Top 10 Home Building Stories of the Decade

The home building industry, suffice it to say, went on a wild ride during the last decade, setting modern-era records for production and losses. As the decade ended, it was almost as if we were back where we started. When they weren't getting a deeper appreciation of the industry's cyclicality, builders witnessed some incredible events, including the infamous dot.com explosion and implosion, a complete meltdown of the U.S. financial system, and an unprecedented immigration influx that bolstered the ranks of home buyers and subcontractors. If the composition of home buyers changed dramatically during the decade, so did the types of homes and communities that builders built. Builders perfected new business models for infill and in-town construction that served them well once the downturn hit. Active adult developments surged on the strength of aging boomers, then quickly receded as deflated home values led mature buyers to stay put. And as the decade ended, critics questioned the viability of suburban master planned communities.

Click here to view this article from its source.