The purpose of this research is to discover if home builders along the Wasatch Front in Utah are advertising smart home technologies. Research was conducted by a review of the display advertisements placed in the Saturday and Sunday editions of The Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune from March 4, 2006 through April 1, 2006. An internet search for smart home terminology was performed on the web sites of home builders advertising in The Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune. A review of the display advertisements for the Deseret Morning News/Salt Lake Tribune revealed that home builders are not using that medium of advertising for smart home technology. A review of the usage of smart home terminology on the home builders' websites showed similar results. Although there was some usage of smart home terminologies on the websites, the vast majority were found on only two of the home builders' websites.

Japan is one of the world’s major importers of wood products. Most of the wood entering the country is destined to Japan’s house building industry. However, Japan has been an indifferent market regarding demand of wood products certified for sustainable forest management. Current pressures that may indicate a shift in market conditions include: the recent economic recovery, increasing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the new government’s public purchasing policies (PPP) titled Timber Procurement Policies. In order to assess the market prospect (in the next 5 years) for wood products certified as coming from sustainable and/or legal sources a study was completed focusing on Japanese home builders. Data was collected through a self administered mail survey of residential builders in Japan. Results show that there is a low level of understanding, as well as willingness to adopt, forest management certification among Japanese builders. Consequently, current market demand for certified products is low and builders expect little change in consumers’ demand for wood materials certified for sustainable management as well as those certified for legality in the next five years. Builders considered the most important potential drivers for increased demand for certified and/or legal wood products to be rigorously implemented public purchasing policies, followed by increasing final consumers’ demand and the growth in CSR. Builders also estimated that the positive impact of PPPs would be rather modest but widespread. Finally, builders indicated that PPPs would favour demand for certain product categories, such as: domestic wood, softwoods, wood from plantation and to a lesser degree wood from temperate forests.

Japan is one of the world’s major importers of wood products. Most of the wood entering the country is destined to Japan’s house building industry. However, Japan has been an indifferent market regarding demand of wood products certified for sustainable forest management. Current pressures that may indicate a shift in market conditions include: the recent economic recovery, increasing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the new government’s public purchasing policies (PPP) titled Timber Procurement Policies. In order to assess the market prospect (in the next 5 years) for wood products certified as coming from sustainable and/or legal sources a study was completed focusing on Japanese home builders. Data was collected through a self administered mail survey of residential builders in Japan. Results show that there is a low level of understanding, as well as willingness to adopt, forest management certification among Japanese builders. Consequently, current market demand for certified products is low and builders expect little change in consumers’ demand for wood materials certified for sustainable management as well as those certified for legality in the next five years. Builders considered the most important potential drivers for increased demand for certified and/or legal wood products to be rigorously implemented public purchasing policies, followed by increasing final consumers’ demand and the growth in CSR. Builders also estimated that the positive impact of PPPs would be rather modest but widespread. Finally, builders indicated that PPPs would favour demand for certain product categories, such as: domestic wood, softwoods, wood from plantation and to a lesser degree wood from temperate forests.

Japan is one of the world’s major importers of wood products. Most of the wood entering the country is destined to Japan’s house building industry. However, Japan has been an indifferent market regarding demand of wood products certified for sustainable forest management. Current pressures that may indicate a shift in market conditions include: the recent economic recovery, increasing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), and the new government’s public purchasing policies (PPP) titled Timber Procurement Policies. In order to assess the market prospect (in the next 5 years) for wood products certified as coming from sustainable and/or legal sources a study was completed focusing on Japanese home builders. Data was collected through a self administered mail survey of residential builders in Japan. Results show that there is a low level of understanding, as well as willingness to adopt, forest management certification among Japanese builders. Consequently, current market demand for certified products is low and builders expect little change in consumers’ demand for wood materials certified for sustainable management as well as those certified for legality in the next five years. Builders considered the most important potential drivers for increased demand for certified and/or legal wood products to be rigorously implemented public purchasing policies, followed by increasing final consumers’ demand and the growth in CSR. Builders also estimated that the positive impact of PPPs would be rather modest but widespread. Finally, builders indicated that PPPs would favour demand for certain product categories, such as: domestic wood, softwoods, wood from plantation and to a lesser degree wood from temperate forests. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

This study analyzes the market share of the top 10 home builders in nine Metropolitan Statistical Areas, along with fourteen other independent variables, to find a statistical relationship with median home sales price. Through a stepwise regression of the independent variables it is determined that there is no correlation between median home sale price and market share of the top 10 home builders. In the stepwise regression two variables are found to be correlated to median homes sales price: Owner Occupancy Percentage and Residential Construction Wages, a data point compiled for this study. A linear regression is run between market share of the top 10 and median home sale price and no correlation is found. / Master of Science / This study observes changes in median home sale price and changes in the market concentration of the top 10 home builders. Data from nine cities was analyzed. Using linear regression with the two previously mentioned variables along with fourteen other variables the study finds no relationship between the two variables. Among the variables the two that had the highest statistical relationship are Owner Occupancy Percentage and Residential Construction Wages. This study is relevant to the on-going discussion about concentration in the housing market.

Thesis (MPH) --University of Limpopo, 2014 / Topic An investigation of the visual and systemic symptoms experienced by computer users at the National Home Builders’ Registration Council (NHBRC) and British Petroleum (BP) in Johannesburg, Gauteng Province, South Africa. Background The repetitive use of computers in the working places results in the visual and ergonomic disorders that affect the computer users adversely. The computer users experience fatigue which causes visual symptoms such as eyestrain, blurred vision, heaviness of the eyelids or forehead, dry eyes, sensitivity to light and irritatedeyes. The ergonomic disorders like neck pain, backache and wrist pain are also experienced by computer users. These conditions are collectively called Computer Vision Syndrome which is considered as an occupational hazard. Uncorrected refractive errors and binocular anomalies can contribute to these symptoms. The visual and systemic symptoms that affect the computer users in the workplace need to be investigated. Purpose The purpose of the study was to subjectively investigate the visual and systemic symptoms experienced by computer users in the two selected companies in Gauteng Province South Africa. Methodology Structured questions, (open and close ended) were used to obtain information needed for this study. The questions covered demographic as well as information relating to the use of the computer such as the duration of working on computer, the offices/working environment, the appearance and the distance of the screen to the eyes, the working station and visual devices et cetera. Results Participants included 47 (72.3%) females and 17 (26.2%) males and their ages ranged from 20 to 59 years with the mean of 39.5 and the standard deviation of ± 13.1years. Many (80%) of the participants between the ages of 20 to 29 years reported experiencing eye strain. The highest (75%) percentage of slow refocus was reported by the participants that were between the ages of 30 to 39 years. Most males (58.8%) reported experiencing eye strain, slow refocus and headaches associated with computer use. The majority of the females (63.8%) reported experiencing eye strain, while (59.6%) experienced slow refocus and (51.1%) suffered from headaches. A higher percentage of males (23.5%) experienced wrist pain while lower (14.9%) of females experienced wrist pain. No males (0.0%) reported back pain and only a small (8.5%) of females reported back pain. Conclusion Based on the above findings, it is concluded that visual and the systemic symptoms associated with the use of the computer affected most of the workers from the two companies. The factors that may lead to the various symptoms experienced may be ergonomic (environmental) or visual or a combination of these. The environmental factors can be the angle of gaze to the computer screen or the illumination of the working area, while visual factors could be uncorrected refractive error or binocular anomaly. Other factors may include age and working for prolonged time looking at the computer monitor. These factors may then leads to symptoms like eye strain, slow refocus, blurred vision, headaches, dry eyes and systemic symptoms such as neck pain.

Following the recession of 2007-2009, conditions in the housing and finance industries favored an increase in renter occupied homes relative to owner occupied homes. With rental properties comprising an increasing share of the housing supply, the home building industry should consider housing products that meet the needs of renters. This thesis proposes a build-to-rent product for single family home builders, to be offered as a complement to the traditional built-for-sale product. The purpose of the research is to demonstrate that a build-to-rent product is financially feasible under ordinary market conditions. In order to determine the viability of a build-to-rent product under likely market conditions, a financial model has been developed for a single family build-to rent product. The research involves reviewing the literature related to similar investment product types in order to develop a business model for the proposed build-to-rent product. The proposed model utilizes financial parameters currently in the industry, respectively, in the analysis of homebuilding projects and rental property investments. Using the analytical methods used for analogous investment classes, the author calculates a projected market range of input variables for the model. Sensitivity analysis of the model was then used to test the financial feasibility of a build-to-rent product. The analysis showed that the proposed product would be feasible under ordinary market conditions. Additional recommendations for future research has been explored based on the findings of this study.

The Parade of Homes began in 1948 as a novel form of sales merchandising and publicity. The model house, on display at the Parade of Homes, was a powerful advertising tool employed by postwar merchant-builders to sell modern design to a new market of informed consumers and second-time homeowners. Using House & Home as a primary source, I contextualize the postwar housing industry and the merchandising efforts of builders. Then, through an examination of the 1955 Parade of Homes in Houston, Texas, I analyze the early Parade of Homes events and the language of domestic modernism that they showcased. / text

Thesis (MTech (Business Administration in Project Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018. / According to Section 26 (1) of the constitution of Republic of South Africa, everyone has a right to have a satisfactory house to restore and honour the dignity of the South Africans. However South African government implemented several housing programmes to bridge the gap of housing backlog in South Africa. One of the housing programmes that South African government implemented is People Housing Process (PHP). It was approved in 1998 by South African government. South African government shifted focus on the quality of houses and mainly focused on the quantity of houses delivered through the financial year. There have been a lot of quality complaints on PHP. The quality defects are signs of foundation failures, cracks on foundations, water flooding around the houses, water not properly channelling to the drain, cracks on walls, dampness of walls, mould on walls, water seeping through the windows, poorly applied external plaster, incorrect bonding of internal walls to external walls, walls that are not straight walls, sagging ceiling panels, gable not properly filled with mortar, roof structure not properly tied up, sagging roof coverings, roof leaks, sagging roof tiles and ridges, rust on painted iron material, poor quality of blocks used, insufficient cement on mortar mix and peeling off paint. National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) are the custodians of the home building industry. They were excluded from PHP from 1998 till March 2012. NHBRC was approved to inspect PHP house in April 2012. Thus, the aim of the study was to compare the houses that were built before NHBRC involvement in PHP with those that were built after NHBRC involvement in PHP. The sample included 50% of each of the two groups (those in houses built without NHBRC involvement and those built with NHBRC involvement), the research involved at least 50 respondents per group (McMillan, et al 2001:177 – recommends 15 respondents per group). The sample size per group has been put at 50 since the larger the sample the higher the accuracy. The study is classified as quantitative research because it intended to quantify the variation in occurrence, situation, problem or issue; the information was gathered using predominantly quantitative variables and the analysis was geared to ascertain the magnitude of the variation. The findings of the study revealed that the quality of the houses that were built under PHP programme before NHBRC intervention on PHP was not up to standard however the quality on those that were built after NHBRC involvement improved. Therefore it is recommended for Western Cape government to implement the rectification programme which was approved by National Department of Human Settlements in 2009 mainly focusing on houses that have been severely structurally compromised and are regarded as unfit for human habitation as it poses a threat to the health and safety of the occupants (The National Housing Code, 2009: 11-13).