2023 HOME AND PRODUCTS EXPO IN THE BOOKS

New Ideas And Innovation On Display At The 2023 Home & Product Expo

The much-anticipated event for area homeowners and homebuyers, the Home Builders Association of West Florida 2023 Home & Product, the Expo, took place April 1-2, 2023 at the Pensacola Fair Expo Hall. The Expo has been a part of the HBA since 1980. This year the EXPO experienced record-breaking attendance. As visitors entered the hall this year, they experienced a whole host of experienced vendors, waiting to assist them with their needs. Allowing this to be one of the best events were our Sponsors, Alyssa’s, WEAR-3, WFGX-35, Cat Country 98.7, Defined Interiors, Blue Haven Pools, LeafFilter and Floor Coverings International.

“If you were interested in doing some remodeling or perhaps thinking about building a new home, then this was the show for you,” said Expo Show Manager Vicki Pelletier. “In addition, attendees came to learn about new products and services from knowledgeable exhibitors that enabled them to make wise decisions when it comes to buying products for their home.”

The Home & Products Expo is a one-stop source for information from air conditioners, appliances, ICF construction and flooring materials to homes insulation, energy efficient windows and doors, pool and patio furniture, solar and green products, and services, just to name a few.

“The Expo has built a solid reputation for providing the best in building products and services,” said Expo Volunteer Chair Ron Castner of Castner Construction. “For people interested in reaching building professionals who treat you with courtesy, and will take time to answer questions, then the Expo was the place to be.”

2023 FHBA Legislative Session Priorities & Issues

The Home Builders Association of West Florida was well represented in Tallahassee in March for the Florida Home Builders Association’s (FHBA) Legislative Conference. Attending the conference and representing the 2023 HBA President, Amir Fooladi, Encore Homes / Parsco, HBA Past President Alton Lister, Lister Builders, First Vice President, Dax Campbell, Campbell Construction and Company, LLC, Cost and Codes Committee Chair, John Hattaway Home Design.

We were able to walk the halls at the Capitol and visit Senator Doug Broxson, Representative Alex Andrade, and Michele Salzman.

If you do business with previous members, please give them a call and reinforce the value of membership as well as the importance of Members Doing Business with Members.

Biden’s Veto of Congressional WOTUS Resolution a Blow to Housing Affordability

Alicia Huey, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a custom home builder and developer from Birmingham, Ala., today issued the following statement after President Biden vetoed a congressional resolution that would rescind his administration’s waters of the U.S. rule:

“NAHB is deeply disappointed that President Biden has moved to overturn the will of Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate by rejecting a bipartisan congressional resolution that rescinds the administration’s new waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule under the Clean Water Act. Biden’s veto of this measure is a blow to housing affordability and a common-sense regulatory agenda. The Biden WOTUS rule adds unnecessary regulatory burdens to small businesses and needlessly raises housing costs while doing little to protect America’s waterways.

“And the Supreme Court’s upcoming decision in the case of Sackett v. EPA that is squarely focused on a major part of the rule means that the regulation could essentially be overturned in the near future. To put an end to this regulatory morass, the administration needs to delay implementing this onerous regulation until a judgement is rendered and go back to the drawing board to draft a new, practical and durable WOTUS rule.”

Keep Workers and Others on the Road Safe with NAHB Resources

April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, an annual campaign by the National Safety Council to highlight the dangers and costs of distracted driving.

At least eight people a day are killed in distracted driving crashes. Distracted driving isn’t just risky for drivers; it can be deadly for nearby pedestrians, bicyclists and workers.

Residential construction relies on drivers every day to complete jobspecific tasks, such as procuring materials or tools, and for other things, like getting lunch for the job site and workers coming and going from the site.

NAHB has a video toolbox talk, ( https://www.nahb.org/advocacy/ industry-issues/safety-and-health/ safety-365/video-toolbox-talks/ video-pages/safe-driving ) with

Top 10 Reasons To Do Business With An Active Associate Member

1. They support the industry at the local, state and national levels.

2. They volunteer time, talent and treasure to help the association accomplish its goals.

3. They recruit their colleagues and business contacts to become members.

4. They serve on committees and councils gaining valuable networking opportunity while helping to advance the association’s mission.

resources for setting policies around driving and ensuring that everyone is practicing safe driving skills. Of course you require seat belt use while driving a company vehicle, but do you have rules around cell phone use? Watch the video below for best practices.

But it takes more than just policies and reminders of how to drive safely. When you know a worker is in a vehicle, don’t text or call them. If you’re in a vehicle and receive a call or text, don’t answer it while driving. Pull over or wait until you’ve reached your destination to address the communication.

Everyone knows distracted driving is a problem, but we all have to pitch in to make sure we’re not the cause of the distraction.

5. By doing so, you increase the value proposition for all membership in our HBA.

6. They are strong supporters of local and state PACs and BUILD-PAC.

7. They are a major source of non-dues revenue through sponsorships, advertising, etc.

8. As industry partners, they are a valuable resource for business and management tips.

9. They are heavily invested in your business success: You win, they win!

10. Why wouldn’t you do business with a member?

ESA Resolution Defining Habitat Introduced in House and Senate

In a move supported by NAHB, the House and Senate have introduced an identical Congressional Review Act (CRA) resolution that would retain the regulatory definition of habitat within the Endangered Species act (ESA). The ESA protects listed (i.e., endangered and threatened) species and their designated critical habitat from either manmade or naturally occurring threats. Surprisingly, since the ESA was established 50 years ago, the term “habitat” has never been defined.

Meanwhile the designation of critical habitat under the ESA by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), or the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), directly impacts NAHB members when their property is located within areas designated as critical habitat, and their activities require obtaining either a federal permit (e.g., federal wetland permit) or to receive any federal funding.

In December 2020, citing the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling under Weyerhaeuser Co. v. U.S. FWS, the Trump administration finalized a rule that defined the term “habitat” as “the abiotic and biotic setting that currently or periodically contains the resources and conditions necessary to support one or more life processes of a species.”

The Trump administration’s rule was in response to a FWS critical habitat designation in the state of Louisiana declaring more than 1,500 acres of private land as critical habitat for a species of frog that had not been found within the state for 50 years.

In overturning FWS’s critical habitat designation, the U.S. Supreme Court noted the lack of any regulatory definition for the term habitat under the ESA made it difficult for the court to assess the merits of FWS’s unoccupied critical habitat designation. By defining habitat, the 2020 rule provided some clarity and transparency to landowners as to when their property could be regulated under the ESA.

On June 24, 2022, the Biden administration rescinded the 2020 rule, eliminating the habitat definition, leaving regulated parties in the dark as to how federal regulators might conduct future critical habitat designations.

The action by Republicans in the House and Senate to use the CRA to introduce a resolution of disapproval over the Biden administration’s rescission of the habitat rule is intended to restore regulatory clarity for affected landowners.

“There is an important distinction between ‘habitat’ and ‘critical habitat’ for an endangered species,” said Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), the lead Senate sponsor of the resolution. “By scrapping the definition of habitat within the ESA, the Biden administration is causing chaos and confusion among private property owners throughout Wyoming and the west. Two-thirds of all endangered species are located on private lands, so private property owners need to be partners in species recovery, not the enemy.”

A critical habitat designation has major impacts on landowners and developers, as it reduces the value of any private property within a designation because prospective landowners recognize the burdens that accompany a designation. It also greatly impacts any land with a federal nexus through permits or funding, as a critical habitat triggers significant scrutiny, resulting in burdensome limitations on land use and costly mitigation requirements that can delay housing projects and increase construction costs.

How to Start Planning for a Summer Intern

Schools will be out for the summer soon, which means now is the perfect time to start laying the groundwork for an internship program. Working with interns helps companies meet their own workforce needs and helps the industry build the pipeline of new workers needed to meet the demand for new housing.

There are many considerations when planning for a trainee on your jobsite. To help you establish a program, NAHB has a step-by-step guide to setting up an internship program.

The Student Internship Resources for NAHB Members guide focuses on how builders can engage with three different talent resources: secondary (high school) students in career and technical (CTE) education programs, community college students, and university students. The comprehensive guide covers topics such as:

• How to evaluate your workplace needs

• How to research the legalities

• Tips for developing a training plan

• How to find, hire and manage interns

• How to retain good prospects as employees

In addition, to help students and young professionals develop their careers in the trades, NAHB has a robust collection of one page “how-to” guides, such as interviewing and building a network available for download and print. NAHB invites all members to share their workforce development opportunities and challenges during the next in-person Workforce Development Champions Forum on Friday, June 9, at 10:30 a.m. ET, during the Spring Leadership Meeting in Washington, D.C.

2023 Membership Drive: Never a Better Time to Join

NAHB recently kicked off its annual membership drive, which not only aims to recruit new members, but also highlight the value of membership in the Federation to current members as well.

From April 1 to June 30, members of local HBAs across the nation participate in the drive by reaching out to coworkers, colleagues and friends in the industry to promote the numerous benefits of membership. Whether they want to save money on business expenses, expand their knowledge with industry-leading education or network with more people in the industry, members can receive a significant return on their investment.

• Member-Exclusive Savings — The NAHB Member Savings Program offers exclusive deals with popular vendors to help members save on personal and business expenses. T-Mobile, Farmers Insurance, Goodyear Tires and Voyager Fuel & Fleet Management Mastercard are the latest companies to join. Plus, the program continues to feature significant discounts through Lowe’s, Dell Technologies, UPS and many other leading companies.

• Industry-Specific Education — Membership unlocks discounts on numerous instructor-led courses and webinars to help members stay in the know and ahead of the competition. Courses cover a range of topics, including business management, building technology, housing economics and strategic marketing.

• Numerous Networking Opportunities — With more than 140,000 members worldwide and countless events throughout the year, there are always opportunities to expand your network. Catching up with local builders at HBA meetings, attending the annual International Builders’ Show (IBS) and participating in councils such as NAHB Remodelers and Professional Women in Building are some of the best ways to build business.

Personal Income Rises 0.3% in March

The most recent data release from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that personal income increased 0.3% in March. The pace of personal income growth slowed after reaching a 0.8% monthly gain in October. Gains in personal income are largely driven by increases in compensation, personal income receipts on assets, and rental income.

Real disposable income, income remaining after adjusted for taxes and inflation, inched up 0.3% in March. On a year-over-year basis, real (inflation adjusted) disposable income rose 4%, after experiencing negative year-over-year growth from March 2021. While remaining low historically, the December personal savings rate inched up to 5.1% the highest level since January 2022. As Inflation has almost wiped-out compensation gains, people are dipping into savings to support spending.

If you do business with previous members, please give them a call and reinforce the value of membership as well as the importance of

Members Doing Business with Members

1. They support the industry at the local, state and national levels.

2. They volunteer time, talent and treasure to help the association accomplish its goals.

3. They recruit their colleagues and business contacts to become members.

4. They serve on committees and councils gaining valuable networking opportunity while helping to advance the association’s mission.

5. By doing so, you increase the value proposition for all membership in our HBA.

6. They are strong supporters of local and state PACs and BUILD-PAC.

7. They are a major source of non-dues revenue through sponsorships, advertising, etc.

8. As industry partners, they are a valuable resource for business and management tips.

9. They are heavily invested in your business success: You win, they win!

10. Why wouldn’t you do business with a member?