Land issues? Just build on water.

A Dutch construction company has begun building homes on water due to land scarcity in the Netherlands. They have completed the first 8 of a 500 planned floating home community on the outskirts of Amsterdam. The houses are designed to withstand gales and are built on floating platforms. And the idea is apparently catching on as there appears to be 5,000 names on a waiting list for one of these floating homes.

I guess having a good plumber on speed dial will be crucial for this builder. Other potential issues? How about banks tracking down a foreclosure that floated away in the middle of the night? I guess you could just install a GPS tracking system. Or instead of stealing your TV, I guess crooks could literally just steal your house if you are away on vacation.

Out of the Box Sales Strategies of Homeowners

Feng shui, e-bay, house swapping, and "Cupid's Condo"?!? With a flooded market, homeowners are getting creative. Just check out this story from Money Magazine.

Office Trip to Disney

SMA's Orlando office took a break from work on Wednesday for some bonding. The morning was highlighted with a segway tour of Epcot, and aside from a minor segway accident involving Travis and myself, was a blast. The rest of the day was spent touring Epcot and eating. Tip for amateur eaters out there, don't eat funnel cake with powdered sugar down wind-the sugar will get you everytime.

Production Woes?

SMA Consulting (www.smaconsulting.net) is hosting a Production Management Conference on May 14-15, 2008 and a Super Superintendent Workshop on May 16, 2008 in Orlando, Florida.

Mortgage Bailout for Homeowners on the Brink

With foreclosures on the rise, homebuilders should keep a wary eye on potential legislation to remedy the situation. One such proposal, proposed by Rep. Barney Frank and Sen. Chris Dodd, calls for $300 billion in loan guarantees from the Federal Housing Administration to refinanca loans for homeowners on the brink of foreclosure.

CNN Money takes a closer look at this proposed plan and gives a decent account of the potential outcomes.

Why it may work:
-Will prevent 1.5 million foreclosures and halt home-price declines since it would keep more houses from flooding an already crowded market.
-Lenders would get back more money than if the homes foreclosed.

Why it may fail:
-Plan would transfer some risk to homeowners and lenders who were responsible.
-Some say the the best way to fix the housing crisis is for the free market to run its course, thus lowering entry level homes into a more affordable price range.
-A lack of rental units could really hurt us in the long-run if these foreclosures continue and there aren't enough affordable rentals in the market.

No easy solution obviously.