U.S. homebuilder mergers and acquisitions are hitting record highs in dollar volume. Large builders are seeking market expansion through acquisitions, noting nineteen deals this year, with more expected. Large public builders now control 50% of the market, up from 30% five years ago. Japanese firms face limited growth at home and are increasingly entering the U.S. market. Japanese companies excel in value engineering by reverse-engineering building plans to cut waste, using 3-D imaging to streamline designs, and pre-cutting factory materials to increase efficiency by up to 30%.