Value of Membership: What is membership in your HBA worth?

Your HBA and its affiliate, NAHB, consistently deliver real value for our members.

At any given time, your HBA is working on more than 100 complex issues – and doing its utmost to save members money – in areas including the tax code, federal housing programs, environmental laws, building codes, OSHA, building materials, qualified residential mortgages, residential appraisals and many others.

Such issues can severely impact our industry; a single win can save builders thousands of dollars on every home they build. Likewise, a single loss can cost builders thousands of dollars on every home they build.

Below is a list of some of the more significant advocacy victories NAHB has achieved recently in terms of monetary impact. Please note that the dollar values below are based on averages across the industry and that these numbers do not necessarily apply in all areas of the country.

1. NAHB challenge to EPA stormwater regulations saved builders $1,970 on each home built.
2. NAHB advocacy on form 1099 reporting requirements saved each member $230 per year.
3. NAHB saved Remodelers $260 per room on lead testing requirement.
4. Flood insurance victory will preserve 10,100 new home sales in 2013.
5. Fire sprinkler victories will save $6,316 per home in some areas in 2013.
6. Supreme Court win could save $200,000 for those seeking wetlands permits.
7. Higher FHA loan limit saved 6,300 new home sales in 2012.
8. Elimination of visitability porch requirement will save $1,350 per home.

These represent just a fraction of the issues that NAHB addresses on an ongoing basis. More details on these and other NAHB initiatives are available on the following pages. In addition, NAHB continues to advance the policy priorities determined by its Board of Directors.

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments 2012, Number 11: Association Leadership Institute

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders in 2012.

Accomplishment number 11: Production of the Highly Successful Association Leadership Institute

The Association Leadership Institute brought nearly 400 HBA Executive Officers, staff, member leaders and industry experts to New Orleans for a dynamic educational experience focusing on association functions, leadership development and team collaboration.

Billed as a combination of our previously offered EOC Seminar, Membership Conference, Leadership Conference and State and Local Government Conference, the newly created Association Leadership Institute (ALI) took place in New Orleans this August. The event provided a solid educational experience and a fantastic opportunity for networking with colleagues and industry experts, with 35 quality education programs and a host of nationally acclaimed speakers. Participants came away with practical solutions for key association functions to lead their organizations forward. Plan now to attend the next ALI in Portland, Ore., Aug. 14-17, 2013. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments 2012, Number 10: Webinars

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 10: Production of a Wide Variety of Educational Webinars that Have Given our Members Access to Top Industry Experts and Advice

NAHB has produced 20 educational webinars and has 15 more informative offerings to come in 2012. NAHB webinars offer expert discussion on industry issues, trends and best practices, and give our members access to top industry experts.

Designed to meet the needs of a broad range of participants, our webinars are relatively inexpensive to produce and provide a cost-effective way to reach our members with the information they need to improve their businesses. One of the recent highlights of the NAHB webinar program was the well-attended and well received State of the Industry: A Mid-Year Update webinar in July. Speakers included NAHB CEO Jerry Howard, Chief Economist David Crowe, and Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin. More than 500 individual sites were registered for this offering, which was a record high. Another very popular offering was the Financing for Home Builders webinar, which was provided free to members and gave guidance on how home builders can access and maintain credit for their projects. Our webinar speakers have been evaluated as top experts in their field, and 94% of webinar attendees surveyed said it is likely they will participate in a future such event. In total, more than 1,700 sites and more than 50 HBAs have participated in NAHB webinars this year. For all of NAHB’s upcoming Wednesday Webinars, go to www.nahb.org/webinars.

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments, Number 9: Combating Water Pollution Myths

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders in 2012.

Accomplishment number 9: Combating Myths About Building’s Role in Water Pollution
A new NAHB resource helps HBAs and developers overcome the myth that home building is a major source of water pollutants due to storm water runoff from construction sites.

This resource, titled Water Quality and the Construction Industry, employs recent government data to explain how agriculture, dam making and other activities overwhelmingly affect water quality, while sediment released from residential construction accounted for significantly less than 1% of the total sediment in surface waters as of 2009. In fact, as the presentation notes, EPA’s own data shows that pollutant discharges from construction sites have decreased over time -- primarily due to the steps that builders and developers take to control the storm water that runs off of their sites. This fact, along with EPA’s admission that "construction sites are already being adequately addressed through existing programs,” indicates that there is little need for states or municipalities to take additional steps to control construction site runoff. Rather, in most instances, doing so would only result in higher construction costs and higher home prices, with little or no added environmental benefit. The slide presentation is available for NAHB members to download as part of our “Land Use 101” package of detailed information and background materials on infrastructure, green development and other topics. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments, Number 8: Immigrant Housing Demand Model

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 8: Development of a Model that Predicts Housing Demand From New Immigrants (and Other Important Economic Studies)

NAHB has developed a model that takes into account the age of newly arriving immigrants, region of origin and length of stay in the United States. The model then assigns probabilities of becoming a head of household, purchasing a home and moving into single-family or multifamily property based on immigrants' characteristics. An analysis facilitated by this model reveals that new immigrants can conservatively be expected to occupy more than 2 million multifamily units and 1.2 million single-family homes over the next 10 years, with more than 900,000 of these new immigrants becoming home owners.

Findings of this analysis are detailed in the NAHB study "Immigrants and Housing Demand," which is available free of charge from our HousingEconomics.com website and includes estimates of the rates at which immigrants form households, move into multi- or single-family housing units, and choose to buy or rent their residences.

NAHB's model predicts that, upon their arrival to the U.S., more than three quarters of new immigrants will choose multifamily units and other housing arrangements, while only 24% will immediately move into single-family attached or detached units. However, by the time these families have been in the U.S. for 10 years or more, close to 50% of them will have moved into single-family homes. And for European- and Asian-born households, the share of expected single-family dwellers after 10 years is even greater. Read more about what NAHB's model projects in terms of immigrant-based U.S. housing demand over the next decade by downloading a free copy of our latest study from HousingEconomics.com. Contact Natalia Siniavskaia at 800-368-5242 x8441.

Note: NAHB’s economics team constantly produces fresh, useful analysis of the most recent housing-related data that has applications to our members’ businesses, and makes that data available to our members free of charge. This is in addition to the department’s regular production of important indexes that gauge the health of the housing industry – theNAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index on builder confidence, the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index, theNAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, the Remodeling Market Index, the Multifamily Market Indices and the 50+ Housing Market Index. The surveys and analysis that NAHB’s economists conduct on a monthly and quarterly basis help our members achieve a better understanding of current market trends and where they are headed, while our media outreach in this regard ensures that accurate information on the housing market is transmitted to potential home buyers and the public at large. NAHB uses this data to conduct extensive media outreach in which we educate reporters about the historical context in which numbers should be viewed, discourage sensationalized accounts and ensure that home builders’ views are represented. NAHB also assists our members in dealing with media inquiries regarding recent releases of both NAHB and government data.

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments, Number 7: Member Ecoomic Toolkit

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 7: Providing Specialized Resource Toolkits to Help NAHB Members Position Their Businesses for the Economic Recovery

As directed by Chairman Barry Rutenberg earlier this year, NAHB has compiled a series of resources designed to help our members position their businesses to succeed and thrive as the economic situation improves. From guidance on improving how you build and sell homes, to general business management tactics, to briefings on specific issues such as appraisals, AD&C lending and more, the Rebounding Success Toolkits bring together the expertise of the NAHB federation in one comprehensive online resource.

Here's what's available to you with a click of your mouse:

Land Use 101 Toolkit - This toolkit helps members of the building industry to understand and deal with new federal programs under the Sustainable Communities Initiative and other land use issues. It provides tools to help HBAs and members get involved early in such reform efforts to ensure that their perspectives and experience are represented and that proposed new policies are based on evidence, not just theory.

Building Homes 101 Toolkit - This toolkit contains valuable information to help builders respond to the adverse shift in terms and availability of construction financing, access and evaluate various building products, avoid common pitfalls of certain building techniques, and take advantage of new green building options to appeal to today's buyers.

Selling Homes 101 Toolkit - This toolkit provides tips and tactics to successfully market yourself and your homes, including important information on obtaining more accurate appraisals, ways to educate consumers on the benefits of homeownership, and more.

Business Management 101 Toolkit - This toolkit provides important resources to help you manage your business more effectively and increase your profits. Its offerings cover strategic planning, financial management, marketing and sales, construction management, information technology and more. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments 2012, Number 6: HUD Fair Market Rent

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 6: Providing Recommendations That Were Implemented Within HUD’s Proposal on Fair Market Rent
In releasing its proposed fair market rents (FMRs) for fiscal year 2013, HUD employed several important NAHB recommendations that should help to avoid large and unpredictable changes in the future.

The new FMRs, which are scheduled to be implemented on Oct. 1, are used to determine payment standards for the Housing Choice Voucher program, to determine initial renewal rents for some expiring project-based Section 8 contracts, to determine initial rents for housing assistance payment contracts in the Moderate Rehabilitation Single Room Occupancy program, and to serve as rent ceilings for the HOME program.

Because housing costs are variable, HUD needs to publish FMRs for each local market area in the country every year. In proposing its latest FMRs, HUD used a new trend factor recommended by NAHB, which is based on the average rent changes in the American Community Survey between 2005 and 2010. NAHB believes this change is highly desirable to avoid large, unpredictable and difficult to manage swings in local FMRs. Also per NAHB’s suggestion, HUD made changes for calculating its “recent mover factor,” which compensates for rent data that does not distinguish recent movers from other tenants. The overall effect on the 2013 FMRs was an average increase of 5.7% across the 524 metropolitan FMR areas (excluding Guam and Puerto Rico) with actual declines limited to 90 of these metro FMR areas. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments Summer 2012, Number 5: Appraisals

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 5: Providing Home Builder Recommendations for Resolving Issues Regarding New-Home Appraisals to Congress and Regulators
With faulty appraisals continuing to be a major cause of home sales falling through, NAHB has continued its aggressive outreach to lawmakers, regulators, banks and appraisers on ways to resolve this issue, while our specially tasked Appraisal Working Group has been working to develop new methods to help our members obtain needed financing.

The House Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee on June 28 held a hearing on appraisal oversight at which NAHB submitted a statement for the record on the need to resolve an appraisal process that has gone seriously awry. NAHB identified the following key areas to improve current appraisal requirements and practices:


Strengthen education, training and experience requirements for appraisers of new home construction.
Improve the quantity and quality of data for new construction.
Develop new appraisal standards and best practices for conducting appraisals in distressed markets.
Develop processes for expedited appeals of inaccurate or faulty appraisals.
Strengthen oversight of appraisal activities.Meanwhile, NAHB’s Appraisal Working Group has continued its work in developing a white paper on improving the accuracy of residential appraisals. This group is chaired by NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg and Past Chairman Joe Robson, and includes NAHB members as well as outside experts from the appraisal and lending communities. The group is developing recommendations for changes in the areas of regulation and oversight, appraisal practices and standards, appraiser education and experience requirements, and data and technology. The working group will complete the white paper by this year’s Fall Board of Directors Meeting. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments Summer 2012, Number 4: Elevating Housing Profile

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 4: Elevating Housing Issues in the Current Election Cycle Through Homeownership Rallies, a Nationwide Petition and Media Outreach

Highlighting the importance of homeownership to the voting public and putting housing issues in the spotlight for the November elections, NAHB has now held four successful Homeownership Rallies and has five more such events scheduled in key swing states across the country in coming weeks. These efforts, along with more positive data on the housing front, have contributed to a general improvement in the way that the media has been reporting on housing and the recognition that housing is emerging as a leading factor in the economic recovery.

NAHB has now held four successful Homeownership Rallies since the beginning of this year, the latest of which was in Detroit on July 20. Each of these events has drawn hundreds of participants and very good media coverage in their respective local markets. As part of these efforts, NAHB has also developed the ProtectHomeownership.com website, which details the threats that housing faces in the current policy debate and the need to protect homeownership incentives within our national housing policy. The site also allows visitors to sign our petition in support of homeownership. Additional homeownership rallies have now been scheduled for Kansas City, Mo., on Sept. 25; Milwaukee, Wis. on Oct. 2; Columbus, Ohio, on Oct. 9; Richmond, Va., on Oct. 11; and Las Vegas on Oct. 18.

Meanwhile, there’s been a notable increase in the number of positive media reports on housing over the past two months, and NAHB has done its part to keep the positive momentum going by reaching out to the press at every opportunity with our perspectives on the latest data. One key message on which we’ve focused is the fact that residential construction is now starting to reassume its traditional role of helping to lead the economy forward following a recession. We’ve also compiled some of the latest positive news reports on housing at www.nahb.org/goodnews and encouraged our members to use these resources to make the case to their customers that housing is on the rebound, home prices are stabilizing and now is a great time to buy a new home. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments Summer 2012, Number 3: Credit Disputes Rule

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 3: FHA Withdrawal of the “Credit Disputes” Rule

NAHB and other housing and banking industry groups helped convince the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) to withdraw a controversial rule slated to go into effect on July 1 that would have prohibited borrowers with any credit disputes of more than $1,000 from obtaining FHA financing.

Earlier this year, FHA issued a mortgagee letter stating that buyers either had to pay off ongoing credit disputes of more than $1,000 that appeared on their credit reports or show proof that they have entered into a repayment plan with their creditors before they could qualify for an FHA loan. NAHB and others in the housing finance community opposed this action citing concerns that it would further restrain the flow of mortgage credit and prevent creditworthy borrowers from qualifying for an FHA-insured loan. Responding to these concerns, on June 15, the FHA issued an updated mortgagee letter formally rescinding its earlier ruling on this matter. However, the agency is expected to issue new guidance on this topic in the near future, so we'll be keeping a close eye on how this develops going forward. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments Summer 2012, Number 2; Flood Insurance

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 2: Long-Term Reauthorization of the National Flood Insurance Program

In an important victory for NAHB members who rely on the National Flood Insurance Program, at the end of this June Congress reached an agreement to reauthorize the program through Sept. 30, 2017. This should put to an end the many short-term lapses the program has endured in recent years -- along with the costly delays those lapses have caused home builders and buyers.

Established in 1968, the NFIP offers affordable flood insurance to home owners and businesses in flood plains and other low-lying areas that otherwise might not be able to obtain coverage. More than 20,000 communities nationwide participate in the insurance program, which currently covers about 5.6 million policyholders. The five-year extension of the NFIP ensures that the program will remain available, affordable and financially healthy. In addition to achieving the long-term reauthorization, NAHB worked with a bipartisan group of senators to remove “residual risk” language from the bill, which would have required the mandatory purchase of flood insurance for areas located behind dams or levees. 

NAHB: Top 12 Accomplishments Summer 2012, Number 1; Lead Paint

As a member of the HBA of Greenville, you also are a member of the National Association of Home Builders. NAHB's 3,000 directors and 250 staff have been working hard on your behalf this Spring. In the series we will publish over the next 12 days we will highlight the Top 12 accomplishments during the Spring of 2012.

Accomplishment 1: Introduction of Lead Paint Legislation in the House

Responding to concerns expressed by NAHB Remodelers members and others during our Capitol Hill visits at the Spring Legislative Conference and on many other occasions, Reps. John Sullivan (R-Okla.), Tim Murphy (R-Pa.) and a bipartisan group of original cosponsors introduced legislation to make much-needed improvements to the EPA’s Lead: Repair, Renovation and Painting (LRRP) rule.

H.R. 5911, the Lead Exposure Reduction Amendments Act of 2012, is similar to NAHB-backed legislation (S. 2148) that was unveiled earlier this year in the Senate to help home owners and remodelers better comply with the costly work practices and recordkeeping requirements of the lead paint rule without compromising safety standards. This bill would provide families with greater flexibility to decide on their own remodeling activities while assuring them that sound safeguards remain in place to protect against lead hazards. Among other improvements, the bill seeks to restore the opt-out provision for homes that are not occupied by young children or a pregnant woman – a change that NAHB estimates would save approximately $336 million per year in compliance costs. Having led the effort to get this critical legislation introduced in the House, NAHB subsequently carried out intense lobbying and a federation-wide letter-writing campaign to secure additional cosponsors. We continue to build bipartisan support to bring it to fruition in the House and Senate. 

Your HBA's Top 12 Actions in 2012, Number 12: Housing Economics research and tools

The grand finale!  For the past 12 days Builder Review Daily has highlighted the Top 12 national actions taken on behalf of HBA members by NAHB.  Today is the final action.

Number 12, Housing Economics research and tools:

NAHB’s economics team constantly produces fresh, useful analysis of the most recent housing-related data that has applications to our members’ businesses, and makes that data available to our members free of charge. Below are a few highlights of our research released since the builders’ show:

The NAHB Priced Out Model – This newly updated tool estimates how many households can qualify for a new home mortgage both before and after a house price increase. Along with this tool, we have produced a comprehensive analysis of how such price gains impact Americans in 325 metropolitan areas as of 2012. The research paper notes that every time a local or regional government raises construction costs by, for example, increasing building permit or impact fees, the final price of the home to the buyer usually goes up by more than the increase in the government fee. This is because other costs such as commissions and financing charges automatically rise as well. As an example, for every $1 increase in fees incurred when acquiring a building permit, the final price of a new home to its ultimate buyer rises by $1.20. Read the full study on our HousingEconomics.com website or contact Natalia Siniavskaia (800-368-5242 x8441).

Snapshot of Homeownership in Local Housing Markets – Based on a comprehensive study of newly released data from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2010 American Community Survey, this research provides helpful information on individual metropolitan areas across the country and ranks them according to a number of important measures. For example, metros with the highest homeownership rates include Palm Coast, Fla. (81.5%), Holland-Grand Haven, Mich. (80%), Nassau-Suffolk, N.Y. (79.8%), Monroe, Mich. (78.8%) and Ocala, Fla. (78.4%). This paper also ranks housing markets according to tightest metros (lowest home owner vacancy rate); highest home owner incomes; fastest-growing markets/growth of owner-occupied housing units; and fastest-growing markets due to new construction. Contact: Heather Taylor (800-368-5242 x8503).

Maintenance Costs for New vs. Older Homes - NAHB's economists have recently conducted an analysis of data from the 2009 American Housing Survey that quantifies the savings that a newly built home can generate for the buyer in terms of monthly energy and maintenance costs. These data highlight how much cheaper it can be to own and operate a newly built home versus an older one, and also further the argument for reforming the current appraisals system to accurately reflect the flow of benefits stemming from the features of a newly built home. Contact: Rob Dietz (800-368-5242 x8285).

Updated Affordable House Price Calculator -- This 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. 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 purchase a home priced up to about $218,500. Contact: Paul Emrath (800-368-5242 x8449).

Identifying Who Lives in Newly Built Homes -- NAHB's economists recently examined data from the government's American Housing Survey (AHS) to produce a revealing report on the composition of households that are living in today's newly constructed homes. One interesting finding is that larger households are relatively more likely to live in new homes (defined as those built within the last four years). In fact, 47% of all newly built homes have three or more people living in them. The reason behind this statistic is that new construction is more likely to house children than other types of housing on a unit-by-unit basis. Contact Rob Dietz (800-368-5242 x8285).

Identifying Inadequate Housing Units -- Using data from the American Housing Survey and statistical models that estimate house prices and apartment rents based on characteristics of homes, NAHB researchers have developed a more accurate definition of what constitutes "inadequate" housing than is traditionally used by HUD. This new criteria identifies substantially more inadequate housing units in the U.S. than the government has reported, particularly among the single-family and older housing stock. In fact, our findings indicate that there are over 10 million homes across this country that are physically inadequate. This data means that the effective inventory of existing homes on the market may actually be well overstated. Contact: Paul Emrath (800-368-5242 x8449).

NAHB Survey Finds Kitchens, Bathrooms Still Top Remodeling Jobs -- A newly released survey by NAHB shows that kitchen and bathroom projects remain the most popular remodeling jobs, with home owners increasingly upgrading both rooms and making major repairs as they decide to remain in their current residence instead of moving. Both kitchen and bathroom remodeling projects were up 17% from the last time this survey was taken in 2010, with bathroom remodels cited as a common job by 78% of remodelers and kitchen remodels by 69%. Other popular remodeling categories included window/door replacements (at 44%), whole-house remodels (at 35%), room additions (at 33%) and handyman services (at 31%). For complete survey results, visit www.nahb.org/rmi. Contact: Nissa Hiatt (800-368-5242 x8451).

Regular production of important indexes that gauge the health of the housing industry – Included in these offerings are the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index on builder confidence, the NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index, the Remodeling Market Index, the Multifamily Market Indices and the 50+ Housing Market Index. The surveys and analysis that NAHB’s economists conduct on a monthly and quarterly basis help our members achieve a better understanding of current market trends and where they are headed, while our media outreach in this regard ensures that accurate information on the housing market is transmitted to potential home buyers and the public at large. NAHB uses this data to conduct extensive media outreach in which we educate reporters about the historical context in which numbers should be viewed, discourage sensationalized accounts and ensure that home builders’ views are represented. NAHB also assists our members in dealing with media inquiries regarding recent releases of both NAHB and government data.

Your HBA's Top 12 in 12, Number 11: National Green Building Conference and Expo

Builder Review Daily is highlighting your HBA's Top 12 actions on behalf of our members so far in 2012.

Number 11, the National Green Building Conference & Expo:

NAHB’s National Green Building Conference & Expo offered a universe of products, services, educational courses and networking opportunities to an increasingly sophisticated audience of our members who are seeing the benefits of building energy-efficient and resource-friendly homes that have the edge over the competition.

Held in Nashville at the end of April, this important event put a spotlight on the exceptional building science and technology that is being put to use in today’s homes, and allowed participants to learn from the most knowledgeable industry experts on earth. An especially popular feature was the Green Building & Technology Tour, which attracted an enthusiastic crowd and generated some much-needed positive headlines. Attendees also had the opportunity to talk one-on-one with suppliers of the most cutting-edge green building products and services, and learned about a recent study that estimates the green residential market will increase five-fold by the year 2016.

NAHB's Top 12, Number 10: 20 Clubs

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far this Spring.

Accomplishment number 10: 20 Clubs

More than two dozen meetings of NAHB’s “20 Clubs” have been convened so far this spring, providing a unique networking and educational opportunity for participants who value the chance to learn from fellow NAHB members across the country about what’s working, and what’s not, in their markets at the present time.

20 Clubs are comprised of similar type builders or remodelers from non-competing markets who meet several times a year to share their wisdom and learn from each other ways to improve their operations and increase their bottom lines. Members share and compare financial information, look for trouble spots, and offer each other advice on how to increase their profit ratios and improve their performance. These offerings are consistently rated among the most effective networking options that NAHB provides and can be especially useful amidst today’s volatile marketplace.

NAHB's Top 12, Number 9: Effective Marketing on a Shoestring Budget

Builder Review Daily is highlighting your HBA's Top 12 actions this Spring on behalf of home builders.

Number 9, Effective Marketing on a Shoestring Budget:

NAHB added to its online course offerings with the recent introduction of the “Effective Marketing on a Shoestring Budget” program.

Participants in this course learn how to analyze target markets, identify competitive advantages, create accurate pro formas and monitor outcomes, which are essential skills to any business. The course compliments two others that were added to our offerings prior to the Builders Show that focused on the subjects of customer service and the basics of building. A fourth online designation course will be offered by the end of this year for those seeking to be recognized as a “Certified New Home Sales Professional.” Such offerings allow our members to obtain professional designations that can help set them apart from the competition while fulfilling their continuing education requirements on their own schedule. NAHB’s online courses are interactive and include content in audio and video formats, on-screen text, transcripts and other downloadable resources. In addition, each online course offers a discussion forum where students can pose questions and share perspectives with their peers and an NAHB-approved featured instructor. NAHB also offers group discounts to companies and organizations who wish to educate a group of individuals on the same topic.

NAHB's Top 12, Number 8: 12 Webinars

Builder Review Daily is highlighting your HBA's Top 12 actions this Spring on behalf of home builders.

Number 8, 12 Webinars:

NAHB has produced nearly a dozen educational webinars since the IBS that have brought expert instruction and advice directly to our members’ offices and local HBAs.

NAHB webinars provide up-to-the-minute education on industry issues, trends and best practices. They are designed to meet the needs of a broad range of participants, including builders, remodelers, sales and marketing professionals, real estate agents, brokers, multifamily professionals, architects and designers. Because these events are relatively inexpensive to produce, they provide a cost-effective way to reach out to our members with the information they need to improve their businesses. In the year to date, some of our most popular webinars have focused on universal design techniques, the future of aging-in-place remodeling, findings of our cost of doing business study, and marketing and design trends. Another very well-attended webinar offering was our Builders Guide to Appraisals webinar, which was offered free to members on May 16 and provided expert advice on improving communications with lenders and appraisers, dealing with appraisals in distressed markets, and ways to address appraisal errors, among other subjects. Yet another always-popular offering was the Spring Construction Forecast webinar, in which three world-class economists offered presentations and took questions regarding the current and expected state of the housing industry and its components. Altogether, our webinars have been viewed by members across at least 42 HBAs from more than 1,000 sites across the country since the IBS. Contact: Steve Melman (800-368-5242 x8245).

Top 12 Actions on behalf of Home Builders, Number 7: Particiation in the Building Code Development Hearings

Builder Review Daily is highlighting the top 12 actions taken on behalf of Home Builders so far in 2012.

Number 7: Particiation in the Building Code Development Hearings

NAHB’s members greatly benefitted from their representation on six of the seven committees that met recently as part of the International Code Council’s 2012 “Group A” code development hearings for the 2015 I-Codes.

The complex code development process and its outcome directly affect every builder member of our organization, and require an extensive amount of expertise, effort and time on the part of our staff and member volunteers. In the latest code hearings covering primarily requirements for commercial and multifamily construction, just over 1,600 code change proposals were submitted. After careful study, NAHB took a position of support or opposition on 359 of those proposals and a “watch” position on more than 100 others. Thanks in large part to our representation on the convening committees and the diligent work done by our committee members, NAHB chalked up an over-80% success rate on the proposals that we supported/opposed. Our successes pertained to a long list of items, from ventilation requirements to guardrails, townhouse classification, egress windows, sealed roof decks, and more. NAHB committee and staff experts will next be determining what comments to submit prior to the ICC’s Final Action Hearings on the Group A code changes this coming fall. Contact: Gary Ehrlich (800-368-5242 x8545).

The Top 12 actions on behalf of Home Builders, Number 6: making fire sprinklers optional

Builder Review Daily is reviewing the Top 12 actions on behalf of Home Builders so far this year.

Number 6, keeping automatic fire sprinklers optional:

NAHB remains committed to the effort to maintain fire sprinklers as voluntary elements in new homes nationwide.

With the help of NAHB staff and resources available within the NAHB Fire Sprinkler Action Kit, our state and local HBAs have so far been successful in keeping mandatory sprinklers out of more than 36 states. NAHB is also diligently keeping track of efforts by the fire sprinkler advocates and providing our members with the necessary resources to effectively counter unfounded NFPA claims. 

In Columbia, the S.C. Building Codes Council again included a fire sprinkler mandate in the IRC 2012 proposed for adoption in the state.  However, they lacked the votes to approve the building code with the sprinkler mandate.  Your HBA of South Carolina continues to work diligently to keep sprinklers optional in South Carolina.  Unfortunately, if the sprinkler advocates continue to push for a sprinkler mandate, South Carolina may continue to use the 2006 building code for many years to come.

For more information about residential fire sprinklers or the NAHB code adoption action kits, contact Steve Orlowski (800-368-5242 x8303) or Mark Nix (803-771-7408).

The Top 12 HBA Actions, Number 5: www.protecthomeownership.com

Builder Review Daily is exploring the Top 12 actions that NAHB has taken on behalf of Home Builders across the nation this Spring.

Number 5, implementation of a new website to harness public support for homeownership:

With numerous legislative and regulatory proposals taking aim at the American Dream of homeownership and federal elections just around the corner, NAHB is seeking to harness the public's support for this worthy cause through our newly launched website at www.ProtectHomeownership.com.

This consumer-oriented website alerts readers to the numerous threats to homeownership, including recent proposals to scale back or eliminate the mortgage interest deduction, raise the minimum downpayment on most mortgages and revoke federal government support for the housing finance system. Importantly, the site also provides multiple ways for the public to take positive action to protect this fundamental element of American life. For example, visitors are encouraged to sign an online petition that urges lawmakers to keep housing as a national priority, and are told how they can participate in upcoming homeownership rallies that NAHB has scheduled in communities across the country in coming months. For more information, contact: Blake Smith (800-368-5242 x8583).