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A Novel Pennsylvania Program Brings New Housing to Urban Areas
The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency's Homeownership Choice Program revitalizes rundown neighborhoods, boosts the affordable housing stock and creates ethnically and economically diverse communities within the urban core. Unlike traditional affordable housing programs, the four-year-old initiative does not impose income limits. Developers and nonprofit community development corporations join forces, putting federal and local assistance toward lower-income housing and state funds toward the construction of market-rate dwellings. Such projects have been successful in several North Philadelphia neighborhoods, Chester City and Coatesville — so successful that a panel for the National Council of State Housing Agencies identified Homeownership Choice as the country's best program for encouraging construction. According to Virginia-based national housing consultant Steven Hornburg, who sat on that panel, the Homeownership Choice Program could serve as an "efficient, pedestrian-friendly, human-scale" model for other states to follow. (www.philly.com)
Philadelphia Inquirer (03/22/04) P. B1; Shields, Jeff
Building Boom Fuels Thefts
Construction theft is becoming more common in Palm Beach County, FL, skyrocketing 84% in District 4 from 2002 to 2003. Most of the thieves are subcontractors or other workers who take off with scaffolding, air conditioners, washers and dryers, windows and tile at night or during the busiest times of the day when they are least likely to be caught. Builders are responding with 24-hour security patrols, cash rewards and "No Trespassing" signs. Others are chaining up materials before leaving the site, cutting subcontractors' hours and recording the license plates of on-site vehicles. The costs of security and insurance ultimately are passed onto home buyers, says Gold Coast Builders Association Executive Vice President Brenda Talbert. According to the NAHB, construction theft can boost home prices by 1%-2%. (www.sun-sentinel.com)
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (03/22/04) P. 1B; Pensa, Patty
Elite Few Can Retire in Luxury
Homes in WCI Communities' retirement enclaves in Naples, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, FL, range in price from $200,000 to more than $5 million, depending on the home's features and the community's amenities. WCI generally offers golf courses, tennis courts, fitness centers, country clubs, fountains and walking paths, among other things. Buyers must also be willing to shell out thousands of dollars annually for maintenance and property taxes. The total yearly cost for a furnished $800,000 home in one of these developments — after the sale profits from the buyer's previous residence are included — runs more than $60,000 on average. Considering that the national median price hit only $171,600 last year, according to the National Association of Realtors®, most retirees cannot afford these upscale retirement communities. (www.dallasnews.com)
Dallas Morning News (03/21/04) P. 1D; Burns, Scott
Tips to Increase the Value of Your Home
New-home buyers should keep the property's resale value, as well as their personal preferences, in mind when selecting upgrades. Industry insiders say that hardwood floors, solid wood built-ins and maple cabinetry can increase foot traffic from interested buyers and, ultimately, help command a steeper sale price. Wood also is a good choice for home owners looking to minimize dust, mites and other allergens. Despite the hefty upfront costs associated with wood flooring, home owners ultimately save money because refinishing the wood is much cheaper than other materials that have to be replaced every five to 10 years. Hardwood floors are popular in all rooms, and home owners can even handle basic installations themselves. Baseboards, door trim and other wood upgrades that are both functional and aesthetically appealing also add value. (www.kcstar.com)
Kansas City Star (03/24/04) P. 16
WTO: U.S. Lumber Duties Illegal
As an April 30 ruling from a NAFTA panel looms closer, the WTO has weighed in on the U.S.-Canada debate over softwood lumber. A WTO panel argues that the United States has not demonstrated that imports of softwood lumber from its northern neighbor could harm its own wood industry. Proving this competitive threat is seen as instrumental in any decision to allow punitive U.S. duties to continue. (www.investors.com)
Investor's Business Daily (03/23/04) P. A2
Houses Made of Straw
Straw-bale houses were first built by Midwest pioneers in the late 19th century and are still being constructed today. They are most popular in colder climates, where they may consume 50%-90%less energy than conventional dwellings. The exteriors of these homes are covered with stucco and often boast the historic post-and-beam look common in New England or mirror the adobe structures seen all over the Southwest. As for the interior, most feature sculpted staircases, thick archways, built-in window seats or other creative touches. (www.pbs.org/wgbh/thisoldhouse)
This Old House (04/04) No. 77, P. 30
Moving Toward Zero Energy Affordable Housing
In South Chicago, Claretian Associates is constructing 25 energy-efficient homes for low- to moderate-income residents on the former site of U.S. Steel's South Works plant. The homes —priced between $123,000 and $230,000, depending on size and income — will feature solar photovoltaic (PV) systems from Spire Solar, structural insulated panels, sealed-combustion gas furnaces, Energy Star appliances and fluorescent lighting. Funding from the state and Chicago's Department of Environment (DOE) will help pay for the PV systems. The local DOE also has hired Norwalk, CT-based Steven Winter Associates to remotely monitor the amount of electricity created by each of the PV installations. Although the systems probably will meet just 25% of the households' energy needs, the DOE is looking to measure energy consumption as well as energy production. The two dwellings completed thus far are certified Energy Star Homes, and Spire Solar's Mark Burger believes they prove that quality design and construction can make solar homes as attractive as those without solar systems. (www.homeenergy.org)
Home Energy (04/04) Vol. 21.2, P. 8; Cavallo, James
Condo Prices Surpass Cost of Single-Family Home
The National Association of Realtors® reports that the nationwide median price of a condominium surpassed the median cost of a single-family home in the fourth quarter of 2003, with the average condo going for $174,700 versus $171,600 for a single-family residence. At the same time, condos also appear to be appreciating at a faster rate than their single-family cousins — about double the pace. Condo demand has been fueled by the growing number of empty-nesters who are scaling down their living quarters, with many even seeking to return to urban areas to be closer to city life and all of its conveniences. At the same time, low interest rates are prompting more young people to make condos their first home purchase, and some are even bypassing the rental apartment market altogether. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (03/25/04) P. D1; Smith, Ray A.
Housing Cuts Stir Jitters
About a quarter of a million low-income families across the country could lose their Section 8 rental vouchers due to a $1.6 million shortfall in the federal housing budget. In Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, for example, nearly 4,500 residents stand to lose the funding. HUD acknowledges the drop in the voucher budget from $19.2 billion this year to $18.4 billion in 2005; but rather than cut some of the assistance, the agency will let housing agencies impose new restrictions to control costs. "It's putting them [housing agencies] in a horrible position — don't give them enough money and expect them to meet the needs of the communities," remarks Texas Tenants' Union Executive Director Sandy Rollins. However, HUD believes more flexibility in fund distribution and other reforms actually could allow housing agencies to offer more vouchers than ever before. (www.dallasnews.com)
Dallas Morning News (03/18/04) P. 11B; Horner, Kim
Today's Home Buyers Illustrate Generational, Cultural Differences
Home buyers fall into a number of generational categories, each of which has a different approach to purchasing a residence. Veterans born prior to the mid-1940s, for instance, do not make their needs and preferences known, forcing real estate agents to do a little digging to find something they like. Baby boomers, meanwhile, collaborate with agents and typically want to get the most they can out of the deal. Generation Xers, or those born between 1965 and 1982, are the most savvy buyers. They obtain mortgage preapprovals, search for homes online and require less hand-holding than other buyers. It is still too soon to characterize buyers born in 1983 and after — dubbed the Millenniums — but Salisbury, MD-based consultant Gee Dunsten believes they are "more homespun, back to the basics." In addition to generational differences, agents need to accommodate immigrants who do not speak English by understanding their cultures and acting accordingly. (www.jsonline.com)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (03/19/04) Derus, Michele
Control Your Time
Effective time management in the workplace begins with creating a time strategy, which should be based on a brief list of time priorities, such as listing the best way to increase company profits by use of an employee's time. Focus is vital for time management, and the smaller number of priorities a person concentrates on at any given time, the more productive he will be. A slot of uninterrupted time for such tasks as planning, thinking and creating ideas should be included in a time plan. Circumventing time traps is integral to the success of any time strategy. Such traps include spending too much time in the offices were the most chatty employees are, versus where the most important issues are; spending too much time obtaining daily updates on routine events instead of waiting for a more substantial weekly report; becoming too quickly involved in routine tasks and delaying the more complicated work; not bothering to draw up a daily schedule; and overscheduling, which makes it hard to stay on track. (www.businesstown.com)
BusinessTown.com (03/17/04)
Clean the Clutter
A business process can be made more efficient by identifying its metrics. This entails forming a special group backed by management that verifies and documents the time, cost, volumes and people involved in a business process. Next, enhancement strategies are developed and industry best practices are collected, to which the existing process is compared. Then a cost/benefit evaluation is performed and changes are executed jointly. If technology plays a role, business requirements need to be developed for the technology parts. These steps should be implemented before problems arise to control costs, gauge the effect of process modifications and improving customer service. Process metrics serves to make business processes more streamlined and proactive in a short amount of time and with a minimal amount of investment. (www.dptmag.com)
Docume.nt (02/04) Vol. 12, No. 1, P. 33; DeWyer, Brian
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