Coverage from the International Builder's Show

We'll be providing live coverage from the 2010 International Builder's Show in Las Vegas, NV. The construction industry is still reeling from the effects of the Mortgage Crisis, but this year's Builder's Show should signal a mini-comeback for builders nationwide. Home prices have stabilized in recent months and the entire industry is eager to crank things back up this summer. Unlike prior years, this year's show is targeted toward more cost effective and green construction. Gone are the show homes that highlighted the spectacular luxury approach so prized by the builder's prior to the mortgage meltdown.

In fact, this year's New American Home was never completed, due to a lack of financing. The partially completed structure sits in the Las Vegas desert like a memorial to over-consumption and McMansions. But from the ashes of decadence rises a new, more realistic and responsible approach to home construction and lifestyle. This year's show may be a perfect showcase for cost effective building techniques, the kind we like to promote on this year's latest edition of The Complete Guide to Contracting Your Home.

I'll be at the show to ferret out the latest building techniques and green products. Traversing the show can be a daunting task, more like a forced march. The show has over one million square feet of exhibit space, but the attendance is down, with only 70,000 attendees expected. (unlike prior years with over 100,000 in attendance. Check back often later in the week for the latest updates.