Nation's Building News Online: July 24, 2006Print All Articles Text Version |
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NAHB Interest Rate Concerns Arise in Bernanke TestimonyRecent warnings by NAHB that the Federal Reserve runs the risk of turning the cooling process now underway in the nation’s housing market into a full-fledged downturn if it continues to push up interest rates resounded in congressional testimony last week by Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke. When confronted in the Senate on July 19 with evidence of falling housing starts and permits, including the sizeable declines reported by the Commerce Department that morning for the month of June, Bernanke noted significant uncertainties and risks in the housing outlook and stressed that the Federal Reserve is watching housing “very carefully.” He repeated these points the following day under questioning in the House. On a significant housing-related issue of a more technical nature, Chairman Bernanke acknowledged NAHB’s concern that the Fed’s inflation-fighting efforts are having a perverse impact on the government measures of core consumer price inflation that are being used to guide its policies. In written testimony, he agreed with association economists that “increases in residential rents, as well as in the imputed rent on owner-occupied homes” have contributed to higher core consumer price inflation. In a July 18 letter advising members of Congress of the impact of rising interest rates on housing, NAHB said that the Fed has been relying on “deficient inflation measures to rationalize the interest rate hikes that have been taking a serious toll on the housing sector. Ironically, much of the recent increase in ‘core’ consumer price inflation that the Federal Reserve is trying to control with higher interest rates is coming from a weakening housing market.” Under questioning during the Senate and House hearings, Bernanke agreed that the large imputed “owners’ equivalent rent” component of the core Consumer Price Index was being pushed up because of the weakening of home buying and the related firming-up of market rents. In this regard, he also conceded that tighter monetary policy can actually put upward pressure on core inflation through the imputed “owners’ equivalent rent” mechanism, possibly creating a self-defeating cycle of monetary policy tightening and accelerating core inflation. Referencing the association’s letter, Senate Banking Committee Ranking Member Paul Sarbanes (D-Md.) said that “NAHB makes a rather valid point in communicating with us about this measure” and the Fed being caught in a “vicious cycle” of raising interest rates in response to a “technical measure” that doesn’t really indicate what home owners are actually paying. (To see an exchange on CNBC between Sarbanes and Bernanke on NAHB’s concerns, click here.) During his appearance the next day before the House Financial Services Committee, Bernanke was closely questioned by Rep. Gary Miller (R-Calif.) about the effect of rising interest rates on housing costs. He cautioned Bernanke that “every time you raise interest rates, you price buyers out of the market,” and again pressed him on the “equivalent rent” issue. In its letter to Congress prior to Bernanke’s appearance, NAHB cited growing evidence that the moderate and orderly housing downswing described by the Fed Chairman could evolve into something far worse if interest rates continue to be raised. “NAHB’s recent surveys of home builders show a serious downtrend in housing demand, due largely to the series of interest rate hikes already enacted by the Federal Reserve,” the letter said. “and builders’ expectations for future home sales are weakening considerably as well.” Among the downside risks for the housing market, NAHB warned, are the deepening of affordability problems for prospective home buyers and the potential for a quick surge in builder inventories if investors and speculators in single-family and condominium markets in many areas of the country decide to flee the market by cancelling their sales contracts. The exchange between Bernanke and members of the Senate on both the downside risks to housing and the effect of “owners’ equivalent rent” on the core inflation measures presumably contributed to the soothing effect of the testimony on the financial markets, according to NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “Recognition of the downside risks to home sales and housing production reduced the markets’ estimates of the probability of more Fed tightening,” said Seiders. “And the markets now know that the Fed at least partially discounts the increases in the ‘owners’ equivalent rent’ component that recently helped drive both the core CPI and the core Personal Consumption Expenditures price index above the upper ends of the Fed’s apparent comfort zones for these measures.” Floor Plans: High-End Homes Command Inner Harbor Views
Developed and Managed by: Bozzuto Overlooking Baltimore's beautiful Inner Harbor and ideally situated between the city’s historic neighborhoods of Little Italy and Fells Point is Spinnaker Bay, the centerpiece of Baltimore’s newest urban center, Harbor East. Featuring 315 premium waterfront apartments, Spinnaker Bay targets renters seeking the vibrant, urban lifestyle of exciting downtown shopping and entertainment accented by sparkling water views. Spinnaker Bay was developed and is managed by Bozzuto.
Shops, Restaurants and Condominiums, Too Occupying an entire city block, Spinnaker Bay features spacious studio as well as one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and two-story lofts. But that’s not all. There are also 32 condominiums and 47,000 square feet of ground floor restaurant and retail space. Name-brand retailers and two restaurants — Oceanaire and Lebanese Taverna — are open for business. Plus, more restaurants, shopping and entertainment are just a short stroll to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and other exciting neighborhoods.
Urban Lifestyle, Urban Amenities To provide the best in comfort and convenience, Spinnaker Bay features such amenities as a rooftop terrace on the eighth floor with a pool, spa, extensive landscaping and a dramatic fountain. The apartments and condominiums themselves offer large windows to showcase the views. Other community amenities include a two-story lobby with a sweeping grand staircase, a clubroom with spectacular features for entertaining, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a fully-equipped business center, a professional conference room and a 24-hour attended front desk.
The Spinnaker Bay lobby. Blending Into the Cityscape To ensure that the project blends into the architectural fabric of the existing neighborhood, the design creates the impression of a collection of buildings with four very different facades and stepped building heights that vary from eight stories to 18 stories. To maximize the site’s exceptional views while addressing critical parking needs, a 428-space garage is located at the core of the project and wrapped within the residential and retail elements.
Share Nation's Building News With Your Staff. It's Free.Make your business click. Subscribe your employees and trade partners to Nation's Building News — the free, online e-newspaper of NAHB. Each issue is filled with valuable news and information on every aspect of the home building industry — business and builders tips; the latest materials prices and mortgage and interest rates; new technologies; cutting-edge design; state and federal regulations and how they affect the industy; and more. Information your entire company needs to stay ahead of your competitors. Forward this issue to your employees and trade partners and ask them to subscribe. Nation's Building News, it's free to them — invaluable to you. Don't delay, have your employees subscribe today. To subscribe, go to www.nahb.org/nbn. Builders Step Up Response to Job Site TheftsHome building associations are responding to the growing problem of construction thefts with a number of programs, including seminars, newsletter stories and guest speakers from the local police force to offer tips to keep the job site secure. Other HBAs are trying new tacks. Last year, the North Carolina Home Builders Association was instrumental in pushing through new legislation making construction thieves pay more for their crimes, said Paul Wilms, the association’s director of government affairs. What started out as a minor item on the builders’ legislative agenda soon became a top priority among the members and they were jubilant when it passed. “We got standing ovations” when announcing the approved measures, which make theft in excess of $300 from a construction site a Class 1 felony, rather than a misdemeanor, Wilms said. “It’s that big a deal to our members.” When $1,000 was the amount triggering a felony charge, “the thieves were very adept at estimating the cost of materials and they would steal the threshold — $900 worth of wall board or 2′ by 4′s. They knew that the likelihood of prosecution was just about zero,” Wilms said. And because each incident was treated separately, thieves could cruise from site to site and steal up to the misdemeanor ceiling at each one without fear of jail time. Now, possession is a felony, which gets around the separate site issue, he said. In St. Louis, a construction theft crime-stoppers program that gives financial rewards to informants whose tips pan out has paid dividends for members of the Home Builders Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri, said Executive Officer Pat Sullivan. “Over the years, we’ve given out more than $50,000 in rewards payments,” he said. “We’ve received a tremendous amount of publicity and get quite a few ‘grip and grin’ photos in various area newspapers when we hand out reward checks to informants,” who must agree to help with publicity efforts or their reward can be halved. “Have several crimes been solved because of the program? Probably. But there is no way to know for sure. Our real hope and belief is that it has prevented a lot of crimes from ever occurring in the first place,” Sullivan said. HBAs and their members are always looking for new ideas to thwart would-be construction thieves. With North Carolina’s new, harsher law in place, home builders are posting signs warning trespassers of the ominous consequences of pilfering materials. Wilms noted that the tougher threshold also gives discretion to judges. “In the event that a group of high school kids on a lark decided it would be fun to steal some stuff, we didn’t want to mandate prison time,” he said. “But this isn't just a ubiquitous problem for our state. It’s a problem all over the country.” A ‘Junkyard War’ One example: On July 12, Associated Press reported a “junkyard war” in Athens, Ala. involving two roommates who allegedly stole construction equipment and caused thousands of dollars in damages in a battle of forklifts, backhoes and bulldozers. The two men were found in a track hoe after midnight by officers responding to noise complaints. “They were playing with the machines and trying to hit each other,” said Floyd Johnson, an Athens police lieutenant. “It was like some kind of junkyard war.” For an article from the NAHB Business Management Department with tips on how to avoid heists from job sites, click here. For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132. Southland Rents SoarRents in Los Angels and Orange counties in the last two quarters rose at their fastest rate in five years, making them the costliest of any major market in the West, according to data released by RealFacts, a California-based research firm. With high home prices and rising interest rates preventing households from buying homes, demand for rental units in L.A. is expected to continue to firm up, giving landlords the confidence to boost rents, analysts said. Also, the large-scale conversion of apartments into market-rate housing has reduced the supply of rental units. Rising rents nationwide are a key factor behind consumer inflation, which increased in June for the sixth consecutive month. Rent-based housing costs account for almost 40% of the core consumer price index, a measure that is closely watched by the Federal Reserve. Those rent-based costs jumped 0.4% in June after rising 0.6% in May, which was the most in nearly 16 years, the Labor Department reported. The biggest rent hikes were in California, according to a RealFacts survey of apartment complexes of 100 units or more in 15 Western states. The largest increases during this year’s second quarter were in San Jose, Calif., where the average monthly rent rose 9.1% to $1,414 compared to the same quarter of last year. (www.latimes.com)
Variable Loans Help to Put Off Mortgage PainAs monthly payments on adjustable rate mortgages are starting to balloon, many Americans have found a way to put off the day of reckoning for another year or two, if not longer, by refinancing into their second or third adjustable-rate mortgage, loan data indicate and industry experts confirm. Although the number of borrowers refinancing this way remains relatively small — several hundred thousands according to an estimate by the credit ratings firm Fitch — mortgage industry officials and analysts expect the number to surge next year. This year, the first big wave of the mortgage boom is cresting as more than $400 billion worth of adjustable-rate mortgages, or about 5% of all outstanding mortgage debt, will readjust for the first time, according to Loan Performance, a research firm. Next year, another $1 trillion in loans will readjust. With an ARM adjustment from 4.5% to 6.5%, a typical borrower with a $200,000 ARM could see a 25% increase in monthly payments — from $1,013 to $1,254. “They get another two- or three-year hybrid with a low introductory rate to keep payments down,” said Frank Nothaft, chief economist at Freddie Mac. “They’re trying to put it off forever, which is O.K. as long as interest rates are low. But when they start to spike, then it’s going to be problematic.” For the time being, however, the mini-refinancing boom is easing fears that rising interest rates and higher monthly payments would drive some borrowers into foreclosure or force them to scale back sharply on other spending. As a result, consumer spending may hold up better than some economists had thought. (www.nytimes.como)
Zoning Quirk Radically Altering NeighborhoodHome owners on double lots in the closer-in Washington, D.C. suburbs are receiving unsolicited offers from developers who want to tear down their homes and build two larger properties on the land. In one of Fairfax County, Va.’s oldest neighborhoods, a corporation slipped a purchase contract under the door of the owner’s modest Cape Cod offering to buy it for $700,000 cash — with no contingencies, no inspection and an immediate closing, because it will be knocked down. In its place would rise two four-bedroom homes towering 3-1/2 stories on the 13,000-square-foot lot and selling for $1.4 million apiece. Houses in the neighborhoods are now assessed in the $400,000s. The exponential development on a third of an acre is made possible by a quirk in the county’s zoning. When the homes were built in the 1940s, they each straddled two narrow 5,000-square-foot lots, the minimum for a single-family home at the time and half of today minimum lot size. Thousands like them are scattered on zoning maps around the metro area, in older suburbs where land was priced inexpensively after the war for returning veterans. Two decisions by the county zoning administrator and board of zoning appeals have affirmed the developers’ right to build. As long as they meet county codes for setbacks from the road and from neighbors — 12 feet — two houses can be built just 30 or 40 feet wide where once there was one. (www.washingtonpost.com)
Lusk Center Experts Say U.S. Cities Being Reshaped by Changes in Housing MarketIn response to a limited supply of land and stringent entitlement requirements that have pushed up costs, developers in California are shifting towards high-density projects that over the next five to 10 years will recast urban cores with greater housing density and more affordable units, according to the University of Southern California Lusk Center for Real Estate. Economists at the center say that the state has become ground zero when it comes to developers’ ability to accommodate changing market conditions and lay the groundwork for movements nationwide. People in their 20s and 30s are already choosing to trade back yards for city balconies, the center says, in order to be close to their jobs and cultural centers. In the meantime, the center expects the cooling housing market and a sharp drop in mortgage refinance activity to lead to a downturn in consumer spending on discretionary items, including foreign vacations, luxury furnishings and entertainment. Apartment rents increased 7%-8% in 2005, and will continue to rise this year, reflecting the growing popularity of apartments, the Lusk Center says. Investors are shifting from buying and renting condominiums to investing in rental apartments as higher home prices are keeping potential buyers in the rental market. (www.rismedia.com)
Bargain Basements; To Lure Buyers, Builders Try All Sorts of Come-OnsA salesman for Olson Co. has 12 units to sell in the Gateway Walk development in the Los Angeles suburb of Alhambra and they have been on the market since February. To attract buyers, he recently began throwing in kitchen upgrades that include stainless steel appliances and maple cabinets. A two-bedroom, two-bath townhouse is selling for $499,000, about $50,000 below what the company was getting for similar units last year, and to move it he is willing to pay roughly $1,800 worth of home owners fees for six months of include a free 42-inch plasma-screen TV. Facing their toughest year in more than a decade, home builders are offering free swimming pools, finished basements, trips to Hawaii and even luxury cars. Centex Corp. has been cutting prices as much as $100,000 in Northern California. “The new housing industry is taking a page from the automakers,” says R.L. Brown, a consultant for Phoenix Real Estate. “It’s a model clearance sale.” Incentives are most prevalent in cities such as Las Vegas, Miami, Phoenix and Sacramento, which have enjoyed sharp price appreciation in recent years. The most common is an interest rate buy-down during the early years of the loan. Shea Homes in Walnut, Calif., for instance, is offering a mortgage fixed at 3.99% for five years, about two percentage points below market rates. (www.businessweek.com)
Baby-Boomer Apartment Investors Sell Despite Trend in Rising RentsIn a survey conducted for the Wall Street Journal based on the analysis of 700 apartment transactions ranging from $1 million to $10 million, Marcus & Millichap found that its apartment-investor clients who have recently sold their assets plan to move 59% of their equity to other properties, investments and cash. Many of these investors, the majority of whom are 50 and older, bought their properties between 1990 and 2000. Many held onto their properties longer than they had originally expected because of the real-estate downturn of 1991 to 1993 and the slow recovery in the following years. In more recent years, apartment investors began to experience tremendous equity growth, with the median price of U.S. apartment units rising 87% to $112,000 from 2000 to 2006. The much larger tax liability and the hassle of fixing leaky faucets and responding to other tenant complaints have sent them looking for exit strategies and less-intensive investments. In addition to tenants’ service complaints, frequent apartment turnover requires repeated and expensive painting, cleaning and carpeting. (www.realestatejournal.com)
Housing Starts Slide in JuneHousing starts dropped 5.3% in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.850 million units, 11% below the pace of a year earlier, according to figures released by the Commerce Department on July 19. Single-family housing starts declined 6.5% last month to a rate of 1.486 million units, which was 13.8% below a year earlier, and multifamily construction rose 0.3% to a 364,000-unit pace. “NAHB’s surveys of single-family builders have been showing a steady decline in confidence since the middle of last year, and builders are acting accordingly,” said NAHB President David Pressly. “They are slowing their production as market conditions and demand cool down.” “The June declines in single-family starts and permits clearly show that the housing downswing still is underway, a pattern consistent with our signals from the field,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “Builders are reporting not only systematic declines in home sales, but also increases in sales cancellations and inventories — due to eroding affordability conditions as well as a withdrawal of investors/speculators from the market.” Regionally, construction of new homes and apartments in June was down 11.5% in the Northeast, 10.2% in the West and 4.0% in the South. Housing starts increased 3.0% in the Midwest following a large decline during the previous month. Issuance of total building permits fell 4.3% in June to a seasonably adjusted annual rate of 1.862 million units, 14.9% below the year-earlier pace. Single-family permits dropped 6.3% to 1.395 million units, reflecting declines from every region of the country. Multifamily permits rose 2.0% to 467,000 units, but were still 6.2% below the rate during June 2005. “In view of the obvious downward momentum in the housing sector, as well as the considerable downside risks that lie ahead, the Federal Reserve should proceed with great caution as it manages monetary policy in the coming months,” said Seiders. Want to Know Your State's Starts Forecast for 2007?
Find out in HousingEconomics.com’s State Starts Forecast (sample). The starts forecast includes downloadable Excel tables of total, single-family and multifamily starts by region and state. To learn more, visit www.housingeconomics.com. Uncertainty Over Fed Helps Sink Builder ConfidenceWith concerns over rising interest rates and housing affordability growing, single-family home builders continued this month to lose confidence in the marketplace, sending the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for July down three points, to 39. “The HMI is down from its most recent cyclical high of 72 in June of last year, and reflects growing builder uncertainly on the heels of reduced sales and increased cancellations related to eroding affordability as well as an ongoing withdrawal of investors/speculators from the marketplace,” said NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders. “But just as concerning to many builders is the potential for more monetary tightening by the Federal Reserve that could drive interest rates, and thereby homeownership costs, even higher. Ironically, the Fed’s inflation-fighting moves have helped firm up the rental market and raise the ‘owners’ equivalent rent’ components of the core inflation measures that the Fed is seeking to contain,” Seiders added. Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 21 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales, sales expectations for the next six months and traffic of prospective buyers. Any number over 50 indicates that more builders view sales conditions as good than poor. All three component indexes fell in July. Sales expectations showed the most substantial decline, dropping five points to 46. Current sales fell four points to 43 and buyer traffic was down two points to 27. Builders in the West, who have been the most optimistic in the HMI for some time, lost the most confidence this month; the region skidded nine points on the index, dropping to 51. The Northeast was down five points, to 36; and the Midwest lost four points, falling to 21. Confidence was up two points in the South, the biggest region of the country for housing, rising to 50. Even so, this was down considerably from a cyclical peak of 77 last June. “In terms of historical comparison, the HMI’s movement is essentially in line with readings from the 1994-95 period when the Federal Reserve tightened monetary policy and a fairly orderly cooling-down process occurred in the nation’s housing markets,” Seiders observed. “That is what our forecasts anticipate happening in the current period, provided the downside risks of rising interest rates and a bail-out by investors/speculators do not become too pronounced. With respect to interest rates, we expect the Federal Reserve to maintain the current 5.25% target for the federal funds rate for some time, and we’re projecting only modest increases in long-term interest rates from current levels.” Stay tuned for what the Fed decides to do about interest rates on Aug. 8. For more detailed tables on the HMI, click here.
Want to Know Your State's Starts Forecast for 2007?
Find out in HousingEconomics.com’s State Starts Forecast (sample). The starts forecast includes downloadable Excel tables of total, single-family and multifamily starts by region and state. To learn more, visit www.housingeconomics.com. A Few States Defying Downward Trend in HousingA national slowdown in housing production is underway and is expected to grow as the year progresses, but a few states are going against the tide and will experience an increase in residential construction activity this year, according to NAHB’s State Housing Starts Forecast. With their economies purring and their job growth healthy, Idaho, North Carolina, Washington and Wyoming are all projected in the NAHB forecast to show gains in their housing starts tallies this year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the job market is performing relatively poorly in Michigan and Ohio, the report finds, and the impact of last year’s Hurricane Katrina has left Louisiana with the loss of more than 200,000 jobs from its pre-recession peak. The biggest neighbor to the several states battered by the 2005 hurricane season, Texas has benefited from a large influx of evacuees, which the forecast says will spur multifamily housing starts in the state this year and lead to an even bigger jump in home building activity in 2007. While the massive effort needed to rebuild and repair Louisiana and Mississippi is expected to move forward fairly sluggishly this year, the pace is expected to pick up in 2007, according to economists at NAHB. The economic outlook for both the South and the West is bright, forecasters say, and states in those regions will continue to build upon their industry sector strengths. California, however, is dogged by high housing prices and an overall high cost of living that will put a drag on the state’s generally positive outlook. “We are coming off a very strong couple of years for the housing industry and markets are now starting to cool to more sustainable levels,” said David Seiders, chief economist of NAHB. “Each market has different factors that affect its local economy and housing market, but overall we are forecasting an orderly slowdown in housing starts.” The nation this year will also start to see a major slowdown in home price appreciation, which rose by a lofty and atypical 13.2% in 2005. Among states most susceptible to a correction in prices are those on the East and West coasts, where prices surged the most during the recent housing boom. The downward trend in home price gains will persist in 2007, NAHB says. Available to Executive Level subscribers to NAHB’s HousingEconomics.com ($995 for NAHB members and $1,195 for non-members), the NAHB Housing Starts Forecast provides in-depth data for each state, including forecasts for 2006 and 2007; data on key indicators such as employment, population, per capita income, median house prices and rental vacancy and homeownership rates; and rankings by growth in housing starts, starts per thousand of population, employment and population growth and the OFHEO House Price Index. Builder's Tip: A Tool to Make Seamless Stucco Patches
It’s important to tie the new stucco wire to the wire that reinforces the old work, and it’s always a challenge to expose the old stucco wire without ruining the felt-paper membrane or damaging the sheathing beneath the stucco. As shown in the accompanying drawing, I came up with a simple tool to help me deal with the situation. Here's what I did:
— Keith Wilson, Mountain View, Calif. Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
To request a reprint of this feature, e-mail Mary Lou von der Lancken at Fine Homebuilding. BuilderBooks.com Offers More Than 250 Books That Help You Build Your Business BuilderBooks.com is your source for training and education products for the building industry. The official bookstore for NAHB, BuilderBooks.com offers award-winning publications, software, brochures and more available in both English and Spanish. To view these publications online, click here, or call 800-223-2665. Log In and Explore www.nahb.org Explore the latest housing industry news and information on www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB. With an expansive "For Consumers" section, www.nahb.org provides a credible source of information on home building and remodeling for your customers. The Web site also provides a wealth of member discount programs and business resources developed for you. Plus, to make it easy to get what you need, the Web site has built in time-saving features like My NAHB to customize the site to your interests, My Favorites so you can select specific links to appear on your www.nahb.org Home page and online Staff Directories so you can find NAHB housing industry experts quickly and easily. Use www.nahb.org to stay on top of the latest housing industry news, access your council and committee materials, register for courses and events and stay abreast of NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. Log in today to start taking advantage of this free NAHB member benefit. For a Better Bottom Line: Read What ‘BoB’ Has to Say
Read and subscribe to NAHB’s Business of Building e/Source, the free, monthly e-newsletter from NAHB’s Business Management Department that offers essential knowledge from housing industry pros and keeps you current on news and trends affecting your operations and bottom line. If you are not a subscriber to Business of Building, the following are some of the stories you have missed in 2006:
NAHB Has More Than 250 Resources to Help You Run Your Business More Profitably
Go to NAHB's Business Management Tools Web pages (available to members only) for instant access to more than 250 timesaving, moneymaking and cost-cutting business resources to help you run your business more profitably. Get guidance on accounting and financial management, business strategy, computers and information technology, customer service, human resources and more. Resources are added weekly, so bookmark www.nahb.org/biztools to go directly to these vital business management resources. Local and state home builders associations can link directly to www.nahb.org/biztools from their Web site and give their members instant access to these resources. It will make your HBA's Web site the place to go for the information and guidance that members need to succeed. NAHB Technology Solutions Directory Now Online
NAHB’s Technology Solutions Directory — an easy-to-use directory that enables builders, remodelers, contractors and other industry professionals to find information on software and IT solutions and services for their businesses — is now online. The directory is sponsored by the Business Management & Information Technology Committee. Software and technology solutions providers interested in being listed can sign up for:
The Technology Solutions Directory is solely for educational and informational purposes. Nothing in the directory should be construed as policy, an endorsement, warranty or guaranty by the National Association of Home Builders of the listed software, IT service or the software/IT vendor. The National Association of Home Builders expressly disclaims any responsibility for any damages arising from the use, application or reliance on any information contained in this directory. Custom Home Builders, Have We Got an Award for YouAre you a master at transforming client wish lists into one-of-a-kind homes that complement both lifestyle and surroundings? Do you have a gift for acquiring that sought-after material or craftsman that will transform a room into a special experience? Have you experienced the thrill of a “first” in home building? If your answers are, “yes,” “yes” and, “I absolutely want to,” then you should apply for NAHB’s newest award, the NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year. Sponsored by Dryvit Systems, Inc., the award recognizes the best of the best in a unique segment of the home building industry — those who craft exceptional custom homes for discerning clients and are leaders in the industry and their community. Award winners will be honored during the 2006 Custom Builder Symposium at the Hyatt Regency Lake Las Vegas Resort on Oct. 27-29. To learn more about the award and to apply, click here. To register for the symposium, click here. Costly Mailbox Rules Take Effect in September
The new rules govern the design, manufacture and installation requirements for wall-mounted mailboxes, outgoing mail receptacles and parcel lockers in multifamily buildings and will apply to any building permitted by local jurisdictions after Sept. 3, 2006. The new requirements are:
For more information, e-mail Jeff Inks at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8547. Remodelers Discuss Housing Needs of Disabled VeteransNAHB Remodelors™ Council staff recently met with leaders of the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs to work together on the VA’s Specially Adapted Housing Grants program, which offers disabled veterans funds to build or modify an accessible home. The grant covers 50% of the housing expenses and has been recently changed so that veterans can use the benefit more than once, up to a life-time limit of $50,000. A limited amount of the funds may also now be used to modify a caretaker’s home. Among items discussed at the meeting was the council’s Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) designation, which teaches how to make housing accessible, offering the VA a pool of builders and remodelers with the expertise to meet the needs of disabled veterans. How the VA can work with local home builders associations and Remodelors™ Councils was also discussed. The requirements used by the VA to determine whether a veteran is eligible for the housing grant are largely related to limitations in mobility. Additionally:
Those interested in working with the VA on the Specially Adapted Housing grant program should contact their area VA housing agent. (For a list, click here.) The Specially Adapted Housing grant is one of several VA housing programs and may be used in conjunction with these programs to build or adapt a home:
Commercial Builders Awards of Excellence Deadline Aug. 18The NAHB National Commercial Builders Council (NCBC) is accepting applications for its 2007 Awards of Excellence program, which recognizes achievements in the national commercial building industry for remodeling and new construction design, market appeal, energy efficiency, building challenges and overall project success. The deadline for entries is Friday, Aug. 18. Applications are open to builders, architects, designers, engineers, contractors, developers and building owners for non-residential retail, commercial, institutional, medical, industrial, recreational, entertainment and mixed-use projects completed after Dec. 31, 2003. There are six divisions to enter:
Entrants will receive a one-year subscription to Commercial Builder magazine, a granite recognition award and publicity at the International Builders' Show and in the convention issue of Commercial Builder. Winners will be notified by mail no later than Nov. 1. For more information, visit 2007 Awards of Excellence: Building Excitement on the NAHB Web site or e-mail Nick Lashinsky at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8455. Trade Mission to Explore Niche Opportunities in Mexico
The $5.3 billion niche market for high-end, resort vacation and retirement homes in Mexico is growing and attracting U.S. and European buyers — particularly in the areas of Puerto Vallarta, Nayarit, Puerto Penasco, Los Cabos and San Felipe along Mexico’s Pacific Coast. It is also offering growing opportunities for U.S.-based home building companies. To learn more about this market, NAHB International is organizing a trade mission for U.S. builders and others in the industry to Puerto Vallarta/Nayarit and development sites in the Banderas Bay area on Nov. 12-14. Developers, builders, suppliers and other industry professionals will be able to explore business opportunities and meet with private developers, public officials and other industry players. The trade mission will also include site visits. The trade mission will include private briefings with government and industry experts from FONATUR (Mexico’s Trust for Tourism Development), FIBBA, (Fideicomiso Bahia de Banderas), the Export-Import Bank of the U.S., the Overseas Private Investment Corporation and Stewart Title Guaranty de Mexico. Participants also can schedule "one-on-one" meetings with builder/developer members of Mexico’s Construction Industry Chamber (CMIC). To view a draft agenda, click here. To register, download and complete the registration form and e-mail it to Michael Boyce at NAHB (mboyce@nahb.com), or fax it to his attention at 202-266-8120. For more information, visit the NAHB Web site for Vallarta/Nayarit details, e-mail Rita Feinberg at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8415. Want to Know More About Designations? Ask an ExpertThe NAHB University of Housing recently implemented “Ask an Expert,” a new service on the NAHB Web site for members seeking or earning designations. "Ask an Expert" allows members to e-mail designation program graduates with questions that will help then earn their CSP, Master CSP, CMP or MIRM designations. The graduates will field questions and concerns ranging from course content, to the designation process, to how the designation has benefited them. So, if you're thinking about enrolling in the CSP, Master CSP, CMP or MIRM designation programs or have already started the necessary course work and have questions or concerns, visit “Ask an Expert” on the NAHB Web site. A variety of designation holders will provide you with guidance and help you navigate the ins and outs of the program.
Whether you’re new to the industry, hope to make your next career move or want to improve your company’s bottom line, The NAHB University of Housing can assist you in your educational pursuits. Visit www.nahb.org/education for a comprehensive listing of courses throughout the country. Be sure to visit often in order to view the most up-to-date information in your area.
The NAHB Web site, www.nahb.org, gives you access to nearly 5,000 pages of housing industry information and exclusive members-only resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access is fast, easy and free to NAHB members. To take full advantage of the exclusive NAHB members-only resources on www.nahb.org, however, you must log in. To create your login:
By logging onto the NAHB Web site, you will have access to twice as much information as non-members — information that will help you stay ahead of your competition. You will be able to view and read entire sections of content developed just for members, and you will be able to personalize the site to your specific interests. To learn more, log in and visit the "How to Use" www.nahb.org section in My NAHB. For questions or help logging in, call 800-368-5242 x0; or e-mail your name, company name, state and phone number to login@nahb.org. Education Calendar
Whether you’re new to the industry, hope to make your next career move or want to improve your company’s bottom line, The NAHB University of Housing can assist you in your educational pursuits. Visit www.nahb.org/education for a comprehensive listing of courses throughout the country. Be sure to visit often in order to view the most up-to-date information in your area.
Log In and Discover www.nahb.org The NAHB Web site, www.nahb.org, gives you access to nearly 5,000 pages of housing industry information and exclusive members-only resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access is fast, easy and free to NAHB members. To take full advantage of the exclusive NAHB members-only resources on www.nahb.org, however, you must log in. To create your login:
By logging onto the NAHB Web site, you will have access to twice as much information as non-members — information that will help you stay ahead of your competition. You will be able to view and read entire sections of content developed just for members, and you will be able to personalize the site to your specific interests. To learn more, log in and visit the "How to Use" www.nahb.org section in My NAHB. For questions or help logging in, call 800-368-5242 x0; or e-mail your name, company name, state and phone number to login@nahb.org. Redesign Makes ToolBase Web Site Easier to UseCompleting a process that was initiated at the end of 2005, the NAHB Research Center announced last week that it has fully redesigned its ToolBase Services Web site to make it easier to use. Provided by the Research Center with support from the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), ToolBase is aimed at accelerating the awareness of beneficial new home building technologies and updating building professionals on industry issues and research. Enhancements to the site include repackaged information, color-coded Web pages and graphics, and easy-to-find tools to help users quickly locate what they need. The site also features search engine optimization that improves navigation and increases the site’s compatibility with popular external search engines. Whether users enter the site on the home page or at any of the popular technology pages, the new design provides relevant information and helpful cross-references with one easy search. Some of the site’s more specialized resources include:
Seminar Proposals Sought for Green Building ConferenceThe NAHB Green Building Subcommittee is now accepting speaker proposals for the ninth annual National Green Building Conference in St. Louis on March 25-27, 2007. Survey results from this year’s conference show that attendees value this event — and come back year after year — because of the superior educational sessions. NAHB Green Building Subcommittee members again want to focus on seminars that help builders make cost-effective business decisions that also help the environment. Committee members are looking for seminars within general topics such as energy efficiency, marketing, business management, indoor air quality, construction, waste management and land development. Submissions will be accepted online until Sept. 20. To submit a proposal, go the NAHB speaker Web page and follow the prompts. If you are not interested in speaking, but have an idea or topic that you would like to see covered or a suggestion for a presenter, e-mail Emily English at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8366. NAHB Study to Gather Data on Wetlands Permit TimesNAHB is embarking upon a research project to examine the hard evidence of permit processing times all over the country to gain a better understanding of the flaws in the system. The goal of the effort is to obtain real numbers that can be used to gain support for reform both in Congress and at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which administers the program for the Environmental Protection Agency. As an added benefit, it is hoped that the study will find examples of Corps districts that have scored success in improving their wetlands permitting process so that those lessons can be applied in other Corps districts. For example, the Jacksonville, Fla. district has launched new programs to improve performance, including “permit triage center” reviews of applications before they are submitted to the Corps for processing. Official statistics provided by the Corps of Engineers continue to show an average turnaround time of one month for a Nationwide Permit (NWP) and six months for an individual Clean Water Act Section 404 permit. This contradicts anecdotal evidence and horror stories from NAHB members who complain that the permitting process lacks predictability, is difficult to understand and can entail months, and even years, of waiting. When NAHB surveys its members to help determine the most critical issues facing the home building industry, the development approval and permitting process nearly always rises to the top. In 2006, it was the No. 1 issue nationally and received an average builder rating of 4.32, on a scale where 1 indicates that an issue is not critical and 5 that it is very critical. “Efforts will also be made to encourage better communication with the Corps so that there is more cooperation rather than confrontation,” said an NAHB Environmental Issues Committee report on wetlands strategy. In a teleconference earlier this month, committee members discussed the plans, which may include joint pilot projects between homes builders associations and the Corps to test innovative approaches. Meanwhile, the Corps will publish its proposed 2007 NWPs by the end of the summer. “While the Corps’ headquarters staff has indicated that there will be no major changes for the permits most commonly used in residential construction, NAHB will review the proposal with a critical eye and provide extensive comments where appropriate,” the report said. NAHB’s permit research project will begin this fall. For more information, e-mail Calli Schmidt at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8132. Law Improves New Hampshire Application ProcessA new law in New Hampshire will protect builders from unfair application processes that allowed local governments to kill or substantially alter projects by delaying them until zoning changes could be enacted. The measure (HB 1508), which was recently signed into law by Gov. John Lynch, protects planning board applicants from changes in subdivision- or site plan-review, zoning ordinances or amendments at the time the applications are made, provided that there has been no legal notice of the proposed change or amendment. For the protections to apply, a formal application must be filed with the planning board within 12 months of the end of the design review process. “This law will do two important things,” said Paul Morin, president of Tarkka Homes in Weare, N.H. “First, it will eliminate the vulnerability to regulatory and zoning changes that currently exists throughout most of the subdivision and site plan review process. Until HB1508 became law, applications could be easily delayed in order to allow a zoning or regulatory change to occur, thus dramatically changing or even killing a project. That strategy is no longer available to boards or petitioners seeking to block a development. “Second, it will foster better-faith dialogue during the application review because the critical point of vesting is now prior to the review process,” Morin said. “It no longer rides on that moment that the application is deemed complete by the planning board, which used to be reason enough to require all sorts of information whether it was relevant or not.” Morin testified during hearings about the legislation, providing a unique perspective as a builder and developer, as well as chairman of his city’s planning board. Land use attorney Ari Pollack said he believes the law will yield better planning and more effective communication between builders, citizens and regulators. “Zoning proposals can be fielded and considered at any time, regardless of whether or when the town uses an election model,” said Pollack, a land use attorney with Gallagher, Callahan & Gartrell, PA in Concord, N.H. “The new law rewards active citizens who participate in community zoning and planning before a new project impacts their backyard.” This law was necessary, Pollack added, because in far too many instances neighborhoods that did not participate in the process pushed the local government to stop or alter a project after a developer had relied on the existing rules, designed a project and incurred substantial costs, or worse yet, purchased the land. By having the board tinker with completeness of the application while zoning changes were posted, the neighbors could pull the rug out from under a developer who had acted in good faith, Pollack said. There are numerous legal doctrines critical of such behavior, including justifiable reliance, laches, unclean hands and municipal estoppel, Pollack said. In some ways, New Hampshire zoning is catching up with these accepted principles. “In my nearly 10 years as a land use lawyer in New Hampshire, this is the single most meaningful change to land use law and procedure,” Pollack said. “The law becomes effective Aug. 14. I am anxious to see how it might improve the application process and the quality of good faith consideration offered by boards.” For more information, e-mail Blake Smith at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8583. Apply for 2006 Workforce Housing AwardsNAHB is now accepting entries for the Innovations in Workforce Housing Awards (IWHA) recognizing outstanding examples of workforce housing communities across the nation that provide decent and affordable homes for nurses, police officers, schoolteachers, retail workers and the like near areas in which they work. The awards also serve to increase awareness of the workforce housing challenge and the ground-breaking solutions implemented by the housing industry, while encouraging builders, developers and related professionals to incorporate such innovative solutions into their own projects. “These awards bring national attention to the workforce housing problem and to the creative ways in which builders and developers are increasing the supply of housing that is affordable to working families,” said NAHB President David Pressly. IWHA is open to builders, architects, designers, developers and land planners nationwide. Communities that have been completed, or in which the first model has been opened or the first unit has been occupied between Jan. 1, 2004 and Oct. 27, 2006, are eligible to enter. Entries must be postmarked by Oct. 27. Winning entries will be selected by a panel of builders, multifamily and land development experts and other industry professionals. Winners will be announced at the 2007 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla. in February. For specific entry guidelines and an entry form, click here. For more information on the awards, click here; or e-mail Blake Smith at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8583. CRAFT Students Serve the Community in Jackson, Mississippi
Allen Jones, manager of the City of Jackson’s Building, Grounds and Parks Division, wrote that the CRAFT (Community, Restitution, Apprenticeship-Focused Training) students were to be commended for “their hard work and overall helpfulness” in completing the project. “We thank you and look forward to working with you again,” he said. The CRAFT students worked tirelessly last September to help improve living conditions in the Jackson area following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina by unloading supply trucks, removing fallen trees, clearing space for temporary housing, building shelters for the Jackson Animal Rescue League, and more. CRAFT/Mississippi offers residential construction trades and related skills training and job placement to adjudicated youths 19 and under living in Hinds, Rankin, Madison and Warren counties. The students also recently helped prepare Jackson’s famous Thalia Mara Hall for its annual International Ballet Competition. The students have also been lending their skills to individuals in need. Mary Johnson's decrepit home caught the eye of contractor Dennis Warren, who approached Jackson Mayor Frank Melton about sponsoring a rebuilding effort. Thanks to monetary donations, plus the hard work of Project CRAFT students and others, life-long Jackson resident Mary Johnson will soon be moving into a new home. “The students get a real sense of personal accomplishment when they see what the new skills they are learning every day can do to make such a difference in a person’s life,” said HBI Project Coordinator Dennis Ayers. “This can make such an impact on some students, that it becomes a first step in the long road to a new sense of self-esteem.” Project CRAFT averages an 85% placement rate among its graduates and has received congressional recognition as a model intervention for adjudicated youth. In Mississippi, Project CRAFT is operated through a partnership with the Mississippi Department of Human Services/Office of Youth Services. HBI, the workforce development arm of NAHB, operates Project CRAFT training programs at seven sites in Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi. For more information on Project CRAFT, e-mail Dennis Torbett at HBI, or call him at 800-795-7955 x8908. Distribution Stepped Up for ‘Paint-On’ Projection ScreenAVAD, LLC, the nation’s leading distributor of custom installation products, announced earlier this month that it has entered into an agreement with Visual Reality, Inc., U.S. distributors of the Goo Systems product line, which includes Screen Goo, a unique acrylic paint that allows any smooth, paintable surface to be transformed into a high-performance projection screen. To expand Goo Systems’ reach within the fast-growing custom installation market, AVAD announced that it will serve as a supply chain provider of the company’s products, focusing its efforts locally on building brand presence among Electronic System Contractors across the country. AVAD’s distribution network includes 8,000 custom inegrators. AVAD said that it will also provide dealers with Goo Systems product training, complete technical support and fast and easy inventory access for more responsive customer service and higher profits. Goo Systems products will enable AVAD integrators to install a projection screen of almost any size imaginable, ranging from custom shapes to extremely large screens, at a significantly lower cost than traditional screens. Screen Goo has gained wide acceptance since it was launched in 2000 by Goo Systems, which is headquartered in Kingston, Ontario, Canada. The product features exceptional color fidelity and minimal hot-spotting. It can be applied in one easy step and is exceptionally affordable, the manufacturer says. This feature is solely for educational and informational purposes. Nothing on this page should be construed as policy, an endorsement, warranty or guaranty by the National Association of Home Builders of the featured product or the product manufacturer. The National Association of Home Builders expressly disclaims any responsibility for any damages arising from the use, application or reliance on any information contained on this page. NAHB-Produced Programs on HGTV & DIY This WeekThe NAHB Production Group produces four weekly television shows on HGTV and DIY for consumers. The following is this week's lineup: "I Want That" on HGTV
"Dream Builders" on HGTV
"Rock Solid" on DIY
"Assembly Required" on DIY
Episode: "Steel Prefab (Part 1)"
HGTV Seeking ‘Dream Home’ Builder/Architect Teams HGTV is seeking developers, builders and architects to create the 2008 and 2009 dream homes for the network’s Dream Home Sweepstakes. To learn more, click here.
The NAHB Production Group is a full-service, self-contained, media production unit creating programming for cable television, broadcast television, non-profit, museum and corporate clients. Productions range from magazine format shows for general audiences to museum-installation videos for specialized use.
The production group includes award winning journalists, writers and photographers with experience in broadcast, documentary and corporate television. Log In and Explore www.nahb.org Explore the latest housing industry news and information on www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB. With an expansive "For Consumers" section, www.nahb.org provides a credible source of information on home building and remodeling for your customers. The Web site also provides a wealth of member discount programs and business resources developed for you. Plus, to make it easy to get what you need, the Web site has built in time-saving features like My NAHB to customize the site to your interests, My Favorites so you can select specific links to appear on your www.nahb.org Home page and online Staff Directories so you can find NAHB housing industry experts quickly and easily. Use www.nahb.org to stay on top of the latest housing industry news, access your council and committee materials, register for courses and events and stay abreast of NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. Log in today to start taking advantage of this free NAHB member benefit. Endowment Awards $100,000 HELP Grant to Maryland SchoolThe National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, has awarded a $100,000 grant to the construction technology department of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) as part of the endowment’s HELP ― the Homebuilding Education Leadership Program. The HELP initiative was begun earlier this year to bolster college and university residential construction management programs around the country. The HELP program’s goal is to triple the number of college graduates entering the home building industry over the next decade. The grant to UMES will aid in expanding the residential construction program in the areas of student recruitment, program marketing, faculty development and NAHB Student Chapter support. The UMES construction technology department currently has 75 students, but has the ability and capacity to triple the number of students it admits. The grant is for a two-year period. “We are truly honored to receive this funding from the National Housing Endowment,” said Leon Copeland, chair of the university’s construction technology department. “I am excited by the support of NAHB and its members which will go a long way as we work to leverage this support to attract more students to the residential construction industry,” Copeland added Students in the UMES program are heavily recruited by the residential and commercial building industries, with a significant number of students choosing residential. “UMES presents a wonderful opportunity for the National Housing Endowment to ensure that HELP is a success as we work to monitor UMES’ growth and help steer them toward the valuable resources that we have at our disposal,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “We are excited to find opportunities for them to work with our local HBAs, the Home Builders Institute and the NAHB Research Center to grow their program and take advantage of these ties.” For more information on HELP, visit www.nationalhousingendowment.org. UPS Offers Up to 30% Discount to NAHB Members on ShippingNAHB and UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company, have joined forces to offer NAHB members discounts of up to 30% on shipping. The NAHB shipping discounts include domestic air and ground, international export and international import. Association members can also take advantage of hassle-free on-line shipping, 24/7 access and advanced package tracking at your fingertips. NAHB members are eligible for discounts up to 30% to help manage costs with no catch — and no minimums. The shipping discounts — which increase the more packages or letters the user sends — will be applied once enrollment is complete. The enrollment process is fast and easy and is available to NAHB members through the Web site: www.savewithups.com/nahb. For more information on UPS savings and the complete Member Advantage program, visit www.nahb.org/MA. Log In and Explore www.nahb.org Explore the latest housing industry news and information on www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB. With an expansive "For Consumers" section, www.nahb.org provides a credible source of information on home building and remodeling for your customers. The Web site also provides a wealth of member discount programs and business resources developed for you. Plus, to make it easy to get what you need, the Web site has built in time-saving features like My NAHB to customize the site to your interests, My Favorites so you can select specific links to appear on your www.nahb.org Home page and online Staff Directories so you can find NAHB housing industry experts quickly and easily. Use www.nahb.org to stay on top of the latest housing industry news, access your council and committee materials, register for courses and events and stay abreast of NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. Log in today to start taking advantage of this free NAHB member benefit. GM $500 Exclusive Offer for NAHB Members
For complete details, visit www.gmfleet.com/nahb. The program runs through Jan. 3. 2007. GM NAHB Affinity Cards and details on this offer were mailed directly to NAHB members from GM, and members should use the affinity card when purchasing a qualifying vehicle. Members who have misplaced or otherwise do not have a GM NAHB Affinity Card may print out their own replacement cards in order to show member verification to a GM dealer. Note: Members must be logged in to www.nahb.org in order to print their replacement card. Members with a www.nahb.org login should go to www.nahb.org/MA and click on the “GM Exclusive Offer.” This will take members to a Web page with program details and instructions for printing a replacement card. There are also instructions for members who do not have a login (they will be sent to www.nahb.com/loginGM and returned to the page to get a replacement card). For more information, e-mail Tiffany Smith at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8273. Other Member Advantage Discounts For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to www.nahb.org/MA. Log In and Explore www.nahb.org
Explore the latest housing industry news and information on www.nahb.org — the official public and members-only Web site of NAHB. With an expansive "For Consumers" section, www.nahb.org provides a credible source of information on home building and remodeling for your customers. The Web site also provides a wealth of member discount programs and business resources developed for you. Plus, to make it easy to get what you need, the Web site has built in time-saving features like My NAHB to customize the site to your interests, My Favorites so you can select specific links to appear on your www.nahb.org Home page and online Staff Directories so you can find NAHB housing industry experts quickly and easily. Use www.nahb.org to stay on top of the latest housing industry news, access your council and committee materials, register for courses and events and stay abreast of NAHB’s efforts to promote housing. Log in today to start taking advantage of this free NAHB member benefit. Find Key Employees Through the NAHB Online Career Center
NAHB members using the NAHB Career Center will receive a 20% discount off of standard rates for job postings. For a complete listing of all rates, click here. The career center can be found on:
Career center features that give members a competitive edge include :
Fall Board Meets Sept. 13-17 in Salt Lake CityOFFICIAL MEETING NOTICE OF
The following schedule of events is a partial listing provided as a notice for the upcoming NAHB Fall Board of Directors Meeting, which will be held in Salt Lake City on Sept. 13-17, 2006. Meetings will be held at the Grand America and Little America hotels. The fall board program will identify the exact time and place of each scheduled meeting. Wednesday, Sept. 13
Friday, Sept. 15
Committees, Subcommittees and Councils Meetings 2006 Presidential Advisor Meeting Budget & Finance Committee Nominations Committee National Housing Endowment Resolutions Committee Saturday, Sept. 16 Area Caucuses 1-15 Joint Executive Board, Budget & Resolutions Committee Meeting Board of Directors Sunday, Sept. 17 Board of Directors Meeting For more information, e-mail Cynthia McKinley Brown at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8346. Calendar of Events
To view more meetings and events information on the NAHB Web site, click here. Log In and Discover www.nahb.org
The NAHB Web site, www.nahb.org, gives you access to nearly 5,000 pages of housing industry information and exclusive members-only resources 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Access is fast, easy and free to NAHB members. To take full advantage of the exclusive NAHB members-only resources on www.nahb.org, however, you must log in. To create your login:
By logging onto the NAHB Web site, you will have access to twice as much information as non-members — information that will help you stay ahead of your competition. You will be able to view and read entire sections of content developed just for members, and you will be able to personalize the site to your specific interests. To learn more, log in and visit the "How to Use" www.nahb.org section in My NAHB. For questions or help logging in, call 800-368-5242 x0; or e-mail your name, company name, state and phone number to login@nahb.org. |