SUHBA News You Can Use Volume 1, Issue 1
April 30, 2012
Southern Utah Home Builders Association 2012 Board of Directors President James Sullivan S & S Homes
Our Mission is to Build Communities. Our Tools are Education, Communication, Participation, and Advocacy.
1st Vice President Austin Anderson AJ Construction 2nd Vice President Jake Joines J2 Construction Associate Vice President Brett Robinson BA Robinson & Sons Construction Immediate Past President Kelly Stephens SunRiver Construction Builder Directors Tyler Meyers Henry Walker Homes Jair Almarez Ivory Homes Brian Geer Brian Geer Development Associate Directors Joseph McPhie So Utah Title Co Trever Johnson Wilkinson's House of Lighting Casey Brown Better Professional Painting Steve Davis Rainbow Sign & Banner Attorney Nathan Fisher Dixon Truman Fisher & Clifford Treasurer Morris Peacock Hinton Burdick CPAs & Advisors Government Relations Tracy Ence Ence Homes Executive Officer Carol Sapp SUHBA
Inside this issue: National Green Building Conference
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Lead Paint Rule
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Labor Market Continues to Grow
3
Local: Sustainable Growth & Water
4
5 New Calculator Shows Buyers How Much Home They Can Afford
May is Home Remodeling Month
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SUHBA News You Can Use
Quick Links: Registration Education
“You’ll get contacts, resources and ideas that are good for your organization, your customers and your bottom line”.
Utah Administrative Rules Open for Public Comment regarding changes to LeadBased Paint Activities.
The National Green Building Conference & Expo provides exceptional building science and technology knowledge on the principles and trends of green building. You'll learn about these practices from well-known general session speakers, be able to interact with industry experts and your peers during education sessions that include special sessions from the Energy and Environmental Building Alliance (EEBA). You'll see these principles applied during the Green Building & Technology Tour. You'll talk about products
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--their uses and performance-in an exhibit hall that is completely dedicated to green home building suppliers. You'll recognize your industry peers for their achievements during the National Green Building Awards. You'll get contacts, resources and ideas that are good for your organization, your customers and your bottom line. With the residential green home market expected to increase fivefold by 2016, now is the perfect opportunity to ReEvaluate, ReFocus and Re-
Commit to Green Building. Join us at the Nashville Convention Center!
Join the SUHBA SouthwestGreen Build Council today! Call 674-1400 for more information.
EPA Reports Enforcement Actions on Lead Paint Rule The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently announced its first known enforcement actions on remodelers following implementation of the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (LRRP) on April 22, 2010. In the first of three cases, a rental property owner agreed this March to pay $10,000 to resolve rule violations tied to what the agency says was improper use of power equipment to remove paint from the exterior surface of an 1850s apartment building in Rockland, Maine. The complaint further alleged that workers had not been trained under the rule and that the property owner had failed to apply for firm certification with the EPA. In the second case, a New Jersey window and siding company had to pay $1,500 this March due to failure to contain renovation dust, contain waste and train workers in lead-safe practices as part of a
home renovation project in Edison, N.J. The third case involved a home repair company in Omaha, Neb., that was charged a $5,558 penalty for failing to provide owners or occupants of housing built prior to 1978 with an EPAapproved lead hazard information pamphlet and failing to obtain written acknowledgement from residents prior to the beginning of renovation activities at five homes. The EPA states that a company's or individual's ability to pay a penalty is evaluated in all such cases, and that penalties are adjusted accordingly.
Related Information Division of Administrative Rules - Utah: Notice of Proposed Rule Lead-Based Paint Program Purpose, Applicability, and Definition
The Value of an Education: an NAHB Education I know quite a few industry professionals, from around the country, and it seems to me that those who have decided to learn more about their industry are successful.
Read the entire Education post at associationmaximization.blogspot.com
Volume 1, Issue 1
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Labor Market Continues to Improve, But at a Slower Pace For housing demand and construction to recover to normal levels, employment must continue to grow. While job prospects are increasing, the pace of hiring has slowed according to recently published government data. March payroll employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that the unemployment rate dropped to 8.2%: a marginal decline. However, the fall was due to 164,000 discouraged individuals dropping out of the labor market. In March, net payroll employment grew by only 120,000, which fell short of market expectations given the recent improving trend. Additional labor market data reveal that hiring in the construction market slowed in early 2012. The hiring rate for the sector fell to 5.6% of total employment, with net sector job creation for the year to date at only 11,000 positions. Nonetheless, the job openings rate for the overall economy continues its upward postGreat Recession trend. The openings rate now stands at 2.6% of total employment, which is the highest rate since the middle of 2008. Housing data are also consistent with a slight pause amid a number of positive indicators. Private residential construction spending in February was essentially unchanged. Spending on single-family homes was down 1.5% from upwardly revised January numbers. Nonetheless, single-family construction expenditures are up 22.4% since the market bottom in 2009. Multifamily expenditures con-
tinued to grow in February, up 2% as the sector continues to lead the industry. Remodeling spending was down for the second straight month, but home improvement expenditures were larger than singlefamily construction totals for the 16th time in the last 17 months. The Case-Shiller house price data indicated a small monthly decline for the January reading, but the data continue to tell a varied story depending on the metropolitan area. Among the 20 component cities, three cities posted positive gains in January. Most of the declines were embedded in strong seasonal patterns, while 12 cities remained above earlier troughs. The NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index grew again in April, rising from 99 to 101. The index now classifies a quarter of all metropolitan areas as improving. However, the rate of growth of the index has recently slowed. And future readings of the measure may not be steady as local house price and employment variables reflect recent trends. April is New Homes Month, so Eye on Housing has also presented a number of analytical articles concerning new construction. Data from the American Housing Survey confirm that new home are less expensive to maintain that older homes. Moreover, the data indicate that new homeowners prefer their neighborhoods than other homeowners. NAHB also examined what to expect from pent-up housing demand. As labor markets improve, data from the American Housing Survey suggest
that about 70% of new household formations will be renters, which in turn will affect rental vacancy rates and rents, and encourage some existing renters to become homeowners. Other analysis and information appearing on NAHB’s Eye on Housing economics blog include: NAHB has published county-by -county estimates of total remodeling spending. Areas on the coasts and resort areas had the highest tallies. A new paper from NAHB Economics estimates the total for residential construction employment by state and Congressional district. NAHB recently completed its 700th "local economic impact of home building" report. These reports estimate the jobs, tax, and other economic benefits that occur in local areas due to new home construction. Read more posts from NAHB Eye on Housing at eyeonhousing.wordpress.com
“Nonetheless, the job openings rate for the overall economy continues its upward post-Great Recession trend�. NAHB, Chinese Manufacturers Sign Major Exhibition Agreement WASHINGTON, April 19 -The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has signed a memorandum of understanding with a major Chinese trade association that will bring a large number of additional manufacturers and product options to the annual NAHB International Builders' Show in Las Vegas in January 2013. The agreement underscores the International Builders' Show's role as the preeminent light construction trade show in the Americas. A formal signing ceremony was held April 19 in Foshan, China, between officials from the China Building Ceramics & Sanitaryware Association and NAHB's Immediate Past Chairman Bob Nielsen, a home builder and developer in Reno, Nev., and Mark Pursell, NAHB Senior Vice President for Exhibitions, Marketing and Sales. "This agreement is a big win for both organizations," Nielsen said. Follow www.Twitter.com/ NAHBMedia for more on this and other topics.
SUHBA News You Can Use
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Volume 1, Issue 1
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Calculator Shows Buyers How Much Home They Can Afford A newly updated tool from NAHB Economics helps consumers determine how much home they can reasonably afford, and can also be a very useful resource for builders' sales staff. NAHB's Affordable House Price Calculator is a handy tool to have at your fingertips when a prospective buyer is not sure how much home they can comfortably afford based on their available income and downpayment. In an example cited in our Eye on Housing blog, based on conventional mortgage underwriting standards and national average assumptions about mortgage, tax and insurance rates, the calculator shows that a family who earns $60,000 a year and has a $10,000 downpayment can afford to a purchase a home priced up to about $218,500. The spreadsheet calculator
tool is designed to make such information quickly available to users who have Excel, and the NAHB website provides helpful instructions on how to make sure that program is correctly set up on your computer for the tool to work. Importantly, NAHB also offers a second version of the calculator that lets the user specify the loan-to-value ratio instead of a downpayment. For convenience, the updated versions of the calculators contain national averages for the required assumptions and
links to current interest and local property tax rates. Remember that NAHB's affordable spreadsheet calculators aren't just for consumers -builders and Realtors may also want to use them to help prospective customers decide what home is right for them. For access to both versions of the affordable house price calculator, and instructions for setting up Excel to run them, click here. Your contact for more information is Paul Emrath (800-368-5242 x8449).
Get Ready to Celebrate National Home Remodeling Month The NAHB Remodelers are getting ready to promote National Home Remodeling Month in May, and they have some great resources for accomplishing this within the National Home Remodeling Month campaign kit. Materials within this kit include customizable press releases and opeds, downloadable web banners, and some very helpful suggestions on ways that local HBAs can increase community awareness of this important time. One great idea is to hold a seminar about remodeling for aging-in-place at a local senior center or other community organization. This
would be an opportune time for local remodelers to explain the fundamentals of universal design, describe the expertise of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists, and share examples of aging-in-place remodeling projects.
up Excel to run them, click here.
Read more tips for National Home Remodeling Month, or contact Nissa Hiatt (800368-5242 x8451) for more information. and Realtors may also want to use them to help prospective customers decide what home is right for them. For access to both versions of the affordable house price calculator, and instructions for setting
Join the NAHB Remodelers Group on LinkedIn to become part of the discussion.
Your contact for more information is Paul Emrath (800368-5242 x8449).
Appraisers and Builders Still at Odds Over What New Homes Are Worth
Are Appraisals Killing Home Sales? Weigh in on the discussion at
Friends of NAHB LinkenIn Group
Southern Utah Home Builders Association
SUHBA Staff Coral Canyon Town Center 2303 N Coral Canyon Blvd. #200 Washington, UT 84780
Executive Officer Carol Sapp carol@suhba.com
Phone: 435-674-1400 Fax: 435-674-2866 E-mail: suhba@suhba.com
Director of Operations Mari Smith mari@suhba.com
"Our Mission is to Build Communities. Our Tools are Education, Communication, Participation and Advocacy".
Visit us on the web: www.suhba.com www.paradehomes.com www.buildingconference.com
Member Services Director Kathy Tolleson kathy@suhba.com Administrative Assistant Toni McDonald toni@suhba.com Accounting Barbara Button books@suhba.com
Stay Connected To Your Industry Connect to building industry professionals in Southern Utah and stay up to date on what’s happening with SUHBA events at a moments notice. SUHBA Facebook Group SUHBA Parade of Homes Facebook FanPage SUHBA Twitter SUHBA YouTube Channel
There are also many NAHB LinkedIn Groups that might interest you and connect with professionals from across the country to share ideas and network: The National Association of Home Builders Friends of NAHB NAHB Associates NAHB Remodelers NAHB National Sales and Marketing Council Official NAHB Professional Women in Building Network Find NAHB on other popular social networks
Additional Groups or Blogs The Associate Outreach Network Association Maximization Blog