BIA Online Magazine - August 2024 by BIA SoCal

Southern California BUILDER

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW Edition

• Your Inside Exclusive Look at the 2024 Building Industry Show

• BIS Keynote Speakers, Schedule, & More

• Key Players of the BIA Coachella Valley Chapter

Learn about energy efficiency rebates available now for energy-efficient natural gas appliances through the Energy Efficient New Homes (EENH) Program. SoCalGas is proud to be the Show Partner Sponsor of BIS 2024!

Visit the SoCalGas Team at BIS: Exhibit Booth #300 Pechanga Casino & Resort Thursday, September 19, 2024 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Energy Efficient New Homes Program is funded by Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) customers and administered by SoCalGas, under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. Program funds, including any funds utilized for rebates or incentives, will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until such funds are no longer available. This program may be modified or terminated without prior notice. The selection, purchase, and ownership of goods and/or services are the sole responsibility of customer. SoCalGas makes no warranty, whether express or implied, including the warranty of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose, of goods or services selected by customer. SoCalGas does not endorse, qualify, or guarantee the work of any third party. Eligibility requirements apply; see the program conditions for details. For more information, visit: socalgas.com/EENH

What’s Inside

BIASC Chair & CEO Joint Message:

The Building Industry Show is back and continues to be the premier trade show for Southern California, thanks to the unwavering support of our exhibitors, sponsors, and members. This year, we return to Pechanga with a new twist that honors our traditions while honoring past and current leaders of our industry.

For the first time, BIS will host a joint Installation Gala with the San Bernardino, Riverside, Coachella Valley and Regional Boards, creating an unparalleled networking opportunity for our members. This is not just about shaking hands but building relationships that foster collaboration and drive progress in our industry.

One of the highlights of this year’s BIS is the induction of our 2024 BIASC Hall of Legends members. These individuals exemplify excellence, leadership, and commitment to the building industry. Their recognition reminds us of what we can achieve when we come together as a community that can inspire the next generation of leaders within our organization.

We look forward to seeing all our members at this year’s show and appreciate the continued commitment to building a brighter future for Southern California’s building industry. See you at BIS! 

Warm regards,

Nicole & Jeff

Nicole Murray BIASC Chair Division President, Shea Homes

Jeff Montejano BIASC Chief Executive Officer

BIASC Letter from the Editor: Prepare to be Amazed! It’s Time for Another FANTASTIC BIS!

Some love the year-end holidays. Others, the spring, with its blooming flowers and balmy breezes. And for still others, it’s the long, warm days of summer. They’re all nice enough but I must ask: What about that great time of year when summer eases into fall and the BIASC’s Building Industry Show pops up on your calendar?

If that’s not the #1 season for you, it’s not for lack of trying by those of us here at BIASC, as Laura Barber Salgado, our VP of Events, explains later in this issue. This is the signature event every year for our Association, and this year, we have pulled out all the stops and put together a jam-packed, fun-filled, opportunity-loaded BIS for you. We’re returning this year to the Pechanga Resort and Casino, one of the most popular BIS venues of all time.

In this issue of Southern California Builder, you’ll read about our two Keynote Speakers, Steve Hilton – who you probably remember from his “The Next Revolution” show on Fox News - on his group Golden Together and its vision to restore the California Dream, and Adam Artunian of Clarity Real Estate Advisors on how to meet the challenges of our confusing new home/new community market as we look towards 2025. Also in this issue, we’re previewing what’s shaping up to be one of the best Meet the Builders ever by talking to two big fans of the session, Linda Sandusky from David Evans & Associates and Tim Robers from LGI Homes.

Craig Foster Chief Operating Officer/ Executive Vice President

There will be more, much more, to BIS than Keynotes and Meet the Builder, of course. On the fun side, things will kick off with the Builder/Exhibitor party on September 18, creating a great warm-up for the opening of the Show Floor on September 19, with its 100+ exhibitors displaying everything new and exciting in our industry. Because Pechanga is in the heart of Southern California’s wine country, we’ve put together a fantastic Temecula Valley Wine Tour, and because the Journey Course at Pechanga is such a great golf course, BIS will host the Second Annual Builders vs. Associates Golf Tournament, so we’ll find out if the Builders’ shameful loss last year was just a fluke.

. Finally, BIS 2024 will close out in an all-new and exciting way, with the combined Installation Balls for the incoming boards of our BIASC Regional Office and the BIA Riverside County, San Bernardino County and new Coachella Valley Chapters, all under one roof, with music and dancing to follow long into the night.

Speaking of the BIA Coachella Valley Chapter, be sure to check out this issue’s Q&A with Terry Kent of Crestview Communities, the Chapter’s inaugural president, to learn about the chapter’s formation and the opportunities for builders and associates that abound in the Coachella Valley. Also hear from La Quinta City Councilman Steve Sanchez on what’s happening in his city and the goals of working with our association. 

ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS

BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

TRANSPORTATION

LAND USE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES

CULTURAL RESOURCES

BILD: More than a clever name

When “Walk Like an Egyptian” was topping the charts in 1987, a groundbreaking change occurred in the housing industry when the Building Industry Legal Defense (BILD) Foundation was launched. Aging like a fine wine for the last 37 years, BILD has been the somewhat silent partner of the Building Industry, taking on the hardest legal battles and protecting the industry from the most insidious of threats. At the BIA, much is done to market networking events and policy forums, but know that our friends at BILD continue to be the greatest tool in our arsenal, even if you haven’t heard of them yet.

BILD: Why do we need more lawyers?

Since 1987, BILD has upheld the mission of defending the legal rights of California’s building industry. Without BILD, CEQA would have expanded well beyond it current bounds; without BILD, jurisdictions could raise fees on the development community with little fear of reprisal; without BILD, local planning decisions would have been exported beyond the reach of our members and communities; without BILD, the industry we know today would not exist. BILD is a steadfast defender of the American dream by making sure our industry has the legal power to defend our ability to construct homes in California.

BILD: Just

because we don’t advertise on the side of a bus, doesn’t mean we can’t help

For almost 40 years BILD has been defending the building industry from a barrage of threats. What you might not know is that BILD is also here to help you! Under California law, BILD is in a position to bring litigation against jurisdictions that violate many of the new housing laws. Maybe there is a time where your company doesn’t want to sue a city for violating a housing law in denying your project… but maybe that is the perfect time for BILD to step in! BILD has a track record of successfully suing local governments for violation of the Housing Accountability Act, and winning! Recently BILD sued a city and the judge ordered the construction of homes as a result of the case! Let BILD help you!

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW Edition

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18TH

WHEN WHAT

10:00am Check-In / 11:30am Shotgun Start

Builders vs Associates 2nd Annual Golf Tournament – Journey Golf Course

12:00pm – 5:15pm Temecula Valley Wine Tour

7:00-9:00pm

BIS Kick Off Party – Casino Night Presented by TWR Framing

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH

9:00am-4:00pm

7:00am / 9:00am

10:15am – 11:00am

11:00am – 12:00pm

2:00pm

6:00pm

BIS Exhibitor Show Floor *Includes All Educational Series and Keynote Session

SAGE 55+ Housing Council Morning Panel

Keynote Session – Adam Artunian, Clarity Real Estate Advisors

Keynote Session – Steve Hilton, Author, Broadcaster & Entrepreneur

Meet The Builder *BIASC Members Only Ticketed Event requiring Show Floor Pass

BIASC Regional & Inland Empire Installation Gala

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY

SHOW FLOOR SPONSOR

CONCESSION SPONSOR

SHOW PARTNER

LANYARD SPONSOR

MEET THE BUILDER SPONSOR

KEYNOTE SPEAKER SPONSOR

KICK OFF PARTY SPONSORS

PRESENTING SPONSOR

PLATINUM SPONSOR GOLD SPONSOR

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

STEVE HILTON

AUTHOR, BROADCASTER & ENTREPRENEUR

BEST KNOWN FOR HIS FOX NEWS CHANNEL SHOW “THE NEXT REVOLUTION” 2024 ELECTION & KEEPING THE AMERICAN DREAM OF HOME OWNERSHIP ALIVE

IMPACTS

OF HOMEBUILDING LEADING INTO 2025

ADAM ARTUNIAN

VICE PRESIDENT, CLARITY REAL ESTATE ADVISORS EXPERT IN UNDERSTANDING AND ANALYZING THE MARKET VIABILITY OF COMPLEX REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENTS

SAFES + SECURITY

BIS Keynote Speaker Highlight:

Meet the Keynote Speaker Adam Artunian of Clarity Real Estate Advisors

Few people know the Southern California new home and apartment market better than Adam Artunian, Vice President of Clarity Real Estate Advisors, who authors the Southern California Quarterly Market Report for this magazine. His 20 years of experience as a real estate advisor and financial planner have earned him a well-deserved spot as one of the keynote speakers at this year’s BIS. Here’s a preview:

Southern California Builder: With everything you know about the Southern California housing market, what is it that you will be focusing on when you speak at BIS?

Adam Artunian: I’m going to touch on a few things, but the main theme is new and innovative ways to build attainably priced housing, both rental and for sale. Affordability is such a challenge, and the biggest issue in Southern California, so I’m going to go into actual examples of projects and solutions that have been successful in reaching that missing middle. There are a lot of households out there that don’t qualify for subsidized low-income affordable housing, but they also can’t afford new homes, or even the market rental rate for new construction apartments. It’s tough to find a product that works for them, but there are some out there that are a little outside the box – that’s what I’m going to focus on.

This is important because when homes in the coastal market are $800,000, $900,000 and up and even in the inland markets it’s now $600,000 and up, we need to see the examples of solutions that target people who want a home but can’t afford these prices. It’s a big group of people who are looking for what we call workforce housing. It used to be that the inland markets did have products for them, but that’s beginning to go away because prices have gone up so much.

SCB: Isn’t this missing middle group the main group that is leaving California?

AA: Yes, definitely, you’re seeing a lot of these folks leave. My experience in my research and talking to new home sales agents, Realtors and new home and apartment shoppers is that most of the folks that leave actually want to stay, but they’re being pushed out because they can’t afford to buy a house here.

SCB: Can builders still do it the old way, with move-up homes in more close-in markets?

AA: You can definitely in some markets and some locations but it’s becoming tougher. Right now you want to look for those opportunities to provide more attainably priced housing, especially since the move-up market is a little slow now because so many homeowners are locked into low interest mortgages and are hesitant to sell. That’s in contrast to the first-time homebuyer market that is still really strong. Even the rental market is still strong, but with both it’s about trying to find solutions to get the home price or the rental rates down.

SCB: Can you give us an example of how to do that?

AA: Yes – here’s a preview from my keynote, one of the things I’ll be talking about. You can provide a five-bedroom townhome that can be more affordable in a real sense than the typical two- or three-bedroom apartment. That can be the case if the five-bedroom townhome is designed for a multi-gen family, so there are multiple people with income to split up the rent three or four different ways. That product has been built and has been successful. One way to approach affordability is by thinking you have to build really small studio units, but there are other ways to approach it. ADU’s are another example that’s got a lot of buzz, and there are ways to do them right, like including them in buildto-rent communities in ways that can be very successful. I’ll be talking about that, too.

SCB: What does it mean to you to have this kind of opportunity?

AA: It’s a great honor. It’s my second time speaking at BIS but my first time as a keynote, and I’m looking forward to it as a great opportunity to share some meaningful and useful information with our industry. I work on so many different projects and do so many feasibility studies for builders and developers, which has made it possible for me to learn a lot and gather a wealth of information. To be able to share that with everyone in our industry is a privilege, and I’m very excited about it. 

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW

Adam Artunian

Clarity Real Estate Advisors

Q&A With Laura (Barber) Salgado The Secrets of BIS – All That Happens Behind the Scene

This year will mark the 25th BIS show that Laura Barber has attended and the fifth that she has led all the planning and coordination that is necessary for a successful show. Laura, BIASC’s Vice President of Events and HR, discussed BIS planning and what to expect at this year’s BIS with Southern California Builder.

Southern California Builder: Tell us about your own history with the Building Industry Show.

Laura Barber – I’ve been going to BIS ever since I started working for the Orange County Chapter, so this will be my 25th BIS. Back then, BIASC did all the planning – there were two people on their staff whose whole job was planning for the shows, so we at the chapter level helped out with promoting the show and helped with the membership booth and registration. With the staffing changes that came in 2019, I was given responsibility for the show. There was no show in 2020 because of COVID, so this year’s BIS will be the fifth that I’ve been responsible for.

SCB: Has BIS changed much over the years?

LB: Yes, a lot. It used to be a two-day show and for years we had the entire convention floor at the Long Beach Convention Center. Everything was very different back then. For just one example, there were actual hard copy registration and exhibition forms that people had to fill out and send in – often via fax. And each Chapter would be tasked with getting attendees to the show, and we would get revenue from the number of attendees that we would bring in from the Chapter. Then, in 2008 with the recession, we had to look at other options for where the show should be since the number of exhibitors dropped. We went to Anaheim first, then to different locations, trying to figure out what kind of venue worked best – was it some place more central, or somewhere that was more of a destination.

SCB: When do you start planning for the next year’s show?

Laura Salgado

Director of Events

LB: Shortly after the show ends, Craig (Foster, BIASC COO) talks with me initially about the big picture for the next show – what locations to consider, what direction we want to take it. Ideally, by December or January the full-on planning gets underway, starting with researching the venues – determining availability, pricing and opportunities for events around the show.

SCB: How do you go about getting people like Magic Johnson and Sammy Hagar to come to BIS?

LB: That’s all Jeff (Montejano, BIASC CEO). He likes to think outside the box, and Craig then follows up with negotiating contract terms that are acceptable to the budget we’ve laid out for the show. I think it makes everyone proud of our industry when we get someone like that at BIS.

SCB: Who else helps you with BIS?

LB: For starters, there’s Karissa, Christen and Anrea on our marketing team. They help with the marketing, web and social media aspects that we need for the show, and there’s Kovach Marketing that helps with the design work – the signage, the program, the website. This year they’re working on the exhibitor kits, the sponsorship kits, all the sponsor recognition pieces for the events – it’s a lot of work, and then I turn it over to one of the member sign companies to help with production.

SCB: So do you have a big master checklist that you use to keep everyone and everything on track?

LB: (Laughing) Yes and no. So much of it is just all in my head – maybe I need a list like that so it’s somewhere if someone needs it, but as far as a master list goes, it’s just me. Fortunately, I have a mind for details. But I also have my Excel lists for various aspects of the show. Excel is my friend; it makes it possible to track everything on the event side so it can trickle down to the accounting side.

BIASC

SCB: So, with all that planning, does it still get crazy at the end?

LB: Yes, it definitely gets very hectic. You have to manage and juggle last minute registrations that come in on deadline, try to accommodate someone who wants to exhibit, and deal with a hundred little things. We want everything to be as streamlined as possible, and it helps that all staff are on-site before the show and are there throughout the show to help with anything we need. I’m there two days before getting all the onsite registration stuff set up, making sure the show floor is set up because drayage comes in to set up all the booths before the exhibitors come in. That way the show floor is ready to go when the exhibitors show up on Wednesday to get set up.

SCB: Do you ever have “Yikes!” moments?

LB: There is probably always a yikes moment, where you realize, what, we have to do that, or wait, do we have that? I try to avoid them of course, but with so much going on, they are going to happen. The trick is being able to think on your feet, and to know how to pivot from whatever that was supposed to be to whatever is going to work at that point in time. Most of the time, no one but staff even knows that anything went not according to plan.

SCB: How is the show going to be this year? Are attendees and exhibitors going to have a good time at Pechanga?

LB: Pechanga is a great location. This year we have brought back the golf tournament, which we didn’t have last year, and we’ve added the wine tour. We have a one of our members that is celebrating their 40th anniversary this year, TWR framing, and they reached out to partner with us on the kickoff party, which will be great. So, I feel like there’s a lot of good momentum rolling in from the day before into the show day. And then, we get to end the day of the show with the installation galas for the San Bernardino, Riverside and BIASC boards. I think that will be a good way to end it, and as always, we appreciate the continued support of our Show Partner, SoCal Gas, because they help make our show more successful.

Southern California Builder: Tell us about your own history with the Building Industry Show.

SCB: Has BIS changed much over the years?

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW

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BIS Meet The Builder Highlight: Q&A With Linda Sandusky

BIS

&

Meet

the Builder: The Ultimate “Show Your Face” Marketing Venues

There’s an old joke about extroverted civil engineers –they look at your shoes instead of theirs when they’re talking to you. That’s definitely not Linda Sandusky. A VP and Land Development Client Leader at the civil engineering firm David Evans and Associates (DEA), Linda is a firm believer in showing your face, especially at BIA events and at BIS. She told Southern California Builder, “We’ve been a part (member) of BIA for over 40 years, and I’ve been with the firm for 20 years and have been involved in BIA the whole time, on committees and on the Orange County Board. I go to every BIS and to every event because I’m a firm believer that you have to show your face, not just once, but all the time, to expose myself and DEA’s services to builders and build relationships with them.”

Southern California Builder: What do you and David Evans and Associates (DEA) do for builders?

Linda Sandusky: We provide feasibly studies, planning, entitlements, preliminary and final grading plans, sewer and water plans, surveying and mapping, and agency processing. Often, we are asked to do a Due Diligence on a piece of property – is there a good water supply, what is the sewer capacity, what will the agency fees be? So we’re the up-front person. I actually like the entitlement process because you learn a lot more about the site and agency requirements, and I especially like it when I can be involved with the elected officials, because when they hear it from a civil engineer, it has a different kind of credibility.

SCB: As a consultant, why do you go to Meet the Builder at BIS?

LS: I always go to Meet the Builder, not just at BIS, but to the other Meet the Builder events they have, also. Most of the builders bring their purchasing people, who I like to meet, but sometimes they have land development and project management people there, who are the ones I want to talk to. Last year at BIS, in San Diego, it was like speed dating because every sub wanted to meet the purchasing agents, but more than half of the builders had land planners and project managers there. That’s good – they really should be there. Also, I like to go there to meet the subs because some of them, like the architects, structural, and MEP firms, can help me get to know people that I don’t know. So, it’s more than Meet the Builder –it’s meet all sorts of people, make connections, and build relationships.

SCB: You said you’re a firm believer in showing your face – is that why you like BIS so much?

LS: Yes. You have to go to events for BIA to work for you, and BIS is one of the best, because it’s more laid back with more time and opportunities to have longer conversations, meet and mingle with builders, develop relationships, and discuss opportunities. When BIA loses a member, it’s because they just went to one or two events and didn’t feel they got enough out of it. That’s too bad, because if they show their face, if they get involved, they have an entirely different experience. Meet the Builder is designed for a new member and existing members because it gives you the chance to talk one-onone with someone who they might be afraid to approach in a different venue. And then, they should get involved in a BIA Chapter committee like BITA (the Building Industry Technology Academy), for example. I’ve been the chairperson for 18 years, and it’s a fantastic networking

Linda Sandusky Vice President, David Evans and Associates (DEA)

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW

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Golf Tournament Highlight: Q&A With Tim Roberts A Whole New Job But The Same Anticipation for a Good BIS Show

After seven years in land entitlement at Brookfield Residential, Tim Roberts recently moved to become Vice President of Land Acquisitions at LGI Homes. That’s two different builders chasing two very different markets – yet, as Tim explained to Southern California Builder, BIA and BIS are just as important as ever.

Southern California Builder: Can you give us a snapshot of LGI Homes?

Tim Roberts: LGI Homes entered the Southern California market in Victorville five years ago. We currently have two active Southern California communities, Northgate in Indio and Desert Willow Village in Victorville, with several more in land development right now and opening soon. I just got approved by acquisition committee for 262 lots in Palmdale and have two more communities under contract and in due diligence. We have full corporate support for growth, so we’re looking to have 12 active communities in time.

Nationally, we’re the 15th largest publicly traded homebuilder, so we’re not a small company. We are uniquely different in our approach in that our #1 focus is helping renters into their first home which has made us popular with Wall Street. Because of our approach, we’re all about the monthly investment needed for our buyers. If you look at our website, you’ll see that our products are advertised with the monthly payment, not the list price.

SCB: Isn’t it hard to reach that market in Southern California?

TR: You can do it, but you have to be selective in your land purchases and development cost. We are not hesitant at all to go outside core sub-markets or even emerging submarkets. If

Tim Roberts VP of Land Acquisitions LGI Homes

there is a strong rental market in an area, we will look to build in that area. But we also have to take a different approach to our buyers who have never owned a home. As an example, renters typically don’t start shopping for another apartment six to eight months before their lease ends. The traditional model of selling a home prior to an 8-month construction period just isn’t well suited for renters. Knowing that, we always have standing inventory in our communities and can get a buyer into a new home in line with the expiration of their lease. When we grand open a community we will have a phase or even two phases ready to go, turnkey. If a cash buyer comes in on Saturday, they can close on a home and have keys in their hand on Monday. If you don’t have cash, we’ll walk them through financing and close 30 days later. And our purchase price is the purchase price, because we don’t offer a single option. . By avoiding options and simplifying the process, we gain efficiency, which brings down the price, which lowers the monthly payment. We have beautiful floorplans, and highquality craftsmanship and materials.

SCB: You’ve been very active in BIA. Will that continue now that you’re with LGI Homes?

TR: I’ve been here for just about four months. With my previous employer, I was an active board member, contributor and past president of the San Bernardino County Chapter and I have brought that commitment to BIA into LGI, adding to what Michael Durham, VP of Operations, is doing on the board of the Riverside County Chapter. I have the company’s full support for LGI’s involvement because I know and believe in the benefits of membership.

SCB: Will LGI be participating in Meet the Builder at BIS this year in Pechanga?

TR: Yes, our purchasing manager intends to be there. I’ve sat in on Meet the Builder sessions and watched what happens. From the perspective of someone who is on the land side of the business, it appears at first glance that Meet the Builder is for the folks on the sticks and bricks side, and it is. They get the greatest benefits out of it, and I know how well it works because when I’ve been the company’s sole representative there, I’ve come back with a stack of cards that I give to my purchasing guys, and I tell them, “These are the people I want you to call first.” But I also met people there who could be helpful to me on the land side.

SCG: When you go to BIS, what do you expect to get out of the experience?

TR: I’m a relationships and connections kind of person. As a builder, I strongly believe that if someone wants to work for my company, then they should be at least an Associate Member. When I’m looking for new vendors or consultants, I look to the directory of the BIA first and foremost. If I get a cold call from someone who wants to work for me, the first thing I do is check the membership directory to see if their membership is current. So, being in the industry actively for the past seven-plus years, I know a lot of folks, but the folks I know aren’t always the ones I’m working with at that time. New needs come up and projects change, so BIS is a great opportunity to re-connect on relationships that I’ve had and make new connections to discuss opportunities to work together.

SCB: How much time do you spend on the floor?

TR: I’ll always walk the floor. It’s a great display of the industry’s vendors and all their products. For those who are on the vertical side of the industry, it’s a great place to see all those new products, meet new people and revisit old relationships. For me, I do see people there who are more oriented toward entitlement and planning – civils, stormwater consultants, people who can help you meet your mitigation requirements. That can be important to me because one of the important things about buying a piece of property the right way is knowing what it’s going to cost to entitle and develop it.

SCB: How about the fun side of BIS?

TR: That’s what I was talking about when I said I’m a relationship guy – a lot of BIS is about the relationships. I know I’m going to need a consultant to do something for me, and they may not be top of mind to me right now, but when I see them in September in the relaxed atmosphere of BIS where it’s easy to have a good conversation, it clicks and that’s the person I’ll call.

SCB: As a golfer, you may have a particular motivation to attend this BIS, right?

TR: You’re absolutely right. You might have seen the little video I made with Tyler Bennet, BIASC’s membership guy, to promote the Builders vs. Associates Golf Tournament – in it I said something like, “We builders know how valuable Associate Members are to the Association. We really want to make sure that they value their membership, so we took a dive last year and let them win. That was then. Now that we’ve made sure that they know the value of their membership, we can bring our A game.” Seriously, though, I do want to get on one of the teams because the Journey Course at Pechanga is such a great course. It’s beautiful. 

THE BUILDING INDUSTRY SHOW

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SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, GOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS

RANCHO MISSION VIEJO

As Senior Vice President of Governmental Relations at Rancho Mission Viejo, Balsamo manages interactions with local and regional jurisdictions to oversee the planning and entitlement processes for community development and major infrastructure projects, including schools, public safety facilities, transportation, water, and other essential services for The Ranch. Before joining Rancho Mission Viejo, Balsamo served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Building Industry Association of Southern California (BIASC) starting in 2016, where he represented over 1,100 member companies across four regional chapters and advanced the association's mission as the leading voice for building and development in Southern California. With over 25 years of experience in land use planning and real estate development, Balsamo has worked in both public and private sectors, including roles as a land planner for the cities of Irvine and Lake Forest, and for the County of Orange.

As Senior Vice P jo, Balsamo manages interactions wit nd entitlement processes for co including schools, public safety fac for The Ranch. Before joining Rancho M er of the Building Industry Associa e he represented over 1,100 member c association's mission as the leading vo With over 25 years of experience in la s worked in both public private sect e and Lake Forest, and he County o

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2024

Please contact

Building a Sustainable Future with Leadership, Advocacy and Resolve

Introducing the Builders for Better Communities Foundation (BBCF), a new charitable nonprofit that will serve to promote diversity, equity, and inclusiveness on behalf of the Building Industry Association of Southern California within the Southern California region.

Designated as a 501(c)(3), the Builders for Better Communities Foundation is a new charitable nonprofit that will serve to promote diversity, equity, and inclusiveness on behalf of the Building Industry Association of Southern California within the Southern California region.

Supporting AFFORDABLE HOUSING opportunities for U.S. Veterans and their families is a cornerstone of Builders for Better Communities Foundation (BBCF).

California’s housing crisis continues to have a significant impact on the most vulnerable, including our veterans. BBCF will advocate to improve the HOUSING AVAILABILITY and AFFORDABILITY for those veterans. Learn more at buildersforbettercommunities.org.

THE SOCAL MAME AWARDS 2024

BIA COACHELLA VALLEY

Follow BIA Coachella Valley Chapter on Social Media

Q&A With Steve Sanchez

La Quinta Councilmember Welcomes BIASC’s Coachella Valley Chapter

Following eight years as an infantryman in the U.S. Marine Corps, during which he won the Combat Action Ribbon and Presidential Unit Citation for his service in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Steve Sanchez continued his public service as a member of the La Quinta City Council. Now in his eighth year on the Council and seeking re-election in November, he shared his vision for the rapidly growing Eastern Coachella Valley with Southern California Builder.

Southern California Builder: How did your life lead you to your current position on the La Quinta City Council?

Steve Sanchez – I grew up in Jersey and enlisted in the Marine Corps when I was 19, which ironically is how I ended up in California, at Camp Pendleton and Twentynine Palms. After my eight years, I decided I actually liked California, specifically the Coachella Valley, and was done with the traffic and crime back where I grew up. After serving in the Marines, I wanted to get involved in the community I lived in, so I started volunteering for

charities and nonprofits, became a Big Brother, and got really active in the community because when you volunteer for one organization, the other organizations want you too. That led to me starting to interact a lot with the local elected officials, so pretty quickly after my service in the Marine Corps I was in the world of politics and government – which are two very different things – and went to work for a legislator who represented the Valley in the Assembly.

I’ve always been a student of history – ancient history and American Revolutionary War history – and government, and as much law as you can learn without wanting to become a lawyer. And so, when a council member retired, leaving an opening, suddenly there was this great opportunity before me. Sometimes people run because things are going wrong in their city, but I ran because things are going right, and my platform was mainly, “Hey, I don’t want to mess things up, I want to leave things the way they are, better than the way they are.”

Steve Sanchez Coachella Valley La Quinta Councilmember

SCB: Did you ever see yourself as a City Council member?

SS: It all happened very quickly, but yes, I knew I wanted to do this sort of service, it was just a question of when. Your readers know, being in the building industry, that local government has a huge and immediate impact on its residents, whereas the higher in office you go, the impacts trickle down later, not always but most of the time. But when we put up a stop sign, or fix a road, or approve a housing project, something good happens instantly.

SCB: With all the growth that’s happening now in La Quinta and the eastern Coachella Valley, would you say that La Quita is a builder-friendly city?

SS: I think about that a lot, and the answer is yes, we are builder-friendly, but we’re also resident-friendly. You have to be fair to the builders and fair to the existing residents, to be aware of the need for housing, and aware of the concerns nearby residents may have. Fortunately, there is always a happy medium. We want to make sure that landowners can build on their land. I tell people who own land in the community that if they’re going to build something, build it now because the state is always changing the rules. I try not to add more layers of rules on top of what the feds and the state have already implemented.

SCB: The Coachella Valley is becoming the hotbed of Southern California housing development. With that comes issues with infrastructure, utilities, power, energy, and water. How well is the region coping with the gigantic growth that lies ahead?

SS: While I’m a Council member in La Quinta, we really do a lot of things regionally. We depend on each other for growth, and I want ever city to grow as much as possible, whether it’s homes, retail or industry, because we all benefit from it. La Quinta is nearing build-out, but our eastern sphere of influence, with Thermal and Coachella, have so much potential for growth. The biggest hang-up we have is power, not water. Water out here, ironically, is not an issue at all. We have plenty of it, to the credit of the water districts that on their own over the decades have managed the water properly and created the infrastructure we need. The same can’t be said about Imperial Irrigation District’s responsibility to provide power to the eastern Coachella Valley. They didn’t have the foresight to see the growth that was coming, and that’s the hiccup in our growth potential. There are about eight years left on their 99-year agreement to provide power here and we have to change things because when developers get a will serve letter from IID, it really means nothing.

SCB: What can be done about it?

SS: As a council member there’s not a lot I can do, but if council members from all the cities get together, and their joined with the public – like with the Building Industry Association – they can

create a lot of political pressure. We have a lot of work to do to resolve this situation, leading, hopefully, to someone other than IID providing power to our region.

SCB: Turning to a happier subject, what is your vision for La Quinta?

SS: We just have pockets here and there in the City where growth can occur, so we are talking about going east, expanding towards Thermal and Coachella and hopefully bringing them into the City in time via the LAFCO process. We’re starting a conversation with the people there. It’s a lot of large acreage properties with farming, ranches, horses and whatnot, and their interests and quality of life are important to us, as are those of our residents, who are in favor of expanding out, not up.

SCB: Is having a Coachella Valley Chapter of BIASC a benefit to you and the other electeds in the area?

SS: Yes, it’s always important to have representation from industry, whether it’s BIA or anything else that does commerce in the city. It’s important because we rely on folks like the BIA for input, whether it’s fee structures or zoning updates or a general plan amendment. We need the input from your members because, quite frankly, sometimes we might have a policy idea that sounds good, but when it comes to its practical application, it may not pan out the way we had it in our heads. That’s when we need the kind of public input that BIA can provide. In fact, I welcome your chapter to come before our Council once a year and do a “State of the Building Industry” presentation. In fact, you should do it in all nine cities, and the water districts. The more dialog we have, the more mutual understanding we have, the better it will be – not just for the industry, and not just for the local governments, but for the people who aspire to own a home in the Coachella Valley. 

BIA COACHELLA VALLEY Edition

Leadership Highlight: BIA COACHELLA VALLEY

Q&A With Terry Kent

The Coachella Valley Chapter’s First President Talks about Building in the

Desert Communities

A fourth-generation homebuilder with a decades-long connection to Southern California’s desert communities, Terry Kent is the ideal first president of the recently formed Coachella Valley Chapter of BIASC. He shared his appreciation of the Valley and his aspirations for the Chapter with Southern California Builder.

Southern California Builder: Let’s start at the beginning. How did you get into homebuilding?

Terry Kent: I’m with Crestwood Communities, and we’re a fourth-generation privately held homebuilder that was started in the 1940s by my grandparents, then went on to my parents. They started Crestwood in the mid-1970s when my grandparents retired, and I went into the business with them. After my parents retired, I took over ownership of the company and am running it with my aunt, and my daughter has joined us now as the millennial who understands the computer age and social media. That’s so important since 85 percent of homebuyers go to the internet first. We build about 100 to 200 homes a year, depending on what kind of year it is. We’re privately held, family owned and operated, we have no investors, we just do it all on our own, so we’re something of an oddity in the business.

SCB: What’s a typical Crestwood Communities project?

Terry Kent Coachella Valley Chapter President

TK: Our most active community now is Diamante in La Quinta. It’s 47 homes as part of a larger gated community, with an average price of just under $1 million. We’re finding that most are being purchased by people who live out here, with a few vacation home buyers, and other homes purchased by grandparents who are chasing grandkids who moved out here mostly because their parents work remotely, and chose to live in the Coachella Valley.

SCB: When did Crestwood start building in the Coachella Valley?

TK: We’re based in Glendora in the San Gabriel Valley, which is where my parents and grandparents all made their living for years. For the last three decades we’ve built primarily in the Inland Empire, and we branched out into the Coachella Valley about four or five years ago just as a means of expanding the business and casting our net a little further. Our family has had a vacation home here for decades so we felt we knew the territory well, and it’s worked out for us, becoming our primary location.

SCB: Is BIA a family tradition too?

TK: We’ve been members of BIA for decades. I’m a past president of the Baldy View Chapter (now the San Bernardino County Chapter), and I’ve been on the Executive Board there for years. We find BIA to be an integral part of our business, especially the Association’s relationships with the cities. I see my relationships with the local governments to be just as important as my relationship with my framing contractor, so you have to work hand in hand with them to make sure you’re all heading toward the same goal. We are trying to build homes that are affordable, but there are just so many hands in the pot right now that it’s rough to do that. So, we work alongside BIA because it’s important that we’re at the table with the local governments and with the local utility companies, so we all understand what’s going on and so we can help them to understand our needs.

SCB: How are the Coachella Valley cities in terms of probuilding policies?

TK: I’ve dealt with Palm Desert, La Quinta, and have touched Indio just as far as looking into property there. They are all builder friendly and want to work with us to build sustainable communities that fit into what they have going on. They have some great forward-thinking general plans out here and good ideas overall. We found them to be helpful to work with, and with BIA’s help we can sit down with them to work through our ideas and address any challenges we’re having.

SCB: Tell us about the Coachella Valley Chapter and your goals as its first president.

TK: There has always been BIA representation in the Valley. For the last 15 years or so, it was through the Riverside County Chapter, but this year we formally became our own stand-alone Chapter. My primary goal as the President, and the direction of our Board, is to grow our membership. We have four or five homebuilders here in the Chapter and quite a few trade partner members, and our chapter is growing every month. Now that we are here physically as our own Chapter, we are working to offer more to the industry, to represent it strongly to the cities, so we can attract more members.

SCB: What would you say to builders who are thinking about building in the Coachella Valley?

TK: The Valley is a very substantial part of Southern California, with a population well over 400,000 and growing year to year. It’s no longer just a vacation destination. There are energy companies here with solar, wind and geothermal, and the Salton Sea is poised to become a center for lithium mining. Additionally, with the shift to remote working under COVID, quite a lot of professionals have chosen to live here because of the good home values. It’s a very diversified population, and we build everything here from entry level to homes that I guess you could classify as mind-boggling million-dollar homes. The cities understand that they’re growing and need more homes, and services for their new citizens. We have found that there is a very skilled pool of local trade partners to select from, and have done so with our new home communities, we are hiring locally, which is good for everyone.

BIA COACHELLA VALLEY Edition

Sponsorship Opportunities

(4) Tickets to both events

Sponsor recognition at both events

Dedicated area for promotional display

Logo inclusion in promotional emails & online

registration page for both events

Recognition on social media for both events

(6) Tickets to both events

Sponsor recognition at both events

Dedicated area for promotional display

registration page for both events

Company listing in PR and/or media advisory high in the sky sponsor - $2,750

Logo inclusion in promotional emails & online

Recognition on social media for both events

Company listing in PR and/or media advisory

One 10-minute event presentation at either event July 17 - Summer High Mixer at Palm Springs Aerial Tramway November 7 - Shots in the Night Golf at Indian Wells Golf Resort

BIA Riverside Wine Event

THURSDAY

AUGUST 29, 2024

12:00PM - 1:00PM

VIA ZOOM

FROM THESE SPEAKERS

JESSIE FLORES

BIASC Members $30 Early Bird

BIASC Members $35 Regular

Non-Members $60 Early Bird

Non-Members $65 Regular

We ask that all attendees please have their cameras on for the one hour virtual event. We want to ensure that everyone is engaged with these city/town officials. Thank you.

KEITH METZLER

CITY

RACHEL MOLINA

DOUG ROBERTSON TOWN MANAGER TOWN

BIA Riverside County Chapter & BIA San Bernardino County Chapter Joint Summer

BBQ

July 11, 2024 - Thanks for joining us for an evening of summer fun, networking with industry peers, and cornhole!

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH

Mayor Lori Stone City of Murrieta 9:30am - Registration 10:00am - Program

Murrieta Public Library 8 Town Square Murrieta, CA 92562

Mayor Steve Manos City of Lake Elsinore

Join us for coffee as we discuss: what each city is working on as it pertains to residents and issues around housing & infrastructure state mandates and how our industry can help regional housing access and affordability

PRICING: BIASC MEMBERS $49

NON-MEMBERS $79

BIAOC

Educational Workshop

July 25, 2024 - Thank you our panel of guest speakers for sharing on the “ABCs of ADA” in new builds.

BIAOC Tequila Tasting

Activate Your Employees Now & They Can:

Receive exclusive discounts at Verizon, Staples, Expedia, and more through our savings program with National Purchasing Partner

Grow their network by attending members only networking events including Meet the Builder

Access the BIASC Membership Directory containing all 900 member companies and 4,800+ contacts

Join a specialty council such as GSMC, Council on SAGE, UCC, and more

Receive email updates, advocacy alerts, event reminders, and chapter communications from all chapters

To add employees, please contact: Lisa Meadows: LMeadows@biasc.org

PLEASE WELCOME BACK OUR RENEWING MEMBERS

JUNE 1 - AUGUST 2, 2024

2nd Avenue Sales & Marketing

Aera Energy, LLC

Airplus of California

Alpaca Enterprises, Inc.

Alvizia Corporation

Amerock

BHE Management Corporation

Builders FirstSource

C & C Development

Calimingo Pools

Chelsea Investment Corp

Clover Masonry Construction

Community Builders Group, LLC

Complete Builder Service

Cornerstone Concrete, Inc

Cornerstone Specialty Insurance

Crawford & Bangs, LLP

CSA Constructors Inc

David Evans and Associates, Inc.

David Taussig & Associates, Inc. (DTA)

Dawson Surveying Inc.

DePinho Roofing, Inc

Douglas Pancake Architects

DPFG

e4 Control Systems

Eastern Municipal Water District

ECORP Consulting

Encore Capital Management

Entrussed, LLC

Fidelity National Title Builder Services

FORMA Design, Inc.

GB Causey & FA Rhodes Jr

GGG Demolition

Granitex Construction Co., Inc.

Grove Construction Hardware

Hart Brothers Construction dba Aquatic Technologies

Heritage27

Hillmann Consulting LLC

HomeStreet Bank - Irvine Home Builder Construction Finance Group

Hunsaker & Associates Irvine Inc.

I Masonry (Independent Masonry)

Integrated Energy Group LLC, DBA IE Construction

Intracorp Homes

J De Sigio Construction, Inc.

JBS Plastering, Inc.

Jensen Design & Survey, Inc.

Kevin L Crook Architect, Inc

Keystone Pacific Property Management, Inc.

Land Concern

LiftMaster

loanDepot.com

Macro-Z-Technology Co.

MeterNet

Michael Baker International, Inc.

New Empire Design Center, Inc.

NewDay Development, Inc.

Newport Pacific Land Company LLC

Northtown Housing Development

Omega Products International

Orange Coast Building Services Inc.

Outdoor Dimensions

Paolucci Salling & Martin Communication Arts

PatioShoppers Commercial Pool & Outdoor Furniture

Phoneware

Powerstone Property Management

Propp Christensen Caniglia LLP

ProTec Building Services

QC Manufacturing Inc.

Residential Wall Systems

Rutan & Tucker

Rutter Development

SB & O Inc.

SJA Landscape Architecture l Land Planning

Smylie & Associates

Solara Home Energy

SPAN

Sukut Construction, LLC

Sunrun

Sure Forming Systems Inc

The Advantage Group

Toll Brothers Inc

Total Comfort Inc.

Trilogy Plumbing

United Civil, Inc.

United Site Services of California, Inc.

US Bank Home Mortgage - Pasadena

Vanguard Builders, Inc.

Visual Concepts Lighting, Inc.

W Contracting Corporation

Watson Legal Group, APC

Weiland Design Group, Inc.

Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions

Weyerhaeuser

Whirlpool Corporation

Whitenack Consulting, Inc.

B I A S C J U N I O R B U I L D E R P R O G R A M

B U I L D I N G F O U N D A T I O N S F O R O U R Y O U T H

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Junior Builder, proudly operated by Builders for Better Communities, a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation, is here to inspire the next generation of architects, engineers, designers, and more.

r h a n d s - o n l e a r n i n g a n d d i s c o v e r y .

M e d i a S p o t l i g h t : F e a t u r e d i n t h e L A T i m e s , O C R e g i s t e r , a n d P a s a d e n a

S t a r N e w s , o u r i m p a c t a n d i n n o v a t i o n h a v e c a p t u r e d t h e c o m m u n i t y ' s

a t t e n t i o n .

P i o n e e r i n g A p p r o a c h : T h i s i s t h e f i r s t J u n i o r B u i l d e r p r o g r a m i n t h e

U n i t e d S t a t e s d e s i g n e d t o b l e n d o n s i t e f i e l d t r i p s w i t h c u t t i n g - e d g e

d e s i g n - b u i l d o n l i n e p r o g r a m s f o r c h i l d r e n t o g a i n b o t h p r a c t i c a l s k i l l s

a n d d i g i t a l e x p e r t i s e .

A c h i e v e m e n t s : O u r c a m p s i g n i t e p a s s i o n a n d c r e a t i v i t y i n a f u n ,

i n t e r a c t i v e e n v i r o n m e n t . F r o m t e a m w o r k t o p r o b l e m - s o l v i n g t o

h e l p i n g e m p o w e r y o u n g b u i l d e r s t o m a k e a p o s i t i v e d i f f e r e n c e i n

t h e i r c o m m u n i t i e s .

NOW

B U I L D I N G F O U N D A T I O N S F O R O U R Y O U T H

Community Sponsor

$5500

Underwrites lunch for campers

Provides opportunity for both a community field trip to a builder community of choice and/or camp venue (at the discretion of BIASC)

Funds a named scholarship for underserved youth in the Junior Builder program through the Builders for Better Communities Foundation

Includes featured logo placement on Junior Builder camp t-shirts

Includes branded swag for campers

Receives featured social media recognition on BIASC channels

Receives prominent logo placement on BIASC website, camp promotion, camp registration page & graduation certificates

Receives lead mention in camp publicity

Invited to judge student design competitions

Foundation Sponsor

$3500

Underwrites light breakfast for campers

Includes logo placement on Junior Builder campers t-shirts

Includes branded swag for campers

Receives social media recognition on BIASC channels

Receives logo placement on BIASC website, camp promotion, camp registration page & graduation certificates

Receives mention in camp publicity

Invited to judge student design competitions

Planning Sponsor

$2500

Includes logo placement on Junior Builder camp t-shirts

Receives social media recognition on BIASC channels

Receives logo placement on BIASC website, camp promotion and camp registration page

Receives mention in camp publicity

SIP & CHILL A VESPER MARTINI ON US

Be sure to get your drink on at the Vesper Martini bar at the SoCal MAME Awards.

In addition to being this years SoCal MAME branding ambassador, we are excited to be a cocktail sponsor and help you to slip into a more comfortable state of mind as the excitement of the night takes over.

Let us help keep you chilled, stirred or shaken and let the good times roll your way. 10.12.2024 THE

WESTIN RESORT OF ANAHEIM SOCAL MAME AWARDS 2024