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It has, to date, been a calm hurricane season in the state of Florida, but any resident of the Southeast will tell you that the deeper into summer we go, the more dangerous it becomes. There’s no stopping Mother Nature’s wrath, but a Florida-based tech company has come up with a way to help state officials begin recovery efforts after a storm blows through. The technology could eventually be used for other natural disasters, such as the recent flash floods in Texas’ Hill Country and the devastating fires in California. Last fall, Urban SDK, a Jacksonville, Florida-based software company that aggregates traffic data to help public works departments spot problems more easily, launched HALOa new service that quickly highlights the most pressing problem areas after a storm passes. As soon as winds drop below 40 mph and the sun is out, the company tasks satellites and deploys helicopters, drones, and fixed-wing aircraft to gather aerial imagery of the storms impact. Those images are processed through its computer vision model, helping state and local officials identify areas where roads are blocked by fallen trees, flooding, or severe damage. “Our first priority is to get the roads back to operational,” says Drew Messer, CEO of Urban SDK. “The goal is to have eyes onin clear visibilitythe most important impacted area within 24 hours. What we are trying to [offer] is a centralized platform for that information.” The imagery HALO captures also serves as formal evidence for state officials when requesting FEMA reimbursements for cleanup efforts. While Urban SDK currently works with 34 states and over 250 local governments in its primary business, HALO is currently only used in Florida. The 2024 hurricane season marked its first deployment, but as 2025 progresses, Urban SDK plans to offer the service in other states. Right now, HALO is a tool that is hurricane-specific. (The name, by the way, stands for Hurricane Assessment, Logistics and Operations.) Ultimately, though, Messer says the company hopes to adapt the service for a broader range of emergency events. Theres growing need for that kind of flexibility. The recent Texas floods left more than 130 dead and caused an estimated $18 billion to $22 billion in damages and economic loss. Last year, Asheville, North Carolina, suffered at least $53 billion in damages and saw at least 42 fatalities after Hurricane Helene stalled over the city. Scientists warn that more floods are likely. Warmer air holds more moisture, and combined with aging infrastructure and budget cuts to NOAA, stormswhether tropical or otherwiseare becoming more dangerous. That could make tools like HALO increasingly valuable for search and rescue efforts as well as economic recovery. Looking ahead, the technology could also prove useful in the days before a storm or disaster hits, by identifying vulnerable areas and providing simulated assessments of potential impact. This could help authorities implement preventative responses. “There’s an opportunity now where we can coordinate a whole of government approach to these issues and allow the disparate systems to be coordinated and joined together so individuals can make better operational decisions based on really relevant information,” says Messer. Thats still in the future. For now, HALO remains focused on hurricanes, and Urban SDK is preparing to expand the tools reach beyond Florida. With forecasters predicting a higher-than-usual number of named storms this year (including 6 to 10 hurricanes and 3 to 5 major hurricanes), HALO could have plenty of work ahead.
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E-Commerce
Want more housing market stories from Lance Lamberts ResiClub in your inbox? Subscribe to the ResiClub newsletter. On Tuesday, D.R. HortonAmericas most valuable and largest homebuilder, with a $46 billion market capitalization and ranked No. 123 on the Fortune 500reported its third-quarter earnings for the three months ending June 30. While D.R. Hortons earnings didnt wow investors, the fact that there wasnt an accelerated softening beyond what homebuildersincluding D.R. Hortonhad already reported earlier this year was enough for some Wall Street investors to buy back into homebuilder stocks. For todays piece, were going to take a closer look at D.R. Hortons earnings and the commentary its executives provided during Tuesdays earnings call. Incentive spending is helping D.R. Hortons home sales hold steady D.R. Hortons net new orders, by its fiscal Q3 (the three months ending June 30th): Q3 2018 > 14,650 Q3 2019 > 15,588 Q3 2020 > 21,519 Q3 2021 > 17,952 Q3 2022 > 16,693 Q3 2023 > 22,879 Q3 2024 > 23,001 Q3 2025 > 23,071 D.R. Horton continues to see weakness in Florida While D.R. Hortons national net orders were pretty much flat year-over-year, there was a -10.1% year-over-year drop in its Southeast division. That division includes Floridawhich D.R. Horton once again acknowledged remains on the softer/weaker side. There’s been a lot of a change [weakening] in the dynamic in the Florida markets. And perhaps most so there. Other markets continue to be consistent performers where there’s been limited inventory and limited development of lots. And housing production continues to see strong demand in those markets, D.R. Horton chief operating officer Michael Murray said during their earnings call on July 22, 2025. North (13% of D.R. Hortons Q3 2025 net new orders): Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin East (21%): Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee Northwest (6%): Colorado, Oregon, Utah, and Washington South Central (27%): Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Texas Southwest (10%): Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and New Mexico Southeast (24%): Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi D.R. Hortons average sales price moves sideways D.R. Hortons average sales price in Q3 2025 ($369,600) was -7.3% below the third-quarter peak in Q3 2022 ($398,800). Its possible that some of the drop in average sales price is due to shifts in product and geographic mix. Instead of outright price cuts, D.R. Horton has preferred to offer bigger incentives this cycle, such as mortgage rate buydowns. Regardless, D.R. Hortons average sales price confirms that upward pricing momentum has stalled in many markets. D.R. Hortons incentive spend has caused margin compression D.R. Horton reported a 21.8% gross margin on homes for Q3 2025. Thats down from 24.0% in Q3 2024; however, its unchanged from its Q2 2025 gross margin (21.8%). The fact that the margin didnt further compress quarter-over-quarter is why some investors bought the stock back. However, D.R. Horton acknowledged that, looking ahead, the ongoing housing market softening still points towards a bit higher incentives. Our commentary really over the last year has been that incentives have been increasing. That’s been the main driver for the gross margin decline over the last year. Our operators are striving every day to strike the best balance between hitting pace and maintaining margin in each community to maximize returns. And so they’re using all the levers they have with incentives to try to balance that. And so we have seen the pace of incentive cost increases and the pace of margin decline moderate a bit over the last couple of quarters and then this quarter it held flat sequentially [quarter-over-quarter], Jessica Hansen, head of investor relations at D.R. Horton, said during ther earnings call on July 22, 2025. Hansen added that: But the trend is still pointing towards a bit higher incentives, and we don’t see significant offsets to that, though we will continue to work on costs on the construction side. On Tuesday, D.R. Horton told investors expect Q4 2025 gross margins to come in between 21.0% and 21.5%. Labor hasnt been an issue for D.R. Horton yet despite the increased ICE crackdown From labor availability, it’s plentiful. We have the labor that we need. Our trades are looking for work. And that’s why you’ve seen sequential and year-over-year reduction in our cycle time. Because we have the support we need to get our homes built. And, you know, given those efficiencies, reductions in stick and brick [costs] over time. Some of that is from design. And efficiency of the product that we’re putting in the field. And some of that is just from the efficiency of our operations, D.R. Horton CEO Paul Romanowski said during their earnings call on July 22, 2025. Tariffs havent coincided with higher stick-and-brick costsbut lumber tariffs are something to watch On Tuesday, D.R. Horton told analysts that stick-and-brick costs are down 2% year-over-year and down 1% quarter-over-quarter. Note: My understanding is that stick-and-brick costs include direct construction costs of building a home on-site using traditional wood materials like lumber (“sticks”) and masonry materials like concrete (“bricks”). These costs include both materials (e.g., lumber, drywall) and labor (plumbers, roofers, etc.). Although the White House hasnt included Canadian softwood lumber on their broader tariff list, the U.S. government is preparing to more than double the duties on Canadian lumber imports. As a part of its annual review, the U.S. Department of Commerce plans to raise the tariff on Canadian lumber from 14.45% to 34.45%. The U.S. Department of Commerce argues that Canadian lumber is being unfairly subsidized and sold below market value in the U.S. It [higher duties on Canadian lumber] will have some potential impact, but we’ve not quantified that. I know it is a significant step up in the tariff rates, I think, going to effect next month. But, you know, we’re buying some percentage of that wood and there’s some substitutionary product that would be available as well. Based on where that pricing ultimately settles, D.R. Horton chief operating officer Michael Murray said during their earnings call on July 22, 2025. Homebuilder stocks got a little bounce following D.R. Hortons earnings Following the earnings reports from D.R. Horton and PulteGroup on Tuesday, Wall Street gave homebuilder shares a slight bounce. While the move doesnt return shares to the highs reached around September 2024, it could signal that some on Wall Street believe homebuilder margin compression is losing momentum.
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E-Commerce
Pura Scents is recalling more than 850,000 diffuser covers because some magnets may detach and cause a possible ingestion hazard to children. The company is recalling the detachable covers for about 851,400 Pura 4 Smart Home Fragrance Diffusers. It said an additional 1,100 were sold in Canada. Pura Scents said that the magnets on the inside cover of the product can detach, posing an ingestion hazard to children. When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system. This can result in perforations, twisting or blockage of the intestines, infection, blood poisoning, and death. The company has received three reports of magnets detaching from the cover. No injuries have been reported. The diffusers were sold at Target, Scheels, and other stores nationwide from August 2023 through May 2025 for about $50. They were also sold online through Pura’s website, as well as online at Amazon, Target, and Scheels. Pura Scents is offering a free replacement cover. Consumers are advised to immediately dispose of the existing detachable cover and to keep the diffusers out of the reach of children and pets. To receive the free replacement cover, individuals may contact Pura Scents at 855-394-5292 toll-free from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT Monday through Friday. The company can also be emailed at replacement@pura.com. Consumers may also visit the company’s website and click on Recall at the bottom of the page for more information. By Michelle Chapman, AP business writer
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