Nation's Building News Online: August 6, 2007

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Homeland Security Crackdown on Illegal Workers Imminent

With Congress failing to act on immigration reform, recent news reports from the Associated Press and the Los Angeles Times indicate that the Bush Administration is now planning a new crackdown on illegal immigrants, which could force millions of business owners to either fire them or face heavy fines and even imprisonment.

Any day now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expected to issue new rules on how employers must respond if they receive a letter from the Social Security Administration stating that a worker’s name or Social Security number does not match agency records.

The Social Security Administration sent out 127,000 such “no-match” letters in 2005 covering 7.3 million mismatched records, according to government figures. Under the proposed new rule, the DHS would have access to the Social Security Administration's no-match letter data.

Many of these letters were the result of clerical errors such as misspelled names, typographical mistakes and failure to record name changes when newly married women switch from their maiden name to the surname of their spouse. In addition, in the Latino culture, it is common for a person to have several surnames, which can generate confusion.

These are the procedures under the proposed new rule, but a word of caution: the final rule may be different.

Employers who receive "no-match" letters would have 14 days to inform the employee and to recheck the Employment Eligibility Verification Form I-9, which they are required to keep under federal law to verify the identity and work authorization of all persons who are hired.

Employees would have 60 days to contact the Social Security Administration and attempt to correct any discrepancies.

If the employee is unable to rectify the "no match" problem, the employer would then have three days to conduct a new I-9 verification using different identification documents.

If, after the end of this process, the employer cannot verify the legal status of their worker, the employee must be terminated. Employers who fail to comply could face stiff fines or even imprisonment for each worker that is found to be an illegal immigrant.

Once the final rules are published, NAHB will provide full details along with a compliance checklist for builders to follow should they receive a letter from the Social Security Administration regarding a no-match situation.

For more information, e-mail David Crump at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8491.

Housing Career Path Starts With CD-ROM and Building Doghouses

A “Building Homes of Our Own” computer competition was among the activities used by the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties in Washington at their recent annual career fair to stimulate student interest in the housing industry.

Available at no cost to classroom educators, public libraries, association members and affiliated associations,  NAHB’s “Building Homes of Our Own” CD-ROM provides students with an understanding of the home building and buying process, an introduction to careers and lessons in community responsibility as they design, construct and sell a 3-D home.

The Master Builders Education Foundation held its second annual Building Your Future, Student Competition and Career Fair for local high school students in May. Approximately 110 students from 20 different area schools attended the event, which was held at the association’s headquarters in Bellevue.

The event consisted of three components: a computer competition, a doghouse contest and career discussions with representatives from home building companies.

In the computer competition, students were given one hour to complete the “Building Homes” program, which uses home building concepts as a real-world context for the application of math, science, social studies and consumer economics skills learned in the classroom. The schools received the software prior to the competition so that the students would have plenty of practice time.

“The students were very excited trying to design, permit and sell a home,” said Cathy Feole, executive director for the foundation. “The experience was great and the talent displayed among the competitors was really impressive.”

Building a Better Doghouse

Students applied some of the skills they learned playing “Building Homes” in a doghouse building contest in which 11 structures were successfully completed with a great deal of effort. The competition was judged by builders.

“Our doghouse took about a week to build,” said Sean, the first-place winner in the doghouse building competition. “It was fun!”

Among the prizes for the top contenders were a PlayStation Portable (PSP), gift certificates and portable DVD players.

To encourage students participating in fair activities to consider the many career paths available to them in housing, a timed “round-robin” format enabled them to meet face-to-face with as many industry leaders as possible. The students were divided into small groups and spent seven minutes with each housing professional before rotating to the next.

“It was good, it was nice to meet people from different companies,” Zeke, second place winner in the “Building Homes” computer competition, said. “I liked that we got to meet them and they had information available.”

“The competition and the building were both great, and the professionals have some really good advice,” said Brian, a student participant. “It was very worthwhile!”

High Marks for ‘Building Homes of Our Own’

Feole said that her association had enjoyed its experience with the “Building Homes” software and would recommend the program to other HBAs as a successful and easy-to-use community outreach resource.

“Students get really involved in the computer competition and absolutely love it!” Feole said. “‘Building Homes of Our Own’ is a beneficial way to generate awareness of the industry among students.”

The Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties is just one of the many associations using the “Building Homes of Our Own” CD-ROM to build relationships with their communities and encourage students to explore home building careers.

Since 2002, 47,000 CD-ROMs have been distributed to middle and high school classroom educators reaching an estimated 4 million students, teachers and parents.

The award-winning educational software teaching tool is available to NAHB members and associations upon request; click here (homesofourown.org).

To Request Copies

For promotional resources, click here (nahb.org/buildinghomesofourown).

For more information about this item or to request multiple CD-ROMs, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.

‘Buy Now’ Campaign Helps Boost Activity in Smaller Michigan Market

The “Buy Now” campaign launched by the Home Builders Association of Midland County in Michigan, with funding from NAHB’s “Buy Now” Advertising Assistance Program, has been a hit with the HBA’s membership as activity in the Midland market has increased.

NAHB’s program provides advertising grants to qualifying HBAs hit hard by the housing downturn.

“It’s hard to say that it’s all because of the campaign,” said the HBA’s executive officer, Connie Valliere. “But our builders and remodelers have been busy and models are selling at our parade of homes. There is definitely increased activity.”  

The HBA’s campaign, a two-week run of radio and newspaper advertising, featured the message “It’s a Great Time to Buy, Build or Improve.”

“Michigan has been really hard hit,” said Valliere. “We really felt it was important to get across the message that it’s never been a better time to invest in a home, whether it meant buying one, building one or improving one.”

“Many home owners who want to buy a new home are reluctant to move up because they have to sell their own homes first. Plus less and less people are relocating to Michigan, which has resulted in a high housing inventory,” Valliere said. “This campaign really got good information out to consumers, letting them know that even if their confidence in the housing market has been shaken, it truly is the best time to invest in a home right now.”

The Midland HBA received $5,000 from NAHB as a Tier 3 grant recipient to run its successful campaign. Valliere insists the association would not have been able to launch the campaign without the grant opportunity.

“Our total annual budget for public awareness campaigns of any type is $4,000,” Valliere said. “We would have never been able to focus our entire budget plus some for that kind of campaign.”

“As with many other HBAs, times are challenging and funding is tight, making it increasingly difficult to do public awareness campaigns at all, but we were able to run a successful campaign because of the grant we received from NAHB,” she added.

Because of the campaign's success, Valliere sings the praises of NAHB’s “Buy Now” Advertising Assistance Program every chance she gets, especially when talking with EOs of smaller HBAs.

“Just at our recent summer conference, I told the other EOs in the room that our buy now campaign has been such a success, any member or HBA that wants to use our radio scripts and print ads can have them,” said Valliere.

“This program is a gift from national and the most important thing is that people utilize these funds.”

“The small Tier 3 associations are the ones that don’t have the resources to do this type of thing,” she said. “NAHB is really benefiting our locals by running this program.”

$500,000 Still Available in ‘Buy Now’ Grant Funds, Apply Today

NAHB has more than $500,000 in “Buy Now” advertising assistance grant money still available and is encouraging HBAs that have not yet received or been approved to receive grant money to apply today.

Tier 2 HBAs that previously applied but did not receive the maximum of $40,000 are eligible to reapply for the difference.

To date, 129 HBAs in 38 states have received or been approved to receive just under $2.2 million in NAHB advertising assistance. Including the matching funds that the HBAs contributed, the total value of their advertising campaigns is approximately $6.3 million.

The NAHB “Buy Now” Advertising Assistance Program provides grants to qualifying HBAs in three categories:

• HBAs conducting ad campaigns in the top 10 media markets (Tier 1)
  
  
• HBAs with more than 250 members operating in areas outside of the top 10 major media markets (Tier 2)
  
  
• HBAs with 250 or fewer members (Tier 3)
  To qualify for grants, the ads must deliver a “buy now” message, be placed in 2007 and conducted in markets that have experienced a major decline in home sales and housing production.

To Apply

To learn more about the program, eligibility considerations and requirements, click here, or call Niki Clark at NAHB at 800-368-5242 x806l.

To view a list of the HBAs that have received or been approved for grants, and their grant level categories, click here.

Home Builders Association of Midland It’s a Great Time to Buy, Build or Improve Radio Campaign Radio Copy If you are like most of us, you’re concerned about the daily reports filled with news about the ailing economy. It’s enough to make anyone nervous about the future. But the fact is — there has never been a better time to invest in a home. Whether you are a first-time home buyer, considering building or purchasing a new home or wanting to remodel your present home, the truth is: Interest rates are low, competitive pricing abounds, attractive financing options are available, selection has never been better, housing is a great investment with huge rewards and professionals are ready to help. To find a new home, a builder or a remodeler in the area, contact the Home Builders Association of Midland, or visit them on the Web at: www.hbamidlandmi.com It’s a Buyer’s Market — The Choice Is Yours. The HBA of Midland County, Mich. encourages NAHB members and HBAs to use the HBA's successful radio and prints ads. For more information, e-mail Connie Valliere, or call her at 989-853-2562.

No Money Down Disappearing as Mortgage Option

Faced with bad loans, lenders have abruptly clamped down on no-money-down mortgages, threatening to dash the hopes of millions of potential buyers, especially those shopping for their first homes. Four out of 10 first-time buyers used no-downpayment mortgages in 2005 and 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Some lenders are now scrapping those loans completely; others are pickier about who gets them. As of March, Washington Mutual started only financing no-downpayment loans for first-time buyers up to $417,000, compared to up to $1 million previously. SunTrust Mortgage has boosted the credit-score requirements for no-downpayment loans, and has also started requiring borrowers to have six months of payments in reserve, up from two months. After Countrywide Financial, the nation’s largest mortgage lender, announced that defaults on home-equity lines contributed to a decline in its second-quarter profits, the piggyback option has largely disappeared and many-first time buyers who want 100% financing may find themselves priced out of the market because they would have to pay mortgage insurance. (www.washingtonpost.com/)
Washington Post (8/5/07); Dina ElBoghdady

Florida Faces Worst Budget Woes Since 9/11

Florida is in the worst state budget hole since 9/11, with lawmakers now facing $1.1 billion in budget cuts, roughly matching what was slashed from state spending after the 2001 terrorist attacks in 2001. And a rebound from the current slump — caused primarily by a sour housing market — may take longer than it did after 9/11. Tax receipts from real-estate transactions are expected to be $132.6 million below what had been expected this year, state economists reported. Sales taxes — which provide the bulk of Florida’s general revenue — are off $746.1 million as purchases of housing-related items such as carpeting, appliances and building supplies have nose-dived. Housing sales are not expected to pick up until early 2009, later than had been forecast as recently as March, said Amy Baker, coordinator of the legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. In fact, some economists say Florida is teetering close to recession. They say home values could fall as much as 15% this year, sparking a general economic decline. (www.orlandosentinel.com)
Orlando Sentinel (8/5/07); John Kennedy

In Anaheim, the Mouse Finally Roars

Located 25 miles south of Los Angeles, Anaheim, Calif. is divided over a housing developer’s plan to build 1,500 apartments and condos, 225 of them for low-income families, a few blocks from Disneyland. Disney doesn’t want the project, arguing that the land is zoned for tourism, and along with business groups and the city’s mayor says that the housing project is the beginning of the end for resort zoning that keeps cash flowing into the city — $80 million last year from hotel taxes alone. But in Anaheim, as in much of Southern California, home prices are beyond the grasp of service workers, and a coalition of unions, churches and nonprofits has turned Disney’s resistance into a rallying cry. The median home price in Orange County rocketed from $185,000 in 1997 to $645,000 in June. Rent has climbed too, to an average of $1,531 at the beginning of the year. The nationwide housing slump is only slightly modulating housing prices here, as job creation far outstrips new building, and overcrowding is a huge problem. (www.washingtonpost.com)
Washington Post (8/6/07); Sonya Geis

Southern California Is Becoming a Tight Fit

In Southern California, construction of condos and apartments is rapidly overtaking that of single-family residences, even in suburbs known for spread-out living, as the region shifts to urbanized living and higher density. As Southern California stretches to accommodate a crush of 6.3 million new residents over the next 30 years, so many new apartments will be built that by 2035, the number of multifamily dwellings under construction will outstrip the number of single-family residences by two to one, according to projections by the Southern California Association of Governments. The shift is starkly obvious in Los Angeles County, where 60% of residences built in 1993 were single-family. Last year in the county, 38% of residential construction was single-family and 62% was apartments and condos. Driving the shift is affordability: multifamily buildings are cheaper to build largely because less land is required per unit. They are also cheaper to sell or rent, and with the median price of a single-family home in Orange County at $724,000, many potential buyers can afford only condos, said Kristine Thalman, chief executive of the Building Industry Association’s Orange County chapter. (www.latimes.com)
Los Angeles Times (8/6/07); Sharon Bernstein

Townhouses Still a Winner

The good news in the Chicago area is that there are still plenty of new, affordable townhouses out there. The bad news is that the selection isn’t as wide as it was this time last year because many builders aren’t starting new projects until the real estate market correction stabilizes. With few exceptions, to find a townhouse for less than $250,000 requires going 30 to 40 miles out of the Loop, says Tracy Cross of Tracy Cross & Associates in Schaumburg. “But the buyers’ employers aren’t necessarily in the city,” she says. “They could be in Oak Brook or Schaumburg or another satellite employment area.” Prospective buyers may find that the more starter townhouses they visit, the more they look alike. “They’re becoming more generic,” says Cross of the designs of the current selection. “Rear-loaded, two-car garage; three stories in the back and two in the front; three bedrooms and two-and-one-half baths.” Ditto for their lists of standard amenities, so the occasional granite countertop or ceramic-tile bathroom stands out. But compared to the starter townhouses their parents bought a generation ago, today’s first-time buyers get more, says Gopal Ahluwalia, vice president of research at NAHB. “Two-car garages, basements, decks — you didn’t get these in affordable townhouses years ago,” he says. To the extent that they can afford it, says Ahluwalia, townhouse buyers want everything they can get in a single-family house, minus the exterior maintenance. (www.chicagotribune.com)
Chicago Tribune (8/3/07); Leslie Mann

Some Seek a Home Near Family: Togetherness Can Make for Warmth and Sharing

First-time buyers often purchase a place near their parents, and both generations usually benefit from the arrangement. The parents provide emotional and sometimes even financial support to their young children who are just starting out. Meanwhile, the parents still get to see their offspring on a regular basis. Home builders have caught on to the idea. They’re creating developments that include a variety of home styles to appeal to different age groups. Some developments even have age-restricted neighborhoods for older people, adjacent to traditional sections meant for young families. No one tracks how many young adults purchase homes near their parents, but some clues can be found in the rising number of young adults who still live at home. By 1990, the number of young adults age 25 living at home had almost doubled to 25% from 13% in 1970, according to Robet Schoeni, a professor of public policy and economics at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Based on current Census figures, about 30% of young adults live with their parents, he said. He also has quantified the hours of assistance and money that parents provide to their grown children. About a third of young adults receive cash from their parents, totaling an average of about $38,000. And 47% of adults age 18 to 34 get help with tasks from their parents, or a total of two years worth of full-time 40-hours-a-week work. In 2005, the average price of a home purchased by a first-time buyer was $167,000, according to NAHB, and “affordability is an issue,” according to Gopal Ahluwalia, the association’s vice president of research. (www.chicagotribune.com)
Chicago Tribune (8/1/07); Jane Adler

Housing Trust Fund Bill Heads to House Floor

The House Financial Services Committee last week approved legislation to create a national housing trust fund that would provide grants and other assistance in support of the production, rehabilitation and preservation of up to 1.5 million affordable housing units over the next decade.

H.R. 2895, The National Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007, was approved by a 45 to 23 committee vote.

“The growing shortage of affordable housing is one of the most serious social and economic problems facing our country. Given our severely constrained fiscal realities, we are today doing the best we can to address this — creating a low-income housing trust fund that will be paid for in ways that do not draw from federal tax revenues,” said committee chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.).

Funding for the trust fund would come from surplus Federal Housing Administration mortgage lending revenue as directed in H.R. 1852, which the panel approved in May, and from a percentage of the investment portfolios of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, which would be mandated under a government-sponsored enterprise reform bill (H.R. 1427) that also was passed in May by the full House.

NAHB supports the creation of a housing trust fund and has been working with members from both sides of the aisle on ways to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the new fund.

Of specific note from last week’s markup, the committee adopted an NAHB-supported amendment that would strengthen the emphasis on rural housing, as well as several amendments designed to address the income targeting requirements in the bill to allow grantees and grant recipients to meet a wider range of critical housing needs.

The bill now heads to the House floor where NAHB will continue to work with members on key enhancements.

To read the legislation, click here and enter H.R. 2895 in the box at the center of the page.

For more information, e-mail Scott Meyer at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8144.

House Energy Bill Includes Federal Role in Writing Building Codes

Prior to adjourning for the congressional August recess, the House on Aug. 4 passed a comprehensive energy bill that would steer the nation toward cleaner fuels, including a mandate that requires utilities to produce 15% of their power from renewable sources by 2020.

The bill, H.R. 3221, was combined with an energy tax measure (H.R. 2776) passed later in the day by the House that would repeal about $16 billion in tax breaks for oil and gas companies to help pay for renewable energy and conservation efforts.

H.R. 3221 would establish tougher efficiency standards for appliances, lighting and buildings; approve billions of dollars for research into clean energy and alternative fuels; increase regulations on energy development; and create grant programs to promote public transportation and the use of alternative fuels such as biodiesel and ethanol.

Of note to home builders, NAHB was successful in incorporating an amendment to the House bill that would require an analysis of technical feasibility and economic justification based on available materials, appliances, technologies and construction practices prior to any modifications to building codes.

Under current law, building codes must be approved and adopted at the state and local level. A provision in H.R. 3221 would create a new code-writing role for the Department of Energy for states that fail to achieve significant above-code benchmarks, despite feasibility or costs.

The House bill must still be reconciled with a different energy package approved by the Senate in June. The Senate version requires cars and light trucks sold in the U.S. to achieve a fleet average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The House bill contains no such provision.

President Bush has indicated that he would veto both chambers’ bills, arguing that because they each increase taxes on the oil industry they would result in lower oil and gas production in the U.S. and higher costs for consumers.

To read the legislation, click here and enter H.R. 3221 in the box at the center of the page.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Odina at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8570.

Mortgage Interest Rates Drift a Bit Lower

Mortgage interest rates declined slightly last week for the second week in a row, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey, and the company’s chief economist, Frank Nothaft, said that he was beginning to see at least an inkling of good news, with some signs of market stabilization.

For the week ending on Aug. 2, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.68%, down from 6.69% the previous week, but a bit higher than the average 6.63% reported for the same week one year earlier.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.32% for the week, down from 6.37% the week before but up from 6.27% a year earlier.

Five-year Treasury-indexed hybrid adjustable-rate mortgages averaged 6.29% for the week ending Aug. 2, down from 6.30% during the previous week and up just a tad from 6.27% a year earlier.

One-year Treasury-indexed ARMs averaged 5.59% for the week, down from an average of 5.69% the previous week and below the 5.69% average of a year earlier.

“Market investors seeking safety from the subprime fallout bought Treasury securities, pushing bond yields down and allowing mortgage rates to drift a bit lower,” said Nothaft.

Although sales of new and existing homes were both down in June and prices are continuing to weaken, especially in the markets registering the biggest gains during the recent housing boom, “there are early signs that the market is stabilizing,” Nothaft said.

“As construction spending levels off, the drag on GDP growth will continue to diminish,” he said. “Meanwhile, the 5% rise in pending home sales in June suggests that series in July and August may reverse last month’s decline.”

Attend the Fall Construction Forecast Conference in October 

Plan to attend NAHB's Construction Forecast Conference on Oct. 24 at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together the nation's premier housing economists and finance experts for an in-depth examination of the economic outlook for the housing industry.

Register by Sept. 7 and save $50 off the regular registration fee.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org/cfc.

Want to Know the Housing Forecast for the Top 100 Metros? 

Find out in HousingEconomic.com’s 2007-2008 Metro Forecast (free preview). Get the metro forecast with in-depth analysis, overviews and downloadable Excel tables.

To learn more, visit www.HousingEconomics.com.

NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist into next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar.

Eye on the Economy: Home Prices Fall, But Not Dramatically

As expected, economic growth rebounded nicely in the second quarter following the near stall-out in the first quarter of the year.

Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an annual rate of 3.4% in the second quarter, according to the “advance” estimate released on July 27 by the Commerce Department — bringing the average for the first half of 2007 to a reasonably solid 2.0% pace and leaving earlier fears of economic recession behind.

The economy got through the first half of 2007 in reasonably good shape despite continuation of the dramatic housing downswing that began early last year.

The contraction in real residential fixed investment (RFI) was most dramatic in the second half of 2006, but RFI contracted at an average annual rate of 12.8% in the first half of this year and lopped 0.71 of a percentage point off the first-half GDP growth rate.

Home Sales Continue to Trail Downward From Unsustainable Highs

Home sales still are trending downward from the record levels posted during the third quarter of 2005.

Sales of new single-family homes (based on signed contracts) fell by 6.6% in June to a level that’s 40% below its 2005 peak. Sales of existing single-family homes (based on closings) fell by 3.5% in June to a level that’s 20% below its 2005 peak. “Pending” sales of existing homes (based on contracts signed) were up by 5% in June but down on a three-month moving average basis.

Indeed, the second quarter as a whole was down by nearly 7% from the first quarter average, pointing toward further declines in closings in the third quarter.

The Commerce Department’s series on new-home sales (signed contracts) does not recognize cancelled contracts. There is no estimate of net sales (contracts signed less contracts cancelled), resales of homes taken back by builders due to cancellations are not recorded in the sales series, and there is no estimate of new-home sales closed.

NAHB’s proprietary survey of 32 large builders (accounting for more than one-fourth of all for-sale housing in the U.S.) overcomes all of these conceptual deficiencies. The June readings (seasonally adjusted by NAHB) show gross sales 31% below the July 2005 peak, net sales 43% below their peak in July 2005 and closings 38% below their recent peak in March 2006.

Although NAHB’s large-builder data system showed some tentative signs of stabilization as the second quarter drew to a close, public statements by many of the public companies suggest that there’s still downward momentum in the single-family market.

Indeed, NAHB’s broad-based single-family Housing Market Index points in that direction. The HMI fell to a cyclical low of 24 in July, down from the cyclical peak of 72 in June 2005 and the lowest level since January 1991 — near the bottom of the 1990 to 1991 economic recession.

Homeownership Rates Move Lower as More Households Decide to Rent

Historically low levels of home buying affordability (exacerbated by the subprime mortgage mess), along with an apparently pervasive wait-and-see attitude among prospective buyers, has encouraged many U.S. households to rent rather than own — presumably a temporary phenomenon but one that’s shaping housing markets for now.

The U.S. homeownership rate slipped to 68.4% in the second quarter of this year (seasonally adjusted), a full percentage point below the record high three years earlier and a half-point lower than a year earlier. The absolute number of home owners has shown virtually no change during the past year, while the number of renter households has surged by an estimated 835,000.

The erosion of homeownership rates has been broad-based, although the declines during the past year are particularly striking for the 35 to 44 age range, black households and families with below-median incomes.

It’s likely that the subprime mortgage debacle, including an unhealthy dose of fraud and abuse, is at least partly responsible for these patterns.

Vacant Housing Units on the Market Remain Near Record Highs at Mid-2007

Conceptual limitations in estimates of unsold inventories of both new and existing homes have encouraged us to focus on Census Bureau estimates of vacant year-round homes for sale that are produced on a quarterly basis. These estimates include unsold completed new homes in the hands of builders along with vacant existing ― previously owned ― homes for sale.

There were nearly 5.8 million year-round housing units on the market at mid-2007, down from a record 6.1 million three months earlier but higher than any previous number on record. Both the for-sale and for-rent components of this total were down from their first-quarter records, but both remained historically high.

The for-sale measure remained in the stratosphere at mid-2007, reflecting massive increases recorded in both single-family and multifamily (condo) markets since mid-2005. Total for-sale vacancies were 2.0 million at mid-2007; about four-fifths of these (1.6 million) were single-family homes, and nearly nine-tenths of single-family vacancies were in the existing-home market — a legacy of the investor/speculator buying binge during the boom years.

Home Prices Continue to Fall, Although the Adjustments Are Not Dramatic

Available measures of single-family home prices show systematic deceleration and some erosion during the past year, although the downward adjustments pale in comparison to the explosive growth that had prevailed during the previous three years. The “true” price adjustments undoubtedly are larger than shown by transactions prices, since nonprice sales incentives support the latter measure, but it’s fair to say that home prices (measured or true) have not yet approached market-clearing levels in most places.

The S&P/Case-Shiller 20-city composite home price index (based on a repeat-sales methodology that minimizes compositional distortions) was down by 2.8% in May on a year-over-year basis, moving more deeply into the negative range that emerged in January. On a sequential seasonally-adjusted basis, this measure actually entered the negative range in June of last year and contracted at an annualized rate of 7% in May.

The median price of existing single-family homes sold ticked up in June (year-over-year basis) following 10 consecutive months of decline. However, this series has no controls for compositional shifts, and the uptick in June undoubtedly reflects a shift in the composition of homes sold toward higher-priced units — because of the relatively heavy impact of subprime-related credit tightening on sales of lower-priced homes.

Housing and Mortgage Finance Problems Spark Financial Market Turmoil

Financial markets turned turbulent late last month. A spate of bad news on the housing market prompted concerns about downside risks to the economic expansion, and ongoing problems in markets for subprime mortgages and related securities structures prompted investors to reevaluate historically narrow risk spreads in other components of the credit/securities markets.

In the midst of the turmoil, yield spreads for investment-grade corporate bonds over comparable-maturity Treasuries widened by about 20 basis points, while spreads for lower-quality corporate bonds jumped by about 75 basis points. The broad-based shift away from risky assets also hit equities, dealing the major stock price indexes heavy losses.

The generalized flight to quality provoked a strong rally in the Treasury market, a dynamic that was reinforced as investors marked down their expectations for the path of the federal funds rate. Unfortunately, the decline in the 10-year Treasury yield did not transfer fully to the prime fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) yield. This yield spread widened amidst reports from a major mortgage lender that credit quality is eroding in the prime mortgage market.

The reported erosion was concentrated in second mortgages that had been layered on top of prime first mortgages and in payment-option ARMs where combinations of rising loan balances (via negative amortization) and eroding house values were pulling some of these “nontraditional” first mortgages under water. Although these types of problems hardly characterize the entire prime mortgage market, the frenzied flight to quality promises to elevate the FRM-Treasury spread for some time.

Look Toward Mid-2008 for the Bottom of the Housing Production Cycle

The recent downbeat news on home sales and housing demand, the near record excess supply of vacant housing units at mid-2007, the moderate process of home price adjustments and the recent broad-based setbacks in the housing finance system have prompted yet another trim to NAHB’s forecast for housing production in the second half of this year and 2008. We now expect housing starts to trail downward through the first quarter of 2008 before embarking on a gradual recovery process that should run for several years.

On a year-over-year basis, we now expect total housing starts to be down by 23% in 2007 and another 1% in 2008. We now expect RFI to be down by 14% in 2007 and 1% in 2008; on a quarterly basis, we expect RFI to bottom out in the first quarter of next year before embarking on a systematic recovery path.

As in previous forecasts, the single-family market bears the brunt of the balance of the projected housing correction. In this regard, projected single-family starts fall by 40% from the peak in the first quarter of 2006 through the first quarter of 2008 and the single-family component of RFI contracts by a similar percentage over this two-year period.

NAHB Chief Economist David Seiders analyzes the economy from the point of view of the housing market every other week in the free e-newsletter, “Eye on the Economy.” The preceding is a reissue of his Aug. 1 edition. To subscribe to “Eye on the Economy,” click here.

Attend the Fall Construction Forecast Conference in October 

Plan to attend NAHB's Construction Forecast Conference on Oct. 24 at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together the nation's premier housing economists and finance experts for an in-depth examination of the economic outlook for the housing industry.

Register by Sept. 7 and save $50 off the regular registration fee.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org/cfc.

Want to Know the Housing Forecast for the Top 100 Metros? 

Find out in HousingEconomic.com’s 2007-2008 Metro Forecast (free preview). Get the metro forecast with in-depth analysis, overviews and downloadable Excel tables.

To learn more, visit www.HousingEconomics.com.

NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist into next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.

Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends

The following are links to useful information from government agencies and NAHB that will enable you to monitor the housing market.

To access the latest information available, simply click the links.

• U.S. Census Bureau Construction Price Indexes
  
  
• NAHB's Housing Forecast
  Housing starts, sales and interest rate projections through 2007.
  
  
• Latest Home Mortgage Interest Rates
  Contains current and historical data on fixed and adjustable mortgage rates. Updated weekly.
  
  
• Historical Facts, Figures and Trends
  Includes new home starts and sales, average and median home prices, homeownership rates, characteristics of new homes and more.
  
  
• Characteristics of New Housing
  Highlights the latest data on new-home characteristics released by the U.S. Census Department. Includes links to the complete Census report and other trends researched by NAHB.
  
  Additional breakouts of this data and other trends researched by NAHB are available at www.nahb.org/constructionstats under “Selected Characteristics of New Housing” (dated 6/13/2006).
  
  
• Housing Starts
  Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
  
  
• New and Existing Home Sales
  Updated monthly and based on a seasonally adjusted annual rate.
  
  
• New and Existing Single-Family Median Home Prices
  Updated monthly.
  
  
• Home Price Index
  The index measures average home appreciation in more than 250 metropolitan markets. Updated quarterly.
  
  

• Metro Home Building Permits
  Local and state data on housing construction rates. Updated monthly.
  
  
• Employment Trends for Metro/State Markets
  Provides metro and state employment data nationwide. Updated monthly.
  
  
• Local Economic Impact of Housing
  Shows how building 100 homes benefits a typical metropolitan area.
  
  
• Home Building’s Direct Impact on the Economy
  
  
• Housing’s Contribution to Gross State Product
  Measures how much housing contributes to the economic output of each state.
  
  
• Housing Market Statistics from HousingEconomics.com
  Full array of statistical categories available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.
  
  
• In-Depth Analysis from HousingEconomics.com
  Full array of analysis of factors affecting housing and the impact on the industry available to NAHB members, a limited number available to non-members.

Attend the Fall Construction Forecast Conference in October 

Plan to attend NAHB's Construction Forecast Conference on Oct. 24 at the National Housing Center in Washington, D.C. The conference brings together the nation's premier housing economists and finance experts for an in-depth examination of the economic outlook for the housing industry.

Register by Sept. 7 and save $50 off the regular registration fee.

For more information, visit www.nahb.org/cfc.

Want to Know the Housing Forecast for the Top 100 Metros? 

Find out in HousingEconomic.com’s 2007-2008 Metro Forecast (free preview). Get the metro forecast with in-depth analysis, overviews and downloadable Excel tables.

To learn more, visit www.HousingEconomics.com.

NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist into next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.

Builders’ Tip: A Tool to Find Circle Centers — Spot On

	Click for larger image.

When it really matters how close you are to dead center on a circle, the tool in the accompanying drawing that I fabricated can help you to get spot on.

To make it:

• Dado a couple of 1x3s to fashion a 90° half-lap joint.
  
  
• Then glue and screw the pieces together.
  
  
• Now pick one edge of the longer arm as your scribing edge, and drive two 16d nails through the short arm.
  
  
• The distance of the nails, A and B, should be equidistant from the scribing edge.

To use this center-finding tool:

• Set the nails against the circumference of your circular object and scribe a line down the long arm.
  
  
• Now, rotate the tool a quarter-turn or so, and repeat the process.
  
  
• Where the two scribed lines cross is dead center.

You can build one of these gizmos in any size that you need.

The two nails should be no less than a quarter of the diameter apart and no wider apart than three-quarters of the diameter.

I use one all the time for finding the centers of Sonotubes. Although I can’t draw a line across thin air, I can stretch a piece of string into two knife cuts on opposite sides of the tube located by the center-finder’s arm.

— T. H. Richards, Mont Tremblant, PQ, Canada

Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2005 The Taunton Press

To request a reprint of this feature, e-mail Christina Glennon 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.

Free NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar on the NAHB Web site.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.

Web Marketing Helps Ease Impact of Home Sales Slump

Relying upon what worked for them best in past market downturns, home builders have been stepping up their advertising in newspapers and print publications but may not be hitting their audience because prospective buyers have shifted decisively to the Internet, Robert Neumann, president and CEO of Customer Velocity, The Woodlands, Texas, told attendees of the Southeast Building Conference in Orlando last month.

“The traditional things aren’t working. New things do,” said Neumann, whose interactive Web site design for Smith Family Homes of Tampa, Fla. earned a Silver Award in The Nationals in 2007. “Almost everybody is doing newspaper advertising, even though they are being told it’s not doing any good for them.”

Sales in Florida have been down roughly 40%, he said, “but folks who have embraced the Internet are down about an average of 20%.”

The Internet today is the first source of leads, according to Neumann, and 84% of consumers say that the Internet is the first place they will look the next time they go to buy a home.

Unlike traditional marketing, in which a seller is looking for a buyer, the Internet is like the Yellow Pages, in which “you’re a buyer looking for a seller,” he said. After they’ve done their research on the Internet, it takes about 90 days for prospects to make up their mind on a purchase.

For a start, Neumann recommended putting listings on the leading online home sale directories: Move, New Home Source, New Home Guide and iNest. “They get so much more traffic, you should be on them,” he said, and it’s worth being on all four because “people tend to go to one directory and stick with it.”

Two of the cheapest ways to get some of the biggest companies to link to your Web site, he suggested, are Craig’s List and Angie’s List. The latter is a consumer guide on who had good experiences with a long list of services, including builders and remodelers. “You can get testimonials from people who feel good about you,” he said, and get a release from them to post their statements on the site. Most of the visitors to the site are women, and they are networkers.

On Craig’s List, builders can put a listing under “Real Estate for Sale.” “Put a direct link from that ad to your Web site,” he said. “You can do multiple links inside of an ad.”

When available, listings on home builders association sites can also help boost traffic on a builder’s Web site.

For those who haven’t used the Internet to sell homes, the Google search engine is the best place to start because it has the easiest tools to use and accounts for the preponderance of searches. Builders can use Google AdWords to buy a sponsored advertising link that appears to the top right of the search results. The advertiser is charged on a per click basis and has flexibility in setting a budget.

“You would be surprised how many people click these ads,” he said. MSN and Yahoo! (formerly Overture) are two other search engines available to advertisers.

Getting Search Engine Results

To optimize the results on the search engine, builders should focus on at least four keywords for their ads, he advised, starting with a specific location, which is the number-one term on searches from prospects. Don’t list “Orlando” as the location, because it is “a large metro area where you can get lost,” when you can list “Winter Park,” a more specific location in the general Orlando area.

“Gated community,” “golf,” “lakeside” and “home builder” are examples of terms that may be relevant. Builders can receive an instant analysis of how successful their keywords will be, and can search for terms in AdWords, which are priced according to their effectiveness. “You need to create a long list of keywords, and variations will cost less and you will get more qualified traffic,” said Neumann.

The name of the game in search results and advertising on the search engines is to come up toward the top of the results listed, he said, but unless a builder is advertising heavily, showing up on the second page of the listings isn’t bad. When designing paid ads for his clients, Neumann said he doesn’t waste their money aiming for first place on the list; “our strategy is to be No. 3 to No. 5.”

Builders should use whatever tool their Web hosting company has to monitor how many hits they are receiving and how many people are coming to the site and viewing each page. Most of these tools are free, and the cost of installing good tracking software runs under $1,000.

Converting Clicks Into Buyers

Once builders succeed in bringing traffic to their sites, their job is to keep them there and to convert clicks into buyers. Builders who complain that they aren’t getting enough qualified leads may need to find a professional to review their site. Before hiring a company for this job, ask to see other sites they have designed and to speak to some of their customers. Also, “ask them how active they are in the industry. Do they understand what you are talking about when you say ‘spec home.’” Builder Web sites, in particular, are extremely detailed and technical, and most ad agencies do not have in-house expertise on the Web.

On average, 1% of Internet visits will convert to a lead, and these leads are at least twice as likely to become a buyer as leads from traditional ads. With good lead management and follow-up, the conversation rate of Internet leads to closings can be as high as 20%, compared to 4% to 5% of people who walk into the sales office, he said.

Information on lead management is available from doyouconvert.com and “Browsers to Buyers” by Mike Lyon.

Among tips for success on a Web site:

• Keep the design simple, with features that are easy to navigate and that provide the information that the visitors are looking for. Floor plans, photos, short movies and virtual tours will help prospects imagine living in the home. Also, provide features that will get them to return to the site. Do not require an e-mail upfront, but ask for one before they leave the site.
  
  
• Allow customers to make referrals off the Web site, to send floor plans to their friends and relatives. Give them a tool that will enable them to share with others views of the progress of the construction of the home and what it will look like when it’s finished.
  
  
• Ask for the sale. Ask for lots of information, but don’t require it. Personal communication will increase the return rate.

Enter The Nationals Sales and Marketing Awards by Sept. 28

Enter your best in new home sales and marketing and design for 2008's The Nationals — the National Sales and Marketing awards, the largest and most prestigious competition for new-home sales and marketing professionals and communities.

Sponsored by NAHB’s National Sales and Marketing Council, The Nationals honor the best in architectural achievement, product and community design, advertising and promotion, interior merchandising, Web site design and more.

The awards are open to individual sales and marketing professionals, home builders, associates and sales and marketing councils.

All entries, including fees and exhibits, are due Friday, Sept. 28.

The Nationals recognizes innovation and excellence in 57 categories. During a three-day judging process, a panel of industry professionals from across the country selects Silver and Gold award winners from a field that typically includes more than 1,200 entries. Last year, more than 1,400 entries were submitted.

To Apply

• For a list of The Nationals awards categories, click here.
• For entry forms, click here.

Awards Gala at IBS on Feb. 13

Category winners will be honored during a gala event at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 13 during the International Builders' Show.

For more information, visit www.TheNationals.com, e-mail Lisa Parrish, or call her at 800-658-2751. 

When Scheduling Jobs, Don’t Overlook Your ‘Soft Schedule’

By Mary Alice Hewitt

When builders discuss scheduling, they typically only think about their hard schedule — the actual construction time and process.

While the hard schedule is very important, there is another type of schedule — the soft schedule — which is just as important but often overlooked.

The soft schedule is the time builders spend with the client, and it must be considered and factored into the production process before the hard schedule is developed.

The tasks a builder must complete with the client, and which are part of the soft schedule, include:

• Obtaining plans, permits and color selections from the client
• Ensuring that proper interactions are carried out between the client and the agent to sell a home
• Conducting client orientations prior to delivery of the home

All of these items ought to be properly scheduled so that construction can proceed in a timely and orderly flow.

Joe Pullen, a production scheduling, estimating and procurement practices expert with Littleton, Colo.-based Shinn Consulting, says many builders do not realize the effect that the soft schedule has on the hard schedule.

But when the soft schedule is permitted “to just happen” without the necessary planning, he says, more starts than work crews can handle may be released simultaneously. When field personnel cannot keep up, cycle time, customer satisfaction and business suffer.

A workable scheduling system is a “live system,” Pullen says. It needs to be adjustable as lead times change and new products come online — but not so haphazard that it can change on the fly after a builder has provided his customer with a move-in date.

Common Scheduling Snafus

Pullen says builders’ schedules typically deteriorate because of a few common mistakes:

• Insufficient pre-planning
• Insufficient communication with employees, vendors, trade contractors, Realtors® and clients
• Lack of commitment to a project
• Lack of follow-through

Avoid Scheduling Snafus With Better Communication

The solution for almost all scheduling obstacles is a relatively simple one — communication.

Employees, trades and vendors alike must know the implementation plan and understand the benefits of schedules for their own work and the goals of the company as a whole.

Whether you are new to the building industry or a seasoned veteran, schedules can help improve your operations and streamline your processes.

Effective scheduling requires planning up front, but the time you take to fine-tune your scheduling will help boost your bottom-line efficiency and earnings.

The Benefits of Schedules Failure to Plan = Planning to Fail A schedule provides builders, vendors and trade contractors with timelines for starting and completing tasks. This not only helps them keep within deadlines, it helps them balance their workload. When trade contractors can anticipate and plan for jobs, they can stay profitable and in business working for your company. On the other hand, not having jobs ready on schedule can damage your reputation with trade contractors. Small delays in one process can lead to large increases in cycle time and erode profits. Schedules allow you to identify potential bottlenecks in your processes ahead of time so you can adjust your staffing, starts and cycles. Quality Control = Customer Satisfaction When inspections and checklists are included as part of a schedule, builders can be assured that the work done on their job sites meets their quality standards at each step of the construction process — before workers move on to the next step. A quality control schedule also conveys to customers that your business operates in a professional manner, gives customers a clear picture of the construction process from beginning to end and assures them that they have a project completion date they can count on — boosting your customer satisfaction ratings. Don’t forget, those customers not only include new home owners, they include Realtors® who will be more confident in your ability to deliver a quality product on time.

This article is based on a presentation by Joe Pullen titled “Scheduling — When Does It Really Begin?” For more information, call Pullen, of Shinn Consulting of Littleton, Colo., at 303-972-7666, or visit www.shinnconsulting.com.

Mary Alice Hewitt is a graduate of Franklin & Marshall College with a bachelor’s degree in business administration.

NAHB Has More Than 300 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 300 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.

Offer Residents an Alternative to Security Deposits

Several years ago, when the apartment market suffered a downturn as home sales soared, multifamily owners and fee management companies learned a hard lesson about rental concessions.

They had freely offered rental concessions, such as low or no security deposits to aggressively market a unit — only to find themselves poorly protected against losses due to damages or lost rent. This trend wreaked havoc with their companies’ net operating income.

Meanwhile during the last three years, the marketing pressures to attract residents and fill units remained, even in the most robust of apartment markets around the country.

But the current state of the apartment market may also be due for a shift. According to the Marcus & Millichap 2007 National Apartment Report (available in PDF format), the pace of rent growth may lose a bit of steam this year as the economy slows and the softening condo market increases rental competition.

Baby Boomers, Active Adults Have Financial Pressures, Too

Baby boomers and active retired adults, too, have their own financial pressures. Retaining their hard-earned money is a priority for these segments of the population.

Many are at the point in their lives when they are facing steep college tuition bills for their children. Many others are learning to live on either smaller or fixed incomes as they cut back on work or retire entirely. For still other pre- and current retirees, the instability of their company-sponsored pension plans creates added financial worry.

Lastly, residents in this age group tend to rent apartments for the longer term — as opposed to one- to two-year leases by Gen Y’ers. As a result, hefty security deposits that equal upwards of one month’s rent or more remain tied up in escrow accounts and unavailable to potential renters — or their apartment owners or management companies.

The Associated Management Company has been offering a security deposit alternative since 2006 at eight communities that are geared toward active retirees in Michigan — where rental rates can be as high as $1,599 for a two-bedroom unit.

“Initially we were skeptical of the need for a security deposit alternative because we believed money is not a big concern to our residents,” said Clio Addington Hanks, senior vice president at Associated Management Company. “Regardless, we decided to offer our senior residents the option at lease signing between the security deposit alternative and paying the traditional security deposit.”

“We found that seniors keep their money in CDs, trusts and other non-liquid vehicles, making it difficult sometimes to come up with the total amount of the traditional security deposit and first month’s rent and still have cash left over for moving expenses,” Hanks said. “As it turned out, reducing their costs upfront with the security deposit alternative was very appealing to these potential renters and has been met with overwhelming success.

“They love the option and are signing up right and left,” Hanks added. “We are so pleased with the program, we are marketing it aggressively in our collateral materials and banners in our leasing offices. It’s part of our closing process now and has resulted in increased sales.”

Roseville, Calif.-based USA Multifamily Management, Inc., a premiere property management firm of senior communities, manages 32 adult living communities that currently offer their senior residents a choice at lease signing between the traditional security deposit and a security deposit alternative.

According to Karen McCurdy, USA Multifamily president, “We started offering our residents the security deposit alternative in 1999 as part of our lease-up initiatives. In response to the program, nearly 95% of our senior residents across all 32 communities opted for the alternative over paying the traditional security deposit, which was equivalent to one month’s rent in most locations.

“Not only do our senior residents appreciate the ability to move in without tying up significant funds for the long term, the program has also has given us a real competitive advantage in a highly competitive marketplace,“ she said.

“Offering the alternative to our prospective residents distinguishes us from other senior communities,” explained McCurdy. “In fact, we envision our use of security deposit alternatives as a long-range initiative by leveraging the program to enhance resident retention, especially in high-rent markets to offset the pain of those rental rates.”

Stuart Litwin is the CEO and a co-founder of SureDeposit, based in Livingston, N.J. SureDeposit is an alternative risk management tool that replaces security deposits with a financial guarantee surety bond. For more information, call Litwin at 800-531-7873, or visit www.suredeposit.com.

Find out more about security deposit alternatives in an expanded version of this article on the 50+ Housing Channel. Readers must be logged in as a 50+ Housing Council member or channel subscriber to access this content.

This article first appeared in the July 27 issue of 50+ Housing e/Source from the NAHB 50+ Housing Council.

Law Safeguards Tenants Who Are Domestic Abuse Victims

By Henry Dubro, Advanced RAM

The Violence Against Women Act of 2005 (VAWA) provides several safeguards for tenants who are victims of domestic violence, the overwhelming majority of whom are women. 

The act addresses actions of landlords and property management companies that can be considered a breach of the rights of survivors of domestic violence. The act applies only to tenants who live in public and government-assisted housing. 

VAWA, in combination with the Fair Housing Act, has added specific requirements for landlords and property managers. Under the Fair Housing Act, it is unlawful to "refuse to sell or rent after the making of a bona fide offer, or to refuse to negotiate for the sale or rental of, or otherwise make unavailable or deny, a dwelling to any person because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status or national origin." 

However, only a few states have provisions that specifically protect tenants of conventional housing who are victims of domestic violence from eviction or other forms of housing discrimination.

The states that prohibit discrimination against domestic violence victims are North Carolina, Rhode Island and Washington State.

Colorado, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania protect survivors of domestic violence from eviction, and New Mexico courts will not grant an eviction order if the cause for the eviction arises from a domestic violence incident and the tenant has filed for a temporary restraining order.

Legislation that would prohibit housing discrimination against survivors of domestic violence is under consideration in many states that do not currently have safeguards in place.

Specific protections given to tenants of public and government-assisted housing under the 2005 VAWA include the following:

• Incidents of domestic violence are not considered serious or repeated violations of the lease and do not constitute good cause for terminating the tenancy.
  
  
• The act prohibits the termination of a tenancy based on criminal activity by a household member, guest or other person under the tenant's control if the criminal activity involves domestic violence against the tenant.
  
  
• An individual’s status as a victim is not a reason for denial of tenancy or program assistance, eviction or termination.
  
  
• Victims may not lose their subsidy if their abusers committed a criminal activity related to the abuse, such as an abuser assaulting the victim in her home.
  
  
• Victims must certify their status as a victim of domestic abuse by presenting appropriate documentation to the housing authority or Housing Choice Voucher landlord.
  
  
• Landlords and housing authorities now may split a lease to maintain a victim’s tenancy while evicting the perpetrator.

For more information on the VAWA 2005 and the Fair Housing Act, visit the Web sites:

• United States Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women
  
  
• United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Fair Housing Laws

Henry Dubro, Advance RAM, is the current NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry RAM of the Year Award recipient and vice chairman of the RAM Board of Governors.

Register for Custom Builder Symposium in Naples, Fla.

Register for the 2007 Custom Builder Symposium, NAHB's premier educational and networking event for custom builders. The symposium will be held Oct. 26-28 at the Naples Grande Resort & Club in Naples, Fla.

Discover Hidden Treasures

This year's program, "Discover Hidden Treasures," is filled with hidden treasures and opportunities that will enable participants to improve their businesses.

Tours, Golf, Education and More

The symposium will include:

• A tour of high-end homes — both completed and under construction
• 15 expert education sessions
• A keynote speaker
• A formal dinner honoring the NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year
• Structured and informal networking opportunities
• Pre-symposium golf tournament at the Naples Grande Golf Club, designed by Ress Jones

To Register

Online registration is now open. For more information and to register, go to www.nahb.org/custom.

	The 2007 Custom Home Builder Symposium will be at the Naples Grande Resort & Club in Naples, Fla. on Oct. 26 to 28.

Plan to Attend SHOWCASE 2007 in Hilton Head, S.C.

Plan to attend SHOWCASE 2007, the premier systems-built industry education and networking event, at the Marriott Hilton Head Golf and Resort in South Carolina on Oct. 28-31.

SHOWCASE 2007, by NAHB’s Building Systems Councils, features educational sessions, trade show exhibits, award ceremonies and networking opportunities tailored to manufacturers, builders, dealers, suppliers and associates in the concrete, log, modular and panelized home building industries.

SHOWCASE 2007 attendees will have the opportunity to see cutting-edge technology and the most advanced supplies and products and to learn about the latest trends from experts in green building, marketing, human resources and from the NAHB Research Center.

In addition, Bill Webb, the author of “Sweet Success in New Home Sales,” available through BuilderBooks.com, will lead an education session about how to boost your sales in a changing market.

“Early Bird” registration ends Sept. 7.

For more information and to register, visit www.nahb.org/showcase.

	SHOWCASE 2007 will be held Oct. 28-31 at the Mariott Hilton Head Golf and Resort in South Carolina.

New Modular FAQ Brochure Available to Builders, Consumers

	A color brochure answering the 10 most frequently asked questions about modular housing is available from NAHB's Modular Buidling Systems Council.

A new brochure answering the 10 most frequently asked questions about modular homes, and giving builders and consumers a concise review of the benefits of modular construction, is available through NAHB’s Modular Building Systems Council.

In addition to answering important questions about modular housing, the full-color brochure includes:

• Steps to completing a modular home project
• Customization
• Financing
• How to purchase a modular home

With natural disaster relief innovations on the rise, modular housing also is playing an increasingly vital role because of its strength and adaptability to rebuilding efforts. Information about modular housing’s role is also included in the brochure.  

“The Most Frequently Asked Questions & Answers About Modular Homes” is available for purchase by calling the Building Systems Councils at 800-368-5242 x8676.

For more information on modular homes, or to download the PDF of the brochure, visit www.nahb.org/modular.

Education Calendar

Sept. 5-9	Fall Board of Directors Meeting	Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 5	Train the Trainer	Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 5	Essential Closing Strategies	Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 5	Housing Credit Group Issues Forum	Seattle, Wash.
Sept. 27-29	Sunbelt Builders Show	Grapevine, Texas
Oct. 1-2	NAHB Education Insider Conference	Washington, D.C.
Oct. 6	Onsite Project Management	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 7-12	Remodeling Show 2007	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 7	Working With and Marketing to Older Adults	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 7	Construction Contracts and Law	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 8	Home Modification	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 8	Design/Build	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 9	Business Management	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 9	PREP	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 9	Sales and Marketing for Remodelers	Las Vegas, Nev.
Oct. 12-14	National Conference on Membership	Charlotte, N.C.
Oct. 24	Construction Forecast Conference — Fall 2007	Washington, D.C.
Oct. 24	Working With and Marketing To Older Adults	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 24	Introduction to Project Management	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 25	Trends and Research Methods to Define the Active Adult Lifestyle	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 25	Estimating for Builders and Remodelers	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 26-28	2007 Custom Builders Symposium	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 28	BAR	Naples, Fla.
Oct. 28-31	Building Systems Councils SHOWCASE 2007	Hilton Head, S.C.
Nov. 8-10	State and Local Government Affairs Conference	Austin, Texas
Dec. 11	Northwest Builders Show	Bellevue, Wash.
2008
Feb. 13-16	International Builders' Show	Orlando, Fla.
April 6-9	Log Home Council President's Tour	Appleton, Wis.
May 11-13	National Green Building Conference	New Orleans, La.
May 19-21	Building for Boomers & Beyond: 50+ Housing Symposium	New Orleans, La.

Learn More About The NAHB University of Housing

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.

NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist into next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar on the NAHB Web site.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.

Attend AIA’s Full Spectrum Practice Symposium

Registration is now open for Full Spectrum Practice, a one-day symposium focusing on the essential techniques of business planning and marketing for custom residential design firms.

The symposium is hosted by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) Custom Residential Architects Network and will be held Oct. 10 in Chicago.

Symposium presenters will focus on business growth opportunities in sustainable design and digital home technology.

For more information, click here.

To register online, click here.

New Installation Instructions Announced for Steel Tubing

The manufacturers of corrugated stainless steel tubing (CSST) have issued updated instructions, including an installation requirement that the CSST system be bonded directly to the building grounding electrode system.

CSST is widely used in residential and commercial buildings to carry natural and LP gas within the building structure. Concerns about a possibility that a close proximity lightning strike may cause electrical arching, which in turn might puncture the tubing wall, release the flammable gas and result in a fire, have led to the new installation instructions.

To learn more about the development of CSST gas piping for the residential market and the technical requirements for installation of CSST from its inception to current practice, click here to obtain a copy of a new report prepared by the NAHB Research Center, “Corrugated Stainless Steel Tubing for Fuel Gas Distribution in Buildings and Concerns Over Lightning Strikes.”

Currently, the fuel gas code (NFGC), the electrical code (NEC), the plumbing code (UPC), the ANSI LC-1 product standard for CSST systems and the previously issued manufacturers’ instructions all provide methods for dissipating electrical energy through techniques called bonding and grounding.

The new manufacturers’ instructions for CSST specify that an additional bonding connection must be added between the CSST piping and the grounding electrode system at the point where the gas piping enters the building. The bonding conductor connection must be made with a minimum 6 AWG copper wire. This supplemental electrical bonding is to provide additional protection to the CSST system if it is energized by an indirect lightning strike.

All six CSST manufacturers have issued technical bulletins or other documents to describe the new bonding requirements. It should be noted that the bonding requirements of these manufacturers are not absolutely identical, but in the opinion of the NAHB Research Center, the dissimilarities appear to be inconsequential.

BE ADVISED: the new CSST manufacturers’ instructions are more stringent than current codes. Users of CSST should follow the manufactures’ instructions, but also should coordinate with local code officials to avoid inspection delays that might result from potentially conflicting requirements.

A proposal to modify the bonding requirements for CSST in the 2009 NFGC is currently under review. If the NFGC proposal is accepted and published, the 2011 edition of the National Electrical Code will contain the same provision.

For more information on the new CSST manufactures’ instructions, e-mail Larry Brown at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8565, or contact Joe Wiehagen, 800-638-8556.

Deadline Nears for New Code Amendment Proposals

The deadline for submitting code amendment proposals for the next editions of the International Code Council family of building codes is Aug. 20.

The International Residential Code, the International Building Code and the International Energy Conservation Code are three of the “I-Code” family of documents that govern home building practices in more than 90% of jurisdictions in the United States.

Anyone — builders, manufacturers, local code officials or other interest groups — can submit proposals to the ICC for any of its codes. NAHB typically submits to the ICC a number of proposals on behalf of the residential building industry on the most critical issues at hand, such as those dealing with hurricane-resistant construction and energy conservation.

The code amendment proposal deadline marks the end of the first stage of ICC’s 18-month code development cycle. After the Aug. 20 deadline, NAHB will begin preparations for public hearings next February, when each submitted proposal will be considered and initially approved or rejected by ICC’s code development committees.

NAHB builder members who would like to suggest the consideration of code changes for NAHB sponsorship should e-mail Steve Orlowski at NAHB by Aug. 13, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8303.

Award Honors Outstanding Builder Safety Programs

The application period for the 2007 Safety Award For Excellence (SAFE), which provides recognition for home builders who develop outstanding work-site safety programs, will open on Monday, Aug. 20.

For information, requirements and an online application, click here (nahb.org/SAFE).

The award honors the achievements of builders and trade contractors who have developed and implemented high-quality construction safety programs, as well as those government officials and NAHB-affiliated associations who have made successful efforts to advance safety in the home building industry.

In last year’s inaugural awards program, 19 winners in 16 categories were cited for their safety achievements.

“NAHB is a national leader in residential construction safety, and this award program both honors exemplary safety behaviors practiced by home builders and encourages others to adopt similar programs in their work sites,” said NAHB President Brian Catalde.

NAHB member companies in good standing that build residential homes or town homes using light construction methods can apply for a SAFE award. Specialty trade contractors, remodelers and light commercial and multifamily builders, as well as NAHB-affiliated associations and federal or state Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials who have been nominated by an NAHB member or association, are also welcome to apply.

Awards will be made in a variety of categories; for a detailed listing, click here. Applications must be received no later than Oct. 5.

“Last years’ winners were a testament to how seriously NAHB members take the safety of their employees, from developing unique safety programs to creating educational materials to conducting weekly training,” said Andy Anderson, NAHB Construction Safety and Health Committee chairman and a builder from Pinopolis, S.C. “We know there are many more examples of safety best practices in the industry and look forward to recognizing them in the 2007 awards.”

Award winners will be recognized during a breakfast ceremony at the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando in February. Winners will receive an award and coverage in this publication.

For more information, click here; or e-mail Lindsay Cather at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8163.

Home Builders’ Safety Program’ Available at BuilderBooks.com

“Home Builders’ Safety Program,” available through BuilderBooks.com, is a practical guide that shows builders how to develop and implement an effective safety program.

An included companion CD presents a model safety program listing safe work practices for the most common residential construction operations. The CD features sample forms and checklists that can be easily customized to meet builders’ specific needs.

To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.

Boost Job Site Safety With Fall Protection Training Products

According to NAHB’s Construction, Safety & Health Committee, more than a third of all fatal accidents in the construction industry are a result of falls.

In an effort to increase job site safety and reduce the chance of job related accidents, NAHB has produced the “Fall Protection Video, English-Spanish” and “NAHB-OSHA Fall Protection Handbook, English-Spanish.” 

Both are available through BuilderBooks.com and provide easy-to-follow instructions on how to prevent construction-related falls.

The 30-minute “Fall Protection Video, English-Spanish” can be used by builders to train workers to use safe work practices that eliminate fall hazards and comply with OSHA fall-protection standards in either English or Spanish.

The “NAHB-OSHA Fall Protection Handbook, English-Spanish” provides guidelines for creating a written fall-protection plan and identifying safe work practices that can prevent costly accidents and injuries. Written with clear text, photographs and illustrations, the book serves as a user-friendly resource for promoting safety on any job site. 

Both are essential tools for learning how to:

• Select and use the right ladder
• Protect from injuries surrounding stairways, leading edges, window and wall openings and floor holes
• Use a personal fall arrest system (PFAS)
• Safely build and erect exterior and balloon-framed walls
• Securely construct rafters and install roof trusses and sheathing
• Provide fall protection for application of roofing materials
• Guard against implement hazards
• Provide protection from falling objects
• Use safe job site practices to protect workers operating at heights
• Train workers to identify fall protection hazards 

To purchase the handbook and video online, visit BuilderBooks.com, or call 800-223-2665.

Advanced Superintendent Training Now Offered

Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce development arm of NAHB, continues to develop its popular Residential Construction Superintendent (RCS) designation by focusing on the growing role of the superintendent in assuring customer satisfaction, adding three new courses to its advanced training program.

The ARCS series was created in response to rising demand among veteran site superintendents for more in-depth training related to issues that they experience on a daily basis.

HBI administers the original RCS and its Advanced Residential Construction Superintendent series in concert with local home builders associations, and both curricula place great emphasis on superintendent-customer interactions.

“Relationships between the field manager and home owner have become increasingly important and Centex makes it a priority to ensure these relationships are strong,” said Steve Svopa, vice president of operations at Centex Homes, Southeast Florida Division, which piloted the freshly minted courses in partnership with HBI prior to its rollout nationwide “The Advanced RCS training prepares employees and helps sets us apart from everyone else,” he said.

To earn the ARCS designation, superintendents must complete a total of eight courses from three tracks: Professional Growth, Building Leaders and Technical Proficiency.

The three new courses — “Winning the Time Game,” “Taking Charge of Performance” and “Taking the Guesswork Out of the Schedule” — join the six-course curriculum that debuted in late 2006, allowing superintendents to pursue the ARCS designation for the first time.

“ARCS training encourages our supervisors to go beyond just building a home,” added Svopa. “It empowers them to include the home owner in every step of the construction process. This active partnership creates a field manager who is able to demonstrate unrivaled credibility and, ultimately, a happy and loyal customer.”

The final three courses are slated to be complete by December in time for the official launch of the entire nine-course Advanced RCS designation by year’s end.

For more information on HBI’s ARCS or RCS Designations, e-mail Kevin Thorn at HBI or call him at 800-795-7955 x8928.

‘Instructor of the Year’ From Roswell, N.M. Job Corps

Michael Kissell, an electrical instructor at the Roswell Job Corps Center in Roswell, N.M., was named Instructor of the Year at the Home Builders Institute's (HBI) annual Instructor Conference in Memphis, Tenn.

HBI’s top instructor is selected from among the six winners of the Manager’s Choice Award, whose efforts in the classroom, leadership and integrity have made a discernible difference for their Job Corps students.

In his 10 years at HBI, Kissell has repeatedly ranked among the organization’s best educators, receiving HBI’s distinguished Extra Mile Award in 2002, the Placement Excellence Award in 2003 and 2006, and Manager’s Choice Award in 2005 and now 2007.

Over the course of the 2006-2007 school year, Kissell brought innovation and enthusiasm to the classroom, while preparing his students for success in the next phase of their lives.

HBI has named an Instructor of the Year for the past seven years, but Kissell is the first to also receive a $5,000 cash award.

“Receiving this award was a great honor,” said Kissell. “I am extremely proud to be considered in the same category as some of the other terrific HBI instructors who’ve won Instructor of the Year.”

For more information, e-mail Maria McIntire at HBI, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8912.

Product Searches Now Easier on Georgia-Pacific Web Site

As part of its strategy to better serve the needs of architects, builders, contractors and consumers, Georgia-Pacific Building Products LLC recently redesigned its Web site (gp.com/build) to make it easier for visitors to find the information they are seeking.

As part of its redesign process, the manufacturer conducted research reinforcing findings that Web site visitors seek clear product terminology, a text-centered home page tailored with information to meet their specific needs, efficient search mechanisms and easily accessible information, such as dealer locations.

“Our audiences — primarily builders, architects, ‘do-it-yourselfers’ and home owners — need a streamlined, direct user experience,” said Brent Paugh, vice president of sales and marketing for Georgia-Pacific Gypsum LLC. “We redesigned the Web site to focus on better serving the commercial and residential building community and do-it-yourselfers with a user-friendly, clear and action-oriented online solution.”

These specific improvements were implemented for the site:

• A new search applications to help users more easily find specific information on the site
  
  
• Streamlined navigation to ensure that the site provides easy access to information targeted to specific audiences such as contractors or architects

The site has been redesigned to decrease the number of one-page only visits and reduce the number of people who leave the site at the home page, according to Leslie Schworm, the company’s manager for Internet marketing communications.

“By focusing on user goals, we believe the site will enhance customer relationships and lead to a more productive online experience,” she said. “Architects, construction professionals and consumers alike rely on our site for comprehensive product information.”

Schworm added that nearly every visit to the new site results in a PDF download for further information.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific Corporation is a member of the National Council of the Housing Industry — The Supplier 100 of NAHB.

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 DIY, Fine Living and HGTV

The NAHB Production Group produces weekly television shows on HGTV and DIY for consumers. The following is the latest lineup:

"Rock Solid" on DIY

Episode: "Outdoor Shower"

• Aug. 9, 9:30 p.m. ET/PT • Aug. 10, 1:30 a.m. ET/PT • Aug. 10,  9:30 a.m. ET/PT • Aug. 12, 11:30 a.m. ET/PT

The stone guys, Dean and Derek, travel to Cape Cod, Mass. to create a distinctive outdoor shower with the help of guest expert Joe DiMare. Outdoor showers are an increasingly popular way to add style to the home and backyard. This one is created with easy-to-install river-rock tiles and glass blocks.

"Assembly Required" on DIY

Episode: "Cargotecture"

• Aug. 13, 10:30 p.m. ET/PT • Aug. 14, 2:30 a.m. ET/PT • Aug. 14, 10:30 a.m. ET/PT

Joel Egan and Robert Humble aren't your average architects, and they have a wild idea for their latest project. They want to turn two 40-foot shipping containers into a modern, eco-friendly home. The crew constructs the home out of two metal boxes, then tries to maneuver 80-feet of prefabricated steel down a muddy goat trail in the rainy state of Washington.

"I Want That" on Fine Living

Episode: "Jeweled Glass Sink, Photo Tile Murals, Disposable Camcorder"

• Aug. 9, 8:30 a.m. ET/PT • Aug. 9, 6:30 a.m. ET/PT

Dress up your bathroom with a 29-carat diamond-encrusted sink. New tiles can be imprinted with your photos or artwork for custom murals. A one-time-use camcorder holds up to 20 minutes of video. Luxurious tiles feature real mother-of-pearl coatings. Plus, listen to your favorite tunes while doing the backstroke with a waterproof MP3 player.

Specials on HGTV

"2007 International Builders' Show"

• Aug. 19, 5:00 p.m. ET/PT • Aug. 21, 11:00 a.m. ET/PT

HGTV is on location with NAHB at the 2007 International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. to give viewers an inside look at the latest innovations in building materials, techniques and styles.

"International Consumer Electronics Show 2007"

• Aug. 9, 11:00 a.m. ET/PT

Get plugged in for a behind-the-scenes look at the newest, hottest electronic gadgets unveiled at this year's International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Our hosts take you right onto the convention center floor to test drive new MP3 players, check out home entertainment systems, play musical lamps and look at enormous LCD TVs.

"Outdoor Living Expo 2007"

• Aug. 24, 11:00 a.m. ET/PT

See the latest essentials in pool, spa and backyard living as HGTV scours the annual trade show and looks through the offerings of 800 companies to bring you the neatest new ways to splash, relax, steam and grill. The show tour features something for everyone who wants to maximize their outdoor lifestyle.

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.

About the NAHB Production Group

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.

NAHB Kit Gives Builders Back-to-Basics Tips in Cooling Market

With the current cooling of the nation’s housing market expected to persist into next year, NAHB has developed a comprehensive online toolkit geared to providing association members with information that will help them prosper in today’s changing business environment.

To access the “Back to Basics” toolkit, you must be an NAHB member and have a login to www.nahb.org. To create a login, go to www.nahb.org/login or click on the log-in button on the main menu bar of the NAHB Web site.

For assistance, call the NAHB Member Service Center at 800-368-5242.

Herman J. Smith Scholarship Award Winners Announced

	Patsy Smith

The National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, recently announced the eight winners of the 2007 to 2008 Herman J. Smith/National Housing Endowment Scholarship. 

The Herman J. Smith Scholarship Fund, honoring 1981 NAHB President Herman J. Smith, provides assistance to graduate and undergraduate students studying construction management, mortgage finance and related fields.

This year, 10 students were awarded $2,000 scholarships each:

• Reginald Asare, a junior at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore studying construction management technology
  
  
• Joseph Bindas, a junior at Ohio State University studying construction systems management and architecture
  
  
• Ryan Klinicki, a junior at the Pennsylvania State University studying architectural engineering
  
  
• Jacob Montgomery, a junior at the Texas Christian University studying business
  
  
• Austin Nichols, a sophomore at Texas Tech University studying landscape architecure
  
  
• Nilesh Panchal, a graduate student at Texas A & M University majoring in construction management
  
  
• Martin Taylor, a sophomore at Boise State University studying construction management
  
  
• James Thiesen, a sophomore at Minnesota State University Moorhead studying architectural construction technology
  
  
• Kevin Whitaker, a junior at Central Michigan University studying construction management
  
  
• Paul Yatch, a sophomore at Central Michigan University studying construction management

“The Herman J. Smith/National Housing Endowment Scholarship Fund has truly given the local Fort Worth, Texas scholarship committee an opportunity to review biographies, academics and future plans of students in housing-related careers,"  said Patsy Smith, who established the scholarship in her husband’s memory. “We are happy to serve in