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.
Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders.. The Parade of Homes and much more.
By:CraigFairbanks
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 buildinghomes 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 GreenBuilding 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 CedarValley 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.
CraigFairbanks is the Current President of Northeast Iowa Association of Homebuilders Contact Craig at 319-553-1457 or www.Craig@BuildBuyorSellHomes.com
Well we continue to hear the debate in the US Senate about what will work the best for the stimulus plan and what is pork and will not create jobs. There are good things and some pretty silly ideas, but I personally see that progress is being made on a plan is making more sense on both sides of the political issues.
One amendment that the National Association of Homebuilders has been working on getting past is the Fix Housing 1st plan that will help stabilize the one thing at the bottom of all of the economic troubles, the demise of a strong housing market. Locally we have been blessed but then we have had a great deal of homes to fix up as well. This fix housing first plan included a $15,000 non refundable tax credit for buying a home. It has been accepted in the senate as an amendment on Wednesday and will stimulate both housing sales and job creation. As it was written I think it includes those who bought in 2008 as well.
This may be the best opportunity to buy a new home with the prices down a little, interest rates way down and now a tax credit to put in your pocket to boot. Like most things let your representatives know that you support these issues. Watch and see what happens to the legislation, if it passes there has been lots of people asking about building this year and if it does pass, builders will be filling up orders for the year very quickly.
Once the economy slows down people who regulate seem to have free time to advance new rules and regulations. Its a given that when we are all busy with our current work load we don't have time to complain and look for problems, but let the work slow at any government level and all of a sudden we need to correct the systems that are now failing. More regulations, more codes and more costs that are of little benefit to the citizens.
Somehow if someone else is paying that its no big deal to me. Don't we ask ourselves when it will be our turn to suffer the loss of funds due to mandates? Ultimately it is a loss of freedom to somone. Its easy to get jaded about government and regulation when we are shell shocked by just the shear mass of legislation that can be churned out faster than any of us can even comprehend what it means to us.
Yesterday I spent time in Des Moines with some legislators from our area at the State Homebuilders Association legislative reception. I was told by one of our representative that 64 pieces of new legislation had already been intoduced in this early state legislative session. You would think that without funds to spend this year that it might curtail some of the bills, but no the focus is on items that cost the state nothing and onto bills that cost us money for compliance.
I learned that there were many items that even the legislators do not get to debate. Appointed officials can almost single handely make a call on a new code just by their endorcement. Basicly its taxation with out representation. Most of it sounds like good ideas until you dig a little deeper and find that what is shown is only the tip of the ice burg.
Locally we are working hard to get adjustment to the subdiviion ordinance in Cedar Falls. Developers are being told that ground will be taken from them to provide public trails through these private neighborhoods. Worse yet being asked to build the trail and maintain it forever. Homebuilders are for trails and have no objection to that but to ask them to absorb it is not going to happen, all costs are passed onto the homeowner. Trails are good right? ,until they decide that land you have been using needs to be taken for a public purpose and diguese with a terms called easement. Just one of the many expensive and objectionable conditions contained in this ordinance that will reduce to a stand still development in Cedar Falls. Well if this passes don't look for price increase on home building lots.
Oh by the way we haven't even gotten through this issue with the city and a new one has been sent our way called post construction ordiance that we add even more costs. The goal of this one it to eventually make all homeowners maintain the water on their own property up to a rain fall event of 1-1/4" of rain on the site. You will be responsible to change you landscaping is such as way to comply. I have no problem with this either except to say that if its a good thing that it can be maketed so that people desire to do this no forced to make the change. If Cedar Falls is trying to slow or stop development this will get the job done.
More soon watch the local news for additional developments.
Well you would think that the new year would bring a new and brighter future but the news is still the same on the economy, sometimes they say its getting worse, then its better no its worse. By the talk you would think we should all be running down to the soup kitchens like in the 1930's so we can at least eat. The news is like the weather forecast, its just better to look out the window and see what really is going on, what ever it is now it soon will change. So what is happening in our hometown.
Well, in the Cedar Valley, we are bucking the collape trend in housing . Home starts have come down from the rocket records of 2005 yet we are just at a normal solid level that we have seen over the last 15 years or so. Our area home builders and remodelers are busy with projects or planning new ones for the coming year. Just turn off the news and we will all be just fine, the media always has to create a crisis so we will be drawn to the news and they can sell their advertizing at a premium. Its always about the money, or follow the money to find what the true motives are. We have been kept busy with rebuilding a tornado ravaged town to the tune of 250 + homes. It is quite a seen over in Parkersburg now with all the homes going up, but remember these pictures of distruction. Also the floods in June in Cedar Falls and other metro areas also have contributed to our crews remaining busy. Many homes will be torn down and many will need to be rebuilt.
Somethings have changed this year, I was elected to President of the Homebuilders of Northeast Iowa. I really am looking forward to what we can do in the Cedar Valley for our customers and the public in general. Right now we are working hard to control the costs of home building and doing a good job of that at the moment but we are continually challanged by codes changes and city and state regulations. The increases are staggering and who pays in the end, the customer buying that new home.The laws that are passed sometimes are more of a solution looking for aproblem.
Just a few that have raised our costs are: Air to air exchangers 2006 $1,800.00 Site erosion control from the city 2007 $3,500.00 Raising the standard for good cents program CFU 2009 $4,000.00 Electrical changes required by new state code 2009 $3,000.00 Lot cost increases due to new CF Subdivision being now being considered is a toxic ordinance that will have little value except to slow development and building $10,000.00 +++ International Residential Coded adopted 2008 Version Sprinkles required by new code: $10,000.00 +
Total increase due to regulation last 3 years: $32,300.00
Affordable Housing in Cedar Falls, "Priceless and soon to be Non-existent" and at this pace of unsustainable increases, no develpment and no building.
No one will soon forget 2008. It will be remembered for a vast amount of interesting news and events. Tornado's, record flooding and a nationwide failure of many of the financial institutions that we have all taken for granted would always be there.
In spite of all that our area has remained resilient. Being a second generation builder I have seen the housing market come and go in the housing industry but it has always recovered to become even better than before, this time will be no different.
I am very surprised how many people are thinking of buying or building new home, and with the smaller inventory of available homes out there, homes are being snatched up at a record pace. We are so blessed to be in this area where we have not seen a huge price run up and the home values have been steady. Now with interest rates at an all time low and the government pushing money into the system I look for a huge new building market in 2009.
I would suspect that there will be more stimulus put into the economy early next year that housing will benefit in a big way. The government is going to need to fix housing first if banks are to get healthy and foreclosures stop taking down home values in other parts of the country. http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=8328
In any case we probably are all glad to see 2008 go away and be a memory instead of a reoccurring nightmare. Oh by the way for a positive outlook, "Turn off the news!!!!"
Its becoming late fall again. Weather will soon be a factor in every day for the next 6 months, so the big push is on the wrap up while the weather is fantastic. Nothing better I know than October in Iowa. Crisper air, calm days, the best looking grass of the year, by product the best shape the golf courses are in all year.
Sometimes it hard to focus on work except there is so much. For the next 30 days could be filled with long walks, bike riding, golf or visiting your favorite fall tourist area. But for others its time to think about a new home next year. Starting in bad weather times and enjoying it in the spring. October is one of the two best months of the year for home building starts, and in case you haven't been in the neighborhoods for awhile its as busy as it has been all year.
Here in the Cedar Valley we have been blessed not to have seen the worst of the real estate market that most other areas have been through. I was at a home builders conference a week ago and got to learn first hand how bad it is in some regions. Other areas have seen 1/2 of all home builders gone and out of business. Some members from California LA area have seen membership cut in half in less than a year.
Cedar Falls has probably one of the lowest inventories of housing I have ever seen, in all price ranges and all areas. The housing market is rock solid and fair values are being achieved daily. I would imagine that when the year is done valuations in the Cedar Valley will be up for the year, easily. While many building costs have dropped. Lumber is at a 10 year low!!!! Build now as when the market really turns around nationally prices will again surge ahead.
