| February 2, 2009 |
By Joe Robson
NAHB Chairman and
Jerry Howard
NAHB President and CEO |
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The indomitable spirit of the American home builder
was on display last week as more than 60,000 housing professionals turned out for the 2009 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.
 Despite the challenging state of today's economy, the show was an unequivocal success. Thanks to your participation and that of our 1,600 exhibitors, the IBS continues to be the building industry’s premier event. Building professionals noted the importance of attending the show, especially in the current down market, seeing it as an opportunity to re-tool their businesses and educate themselves in order to be ready when the housing market turns around. Exhibitors indicated that IBS once again demonstrated its strength and value as the center point of the building industry. NAHB members were also able to connect with new career development resources and other educational opportunities through the 250 education sessions that were offered, and many said they were already looking forward to a return trip to Vegas for the 2010 IBS. Meanwhile, the IBS meeting of NAHB's 2,000+member Board of Directors on Jan. 22 had a packed agenda that resulted in important actions noted immediately below and elsewhere in this report.
 Senior Officer Elections
NAHB's four top leadership positions were filled by separate elections held during the Board meeting. Our 2009 Senior Officers are as follows:
Chairman of the Board - Joe Robson, Tulsa, OK
First Vice Chairman - Bob Jones, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Second Vice Chairman - Bob Nielsen, Reno, NV
Third Vice Chairman - Barry Rutenberg, Gainesville, FL
Immediate Past Chair -Sandy Dunn, Point Pleasant, WV
President & CEO - Jerry Howard, Washington, DC
 New NAHB Logo
Having previously adopted a sophisticated new branding strategy for NAHB at our fall meeting in San Diego, the NAHB Board of Directors voted on a new NAHB mark in Las Vegas. The board was presented with a choice of four possible logos, including the option of retaining the NAHB eagle logo. Each of these options was previously circulated to the Board of Directors and made available for member comment on nahb.org by the Branding Task Force. The logo you see at right was the overwhelming favorite of board members, and was ultimately chosen to represent our association going forward. Implementation of our new logo scheme will be a gradual and systematic process, however, and the eagle logo will remain a proud part of NAHB's history and culture. More information on the implementation process will be provided in the near future. Contacts: Brett Diggs (x8453) and Rob Pflieger (x8403).
Resolutions Passed by the Board
The NAHB Board of Directors approved four resolutions to become official NAHB policy at its lengthy meeting in Las Vegas. Copies of the individual resolutions that were approved are online here. They include: 1) Evolving Housing Credit Conditions and Federal Housing Support; 2) Temporary Change in the Treatment of Selected Outstanding Mortgages Under Bankruptcy Laws; 3) Climate Change Mitigation Strategies; and 4) Exempt Loan Restructuring From Income Taxation. Four proposed recommendations were withdrawn prior to the Board's consideration. Contact: Jay Shackford, x8406, for more information on the resolutions process.
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NAHB continues to push hard for substantial housing incentives
 to be included in the economic stimulus package that is now being developed in Congress for President Obama's expected quick signature. This past week, the stimulus package passed a crucial milestone with House approval of a measure that includes the elimination of payback requirements for the $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit, but otherwise falls short of NAHB recommendations to make the credit a truly substantial stimulus for housing demand. The Senate Finance Committee also approved its own version of the economic stimulus package this week, which includes an extension of the home buyer tax credit through Sept. 1 and eliminates the payback provisions, but likewise fails to enhance the credit to the necessary degree. Next stop is the full Senate, which is expected to vote on its version of the bill on Wednesday.
Home Builders Converging on Congressional Field Offices
NAHB's grassroots network went into high gear ahead of the most recent votes, conducting a targeted phone- and write-in campaign to lawmakers' offices. Following up on these efforts with an even more assertive strategy, NAHB members are now being asked by their local and state associations to visit the district offices of each of their federal lawmakers en masse on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 2-3. Our three-fold message is extremely clear: 1)The eligibility period for the tax credit should be extended to Dec. 31, 2009; 2) The amount of the credit should be increased beyond the current $7,500; 3) The credit should be able to be used as part of a down payment at the closing table. Such expansion of the tax credit would have a substantive impact on buyer demand, thereby putting a floor under declining home values, bolstering consumer confidence and generating real economic recovery. Resources to help you participate – including a set of talking points, economic data, press documents and other resources – are available at www.nahb.org/congressionalvisits. To find out how you can be involved in local congressional office visits, contact Molly Murray, x8282.
Calling on All Members to Help
To further keep up the pressure, NAHB is calling on all members of the housing community to weigh in again with your federal lawmakers by clicking here and urging them to support any amendment to expand and enhance the home buyer tax credit. We also urge you to call your members of Congress at 1-866-924-NAHB (6242) and deliver the same message.
Congressional Testimony
In related news, on Jan. 13, NAHB Chairman Joe Robson testified before the House Financial Services Committee on the critical need for substantial government action to stimulate housing demand. Joe also focused on concerns regarding the use of TARP funds to date, and urged greater accountability for use of TARP funds that banks receive. For more information on Joe's testimony, see our press release.
Media Teleconference
And, keeping up the pressure for Congress to develop the right stimulus package, NAHB's Fix Housing First coalition also held a teleconference on Wed., Jan. 28. This media event put a spotlight on home builders' efforts and challenges in today's market, and the overwhelming need for Congress to wake up to the reality that reviving housing demand is key to reviving economic growth. Nearly 40 participants listened in, including representatives from Dow Jones Newswires, Consumer Reports, The Hill and American City Business Journals. For more info on this event, contact Paul Lopez, x8409.
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GREAT news about the National Green Building Standard...
 NAHB and the NAHB Research Center learned on Jan. 29 that the National Green Building Standard™ for single-family homes, apartments and condos, residential remodeling and renovation has been approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The approval signals a new era for the nation's builders, remodelers and developers and also provides an extra measure of reassurance for home buyers. It means that the National Green Building Standard is now the first and only ANSI-approved green building rating system, making it the benchmark for green homes. Home builders and remodelers now have a much more expansive third-party rating system that they can use with NAHBGreen, the voluntary, market-driven NAHB National Green Building Program. As part of the stringent process required by ANSI, NAHB and the International Code Council gathered a fully inclusive and representative consensus committee composed of a broad spectrum of builders, architects, product manufacturers, regulators and environmental experts. This group deliberated on the content of the standard for more than a year, held four public hearings and evaluated 2,000 public comments before submitting the draft standard to ANSI in April of 2008. Approval of the standard is nothing short of a landmark event for our industry, and congratulations are definitely in order for those who have worked so hard to achieve it.
NAHB members can pre-order the NGBS at BuilderBooks.com for a discounted cost of $31.95; retail price is $35.95. For technical questions about the standard and how HBAs can implement it as part of their green building efforts, contact Kevin Morrow (x8375). Builders can direct questions about how the standard works to Chad Riedy (x8225). For media-related inquiries, contact Calli Schmidt (x8132).
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The latest economic data provides further evidence
that the nation's housing market continues to worsen and that substantive government action is required to put a floor under declining home values. All of the latest data are at historic lows:
NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index – Concerns about the faltering economy and reluctant home buyers pushed our builder confidence index down further in January to its lowest reading on record. Read more here. To see the HMI tables, visit www.nahb.org/hmi.
Housing Starts and Permits – Production of new homes and permit issuance declined by double digits in December, also falling to their lowest levels on record, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures released on Jan. 22. Read more here.
New-Home Sales – In the latest clear evidence of worsening distress in the housing market, the U.S. Commerce Department reported on Jan. 29 that sales of newly built single-family homes slid 14.7% to the lowest monthly pace on record in December of 2008. Read more here.
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Free business survival tips for NAHB members
will be available under an exciting new program effective Feb. 16-March 13. This great member benefit is designed to help answer questions and alleviate some of the financial pressure that builders are experiencing during these very challenging times. As NAHB CEO and President Jerry Howard announced at the Board of Directors Meeting in Las Vegas, the law firm Gardere Wynn Sewell LLP has agreed to provide a free consultation to NAHB members in the following three areas:
1) Bankruptcy/Reorganization – including matters related to bankruptcy,
reorganizations, out-of-court workouts, restructuring, foreclosures and
deficiency judgments
2) Business Structures – including director/officer issues, partnership issues,
personal guarantees and business divorces
3) Operational – including liens, developer disputes and subcontractor disputes
To take advantage of this NAHB member benefit, be sure to visit http://www.nahb.org/legalconsultation between Feb. 16 and March 13. You will be directed to a page with Frequently Asked Questions in the three areas above. For questions not answered by this information, a post may be sent to the law firm, which will be responded to via e-mail or phone. Contact: David Jaffe, x8317.
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NAHB's Quick Issues Index
 documenting the latest advances on our top Advocacy issues was updated for the Board of Directors meeting in Las Vegas this January, and it's now available to you online. This document is meant to give you a quick summation of issues on which there has been recent movement, as well as directions on where to go for more information. It is viewable by members only (note: you must be logged onto the NAHB Web site with your username and password) at www.nahb.org/issuesindex. Contact: Samantha Silver (x8450).
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Builder confidence in the market for age-restricted housing
 is the subject of a newly developed NAHB Housing Market Index (HMI) that was released at the IBS this January. Over the past two decades, "active adult" and service-enriched communities have become an important segment of the housing market, and this new index will help NAHB gauge the health of that niche. For the fourth quarter of 2008, the 55+ HMI debuted at 18, with all three of its component indexes reading well below the midpoint of 50. Since NAHB's original Wells Fargo/HMI was at an all-time low of just 8 in January, the 55+ survey appears to indicate that this market sector is holding up better than the market in general, though that's little consolation. Active-adult customers are usually in a good position to buy homes because they have spent years accumulating wealth. But in the current market, they can't find buyers for their existing homes and many are delaying retirements altogether. Read more in our press release. Contact: Ann Marie Moriarty, x8350.
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A $2 million gift to the National Housing Endowment
 was announced with great fanfare at NAHB's Board of Directors Meeting during the International Builders' Show in Las Vegas. This extremely generous donation – which represents the largest financial commitment ever made to the Endowment – came from Jim and Bobbie Knuppe, who were present for the announcement on the board floor and received a standing ovation for their efforts. A licensed contractor since 1960, Jim Knuppe is a pioneer of the self-storage business whose family-owned company, AAAAA Rent-A-Space, owns and operates properties across California and Hawaii. National Housing Endowment Chairman and NAHB Past President Gary Garczynski personally presented the Knuppes with a Baccarat crystal eagle symbolizing their commitment to helping provide the American Dream for generations to come. Contact: Bruce Silver, x8274.
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