Are you wondering how the housing market is looking as we enter the prime real estate season of the year?  In real estate, The Months’ Supply Index is a simple measure that compares the number of available homes on the market at the end of any given month to the contract activity of that same month.  By this measure, the market conditions at the end of 2009 were dramatically better than those at the end of 2008.  The chart below compares the relative supply across five different price categories in December 2008 and December 2009.  Supply is significantly less in almost every price range.  The homebuyers’ tax credit has helped to fuel this tight supply condition.  Our hope is that this is the beginning of a ripple effect upward through the price categories.  This doesn’t mean that the market is fully recovered; far from it.  But it’s better than a year ago and, given how rough things have been, that feels pretty good.

This is an excellent time to buy land if you’re considering building your own home. For help, check out our guidelines or contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Not long ago while in the midst of a million-dollar custom-home-building project, it was time to address questions of wiring and lighting with my clients and time to consult with my master electrician about the options available.  I assumed that I would continue working with the same lighting supplier I had always done business with—and that I would, by now, have several good alternatives to discuss with my clients.

I was surprised to discover that the alternatives are still few—and that I would have to switch suppliers to be able to outfit my client’s new home with appropriate lighting fixtures.

If you find it a little hard to believe that we would be facing such a dearth of options for something as basic as electric lighting, just think back to the early 90’s when new toilet standards mandated a 1.4 gallon tank.  Toilet manufacturers retrofitted existing toilets--which meant that we all had toilets that didn’t work.  It took European competition to force the American manufacturers to properly engineer their products.

Competition will eventually lead to new, better, and more energy-efficient lighting solutions.  But, in the meantime, I’d like to offer some tips that can help you save money and preserve as full as possible a range of lighting options for your home—whether you own an existing home or are planning to build.

•    If you already own a home, don’t panic and do any conversions now.  It is still premature.  You are likely to see some rapid change as the mandated phase-out gets closer.  

•    Understand that CFL’s work great in places where lights are going to be on awhile.  But you might want to stock up on incandescents in places where lights are often turned on and off—and where the softer glow of incandescence matters to you.

•    If you are considering building--or buying—a new home, make sure you have fixtures that conform to the new standards.  The safest route for now is to plan on using halogen and LED.  These bulbs will be widely available—and it is those two types that the lighting suppliers will be trying to conform to.

•    You probably want to know, if you have plans to remodel or to build, which lighting fixture suppliers should I be choosing?   While I don’t want to recommend a particular supplier at this point, the best advice is to do your research.  Before actually making purchases through a lighting supply store, check out the manufacturers whose fixtures appeal to you.  Go to their web sites , and contact them through their customer service numbers.

In general, the best advice is to stay calm, expect good new choices to emerge, and to do your homework.  When in doubt, consult with an expert in the home-building or lighting industry.  Remember that quietly stocking up on incandescent bulbs over the next couple of years is not an irresponsible thing.  It is a sensible way to ride out the “bumpy” period while we wait for great, energy-saving alternatives to emerge and to become truly cost-effective for consumers.

While we may mourn the passing of the familiar, beloved incandescent bulb, its phase-out will open the door to new, energy-saving possibilities.  Approached with an ounce or two of forethought and common sense, this is a change we can all celebrate.

If you found this article informative or have questions about it, feel free to contact me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

by Maureen Hannan Adams and Charlie Little

The incandescent light bulb is as familiar to us all as the yellow number-two pencil.  Or as the chrome pop-up toaster.  The familiar shape of the light bulb is burned into our brains:  the icon for bright new ideas, the symbol of innovation and sudden awareness.  As a home builder, though, I suddenly find myself in the position of educating my clients about the fate of the incandescent bulb.  Few people realize that it is about to become a symbol of the opposite of innovation.  The traditional light bulb is, by a 2007 law, on its way to obsolescence.

As a general contractor, I take seriously my responsibility to keep abreast of trends and legal changes that affect all aspects of home-building.  In December of 2007, I was fascinated to read a U.S. News and World Report article on the piece of energy legislation that would mean the end of the incandescent light bulb.  The phase-out (beginning with 100-watt bulbs) is slated to begin in 2012.  By 2014, the energy-inefficient incandescent bulb will be completely banned in the U.S.   (Ninety percent of the energy incandescent bulbs consume is given off as heat, not as light.) Remaining on the market will be CFL (compact florescent light), LED (light-emitting diode), and halogen bulbs—though it will be the LED and halogen bulbs that will dominate the market.

When I read that article two years ago, I thought, “Well, that is a pretty big deal; but I’m sure we’ll see some great lighting innovations introduced well before the mandatory phase-out begins.”

So, here we are early in 2010.  Surely, several innovative and cost-effective solutions for lighting and fixtures are by now flooding into warehouses and stores, right?

Well… not exactly.  Stay tuned ...

WHAT LEVEL OF GREEN DO YOU WANT TO BE?        

I recently attended a Green conference offered by one of my suppliers.  The speakers ranged from environmental groups all the way to a lumber supplier trying to rebrand themselves as a renewable resource.  One of the speakers was an architect out of Texas.  He talked about the three levels of Green and really struck a chord with me, reinforcing my own philosophy.

He started with Good Old-Fashioned Building Practices.  A few months ago I visited a $4,000,000 house under construction built on a bed of gravel, metal studs, with a cement coating on the outside.  I was shocked at their claims of building Green when frankly it looked like a good way of saving $40,000.  They purport to be Green because they avoided the transportation cost and energy expended at the concrete batching plant.

I still believe in a solid concrete foundation to support the investment, so to speak.  When that foundation fails, and it will, it will be extremely difficult to save that house. The energy it will take to make the repairs will negate any energy savings and claims of being Green.

Before you spend any money on Green products it’s really best to make sure that the exterior of the home has a controlled envelope (well sealed) and controlled fresh air intakes, quality windows installed correctly (an average quality window properly installed is better than any quality window improperly installed), and a properly installed and maintained heating and cooling system.  Other practices that I encourage include: installation of simple window coverings and ceiling fans, water-saving plumbing devices, carbon-dioxide monitoring, radon vents, and daylight basement designs.

These are some of the most effective investments you can make before going to the next level which we call Energy-Saving and Environmentally Sound Products.   

…more to come!...