New survey reveals homeowners staying put and remodeling
According to a survey released this week, only 7% of Americans plan to buy a new home this year. Nearly one-in-three of those surveyed say that home prices make it too expensive to move.

The survey also reveals that landscaping, kitchen renovation, and room additions top homeowners' wish lists. The majority (74%) of those who indicated they would like to add a room to their home reasoned that doing so would provide adequate living space for their families. Just over half (55%) of those interested in making a home improvement said that they would do it themselves, without the aid of a contractor.

Paying for home improvements depends on the type of project to be completed. Homeowners are significantly more likely to use cash or check for smaller projects like landscaping, while paying for larger projects, such as a room addition or kitchen remodel, is more likely to come from a home equity loan or refinancing. One-in-five homeowners will use a home equity loan to pay for their home improvements.

Safe rooms are the latest must-have remodeling project
The possibility of war and an increased threat of a biological or chemical attack have made “safe rooms” more popular among home owners. These shelters can range from $3,000 to more than $50,000 and feature blast-proof walls, food-storage tanks, buried fiberglass pods, air-lock entrances and ventilation systems, among other elements. In the 1950s only 1% of the population built their own bomb shelters; but the number of people with safe rooms has risen to nearly 300,000 since high-tech shelters emerged in the 1990s. Without an air scrubber or other specialized ventilation system, however, these rooms will do little to protect home owners against biochemical attacks. Moreover, National Storm Shelter Association Executive Director Ernest Kiesling says the absence of national standards makes it impossible for home owners to know if their shelters will really work. (www.wsj.com)
 Wall Street Journal (03/14/03) P. W1; Fletcher, June; Keates, Nancy

This story was provided by Information, Inc. For legal information regarding copyrights to this story, click here. [return to top]

CAPS Program Returns to Seniors Symposium
NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place program marks its one-year anniversary at the Seniors Housing Symposium, April 27-29 in Palm Springs, CA. The CAPS program was developed by the Remodelors Council in conjunction with the NAHB Seniors Housing Council, NAHB Research Center, and the AARP to address the needs of the growing population of aging home owners. As opposed to moving into a condo or being shuffled off to a nursing home, many older Americans are opting to adapt their homes to their changing needs. The program teaches contractors the technical, business management, and customer service skills needed to modify housing so people can remain in their homes longer.

Professionals who successfully complete in the three-day program are eligible to earn the Certified Aging-in-Place designation upon graduation. For more information on the Seniors Housing Symposium, click here. For more information on CAPS download the application brochure and to find courses in your area, search the University of Housing's online course listings for CAPS. [return to top]

Hop the Spring Board into the Remodelors Council
The NAHB Spring Board meetings are a little over a month away. If you're interested in getting your point of view across to the Council's leadership or to become part of that leadership yourself, make plans now to attend the Remodelors Council committee meetings on May 8, and the Board of Trustees General Session on May 9. The best way to provide valuable input into planning and administration of the Council’s programs is to get active in the Council's committees.

While you're at it, contact Karen Miller to let her know that you want to be a part of Remodelors Night Out while you're in town. This always-eventful Council tradition is planned for Thursday night, May 8. More details will be announced as the date draws near. [return to top]

Two more states pass opportunity to repair legislation
On the last day of its legislative session, the West Virginia Legislature passed Senate Bill 440, its notice and opportunity to cure bill. In doing so, it became the first state in 2003 to adopt legislation giving builders and remodelers the chance to repair construction defects before being brought into a lawsuit. In Kentucky, a similar bill cleared both houses a few days later. As soon as both bills are adopted, West Virginia and Kentucky will join Arizona, California, Washington, Texas and Nevada on the list of states with similar laws on record.

Opportunity to repair legislation addresses an issue that seriously impacts remodelers suffering from significantly increased premiums for general liability insurance. The current level of construction defect litigation has resulted in more insurance companies paying defense costs, attorneys' fees, and settlements and then passing these expenses on to builders in the form of increased premiums and additional exclusions. Further, most (if not all) of the exclusions currently included in general liability insurance policies are often the result of litigation. Notice and opportunity to cure legislation provides a way to resolve conflicts over construction defects without turning to litigation.
 
Legislation similar to the West Virginia and Kentucky bills is pending in 16 other states;  Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Idaho Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Oregon and South Carolina. [return to top]

Needs Assessment Survey is now available
The Remodelors Council Education and Business Development Committee is pleased to share the recommendations of the 2002 Needs Assessment Survey. The Needs Assessment Survey was done in two parts, with separate surveys mailed to HBAs with local Remodelors Councils and to individual Council members. The individual survey was sent to 647 members that supplied email addresses. Of the surveys distributed, 156 (27%) members completed the survey. The HBA survey was sent to 119 HBA's with local Councils. A total of 41 HBA's completed the survey.

To download the results of the HBA portion of the survey, click here. For the individual Council member results, click here. To view them you will need to install Adobe Acrobat.

Under the direction of the Remodelors Council Education and Business Development Committee the survey was administered last year through the NAHB University of Housing.  [return to top]

Get on the right PATH
The Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), an alliance between the federal government and the U.S. housing industry, is seeking your input. PATH's work focuses on emerging housing technologies that will improve the affordability and value of new and existing homes. Through research and development, PATH is attempting to accelerate the development and use of advanced technologies to radically improve the affordability, quality, durability, environmental performance, and energy efficiency of our nation's housing.

PATH is currently looking into the most effective way to make existing homes more energy efficient. The last meeting of the energy efficiency in existing housing (EEEH) “Roadmapping” group created a series of eight strategies along with related activities, but stopped short of setting priorities for how to proceed. PATH would like to gather industry input from remodelers, trade contractors, manufacturers, researchers, academics, government program managers — even consumers if they are interested. The end result is additional funding for existing home initiatives as they relate to energy. Your input could drive some of this funding toward remodeler education and business development. The group has created a web-based survey that is easy to use and should take only 10 minutes to register your input.  You can use the EEEH prioritization process by clicking on the following link. [return to top]

Member Advantage: Save with Airborne Express, shipping services
NAHB members get discounts on shipments across the state, the country, and around the world through the Home Builder Association Member Advantage program. NAHB members, including members of the Remodelors Council, can save up to 30% off the competition's published rates with Airborne Express Overnight Delivery Discounts, with on-demand pick-up from most locations, plus next-morning, next-afternoon, and second-day delivery.

Other great shipping deals that are available include:

• Flight-Ready — Incredible savings and amazing benefits that allow members to ship overnight with no weight limits and no billing hassles. Flight-Ready, a unique service from Airborne Express, enables members to pre-purchase letters and packages at one low member rate.
• Emery Worldwide — Choose Emery for freight that needs to be there overnight.
• Roadway Express — Great discounts and reliable service for less-than-truckload freight.

Get complete details online now. For these special member rates and a FREE Airborne Express Starter Kit, call 800-636-2377 from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. EST to request your free member rate quote. Or visit www.membersales.com/nahb to learn about big-time savings on all these shipping services. For the full line of money-saving discounts, click here. [return to top]