REMODELING Magazine Releases 25th Annual Cost vs. Value Report

Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) November 14, 2011

REMODELING Magazine released today its 25th annual Cost vs. Value Report covering the 35 most popular home remodeling and renovation projects. The free 2011-2012 report covers 80 U.S. cities and is available for download at http://www.costvsvalue.com. The report contains data that compares construction costs for popular remodeling projects against the share of those costs recovered at resale. In addition to city data, the report includes tables with national and regional averages.

Replacement projects are again performing better in resale value than other types of remodeling, said Sal Alfano, Editorial Director of REMODELING. Seven of the 10 top-ranked projects include exterior replacements of siding, windows and doors. This is partly because they impact curb appeal and also because they are relatively low cost.

The three remodeling projects with the highest return in 2011-12 are 1) Fiber Cement Siding Replacement; 2) Entry Door Replacement; and 3) Attic Bedroom Remodel, followed by minor kitchen remodels, garage door and window replacements.

The Cost vs. Value Report includes a comparison tool, which allows users to compare data with other cities, as well as to other years and to download as a PDF. 3-D Google SketchUp renderings are also available for all of the projects in this years Cost vs. Value Report. Visitors can click on the project name in the data tables, then look around just by moving the cursor inside the QuickTime movie player. They can also download the complete SketchUp model.

A 2011-12 Cost vs. Value iPhone app is also available at the AppStore.

Realtors and remodelers can also create personalized on-demand reprints with specific city data from the Cost vs. Value report at http://www.remodeling.hw.net/reprints/index.html. There are four standard reports available as mailers or handouts: All Projects, Replacements, Top Projects and Kitchen & Bath Projects.

About REMODELINGs Cost vs. Value Report

Published for 25 years, REMODELINGs prestigious Cost vs. Value Report (http://www.costvsvalue.com) compares construction cost with resale value for popular home improvement projects in 80 U.S. markets. REMODELING Magazine reaches 85,000 remodeling professionals who are the top influencers, specifiers and purchasers of products and services in the $ 299 billion remodeling industry. Construction costs are provided by HomeTech Publishing, a remodeling estimating software company. Resale value data are aggregated from estimates provided by members of the National Association of Realtors through an email survey broadcast by Realtor Magazine. Indianapolis-based Specpan, a market research company, hosts the Web-based survey, collects and compiles the data, and provides pre-and post-survey consulting. Follow more remodeling trends at http://www.remodelingmag.com.

About Hanley Wood

Hanley Wood is a leading business-to-business media company focused on the residential, commercial construction and design industries. Its diverse portfolio includes magazines, websites, e-newsletters, exhibitions and conferences, custom marketing and data services.

Hanley Wood is comprised of four operating platforms: m Media, which publishes more than 20 magazines, featuring REMODELING, BUILDER and ARCHITECT magazines, along with related websites, e-newsletters, and conferences; Exhibitions, which produces marquee events such as the Remodeling Show, World of Concrete, and the AIA National Convention and Design Expo that bring residential and commercial construction professionals face-to-face with manufacturers, suppliers, distributors, and service providers; Market Intelligence, which collects and aggregates proprietary data sets that capture hundreds of pieces of profile and material information about housing developments in more than 750 housing markets; and Marketing, which plans, creates, and executes strategic and integrated marketing solutions for its clients. See http://www.hanleywood.com.

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Renters Insurance Industry Report Now Available from IBISWorld

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) November 02, 2011

In the five years to 2016, IBISWorld, the nations largest publisher of industry research, forecasts that revenue for the Renters Insurance industry will increase to $ 550.2 million. Revenue is expected to continue increasing as more firms in the Apartment Rental industry require tenants to hold renters insurance to mitigate the risk of litigation.

In the five years to 2011, revenue from the Renters Insurance industry has grown 3.8% annually to $ 515.6 million. During that time, the industry has benefited from several trends. The recession forced many people out of their homes into cheaper dwellings. In many cases, these individuals moved into apartments. Furthermore, households that were previously considering buying homes are now waiting for the market to bottom out, while some would-be homebuyers can no longer get mortgages.

These trends have caused a shift in the demographics of the typical renter. Renters are more likely to be working professionals or middle-aged consumers than they were in the past. This shift has posed an opportunity for the industry because the demographics are more likely to invest in insurance than a typical budget-conscious renter. The Renters Insurance industry has also benefited from an increase in the number of apartment rental companies that require renters insurance. According to the National Multi Housing Council, about 66.0% of the apartment rental companies surveyed required renters to hold renters insurance in 2010, up from 24.0% in 2008.

Furthermore, some insurance companies have created partnerships with apartment rental companies. These developments have also contributed to industry growth during the past five years. In 2011, IBISWorld expects these trends will continue to influence industry growth. As a result, revenue is expected to increase 6.1% during the year. While rising demand has boosted profit margins, industry profit still fluctuates annually depending on natural disasters, which are covered by some renters insurance.

According to IBISWorld analyst, Kevin Culbert, in the five years to 2016,Renters Insurance industry revenue is forecast to increase 1.3% annually to $ 550.2 million. Demand is expected to continue rising as more firms in the Apartment Rental industry require tenants to hold renters insurance, says Culbert. An increasing number of operators are expected to form marketing agreements with apartment rental companies to bolster industry growth. Industry revenue is also expected to increase as a result of the projected decline in rental vacancy rates. The rental vacancy rate is anticipated to continue declining, from 10.1% in 2012 to 9.0% in 2016.

For more information, download the full report from IBISWorld on the Renters Insurance industry

IBISWorld Industry Market Research Reports Contain:

About this Industry

Industry Definition

Main Activities

Similar Industries

Additional Resources

Industry at a Glance

Industry Performance

Executive Summary

Key External Drivers

Current Performance

Industry Outlook

Industry Life Cycle

Products & Markets

Supply Chain

Products & Services

Major Markets

Globalisation & Trade

Business Locations

Competitive Landscape

Market Share Concentration

Key Success Factors

Cost Structure Benchmarks

Barriers to Entry

Major Companies

Operating Conditions

Capital Intensity

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Annual Change

Key Ratios

Jargon & Glossary

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About IBISWorld Inc.

Recognized as the nations most trusted independent source of industry and market research, IBISWorld offers a comprehensive database of unique information and analysis on every US industry. With an extensive online portfolio, valued for its depth and scope, the company equips clients with the insight necessary to make better business decisions. Headquartered in Los Angeles, IBISWorld serves a range of business, professional service and government organizations through more than 10 locations worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.ibisworld.com or call 1-800-330-3772.

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New Report: Leadership Programs Can Help Solve Racial Inequalities in Communities Across the Country Key Methods and Recommendations

Oakland, CA (PRWEB) September 8, 2010

Leadership programs can help solve racial inequalities in access to education, healthcare, income and wealth, but many current approaches to leadership development actually maintain and promote racial inequalities, according to a new report released today by the Leadership Learning Community and other thought leaders in the leadership development and racial equity fields.

The report, How to Develop and Support Leadership that Contributes to Racial Justice, suggests that a large number of leadership programs associate leadership with equal opportunity and individualism. This thinking does not recognize that current systems (i.e. policy, culture and institutional practices) can cause racial identity to limit ones access to life opportunities. It also focuses too narrowly on changing the behavior of individual leaders. Instead, leadership programs should: 1) make their programs more accessible for people of color; 2) help participants understand how race limits access to opportunities in other words, the impact of structural racism; and 3) promote collective leadership. This approach will help participants work together to tackle the systems that maintain racial inequalities.

This report offers strategies and positive examples to inform and inspire the thousands of leadership programs in the U.S. to redefine their approach, noted Deborah Meehan, Executive Director at the Leadership Learning Community and one of the authors. One example of a program leveraging collective leadership to address educational success, an area where there are significant racial disparities, is the Leadership in Action Program (LAP) by the Annie E. Casey Foundation. LAP brings together 25-40 leaders from public, private and community organizations to collaborate across multiple sectors to reach a common goal: increase the number of children prepared to learn when entering school in the city of Baltimore, MD. Between 2001 and 2009, the school readiness of Baltimore city kindergartners increased from 28% to 64%.

According to PolicyLink, supporting people of color to take on leadership roles within their communities is a prerequisite for reducing poverty and disparities. There is an opportunity to increase the access that people of color have to leadership roles by improving the current approach to leadership development. Leadership programs need to be more accessible to people of color who have been excluded from many opportunities and give them access to training, resources and networks. Also, program training should help participants understand how policies, culture and institutions are part of a complex system that maintains racial inequalities. Finally, the trainings need to promote collective leadership that connects participants across organizations and sectors to change the system.

The Greenlining Institutes Academy Director, Danielle Trimiew, said, In our leadership development work, we are always striving to implement best practices. This report offers compelling evidence for the need to incorporate a structural racism framework into our leadership training. Moving forward, we are going to emphasize systems thinking and analysis in our curriculum so that participants can learn strategies to address structural racism. This knowledge is going to help us train our participants to better serve low-income communities.

With appropriate support, people of color will have influence at policy tables and be better equipped to create solutions for their communities.

Other recommendations include:

Open Conversation about Race: Provide time and space for participants to talk about race and their racial identity. This gives participants an opportunity to transform their thoughts and feelings about race and how it impacts their work.
Training: Incorporate elements of racial justice training, i.e. an analysis of structural racism. This is different from diversity training, which focuses on interpersonal relations and cultural awareness.
Tracking: Monitor changes in whether or not people of color have increased access to leadership in communities and organizations, and more of an impact on policy making. Track the changes over the long term.
Funding: Provide adequate funding to leadership programs that promote racial justice. Programs should also help participants understand how to access resources.
We have a rich history in community leadership development and we know the criticality of addressing structural racism and promoting racial healing to remove barriers to opportunity, said Dr. Gail C. Christopher, Vice PresidentProgram Strategy with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. We are excited because this is an important report that proactively addresses the impact of structural racism on leadership development.

The publication is based on conversations with more than 150 individuals and organizations running and funding leadership programs across the nation, and an extensive review of existing literature in both racial equity and leadership development.

A free PDF of the report and a list of resources are available at http://bit.ly/LeadershipRaceForm and http://bit.ly/LeadershipRaceInfo .

The publication is co-authored by: Terry Keleher, Applied Research Center (ARC); Sally Leiderman, Center for Assessment and Policy Development (CAPD); Deborah Meehan, Leadership Learning Community (LLC); Elissa Perry, Think.Do.Repeat.; Maggie Potapchuk, MP Associates; Professor john a. powell, Kirwan Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity at The Ohio State University; and Hanh Cao Yu, Ph.D., Social Policy Research Associates (SPR).

This report is the first in a series of publications, the Leadership for a New Era Series, launched by the Leadership Learning Community in 2009 to promote inclusive, networked and collective leadership approaches. The series is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, The California Endowment, David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Evelyn & Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Kansas Leadership Center, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Funding for printing and distributing this publication, the first in the series, was provided by the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. More information about Leadership for a New Era: http://www.leadershipforanewera.org .

The following individuals are available for interviews: