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Week of June 28, 2004

Front Page

* Pilot Home Buyer Counseling Program to Make Ten Lucky Families Home Owners
* Help NAHB Solve the GLI Crisis
* Congress Passes Long-Term Authorization for National Flood Insurance Program
* Housing Snapshot

President's Message

* You Can Help Solve the General Liability Insurance Problem

Housing Forum

* Bursting Bubbles and Other Housing Myths

Housing Politics

* Home Energy Efficiency Tax Credits Still Stand a Chance in Congress

Housing and Economics

* Builders Continue to Urge Commerce Secretary Evans to Help Alleviate Cement Shortages
* San Diego Builder Forecasts Moderation in California's Harsh Climate for Housing
* New Home Sales Surge to Record Level in May
* Home Re-Sales Set New Record in May

Business Management

* Show Me the Money: New Overtime Pay Rules

Housing Finance

* Home Builders Endorse Strengthening Housing Goals of Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

Construction Safety

* Job Safety Training for Latino Workers Needs Special Focus
* OSHA and NAHB Provide Resources for Hispanic Worker Safety Programs

Seniors Housing

* Active Adult Communities Don't Need Advertising

Design

* Design Trends: There's a Lot More Going On Outside
* Best in American Living Awards Entries Due in July

Small Builders and Remodelers

* Three Critical Tips to Making Your First Sales Call a Success
* Brochure Helps Consumers Find Professional Remodelers

Women's Council

* Rabbitt Honored for Support of Breast Cancer Coalition

Sales and Marketing

* Builders Advised to Advertise in Spanish to Target Hispanic Home Buyers

Labor

* HBI’s Job Corps Programs Adopting New Industry Training Standards

Building Products

* Dish-Washing Sink and Refrigerating Oven Among Top 20 Cool Products at PCBC
* Sears Acquires Premium Appliance Contract Dealer in San Diego County

Builder's Engineer

* Grout — Evil Menace Takes Its Toll

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Nine Home Builders Associations Receive Matching Funds From Housing Endowment
* Sign Up for 2005 Committees and Councils by July 9
* Awards Programs Deadlines
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

Pilot Home Buyer Counseling Program to Make Ten Lucky Families Home Owners

Ten lucky families in St. Louis, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle, … [ MORE ]


Building News From Coast to Coast

[ MORE ]

Sponsored by: Countrywide Home Loans

See how Countrywide’s Prime Rate OTC construction loan can offer more flexibility to qualified buyers.
Learn how our Home Equity Loan offers flexible payment options and the ability to reuse the funds.

Help NAHB Solve the GLI Crisis

More than 50,000 NAHB members have received a “call to action” to fill out a survey about their general liability insurance (GLI). The survey is part of a GLI initiative to get an accurate national picture of the loss experiences of the residential construction industry and to develop new GLI products exclusively for the NAHB membership.

“NAHB members who receive the mailing should sit down and complete the survey and provide the materials needed to make this project a success,” said NAHB President Bobby Rayburn. “With insurance costs rising and exemptions making coverage less effective, it’s in everyone’s interest to participate in this effort.”

Builders, remodelers and trade contractors who did not receive the mailing are strongly encouraged to participate in the initiative. The materials are available online at www.nahb.org/gli.

NAHB is partnering with Marsh, a global insurance and consulting firm, to develop new GLI products that will meet members’ needs. Marsh and NAHB are working on a timetable that would bring new GLI products to the market by January 2005.

For more information, contact Clayton Traylor at 800-368-5242 x8490 or Blake Smith, x8583.

Help NAHB Solve the GLI Crisis

More than 50,000 NAHB members have received a “call to action” to fill out a survey about their general liability insurance (GLI). The survey is part of a GLI initiative to get an accurate national picture of the loss experiences of the residential construction industry and to develop new GLI products exclusively for the NAHB membership.

“NAHB members who receive the mailing should sit down and complete the survey and provide the materials needed to make this project a success,” said NAHB President Bobby Rayburn. “With insurance costs rising and exemptions making coverage less effective, it’s in everyone’s interest to participate in this effort.”

Builders, remodelers and trade contractors who did not receive the mailing are strongly encouraged to participate in the initiative. The materials are available online at www.nahb.org/gli.

NAHB is partnering with Marsh, a global insurance and consulting firm, to develop new GLI products that will meet members’ needs. Marsh and NAHB are working on a timetable that would bring new GLI products to the market by January 2005.

For more information, contact Clayton Traylor at 800-368-5242 x8490 or Blake Smith, x8583.


Congress Passes Long-Term Authorization for National Flood Insurance Program

In a victory for the nation’s home builders, the Senate on June 15 approved S. 2238, flood insurance legislation that reauthorizes the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) through Sept. 30, 2008. The House passed the measure on June 21 and the bill is expected to be signed into law shortly by President Bush.

The legislation addresses the most important aspects of NAHB’s flood insurance policy: long-term, four-year reauthorization of the national flood insurance program and full eligibility for property owners and “severe repetitive loss properties.”  …  …[ MORE ]


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Housing Snapshot

Mortgage interest rates subsided slightly last week, and Freddie Mac economists are predicting that they will remain in the affordable 6%-7% range for the balance of this year. In the last week, the Commerce Department has released a wealth of statistics indicating that the economy continues to grow vigorously. The Gross Domestic Product was 3.9% in this year's first quarter, down slightly from 4.1% in the previous three months; consumer spending was up 1% in May, the strongest increase in two-and-a-half years; and incomes in May were up 0.6%, following an identical increase in April. Inflation in the first quarter averaged 3.2%, up from 1% in the final quarter of 2003. The rate of inflation will dictate how rapidly the Federal Reserve Board pushes up interest rates in coming months, but so far the consensus is that prices will remain fairly well behaved despite today's convincing pick-up in the nation's economy. On the lumber front, prices continued to recede. Framing lumber dropped $10 to $409 per 1,000 board feet, according to Random Lengths. The price of 15/32-inch 3-ply CDX southern west-east plywood dropped $40 to $315 per 1,000 square feet, and oriented strand board was down to $300, also representing a $40 decline from the week before. [ MORE ]

Mortgage Interest Rates

30-Year Fixed-Rate: 6.25%
15-Year Fixed-Rate: 5.64%
1-Year ARM: 4.13%

Housing Starts - May 2004*

Total: 1.97 million
Single-Family Starts: 1.64 million
Multifamily Starts: 317,000

New Home Sales May 2004*

1.369 million

Existing Home Sales May 2004*

6.80 million

* Seasonally adjusted annual rate


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