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June 25, 2007
Housing Sales Drop; Inventory Jumps
Trolling various news outlets for construction-related articles today was pretty easy. They're all talking about the report from the National Association of Realtors that May home sales reached the lowest point in four years. The NAR also points out that there's now an eight-month inventory of homes on the market, with 2 million more houses for sale than you'd expect in a normal market.
That creates a huge problem for builders, of course. After all, if they don't build -- and sell -- houses, they don't make money. But these days, building houses they can't sell just adds to the excessive inventory.
A lot of jobs rely on the construction industry; it's not just the company owners who stand to suffer when builders slow down production. So do their trade contractors, their local suppliers and the manufacturers who make building materials.
How are you builders dealing with this slowdown? Have you cut production? Or are you still building houses and hoping you can sell them? And what about trades? Are you seeing a serious ripple effect? It's a complex problem; let us know how you're handling it.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 4:43 PM | Comments (11)
June 20, 2007
NAHB Continues Fight for Immigration Reform
I think I really hit a hot button a few weeks ago when I wrote about the immigration bill that was under consideration in Congress. While that bill was (for all intents and purposes) defeated, it apparently is far from dead. And NAHB has started a grass-roots campaign among its members to write to their senators and urge passage of meaningful immigration reform that would be fair to everyone involved.
No one is in favor of illegal immigration. (Well, except maybe the people who are immigrating illegally.) NAHB's proposed changes address the need for immigration reform but also consider the need for the workers -- an estimated 20% of all construction workers -- who are immigrants. For example, the existing bill would require immigrants to go back to their native countries for one out of every three years. That creates problems for employers who need a stable workforce, as well as for the workers themselves.
NAHB also points out that under the proposed legislation, contractors could be held responsible if one of their subcontractors was caught using undocumented workers. That's a valid concern; contractors should not have to go through the paperwork of documenting people who aren't even their employees.
Check out the article on NBN Online, and let me know what you think about this complex topic. One thing for sure: There are no easy answers. I'd love to hear any ideas you might have to resolve it.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 12:31 PM | Comments (36)
June 14, 2007
Green Building Makes Money
I get a lot of newsletters, but one I received this morning really struck a chord with me. It contains an article, written by a consultant to manufacturers and distributors in the construction business, that neatly summarizes what many people have been saying about green building for a while now: It is possible to be profitable while going green.
If you're one of the skeptics who thinks the current trend in green building will fade away like the brief burst of interest in solar energy in the '70s, be sure to read this article. It highlights how some manufacturers are focusing on green products -- and making money at it even during the housing downturn. So are some builders who have used home buyers' interest in going green to differentiate themselves from their competition.
What about you? Do you think green building is here to stay? Have you seen any examples of companies that are thinking smart about green products? Do you have any personal favorites in green products? Let me know.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 1:47 PM | Comments (6)
June 12, 2007
The PATH Concept House
The Concept House for the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing was officially opened last week in Omaha, Neb. It was built with both green building and affordability in mind, and it features some pretty cool stuff: Quick-connect plumbing fittings; movable walls; and a greywater reclamation system are among a total of 60 innovative products and systems used in the 2,100-square-foot house.
Check out the Concept House through a virtual tour. Yes, there's a ton of info available there, but it's well worth spending some time to read it.
I'd like to hear about your own experiences with any of the technologies used in the Concept House. Not many builders use all of them, but the house proves that they're feasible and can be quite economical. Let me know what you think.
Posted by Marjie O'Connor, HGTVPro.com Staff at 12:59 PM | Comments (3)
