The National Housing Endowment Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service honors NAHB members who demonstrate an exceptional commitment to bettering their communities and promoting the spirit of giving so prevalent in the home building industry.

“This award continually showcases the best of our industry,” said Gary Garczynski, endowment chairman and 2002 NAHB president. “Now in its third year, the award winners serve as a source of inspiration to both our membership and the public at large.”

Entries Are Due Nov. 12

The award, which will be presented during the 2008 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, will honor eight winners, including Gold, Silver, Bronze and five honorable mentions.

Winners will receive a donation to the charity of their choice:

• $10,000 for Gold
• $5,000 for Silver
• $2,500 for Bronze
• $1,000 each to the honorable mentions

Winners also will receive marketing material to show customers and earn the recognition of peers, the community and media.

Award Qualifications

To be considered for the award, the community service project should be completed between Jan. 1 and Nov. 12 of this year. In addition, the project:

• Must meet a defined and demonstrated community need
• Succeed in motivating other NAHB members and/or company staff members to participate
• Be a project that can be replicated by other builders

How to Apply

A complete award description and entry form is available on the NAHB Web site at www.nahb.org/builderachievement, or on the endowment Web site at www.nationalhousingendowment.org.

For more information, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447. [return to top]

Washington policymakers have responded to our concerns in several ways in recent days. The Fed has cut interest rates, FHA reform is moving through Congress and federal regulators are providing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac more flexibility to address the subprime crisis. These developments are important first steps in our battle, and NAHB will continue to work for further improvements until balance is restored in the housing markets.

In the weeks leading up to the Fed's announcement that it would cut interest rates, NAHB's Economics team provided Chairman Bernanke with regular updates on the health of the housing sector, and the need to act decisively to bolster housing and the economy. On Sept. 18, the Fed announced that it was cutting its federal funds and discount rates by one-half of a percentage point, sending a strong signal to the financial markets and consumers that it intends to keep the economy moving forward, which is key to stabilizing housing. In a press release lauding the move, NAHB said that the Fed's decision to lower borrowing costs is good news for consumers looking to buy a home.

Progress on the Regulatory Front

On the regulatory front, the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight (OFHEO), regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announced Sept. 19 that it would allow the GSEs to raise their portfolio limits by 2% annually so they can invest more than $20 billion in subprime mortgages. Though this is a positive step forward, it falls short of what we asked for and what we believe is needed. NAHB has been pushing -- and continues to push -- for OFHEO to allow both Fannie and Freddie to raise their portfolio cap by 10% to buy more subprime loans, to help keep borrowers from foreclosure and to keep mortgage money flowing.

In testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on Sept. 20, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said that the Bush Administration would consider allowing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to temporarily purchase home loans above the conforming limit of $417,000 as part of broader legislation to reform the two housing government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs). The media picked up on this statement, because up to this point the Administration has staunchly opposed raising the conforming loan limits for Fannie and Freddie. NAHB has adopted policy urging Congress to pass legislation already approved by the House that would strengthen the regulatory oversight of Fannie and Freddie and allow them to purchase loans that exceed the conforming loan limit in high-cost markets.

Earlier this week, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines announced that it would include single-family construction loans as eligible collateral member loans. In a statement applauding the bank, NAHB President Brian Catalde said that by adding construction loans to its collateral menu, the Des Moines Federal Home Loan Bank "has shown outstanding responsiveness to the credit needs in its district. This collateral expansion is an important signal that the Des Moines Bank is making every reasonable effort to support the home mortgage lending of its member institutions, in addition to establishing a long-term foundation for housing production credit availability."

House Approves FHA Reform

The good news kept coming in this week with the House approval of an important FHA reform bill that included an NAHB-supported amendment offered by Reps. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), Gary Miller (R-Calif.) and Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif). This amendment would enable more creditworthy borrowers to purchase an FHA-insured home in many high-cost metropolitan markets. A companion bill was approved by the Senate Banking Committee on Sept. 19, where the real challenge is to move this legislation quickly. NAHB will be pushing hard to get this legislation to the Senate floor as soon as possible. For more on the House bill, see our statement. 

The House Ways and Means Committee is also considering a change to the tax laws to eliminate any tax penalties home owners might face when banks negotiate the terms of a home loan and forgive a portion of the outstanding mortgage debt. This legislation is one of the policy provisions approved at our board meeting in Seattle, and we will continue to urge lawmakers to promptly move this bill forward.

A United Advocacy Effort

In recent weeks, NAHB's lobbying team has been continually meeting with leading members of Congress in the effort to pass legislation modernizing FHA mortgages and reforming the housing GSEs so they can play a larger role in restoring stability in the mortgage markets. We've placed ads in influential publications on Capitol Hill and conducted major media outreach efforts to get our messages heard. In fact, during the past few days alone, NAHB has appeared or been quoted in more than 50 major print, broadcast and wire outlets across the country, including USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters, Dow Jones, The Seattle Times, the Dallas Morning News, the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, San Francisco Chronicle, St. Louis Post-Dispatch and The Philadelphia Inquirer, to name just a few.

Clearly, we still have a long way to go to restore health to the nation's mortgage markets and the overall housing industry, and there is no "quick fix" to the crisis at hand. In the weeks ahead, NAHB, its leaders and staff will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of our members toward steady progress and an eventual resolution to the challenges that lie ahead.

This story originally appeared in NAHB's Washington Update. [return to top]

When a Task Becomes Second Nature, We Can Get Complacent, Forgetful

It is easy to fall into the trap of saying, “I’m an expert. I don’t need a list to remind me what to do.” Unfortunately, that’s when you need a checklist most. When a task becomes second nature to us, we can get complacent and forgetful. How many times have you gone to the grocery store without a list and forgotten the most important item you needed? Missing one thing won’t kill you, but it takes a lot more time when you have to go back to the store a second time. A checklist should not be viewed as a crutch, but as a useful tool to improve efficiency.

Production Schedule is One Type of Checklist

Many builders already use one form of a checklist — a production schedule. A production schedule ensures that all steps are completed in the right order and in a timely manner. And it has the added benefit of letting everyone know where you are in the job. If you see the benefits of using this form of checklist, why not apply it to other areas of your business?

Sample Checklist for Payment Processing

Checklists can enhance both simple and complicated jobs. In the Accounting Department, you can use a checklist for processing accounts payable. It might look like this:

• Code bill to company, job, and account number
• Enter bill into accounting system
• Stamp bill as entered
• File unpaid bill in pending file

Sample Checklist for Project Start-up

On the more complicated side, you can use a checklist for starting a new project. It might begin like this:

• Prepare a timeline for closing based on signed contract
• Prepare list of items to be completed by buyer and seller prior to closing
• Secure financing
• Choose name for project
• Design new product to fit building pad
• Select standard features
• Prepare construction budgets
• Design brochures
• Determine selling price
• Update Web site for new project

Have Veterans, Novices Examine a Draft Checklist

To begin using checklists in your business, start with a complex task, or one for which steps are frequently forgotten. Ask those familiar with the task to write down the steps for doing it. Have several people review the list — one familiar with the task and one who is not. The person familiar with the task will help fill in missing steps. The person unfamiliar with the task will help clarify steps. If multiple departments are involved, have each department create their portion of the checklist. Then get everyone in the same room to consolidate into one master list.

Organize Lists to Suit Specific Tasks

A checklist should be organized to suit the task, often in chronological order. A production schedule wouldn’t make sense if it was in alphabetical order. The new project checklist might make more sense if it were divided up by the departments involved; for example, estimating, finance, and marketing.

A checklist should be all-encompassing, whether or not you perform each step every time. It is easier to cross off an unneeded step than to try to remember to add it.

Jennifer Elder is the chief financial officer for Tiffany Construction and Development Corp., 321-259-5001 x110.

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