Home Owners Need More Space
Today’s home owners have active lifestyles and expect their homes to compliment and support daily activities, including growing with the family. Home owners want more space and will pay to add rooms to their current home rather than buy a new home, according to the National Association of Home Builders Remodelors™ Council.

The remodeling home owner is between 34-54 years old, some are sending children off to college; some are preparing for children; and some finally have the time and money to put into their house, whether it is creating an exercise room, enlarging the kitchen, turning that now extra bedroom into a hobby room, etc. Americans want their house to support and grow with their changing lifestyles and needs, according the Remodelors™ Council’s 2003 fourth quarter Remodeling Market Index (RMI).

“We are returning to a time where the home is once again the family focal point,” said 2004 Remodelors™ Council Chairman Doug Sutton, Sr., of Sutton Siding & Remodeling in Springfield, Ill. “The Empty Nesters are entertaining more now that their children are out of the house so they need a different kind of space than before; the boomers now have the money to have the home they always wanted which includes top appliances, media and game rooms; and the Generation Xers want separate areas for them and their children to play in.”

The number one reason why homeowners remodel is because they want more space; this reason jumped from 65% in 1995 to 79% in 2003, according to the RMI. Home owners spent more than $15 million on room additions in 2002 including adding the most popular room addition: the master bedroom suite. People want to create a refuge in their house and that place has become the bedroom suite that includes all amenities such as mini-bars and kitchens, reading areas, his and her bathrooms/vanities and walk-in closets. The other major additions topping the list to make a house a home are great rooms — which can include home theaters — sunrooms off the kitchen and home offices complete with teleconferencing capabilities.

The second most important reason people remodel is that they rather stay in place. Most people like their current home and will spend the time and money to remodel it into a home they love rather than deal with stresses of moving. The most common remodeling jobs people undertake to improve their surroundings are kitchen and bathrooms projects. In 2002, home owners spent more than $6 million on kitchen remodeling, $4.4 million on bathroom jobs, and $4 million on combination kitchen and bathroom projects.

Sixty-six percent of consumers who remodel also want more amenities in their homes. The top amenities consumers ask for include, granite countertops, multiple shower heads/steam showers, soaking/spa bathtubs, commercial grade appliances and his and hers separate baths/vanities.

Mr. Remodelor™ Comes To Washington

Mark your calendar and make your reservations today to join the Remodelors™ Council and the rest of the NAHB family during the NAHB Spring Board Meeting, April 28 – May 2 at the Wardman Park Marriott hotel in Washington, D.C. Click here to register for the meeting.

Wednesday, April 28 
7:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.     Legislative Briefings and Capitol Hill Visits
                                                     
Thursday, April 29
7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.        Public Affairs Committee 
7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.        Education & Business Dev. Comm.                               
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.     CAPS Board of Governors
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.     Business Associates Committee       
9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.     Remodelor 20 Club Working Group
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.   CGR Board of Governors
11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.   Membership & Council Development Comm.
2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.        Past Chairs Committee        
6:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.        Remodelors™ Night Out                                         

Friday, April 30 
7:00 a.m. - 8:00 a.m.        Remodelors™ Council Board of Trustees
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.      Remodelors™ Council General Session

Saturday, May 1      
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.        Area Caucuses
2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.          NAHB Board of Directors Meeting

Sunday, May 2
8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.        NAHB Board of Directors Meeting

*Remodelors™ Council events in bold. [return to top]

Make Housing a Priority in Congress
Members can mark their calendars and sign up for the most important grassroots lobbying event of the year — NAHB’s 2004 Legislative Conference on Wednesday, April 28 in Washington, D.C.

The conference kicks off the NAHB Spring Board of Directors meeting and is your opportunity, along with fellow NAHB members, to: 

• Meet with your senators and representatives on Capitol Hill
• Lobby on crucial housing legislation
• Take a stand on issues affecting your bottom line

The daylong event will start with a morning briefing, followed by visits to congressional offices and ending with a reception and feedback session.

For information or assistance in scheduling meetings with your representative or senators, contact an NAHB Congressional Representative at 800-368-5242 x8470.

For information or to register online, visit the Legislative Conference page on the NAHB Web site. [return to top]

May is National Home Remodeling Month
One in every eight people in the United States is considered an “older” American, according to government statistics. During the month of May, National Home Remodeling Month, the National Association of Home Builders Remodelors™ Council will join the U.S. Administration on Aging in celebrating its Older Americans Month by saluting the more than 35 million people who as they get older want to age in place.

Throughout May, be sure to take advantage of the opportunities surrounding National Remodeling Month to help publicize the industry and emphasize to homeowners the importance of hiring qualified, professional remodelers. Contact your local council to find out about plans for the month and join this important campaign.

The National Remodelors™ Council has downloadable material to help promote National Remodeling Month including proclamations, public service announcements, press releases and articles. Visit the Remodelors Council section at www.nahb.org/remodelingmonth  for more information. [return to top]

My Competitor Just Paid My Membership Dues

By Michael Strong, CGR, of Brothers Strong, Houston

Can you believe that one of my biggest competitors in town just renewed my membership to my Remodelors™ Council. It’s true! Actually every year, since our company joined in 1995, I have found a different remodeler to pay my membership for the coming year. And in Houston, that cost is substantial: $550 ($75 for the Remodelers Council and $475 for the HBA).

I know what you are thinking, how is this possible? And, no, I did not win a bet to find myself the beneficiary of such largesse. I just shared my knowledge and experience as I have ever since I joined. And she, like every other remodeler in our council, does the same. Therefore, the advice she gave me this year saved me and made me more money than what my dues actually cost.

As our firm’s relationship with our tile contractor has matured over the years, we felt his quality has not kept pace with our increasingly affluent client needs for more sophisticated and intricate designs. We needed a new tile installer and knowing the yellow pages were not an option, we did what we have been doing since we joined the council: we called a fellow remodeler and asked them if they could recommend someone.

The first contract we let was for more than $8,000. With a historical slippage of  plus 4% on the labor problems we experienced with our tile contractor, that was half the cost of our membership on just the first project! Add up the savings on the problems avoided, good will saved with the client, and our project manager’s time saved not solving tile-related quality issues and “Boom!” our coming dues were paid for again!

Today, 90% of trade contractors and more than 90% of our vendors are members of the Remodelers Council. Most important of all, however, through the sharing and mentoring atmosphere that permeates our council, 90% of those partnerships came about through the referral from a fellow remodeler.

If you think you are too busy to renew your membership, or that you can afford not to do so, you are completely wrong. You can’t afford not to.

Strong is vice president of Brothers Strong, Inc. in Houston. The company was voted as the 2003 Houston and Texas Remodeler of the Year. For more information, e-mail Strong.

  [return to top]

Remodeling Your Home Booklet Hot Off the Presses
The popular Remodeling Your Home booklet is now once again available through BuilderBooks.com to members to use in educating their clients about the ins and outs of remodeling. This professional, informative booklet perfectly demonstrates your commitment to making the remodeling experience a positive one for homeowners.

The Remodeling Your Home handouts come in packs of 10. RemodelorsÔ Council members receive a special discount price of $22.50 per pack, or you can buy in bulk and save:

10 packs of 10             Reduced member-only price $150.00
25 packs of 10             Reduced member-only price $312.50
50 packs of 10             Reduced member-only price $500.00

For more information on this an other publications about remodeling, visit the remodeling section of BuilderBooks.com or call 800-223-2665. [return to top]

Help Build This Year’s Family Build Home for a Mother of Three
NAHB is looking for a few good men and women to help build this year’s Family Build home for a mother of three who works as a school security officer in Washington, D.C.  Family Build, in conjunction with DC Habitat for Humanity, will be conducted from April 24-29 during the NAHB Spring Board of Directors meeting, and members and their spouses are encouraged to help for as many days as they can. This is the second year that NAHB has conducted Family Build.

Last year, the Seniors Officers’ wives, several area members and their spouses, a past NAHB CEO and Home Builders Institute Job Corps students helped build four homes in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Forest Glen, including a home for the Ovalles family, who helped build their own home.

NAHB will provide transportation to and from the job site, lunch and t-shirts. No building experience is required. There will be tasks for all job levels, building skills and abilities.

For more information or to volunteer, click here or contact Shari Smith at 800-368-5242 x8308. [return to top]

Are You Ready to Publish that Great Idea?
Do you have a great idea for a remodeling publication? Have you been kicking around a manuscript for a book, white paper, manual, etc to help remodelers do better business? Yes?! Then submit a proposal to BuilderBooks.com for consideration. Builderbooks.com is constantly looking for new materials to publish that will improve everyone’s bottom line and business acumen.

For more information, contact Dean Innerarity, 800-368-5242 x8270. [return to top]

Are You Compliant with National Do-Not-Call Rules
Ok, you are not a credit card company trying to talk someone into the lowest APR available. You're not a telephone/communications company trying to switch a customer to the next best deal…You don’t make those kinds of calls to potential customers, but are you still breaking the law? In January 2003, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) amended the “Telemarketing Sales Rule (TSR) to establish the do-not-call registry.”

The original rule contained the provision prohibiting any calls to a consumer who previously asked not to get calls from or on behalf of a particular seller. The amended rule retains that provision, and adds a new one prohibiting calls to any telephone number consumers placeon the National Do-Not-Call Registry maintained by the FTC.

Coverage Under TSR

The amended TSR regulates “telemarketing.” The amended rule states:

It is an abusive telemarketing act or practice and a violation of this rule for a telemarketer to engage in, or for a seller to cause a telemarketer to engage in, the following conduct:
(iii) Initiating any outbound telephone call to a person when:
(B) that person’s telephone number is on the “do-not-call” registry, maintained by the commission, of persons who do not wish to receive outbound telephone calls to induce the purchase of goods or services …

A seller means any person who, in connection with a telemarketing transaction, provides, offers to provide, or arranges for others to provide goods or services to the customer in exchange for consideration.

Telemarketing means a plan, program or campaign which is conducted to induce the purchase of goods or services or a charitable contribution, by use of one or more telephones and which involves more than one interstate telephone call.

According to the FTC Web site: “with some important exceptions, any businesses or individuals that take part in 'telemarketing' must comply with the rule. This is true whether, as 'telemarketers,' they initiate or receive telephone calls to or from consumers, or as 'sellers,' they provide, offer to provide, or arrange to provide goods or services to consumers in exchange for payment."

Registration

The TSR requires telemarketers to download the registry database and drop all registered numbers from their call lists.  Since October 1, 2003, telemarketers now must access the registry every three months and scrub numbers on it from their call lists.

The FTC prepared a fully automated Web site to provide members of the telemarketing industry with access to the registry’s database of telephone numbers, sorted by area code.

Registration lasts for five years, until a number is disconnected, or until the consumer takes it off the registry. Telemarketers who call a number on the list could be fined up to $11,000 per call.

Here is the Deal

A company may call a consumer who has registered where the consumer gives the company written permission to do so. Notwithstanding registration on the “do not call” registry, the TSR allows companies with which the consumer has an established relationship to call if they are calling them: within 18 months of their last purchase, transaction, shipment, end of subscription/membership, or within 3 months of their last inquiry or application.

The “do not call” provisions of the amended TSR do not apply to business-to-business calls. The FTC’s rules also exempt bona fide surveys from the “do not call” list.

State Do-Not-Call Lists

The TSR does not preempt state law. The TSR covers only telemarketing across state lines, while state laws also cover any telemarketing that is confined within the state’s borders.

Coverage of the TSR is generally broader than state laws. The FTC’s “do not call” registry requirements are at least as stringent as most state laws.

To review which states currently have DNC laws, click here.

Relationship Between FTC and FCC Regulations

Both the FTC and the Federal Communications Commission regulate telemarketing. The FTC rules and the FCC rules, although promulgated by different agencies under different statutes, both address the same consumer concerns regarding telemarketers. The FCC’s authority to establish a do-not-call registry derives from Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA). The FTC and the FCC now share responsibility for enforcing the national do-not-call list.

On March 11, 2003, the “Do-Not-Call Implementation Act,” was signed into law, authorizing the FTC to collect fees from telemarketers for the implementation and enforcement of a do-not-call registry. Under the Act, the FCC shall consult and coordinate with the FTC to maximize consistency with the rule promulgated by the FTC. The FCC registry covers both interstate and intrastate telemarketing calls. Click here to obtain a full copy of the FCC’s regulations.

For more information, contact Cathy MacFarlane, Office of Public Affairs, FTC, at 202-326-2710 or David Fiske, Office of Media Relations, FCC, at 202-418-0513. [return to top]

Did You Ever Wonder If? Need Some Advice?
If that’s the case, visit the Remodelors™ Council new message board on www.nahb.org. The Remodelors™ Council message board allows you to ask questions and get the answers from seasoned industry peers. Feel free to ask you question or respond to your peers. Visit www.nahb.org/forums for the current list of discussions or give us your suggestions.

Contact Melanie Hinton, 800-368-5242 x8451 for details. [return to top]

What’s Your Bright Idea?

Have you produced a successful marketing campaign on a limited budget? Recognize your achievements by entering the Idea of the Year Contest, which pays tribute to creative and cost-effective marketing ideas.

Winners receive passes to the International Builders’ Show as well as recognition in Sales + Marketing Ideas magazine. For more information and an entry form, click here.

Member Advantage: Save 15% on Payroll Processing with Paychex®
NAHB members save 15% on payroll processing charges and 401(k) and Section 125 set up fees with Paychex.  In addition to employee payroll checks and statements, Paychex produces accounting records and management reports, tax payment notices, and payroll tax returns.

Call 800-729-2439 for complete details. Identify yourself as an NAHB member and use Member Advantage code 5685.

To order online and for details on more than a dozen other money-saving Member Advantage discount programs click here.

Go to www.nahb.org to explore the numerous advantages associated with membership in your local, state and national home builders association. [return to top]