Industry Insights – Ken Semler

05 Mar

2022: The Inflection Point Year for Modular Construction

By Ken Semler
In Industry Insights

HEADER PICTURE: The Hockey Stick Principles, Flatiron Books Residential construction in the U.S. has changed. While getting skilled and trained labor in many industries is hard, getting it in the construction industry has gotten more difficult than ever with no end in sight. Material prices ... Read More The post...

11 Jun

Gazing into the Home Buyers Crystal Ball

By Ken Semler
In Industry Insights

Prices, timeframes, and material selections, etc. So many things are clouding the crystal ball of today’s home buyer. What do you do? Do you wait and watch home prices go up along with today’s record-low interest rates? What if they never come back down? Do ... Read More The post...

12 Mar

Low Home Inventories Turn Many to Home Construction

By Ken Semler
In Industry Insights

Existing home inventories are at an all-time low. There are very few good houses on the market for sale. If a good home finds its way to the market, then there is a bidding war for it driving the price upward for the eventual winner. ... Read More The post...

26 Feb

Building to the Labels

By Ken Semler
In Industry Insights

Labels are just another way to say a standard. There is information overload for homebuyers in today’s marketplace, smart homes, construction standards, appliances, color selections, building materials, etc. When you build a home, there is a lot coming at you and many decisions to be ... Read More The post...

11 Dec

The Night and Day Difference

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

In life, we use the term night and day difference to refer to opposites, things that are completely different. We also use terms such as left or right, in or out, up or down, etc. All of these can also characterize the choices you make. ... Read More The post...

02 Oct

The Gift that Keeps on Giving: A Tight Thermal Envelope

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

We hear terms such as energy-efficient, green, resilient, zero-energy ready (ZER), along with many others every day. When you are a builder, or if you are into building science, you know (or should know) what they all mean. However, as a home buyer that just wants a home that...

25 Sep

Modular Brain: Rewiring the Brain for a Better Way to Build

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

When a home buyer first discovers modular construction as an option to build their new home, they get excited. They begin to Google more about the construction method and learn more about it and its advantages. However, as an industry, many contractors don’t know anything about it. It’s different....

11 Sep

Modular Gives Homebuyers Exactly What They are Looking for in a Home

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

Home sales today are off the charts. Interest rates are now at historic lows! Realtors and home builders are all busy. Homebuyers are doing their research and looking at homes on the internet. Four items seem to be at the top of the search list for those investigating building...

04 Sep

Now is a Great Time to Build a Home – Despite Lumber Price Increases

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

In the last six months, lumber prices have drastically increased. By drastically, we are talking by more the double the price they were at in March. This has driven the price of a house up sharply as we approach the end of the year. But we have also seen,...

10 Jul

Are We About to See a New Normal in Home Construction?

By Ken Semler
In imf, Industry Insights

Perhaps the most famous quote attributed to Henry Ford is this: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses.” While most people agree that Ford never actually said this, it does illustrate a great point. People don’t know exactly what they want until...