T H E E - M A G A Z I N E O F T H E H B R A O F FA I R F I E L D C O U N T Y - J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 1
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Your Monthly Newsletter Building Connections is a monthly digital magazine produced and published by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Fairfield County. Inside you will find the latest association news, legislative updates, upcoming events, and featured articles about the industry.
Contact Us:
hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com www.buildfairfieldcounty.com @hbraffc (203) 335-7008
2021 2021 OFFICERS President Kim DiMatteo
DiMatteo Insurance
Sr. Vice-President John Hertz Hertz Construction
Vice President Rob Michaud
The Michaud Group
Secretary Steve LoParco
LoParco Associates
Treasurer Steven Roth
Elevator Service Company
Immediate Past President Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders
PWB Chair Stephanie Rapp
Stephanie Rapp Interiors
2021 DIRECTORS Luigi Altamura Altamura Homes
Propane Pete Battaglio Hocon Gas
Max Bender Bender Supply
Karen Bradbury
Closet & Storage Concepts
Ken DeLeo
Doherty & DeLeo
Brian Kurtz
Interstate Lumber
Peter Sciarretta
Hemingway Construction
Alex Shook
Pella Commercial
Michael Wood Wood Builders
LIFE DIRECTORS Joanne Carroll JMC Resources
Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design
Jerry Effren The Greyrock Companies
Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders
Gary Fanali City Carting
Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty
Peter Fusaro Preferred Builders
Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc.
2021.
As 2021 begins, we look towards the scope and trends of the home space. Join AIA Connecticut, HBRA Fairfield County, and ASID Connecticut panelists as they explore and discuss what will impact or change design, architecture, and construction.
Moderated by Amy Vischio, Creative Director at Large, athome magazine Panelists include:
Jack Franzen, AIA, J.P. Franzen Associates Architects, P.C. Anthony DeRosa, DeRosa Builders, LLC Peter Sciarretta, Hemingway Fine Homes Tori McBrien, McBrien Interiors Sarah Weiland, Tusk Home + Design Emilia Ferri, AIA, Emilia Ferri Architecture + Design, LLC Venue WEBINAR Starts Wed February 3, 2021 | 3:30pm
REGISTER HERE
L ET T ER F ROM TH E H BRA PRESIDEN T
Dear All, I hope this message finds you well, and that everyone is off to a healthy and prosperous start of the New Year. As many of you are happy to see 2020 go, many others have found the positives in the pandemic, which is hard to believe began around a year ago. While some have lost their jobs, others are thriving, especially here in the construction industry. As an industry that has seen a downturn for many consecutive years, it has now turned around. However, this has caused other problems for many. The CT real estate market is like it has not been in many years. Interest rates are at a low, and folks are actually coming into the state instead of leaving. Others are enjoying families and their homes more than they ever have due to the pandemic, while some have not seen family in close to a year. Furthermore, many are utilizing their extra time spent at home to develop new hobbies. We are in the final stages of getting our 501c3 sent to the state for approval (inside secret: if it gets approved, the name is Building Teams Together). We have been working closely with HBI (Home Builders Institute) which is the National Home Builders Association’s 501c3. With this, we have been putting together a plan to get our education programs up and running. The next couple of months will give us a clear picture of what direction we will focus this and next year. Although many are missing our networking events, we have been working hard behind the scenes. Kerry and Sarah are there looking to make 2021 a year not to forget, in a positive manner, for sure. They have been working hard to be creative for the 2021 meeting and networking season. As many may or may not be aware, we do not think that we will have any in-person events until Mid-Spring, which could change if our CT opens up more. However, we will be doing educational events, and other virtual events until then. We are also planning on doing more in-person events throughout the summer, instead of shutting them down after our annual meeting in June as we normally would do. Update on State events: HOBI Awards have been moved again to November 17th, 2021. The last day to submit your application is June 25th. Also, Virtual Day at the Capitol is on February 26th from 10-11:30am. It is very important that Fairfield County has a presence during this meeting. Please make it a point to put this on your schedule. Anyone that has any questions should be reaching out to Kerry at our office. Fairfield County makes up a very large portion of the residential building industry, and the laws are all the same, regardless of where you are building in CT. Over the past couple of years, Fairfield County really has not had a big presence on Capitol Hill. Your words and actions count. Let’s make this year the best with speaking up, even if it is not in person. This week, the National Home Builder Association had many of their national meetings. Additionally, senior leadership meetings and more are to come next week, leading up to the Virtual IBS, which will be held February 9th-12th. You can register for this online today. IBS is a great way to see what new products are out there, as well as to participate in many great educational seminars. In closing, this year is going to be an interesting year. It is important that we all think positive, give forward, help folks in any way that you can, and remember that none of us know what others are going through. With that and the current distribution of the vaccine, let us hope that life will get back to some normalcy soon. Sincerely, Kim DiMatteo President of the Fairfield County Home Builders and Remodelers Association JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 7
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U PCOMIN G EVEN TS
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JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 9
PRESENTS
FEBRUARY 9-11 Register @ huberwood.com/huber-ibsx Hear from thought leaders, connect with industry professionals and be the first to see exciting new product demos.
10 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2021
L ET T ER F ROM TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER
Dear Members, Happy New Year! We are looking forward to 2021 and being able to gather again sometime in the near future. We are so thankful that we are able to gather remotely in the meantime. On February 3rd, we will have a joint panel discussion on 2021 Home Space Trends in conjunction with AIA and ASID. Be sure to register today! Mark your calendars! The week of March 8th we will be hosting a virtual “Week of Education”. We have asked certain members to present on current topics to our members. If you are interested in presenting, please reach out to me. I look forward to seeing you all in person soon! Be sure to keep our online Membership Directory in mind whenever you are looking for a business: www.buildfairfieldcounty.com/directory. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can do anything for you or your business. kerry@buildfairfieldcounty.com Kind Regards, Kerry Brunn
JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 11
P W B MEMBER SPOTLIGH T
Young and eager new face to the builder community. I started working in the industry after I realized my true passion for home remodeling. While in college, like most young people, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. Lost and confused I found comfort in the idea of doing something that will bring me true joy going into my career. For me, there is no greater joy than helping someone create their dream home. Offering creative solutions to all aspects of the trade, I was able to find my direction. From this I was able to start off working at Bender Plumbing underneath my mother, Alexandra Barta, who has taught me everything I know about the industry! Flash forward almost 3 years and I am on my own ready to tackle the Fairfield county market. My role is currently evolving as Bender evolves. At the moment, I have decided to take on a new role that focuses on Benders customer service department. With this, growing with Bender.
Payton Barta BENDER pbarta@benderplumbing.com www.bendershowrooms.com (203) 663-0272 x770
Bender has been able to give me an amazing opportunity for my career and I am excited to see what the future holds for both myself and the company. After almost three years in the industry I find the challenges and solutions unlimited and I look forward to unlocking this next chapter in my life.
Cara currently holds the position of Sales Representative with Weed and Duryea, a division of Northeast Building Supply. Her responsibilities include sales, assisting the external sales representatives, and client material management. She started her career in high school with the Wallseye Concrete Corporation in Olmsted Falls, OH, first starting as a runner between the plants, moving up to secretarial duties, and lastly landing as an Inside Sales Associate and Dispatch Coordinator, where she was in charge of creating new business leads and fostering the current clients, in addition to organizing and dispatching orders to customers. In 2004 Cara moved to Southern Florida and moved on to a Sales Executive position with L&W Supply. Cara’s responsibilities were sales of interior construction materials, procurement, supporting the sales team, setting up customer deliveries, and specific customer Cara Zaremba requirements. Cara attended Lorain County Community College and Kent State University. She loves to travel and is happiest with her husband Edward and two felines in her hometown of Goldens Bridge, New York.
Weed & Duryea, Division of Northeast Building Supply czaremba@northeastco.com www.northeastco.com (203) 966-2673
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NEW MEMBERS
Pyramid Custom Homes Joseph Mirra
Pyramid Custom Homes has been a respected home builder in both Fairfield and Westchester Counties since 1990. Established by Joseph Mirra, Pyramid Custom Homes has evolved over the years to accommodate the changing needs of families. Read More
Caesarstone Quartz Edward Ciesielski
We know quartz, we pioneered quartz countertops Raw quartz is abundant in nature, it is common like sand but harder than steel. Quartz countertops are a man-made stone that Caesarstone pioneered, and we engineer surfaces with up to 90% quartz minerals to give advantages that are unattainable in marble, granite, and other natural stones. Read More
MMR Construction Inc. Michael Rosa
M.M.R. Construction, Inc. builds luxury homes and additions and provides high-end renovation services to a discerning clientele who want the very best in workmanship and quality. Our clients are primarily from lower Fairfield County and Westchester County. Read More
Paul Valeri Builders Paul J. Valeri Paul Valeri Builders of Connecticut is proud to announce its representation in eastern United States of Lake Country Log Homes from Salmon Arm, British Columbia. Our Big Log Home division simplifies it for folks on the east coast of the USA to seriously consider the wonderful option of living the “full log life”. Try starting your journey today by giving Paul a call. Read
More
Benjamin Moore Allyson Smith
When it comes to premium paints and stains for your home, we have set the standard for excellence. We manufacture our own resins and proprietary Gennex® colorants, which deliver superior performance and application properties in every product. Paired with our incomparable selection of authentic colors, our products are formulated to help you achieve beautiful, lasting results every time you paint. Read More 14 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2021
HAVE YOU SEEN OUR COVID RESOURCES PAGE? Visit https://buildfairfieldcounty.com/covid-19-local-and-national-updates/ for the latest news
- Do you have news about your business that you would like to share with the HBRA membership? Email design@buildfairfieldcounty.com to coordinate an instagram story or a newsletter feature.
JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 15
N AH B N EWS
Pending Home Sales Continue to Fall Amid Low Inventory and Higher Prices After reaching a record high in August, pending home sales slid for the fourth consecutive month, as surging home prices and low inventory started to impede the housing market. The Pending Home Sales Index (PHSI), reported by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), is a forward-looking indicator based on signed contracts. The PHSI fell 0.3% from 125.9 in November to 125.5 in December, the highest level for December. However, on a year-over-year basis, sales were still 21.4% higher than a year ago. Regionally, Midwest was the only region to experience a decline in December, with a 3.6% drop. PHSI in the Northeast and South rose 3.1% and 0.1%, while sales in the West remained flat. On a year-over-year basis, all four regions saw double-digit year-overyear growths, ranging from 13.9% in the Midwest to 26.6% in the South. Read More
Jobless Claims Trend Down Weekly initial jobless claims declined slightly to 847,000 in the week ending January 23. Continuing claims, which lag initial jobless claims by one week, decreased by 203,000 in the week ending January 16. The labor market is recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit slowly. According to the Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report released by the U.S. Department of Labor recently, the number of initial jobless claims decreased by 67,000 to a seasonally adjusted level of 847,000 for the week ending January 23. Read More
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N AH B N EWS
A Significant Shift in Interest for Newly-Built COVID-19 Continues to Impact Home Homes Purchasing Plans According to NAHB’s latest Housing Trends Report, 15% of adults were considering a home purchase in the fourth quarter of 2020, up from 11% a year earlier. Further analysis reveals a significant shift in interest for newly-built homes during this period among prospective buyers. In the final quarter of 2020, 41% of buyers were looking for a newly-built home, more than twice the 19% share a year earlier. On the other hand, the share interested in an existing home declined from 40% to 30%, while the share indifferent to either type of home fell from 41% to 29%. When broken down by generation, results show that 50% of Millennial and 48% of Gen X buyers are looking to buy a new home. In contrast, 50% of Boomers and 38% of Gen Z buyers would prefer to buy an existing home.
Read More
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans are interested in purchasing homes, according to NAHB’s latest Housing Trends Report.
The share of Americans who are considering the purchase of a home in the next 12 months was 15% in the fourth quarter of 2020, four percentage points higher than a year earlier and the largest year-over-year gain in the threeyear history of this series. The gain shows the coronavirus outbreak continues to impact Americans’ propensity to want to buy homes. Read More
It all started with a showroom visit. “Designing and building great homes has always been our dream. That’s why we send our clients to a Bender showroom right at the outset to help them design their bathrooms. There, they can meet with a design consultant and turn on the faucets, climb in the tubs, open the cabinets, touch the tiles, play with the lighting and much more. Clients love it. And it makes our job so much easier.” And now, your clients can visit the New Haven and Norwalk virtual showrooms online at BenderShowrooms.com.
Chris O’Dell The O’Dell Group
Kathleen Poirier, AIA
Kathleen Poirier Architects, LLC
bendershowrooms.com | 203.495.5183 decorative plumbing | kitchen & bath cabinetry | tile & stone Hartford | New Haven | Norwalk | Waterbury © 2021 Bender Plumbing
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N AH B N EWS
Know the Dangers and Signs of Fatigue on the Jobsite The physical demands and deadline-focused nature of construction work often lead to overwork and fatigue. Add in additional stress over the pandemic and its fallout, and many in home building are finding themselves sleeping less and prone to fatigue. The effects of fatigue are far-reaching and can have an adverse impact on all areas of our lives, especially on construction sites with so many safety hazards. According to research by the National Safety Council, more than 43% of American workers are sleep-deprived, and those most at risk work the night shift, long shifts or irregular shifts. The NSC notes that safety performance decreases as workers become tired.
CDC Extends Eviction Moratorium Through March 31 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has announced it is extending the current order temporarily halting residential evictions until at least March 31, 2021.
Adults need an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night, but 30% report averaging less than six hours, according to the National Health Interview Survey conducted by NSC. Among other findings:
In a press release announcing the action, CDC Director Rochelle Walensky said: “As a protective public health measure, I will extend the current order temporarily halting residential evictions until at least March 31, 2021.
Read More
Read More
JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 19
N A H B BES T IN AMERICAN LIVIN G
Two Strong Trends for 2021 and Beyond Two significant developments in the housing market that have emerged recently are increased demand for housing in lowerdensity areas, i.e. suburbs, and a higher number of existing buildings being converted to apartments. While these trends were already occurring prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve accelerated, according to a recent NAHB webinar. NAHB chief economist Robert Dietz noted that increased construction activity was already occurring in lower-density areas due to the housing affordability crisis. As people shifted to telecommuting in response to COVID, it gave them the flexibility to live outside major metro areas. Similarly, supply and demand for multifamily rentals, which was growing pre-COVID, has reached a new height. John Affleck, VP of market analytics at CoStar, a provider of commercial real-estate information, said suburban multifamily housing comprised all the rental demand in the second quarter of 2020. Read More
Have you registered for 2021’s Design Bite series? Design Bites are monthly, bite-sized presentations that pack a punch in content, without bogging down your calendar. In 15 minutes–the time it takes to enjoy your morning coffee– speakers share design ideas, howtos, trends and more. 2021 features twelve Design Bites and covers the hottest topics, including kitchens, small spaces and storage solutions, curb appeal, floor plans and more. Design Bites will be held the 3rd Thursday of each month at 2:00 pm EST. Read More
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA MOSS; CHRISTOPHER PAGLIARO ARCHITECTS, MARK P. FINLAY INTERIORS, FLETCHER DEVELOPMENT
“Our ads in New England Home generate leads from clients who later discover that we have worked for their friends and colleagues. We often meet people both inside and outside of our business life who say ‘We saw you in New England Home!’”
—Daniel Conlon, DANIEL CONLON ARCHITECTS
nehomemag.com
20 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2021
Contact Associate Publisher, Roberta Mancuso to learn how New England Home Connecticut can help generate business for your company. rmancuso@nehomemag.com | 203.530.9593
COVID IN SIGH TS
COVID-19 Job Site Safety
General Government Resources CFPB: A Guide to COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Relief CDC: Guidelines for Your Home and Family HUD: Coronavirus Resources and Information FHFA: Coronavirus Assistance Information Read More
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Have a sales question? Email Ed at ed.schultek@sandler.com.
JANUARY 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 25
HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY DAY AT THE CAPITOL David Lehman, Commissioner, DECD
NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz
HBID at the Capitol
February 26, 2021 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM via Zoom Opening remarks by the honorable David Lehman, Commissioner, Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) The State of Housing in Connecticut presented by NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz Moderated discussion with invited panelists including legislative leaders of the Housing and Planning & Development Committees. Registration is free with RSVP. Sponsor opportunities available! 26 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2021
CLICK HERE TO RSVP & SEE THE LATEST SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION
QUESTIONS?
Email Joanne Hoerrner at jhoerrner@hbact.org
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