October 2021
New Home Sales See an Uptick in August
Strong demand, low interest rates and fewer existing homes for sale contributed to an uptick in new home sales in August even as home prices continue to rise. Sales of newly built, single-family homes in August rose 1.5% to a 740,000 seasonally adjusted an- nual rate from an upwardly revised reading in July, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Sales are up 2.4% on a year-to-date basis. A new home sale occurs when a sales con- tract is signed or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or com- pleted. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the August reading of 740,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months. Inventory stands at a balanced level of a 6.1-months’ supply, with 378,000 new single-family homes for sale. While inventory is rising, a growing share of that inventory is homes that have not started construction. As of August 2021, 28% of new home inventory consists of homes that have not started construction, compared to 21% a year ago. The median sales price was $390,900, remaining flat from July to August, but was up 20% from the $325,500 median sales price posted a year earlier, due to higher development costs, including materials. Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales fell 1.0% in the Northeast and 2.3% in the West, but rose 4.4% in the Midwest and 4.5% in the South.
Vaccine Madate Won't Affect Small Firms President Joe Biden in September announced a sweeping vaccine mandate to bring the latest surge in COVID-19 cases under control. Central to the plan is a requirement that every employer with more than 100 employees require the vaccine for its workforce or provide for weekly testing. The new mandate will be instituted and enforced through a new emergency temporary standard (ETS) from OSHA in the coming weeks.
House That She Built Promotes Trades Careers The House That She Built is a new book from NAHB’s BuilderBooks that seeks to give children a look at potential careers in construction. Released Sept. 14, 2021, the book is inspired by the real-world team of women who came together to build a one-of-a-kind home in Utah, The House That SHE Built. Young readers will learn about careers in construction through the tradeswomen who contribute their individual skills to build a new home. Don't Miss Remodel Show Home at IBS Staying true to its original character is the primary objective for The New American Remodel® 2022 – a flagship exhibit of the 2022 NAHB International Builders’ Show® in Orlando. As the project continues to take shape and prepares for its debut at IBS Feb. 8-10, the build team is confident show attendees will be impressed with the final product. This project, along with its sister home, the New American Home, are two great reasons to attend the 2022 Builders' Show. Learn more and register for the show at BuildersShow.com.
Legal Victory on PPP Loan Forgiveness In a case brought by NAHB and Michigan builders, The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ruled Sept. 28 that all NAHB members who received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans can have their loans forgiven regardless of whether the loans were made in contravention of the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) eligibility rules. NAHB, along with the HBA of Michigan and HBA of Southeastern Michigan, filed the lawsuit at the height of the pandemic-induced economic downturn to give all NAHB members access to PPP funds.
Congress Averts Government Shutdown Congress on Sept. 30 approved a stopgap spending bill that averts an impending government shutdown by funding federal government agencies at current levels through Dec. 3. Absent congressional action, the government would have shut down on Oct. 1. Of note to the housing community, the legislation will keep the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) funded through Dec. 3, 2021. NAHB continues to work with Congress to achieve a long-term reauthorization of the NFIP.
EPA Announces Pre-2015 WOTUS Rule Now in Effect
HBI Opens BuildStrong Academy The Home Builders Institute (HBI) opened a new Orlando-based facility for training individuals for jobs in construction. The BuildStrong Academy of Orlando will train and place area students who want to pursue careers in the skilled trades for the building industry. Funded by The Home Depot Foundation, along with other private, public, and nonprofit sector partners, the program will be free to trainees. Officials expect the training center to serve approximately 500 new trainees by year- end 2022. The training program guides participants through a step-by-step process designed to take them from beginners, with little-to-no trade skills, to tradespeople who are sought after by employers.
Following the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona’s ruling in early Septem- ber to remand and vacate the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR), which defines the “waters of the U.S. (WOTUS),” the EPA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- neers (Corps) announced that the agencies have halted implementation of NWPR and are interpreting ‘waters of the United States’ consistent with the pre-2015 rule. This unilateral decision by the agencies, without public input, means that landowners must immediately follow the federal definition of WOTUS that existed prior to both the Trump and Obama administration’s WOTUS rules. The two agencies said they plan to change the regulatory definition of WOTUS under the Clean Water Act (CWA), an effort that will likely take more than a year to complete. NAHB urges the agencies to reconsider this decision in light of previous problems with the pre-2015 WOTUS rule.
NAHB Offers Land Use Resources In a recent article “Opportunities to Increase Housing Production and Preservation,” HUD describes the current housing crisis in the United States and connects an inadequate supply of housing to rising costs. NAHB has been active in advocating for better land development policy and providing resources to help educate the public on the impact bad policies can have on housing affordability. For more infor- mation on effective land development policies, visit nahb.org. NAHB outlines strong examples of alternative types of “missing middle” housing in its report, “Diversifying Housing Options with Smaller Lots and Smaller Homes.”
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 PWB Philanthropy Luncheon Wear purple and bring your toiletry donations. Collect items at your office and during the month of October and bring them to the luncheon. Individual with most items (determined by weight) will win a free PWB 1 year Membership. 10/20/2021 - 11/20/2021 SouthEast Florida Parade of Homes This event has been placed on pause... Buyers will the best in home building by visiting your beautiful model homes filled with the latest trends in outdoor living areas, decorating styles, gourmet kitchens, state-of-the-art audio/video technology and the newest advancements in green... Thursday, November 4, 2021 2021 Annual Meeting of the Members & Election of Officers Join your fellow member for a fun and informative meeting. The election of officers will take place at this meeting. Brad Hunter will be with to update us on the Housing Industry and what the past has brought us and the future might hold! Friday, November 12, 2021 REGISTRATION NOW OPEN for GCBA 1st Annual Chili Cook Off If your game enough to step up...bring it on and compete for the Title of GCBA's Best Chili. Limited to 10 chefs. Not quite ready to cook for the crowd come sample, have a drink, network and vote for your favorite chili. All dates and locations are subject to change.
Calendar of Events Check GCBA's Monday eMail for current Location & Registration Information. Masks are required for all indoor events..
If you are interested in serving on the Board and/or Becoming an Office please contact KT at 561-228-6137 or KT@GCBAFlorida.com
Leadership List 2021 GCBA Officers and Directors OFFICERS PRESIDENT Fred Pfister, Toll Brothers 1ST VP Rafael Roca, DR Horton 2ND VP Michael Nunziata, 13th Floor Homes ASSOCIATE VP Tony Macaluso, Universal Engineering Sciences VP FINANCE Steve Karp, Melamed & Karp PA IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Jay Huebner, HSQ Group DIRECTORS Steven Dassa, Mattamy Homes Frank Coppola, Coppola Brothers Herb Tremble, Master Contractor and Subcontractor Association of Florida Karl Albertson, DR Horton David Donvito, Minto Peggy West, GRS Community Management Josh Hedden, Hydroshield Ken Lebersfeld, Capitol Lighting Lisbeth Linert, Clive Daniel Home Rick Baxter, Palm Beach Post Mark Richards, Stock Custom Homes Executive Officer: KT Catlin Design: Gregory J. Del Deo
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The NAHB/NAR Home Performance Counts: Virtual Green Home Tour Series continues in October from Northern Virginia with Stanley Martin Homes. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Stanley Martin Homes is Builder Magazine’s 2021 National “Builder of the Year” and ranks #21 on the BUILDER 100 list. Join Stanley Martin Homes and their NGBS Green Verifier partner, PEG LLC, for a tour of Tall Oaks, a high-performance infill project in Reston consisting of modern townhomes and flats certified to the National Green Building Standard® (NGBS). NGBS Green Verifiers will take you through the site and point out what they are looking for in their inspections (rough and final) during the certification process. See what goes into these NGBS Green Certified homes, compare what you are already doing on your builds, and learn how to market green certified homes to prospective buyers. These free 45-minute programs are held the third Thursday of each month and include a Q&A with building and real estate professionals. Register now for access to the Virtual Green Home Tour Series. Registration is free to all for this monthly series showcasing high-performance homes across the country. In addition to the showcase of homes, builders, real estate agents and others will discuss how housing industry professionals can work together to increase sales and provide added value to consumers. Registrants can access the replay for this event and others in the series through NAHB's webinar replay library. The series is a product of Home Performance Counts, a joint educational initiative between NAHB and the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
Virtual Green Home Tour Features NGBS Verifiers in Action
GCBA 2021 TOP RECRUITERS HV Tremble - 29 Fred Pfister - 16 KT Catlin - 11 Rafael Roca - 7 Mark Anderson - 3 Deb Giarratana - 3 Lisbeth Linert - 3 Alex Akel - 3 Michelle Mockenhaupt - 3 David Kanarek - 3 Michael Nunziata - 2 Matthew Blum - 2 Peggy West - 2 Greg Garnish - 1 Walter Robles - 1 Mike Brown - 1 Tamara Ksiazek - 1 Rick Baxter - 2 Frank Williams - 1 Eduardo Aleman - 1 Ron Ellish - 1 Laurie Albert - 1 Marcia Wegman - 1 Devin Perry - 1 Marc Julian - 1 Maddie Williams - 1 Suzanne Donohue - 1 Steven Dassa - 1 Amy Wieland-Carlson - 1 GCBA SPIKE CLUB Members reach the GCBA Spike Club once you recruit 5 or more members in the current year. GCBA Spike Club Members will be recognized at Board Meetings & more!
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Associates Sam Yates Yates & Associates Andrew Wyman Wyman Legal Solutions Kevin Pino Sunnova Energy Ken Friedman Friedman, Feldmesser & Karpeles, CPAs Builder >5 Million in Gross Revenues Matthew Berkis Mattamy Homes Builder <5 Million Gross Revenue Llwyd Ecclestone Ecclestone Signature Homes Marc Kruger Hierromat Development Phil Wenzofsky Coral Sun Enterprises, Inc. Brad Morem Terrafina Builders Affiliate Patty Biron KWD Design If you sponsored one of these individuals please let KT or Robin know! We will be having year long contests and recognition for Recruiting & Retention!
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GCBA IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THE 2022 SLATE OF OFFICERS AND CALL FOR SELF-DECLARED CANDIDATEs
The 2021 GCBA nominating committee hereby places the following names into nomination: Officers: President: Rafael Roca / DR Horton 1st Vice President: Michael Nunziata/ 13th Floor Homes 2nd Vice President: Frank Coppola / Coppola Brothers Directors: Mark Richards / Stock Custom Homes Herb Tremble / Master Contractors & Subcontractors Assoc. of F. FL. Karl Albertson / DR Horton Mark Walsh / Lennar Lisbeth Linert / Clive Daniel Home Ethan Nelson / UMI Stone The nominating committee has confirmed that all nominees will a membership in GCBA and will hold a full (versus Affiliate) membership by January 1, 2022, thereby meeting the requirements as stated in the GCBA Bylaws. Respectfully submitted, Jay Huebner, Immediate Past President & Nominating Committee Chair David Kanarek, Past President Jeff Spear, Past President Michael Cuputo, Past President Self-Declare Window Now Open The 21 day window for self declaring is now open. All information is due no later than 11:59pm October 31, 2021. This is the official call for self-declared candidates. Qualified persons may self-declare candidacy by submitting in writing via email to GCBA EO (kt@gcbaflorida.com) and Nominating Committee Chair (Jay@hsq.com) indicating their intent to run and agreeing that: 1. He/she is a current GCBA member and your membership type (Builder or Associate). 2. He/she meets the qualifications for the office. 3. He/she agrees to abide by all guidelines for Officers & Directors. In additional please insure a current phone number where you can be reached is included in your email. Elections: The elections will take place during the GCBA Annual Meeting of the Members on November 4th at a The Beach Club in Lake Worth. All questions and concerns raised during the election period should be directed to the EO KT Catlin. In Addition to the above listed individuals the Incoming President has the duty to appoint additional directors. Rafael Roca has indicated his intention to appoint the following individuals to the Board of Directors: Directors: Steven Dassa / Mattamy Homes Jon Long / Ryan Homes Peggy West / Capitol Lighting Mark Anderson / US Bank Director at Large: Rick Baxter / Localiq/Palm Beach Post
Associate Spotlight: HomeTeam Pest Defense Protecting Homes. Improving Communities With over 1,000 builder partnerships nationwide, HomeTeam is the #1 pest control provider for homebuilders. We install the original, contact-less built-in pest control system called Taexx®. With over 25 years in the homebuilding industry, we recently surpassed 1.5 million installations! Our advanced external HUB allows our skilled technicians to provide pest service to the Taexx® in-wall pest control system without needing access to the indoors. Homebuyers enjoy a safe contactless environment in their home and do not need to be home for service. Built Smarter to Protect Smarter. In combination with Taexx® HomeTeam provides various termite pre-treatment options including Sentricon bait station installations and Borate Wood applications. All are backed by our $1 Million Dollar Warranty.* *Re-treatment only warranty in Florida panhandle and Arizona. “HomeTeam is a long-standing vendor partner and has worked diligently over the years providing their product and enhancing the value of our homes … they convey a commitment to providing a safe, secure, clean and healthy home, proving they are the right choice for our customers.” – Barry Rutenberg, ARH Chairman
The Golden Handcuffs, Part 2 Welcome to fall and the next installment of our 4-part series about the importance of your corporate benefit offerings. Last month we left off with sharing how important the benefit offerings are when recruiting and retaining employees; 60% say it is a major factor when evaluating a job opportunity and 80% say they would take additional benefits over a pay raise. Thanks to my friends at Guardian and their benefits optimization survey reported 52% of your employee’s would face financial hardship without workplace benefits and 67% say they couldn’t afford them outside of the workplace. Over the past decade “voluntary benefit offerings” have grown 40%!!! So, what does “voluntary benefit offerings” include? Simply put, it means offering dental, vision, life AD&D, disability, and retirement. Wow, I know that seems so overwhelming so why should we do that? Let’s begin with 57% of all employers offer voluntary benefits. Now, when you look deeper, barely 35%, according to surveys for the recruiting and staffing industry, of small businesses offer voluntary benefits…that is barely 1 in 3. Let me finish answering the why, because 80% of surveyed employees would take additional benefits over a pay raise. So, when consider over 90% of employee’s pay for their dental, retirement plan, vison and disability plans; nearly 80% pay for life insurance when offered so why wait any longer? The next installment will focus on just how just how easy and affordable it is to offer these plans and maybe I will share how to give a raise without increasing payroll. Chris Glatz, Congruity HR m. 772.828.6078 | 844.247.4100 a. 729 SW Federal Highway, Suite 102, Stuart, FL 34994 www.congruityhr.com
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A benefit when joining FHBA is how much money you can save by utilizing our contracts. Members save an average of $5,000 in legal fees for creation of contracts for builders and contractors. Some of those contracts include: • Disclosure Statements • Standard Construction Contracts on Owner’s or Customer’s Property • Standard Contract of Builder’s Property • Standard Remodel Contract • Standard Subcontract • Residential Rebuilding Agreement • Escalation Clauses NAHBNow Blog Highlights Work Done by Florida HBAs: Florida HBAs continues to combat impact fees, with the assistance the NAHB State and Local Issues Fund. Click here to read more from today’s blog post about the public relations campaign launched by Gold Coast Builders Association and Builders Association of South Florida. Another Way Your FHBA Membership Can Help You Save Money: As a FHBA member, you receive many savings that protect your bottom line. Have you ever needed assistance interpreting the sometimes-complicated Florida Building Code? FHBA members have exclusive access to Joe Belcher, an independent code consultant with more than 35 years of experience. At no charge to you, Mr. Belcher is available to answer questions, provide code interpretations, and give plan review assistance and analysis for builders who find themselves at odds with their local building departments. What other members are saying… “The 411 Code program has been a great FHBA member resource. The knowledge of the Florida Building Code and the associated appeals processes has helped us to overcome multiple challenges that were presented by various building departments across the state. We would like to thank you for providing this service to FHBA members. We look forward to working with and learning from the 411 Code on unforeseen challenges well into the future.” – Builder- Sunrise, FL Podcast: This is Progress? The Uncertain Future of the $3.5 Trillion Spending Bill: On the latest episode of the Housing Developments podcast, NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin discuss the latest movements in Washington and NAHB’s concerns with he proposed tax increases to pay for the massive spending bill. Plus, the co-hosts discuss the potential for a government shutdown on Oct. 1. NAHBNow: 5 KPIs Every Builder Should Know: There are five key numbers, or key performance indicators (KPIs), in a residential building company’s financials that builders should be aware of on a quarterly basis. The analyses should be conducted quarterly because most residential building companies generate less than $10 million in revenue a year, and their claims can be six to seven weeks apart, which means their monthly income can be a little volatile. So, it makes sense for builders to look at their financials quarterly rather than monthly when comparing to the previous period, or the same period last year. Of course, if builders don’t calculate their work in progress accounting adjustment (WIPAA) each month, then their financial reports are not going to make too much sense to anyone, no matter how frequently they are reviewed. That means calculating the work in progress accounting adjustment figure each month is the first number that builders must know in their financials.