The housing market is proving to be a bright spot in the economy—at least for now. Existing and new home sales are strong, inventory is limited, prices are stable, and mortgage rates remain low.

According to COGNITION Smart Data, Green Builder Media’s suite of market intelligence services, the housing market is experiencing unprecedented growth rates, even in these uncertain times.

Is the housing market going to burst?

Educational summit runs September 29 through October 9.

EEBA is offering a membership package that gives you 50 percent off your membership and attendance to the upcoming HighPerformance Summit. The discount code is SAVE50.

This video contest will result in a collection of resources that can be used by the building industry.

RESNET’s second annual Video Competition is accepting video entrants until October 31. 

The pattern of record-setting temperatures will worsen in coming months and years.

Nationwide, heat caused at least 10,000 deaths from 1999 to 2016–more than hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods in most years, according to research by the Columbia Journalism Investigations and the Center for Public Integrity. And although the heatwaves are likely to continue courtesy of global warming, the lead agency for dealing with the problem is getting increasingly less support from the White House.

The nation’s wind capacity can now supply electricity to 5 million homes per year.

Wind power’s growing popularity and innovations in energy technology have led to a record number of annual procurements in 2019. Commercial and industrial companies are buying almost 4,500 megawatt (MW) of U.S. wind capacity—enough to generate electricity for 5 million homes annually. Total corporate agreements are approaching 17,000, according to a new report from the American Wind Energy Association (AWEA).

Decades of research on how buildings function explain why synthetic housewrap long ago replaced polyethylene as a building material.

Walking through a historic section of Portland, Maine, this week, I noticed this grand old house, wrapped in polyethylene (sheet plastic). Why, I wondered, would anyone in the 21st Century still use this product in this way?

In response to the Trump Administration’s attempt to dial back water efficiency standards, the Department of Energy has proposed new rules to redefine showerheads and reclassify clothes washers.

By doing this, these fixtures and appliances would fall outside the scope of the Energy Policy & Conservation Act of 1992,  which was the most recent act of Congress that set federal maximums for flow rates, gallons per flush, etc. 

Millennials and older Gen-Zers have become the housing industry’s top influencers, as indicated by mortgage activity.  

According to COGNITION Smart Data, Green Builder Media’s suite of market intelligence services, Millennials are inundating the housing market, taking advantage of sub-3% mortgage rates and locking in historically low 30-year rates at an average of 3.256%.

Extreme weather events are intensifying faster than scientific models predicted, bringing us into uncharted territory.

NOAA just released its most recent State of the Climate Report, testifying that, in August alone, the United States endured four billion-dollar disasters, including calamitous hurricanes in the Southeast, ravaging wildfires in the West, and an extraordinary derecho in the Midwest.

The International Code Council wants codes and standards to help the building industry stay ahead of new technology, trends, and building risk.

When people think about how the International Code Council’s building and energy codes work, the word innovative probably doesn’t leap to mind. After all, codes are written to be exacting, replicable, and reactive to what’s happening in the building universe.

However, working in lockstep with traditional code development is a sector of the Code Council headed by Ryan Colker, vice president of Innovation. His purview includes addressing how the association can be part of new and emerging technologies and practices, particularly regarding resilient housing.

2020 has been a grueling year, indeed.  Is it an anomaly or a glimpse into the future, and how can we proficiently navigate the turbulence? 

A global pandemic. Record-breaking wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, and heat waves. Mind-boggling swings in financial markets and unemployment rates.  Communities on edge. Vast populations of people and animals displaced. Are the locusts next?

For better and worse, our lives have moved online during the pandemic. Some of these changes are likely to stay. What will this mean to the built environment?

According to COGNITION Smart Data, Green Builder Media’s suite of market intelligence and data services, the coronavirus has shifted consumer demands with respect to smart home technologies.