Oriented strand board (OSB) has been a trusted staple in construction for decades. Builders have relied on its consistency, familiarity and structural performance in an industry where predictability often outweighs experimentation. But as fire risk intensifies, building codes evolve and insurance pressures mount, even the most established materials are being reevaluated. What emerges is not…
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Builders are generating more online leads than ever, but many are missing what matters most: speed. The homebuying journey now begins with an online inquiry, a form submission or a request for pricing and the outcome is increasingly determined by how quickly a builder responds. New Home Star is working with builders to address this…
Securing homeowners’ insurance is reshaping the homebuying process itself. Premiums are rising, carriers are pulling back from entire states and buyers are increasingly discovering, sometimes days before closing, that the home they plan to purchase is either too expensive to insure or cannot be insured at all. What was once a routine, last-step check is…
To my shock, housing demand rebounded last week even though the war with Iran continues and mortgage rates are higher today than before the war started. Last week is one of the more positive reports since I started writing the Housing Market Tracker at the end of 2022. Everything I want to see in our…