If you plan to excavate, dig, bore, tunnel, or blast in a location where a buried gas line may be damaged, please call Sunshine State One-Call of Florida at 811 or the toll-free number, 1-800-432-4770, between the hours of 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. CST, Monday through Friday, 48 hours before starting the proposed work. If there are buried natural gas facilities in the path of your activity, the location of the facilities will be marked by a Pensacola Energy representative at no expense to you.
Mary Jordan Agent/Owner
Cassy Smith Operations Manager
Jim Crutcher Director of Marketing Vicki
2025 Leadership Board
Austin Tenpenny President aDoor Properties
Josh Rayls Secretary Holiday Builders
Wilma Shortall Past 2nd Vice President The First Bank
Heath Kelly 1st Vice President
Heath Kelly Construction
Kevin Sluder 2rd Vice President Gene’s Floor Covering
One of the biggest challenges facing our industry today isn’t just interest rates, tariffs, or material costs—it’s the growing burden of government regulation. While regulations are meant to ensure responsible development, excessive fees, permitting delays, and restrictive zoning laws are driving up the cost of home building and making housing less attainable for families.
A recent study by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found that regulatory costs account for nearly 40% of the price of a new home. Think about that—before a single nail is hammered, nearly half of a home’s cost is tied up in government fees, land-use restrictions, and compliance measures. In many communities across Florida, builders face:
• Impact fees exceeding $20,000 per home before construction even begins.
• Months-long permitting delays that increase carrying costs and uncertainty.
• Zoning restrictions that limit the ability to build affordable housing options.
These challenges don’t just affect builders—they affect families trying to buy a home. When regulations make projects financially unfeasible, housing supply shrinks, and prices rise.
Looking Ahead: The Need for Smart Growth, Not Overregulation Regulations will always be part of the home-building process, but they must be reasonable, predictable, and cost-effective. When policies drive up costs unnecessarily, they hurt not just builders, but also homebuyers and communities as a whole.
As builders, we must continue advocating for balanced, smart growth policies—ones that balance responsible development with affordability. Through industry collaboration and strong advocacy, we can push back against excessive regulations and ensure that the dream of homeownership remains within reach for families across West Florida.
The Home Builders Association of West Florida is committed to fighting for policies that make housing more attainable. But we need your voice. If you’re not already engaged in advocacy efforts, now is the time to get involved. The future of our industry—and the affordability of housing—depends on it.
Let’s keep building, let’s keep pushing forward, and let’s make sure homeownership remains within reach for families across our communities.
Sincerely,
Austin Tenpenny President, Home Builders Association of West Florida
Congratulations to our Executive Officer, Jennifer Mancini on being named to the InWeekly Power 100 List for 2025.
Construction Begins on HBA Affordable Housing Project in Pensacola
HBA West Florida is pleased to share an update on in its collaborative effort with the City of Pensacola and NWFL Community Land Trust/Habitat to revitalize three city lots. These properties will soon have new or rehabilitated homes at affordable price points. This initiative aligns with the city’s commitment to increasing access to quality housing for residents.
Last week, the Mayor gathered with representatives from HBA and the NWFL Community Land Trust/ Habitat at 2300 W. Jackson St. to view the progress being made there. “We are thrilled to see these properties being put to good use in a way that directly benefits our residents,” said Mayor D.C. Reeves.
“Affordable housing is a priority for our city, and partnerships like this help ensure that families have access to safe, high-quality housing.”
Additional lots at 1491 N. E St. and 113 N. Spring St. are being transformed into high-quality, affordable housing opportunities, providing more families with the ability to become homeowners in Pensacola. By working with trusted local organizations such as the HBA, the city seeks to develop sustainable housing solutions that improve neighborhoods and foster community growth.
Millennial Buyers Prefer Better, Not Bigger Homes
As the housing industry celebrates New Homes Month in April, millennial buyers say they are willing to compromise when it comes to space. A National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) analysis found that millennial buyers prefer more square footage than other generations, but most would choose a smaller feature-rich home for the same purchase price.
“Buyers are willing to make compromises to find the best possible home for their families,” said NAHB Chairman Buddy Hughes, a home builder and developer from Lexington, N.C. “Our nation’s builders are willing to meet buyers where they are and construct a high-quality home to meet their family’s needs.”
Millennial buyers say they want a home with a median of 2,408 square feet, the most requested amount of interior space compared to other generations, according to NAHB. However, more than half (52%) of millennial home buyers say they would rather purchase a smaller house with higherquality products and amenities than a bigger one with fewer amenities.
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau confirm that builders are constructing smaller homes. The median home size dropped from 2,200 square feet in 2023 to 2,150 square feet in 2024—the lowest in 15 years—after holding strong at 2,300 square feet from 2019-2022. To increase overall living space, builders are adding porches and patios to the exterior of homes.
Home builders are constructing smaller homes partly due to housing affordability concerns. Mortgage rates are expected to remain above 6% throughout 2025, coupled with elevated home prices, creating a significant affordability challenge for first-time buyers and those looking to upgrade.
Given the current housing affordability climate, builders are making some concessions to help families achieve homeownership. According to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index, nearly a third (29%) of builders cut home prices in March, up from 26% in February. The average price reduction was 5% in March, the same rate as the previous month. About 59% of builders used sales incentives in March, unchanged from February.
“Homeownership is key to strengthening communities across the country and helps families increase their level of economic prosperity,” said Hughes. “The residential construction industry has solutions to help bring down the cost of housing and is willing to work with all levels of government to solve affordability challenges, so more families have a place to call their own.”
In response to the ongoing housing attainability barriers families across the country face, NAHB members will discuss housing priorities and affordability solutions with their members of Congress during NAHB’s Legislative Conference, which will take place on June 11 in Washington, D.C.
Source: NAHB
HBA of West Florida Staff and Members Attend FHBA Legislative Conference in Tallahassee
It was a busy week in Tallahassee with more than 200 FHBA members attending the annual legislative conference March 24-26th. Representatives from HBA of West Florida attended FHBA committee meetings and spent a day at the capitol advocating on behalf our industry. There are many issues that could affect our industry and having members voice their concerns directly to our elected officials in Tallahassee is so important. Thank you to everyone from HBA West Florida who attended: Austin Tenpenny, Alton Lister, Heath Kelly, Dax Campbell, Wilma Shortall, Edwin Henry, Suzanne Spann, and Vickie Patterson.
How Mortgage Rates Affect Housing Affordability
As housing affordability remains a critical challenge across the country, mortgage rates continue to play a central role in shaping homebuying power. Mortgage rates stayed elevated throughout 2023 and early 2024. Recent data, however, shows a modest decline in mortgage rates. Even slight declines can have a significant impact on housing affordability, pricing more households back into the market. New NAHB Priced-Out Estimates show how home price increases affect housing affordability in 2025. This post presents details regarding how interest rates affect the number of households that can afford a median priced new home.
At the beginning of 2025, with the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7%, around 31.5 million households could afford a median-priced home at $459,826. This requires a household income of $147,433 by the front-end underwriting standards[1]. In contrast, if the average mortgage rates had remained at the recent peak of 7.62% in October 2023, only 28.7 million households would have qualified. This 62-basis point decline has effectively priced 2.8 million additional households into the market, expanding homeownership opportunities.
The table below shows how affordability changes with each 25 basis-point increase in interest rates, from
3.75% to 8.25% for a median-priced home at $459,826. The minimum required income with a 3.75% mortgage rate is $110,270. In contrast, a mortgage rate of 8.25%, increases the required income to $163,068, pushing millions of households out of the market.
As rates climb higher, the priced-out effect diminishes. When interest rates increase from 6.5% to 6.75%, around 1.13 million households are priced out of the market, unable to meet the higher income threshold required to afford the increased monthly payments. However, an increase from 7.75% to 8% would squeeze about 850,000 households out of the market.
This exemplifies that when interest rates are relatively low, a 25 basis-point increase has a much larger impact. It is because it affects a broader portion of households in the middle of the income distribution. For example, if the mortgage interest rate decreases from 5.25% to 5%, around 1.5 million more households will qualify the mortgage for the new homes at the median price of $459,826. This indicates lower interest rates can unlock homeownership opportunities for a substantial number of households.
Explore the Many Ways to Connect with NAHB
ContentNAHB has a wide range of communication channels for members, HBA staff, and anyone interested in the residential construction industry to stay on top of the latest housing news and the Federation’s efforts to tackle top priorities.
Blogs
The NAHB Now blog is the premier news destination for the home building industry. The blog keeps members apprised of efforts by NAHB’s staff experts to tackle key issues, updates from Capitol Hill and state houses, the good work being done by HBAs across the country, and more.
For nationally acclaimed economic analysis, NAHB also publishes Eye on Housing, featuring content by NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz and his expert staff. For the latest on the International Builders’ Show, check out the Know the Show blog. And the Best in American Living blog offers inspiration in home design and development.
Social Media Outlets
Beyond blogs, NAHB has a robust presence on popular social media and digital communication channels. Follow NAHB on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram for the latest from NAHB. And check out some of NAHB’s specialized groups on Facebook and LinkedIn, such as Professional Women in Building, NAHB Remodelers, NAHB Associates, and other dedicated content areas. Just search in Facebook and LinkedIn for NAHB groups.
The International Builders’ Show has its own social accounts on Facebook, LinkedIn and X to keep IBS attendees informed about the latest developments for the upcoming show. These accounts are must-follows for anyone planning to attend the show in Las Vegas.
Podcasts and Videos
NAHB also produces a podcast, Housing Developments, featuring CEO Jim Tobin and Chief Operating Officer Paul Lopez, that dives into important topics in the home building industry. Subscribe to Housing Developments through your favorite podcast provider or watch each episode on YouTube.
Speaking of YouTube, NAHB has an award-winning production department that makes professional videos for the industry. The NAHB YouTube channel features content such as the popular safety video toolbox series, skilled trades promotional videos, the Chairman’s Update, and much more. And be sure to check out the IBS YouTube channel for videos from the show.
Member Community and Updates
Engage with other members directly on NAHB Connect, a platform exclusively for NAHB members to exchange ideas and network digitally. No staff, no non-members — just home builders, remodelers, and associate members discussing their businesses.
NAHB also offers a wide range of email newsletters covering all areas of the Federation to help keep members up to date on the latest news. Check our list of newsletters and subscribe to those that suit your interests.
Learn more about these and other key digital media and publications from NAHB on nahb.org.
SPIKE CLUB
In construction, a spike is a steel object that is essential to making a building strong. As in construction, the HBA of West Florida sees a Spike as someone that works to keep our association strong. Spikes work on the recruitment and retention of members in addition to keeping members active with the association. Anyone is eligible for Spike status. On Spike credit is awarded for each new member recruited and an additional credit is awarded for that new member’s renewal on or before their anniversary date. If you help to retain a member, you are eligible to receive a half point for each member.
Spike Club Levels
Spike Candidate 1-5 Credits
Blue Spike 6-24
Life Spike 25-49
Green Spike 50-99
Red Spike 100-149
Royal Spike 150-249
Super Spike 250-499
Statesman Spike 500-999
Grand Spike 1000-1499
All-Time Big Spike 1500+ Spike Club Members and their credits as of 03/31/2025.
