The month of December 2011 saw a rise in construction starts for both single-family residences (SFRs) and apartments and condos. However, only 21,420 SFR starts took place statewide in 2011, 6% below 2010. The overall trend for SFR construction remains flat, with little change from 2010 expected until 2015. 25,595 multi-family starts were initiated in [...]

Part II of this article series describes the government actions that will be necessary to promote growth in the construction industry, and makes predictions about future builder and homebuyer behavior.

A cautiously optimistic light was thrown on the economic recovery of the Riverside-San Bernardino area at a convocation of local economists, real estate professionals, financial planners, civil engineers, title company representatives and business students titled the Annual Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference held in Riverside California on November 3, 2011, at the Riverside Convention Center. [...]

Fire sprinkler systems are now required on all new California single family residences (SFRs) and duplexes built on or after January 1, 2011. Prior to the recent California building code amendment, 146 cities and counties in California had building codes requiring sprinklers in particular homes, however this is the first time a statewide building code [...]

Real estate licensees, bank representatives, economists, financial planners and business students gathered at the annual Inland Empire Economic Forecast Conference, held at the Riverside Convention Center on November 9, 2010, to discuss the economic recovery of Riverside and San Bernardino counties, California and the nation as a whole. Hosted by Beacon Economics and the University [...]

California homebuilding for 2009 was down 80% from the peak in 2005, dragging with it the number of jobs resulting from residential construction — which is down 84% over the same four-year period, as reported by the California Homebuilding Foundation and Center for Strategic Economic Research. The California homebuilding industry in the boom year of [...]

The same banks bailed out with taxpayer money are now lobbying Senators to undercut pending pro-homeowner measures. The most contentious point to the lending industry is loan cram-downs, whereby a bankruptcy judge can reduce the principal amount due on a loan and, in effect, force lenders to act on their own to keep owners in [...]