NAHB Fall Board of Directors Updates from Bradley, Godfrey

Below, please find NAHB Life Director Sam Bradley’s recap of the 2011 NAHB Fall Board of Directors meetings, held this year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NAHB Director Brett Godfrey also shared his notes from the meetings in PDF format, and those can be viewed by clicking here.

2011 Fall Board Report

Submitted by Sam Bradley, CGB, CGR, CGP

I am so proud to be a part of the HBA of Greater Springfield. After several days of listening to stories of local and state associations that are broke, laid off most or all of their staff, are nearing foreclosure of their office buildings, lost most of their membership, etc, it is a great honor to represent HBAGS.

Items For Local Attention:

  • Build-PAC wants money to replace the $5,000 donation to Roy Blunt’s election. Are we going to participate?
  • OSHA Webinar on Fall Protection available at  www.nahb.org/oshawebinar
  • Housing Message   Based on results of polling the general public believes in housing as part of the American Dream, but they also believe there are changes that should be made to prevent another downturn in home prices.  We need to learn how to tell “our story” being mindful of things that we need to be saying and things we should not be saying. A video (taken during Fall Board) will be available soon through NAHB,  www.nahb.org/messaging  The most shocking part is the group of people we need to be telling our story to.
  • Housing demand is more important than foreclosures. Demand comes from consumer confidence which comes from job stability.
  • Political awareness…get INVOLVED, your business life depends on it!
  • September is Associate Appreciation month
  • Nationally, many members are going out of business or just barely holding on. Some of our local members are doing well, but many are not. As Board Members, we need to constantly remind ourselves of this fact in everything we do.
  • ANSI 700 is being used in multifamily to save cost over LEED.  This provides a good opportunity to join forces with AIA. TheResearchCenteroffers a program for AIA groups to promote ANSI 700.
  • Look for ways to use 2012 IRC to promote ‘buy new’….view as ‘selling opportunities’.
  • Board members making phone calls to local builder members to retain membership and increase local involvement….something we could do prior to our September 20th meeting.
  • A partnership with Lowes has been established to offer online classes on ‘flipping’ distressed homes owned by banks. (I looked for the website but have not been able to find it.)

Green Building:

  • New ANSI 700 (scheduled to be adopted in 2012) to include provisions for remodeling of kitchens, baths, basements and small additions (under 400sf) to be certified as ‘green’.
  • CGP course will be re-written after final changes to ANSI 700 are adopted.
  • Master CGP Designation: The requirement to build at least three certified houses per year is being reviewed to allow associates and builders who are not currently building homes to obtain/retain their designation.
  • HBI online courses will be accepted for continuing education requirements
  • The 2012 Green Building Conference will be inNashville
  • TheResearchCenterhas up-dated their website with several improvements. Sign up (e-mail) for their mailing list for up-dates and to obtain marketing products.
  • The next round of ANSI 700 revisions (after 2012) will likely include a provision for window and siding replacement.

Building Codes:

  • Use 2012 IRC as ‘selling opportunities’
  • ANSI 700 vs. 2012 IRC  Compare difference in building costs
  • ANSI 700 used in multifamily over LEED and offers a connection between AIA and HBA
  • There is a big passion among some groups for net zero home building codes

 NAHB

  • Board voted down a resolution to write our own residential building code. However, the resolution did bring the ICC to the table to discuss issues.
  • Board passed resolution policies to position us against regulatory burdens and to include ‘cost’ as part of housing appraisals (similar to insurance replacement cost values).
  • Working to meet with members of the “Super Committee” before the end of October.
  • Have met with Romney and Perry campaigns to get housing concerns on their platforms
  • HUD is considering 25 new “Disaster Resistance” regulations on homes being remodeled and additional indoor air quality requirements.
  • Fish and Wildlife Agency is reviewing their list of 251 endangered species with the possibility of adding 700 new species through 2017
  • OSHA, has new fall protection requirements with fines multiplied by the number of workers onsite
  • 2012 IBS will have 500,000sf of exhibits. Special registration pricing until September 30th
  • Economic Forecast – On a national level, no real change is expected until 2013-2014. Be mindful that all markets are local and we need to push local media to tell our local story rather than cut and paste national stories. Demand is more important than foreclosures.
  • Two-thirds of builder members are now remodeling.  There were 10 people at the Single Family Small Volume Committee meeting and 54 people at the Remodeling Council meeting (a total reverse from just a few years ago.)
  • NAHB has serious budget and staff problems. No action was proposed or taken by either board, postponing action to IBS.
  • Membership is down nearly 50% to 131,000 members.