January 2023 Building Connections

Darien (Flagship Yard)

Lewisboro, NY

Pella’s Impervia® windows and doors provide unmatched strength, energy efficiency and lasting durability with proven performance. There’s never a need for painting or refinishing because with our powder-coat finish, our windows and doors resist chipping, chalking and fading. Rot and corrosion-free to naturally resist water and bugs.

Complement your home with Pella’s proprietary, low maintenance fiberglass that offers a sleek and timeless style. Our windows and patio doors have been tested to withstand some of the harshest conditions, including extreme heat and sub-zero cold, damaging UV rays and seacoast environments.

Pella. Perfectly Beautiful. For more information, please contact Sabina Mortillaro 631-219-9258 or smortillaro@pellactny.com

EXECUTIVE WELCOME LETTER

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

We are very excited for the new year, and will be bringing new events and education for you to enjoy. As a reminder, IBS will be taking place January 31-February 2 in Las Vegas. We hope to see you there!

Our next GMM will be on February 8 at 314 Beer Garden in Norwalk. The PWB will be hosting this meeting, and showing off their last philanthropy project. It will be a great event!

We look forward to seeing you in 2023! 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 Executive Officer

Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Fairfield County

MISSION

“ The mission of the HBRA is to help promote, protect & improve the building industry in Fairfield County. Our association is dedicated to promoting, strengthening, and informing our local home building market and those who work within it to ensure that we areindependently and collectively - a viable economic engine of growth now and in the future. ”

2023 OFFICERS

Immediate Past President

Kim DiMatteo Cross Insurance

President: John Hertz Hertz Construction

Senior VP: Rob Michaud Michaud Group

VP: Brian Kurtz Interstate Lumber

Treasurer: Steven Roth Elevator Service

Secretary: Karen Bradbury Closet & Storage Concepts Alex Shook Pella Windows

2023 DIRECTORS

Bonnie Paige Bonnie Paige Interiors

Chris Shea Domus Constructors LLC

George Pusser Cornerstone Contracting

Lisa Heldwhite Breakwater Development

Stephen Gidley Stephen C. Gidley Inc.

Tori McBrien McBrien Interiors

Joanne Carroll

JMC Resources

Jerry Effren

The Greyrock Companies

Gary Fanali City Carting

Peter Fusaro

Preferred Builders

Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design

Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders

Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc.

Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders

AUTHENTIC TO YOUR DREAM

Andersen ® A-Series windows and doors are based on the style of home you want. Whether it’s a stately Queen Anne, a bold Modernist design or anything in between, you can now create it with the best-performing, most energy-efficient products Andersen has ever offered. Don’t just imagine your dream home, build it with Andersen. “Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2022 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. DMS 01/22

Learn more at andersenwindows.com

Andersen is proud to support the Home Builders and Remodelers Assn. of Fairfield County and its members.

Bethel | Branford | Danbury

Darien | Fairfield | Lewisboro | Madison

New Milford | Newtown | Niantic

North Stamford | Norwalk | Orange Stamford | Stratford | Trumbull Westport | Wethersfield | Wilton

JOIN THE RING’S END TEAM!

Do you have a positive attitude that contributes to a high company morale? Are you goal-oriented and self-motivated? Can you connect with our customers and build strong relationships? Are you an effective communicator? Do you present yourself professionally? If so, you may be a perfect candidate for a career at Ring’s End!

Ring’s End is a Connecticut-based lumber and building materials retailer serving Connecticut, South County, Rhode Island, and Southern Westchester County, New York. We are a thirdgeneration, family owned and operated business with a rich history dating back to 1902. With 20 retail locations, Ring’s End continues to expand and evolve as an industry leader.

The positions at Ring’s End are as diverse as the employees who hold them. Discover your passionjoin the Ring’s End team today!

RING’S

Mission Statement

Our Values

• Accountability

• Community

JOB BANK

AVAILABLE JOBS:

These opportunities are offered by the HBRA members listed in the specific advertisement. Please do not contact the HBRA regarding these listings.

DHD Windows And Doors

JOB TITLE: Delivery Project Coordinator

DEPARTMENT: Operations

EFFECTIVE DATE: 2/10/2022

SUMMARY: Initiates, coordinates, and executes administrative and other project support to Sales Manager/team including providing Customer Service to the Company’s Customers.

DHD Windows And Doors

JOB TITLE: Warehouse Supervisor

DEPARTMENT: Warehouse

EFFECTIVE DATE: 9/15/2022

SUMMARY: Directs the activities of warehouse personnel involved in the receiving of various products into the facility, movements of product within the facility, and the picking and loading of product shipping out of the facility; ensures that all policies and procedures are followed.

R.B. Benson & Company, Inc

JOB TITLE: Residential Construction Project Manager

SUMMARY: Plan, direct, and coordinate all activities concerned with the construction of new luxury single-family homes and/or renovation of singlefamily homes. Participate in the conceptual development of construction projects from acquisition through design and oversee their organization, scheduling and implementation through completion.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

JOB BANK

AVAILABLE JOBS (Continued):

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Heavy Equipment Operator - Construction

CONTACT PERSON: Vernita Tertullien

START DATE: Immediate

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Stamford-based company that specializes in residential and commercial concrete and excavation work would like to hire a heavy equipment operator to perform work in southwestern Connecticut.

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Drywall Technician

CONTACT PERSON: Kelly Hamlett

START DATE: July

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Norwalk-based company is looking to add a full time multi-skilled drywall repair technician. They are a well-established and expert Drywall Repair Company serving Fairfield County.

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Concrete Laborer

CONTACT PERSON: Kelly Hamlett

START DATE: July

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Stamford-based company that specializes in residential and commercial concrete and excavation work would like to hire two concrete laborers to perform work in southwestern Connecticut.

NEW MEMBERS

Bright Glass | Jhonnatan Martinez

With over 15 years of combined experience, our team has been designing beautiful shower doors around New York and Connecticut. We are always innovating, creating custom, functional and elegant designs, providing our clients with a truly unique service. Read More

M Castle Construction | Chris Martinez

We deliver first rate home improvement and remodeling work on all types of residential and commercial projects. Our professional experience has give us a level of expertise and flexibility other companies can only aspire to both for the excellence of our workmanship and the responsiveness of our service. Read More

Davinci Design Window | Cesar Da Fonseca

At DaVinci our windows and doors are inspired by how people live. Through sophisticated designs and engineering excellence our range of products meet the highest requirements of energy efficiency, noise reduction, security and comfort

Read More

Skyview Builders | Simon Stacke

Skyview Builders is a full service construction company. Our mission is to create buildings that are comfortable, beautiful, and of enduring value. We specialize in both remodeling and new home building, as well as commercial construction.

Read More

NEW AFFILIATES

Connecticut

Connecticut

Northeast

Northeast

Gain Access to Exclusive Insights for Navigating a Complex Housing Market in 2023

Builder sentiment at the start of 2023 is nearly as low as it was back at the onset of the pandemic. Amid persistently high interest rates and the prospect of a mild recession, experts predict the first half of the year will be tough for housing.

With such growing uncertainty surrounding housing demand, builders and other industry professionals need to proactively make educated business decisions using data as their guide. That’s why the NAHB Economics team maintains an extensive library of up-todate research and the latest forecasts in Housing Economics PLUS. Subscribers to Housing Economics PLUS get exclusive access to housing projections, market trends and the most in-depth economic analysis regarding the housing industry. Some of the key reports subscribers can view each month include:

·Housing starts forecast by state;

·Long-term national forecasts;

·Building permits by metro area, and much more.

“I’ve utilized all the data sets available [in Housing Economics PLUS] during countless presentations to my company,” said David Dietrich, national manager of residential and commercial programs at Huntsman Building Solutions. “It would be difficult for me to say which resource I find most valuable, but my go-to piece is always the Executive-Level Forecast due to the ‘all new construction’ view of multifamily, single-family and manufactured housing.”

Read More

What the December Jobs Report Means for the Economy

NAHB’s podcast The Daily Drill helps listeners understand the latest housing and economic news in about two minutes, hosted by NAHB Senior Vice President Paul Lopez. NAHB Chief Economist Rob Dietz provides an analysis of the December jobs report and what the data means for the overall economy.

The show can be found wherever you listen to podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, SoundCloud and Stitcher. Be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode.

Listen to this episode of The Daily Drill here.

NYS Empire Award Presented to Murphy Brothers

NYS Senator Shelley Mayer (District 37) recently presented Chris & Sean Murphy, (THE Murphy Brothers) and the entire team at Murphy Brothers Contracting, Inc. with the NYS Empire Award. Based in Mamaroneck for over 40 years, Murphy Brothers is known for beautiful award-winning “green” and energy-efficient construction projects.

The New York State Empire Award honors small businesses and nonprofit organizations that make outstanding contributions to the growth, prosperity and betterment of their community and New York State. Thank you, Senator Mayer, the Murphy Brothers Team is honored by the recognition and will continue to build a Tradition of Quality as we have since 1979.

How Many Households Are Priced Out By Higher Mortgage Rates in 2022?

Mortgage rates have increased rapidly in 2022, as the Federal Reserve continues to fight high inflation. The U.S. weekly 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose from a slightly above 3% in early 2022 to more than 7% in late October and leveled off at a rate of 6.42% as of the end of 2022. Mortgage payments increased from $1,925 on a median priced new home in early 2022 to $2,923 on the same house, a 51% increase.

Higher mortgage rates have worsened housing affordability as home prices remained high in 2022. This post presents how mortgage interest rates affect the number of households that would be priced out of the new home market.

When interest rates increased from 3.22% to 4.22% as of the middle of March 2022, the percent of households that can afford median-priced new homes decreased to 30.4% from 34.2%. The monthly mortgage payment, which includes principal and interest, but excludes taxes and insurance, for the same home increased from $2,165 from $1,925. Consequently, an additional $10,000 of household income is needed to qualify for a similarly sized mortgage loan. Approximately 45 million households were able to qualify for a mortgage to purchase a new home at the beginning of 2022, before mortgage rates increased.

Read More

Volatility Continues as Lumber Prices

Normalize

The prices of building materials decreased 0.3% in November (not seasonally adjusted) following 0.5% and 0.1% declines in September and October, respectively, according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report. The index has decreased five of six months for the first time since 2015.

The PPI for goods inputs to residential construction, including energy, fell 0.8% in November. The index was led lower by a 5.3% drop in energy input prices as the PPIs of regular unleaded gasoline and No. 2 diesel fuel — which comprise more than 80% of energy inputs to residential construction — decreased 6.7% and 4.5%, respectively.

The price index of services inputs to residential construction increased 0.6% in November, propelled higher by large increases in the price of financial and real estate services. It marked the second consecutive monthly increase after six straight months of falling prices.

Read More

Consumer Confidence Bounced Back in December

Consumer confidence rose to an eight-month high in December as declining gas prices and easing inflation contributed to more optimistic views of economy. However, spending plans were mixed. Vacation intentions improved, while the intention to buy homes and big-ticket appliances cooled further due to elevated mortgage rates. This shift in consumer preference from goods to services is likely to continue in 2023.

Read More

Construction Job Openings Likely Peaked

The construction labor market saw a decline for job openings in November as the housing market cools. The count of open construction jobs decreased from 390,000 to 388,000 month-overmonth. The November reading is actually higher than the estimate from a year ago (366,000), a reminder of the persistent challenges of the skilled labor crisis in construction.

The construction job openings rate was relatively unchanged this month, holding at 4.8%. The data series high rate of 5.5% was recorded in April 2022. Given the outlook for construction, it now seems clear the count and rate of open, unfilled positions for the construction industry peaked in 2022 and is now trending lower as the housing market slows.

Read More

Material Shortages Ease, With Notable Exceptions

In May of last year, Eye on Housing reported on historically widespread shortages of building materials. Since then, most of the shortages have eased; the major exceptions being shortages of HVAC equipment and certain categories of ceramic materials (ceramic tiles, clay bricks and cement-based building materials), which have gotten slightly worse.

Read More

Our Crosswater London collection combines inspired design and meticulous craftsmanship to create a bath space that will take your client’s breath away. From vanities and tubs to faucets, they’ll find a total bath solution that’s distinctively striking.

Join the many builders and remodelers who send their clients to Bender to create their next masterpiece.

Experience the entire curated collection at a Bender Showroom near you.

8 Ways to Get Ahead in 2023 at IBS

No matter what aspect of the home-building industry you work in, the 2023 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) has education opportunities to make sure you’re ahead of the game this year and starting 2023 on the right foot. Here are just a few examples of what the 2023 IBS has in store:

2023’s Top Trends for Interiors

Three of the country’s top interior design firms specializing in model homes will share their outlook for interior trends and new products that are expected to flourish in 2023.

The Outlook: A Complete Guide to Housing Trends, Forecasts & Insights for 2023

This new “state of the industry” session will begin with a panel of industry thought leaders discussing the hottest topics in housing, from lumber and supply chain, built-for-rent, AD&C financing, housing policy and more.

Read More

Jason Rojas:

Housing

must be at forefront of our collective CT agenda

Hartford Courant · Jan 02, 2023

Connecticut by almost every measure is a great place to live. We get high marks for quality of life, investing in education, earning potential and public safety. We have a diverse geography with vibrant cities and towns, quaint villages and fertile rural communities. We are a state rich in capital: human, financial and social.

Read More

How and When Will Housing Rebound?

NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz recently provided this housing industry overview in the bi-weekly e-newsletter Eye on the Economy. Housing data for the end of 2022 illustrate a market continuing to weaken because of low housing affordability, largely as a result of elevated mortgage interest rates. At the start of 2023, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate is near 6.5%, down from a near 20-year high of 7.1% in early November.

However, forecasters expect the Federal Reserve will end its path of rate increases at the end of the first quarter. This should lead to sustainable declines for mortgage rates in the second half of 2023 and into 2024, enough to spur a rebound for single-family construction.

And more construction is needed over the long term: A new NAHB study estimates the housing market is underbuilt by 1.5 million homes. However, rising mortgage rates combined with 35% to 45% growth in home prices since 2020 have priced many prospective buyers out of the market. Indeed, according to new NAHB estimates, 18 million households were priced out of the market as rates increased from 3% to 7% throughout 2022.

Read More

See the Latest Safety Gear on the Show Floor at IBS 2023

The show floor in the Central Hall at the 2023 International Builders’ Show will once again feature the Jobsite Safety Zone, an entire area dedicated to safety products and services.

...Not only can you see the latest products, but you can talk to experts from NAHB, Builders Mutual, JSI, and our partner law firm Littler who can help answer questions and provide resources for creating a written safety plan or updating existing policies and procedures.

Read More