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3D modeling technology is gaining ground as a means to drive efficient, green construction efforts. Use of 3D modeling as a design tool improves the quality of technical information that builders can get from tech specs.

Higher-quality information will help builders greatly reduce production time, waste in offcuts, abortive work, and bring an end to chronic over-ordering of building materials. When laid out in the 3D Building Information Model (BIM), new build properties can be tested before implementation, a move that can reduce the cost of property development by 20% or more.

Even better, 3D modeling can help reduce waste and costs for remodeling and refurbishing existing buildings, too. This is especially important for historic preservation efforts, where detailed historic architectural information must be overlaid with the more recent infrastructural information as well as the proposed renovations and alterations.

3D BIM begins by scanning the building inside and outside with a tripod-mounted laser scanner that is calibrated to millimeter accuracy. The laser scanner charts all building surfaces as coordinate points along an x-y-z graphical plain. The laser scans are repeated from multiple angles to make sure that nothing is missing or left out. The laser data is then uploaded to the computer and rendered to link the coordinates from each of the scans, which process creates a detailed 3D digital model of the building.

Regardless of whether it’s built from scratch or made from scans of an existing building, once constructed, the 3D model is attached to a number of cross-indexed databases, which allows for a number of different stakeholders to access real-time updates and alterations that have been made to the 3D model.

In addition to the 3D structural model, 3D models of the water, electrical, gas, HVAC, and other utility infrastructure can be superimposed on the existing model. These infrastructural renderings are also uploaded to the shared database. This allows stakeholders to easily and quickly access the specific information about particular plumbing and power junctures without having to trawl through masses of renderings and information. It also allows designers to test green technology retrofits and improvements virtually to measure the benefits before those improvements are implemented.

Lennar Hiring Builders & Subcontractors

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The huge shortfall in the national construction labor industry has hampered expansion and growth in the construction industry, and Lennar plans to do something about it. Lennar’s expansion across of South Florida has been stymied by the lack of builders to help realize their goals. To remedy this shortage, Lennar held an employment expo on October 9 at the Signature Grande in Davie to recruit contractors and subcontractors.

Lennar is seeking subcontractor specialists in roofing, fencing, painting, electrical, plumbing, masonry, and other trades. Project managers and construction managers are also invited to see what Lennar has to offer. Positions are available with Lennar properties all across Palm Beach and Broward counties.

Lennar’s Mira Lago development in Parkland has 700 home sites ready to be built on. This extraordinary development features custom homes situated along the shores of Parkland’s largest lake. Many homes will be nestled onto their won private lake peninsulas. Nearly every home in Mira Lago will have a panoramic lake view, and home prices begin in the mid-$500k range.

Vaquero Trails in Davie is a 16-acre property that will feature 78 townhomes ranging from 1,887-2,208 square feet, and range in price from $347,990 – $382,990. This pocket neighborhood will feature a community recenter with a fitness room, swimming pool, and cabana.

Lennar’s intimately-scaled Aspen Glen property in Boynton Beach will feature 45 luxurious homes featuring 4 & 5-bedroom floorplans ranging from 2,014-3,130 square feet. Homes being in the mid-$300k range. Located between Delray Beach and Palm Beach, Aspen Glen is close to A-rated schools, shopping & dining, and world-class entertainment.

Located in the heart of Palm Beach county, Lennar’s Capistara development offers 7 unique designs in an exclusive gated community of only 110 homes, many of which are situated on oversized lots. The close proximity to A-rated schools, shopping dining, and local attractions, along with a convenient commute to I-95 make this development an ideal place to call home. Floorplans range from 1,882-3,528 feet and 3-5 bedrooms, and home prices start at $325,990.

If you are interested in working with Lennar to develop any of these fine properties, email Lennarcontractors@Lennar.com or visit the Lennar website for more information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meritage Moves from Mega-Communities to Micro-Neighborhoods in Austin

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HBW subscribers eyeing Austin residential construction job leads already know that Meritage Homes, renowned for its grandly scaled housing developments, is downsizing to meet the demands of Austin home buyers. Their latest project, South Austin’s Solavera, is part of the city of Austin’s infill strategies meant to generate housing near the city’s centers.

Of this new emphasis on urban infill, Meritage’s Austin division president Charlie Coleman says that “We’re trailblazers…Over the past year our strategy in Austin has changed” to include the infill projects in major cities where the company is well-represented. No doubt that part of the reason Meritage has adopted this strategy is because of the profound lack of otherwise entitled A- and B- grade lots available in urban centers and the lack of entitled land tracts in the outskirts of bustling urban areas.

Meritage will continue building its large suburban communities in Buda, Lakeway, and Pflugerville, but their latest move will put them in direct competition with infill specialists and Austin locals PSW Real Estate, who are developing pocket communities along the Spicewood Road Corridor. PSW focuses on sustainable design and building for the urban Austin environment for families who want to live in walkable communities near their workplaces and favorite entertainment haunts.

Meritage’s Solavera is slightly over three acres in size. It is located at 2807 Del Curto Road, just east of the South Lamar Boulevard and Manchaca Road intersection. The fully entitled yet thoroughly vacant site was purchased this year from Four Seasons land and Development LLC principal Shawn Breedlove.

By December, the infrastructure work will be finished and building will begin on the single-family detached houses. A debut event showcasing the community for select realtors happened on October 9. Next week will be the VIP event for potential buyers.

Demand for the units has proven to be so strong that Meritage will hold a pre-sale lottery to determine potential homeowners for the community. Buyers must pre-qualify for a home loan of $520,000 or more to be selected for the lottery. Final home prices for the contemporary-styled homes are as yet undecided, but are expected to begin in the $600’s for floor plans ranging from 1,814 to 2,866 square feet.

Vernacular Architecture and Smart Planning Bring Huge Returns to The Waters

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The incredibly ambitious, experimental, master-planned community of The Waters, located in Pike Road, Alabama, has brought incredible returns to this formerly tiny suburb of Montgomery. Built along Cameron Lake, a 200-acre manmade water recreation area, The Waters’ experimentation with architectural design, mixed zoning, and a wide range of housing costs has already produced fantastic results. The latest coup for The Waters development team is the Pike Road school district’s decision to locate a new school near the community.

One key to the wild success of The Waters is that the architectural design of the community is based on the Alabama’s vernacular architecture. There are no mock villas and palazzos, or sprawling pseudo-adobe pueblos, or “traditional English cottages.” Instead, builders are using the visually distinct, traditional housing style that is unique to the Alabama region as the design palette for the town that looks like the quintessential Southern town.

This is in large part due to Town Architect Steve Mouzon’s belief that “whenever you go to a great place, it doesn’t have every style in the world, it has an architecture of that place… The greater the place, the easier you can nail down the architecture to a very small window on planet earth as to where it is. That is a characteristic of greatness — you might say it’s the gateway to greatness.”

Mouzon notes that each of the local builders brought on board share the same design principles, which helps make the town visually striking. “I can pull anyone off a scaffold,” Mouzon explains, “and they can tell you a shocking amount of information about architecture and why they do what they do.”

This emphasis on tradition in design is combined with a cutting-edge approach to mixed accommodation types that include one-bedroom homes and live-work units as well as multi-family condos and single-family homes located near retail, restaurants, and other commercial businesses. The town is thriving on local trade, which Mouzon finds impressive because, “There are 100 rooftops supporting 10,000 square feet of commercial…Conventional wisdom says it takes 1,000 rooftops to support a corner store. We have one-tenth that many supporting 10,000 square feet (six businesses) on the ground floor.”

The Waters offers stunning amenities, such as a large saltwater pool, lighted tennis and basketball courts, and a community pavilion with meeting house and grilling stations, a playground, a dog park and parkland trails. The town also offers world-class fishing on Cameron Lake, which features a marina and courtesy access to kayaks, piers, fishing boats, canoes, beaches, and a cruise boat. Construction is slated to continue through spring of 2015.

Georgia Developer Crown Communities in Hot Water

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Atlanta-based developer Crown Communities, which was acquired by mega-developer D. R. Horton in May of this year, is reeling from the ire of dissatisfied homeowners. According to the Better Business Bureau, the Conyers-based firm has responded to over 107 complaints in the last three years, and dozens more remain open.  The majority of the issues involve the homes and Crown’s servicing of them, and warranty/guarantee problems.

According to the Augusta Chronicle, faulty air conditioners that broke within months of closing, un-level wood floors, cracked driveways, dead grass sod, and leaky plumbing top the list of property complaints. Service complaints involve failure to conduct warranty inspections, poor quality of customer service, and failure to appear for repair appointments.

Last month, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division fined Crown subdivision Pillon Communities $13,750, and ordered them to correct erosion control and water quality violations at their Grove Landing property.

According to the BBB website, Crown Communities has a rating of B-. A number of factors went into this rating, which include company size, number of complaints, and recorded resolutions of those complaints. They achieved this rating because the number of complaints about the company were somewhat offset by the company’s attempt to address those complaints. Investigations are conducted by the BBB in cases where there seems to be a mismatch between the rating given and the company’s customer satisfaction record, and it is entirely possible that Crown Communities will face investigation proceedings.

Crown Communities has 12 subdivisions in Aiken, Richmond, and Columbia counties with homes for sale. It has also developed neighborhoods in Athens, Columbus, and Atlanta as well as towns in South Carolina.