http://www.hgtvpro.com Industry news for builders, contractors and remodelers from HGTVPro.com. en-us Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:45:56 GMT Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:45:56 GMT http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 60 Fastfwd Rss_Export v1.0 http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6023020,00.html The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) applauded Congress for passing legislation that will extend and expand the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, stating that this will provide a much-needed boost to the fragile housing market and economy. Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:38:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6023020,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022990,00.html Do we really need more housing stimulus funding? A recent article from the Wall Street Journal opposes the idea that Congress needs to extend the $8,000 tax credit for new home purchases. The author states that even though a number of organizations, including the National Association of Realtors, the Mortgage Bankers Association and the National Association of Home Builders, say that an extension is essential — he respectfully disagrees for five key reasons... Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:51:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022990,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_cods_regs/article/0,2624,HPRO_26520_6022954,00.html The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued the first test orders for pesticide chemicals to be screened for their potential effects on the endocrine system. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interact with and disrupt the hormones produced or secreted by human and animal endocrine systems, which regulate growth, metabolism and reproduction. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:08:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_cods_regs/article/0,2624,HPRO_26520_6022954,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022951,00.html After five consecutive months of increases, sales of newly built, single-family homes fell 3.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 402,000 units in September, according to data released by the U.S. Commerce Department. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 17:07:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022951,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022945,00.html Nationwide housing production remained virtually unchanged in September, edging up half of a percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 590,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures released on Oct. 20. Meanwhile, issuance of new building permits, an indicator of future construction activity, fell by 1.2% to a seasonally adjusted 573,000 units. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:14:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022945,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022943,00.html It's a pretty safe guess that the U.S. economy is now on the road to recovery, according to economists participating in NAHB's Fall Construction Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 21. But the end of the recession, they said, doesn't necessarily mean that troubles for the housing industry are over.< Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:08:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022943,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022948,00.html The market share of the 10 largest public builders is expected to grow to as much as 30% during the next three to four years, but private smaller builders will have the advantage at the end of that period as Generation Y, a generation comparable in size to the baby boomers, enters the market in full force, according to industry analysts at NAHB's Fall Construction Forecast Conference in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 21. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:38:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022948,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022950,00.html Small builders who have seen credit availability slow to a trickle at their local community banks may have to wait a year or longer to see financing restored to more normal levels, according to an economist speaking at NAHB’s Fall Construction Forecast Conference. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:53:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022950,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_dstr_floods/article/0,2624,HPRO_26524_6022944,00.html At the end of last month when severe flooding brought an estimated $250 million in damages to homes and businesses in 17 counties around the metro Atlanta area, the local home builders associations in the most severely-affected counties immediately stepped in to help their communities recover and rebuild. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:10:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_dstr_floods/article/0,2624,HPRO_26524_6022944,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022946,00.html The House Financial Services Committee voted last week to support the creation of a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency (CFPA) that would regulate a host of financial products, including residential mortgages. Prior to the markup, NAHB sent a letter to every member of the committee expressing strong reservations over the impact that the creation of a new agency dedicated solely to consumer protection might have on today’s impaired housing credit markets and on the cost and availability of mortgage credit for qualified buyers. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:17:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022946,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022947,00.html While housing in some of the downturn's hardest-hit markets is now actually undervalued and nationwide housing affordability is about as good it has ever been, home prices haven't fully stabilized yet, according to economists focusing on the regional outlook at NAHB's Construction Forecasting Conference last week. Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:21:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022947,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_6022866,00.html Shugart Enterprises — a North Carolina construction company targeting first-time, move-up and empty-nester home buyers — has completed more homes certified to the National Green Building Standard than any other home builder in the nation. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:24:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_6022866,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022864,00.html With the expiration date for the home buyer tax credit fast approaching, builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes slipped one point to 18 in October, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:15:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022864,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022862,00.html Facing mounting concerns over the bleak outlook for jobs, more lawmakers on Capitol Hill last week showed interest in extending and possibly expanding the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit that is set to expire on Nov. 30. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:06:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022862,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022865,00.html In its continuing efforts to stabilize the U.S. housing market, the Obama Administration on Oct. 19 announced a new initiative for state and local housing finance agencies (HFAs) that will help support low mortgage rates and expand resources for low- and middle-income households to purchase or rent affordable homes. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:19:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_6022865,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022863,00.html The year ahead looks increasingly positive for the active adult housing market, according to participants at an Oct. 7 Web seminar sponsored by the NAHB's 50+ Housing Council. But joblessness and tighter credit conditions still linger. Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:11:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_6022863,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946470,00.html The new ODL Solar Powered Dimmer enables consumers to control the amount of light entering a room through their ODL Tubular Skylights. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:35:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946470,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_cods_regs/article/0,2624,HPRO_26520_5946469,00.html In a victory for NAHB members who have been seeking clearer environmental regulations, a new method by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for estimating the damage caused by an excess amount of nutrients in a body of water has been found to be not based on sound science, according to a peer review decision announced last month. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 19:27:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_cods_regs/article/0,2624,HPRO_26520_5946469,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_5946465,00.html Amidst growing concerns in the Administration and Congress over worrisome prospects for reducing the nation's lengthening unemployment lines and further strengthening the economy as it moves tentatively toward recovery, Washington turned a sharper focus last week on extending the current $8,000 tax credit for first-time buyers beyond its Nov. 30 expiration date and expanding it to a wider circle of principal home buyers. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:23:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_legislat/article/0,2624,HPRO_26517_5946465,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_labour/article/0,2624,HPRO_26529_5946468,00.html Home builders who have developed and implemented an outstanding work site safety program can receive recognition for their commitment to the well-being of their employees through the 2009 NAHB Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE). Nominations and applications are now being accepted. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:49:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_labour/article/0,2624,HPRO_26529_5946468,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_5946466,00.html Home builders in Florida and the Pacific Northwest say they are concerned that there currently is not enough momentum in the marketplace to ensure a sustained housing recovery. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:29:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_econ_ind/article/0,2624,HPRO_26527_5946466,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_ind_evnts/article/0,2624,HPRO_26518_5946467,00.html The 2010 International Builders Show will feature a new talent show: nahb Star. The new contest will give budding building-industry vocalists a chance to show off their talents, with the winner singing before his or her peers during the 2010 International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 19-22. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 18:40:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_ind_evnts/article/0,2624,HPRO_26518_5946467,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946376,00.html Google has announced its first official device partnership for Google PowerMeter. For the last several months, a few hundred Google employees have been testing a number of in-home electricity monitoring devices. Those that were lucky enough to have one of these devices installed in their homes experienced first-hand how access to high-resolution energy use information can bring about changes in behavior. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 18:57:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946376,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5946374,00.html In light of the downturn in the housing market and overall economy, homeowners are still adding energy-efficient options and low maintenance produces, while showing a lessened interest in special features such as home theaters, guest wings and three-car garages. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:53:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5946374,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_bus_nws/article/0,2624,HPRO_26528_5946372,00.html Residential construction workers in California, Nevada and Arizona will receive $241,301 in unpaid wages after settling a lawsuit against SelectBuild, a subsidiary of BMHC Corp., once the nation's largest residential construction contractor which supplied labor corporate homebuilding giants such as Pulte Homes. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 17:28:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_bus_nws/article/0,2624,HPRO_26528_5946372,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946371,00.html Dow Chemical Company has unveiled its line of Dow Powerhouse Solar Shingle, revolutionary photovoltaic solar panels in the form of solar shingles that can be integrated into rooftops with standard asphalt shingle materials. The solar shingle systems are expected to be available in limited quantities by mid-2010 and projected to be more widely available in 2011, putting the power of solar electricity generation directly and conveniently in the hands of homeowners. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:47:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_econ_fin_material/article/0,2624,HPRO_26526_5946371,00.html http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5946370,00.html Weatherization is a term to describe various improvements made to buildings and homes to optimize energy efficiency. According to the DOE, on average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 32% and overall energy bills by about $350 per year at current prices. Mon, 12 Oct 2009 12:36:00 GMT http://www.hgtvpro.com/hpro/nws_ind_nws_trends/article/0,2624,HPRO_26519_5946370,00.html