News, Ideas and Information From Around the Web

Toll Brothers Second Quarter Earnings Fall 79 Percent
from Building Online
Toll Brothers Inc., the nation's leading builder of luxury homes reported second-quarter net income of $36.7 million, compared to FY 2006's second-quarter record of $174.9 million. The company said income for this year's second quarter was lowered by $72.9 million worth of writedowns... read more

Consumer Confidence Rebounds in May
from RemodelingOnline
Consumer confidence bounced back unexpectedly in May, despite higher gasoline prices that could raise shoppers' worries about inflation, a private research group said Tuesday.

The New York-based Conference Board said its Consumer Confidence Index rose to 108.0 in May, up from a revised 106.3 in April. Analysts had expected the reading to fall to 104.5. The May reading was the highest since March when the index was at 108.2... read more

Code Council Strikes Down Alternative Thermal Performance Rating Procedure Again
from e-glass weekly
During last week’s meeting of the International Code Council, a committee voted against a proposal that would have allowed for an alternative thermal performance rating procedure from Schaumberg, Ill.-based American Architectural Manufacturers Association. This is the second time the EC-9 code change proposal has gone before the Washington, D.C., code organization... read more