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Week of December 22, 2003

Front Page

President's Message

* 2003 – A Year to Remember

Housing and Economics

* Single-Family Home Starts Hit a Record High in November
* Following One of the Best Years Ever, Housing Poised for Solid 2004
* Builders Upbeat This Holiday Season
* Eye on the Economy

Multifamily

* FHA Multifamily Mortgage Insurance Programs Back in Business
* Index Finds Weak Rental, Strong Condo Markets

Environment

* U.S. Appeals Court Rules Against Regulation of Roadside Ditches
* Decision on Jurisdiction Over Isolated Wetlands Breeds Disappointment
* Court Rejects Endangered Species Permit Revocation Rule

State and Local

* New Jersey Builders Defang Governor’s Anti-Housing Tool with Economic Impact Study
* Legislative Group Endorses Favorable ‘Notice and Opportunity to Repair’ Amendments

Business Management

* Systematize the Selections Process to Avoid Hassles

Codes and Standards

* R-Values Excessive in Revised ASHRAE Energy Standard

Construction Safety

* OSHA Reports Increased Citations in Fiscal 2003
* Workers Should Take Precautions in Cold Weather

Seniors Housing

* Who Are Today’s Over-55 Buyers?

Legal Issues

* Ask the Lawyer – About Mechanic’s Liens

Housing Finance

* Military Housing Privatization Projects Coming Up in Florida, Oklahoma

Small Builders and Remodelers

* Why Have Your Customers Come to You?

Education

* New NAHB Course Addresses Insurance Liability Concerns
* First Annual National Designation Month Debuts in February

Labor

* New Publication Provides Overview of Basic Construction Principles

Building Systems

* Building Systems Councils to Include Concrete Home Building

Building Products

* Local Brick Distributors Provide Home Buyers With More Choices

Housing Forum

* Mysterious Cracking

Builders' Show

* Show Activities Focus on Sales and Marketing Professionals

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Notice of Annual Meeting of the Members of the National Association of Home Builders
* Find the Right NAHB Staff Faster Than Ever Online
* Bob the Builder Teaches Children About Safety
* Environmental Coloring Book Goes Online
* Northern Kentucky Remodelers Provide Holiday Cheer
* Builders in Southeast Virginia Launch General Liability Company
* One Home at a Time, Mississippi Builder Putting Working Families on the Road to the American Dream
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

Index Finds Weak Rental, Strong Condo Markets

Condominium sales remained strong in this year’s third quarter, but demand for rental apartments continued to lag, according to the NAHB’s latest Multifamily Market Index (MMI), which was released on Dec. 19.

“Condo sales have exceeded everyone’s expectations over this past year and production of new units hasn’t kept pace with consumer demand,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “Meanwhile, apartment demand has been hurt by a weak job market and low interest rates that have drawn some current and prospective renters into homeownership, but an improving economy should set the stage for greater strength in this sector down the road.”

The MMI is based on a quarterly, nationwide survey of multifamily builders and property managers who are asked a series of questions about current market conditions as well as their expectations for the next six months. Survey answers are assigned numerical values to calculate two separate indexes, one tracking demand and the other tracking supply. The scale is from 1 to 100, with a rating of 50 generally indicating about the same number of positive and negative responses.

The MMI index of starts of for-sale units inched up just slightly to 53.47 in the third quarter, up from 53.44 in the second quarter and 46.73 in the first.


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In contrast, the MMI showed starts of affordable rental apartments declining to 38.82, from 42.86 in the previous quarter. The starts index for market-rate apartments remained virtually unchanged at 39.81.

The MMI also indicated continued weakening in demand for rental apartments from the second to third quarter, with calls from prospective renters declining from 49 to 38, effective rents dropping from 47.97 to 41.73 and the percentage of apartments rented within 90 days down from 67.7% to 57.9%.

Builders and property managers were, however, fairly optimistic about prospects for improving occupancies in market-rate rental apartments. Expectations for occupancies of Class A apartments was 50 on the index, nearly 15 points higher than for current conditions.

The survey also indicated that demand for condominiums is expected to remain high.

For more information on the index, click here.


Multifamily Leadership Board Conference Call — Jan. 8, 2004

Industry expert Ron Witten, president of Witten Advisors, Dallas, will brief the members and invited guests of the Multifamily Leadership Board on what to expect in the coming months in terms of trends and hot markets. For information on participation, contact Laura Zaner, 800-368-5242 x8563.

2004 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Conference & Awards Gala

Don’t miss the Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Conference and Awards Gala, the premier educational and networking event of the year for the multifamily industry, in Palm Springs, CA, March 28-30. Explore both the current and future state of the multifamily industry. Click here for more information.


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