THE GREEN BUILDING ISSUE
MID-ATLANTIC
Vol. 54 Issue 4 November/December 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Scan to read this issue online.
LAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Excellence in Community Development Awards
Permit No. 356 York, PA
PAID U.S. Postage
PRESORTED STANDARD
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Ask your agent about us. Or read more at buildersmutual.com. 2
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012
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New fangled stuff. Old-fashioned service. Vintage provides innovative technologies to make homes safe and enhance lifestyles. Call us for security systems, home theatre, whole house music systems, home automation, and structured wiring.
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Contact Rick Brokaw or Bob Hartwick 1-877-767-1800 Offices in Jessup, MD and Chantilly, VA
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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November/December 2012 Vol. 54 Issue 4
MID-ATLANTIC
PUBLISHER John Kortecamp
EDITOR Kristin Josephson Hogle, Editor communications@homebuilders.org
ADVERTISING Chris Baughan, Advertising Sales Manager 410-265-7400, ext. 121 chris@homebuilders.org
DESIGN Heather Winkel, Art Director Kristina Hopkins, Graphic Designer Network Design Group ndg@networkmediapartners.com
HBAM LEGAL COUNSEL Linowes and Blocher ON THE COVER Greenspring at Quarry Lake, Beazer Homes and Koren Development ABOVE Meadowvale, Elm Street Development
10 LDC Awards
Also
18 Switching Building Products
Departments
Minimize your risk when switching building products by asking and answering key questions.
22 What do Home Buyers Really Want in a Green Home?
Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in green construction and they are starting to reward builders who can respond to more than just energy efficiency.
29 A Chesapeake Bay TMDL Q&A for Home Builders
New homes may become more expensive to pay for the more sophisticated water management systems the Bay cleanup requires.
44 Foundation Volunteer of the Year
4 6 8 48 49 50
Publisher’s Message President’s Message Events Stats and Facts Government Affairs New Members
Pages 25-28
is a publication of HBAM Member Services, Inc., a subsidiary of the Home Builders Association of Maryland, Inc., 6030 Daybreak Circle #A150 PMP 362 Clarksville, MD 21029 410-265-7400, www.homebuilders.org. Postmaster: Send address changes to Home Builders Association of Maryland, Inc., 6030 Daybreak Circle #A150 PMP 362 Clarksville, MD 21029
ECO BOX Mid-Atlantic Builder text and cover pages are printed on SFI certified Anthem Matte using soy ink.
Pull-Out Section MID-ATLANTIC
The Land Development Council presented their awards for excellence in community development.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
Remodeler
• The Sustainable Forestry Initiative® program promotes sustainable forest management.
A supplement to Mid-Atlantic Builder
32 Best Practices for Creating Affordable Green Homes
HBAM Remodelers Council Silver Award
Whole House Under $100,000 - $500,000 Starcom Design Build, Herbert Renovation
Green building can be a viable solution for both builders and consumers in the affordable market.
36 Future Proofing Your Home Designs
Before you figure out where you might be going with the homes you build and sell in the future, you need to assess where you are right now relative to code requirements.
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
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2012 HBAM Leadership Photo Credit Stuart Zolotorow
Executive Committee Rod Hart
President
Scott Armiger President Elect
publisher’smessage
Russell Dickens First Vice President
Jonas Jacobson Associate Vice President
Cynthia McAuliffe Secretary
Turning the Page June 23, 1996. By some measures, a long time ago, by others, just yesterday. The Ravens were the new team in town and the O’s were perennial contenders. The real estate market was groping its way forward, slowly recovering from the recession of ’89-’91. After a convulsing period, The Home Builders Association of Maryland, decided it was time for a new direction and, following a national search, settled on a new EVP/CEO - me.
The position announcement made clear there were significant challenges: declining revenues and membership, an aging cadre of volunteer leaders, failing programs and several consecutive years of deficits. Before signing on, I requested five years of financials. After reviewing them I determined that there appeared to be sufficient liquid and fixed assets to slug my way through reorganization. I hadn’t banked on those unaudited financials being five years of fiction. As one board member smugly put it, “You’re not in Kansas anymore, Dorothy.” Step one was hiring a new Finance Director, with a substantive background in finance. The two of us spent nearly six months uncovering all there was to find. Working with our accountants, we learned that the organization: was nearly $1.5 million in debt; faced three lawsuits, two from vendors, one for $100,000,000 from a very unhappy former member; had seriously and illegally comingled funds; was losing its largest council, the Apartment Builders and Owners, representing 150+ member companies; faced two $40,000 plus IRS penalties for failure to pay withholding taxes; had been holding seven year old, six figure receivables on its books from an entity that ceased to exist; had a registered agent (attorney of record) who was three years deceased; had no cash and was virtually unable to make payroll; and faced a looming 4
Lisa Junker Treasurer
balloon payment on a mortgage on which we failed by $100,000 to meet the required debt to equity ratio. If that reality wasn’t sufficiently sobering, in mid-July, some 30 days into the job, I was summoned to Annapolis by then House Environmental Matters Committee Chairman Ron Gunns. He had read a Sun article on my selection that touted my ability to effectively work with environmental advocates in my prior position. His motivation was to learn how I had managed to accomplish that. He was compelled, however, to first instruct me, in no uncertain terms, that the industry I was representing was politically “irrelevant” in Annapolis. Changing that, he challenged me, needed to be JOB ONE. Just one more item to be added to the JOB ONE list. Now THOSE were DARK DAYS...yet somehow, we got through it: trimmed staff by 30+ percent, rewrote the bylaws, reformed the Board and governance structure, created a new dues structure, developed new income generating programs, and eliminated failed programs, committees and meetings. Thanks to the direct financial support of 12 members, each of whom signed a $25,000 commitment letter to back a $300,000 line of credit secured against future income from Builder Mart, we obtained the cash needed to work our way through the transition. As a body of work, it was difficult, painful and at several key moments, downright demoralizing. But we got through it. In 1999, at the end of my three year contract, I recall thinking that the ship had been righted and it was time for me to move on. But, with a strong commitment from a new energized and invested group Continued on page 51.
Robert Goodier Immediate Past President
Chapter Presidents
Robb Aumiller Baltimore County Evan Gilligan Anne Arundel County Paul Mueller Carroll County Russ Robertson Baltimore City Jeremy Rutter Howard County Dan Whitehurst Upper Chesapeake
Council Presidents David Murphy
Land Development Council
Cindy Plackmeyer Sales and Marketing Council
Joseph Smith, CGR, CAPS, CGP HBAM Remodelers
William Zahler Maryland Residential Green Building Council
Board of Directors Steven Gilman Scott Barhight Tom Baum Steve Breeden Mike Breen Ron Carstens Patrick Costello Sean Davis Brenda Desjardins Tim Ellis, LEED AP, CPE, CGR, CGP Chickie Grayson
Joe Gregory Cindy Huntzberry Steve James Sandy Marenberg James Mathias Michael McCann Tim Morris Dan Murtaugh Jeff Ott Steve Rubin Jake Ruppert Kevin Sapp
Alternate Directors Lou Baker Jay Hergenroeder Joe Hikel Tim Hudson Jim Hunter
Theresa Leatherbury Tim Naughton Leslie Rosenthal Matthew Wineman
Ex Officio Members Frank Hertsch Jack Orrick
Howard Perlow Chris Rachuba
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8441 Dorsey Run Road Suite A Jessup, Maryland 20794
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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Visit www.homebuilders.org for an on-line listing of Mid-Atlantic Builder Photo Credit Studio Z
advertisers with hotlinks. There, you can also view MAB archives and find information on upcoming events and current industry issues.
president’smessage Affiliation Agreement Entered It’s official, the Home Builders Association of Maryland and the Maryland National Capital Building Industries Association have entered into an Affiliation Agreement. What does this mean for you?
As the affiliation agreement states, and we all know, there is a “need for an integrated approach to serving the home building industry within their respective jurisdictions of the State of Maryland.” Currently, the MNCBIA operates independently in Washington D.C. and five surrounding counties within the State of Maryland, and HBAM operates independently in Baltimore City and six surrounding counties within the State of Maryland. Our associations have committed to enter into this agreement to establish certain areas of operations in which the two Associations can cooperate in good faith with each other. Following are some highlights from the agreement. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE. In order to better serve the membership of the Associations, the Associations desire to affiliate with each other and to cooperate in good faith to share information related to sales and marketing, event planning, fundraising, membership benefits, strategic planning, lobbying efforts, operational and management techniques, communications and outreach initiatives and other proprietary information. The Associations intend, through the affiliation established in this Agreement, to build a stronger working relationship between the Associations and to continue to explore the feasibility of a potential merger or consolidation of the Associations at some point in the near future. Any awards programs hosted or organized by either Association will be open to participation 6
or entry by the members of both Associations, subject to payment of any entry fees required by the hosting or organizing Association at the member rate for entry. Each Association will encourage its members to participate actively on standing committees of the other Association, including, without limitation, participation on the environmental committee of MNCBIA and the land use council of HBAM. Each Association will make good faith efforts to extend the benefits of its discount and affinity programs to the other Association. For example, if an Association receives discounts related to the purchase of a particular cell phone service, payroll services, workers compensation insurance, health insurance brokers, or long term care insurance, the Association will endeavor in good faith to contact its discount service provider and request that such discounts be extended to the members of the other Association. Commencing on October 1, 2012, the Associations will endeavor in good faith to combine lobbying efforts for the General Assembly of the State of Maryland to present a unified approach to legislative lobbying efforts. For example, a joint legislative scoring committee will be established by the Associations to review legislation proposed during each session of the General Assembly, and the joint committee will score each proposed bill and provide its lobbying organization, the Maryland State Builders Association, Inc., with a combined ‘score card’ for each piece of proposed legislation. The Associations will make good faith efforts to form a joint advisory committee comprised of members from both Associations as requested by the leadership of the Maryland State Builders Association (MSBA), which will consider long-term strategic planning for Continued on page 52.
DIRECTORY OF ADVERTISERS Appliance Distributers Unlimited Back Cover BGE Outdoor 3 BGE Smart Energy 35 Builders Mutual Insurance Inside Front Cover California Closets 52 GE Contract Sales 7 Saratoga 28 Southern Pacific 5 Tremco Inside Back Cover Vintage Security 1 Walbrook 39 For advertising opportunities please contact Chris Baughan at chris@homebuilders.org or 410-265-7400, ext. 121 Did you Know? “Magazine readers pay attention to magazine ads. They don’t avoid the advertising as they do with other media.” Source: BIGResearch Simultaneous Media Usage Study
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Everyone loves a café. Now, everyone can have one. GE Café™ is GE’s first new line of appliances in 15 years, and it’s an exciting new sales opportunity. With stainless steel exterior and robust styling, builders and new home buyers will want to make it the centerpiece of their new home. For remodelers and their customers, the GE Café will easily transform any kitchen with restaurant-inspired design. At long last, everyone can afford to have an inviting café – right at home. www.geappliances.com/café For additional information on GE Appliances call GE Area Sales Manager Lora Williams at 410.679.0486.
GE Café ™
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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Events ICON Awards
CALL 410-265-7400 for information on registration for our events or visit www.homebuilders.org.
2013 Real Estate and Construction Forecast Conference
November 29, 2012 Martins West 6 pm-9 pm
The Home Builders Association of Maryland will honor the ICONS of the industry at this annual event. Come join the association as they honor the following ICONS: Bob Goodier
Lifetime Achievement Award-Builder Howard Perlow
Lifetime Achievement-Associate Tim Ellis
Builder of the Year Steven Gilman
Associate of the Year We will also be honoring HBAM Executive Vice President John Kortecamp for his upcoming retirement as well as giving out our annual surprise award for volunteer of the year.
December 5, 2012 Doubletree by Hilton 8 am – 12 noon
The HBAM Real Estate and Construction Forecast Conference will provide an outlook for the home building industry for 2013. A team of experts are compiled to bring you current and up to date information and outlooks like: • When we can expect to return to a sustainable market • What markets will recover first • What does next year have in store for Maryland, Our Region and Our Nation.
2013 International Builders Show January 22-24, 2013
Interested in staying at The Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Spa? HBAM is reserving rooms TODAY! Email wynnrooms@ homebuilders.org for availability.
Save the Date for Builder Mart 2013!
March 20, 2013 www.buildermart.org
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF MARYLAND Lifetime Achievement —Associate
HOWARD PERLOW Associate of the Year
STEVE GILMAN
Lifetime Achievement —Builder
BOB GOODIER Builder of the Year
TIM ELLIS
Retiring EVP
JOHN KORTECAMP
November 29, 2012 | Martin’s West 8
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Builder Mart 2013 Together We’ll Build the Future Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Don’t miss your chance to reserve the best booth space. Visit the Builder Mart 2013 Booth in the Bull Roast area or contact Chris Baughan at 410-265-7400, ext. 121 or chris@homebuilders.org. www.homebuilders.org
www.homebuilders.org NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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LAND DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL Excellence in Community Development Awards 10
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
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he Land Development Council of the Home Builders Association of Maryland will announced the winners of its Excellence in Community Development Awards at the Gramercy Mansion on September 20th. The program offers recognition to development professionals who provide superior and creative development projects that are sensitive to the community and make appropriate use of the existing natural elements. All entries were evaluated on four criteria: • sensitivity to the environment; • sensitivity to historic nature, surrounding properties & use; • land design and planning; and • any unique challenges.
Project of the Year-Residential Poplar Run Developer Winchester Homes Consultant/Engineer Loiederman Soltesz Associates, Inc Architect and Builder Winchester Homes
Poplar Run, located in Silver Spring, Montgomery County, Maryland, is convenient to all major community routes of the region and minutes away from the Metro Red Line station at Glenmont and the new Inter-County Connector. This 308 acre community is comprised of 472 single family homes, 185 market rate townhomes, and 116 moderately priced dwelling units. The development boasts 50 percent open green space and is approximately 25 percent complete with 200 homes settled. Of the approximately 99.5 acres of environmental buffers on the site, 72.4 acres had been in golf course use with some buffer areas fully forested. The land use plan, which was approved by the MarylandNational Capital Park & Planning Commission after a very lengthy and interactive plan review process over several years, can be considered a modified neo-traditional design and was achieved while protecting large areas of existing forest and wetlands. Thoughtfully located open spaces were created for recreational activities internal to the community and miles of interconnecting hard and natural surface fitness trails are accessible by residents. www.homebuilders.org
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Land Development Council Individual Awards of Excellence Rising Star Jeremy Rutter, Rutter Project Management Consultant of the Year Jonas Jacobson, Gordon Feinblatt LLC Developer of the Year Mark Sapperstein, 28 Walker Development Contractor of the Year Neil Hoffstot, Kinsley Construction Lifetime Achievement Award Frank Hertsch, Morris and Ritchie Associates
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Project of the Year Multi Use - Greenspring at Quarry Lake Developer Beazer Homes and Koren Development Consultant/Engineer DMW Architect The Martin Architectural Group Builder Beazer Homes
Quarry Lake at Greenpsring is a unique mixed-use redevelopment of a 250 acre rock quarry that transformed an industrial site into a vibrant live-work-play neighborhood inside the Baltimore Beltway. Development on this project started over 15 years ago when the quarry was nearing the end of its useful life. Through the PUD process and with collaboration from the County, MDE, US Army Corps of Engineers and surrounding residents, the developer created a mixed use community consisting of single-family homes, condominiums, commercial office space and retail stores all which surround the centerpiece of the project, a 380 foot deep lake created by flooding the former quarry. Before the site could even start development, a two year reclamation process was required to ensure safe residential development. The developer was able to utilize the newly created lake to treat all storm water management for the site plus create new storm water management for an additional 400 acres of upstream off-site properties. Due to the lakes size and design, it is able to naturally remove 98 percent of pollution and sediment from the water and thus results in a net improvement to the water quality for the entire watershed.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Coldwater Reserve Developer Craftsmen Developers Engineering Sigma Engineering Builder D.R. Horton Consultant Evan Gilligan with Mandrin Homes Funding Saybrook Community Capital
www.homebuilders.org
This is a Phase One development located in Anne Arundel County adjacent to Severn Run Natural Environmental Area. The communities amenities package includes walking trails, picnic areas with outdoor grills and a community park that includes a tot lot under a 200 year old Sycamore tree. The community was awarded the first 4 star NAHB Green Certification in Maryland. The developer took great care to minimize the disturbance to the environment during the development process including working with the engineer to place over 10 acres of wooded area in environmental conservation easements. The community’s location near Route 32 and Forte Meade has made it an attractive location for people looking for a close proximity to desirable conveniences. The developer worked with a consultant to remove the age restriction from the development which encouraged a builder to purchase all 50 building lots and for an investor to fully fund the project.
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Old Court Estates Developer Hord Caplan Macht Consultants/Engineers MEP Century Engineering, Structural Wolfman & Associates Civil Colbert Matz Rosenfelt Builder Southway Builders Lender US Department of Housing and Urban Development
Old Court Estates is the latest addition to a campus of elderly housing buildings. It is a 51 unit, three story apartment building serving the low income senior population in Baltimore County, which has become recognized as a pressing need in recent years. Due to the vast difference in architecture of dwellings and buildings in close proximity to this project, the opportunity to tie everything together with its prominent location was met.
Murphy’s Run Developer Liberty Grove LLC Builder Barry Andrews Homes Consultant/Engineer McLore
Murphy’s Run had been in the works for nearly a decade because of the devotion its leaders had to make sure that they were building a development that maintained the integrity of the area’s rural character. The development was ready to go after having all approvals passed only to have them overturned. Lots of time and money had to go into getting their approvals reinstated. The developers remained committed to their vision and went to work. A recycling program was set up in the community to manage the waste that comes from new home construction cardboard alone. The reward is not just a development, but a community, a neighborhood, a way of life. The community is made up of 136 acres with room reserved for 42 homes, leaving almost 95 acres of open space which has been transformed into a two-and-a-half mile nature trail that surrounds the community. Certified Green by the National Association of Home Builders this community is a peaceful and beautiful place to live with none of the homes visible from the main road or the road that leads through the community.
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Locust Chapel Developer Land Design and Development Consultant/Engineering Robert Vogel Engineering Builder Ryan Homes
This community was designed in accordance with many principles of sustainable development incorporating techniques such as sustainable site design, increased energy efficiency, responsible water use and management, on-site renewable energy sources, historic and environmental preservation, increased pedestrian connectivity and responsible materials selection. Locust Chapel was designed around the recognition that the built environment has a significant impact on natural environment, our health and our future and is proud to have earned the certification as Howard County’s first “Green Neighborhood”.
www.homebuilders.org
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Riverwalk Developer Elm Street Development Consultant/Engineer Gutschick, Little & Weber, P. A.
Riverwalk is one of the first developments under construction using the new storm water management regulations. It has pervious concrete paving and bio-retention facilities to address the requirements for smaller drainage areas. The property took a long route to development by first being rezoned during the boom years to active adult housing with a high-rise condo building and villas. Unable to shoulder the high development costs and declining active adult, the developer worked with surrounding communities and county officials to rezone the property to townhomes. As a redevelopment of an existing use, the land development phase of the project was difficult due to excessive organic material, existing infrastructure and overall high moisture conditions in the existing ground.
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Meadowvale Developer Elm Street Development Builder NV Homes Consultant and Engineer Morris and Ritchie Associates Lender M&T Bank
www.homebuilders.org
Meadowvale is under development in Lutherville Timonium and upon completion, will include a mix of single family detached and semi-detached homes totaling 103 units. Located within an existing neighborhood, this 38-acre property is an infill site that is unique in terms of its challenging topography, environmental constraints and mature landscape. With an elevation change of more than 140 feet from the northern to southern tract boundaries and moderate to steep slopes falling 60 to 80 feet on each side of its ridgeline, the property not only offers dramatic views of the surrounding landscape, but inherent development challenges as well. Adding to the challenge of the property’s extreme topography are environmental conditions that generated substantial forest buffers and thereby further constrained the already very narrow site. These environmental conditions include an unnamed tributary to Roland Run flowing along the western tract boundary, multiple springs and wetlands along the eastern boundary and the preservation of over nine acres of priority forest to the north. In order to retain the existing manor home, which had been placed on the Baltimore County Final Landmarks List and is located at the highest point along the property’s ridgeline, much effort was needed to preserve the home’s natural setting while also minimizing retaining walls throughout the site. In effort to garner community support, a fund was established to ameliorate any issues that may have arose during the course of development, street trees were planted along the existing main thoroughfare, and traffic calming devices such as landscaped medians and stamped asphalt pavers were proposed.
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Switching Building Products Minimize your risk when switching building products by asking and answering key questions.
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ear of the unknown may discourage you from trying a new or innovative product, but the reward may far outweigh the risk. Perhaps a different product can offer a first-cost or labor/installation savings over the product that is currently used. Perhaps a new product would make your homes more energy efficient, green or otherwise marketable to potential buyers. Perhaps you’ve even been approached by a product manufacturer to give a new product a try. But, because of all that needs to be considered for even a seemingly minor product switch in residential construction, you should try to minimize the risk you are taking by asking and answering key questions.
Is it up to code? First and foremost when selecting any building product is knowing if it meets your local building code. This is particularly true for products that affect life safety, but holds true for any product or technology that is subject to inspection. Be sure to check with your local code official to avoid any added costs or delays in the construction process. You can also see if the product has an ICC Evaluation Service. ICC-ES has a complete listing of their reports online www.icc-es.org/Evaluation_Reports/index.shtml. ICC-ES Evaluation Reports provide evidence that products and systems meet code requirements. They include information about what code requirements the product meets and how the product should be installed to meet the relevant code requirements. ICC-ES has developed acceptance criteria defining test methods and performance benchmarks that are used by independent, accredited laboratories, like the NAHB Research Center, to test the product. Code inspectors frequently rely on Evaluation Reports when confronted with a new or innovative building product, and you can, too.
Beyond codes, be sure that your project is not subject to any private covenants that may restrict your use of certain products or materials. Check with your homeowner association and/or its architectural committee to make sure your plans are in step with these regulations; you may even want to get a written confirmation from the association or committee that you are able to use the product or material you are considering.
Is it field tested? You may also want to check to see if the product has been somehow tested and proven in the field. If it is not yet widely used in the industry, thereby limiting other builder testimonials, field evaluation reports are the best way to get to that type of information. Field evaluations are cooperative efforts between builders or remodelers, manufacturers, and a testing agency or engineering firm like the NAHB Research Center that place new technologies into homes so they can be evaluated in real-world conditions. Local or federal government agencies and/or utilities may also be involved in field evaluations in various parts of the country, for various purposes. The Research Center has been conducting field evaluations for decades and posts findings from some of its evaluations on ToolBase.org. You can also find field evaluation results through manufacturers, government agencies, or utility companies – but always consider the source and make sure the information presented is as unbiased as possible regarding the product you are investigating.
Will the manufacturer be there for support? You should obviously look into manufacturer warranties provided for any product you select, but also find out if the manufacturer will provide any additional support. Will the manufacturer provide field training and support for your contractors? Will they provide any support or guidance after the home sale for your home buyers?
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What about your insurance? Check for exclusion provisions in your business insurance to ensure that the new product is not listed as “excluded” from coverage. An excluded product or system implicated in a legal claim could diminish your coverage and raise your risk.
Does it provide marketing benefits? Weigh the marketing advantages that making a product switch might provide you. If there is some added cost up front, it may be balanced out by your ability to market a quieter or more energy efficient home. Always be careful not to overpromise the benefits of your homes or the products in them. For example, avoid any unsubstantiated claims about dramatic reductions in utility bills or improvements in occupant health, safety, or comfort. You want to be particularly careful when marketing any green claims about your homes – make sure you comply with Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides (www.ftc.gov/ bcp/grnrule/guides980427.htm). But, if there are supportable benefits of the product you are incorporating, you certainly want to highlight those to your potential buyers.
Is it compatible with your other products? Make sure that you know how the new product or material will work with your other current products, materials and designs. You don’t want one intentional change to create a domino effect of necessitating other unintended changes or causing potential warranty issues. Consider asking a representative of the product manufacturer of either the new product or your other standard products to review your plans and assess the compatibility of all the products you are using.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Beware the learning curve As with anything new, there will always some learning curve involved with a product switch, but some are greater (and more costly) than others. Gauge how familiar your current trade crews and your superintendent are with the new product you are investigating. If they have no experience, you’ll need to account for the time and cost involved to provide adequate training before the switch and some extra supervision during the transition to ensure proper installation. Defective installation could negate the manufacturer’s warranty and could also open you up for liability if the homeowner ever experiences any problems. If the product is being implemented to attain some sort of external green or energy efficiency certification or recognition, improper installation could also hamper your ability to achieve that goal. Proper installation is always important, but even more so with high-performance or green homes, as they are more likely to have interdependent or complementary systems that create enhanced efficiency.
Also assess if your trades are overly resistant to the change you are proposing – not that you can’t overcome this kind of opposition, but it’s better to know it’s there before making the switch than be surprised by it after the fact. Try to get to the root of what their objections are and see how you might be able to mitigate any negative feelings toward the switch. Finally, a product switch may require you to educate your homeowners more than or differently than you already do. Be sure your customer receives all the related maintenance and operations manuals, and that any “non-typical” instructions or manufacturer recommendations are built into your homeowner manual. Again, with high-performance, green, or energy-efficient homes, owner operation and maintenance of the home and its systems play a critical role in the home’s long-term performance. If you are considering a switch in products, materials, or systems, be sure you run through this checklist to determine if the switch is the right option for your company, your homes and your home buyers. ■
HAVE YOU SIGNED UP FOR YOUR HBAM LICENSE PLATE YET? Get your own HBAM personalized license plate from the MVA. Call HBAM today at 410-265-7400 for availability.
Get a front row parking spot at Builder Mart with an HBAM license plate.
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ILDERS HOMEBnUof Maryland tio Associa
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What do Home Buyers Really Want in a Green Home? Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in green construction and they are starting to reward builders who can respond to more than just energy efficiency.
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onventional wisdom among builders is that the only green feature consumers want is energy efficiency, because it’s the one that can be easily quantified. Recent research shows, however, that builders adhering to this “wisdom” are focused on the green market as we used to know it, not the green market emerging today. Consumers are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their understanding that green construction is a comprehensive and integrated set of construction practices, and they are starting to reward builders who can respond to more than just energy efficiency. Is Energy Efficiency All that Matters to Consumers? The short answer to this question is “no.” Energy efficiency is a very tangible benefit that consumers recognize as valuable. The energy efficiency benefit is easily measured by the operational savings that the home buyer will realize, but consumers are looking for more than homes that are energy efficient, and a Green Certified home will deliver those benefits that consumers are seeking. Skeptical builders may object to building and certifying green homes and note that their buyers are not asking for “green.” And, it’s true that few homebuyers march into a sales center and declare that they are looking for a green home. The problem is that green is too vague, overused and often meaningless, but
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consumers do know exactly what they want. They just don’t necessarily call it “green.” Some other consumers may assume that a home tagged as “green” will cost more than they can afford. In these markets, it doesn’t mean that select green features aren’t desirable, just that consumers may be more interested in the specific benefits as opposed to a blanket categorization of features being green. The most important step in selling a green home is to convey to the buyer what makes the home green and how its environmental impact is rated.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Home buyers Respond to Diverse Sales Points Builders often want to sell their homes with a single marketing message. Unfortunately, research shows that gender, geography, age and educational level all impact which green marketing message will resonate best. Some examples: Energy efficiency, which results in lower operating costs, may be a difficult benefit to sell in neighborhoods where utility costs are low. Younger buyers typically care more about the potential environmental impact of their home and respond more favorably to information about features that reduce the home’s environmental footprint. Women are more influenced by green features than men and they often respond very positively to homes that have “show and tell” visual aids and interactive displays.
Sell the Benefits of Your Green Home, Not the Features In selecting a new house, most buyers have a few simple goals in mind. They aren’t necessarily looking for specific products, technologies, or features, but instead, they are looking at the advantages they will enjoy from the features. Therefore, don’t tout a tight thermal envelope – explain how the home will be warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer because a tightly sealed building eliminates drafts and unwanted pollutants. Buyers want their families to be comfortable in their home. Likewise, don’t automatically flaunt those low-VOC finishes or the MERV 8 air filters. Instead, boast about the improved indoor air quality with reduced pollutants and better ventilation. Buyers want their families to have a healthy home.
www.homebuilders.org
Green homes provide many benefits to the occupants and the community. However, when surveyed, home buyers consistently rate the following three categories of benefits as the most important: 1. A Healthy Place to Live
omes are healthier places to live for their occupants when H they are dry, ventilated and the contaminants within the building envelope are limited. When surveyed, these are the features that consumers said they were willing to pay a premium for even if it was difficult to quantify how fast their investment might pay them back over time. Builders should be prepared to specifically identify the practices and products that help contribute to the home being a healthier place to live. 2. Lower Operating Costs
nergy- and water-efficient homes cost less to operate. Most E consumers are willing to pay more for these features if their investment will pay them back over time. Consumers will find it useful if builders can calculate the savings a typical consumer might expect, as well as the return on investment. However, be mindful of the expectations such statements can create for consumers, and don’t unintentionally imply any guarantee of savings. Green homes include features and practices to make them more durable and require less maintenance, which also reduces operating costs. 3. A Contribution to a Sustainable Lifestyle
uyers are seeking homes and communities that improve B their quality of life. These buyers are looking for features that increase their home’s durability and are easier to maintain. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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They want neighborhoods where they can walk to community resources and their children can play. They are interested in building practices that are good for the environment; however, some may not pay a premium for those features without a payback on their investment, so look to incorporate those green features that can be incorporated without significantly increasing the consumer’s bottom line. Be prepared to specifically identify the practices and products that help a home contribute to a more sustainable lifestyle. Green Certified homes are designed and built to have a smaller environmental impact than a code-minimum home. For some buyers, a reduced environmental impact is an important selling point, but your sales staff should be trained to reveal if this is a motivation of your buyers.
Train Your Sales Staff Too often builders who construct high-performance homes rely on sales staff and realtors who are not familiar with the home’s green attributes and related benefits to make the case for buying a green home. Make sure your sales staff understands the features in the home that contribute to its performance, but also be sure that they are selling the benefits of the features and not the features themselves. Many green practices and products need explanation, such as advanced framing, thermal barriers, RValue, Low-E windows and air infiltration. At a minimum, sales staff should understand the basics of these practices and then know where to direct the buyer for more detailed information. The NAHB Research Center’s technical website, ToolBase.org, can be a helpful, non-commercial resource for explaining many green technologies and their benefits. Remind staff to discuss those features that increase the home’s durability, as those are often neglected in the sales pitch.
Third-Party Certification Matters An independent, third-party green certification means that your buyers don’t have to take your word that the home is a highperformance home. In the current housing market where many buyers are fraught with anxiety, third-party certifications have never been more important to provide credibility to the builder and assurance to the buyer. Numerous surveys and research demonstrate that independent, third-party verification and certification provide credibility and assurance that a marketer’s claims are truthful and accurate. In fact, a recent opinion survey by Cone LLC found that 80 percent of respondents believed that certification by a third-party organization is “important in providing oversight to ensure environmental messaging by companies is accurate.”
Comply with the Federal Trade Commission’s Green Guides The FTC issued proposed revisions to its Guides for the Use of Environmental Marketing Claims (Green Guides) to help marketers avoid making deceptive marketing claims. Familiarize yourself with the Green Guides and use them so that you don’t run afoul of the FTC. In general, the FTC wants environmental claims to be specific, quantified and substantiated. Builders should not make inflated or unsubstantiated environmental claims or deceptively use certifications and labels. For information about having a home Green Certified to the National Green Building Standard by the NAHB Research Center and marketing that certified home, visit www.nahbgreen.org/ certification. n
Mid-Atlantic
Remodeler A supplement to Mid-Atlantic Builder
HBAM Remodelers Council Silver Award Whole House Under $100,000 - $500,000 Starcom Design Build, Herbert Renovation
Mid-Atlantic
Remodeler
A supplement to Mid-Atlantic Builder
2012 HBAM Remodelers Joe Smith President
Board of Directors Nicole Bliss Guy Caiazzo Taylor Classen Cheryl Crowther Tim Ellis Steve Gilman Danny Kalmus Doug Kelly Donald Lynch, Jr. Ryan McGinn Chris Moline
Bob Myers Michael Owings Jennifer Purdy Bill Rauser Joe Smith Kaitlyn Sutherland Gregory Wall Bob Weickgenannt Howard Warfield
PAST Presidents Bill Rauser John Martindale Dave Chmura Michael Owings
Donald F. Lynch, Jr. Guy Caiazzo Taylor Classen
2012 SPONSORs Members do business with members Presenting Members
ChesapeakeHome Magazine
KC Company/Pella Windows
before&after Starcom Design Build Herbert Renovation These home owners had many concerns with their current house. They were unhappy with the size of the family room, the children’s bedrooms were too small, the bathrooms were outdated and drab, the old bar in the basement was uninteresting and they wanted an exercise room. Our design team worked closely with the clients to create a solution that would solve all of their worries. This three-story addition allowed for the expansion of the family room and bedrooms, a beautiful new exercise room with expansive views and a master bedroom that has an expanded two-person shower and much more storage. The home owners could not be happier. n
Why join HBAM Remodelers? Member Benefits
John H. Myers & Son
Susquehanna Bank
HBAM Remodelers offers many benefits to its members. Remodelers benefit from a variety of educational, mentoring and networking opportunities. In addition, the HBAM Remodeler’s serves to improve the quality of the industry and its members through these programs. By promoting certification programs to consumers, members of the council are sought after for their strong professional and ethical principles.
News & Information Saratoga Insurance
T.W. Perry
Contact Felicia Fleming at 410-265-7400, ext. 115 about 2011 Sponsorship Opportunities
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Ready to Join? www.mdremodelers.org The fee is $65.00 per year. For additional information on the HBAM Remodelers Council, contact Felicia Fleming at felicia@homebuilders.org or 410-265-7400, ext. 115.
National: Members of the Council receive a free subscription to Professional Remodeler magazine. Each issue focuses on practical business insights from the country’s leading remodelers. Members also receive NAHB Renews, a monthly e-newsletter about national news that affects our industry. Regional: Members of the Council receive a free subscription to ChesapeakeHome Magazine and are offered special advertising opportunities designed to help them reach upscale homeowners. Local: The council is featured in each issue of HomeFront, HBAM’s monthly enewsletter to promote its members, programs and events. Mid-Atlantic Remodeler is included in each issue of Mid-Atlantic Builder magazine.
MID-ATLANTIC REMODELER A Supplement to Mid-Atlantic Builder NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
president’smessage
events
Stay Positive and Carry On
The HBAM Remodelers, will announce the winners of its 22nd annual Remodeling Award of Excellence competition on Thursday, November 15th at the Towson Golf and Country Club.
The news seems to be filled with
negative stories and those wonderfully inaccurate and repetitious political ads. A type of armored shield, or short term memory, is needed to go out and be positive and energetic when entering your office or visiting a potential client. By the way, short term memory loss appears to be my path, but if that is not yours there is still plenty reason to be positive, just accentuate it. In my year as president, I have spoken to many business owners and key employees. Knowing the level of professionalism and enthusiasm of this group of people, I remain confident in our future. True, we have many battles yet to fight, both politically and economically, but I believe, due to pent up demand, our industry will continue to improve. This pent up demand will eventually scream for attention, as those maintenance projects begin to create more problems for homeowners. Of late, my experience has been that homeowners are deciding to stay in their homes, so they are choosing to pursue kitchen and bathroom remodeling to make life a little more enjoyable. They also realize that if they choose to sell in the future, these spaces will need to be updated to garner the best sale price. Some new opportunities for growth include merged families. The trend is that more parents are moving in with their children and children moving back with parents. These needs create remodeling projects and we need to change our message and the way we deliver it, to get in front of the right buyers.
Project financing is still an issue and I have forfeited more than a few projects due to lack of equity and imperfect credit. In answer to that dilemma, we have successfully used 203k loans as well as other non-traditional sources. The bottom line is that everything comes down to innovation and determination. As an industry, both locally and nationally, we have taken a hit in the past four years, but we are still standing! Congratulations all around on that achievement. Now we need to push ahead and not just survive, but thrive. Let us craft our companies to be engines of wealth. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the hardworking staff at HBAM who continue to make my job as president simple and enjoyable and who exude a positive and professional attitude on a daily basis, even under challenging circumstances. They are doing more with less and it has been a pleasure working with all of them. The RC has a very diverse group of outstanding members and it has also been a pleasure meeting and working with all of you. With our incoming president, Tim Ellis, I believe we are in great hands. The board is currently working on rebranding the RC to make it more visible to the buying public. This will benefit everyone and more information will be forthcoming, as we embark upon 2013.
Visit www.mdremodelers.org to get your tickets today. This program serves to recognize excellence in remodeling design and craftsmanship, to create a greater public interest in the remodeling industry and to recognize outstanding contributions by individuals and companies in the remodeling industry.
Happy selling,
Joseph Smith HBAM Remodelers President
www.homebuilders.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC REMODELER A Supplement to Mid-Atlantic Builder
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A Chesapeake Bay TMDL Q&A for Home Builders New homes may become more expensive to pay for the more sophisticated water management systems the Bay cleanup requires.
www.homebuilders.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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What is this all about? The beloved Chesapeake Bay has been ailing for a long time – fisheries have been declining, underwater grasses are disappearing and algae blooms have become a problem. There is no single culprit: Everything from poor farming practices to the overuse of lawn fertilizer to antiquated and overloaded storm water and sewer systems has played a part. The problems in the Chesapeake Bay exist in other American water bodies, and that’s why the new mandates to get it cleaned up are getting such close attention: If the new plan works, it will serve as a model for cleanup programs all over the country. Thirty years of voluntary efforts to restore the Bay have all met with failure—and now to a courtordered agreement in 2009 that forces the federal government and the affected states to figure out a way to ensure restoration of the Chesapeake Bay and its watershed by 2025. That restoration – partly in the form of new Total Daily Maximum Load requirements attached to the permits that jurisdictions and businesses must obtain to discharge water that eventually leads to the Bay—is coming with a hefty price tag for everyone who lives in the watershed. Residents of the District of Columbia and the six Bay watershed states – New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware—can expect more taxes and fees to repair and replace sewer systems, septic tanks and water treatment plants. New homes may become more expensive to pay for the more sophisticated water management systems the Bay cleanup requires. And whether groceries become more expensive to pay for the damage from fertilizer and sediment runoff from all the farms in the watershed is anyone’s guess.
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Please explain this new TMDL. TMDLs define for stormwater permit holders how much stormwater they can allow to leave a given system or location, under the presumption that the water contains pollutants that damage the Bay. TMDLs lead to binding water quality requirements that become part of the stormwater permit. Construction projects will only be allowed after the builder purchases “credits” or takes other measures to offset the pollution expected from the new building project. The Chesapeake Bay TMDL addresses the three most important pollutants that affect the Bay’s living resources: nitrogen, phosphorus and sediment. An annual “cap” on each of the three pollutants has been assigned to each of the states in the Bay watershed. Each state has fashioned the first of a threephase Watershed Implementation Plan to keep the state on track to meet the TMDL pollutant reduction goals by 2025. Phase II of the state WIPs will be finalized in 2012 and Phase III in 2017, the midpoint of the 15-year TMDL implementation period. Once the pollutant reduction goals have been met in 2025, those pollutant limits will remain in place forever, and new sources of pollution in the watershed will have to offset any new contributions of nitrogen, phosphorus or sediment. How big a deal is this? A really, really big deal. This rule is expected to be a severe challenge for the Bay states, their economies, their citizens and in particular for home builders. The costs will be enormous and may prove to be unachievable in a weak economy, but the affected governors have agreed to the TMDL regulatory concept to ensure the Bay’s restoration. More importantly, the EPA plans to use the TMDL to set the bar for similar programs around the U.S. where water bodies have been impaired by pollutants.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
What makes this TMDL so different? SEVERITY. EPA is relying ultimately on the develop-
ment of new, cost-effective technologies to be developed between now and 2025 to meet the TMDL because the pollutant reductions needed are severe and the cost will be enormous. Some industry sectors discharging significant amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, or sediment to the Bay will be severely challenged to find cost-effective ways to meet the reductions needed, with the construction industry and home builders in particular, singled out for detailed, prescriptive regulations regarding residential development throughout most of the 64,000 square miles of the Bay’s watershed. INNOVATION. These pollutant reductions must be made “to the
maximum extent feasible,” rather than the old “maximum extent practicable,” regulatory language that implies a much higher bar with less emphasis on cost-effectiveness and more on just getting the job done. The states must demonstrate “reasonable assurance” that permittees and nonpoint sources of pollution meet their pollution reduction requirements. Most importantly, states will end up with punishing consequences if they do not meet their goals under the rule. One punishment under consideration is the prohibition of new water discharge permits—in essence prohibiting new development. An outside, objective “Independent Observer” may be hired to oversee the Bay restoration program and ensure that each state’s goals are met every two years, or apply the consequences. A FOCUS ON CONTROLLING DEVELOPMENT. New homes and businesses around the Bay have been increasing nutrient and sediment loads at a faster rate than restoration efforts have been reducing loads. Pollutant loadings from developed and developing lands include discharges during the construction process, increased stormwater runoff from the roofs and new impermeable pavements of the new homes, and possible septic system discharges. New development is considered the only growing source of pollutants to the Chesapeake Bay and must be addressed in each state’s WIP.
www.homebuilders.org
How will it affect home building? EPA has sought very aggressive stormwater programs for the Bay State’s WIPs. As a result, Low Impact Development is now a mandate for construction activities in most of the Bay’s watershed. In addition, beginning in 2014, builders of new construction and redevelopment projects and new homeowners will be required to purchase credits periodically or install BMPs to “offset” the pollution resulting from each new home. Many home builders are familiar with low-impact development techniques, which include the use of rain gardens, the use of natural land features to redirect or better absorb runoff, and reducing the amount of impervious surfaces, such as sidewalks and driveways. These techniques are often harder to achieve in urban areas and can be unpopular with some suburban home owners, who don’t want to be prevented from adding a back porch or filling in a low-lying piece of their property to extend their lawns.
How is NAHB involved in the Chesapeake Bay restoration plans? NAHB has been a strong advocate for water quality trading programs as a way to lower the cost of compliance with the Bay TMDL. NAHB has shared information on the TMDL with the State HBAs in the Bay States and spearheaded conference calls or face-to-face meetings to hash out issues and strategies.
What should home builders being doing? The Home Builders Association of Maryland government affairs staff is working hard on the Chesapeake Buy issues and can give you guidance on any recent rule changes relating to stormwater management or septic systems. Please make an effort to attend the public meetings that discuss TMDL and provide your input. If you have questions on the Chesapeake Bay TMDL or related matters, contact Glynn Rountree of NAHB at 202-266-8662. At your request, Glynn will add your name to the NAHB mailing list for those interested in the Chesapeake Bay TMDL. n
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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Best Practices for Creating Affordable
Green Homes
Green building can be a viable solution for both builders and consumers in the affordable market.
E
veryone needs to stretch a dollar these days. This is certainly true for home builders. And it’s at least equally true for home buyers in the entry-level, affordable, or workforce housing sectors. Green building, once widely perceived to be a “luxury” approach to home building, can be a viable solution for both builders and consumers in the affordable market.
Constructing a green home does come with some costs, but a lot of builders find that green practices can actually reduce their construction costs and increase the quality of the homes they build. Many green practices also result in operational/maintenance savings for home owners that are particularly helpful for those in the market for an affordable home. Using a combination of input from builders participating in the National Green Building Certification Program and results from recent research on the costs and benefits of green affordable housing, the NAHB Research Center has identified some of the most beneficial practices to consider when building green for the affordable market. Below are some tips on how to make green building as cost-effective as possible so that you can pass the construction savings on to your buyers.
Product Selection Work with Your Suppliers
If you’re new to green building in general or to building green homes with a lower price point, you may want to start your journey by talking with your product suppliers. First Richmond Associates of Richmond, VA, has been building quality workforce housing for nearly two decades, but more recently decided that going green with their homes may provide even greater value to their customers and set them apart in their market. Susan Hadder, CGP, CAPS, president of First Richmond, admits they didn’t know much about green building when they decided to add it to their repertoire. So she let her suppliers know about the new direction they were taking and asked for their help. “A lot of them were as new to ‘green’ as we were,” Hadder found, “but they were excited to help us find the best product options available from various manufacturers. It was kind of fun for everyone to discover something new.” Hadder said she got very quick responses from all her product reps, along with some incentives, which helped her identify what the company needed to get its new green homes certified to the National Green Building Standard (ICC 700). She was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the green product options that would garner points for the home in the certification process were actually an even swap for her in terms of price. Specifically with flooring options, she found that recycled-content carpet and padding, engineered hardwood flooring, and recycled tile for the bathrooms were all competitively priced with www.homebuilders.org
the products she’d traditionally used – some a few pennies more per unit, some a few pennies less. First Richmond now has two of their “Earth-Friendly” workforce homes – sales prices range from the $170’s to low $200’s – Green Certified to ICC 700 by the NAHB Research Center and has plans for more.
Look for 2-for-1 Green Product Benefits To maximize green benefits while keeping construction costs low, use products or practices with multiple green features. For example, when specifying cabinets or cabinet materials, look for those that have low- or no-formaldehyde content and are made of recycled material. That way, you may be able to gain green certification points for both indoor environmental quality and resource efficiency. While most green rating systems won’t allow for “double-dipping” on points – i.e., claiming points in more than one area for the same green attribute in the same product or practice – most will allow for multiple green attributes in the same product to be counted across multiple point categories.
Don’t Forget Water Efficiency In our work with HUD, we found that water efficiency improvements for both new and renovated affordable projects are commonly overlooked, but offer a quantifiable benefit to homeowners for little to no additional construction cost. Be sure not to discount the cost benefits for affordable clients of low-flow faucets, toilets and showerheads, as well as rated water-saving appliances. As for finding the products you need at an affordable price, today there is a much wider array of low-flow toilets, faucets and showerheads on the market than even five years ago, which has made most basic models cost neutral with comparable nonlow-flow fixtures. Most major plumbing product manufacturers now offer these products, eliminating the need for costly special orders in most cases. With bathroom sink faucets, even if your manufacturer of choice doesn’t make a low-flow version, you can buy replacement aerators that satisfy the requirements of most national green rating systems for around $2 a piece.
Consider Alternative Framing Materials & Techniques Some changes in your framing materials or techniques might provide both cost- and time-saving measures and a means to an end in securing points toward green certification. Consider using panels or trusses, for example. These techniques are labor and resource efficient, resulting in less on-site waste and possibly even lower labor and materials costs overall. Fabricated systems often create greater thermal efficiency over stick frames. Many green rating systems, including the National Green Building Standard, also award points for use of panels and trusses. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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If you want to continue framing totally on site, there are several Optimum Value Engineering (OVE) techniques that can save on material and/or labor costs, and can generate some green points for you at the same time. Look into options like: Ladder blocking – uses less wood, makes more room for insulation, gets green points Two-stud corners – at least one less stud at each corner, allows for more fully insulated corner, gets green points Switch from 2x4 @ 16” o.c. to 2x6 @ 24” o.c. – may result in small increase in incremental cost initially, but gets a lot of green bang for your buck
design
Explore Low- to No-Cost Strategies with Design Green, at any price point, is not accomplished through product selection alone. Many of the other “ingredients” for a green home involve strategies that can cost very little or nothing at all. For example, depending on the orientation and size of your lot, flipping a house plan is a very low-cost, low-effort activity that can result in green benefits like positioning the majority of windows on the south side of a home for passive solar and natural lighting gains.
Rely on a Green Team of Professionals While hiring or contracting with a team of green design professionals for your affordable projects may seem counter-intuitive – i.e., more people on the payroll equals a higher cost for building the house – there are plenty of green builders out there who would tell you from experience that not having your own “green team” will cost you more in the end. Green homes often require a higher degree of precision in their design and construction to ensure that the finished product works the way it was designed to work, as a whole house relying on interdependent systems for its optimum efficiency and homeowner comfort. Having a team of experts well-versed in green products, practices and protocols can end up saving you thousands of dollars in trial-and-error and callbacks. That being said, there are certainly different ways to go about creating your team. One way is to seek out experts in areas such as mechanical systems, plumbing design and landscape architecture, with specific expertise in green building practices. Another tactic is to rally those with whom you already work to the pursuit of greener, more efficient homes. Similar to the enthusiasm and excitement Susan Hadder generated with her suppliers when First Richmond began seeking green solutions, you may generate the same kind of interest with your existing construction partners to learn all they can and contribute. Either way, it’s important to get everyone in your construction chain on the same page with what you’re trying to accomplish – contractors and suppliers who are not informed can create inadvertent barriers to your ultimate success.
Pay Attention to Placement & Sizing of HVAC & Plumbing Optimize your duct runs and centrally locate your mechanical room for material cost savings and increased energy efficiency. Even for smaller homes, be sure not to have more ducts or longer duct runs than you need in any part of the house. Using a central return also reduces material costs and is a simple system that can provide adequate circulation and cost savings to both you and your buyer. Placing all your HVAC equipment, including ducts, in conditioned space within the home is also beneficial in all green home designs. In addition to creating significant energy savings for homeowners, this practice may also allow you to spec smaller, less expensive HVAC equipment and limit or eliminate the need for additional insulation for the duct system. Many homes today, even those that may be otherwise very energy- and resourceefficient, have oversized HVAC equipment. As the building envelope of your homes becomes tighter and more energy-efficient, the HVAC burden is significantly reduced. A smaller system obviously costs less and could offset other green upgrades you’re making in your homes. For your plumbing system, make sure you have chosen the most efficient design for your purposes. For multi-story homes, consider a stacked system, which will probably require shorter plumbing runs, less piping and possibly less labor/time from your plumbing contractor. Also consider centrally locating your water heater – a central location makes the average of every run shorter, thereby reducing material costs.
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
HomeoWner education Regardless of what green features you incorporate into your affordable homes, be sure to provide your homebuyers some education on how to keep their homes operating optimally. Just like a new driver with a high-performance car, new homebuyers with green, high-performance homes need guidance on operation and maintenance too. ■
www.homebuilders.org
Low- or No-VOC Paints, Finishes and Adhesives
Updated windows
Properly sealed ducts
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
www.homebuilders.org
Upgraded HVAC system
B
efore you figure out where you might be going with the homes you build and sell in the future, you need to assess where you are right now relative to either current code requirements or some other level of performance (such as a green building standard). Many builders looking to revamp or refine their design offerings hire consulting companies to conduct these types of assessments. If you’re interested in gauging your own level of preparedness for the future, the information below should get you started. Start with a Full Design Assessment and Simulations The most logical first step in this kind of assessment is to catalog all of the energy features of the home for use in an energy simulation software program. The design assessment not only provides a comprehensive level of detail in understanding all of the house features together, but it also provides the necessary information to simulate the whole-house energy performance and how this performance fares relative to current code requirements. This will provide you with a base of the efficiency of your current designs; help you determine what might be feasible in terms of the new performance level you want to achieve; and guide you through the process of making various trade-offs with different features of your homes. The biggest benefit of running a whole-house simulation program is the ability to adjust variables like product R-values (or system-values), installation quality, equipment efficiencies and design placement of details such as windows or ducts, to achieve the maximum level of synergy amongst all of the home’s products and systems to provide the most value to your busi-
www.homebuilders.org
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ness and your customers. For instance, without the benefit of a simulation, you may estimate that upgrading your HVAC system will garner the most savings. However, evaluating an increase in insulation levels and improved windows might achieve similar energy savings and also result in a less costly HVAC system. And, this evaluation might benefit your preparedness for future energy code changes as well. The simulations can also provide a way to understand how different energy features work together, such as higher insulation levels and lower infiltration, to decide where to make initial and ongoing investments in your house design improvements. The simulation results can help show you which upgrades, alone or in combination with other changes, might provide the most savings for your investment in terms of hard costs, labor and what you believe you can market to home buyers. REMRate and EnergyGauge are two of the most commonly used programs used for whole-house energy simulations, but there are certainly other appropriate options available. If you are unfamiliar with energy simulation programs and would like to know a little more about each to help guide your decision, the Department of Energy (DOE) has a comprehensive Building Energy Software Tools Directory that includes Energy Simulation, among many other topics, on its website. This directory provides information on hundreds of tools for both commercial and residential applications, so it’s not necessarily where you want to start your selection process, as it can be a little overwhelming, but it might help you draw comparisons between a few options once you narrow the field. A short description is provided for each tool along with other information, including expertise required, users, audience, input, output, computer platforms, programming language, strengths, weaknesses, technical contact and availability.
Proper Installation is Key While simulations are very helpful, they are also somewhat idealized, not taking into account all the things that can (and do) happen on a construction site. Specifically, simulations assume the perfect installation of products and systems to achieve performance minimums. If you’re going to invest time and effort into developing a more advanced and/or more efficient version of your current or new home plans, don’t neglect details of the installation. More than with typical home construction, high-performance homes have very little tolerance for deviation from the construction plans and any significant deviation can have a negative “domino effect” on the efficiency of the rest of the structure. Make sure your crews understand all the nuances of proper installation, particularly when it comes to the building envelope and air sealing and/or any new framing details that you chose to implement. If you don’t already have detailed scopes of work for each of your trade crews, this would be the perfect time to develop and implement them. Working under DOE’s Building
America initiative, the NAHB Research Center is continuing to develop and add to a growing online information resource on building high quality, high performance homes that can help guide you in developing scopes of work and other related tools to help prepare you for future changes at www.toolbase.org.
Verifying Performance Conducting various types of performance testing/verification gives you the next piece of the puzzle in determining your efficiency starting point and goals. Performance testing on your current models can provide your own baseline of how well the building envelope and duct system limits air leakage. These test results can be used in the simulation software to provide a more accurate assessment of your current home design and construction. Once you’ve determined with your simulations what level of efficiency you’re trying to attain, but prior to construction of any new models, these tests are a barometer of how close (or how far away) you are to achieving your goal and where you most need to focus your attention. After you start building your new, more efficient designs, it’s a good idea to repeat the same tests to validate the details entered into the simulation program and the decisions you made as a result of that analysis. Blower door and duct tightness tests are the most common performance verification tests because they are able to show measurable results of the cumulative effect of your efforts toward making a home more efficient. For more information on these types of tests consult the following sites: Duct Tightness Resources:
• www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/ duct-leakage-testing • www.engr.psu.edu/phrc/training/Duct Leakage Testing.pdf Building Tightness Resources:
• www.nrel.gov/docs/fy00osti/26446.pdf • www.habitat.org/env/air_sealing/pdf
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
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Cost-Benefit Analysis When all is said and done, product choices, simulations and other planning tools can only be guideposts for the decisions you make with your home designs. Ultimately, you need to evaluate what enhancements you are willing and able to make, and at what cost, so that you achieve the right balance of market appeal and profitability for your business. However, the process can be repeated regularly to keep abreast of (or even ahead of) changing code and market demands. Investment in new products, establishing new trade contractor scopes of work, and even investing in new house layouts to both increase efficiency and limit cost increases need to be ongoing and dynamic processes to stay a couple steps ahead of changes in the building industry and the market.
The tools and techniques described here can help you take a more analytical view of your company’s construction plans and operations. They provide you the baseline information so you can determine the most efficient, cost-effective and marketable tradeoffs you can make without sacrificing the level of quality and performance you want to maintain in your homes. For more in-depth assistance, contact the Research Center at 800-638-8556. ■
Take a look www.homebuilders.org
Designed to meet the needs of builders, remodelers, subcontractors, suppliers and home owners. Easy to navigate, both consumers and industry professionals can instantly gain access to membership lists, statistical information, government affairs updates, event calendars and more.
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You’ll be able to register for events online, update your membership information, pay dues and more.
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www.homebuilders.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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The Maryland Center for Housing Be forever recognized as an industry support with a custom engraved paver at the new Home Builders Association of Maryland headquarters to be built in Maple Lawn, Maryland The Maryland Center for Housing will be a home for the Home Builders Association of Maryland, for the Building Industries Foundation, our non-profit arm, and for the home building and remodeling industry of Maryland. Thanks to a very generous lead gift by Stewart Greenebaum, the building will be located in Maple Lawn, Maryland in the southwest corner of Howard County, Maryland. Maple Lawn, a Smart Growth Community developed by Greenebaum and Rose Associates, is located in the heart of Central Maryland and is convenient to Interstate 95, US Route 1 and Maryland Routes 29 and 32. This headquarters will stand as a testament to the strength, vitality and endurance of the industry and the Association that represents it. Don’t miss your chance to be part of this lasting legacy.
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
“It has long been my goal to get the Association that represents the home building industry a home of its own” John Kortecamp HBAM Executive Vice president
www.homebuilders.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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Maryland Center for Housing Donors Thank you to the following companies for their generous financial support. Lead Donor: STEWART GREENEBAUM Rachuba Family Foundation Bob Ward Family Foundation Cornerstone Homes Dan Ryan Builders Elm Street Development Forty West NVR Powers Homes Residential Title Security Development Development Design Consultants Chateau Builders Goodier Builders Mark Sapperstein
Orchard Development Shelter Builder Communities Baldwin Homes Lennar Morris and Ritchie Associates MD Landmark Ray Guidace Selfridge Family Foundation Steuart-Kret Homes Columbia Builders IWIF Williamsburg Homes Goodier Baker Builders Linowes and Blocher
NAMING RIGHTS Rachuba Family Foundation Foundation Office Security Development Howard County Government Affairs Office Elm Street Development Finance Office NVR- Sales and Marketing Office Walter and Betty Ward Government Affairs Office
Thank you to the following companies for their contributions of labor, materials and professional services. Azek 84 Lumber A.C. & R. Foam Insulators Bartley Corporation Bruce L. Jones Contractor, LLC California Closets Charles A. Klein Choice Stairways CMW Co., Inc. Colonial Electric Creative Touch Interiors Delbert Adams Construction Design House Kitchens Dow Building Supply EnviroSolutions Fast Signs of Dundalk Fireside Hearth & Home 42
Fretz Companies Gaines & Company Glen-Gery Brick Gray and Son Gutschick, Little & Weber Harkins Builders Hillis-Carnes Engineering Associates Interior Concepts L&L Supply Leisure Specialties Modern Foundations Moen O’Neil Interactive Old Town Construction Out of Sight Home Theater Parksite Patterson Enterprises
Reico Kitchen and Bath Residential Title Richmond American Homes RLO Contractors Rosenberg, Greenberg & Martin Shannon Comer Architects Shelter Systems Sherwin Williams Siegel, Rutherford, Bradstock & Ridgeway SmartBox Portable Storage St. John Properties T.W. Ellis TW Perry Vintage Security Weyerhaeuser
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
6030 Daybreak Cr. #A150, PMP 362 Clarksville, MD 21209
www.homebuilders.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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foundation
Guindon Named 2012 Foundation Volunteer of the Year Marka Guindon has been named the 2012 Volunteer of the Year for the Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation. Marka has been a member of the Foundation’s Board since 2010 and never misses a Foundation event. She has been instrumental in building the caliber of the Foundation board by nominating new members and relaying the Foundation accomplishments to the association. “Marka is the kind of volunteer you want to sit on your board,” said Chris Rachuba, the Maryland Community Builders’ Guindon Foundation chairperson. “Not only does she come up with great ideas in the board room, she is always there to see them through and shows up to get the work done.” When there is a Foundation sponsored project Marka is always on duty. She spent countless days and nights at the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition build helping to make sure the volunteers were fed in the summer of 2010 and is always on hand to pitch in on the Rebuilding Together project days. In Marka’s own words, “My passion has always been giving back and helping the Community.” Congratulations to Marka on her tireless efforts and a job well done. Marka has been in the Mortgage Banking Industry for over 25 years specializing and focusing on providing mortgage loans and developing products/programs for builders, developers, Realtors and most importantly the home buyers. She is currently a Senior Home Mortgage Consultant with Essex Bank, servicing the Baltimore/Washington metropolitan area.
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Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation volunteers gather together on Rebuilding Together Day to change lives.
“Not only does she come up with great ideas in the board room, she is always there to see them through and shows up to get the work done.” Chris Rachuba Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation chairperson
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
green building BUILDING HOMES – BUILDING SUCCESS
Cracks! Are they inevitable? By H. Alan Mooney, P.E. President, Criterium Engineers
I
n the last issue, I talked about the quality issues we see in new construction. I noted that construction quality hasn’t changed much in the nearly 40 years that I have been evaluating homes in the United States but that what has changed are the reasons why. That discussion generated quite a bit of interest. To continue that theme, this issue will look at one particular source of construction quality issues and customer complaints:
Cracks! Cracks in drywall, cracks in tile, cracks in concrete, cracks in almost every surface in a house. Your buyers hate them and they think cracks mean poor quality construction. You know better but you still try to minimize the cracks that appear. What can you do? Here are a few thoughts. First, there are essentially two categories of cracks likely to show up in your homes: • Those that you can’t control • Those over which you have some control Notice I didn’t say anything about having complete control over any cracks. As long as we build our homes with wood, on soil and out in the weather, we will never have complete control over how they perform.
Cracks we can’t control The weather and soil have a lot to do with cracks you can’t control. Unusual periods of dry or wet weather can change the soil moisture content and increase or decrease soil pressure and settlement. Cracks in foundations and interior finishes will occur. Similarly, high or low humidity will cause wood to shrink or expand. Again, cracks will occur and you will have little control.
www.homebuilders.org
As long as we build
Cracks over which we have some control Settlement – From the ground up – that’s how we build our houses. However, we usually do very little to determine the characteristics of the ground (soil) before we build. Compressive strength, water level, moisture content, grain size and many more variables affect the ability of the ground to support a building. One or more of these variables may exist at different locations under the home. As a result, we get differential settlement. When a building settles, cracks occur. To minimize the risk of unpredictable soil performance, we should evaluate the soil before we build. While that may spoil the “adventure of building,” it will minimize the agony of floor slopes and cracks later. Evaluating the soil involves taking soil samples. Samples are usually taken by boring in the earth to get a range of samples at different, controlled depths. Borings also ensure uniformity in the sample size which makes the subsequent analysis more reliable. These samples are then analyzed by a soils lab to determine bearing capacity (how much will it hold up), plasticity index (how sensitive it is to changes in moisture content) and more. Soils evaluation is usually performed by a geotechnical engineer. It is important to work with someone who is well qualified. Soils are difficult to evaluate and future performance is a challenge to predict.
our homes with wood, on soil and out in the weather, we will never have complete control over how they perform.
Concrete cracks – Most of our foundations are concrete. Proper reinforcing and curing is critical to minimize cracking in concrete. Many foundations walls are only nominally reinforced. Vertical reinforcing in the walls and horizontal reinforcing in the footings is best. Concrete slabs should have adequate wire mesh at the mid-depth of the slab and proper control joints to control shrinkage.
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Curing is important. The rush to complete the foundations often does not allow adequate curing time. Keeping the concrete moist for at least 3 to 5 days will produce the best results. Curing agents help speed up the process but are not a substitute for good old fashioned curing. Finish cracks – almost all cracks in finishes
(tile floors, painted surfaces, etc.) are related to the inherent dimenional instablity in wood. However, some are the result of your choice of framing lumber. Tile floor cracks – the minimum deflection ratio
for flooring framing dictated by most building codes is L/240. In other words, the span (L) in inches divided by 360 is the maximum allowable deflection. For example, a 10 ft span (120 inches) can have 1/2 inch deflection and still meet code. That’s why dishes rattle in china closets when you walk through the room. Most finishes can tolerate that much deflection. Rigid materials, like tile, cannot. Thus, tile cracks. If you want to avoid tile cracks, use framing that will provide a higher (L/360 or more) deflection ratio. Wall to ceiling cracks – If you are using prefab/
pre-engineered trusses for roof framing, you may be victim of a phenonum called truss lift. In the attic, where the temperature at the ceiling can be significantly different than the temerature along the roof line, the various wood members that make up the truss will shrink and expand at different rates. And most trusses are designed to be supported only at the ends, not at intermediate points. The resullt is that the bottom chord (bottom horizonatl member) of the truss will move up and down, causing cracks between the wall and ceiling below. Crown molding attached only to the ceiling is one way to deal with that. Another is to use hardware that attaches the ceiling drywall to the wall and leaves 12 – 24 inches of flex in the ceiling. Other cracks – If cracks in drywall are diagonal, typically coming off of the corners of openings
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(doors, windows, etc.) that is probably structural. If it’s an exterior wall, it’s likely foundation settlement. If it’s an interior wall, it may be inadequate framing. Also, since engineered lumber is more dimenisionally stable than sawn lumber, mixing the two can lead to settlement and cracking as one shrinks (or expands) and the other one does not. For other, non-diagonal cracks, most are related to changes in the wood framing. The timber industry has established that 19 percent moisture content is an acceptable level for a piece of lumber to be used in construction. This is referred to as surface-dry or kiln-dried lumber. In most timber industries, drying lumber in kilns is no longer common. The term, however, has survived. There is also a standard in some forestry organizations that dictates that a piece of lumber sold for construction purposes must be at 15 percent moisture content or less. In other words, when that piece of lumber arrives on the construction site, there is still some water in it. Over the first few years after that piece of lumber is used in your home, the wood will shrink. As the moisture leaves the wood, the cellular structure must shrink to compensate for the absence of that water. Eventually, it will reach equilibrium with its ambient conditions which will vary according to the climate, part of the country, how the home is occupied, other available sources of moisture, etc. Typically, that piece of lumber will reach equilibrium with its surrounding conditions at somewhere between 8 and 12 percent moisture content. Thus, there will have been a change in moisture content between how it arrived on the site and where it finally reaches equilibrium. Sometimes, the moisture content will even go up temporarily depending on how the material is handled on the site and whether it is exposed to rain, high humidity, etc. For this reason, better contractors will often bring finished lumber into the house and allow it to sit there for several weeks or months so that it reaches equilibrium with the surrounding conditions
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
before it is cut and put in place. This is the best technique for getting the best results from a wood floor or quality wood trim, for example. There is yet another reason why wood is not dimensionally stable. It is not a uniform, homogenous material. The grain structure (those faint lines you see in a piece of wood which represent the layers of wood that have developed through the years of growth) will vary from season to season. Also, for various reasons, imperfections will develop, such as knots and pitch pockets (accumulation of sap in certain spots within the wood). These imperfections contribute to the dimensional instability of a piece of wood. They also contribute to the reasons why wood will twist, warp and/or split after it has been put in a home. As it dries out, the influence of each of these imperfections will take on different levels of significance within that piece of wood. Contractors committed to minimizing the affects of lumber related cracking and distortion are careful to select good quality material and reject a high percentage of what is delivered to the site. Some cracking is inevitable is all wood framed construction. Your customers should be informed about that. In other words, it’s up to you to manage expectations. At the same time, with some attention to detail and review of your designs, you can minimzie cracking in your houses. This is a brief overview of what we have observed. If you have questions, please send me a note, I will try to respond quckly.
www.homebuilders.org
As a final note, some large, National homebuilders we are familiar with are establishing some aggressive programs to build “defect free” homes. The problem of construction quality is gradually being acknowledged throughout the industry. Like any significant trend, it’s important to keep up or, when possible, be a leader. If you have statistics from your homes that prove they are better than average, share that with your buyers. While building a perfect home may not be possible, minimizing defects is. However, it does not happen by accident. You need to set that standard and hold others accountable for that standard. As you read my columns, if you have questions, please feel free to send me an e-mail (hamoooney@criterium-engineers.com), I will try to respond in a future issue or respond to you directly. Working together, my goal is to help explore new and better ways for you to build homes that you can be proud of and that will turn your customers into some of your best sales people! n Criterium Engineers has specialized in residential construction for more than 50 years, with more than 60 offices in more than 35 states. We have evaluated more than 750,000 buildings. H. Alan Mooney, P.E, President of Criterium Engineers, is a licensed, Professional Engineer in 8 states, with more than 35 years experience and has been the author and presenter for various NAHB programs, mostly on construction quality. For more information, please visit www.criteriumengineers.com and www.criterium-quality.com.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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stats&facts
There is light at the end of this housing tunnel By Brooke Burns
10,564 10,535 8,756
4,338 3,556 2,919 1,959 1,413 1,836
1,486
1,810
1,151
Foreclosure Regular Resale REO Sale New Sale
W
ith all economic indicators improving and heading in the right direction we can all breathe easier that statistics are in our favor for the housing industry. As Frank Anton would say “up is ALMOST always better than down, but down is SOMETIMES better than up.” Job growth is up, and the unemployment rate continues to go down. Home sales are up, however foreclosures are down. These four factors are the biggest indicators that we will continue to see growth in residential real estate.
The charts attached are showing closing totals for the first and second quarters of each year since 2010. While 2010 didn’t look too bad, we have to remember that we had the support of the home buyer tax credit. However if you look closely at foreclosures, they were at an all-time high. Resales have returned to more normal levels within the Baltimore MSA as well. New Home closings are also starting to normalize, and account for 20 percent of market share for total home closings.
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Both Baltimore and Washington have seen an increase in new home closings year over year. While they are not as dramatic as the increases in Raleigh, NC or parts of Arizona that have seen 1530 percent increases, they both have a strong market health rating overall which makes them more attractive for home building. We see the light, and it appears to be getting brighter. n Brooke Burns is the Regional Sales Director for Hanley Wood Market Intelligence and can be reached at bburns@hanleywood.com or 202-729-3678.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
governmentaffairs Anne Arundel County The Leopold Administration continues to stall on an agreement to reduce a fee after the Chapter compromised on a water and sewer fee increase. HBAM worked with the Leopold Administration on a water and sewer connection fee increase, with the agreement that the administration would reduce the county’s Allocation Reservation Charge (ARC), which is 40 percent of the anticipated water and sewer connection fees for developments and subdivisions. Our agreement included reducing the ARC fee to 20 percent of anticipated costs in separate legislation. The county passed the water and sewer connection fee increase and subsequently rejected the reduction in the ARC fee. The Chapter is working on a strategy to introduce legislation to lower the ARC fee as agreed to earlier.
Baltimore City The City Chapter is undergoing a change in the format of its monthly meetings that includes presenting mini-seminars focused on current issues in the City. The Chapter continues to work with the Baltimore Development Workgroup on local legislation and emerging development related issues. At the June Chapter meeting, Chapter President Russ Robertson hosted individuals from the agriculture community for a discussion on urban agriculture. The event was a success and exposed market demands, land use matters and property tax issues that are of mutual benefit to both residential and urban agricultural interests. The discussion also examined matters that link food-deserts, nutrition and vacant housing. For the September session, the Chapter hosted Colin Tarbert, the Mayor’s Deputy Director, Economic and Neighborhood Development and Joe Cronyn, Principal at Lipman Frizzell & Mitchell, LLC, for an in-depth conversation regarding the Mayor’s growth objective of 10,000 new families in Baltimore City. Colin discussed the Mayor’s growth plans while Joe discussed the realities of how markets grow. The event attracted over 40 HBAM members and was also a success. The new format seems to be working and will be continued. www.homebuilders.org
Upcoming Chapter Events November 1 Howard/Carroll joint Happy Hour at Baldwin’s Station November 14 Baltimore City Chapter’s Fogo De Chao Dinner December 6 at 4 p.m. The Anne Arundel Chapter annual Holiday Party at Whitehall Development.
Baltimore County Baltimore County has released their tier map to implement SB 236. Although Chapter members and other stakeholders met with and communicated with the County during the map development process, the released map is not workable and downzones far too much developable land, especially in the RC-5 zone. Chapter members are fighting this proposed map and hope to decrease the amount of Tier 4 in the final map. The Chapter is also pursuing a change in the Minor subdivision definition to be 7 lots or less.
Carroll County Carroll County Commissioners passed an ordinance lowering the schools portion of the impact fee to $0 for a period of 2-years, starting June 15, 2012. Building Permits applied for after June 15 are not required to pay this portion of the impact fee.
Howard County The Howard County General Plan, referred to as Plan Howard, passed the Council in July but not before the Council took out the proposed tier map. A new map is being developed and will be submitted as separate legislation in November. In the original map, the County proposed to add all RC zoned land as Tier 4, and all RR zone land as Tier 3. All areas in the east served by water and sewer would be in Tier 1. Chapter members will continue to fight a map based on RC and RR zones, and work towards a map the bases the tiers solely on conserved and developable land. The Howard County Council recently passed legislation giving home owners property tax credits for making handicap accessible retrofits to their home. The property tax credit will apply to home owners making aging in place retrofits to homes, such as no-step entrances, wider doors, ramps, grab bars in the bath room, no step shower and baths, etc. The credit is capped at $2,500 per homeowner, and $100,000 aggregate for the entire county. To qualify for the credit, the homeowner must obtain a building permit and inspection. n HBAM Government Affairs Michael Harrison Senior Director of Government Affairs michael@homebuilders.org 410-265-7400, ext. 109
Upper Chesapeake Chapter The Upper Chesapeake Chapter is pursuing a side yard setback amendment to the Harford County Code to eliminate the provision that requires a minimum 20’ side yard set back. The code currently says houses must include at least 6’ on each side, with a minimum aggregate of 20’, so the setback could be 10’ on each side, or 6’ and 12’, or some other combination.
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HBAM Welcomes New Members Associate
Bath Kitchen and Tile Center David Murkey 375 Bellevue Road Newark, DE 14713 Phone: 302-737-4968 Supplier - Appliances
Dunn’s Floor Covering, Inc. Jean C. Page 8260 Preston Court Jessup, MD 20794 Phone: 443-744-2124 www.dunnsfloorcovering.com Supplier - Flooring
Kinsley Construction, Inc. Michael D. Royer 1922 Greenspring Dr Suite 5 Timonium, MD 21093 Phone: 410-984-6362 www.rkinsley.com Subcontractor - Excavating, Grading & Utilities Sponsor: Robb Aumiller, Mackenzie Communities
Sagal, Cassin,Filbert & Quasney, PA
Sponsor: Tim Morris, Williamsburg Homes
Dan Quasney 600 Washington Ave Towson, MD 21204 Phone: 410-831-1881 Professional Services - Other
Jay Day & The Day Home Team
Top Notch Mailbox Co.
Jay Day 3290 N. Ridge Road #150 Ellicott City, MD 21043 Phone: 301-418-5395 Professional Services - Real Estate
John T. McGuire John McGuire 1245 Creek Drive Annapolis, MD 21403 Phone: 443-924-4145
JD Harriman 4528 Yorkshire Drive Ellicott City, MD 21043 Phone: 410-461-2334 www.atopnotchmailboxco.com Supplier - Mailboxes & Outside Identifying Signs
West Shore Window and Door Michael Spiegelberg 7309-F Grove Rd Frederick, MD 21704 Phone: 301-712-9370 Supplier - Doors, Windows & Glass Block
Builder
Platinum Construction Group, LLC
28 Walker Development Mark Sapperstein 28 Walker Ave. Baltimore, MD 21208 Phone: 410-653-4600 Developer Sponsor: Morgan Gilligan, Stewart Title
GP Construction Co., Inc.
Jeremy Ziegler 53 Odeon Ct Parkville, MD 21234 Phone: 410-459-9120 www.atlanticacquisitions.com Remodeler
Remodeler Allan Homes, Inc.
Paul Amirault 11836 Bel Air Road Kingsville, MD 21087 Phone: 410-593-9881 Developer
Rita Campbell 10260 Old Columbia Road Columbia, MD 21046 Phone: 410-381-1414 www.allanhomes.com
Sponsor: Robb Aumiller, Mackenzie Communities
Design Build Remodeling Group
Liparini Company Nicholas Liparini 11363 Cotswold Spring Farm Lane Ellicott City, MD 21042 Phone: 410-977-0578 www.liparini.com Professional Services - Real Estate
Miller and Smith LLC Chuck Ellison 8401 Greensboro Drive, Suite 300 McLean, VA 22102 Phone: 703-821-2500 www.millerandsmith.com Builder
Eric Swanson 6229 Sykesville Road Sykesville, MD 21784 Phone: 443-300-2268 www.designbuildremodelgroup.com Remodeler - Exteriors
Emory Construction Michael Emory 3349 Arundel on the Bay Road Annapolis, MD 21403 Phone: 443-336-0784 Remodeler
Sponsor: Chris Rachuba, The Rachuba Group
Do Business With Your Fellow HBAM Members. “Building Your Business Through Association” is our philosophy. HBAM members believe that they should support those who support the building industry. NETWORK with other companies in the building industry to gain new contacts as well as strengthen your current ones at the Celebrity Chef Night and Auction, sporting events, chapter and council meetings and more.
ADD CREDIBILITY for your company in the building industry as well as with the general public by being associated with one of the largest building associations in the country.
KEEP UP-TO-DATE about pertinent legislative and regulatory issues on a local, state and national level.
WWW.HOMEBUILDERS.ORG is designed to serve both consumers and those in the building industry. You can access the latest legislative news, find out about member benefits, profile your company in the online directory or register for an event. Consumers can visit the HBAM home page to find you and other builders or suppliers in their area.
INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE of the building industry through our educational programs and seminars. TARGET YOUR MARKET with cost effective advertising in any of HBAM’s publications and receive a spreadsheet of HBAM members. STAY INFORMED with HBAM’s publications. You will receive Mid-Atlantic Builder, BNN, HomeFront Online and the Buyers’ Guide.
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Contact Felicia Fleming at 410-265-7400, ext. 115 or felicia@homebuilders.org for more information.
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org
Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation
Turning the Page Continued from page 4. of volunteer leaders, I gambled and stayed on to see through the work that had been started. By now we were within striking distance of operating in the black and we: paid, renegotiated and in various ways resolved our outstanding debt; settled the three lawsuits; paid the IRS; kept key staff; and, gradually began to grow the organization. Over the ensuing years we’ve enjoyed many successes. In 1999 we established our non profit charitable foundation; very quickly became politically relevant in Annapolis in the introductory era of Smart Growth; created three broadly-based statewide policy initiatives, some admittedly more successful than others; conceived and funded several third party analyses of key land use issues central to the industry’s future; and developed important relationships within state government, most notably MDP, DHCD, MDOT and MDE among others as well as with important non aligned organizations, most notably the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, but to varying degrees, several others as well. With respect to Public Policy, our guiding principals have been that success is based on relationships, organizational as well as personal, and that trust is based on performance, not words. From an operational standpoint the Association and I have been fortunate over the years to have had the support of a strong talented and committed staff that has worked constantly to improve programs, products and services. In the policy arena, there is no longer a question of relevance, nor has there been for a very long time. At the municipal, county and state levels our input, concerns and support are broadly respected and sought after by elected and appointed officials alike. The challenges persist and will continue to do so for all time, but together the staff and scores of volunteer leaders at every level of the Association have collectively earned our seat at the table. Now, as the page turns for me personally, as well as, to large degree, for the Association we are slowly but inevitably leaving the “great recession” in the past. Over the 16 years, I have often said, in good times and bad, that the organization is a mirror of the industry. So it is today...somewhat battered by forces beyond our reach, but moving on and moving ahead. With your continued support, participation and leadership a bright and prosperous future is assured. Best wishes to you all for health, happiness and success ...and thanks.
John Kortecamp HBAM Executive Vice President
www.homebuilders.org
Join us as we come together to change lives. We need your help.
The Maryland Community Builders’ Foundation, the charitable arm of the Home Builders Association of Maryland, was formed to promote shelter related activities for those less fortunate throughout the Baltimore region. The Foundation focuses on ‘sticks and bricks’ projects that provide shelter or shelter improvements for needy families. Our strategy is to provide shelter-related charitable services in the region by calling upon HBAM members for donations of labor, materials and funds. Won’t you help us help our communities? Visit our website today. It’s easy to get involved: • Donate Time and/or Materials • Request Assistance
• Share Your Projects with Us and get PR • View our Latest Projects
Don’t stand on the sidelines— Get involved today www.buildingindustriesfoundation.org
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012 MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER
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Affiliation Agreement Entered Continued from page 6. State or Federal legislative and regulatory efforts and to discuss key policy issues, as well as special legislative initiatives and financing for addressing these issues. Each Association will continue to work in good faith to explore the feasibility of a future merger or consolidation of the Associations. Those are just a few of the highlights from the agreement. There is much more included that I don’t have room to cover here. In my opinion, the combined lobbying efforts will prove to give the most benefit to our combined membership. By working together, our voice will be bigger and our impact will be greater. As for the exploration of a future merger, only time will tell but you can be assured, that HBAM is always looking out for its membership and we have your best interest and future business success at heart. It’s been a great run as president and through the year I have learned to appreciate our association and understand its value even more than when I started. HBAM is constantly striving to make our industry better and our members successful. Your investment in membership is well spent and I encourage you to make sure your industry peers join in and show their support as well. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank John Kortecamp for his 16 years of dedicated service and strong leadership. I appreciate his guidance and support through the year and wish him the best in his retirement.
Rod Hart 2012 HBAM President
BALTIMORE | Sulphur Spring Rd. SEVERNA PARK | Park Plaza | 410.247.8088 CaliforniaClosets.com
MD Baltimore_Builder_4.62x9.75_0212.indd 1 52
MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2012
2/20/12 2:27 PM
www.homebuilders.org
How will you meet 2012 Energy Code requirements?
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Contact Eddy Esplund, Tremco Barrier Solutions, to schedule a no-obligation “Energy Trade-Off Analysis” on your most popular home models. Learn how the Enviro-Dri WRB can reduce air changes, reduce your construction costs, and help you meet the 2012 IECC code. EDDY ESPLUND, CSI-CDT AT 609.206.7624 EESPLUND@TREMCOINC.COM
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MID-ATLANTIC BUILDER OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 www.homebuilders.org