The worst of the housing downturn is largely over for the hard-hit West Coast, according to speakers at PCBC in San Francisco last week, but the next year or so will be relatively slow going for builders there, who were advised to get prepared for a marketplace that has been dramatically transformed by the worst U.S. slump since the Great Depression.

The dark mood that has clouded the region is dissipating, according to economist Elliott Pollack, chief executive officer of Elliott D. Pollack and Company in Scottsdale, Ariz., an economic and real estate consulting firm. And even though it will take a few years for California and some big metro areas in the West to return to prime health, “if I’m you, I’m doing cartwheels,” he said.

“The worst is over,” said Pollock. “Things are slow. They’re not going to get better in a hurry, but they’re getting better.” Read More

At a time when cyber thieves are increasingly targeting small- and medium-sized businesses, including home building firms, NAHB is urging its members to monitor their bank accounts closely and on a regular basis. Members should also review and understand the agreements they have with their financial institutions and know when they may be liable for fraudulent online banking activities.

A common criminal activity is tapping into a firm’s online banking system and transferring funds from its accounts.... Read More

More than 600 proposals affecting residential construction were presented and discussed over eight days during the International Code Council’s Final Action Hearings in Dallas in May.

There could have been more, but the ICC decided to split the hearings into two groups. The May hearings covered the International Residential, Building, Fire, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas and Existing Building codes.

Final Action Hearings for the International Energy Conservation Code as well as the IRC’s energy provisions and the International Property Maintenance and Zoning codes will take place in Charlotte, N.C., in October.

NAHB took a position of either support or opposition on 229 of 633 proposals during the May hearings. Of particular significance for home builders in this year’s hearings are code changes on fire protection, accessibility for the disabled and stair geometry.... Read More