King Street Station is a transformation—recovering brownfields and revitalizing a walkable neighborhood—a true example of changing the land use and executing on a vision for a vibrant community. The site was previously home to a train depot, foundry, auto repair, battery warehouse retail shop, and millwork shop. Not only was there some amount of site soil remediation required, but the entire site had to be built up out of the floodplain, and the Town Branch stream re-routed underneath the portion…

Setting the architectural standard for large buildings in Charleston’s historic district, The Jasper is a 12-story mixed-use building offering 219 luxury, for-rent multifamily units, 75,000 sf of AAA-office space and 25,000 sf of first-floor retail space with an enclosed parking garage. Its design, massing, and detailing serve the needs of tomorrow’s resident, neighbor, and office professional by seamlessly blending innovative designs and luxury amenities with the elegance of other cherished neoclassical structures found throughout Charleston. Residents at The Jasper enjoy…

In another sign that the slowdown in the housing market continues, builder sentiment fell for the ninth straight month in September as the combination of elevated interest rates, persistent building material supply chain disruptions and high home prices continue to take a toll on affordability. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell three points in September… Read More ›

Nonfarm payroll employment increased in 37 states in August compared to the previous month while 13 states and the District of Columbia lost jobs. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, nationwide total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 315,000 in August, following a gain of 526,000 jobs in July. On a month-over-month basis, employment data was strong in Kentucky, which… Read More ›

When it comes to bathroom features, a shower stall and tub in the primary bath tops the list for first-time home buyers, according to a recent NAHB study, What Home Buyers Really Want, 2021 Edition. In fact, 72% of first-time buyers rated both a shower stall and tub in the primary bath as “essential” or “desirable,” followed closely by a linen closet, rated essential or desirable by 70%. Modern bathroom interior with wooden decor in eco style. 3D Render A large,…

Over the first seven months of 2022, the total number of single-family permits issued year-to-date (YTD) nationwide reached 645,877. On a year-over-year (YoY) basis, this is a 5.3% decline over the July 2021 level of 681,949. Year-to-date ending in July, single-family permits declined in all four regions. The South posted a slight decline 3.0% while the Midwest region reported the… Read More ›

Per the Mortgage Bankers Association’s (MBA) survey through the week ending September 9th, total mortgage activity declined 1.2% and the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) rate rose seven basis points to 6.01%. The FRM rate has increased 56 bps over the past month reaching a 14-year high. The Market Composite Index, a measure of mortgage loan application volume, decreased by… Read More ›

According to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), the share of new homes started with 5,000 square feet or more of living space stood at 2.90 percent in 2021, up from 2.50 percent in 2020.  A total of 33,000 5,000+ square-foot homes were started in 2021, compared to 25,000 in 2020.  The increase in number and share… Read More ›

COVID-19 has forced many dwellers to reside at home during the quarantine time and conduct all their daily activities from there. Dweller’s daily routine has changed during the quarantine period. People started working remotely and spending more time inside their homes. Before COVID, most dwellers would spend most of their time at their offices, and more activities were conducted outside of their homes rather than inside. However, with the Pandemic a new norm has evolved, which is here to stay…

According to the annual data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC), stucco was the most common principal siding material on new single-family homes started in 2021 (28 percent),  followed by vinyl siding (24 percent), fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard (23 percent) and, brick or brick veneer (19 percent). Far smaller shares of single-family homes started last year had wood or wood products (4 percent) and stone, rock or other stone materials (1 percent) as the principal exterior wall material. The Census Bureau’s SOC data is available by the nine census…