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Week of August 16, 2004

Front Page

* Builders Fear Materials Shortages and Rising Prices Could Unravel Housing Market Boom
* Tips to Manage the ‘People Part’ of Your Business on NAHB's Web Site
* Summer Months See Further Spread of Crippling Cement Shortages
* Housing Snapshot

President's Message

* Please Take the Time to Help Us Solve the GLI Crisis

Housing and Economics

* Favorable Conditions for Small Business Set the Stage for Job Growth
* Spotlight on: Grand Rapids, MI
* Eye on the Economy

Workforce Housing

* Industry Volunteers Help Build Atlanta-Area Workforce Housing Community

Business Management

* Get Smart — Initiate Controls to Protect Yourself From Fraud

Small Builders and Remodelers

* Use a Newsletter to Stay in Touch With Prospects Effectively
* Remodelors™ Council Unveils Consumer Ads
* For Certified Graduate Remodelors™, It's Already a Record Year
* CAPS, CGR Courses Offered at Remodeling Show

Seniors Housing

* Six Trends to Watch in Active Adult Homes

Green Building

* Presentations Sought for March Green Building Conference in Atlanta
* Grants Available for Upgrading Energy Efficiency of Chicago Bungalows
* Elms Making a Comeback in New Housing Communities

State and Local

* 2004 SLGA Conference: Everything You Need to Reserve Your Spot in Biloxi

Construction Safety

* OSHA, NAHB Complete Safety Web Page Directed at Residential Construction

International

* Mexico Looms as the Next Big Thing for an American Developer

Building Quality

* Conference to Focus on Using Industry Performance Standards to Improve Business

Housing Finance

* HUD Proposes Changes to FHA Multifamily and Health Care Facility Regulations and Loan Documents

Labor

* Drug Czar Visits HBI Training Program

Building Products

* Faucet Collection Aimed at Luxury Market

Builder's Engineer

* Are Sagging Rafters Dangerous?

Building News Coast To Coast

Association News & Events

* Register for Sunbelt Builders Show/Building Solutions Conference
* Reduce Business Costs With NAHB Members-Only Discounts
* Awards Programs Deadlines
* Calendar of Events

NBN Back Issues

 

Builders Fear Materials Shortages and Rising Prices Could Unravel Housing Market Boom

A shortage of cement and other key building materials looms … [ MORE ]


Building News From Coast to Coast

[ MORE ]

Sponsored by: Countrywide Home Loans

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Tips to Manage the ‘People Part’ of Your Business on NAHB's Web Site

“Where can I find labor?”

“How much should I pay my production manager?”

“What should I do if someone’s taking money from the till?”

NAHB’s Business Management Department gets questions like these all the time, so it developed a new section in Business Management Tools on the NAHB Web site — Human Resource Management Tools — to help members manage the “people part” of their business and develop motivated, productive employees.

Human Resource Management Tools features articles on communication and leadership, incentive plans, managing your labor burden, succession planning, teamwork and other topics. Soon, additional resources — including links to books on compensation, job descriptions and managing your employees — will be included.

Whether you have a human resources department or handle employee issues yourself, bookmark Human Resource Management Tools for tools and tips on managing one of your company’s most valuable assets.

Tips to Manage the ‘People Part’ of Your Business on NAHB's Web Site

“Where can I find labor?”

“How much should I pay my production manager?”

“What should I do if someone’s taking money from the till?”

NAHB’s Business Management Department gets questions like these all the time, so it developed a new section in Business Management Tools on the NAHB Web site — Human Resource Management Tools — to help members manage the “people part” of their business and develop motivated, productive employees.

Human Resource Management Tools features articles on communication and leadership, incentive plans, managing your labor burden, succession planning, teamwork and other topics. Soon, additional resources — including links to books on compensation, job descriptions and managing your employees — will be included.

Whether you have a human resources department or handle employee issues yourself, bookmark Human Resource Management Tools for tools and tips on managing one of your company’s most valuable assets.


Summer Months See Further Spread of Crippling Cement Shortages

Shortages of cement that originally appeared in Florida and parts of the southeastern U.S. this spring are now spread …  …[ MORE ]


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Housing Snapshot

Mortgage interest rates continued to recede slightly last week as investors worried about the health of the U.S. economy. According to Amy Crews Cutts, deputy chief economist for Freddie Mac, fixed-rate mortgage rates should stay around 6% for a while, "giving prospective home buyers another chance to get in with a low rate." The Federal Reserve and other observers of the nation's economy still expect good growth in this year's second half, despite a slowdown in June. However, the latest news on the economy was not encouraging last week: the U.S. trade deficit set another record in June and oil prices reached a new high of $46.58 a barrel, both raising concerns about prospects for growth of the Gross Domestic Product in coming months. On the lumber price front, prices continued to advance, although at a fairly slow pace. The cost of framing lumber climbed to $474, up $2 from the previous week. The price was $322 a year earlier. The price of 15/32-inch 3-ply CDX southern west-east plywood was up $5 to $405 per 1,000 feet and oriented strand board was up $10, to $385. [ MORE ]

Mortgage Interest Rates

30-Year Fixed-Rate: 5.85%
15-Year Fixed-Rate: 5.24%
1-Year ARM: 4.08%

Housing Starts - Jun. 2004*

Total: 1.8 million
Single-Family Starts: 1.489 million
Multifamily Starts: 313,000

New Home Sales Jun. 2004*

1.326 million

Existing Home Sales Jun. 2004*

6.95 million

* Seasonally adjusted annual rate


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