Spring is here, let the building begin!!

Yep its spring! Not everything says it is except we have had a 70 degree day, its muddy on top of the ground and frozen 12" below grade. Were digging holes,pouring foundations and the framers are working in full force. Maybe this is the year that those active adults decide to right size into a new home.

You say,"What is an active adult and what is right sizing? For some right sizing is downsizing but for most its making a home the right size for the many needs that many always wished they had or needs that may arise in the future. Active adults are those who want to continue an active lifestyle as long as possible without wanting to relocate in the future to a retirement center or a assisted care facility. It's about purchasing the last home you may ever need to buy, custom built to your plans and ideas yet taking into consideration mobility and future heath needs as they arise.

Think about your heredity and what your elders, siblings and other relatives have had come into their lives, that may give you a sneak preview of what your needs might be. Did they experience eyesight problems,arthritis, allergies, heart conditions and mobility problems that required assistance. Maybe they needed a wheel chair, walker, railings, grab bars. Maybe their lives could have been enhanced if every area of the home was easily accessible, like no step entries to the home, wider halls and doorways. Maybe if everything was easier to reach, like fewer tall wall cabinets and appliances at a more convenient heights. Roll in showers and vanities at different heights for every occupant need. Better lighting both fixtures and natural lighting from properly placed windows.

But the real key to it all is to do all of these things through a design style called Universal Housing. Homes made to accommodate almost any person who uses the home, yet in a style that most would never know that these accommodating features are even there.

These are a few considerations when thinking about building your home. The newest trend I have seen lately is dishwasher drawers just under the counter top and another dishwasher drawer beneath that. Serves two purposes, one is accessibility and using less water and energy for small loads.

We will explore some of these new features in future blogs.

Craig Fairbanks

Homebuilders Association, what do we do?

Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders.. The Parade of Homes and much more.

By: Craig Fairbanks

For the past decade the homebuilders parade of homes event has been the most visible image for homebuilders, however we are much more than that.

National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) is an organization of builders, subcontractors, suppliers and associates whose goal is to provide a professional cohesive group with one thing in mind, providing the best possible product for the customer. We provide scholarships for deserving student to advance in the profession of homebuilding. We have done may community related projects like shelters for the city, ramps for the handicapped, and help with building homes with Habitat for Humanity.

When a builder joins the National Association of Home Builders they are making a serious decision to become the tops in their field of expertise. When you look at our national website WWW.NAHB.org as a member or consumer you quickly realize that there is about any information you would like to know about housing. You will find that homebuilder members are the leaders and innovators of Green Building initiatives’ that have been really popular today. www.nahbgreen.org/

Homebuilders are also given access to superior home building standards that are far above the minimum code. Our members are not just looking to build to minimums but to constantly get better and to be innovative. Homebuilders do a great job of educating our buyers so the process of custom building is not a complicated or scary process. We have access to the latest energy savings programs that help our members build very energy efficient homes. NAHB is a leader in many other research initiatives as well.

Education for homebuilders is some of the most comprehensive training that you can get. When pursuing a designation for specific field of work, such as Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), many classroom hours are required to achieve this designation, along with tough testing to make sure you are qualified to be a leader in that type of work. Other designations include Certified Graduate Builder, Graduate Master Builders, Graduate Master Remodeler, Certified Green Builder and Certified New Home Marketing Specialist. Most of these take years to obtain not days or months.

Other benefits are just being around those who have been fine tuning and building a better business over a lifetime, its rubs off on our fellow members. When you talk with those who are member homebuilders and with builders who are not, it doesn’t take very long to realize there is a difference in the level of professionalism and competence. Most home builders members use advanced building methods and tech savvy ideas to make home building enjoyable for home buyers.

Legislation is a very key area that homebuilders work on. The Stimulus package that is probably passed by now in congress was very much a National home building issue that backed a plan called “Fix Housing First.” www.fixhousingfirst.com/ Part of the original package that was passed by the Senate was a $15,000 tax credit to buy a home. The basic premise is to shore up home values that were the start of a declining economy nationally. Here is the Cedar Valley our inventory of new homes is almost non existent and interest in building a new home is really high. This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get a new home at a very good price with the lowest interest rates ever. It won’t last forever!!

Locally we are constantly defending private property rights and work for good legislation that keeps housing reasonable. This is a constant effort that we have to undertake almost daily through our codes and legislative committee. Impact fees, code changes, subdivision and city ordinances are constantly pushing housing costs up. Over the past 2 years we have worked with the cities on Storm Water erosion control, subdivision ordinances, mechanical code changes and many unfunded mandates from the Federal Government.

The next issue is fire sprinkles in the 2009 residential housing code and that will not be a cheap add on. Sounds like a good idea but most fires are in older homes that include old wiring, mechanicals or through carelessness with candles or cigarettes. In just the last 3 years the added cost to a home from code changes, city legislation and ordinances have pushed the price of a home up $32,000 before you even start the project. Thank goodness prices for materials have plummeted and other components are stable for maybe the first time in a decade. We realize that when these costs are raised the homeowner really the one that pays those costs and takes more people out of the buying equation due to affordability.

This is just a small part of what the Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders. For further information on our organization on the web at: WWW.CedarValleyHomebuilders.com

Craig Fairbanks is the Current President of Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders Contact Craig at 319-553-1457 or www.Craig@BuildBuyorSellHomes.com