NBN Online for the week of June 30, 2008

(Plain Text Version) for full graphical version, click here.

In This Issue:

Front Page
California’s Housing Market Finds Itself in Dire Straits
Nation's Building News Will Not Be Published July 7
Sen. Ensign Stalls Consideration of Housing Bill
Coast to Coast
Resets Peaking on Subprime Loans
Politics & Government
Carried Interest Provision in AMT Bill Would Harm Housing
States, Cities Offering Mortgage Counseling and Refinancing
Economics & Finance
New-Home Sales Decline In May
FHA Implements Risk-Based Mortgage Insurance Premiums
FHA Proposes to Halt Seller-Funded Downpayments
Eye on the Economy: Housing Policy Support Should Arrive Soon
Labor Department Collecting Building Industry Employment Data
Useful Links to Monitor Economic and Housing Trends
Tips
Builders’ Tip: Fabricating an Inexpensive Dust Collector
Business Management
Solidify Warranty Expectations With a Knowledgeable Staff
Women
Draw on Business Basics When the Sky is Falling
Remodelers
More Home Owners Seeking Energy-Efficiency Upgrades
Earn Designation Credits at the Remodeling Show
New Graduate-Level Designation Expands CGR Knowlege Base
Design
Smaller Homes Could Be Making a Comeback
Enter the BALA Design Competition by July 31
Sales
Training and Evaluating Sales Teams Bring Sales Success
Enter The Nationals Sales and Marketing Awards by Sept. 26
Education
Education Calendar
Green Building
Consumers Want Green Benefits, Confused by Details
‘WaterSmart’ Conference Set for Las Vegas
Environment
NAHB Takes Issue With New Construction General Permit
Safety
OSHA Has Free, Teen Summer Job Safety Materials
Legal
Ask the Lawyer: Passing on Fuel Surcharges
Labor
Lowe’s Introduces Hispanic Interns to Housing Careers
Building Products
Weyerhaeuser Announces Structural Framing Giveaway
TV
NAHB-Produced Programs on DIY, Fine Living and HGTV
Endowment
Connecticut Team Builds Home for Injured Iraqi War Veteran
Stuard Scholarship Fund Announces 17 Winners
Association News
Macon Builder Robert Cleveland Dead at 71
Save $25 on Hertz ‘Green,’ ‘Fun’ or ‘Prestige’ Weekly Rentals
Save 10% With Office Depot Large-Format Printing Services
Willams Scotsman Offers $1.99 First-Month Storage Container
Sign Up for ‘Spokesperson Training’ Sessions at Fall Board
GM $500 Private Offer: Easy as 1-2-3
Calendar of Events
NAHB Career Center

Builders’ Tip: Fabricating an Inexpensive Dust Collector

 

 

 

Click for larger image.

I came up with an inexpensive dust filter that works for my shop as well as for the interior remodeling that I do.

I bought a 20-inch box fan for $13, a piece of 1-1⁄4-inch vinyl-siding J-channel for $2 and a 20-inch by 20-inch furnace filter for 50 cents.

As shown in the accompanying drawing, I attached the J-channel in a U-configuration on the intake side of the fan and slid in the filter.

It works great and the total cost was only $15.50.

I usually buy the better particle filters for $2 or $3 and use my compressor to clean them out periodically.

— Phil Giordano, Sterling, Va.

Tips & Techniques provided by Fine Homebuilding.
©2008 The Taunton Press

To contact Fine Homebuilding, e-mail Christina Glennon.



Set Yourself Apart With CGB Designation

Join the ranks of the nation’s top building industry professionals with the Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. The “Builder Assessment Review” (BAR) is your first step towards obtaining the CGB.

This comprehensive assessment measures your expertise in the four key areas of the building industry: building technology, business and finance, project management and sales and marketing.

Your results will show the areas where your knowledge is strongest and weakest and will help determine the courses required for you to obtain your CGB.

To learn where the next BAR will be held, visit NAHB’s education listings, or call the Professional Designation Help Line at 800-368-5242 x8154.



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 to Navigate the Slowdown

What was once expected to be a relatively mild housing slump following three years of record new home construction and sales has given way to a significant downturn.

To help members navigate the uncharted waters of this slowdown, NAHB has compiled a comprehensive “Back to Basics” online toolkit — the best of the basics, the tried and true and the truly new. To access the toolkit, click here.

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.


 

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