“Survival of the fittest,” they say. Those who are best equipped to manage and adapt to their environment are given passage to progress, to live another day, sometimes stepping over the less formidable along the way. But what of the shared plight? Although specific markets fluctuate

From tips on how to better negotiate around the negative stereotypes of the sales profession, to a call for builders to create a united front against banks, our “Survive and Thrive” columns seek to cover the bases for all aspects of the homebuilding industry.

For our featured projects this issue, we are going back to basics. Whenever there is a market slowdown, builders turn to multi-family projects in hopes of providing a more economically sound, but by know means mundane, housing option for homebuyers. The MBK communities in Whittier and Chino Hills, Prometheus’ apartments outside of San Jose, and the Aqua condominiums in Long Beach are just a few examples of wellstocked, elegant, yet practical properties popping up around the Southern California region.

Be well. And I hope to see you all at the BIS show in Long Beach.

Darren Davis
Editor
ddavis@penpubinc.com

individually, homebuilders across the country have been feeling the same pinch for a while now. Now I’m no builder. I’m just an editor of a builder’s magazine. I’ve never worked to get city approval on a project, nor have I conceptualized a community with a team of designers. Surely I can’t say that I’ve built the foundations of a home with my hands. But in my constant correspondence with those who have, those out on the field, one thing is certain: We are all in this together.

To illustrate this fact, Builder and Developer has round up relevant insight from some leading industry professionals. These are people who are managing and adapting to their environment; they are surviving, and they have advice on how you can do the same.