September 2023 Building Buzz

BUILDING

Building Buzz is a publication of the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association.

PROFESSIONALS BUILDING OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH PROMOTION OF home ownership, education and legislation SINCE 1958.

JOE HILLERSON, PRESIDENT

Boulder Homes PO Box 1421 Bismarck, ND 58502 (701) 400-5554 boulderhomesnd@gmail.com

ANDREW MELDAHL, 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Pinnacle Homes and Design 214 Riverwood Ave Mandan, ND 58554 (701) 426-0237 andrew@pinnaclehomesnd.com

RORY ANDERSON, 2ND VICE PRESIDENT Verity Homes 3100 N 14th St, Ste 1 Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 391-0093 rory@verityhomes.com

JOE VETTER, SECRETARY & TREASURER

Joe Vetter Construction 2523 Powder Ridge Cir Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 258-9394 joevetterjvc@gmail.com

JAMIE SCHMIDT, PAST PRESIDENT Investcore, Inc. 1601 N 12th St. Suite 605 Bismarck, ND 58501 (701) 223-3030 jamie.schmidt@investcore.com

VICKI MORAN Hallmark Homes 3200 Rock Island Place, Suite 4 Bismarck, ND 58504-7717 (701) 471-7634 hallmarkhomes@outlook.com

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Dawn Watson dawn@bmhba.com

Office: 701-222-2400

Cell: 701-390-5049

MCKENZIE LAWLER

Dakota OutdoorScapes 8351 Hwy 1804 N Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 595-0890 mckenzie@ndscapes.com

LORI WILLSON

Northern Plains Plumbing, Heating & Air 2510 Vermont Ave Bismarck, ND 58504

(701) 222-2155 lori@northernplains.net

RON STOTZ CAVES

1365 Tacoma Ave, Suite 1 Bismarck, ND 58504 (701) 751-1162 rons@cavesnd.com

NATHAN TODD

Northwest Contracting 2840 Valley Forge St Bismarck, ND 58503 (701) 226-0526 nathan@northwestcontracting.com

LEROY THOMAS

J.E. Homes LLC PO Box 3121 Bismarck, ND 58502

(701) 400-9163 leroy@jehomesnd.com

SHANE GAFFANEY

American Roofing Supply 1600 Industrial Dr Bismarck, ND 58501

(701) 805-8650 sgaffaney@srsicorp.com

DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS

Jennifer Patera jennifer@bmhba.com

Office: 701-222-2400

Cell: 218-416-2439

President’s Message

It’s hard to believe, but Summer is trickling away, the kids are back in school, and the new Fall Season is upon us! That can only mean one thing for our Association and our Members The Fall Parade of Homes is almost here! It is one of our most popular events, and one I feel our community loves attending! The Fall Parade starts September 28th and runs through October 1st this year.

The BMHBA held our 16th Annual Clay Shoot on August 3rd at Capital City Sporting Clays. It was hot and muggy, but everyone had a great time! It was my first-time shooting sporting clays, and it was a lot of fun! A big thank you to our sponsors, committee, members, and of course our staff that participated and helped us put on a successful event!

At our Fall Mixer, which is coming up on October 17th, we’ll have our upcoming Board Elections. I encourage everybody to get more involved with our Association through committees, events, and the Board! If you have questions, would like to run, or would like to nominate someone, please contact Dawn or Jennifer at the office.

Politically, the BMHBA took a stand against the location of a proposed CO2 pipeline earlier this year. I’m pleased to report that the ND Public Service Commission has denied the application for the permit to build this pipeline on several points most notably the location, and its proximity to our great community and it’s growth path. This is a wonderful example of our Association coming together with our community for the greater good. Hopefully, any future plans for this pipeline have it at a safe location and distance from our cities. Make sure to sign up for these upcoming events:

• 31st Annual Fall Parade of Homes: September 28th – October 1st

• Fall Mixer and Board Elections: October 17th

Thank you to everyone for your continued support as members and have a great rest of the summer!

DATES FROM AROUND OUR STATE

Sept 16 18 & 23 - 25

HBAFM Fall Parade of Homes

Sept 28 Oct 1

BMHBA Fall Parade of Homes

BMHBA October 17

Fall Mixer & Board Elections

November 15 - 17

NDAB Fall Annual Banquet & Board Meeting

2023 BMHBA PRESIDENT

Membership Matters

The BMHBA consists of building specialists from every section of the construction field and associate industries. Your membership strengthens our voice in Bismarck-Mandan construction sector as well as at a state and national level. If you haven’t already submitted payment, please renew your membership by month.

Bianco Realty

Judy Maslowski

Choice Bank

Lindsey Matter

Creed Custom Fabrication

Brian Thompson

Dakota OutdoorScapes

Jon Rick

Edward Jones

Alexis Larson-Evert

First Western Bank & Trust

Sam Foss

Goldstone Realty

Christine Rivinius

J.E. Homes LLC

LeRoy Thomas

Kirkwood Bank & Trust

Brad Miller

L & H Electric, Inc.

Aaron Lunde

Midco

Jesse Klaudt

Mitzel Builders, Inc.

Lee Mitzel

Palomino Construction, LLC

Ryan Hiatt

Precision Tops, LLC

Elizabeth Hymer

Realty ONE Group Encore

Jamie Sorenson

Sherwin-Williams

Mike Wood

Skeels Electric Co.

Drew Flurer

The Cleaning Lady

Laura Walker

TransTrash

Amanda Booke

Verity Homes

FrankieSue Pierson

Woodcraft Unlimited, Inc.

Hunter Morris

35 YEARS

10 YEARS

5 YEARS

Membership Matters

Thank you to our members who have helped grow our BMHBA membership over the years by recruiting new companies to join our association. If you know of a company that is interested in joining, contact Jennifer Patera at jennifer@bmhba.com or 701-222-2400.

Your recruitments can now be seen on NAHB.org. Click “My Profile” then “My Spike Referrals.” Top Recruiters as of 08/30/2023

Statesman Spike (500-999 Credits)

Kelly Moldenhauer (744.00)

Super Spikes (250-499 Credits)

Todd Brady (387)

Robb Sattler (299.00)

Mike Todd (289.00)

Lee Mitzel (272.00)

Pat Marback (260.50)

Royal Spikes (150-249 Credits)

Lori Willson (221.25)

Mike Hopfauf (201.50)

Berna Vetter (190.50)

Colby Well (166.50)

Jack Knutson (162.50)

Red Spikes (100-149 Credits)

Blair Ihmels (148.00)

Steve Redding (126.50)

Chad Moldenhauer (114.50)

Jerry Splonskowski (108.50)

Green Spikes (50-99 Credits)

Vance Vetter (101.75)

Paula Haider (98.75)

David Patience (96.50)

Mark Larson (92.50)

Eric Brenden (91.50)

Darren Buffington (85.00)

Kenneth Knodel (68.50)

Art Goldammer (65.00)

Nadine Schaff (59.75)

Scott Moran (59.00)

Scott Duchcherer (57.50)

Jamie Schmidt (52.00)

Gerry Rudnick (51.50)

Life Spikes (25-49 Credits)

Jeff Sattler (49.50)

Gerald Hopfauf (46.00)

Matt Shauer (44.00)

Drew Knutson (43.50)

Greg Meidinger (41.50)

Greg Zenker (38.50)

Blue Spikes (6-24 Credits)

Jason Frank (22.50)

Shane Gaffaney (22.00)

Kelli Thompson (18.25)

Joe Hillerson (17.50)

Melinda Llyod (16.00)

Bob Kupper (13.00)

Pete Brendel (9.00)

Rory Anderson (8.00)

Darryl Hatzenbuhler (8.00)

Bill Schmid (8.00)

Mike Wolf (8.00)

Shannon Reichenberg (6.50)

Spike Candidates (.50-5.50 Credits)

Vicki Moran (5.75)

Eckes (2.00)

Hruby (1.50)

Wentz (1.50)

Feist (1.00) Kari Anderson (1.00) Lindsey Matter (1.00) Reid Kubesh (1.00) Travis Welle (1.00) Dave Prindiville (1.00) LeRoy Thomas (1.00) Terry Leabo (1.00) Brad Balerud (1.00) Hannah Haynes (1.00) Kassy Landis (1.00) Lindsey Ashley (0.50) Bryan Brendel (0.50) Tae Pifer (0.50) Judy Maslowski (0.50) Andy Nelson (0.50) Lindsey Ashley (0.50)

Kayla Bosch (0.50)

On Thursday August 3rd the BMHBA hosted the 16th Annual Sporting Clay Shoot at Capital City Sporting Clays in Bismarck. We had such a great turn out.

Multiple Contest were held and lot of fun prizes given away to our amazing shooters who participated!

We would like to extend our gratitude to our generous sponsors, volunteers and clay shooters. We couldn’t host these events without you!

If you missed out on this years event, we hope to see you next year!

We are truly excited how this event continues to grow every year!

Door Prize Sponsors

Shooting Station Sponsors

Beer Sponsor

Flurry Sponsor

1st Place Team Sponsor

2nd & 3rd Place Team Sponsor

Platinum Sponsor

Grill Master Sponsor

First Girl Scout troop in ND receives THE HOUSE THAT SHE BUILT patch!! After building 42 bee houses these girls were presented their patches by PWB members after a real jobsite tour!! A great big THANK YOU to their troop leader Breanna for reaching out to BMHBA PWB and the many individuals involved to make this possible.

The House That She Built movement began after a team of real tradeswomen built a house in Utah to shine a light on women in these important and fulfilling careers. The project also inspired a book that showcases different careers responsible for building the home. Through the book, accompanying programs like this patch, and elevating the stories of these amazing women, we can shift the mindset that any one person is more “right” for a job than another.

Steps to earning this patch:

• Investigate the World of Construction

• Design Something Great • Build a Scale Model • Reflect & Share Purpose

Girl Scouts that earn this patch will know more about the field of construction, feel confident in utilizing their unique skillset to contribute to a team, and build something great. Let’s Get Building, Girl Scouts!

Knife River is a full service aggregate-based construction company, providing ready-mix concrete aggregate sales and delivery and concrete construction services. We provide services throughout North Dakota for public, private and commercial construction projects.

701-580-4527

Bismarck-Mandan | Washburn | Beulah Mark Roningen - Business

City Reminds Contractors of Regulations Regarding Concrete Wash Water

City of Bismarck staff and BMHBA leadership meet on a quarterly basis to discuss potential changes to city ordinances and policies that affect the home building industry. A topic of conversation from the most recent meeting in June involved concrete washout areas and if current policies are meeting regulatory compliance and stakeholder needs. No additional policies are being pursued at this time but there is a need for additional education regarding concrete placement.

As a general statement, concrete wash water should be placed in a leak-proof container or leak-proof pit at an approved location. These locations are usually found at the construction site or at the concrete batch plant. Under no circumstances should concrete wash water be allowed to drain into any storm sewer systems or drainage ways. These regulations apply to all suppliers delivering concrete in the City of Bismarck including those projects under contract with the City of Bismarck directly as a prime contractor, indirectly as a material supplier and those projects performed for private owners within the City of Bismarck (concrete foundations, parking lots, etc).

Projects that trigger a permit under the ND Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NDPDES) require a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) that identifies how concrete wash water will be handled. The typical trigger for this permit is disturbance equal to or greater than one acre or less than one acre but part of a larger common plan of development which will ultimately disturb one acre or greater.

The City of Bismarck Engineering Department engaged with the two primary ready-mix suppliers in the area and reminded them of their responsibility to appropriately hand concrete washout. It is also the responsibility of the entity ordering concrete (City, home builder, etc) to ensure this is being followed through.

The EPA provides a stormwater best management practice flyer specific to concrete washout areas online at https://www3.epa.gov/npdes/pubs/concretewashout.pdf if you’re interested in learning more about concrete washouts.

City and County

Around Our State

Greetings BMHBA! Many of you already know me, but I would like to introduce myself. I’m Brittney Roehrich, the new Chief Executive Officer for the North Dakota Association of Builders. I previously worked at the Bismarck-Mandan Home Builders Association as the Membership Director for two years. I’m excited to continue this journey with all of you!

On July 26th and 27th, NDAB hosted directors and members from across the state at our Annual Summer Social and Board Meeting. NAHB’s 1st Vice Chairman of the Board, Carl Harris, was in attendance and spoke to the membership about NAHB’s extensive work they do for the membership. He also spoke at our board meeting and discussed economic updates, workforce development and much more.

The ND Department of Career and Technical Education Department hosted their Annual Professional Development Conference at the Bismarck Event Center August 7-9. NDAB had a booth in their exhibit hall, I was able to talk to multiple counselors and instructors about NAHB Student Chapters, the Home Builders Institute, and how NDAB can assist with workforce development. President Jeff Sattler spoke on behalf of NDAB at the Industry Panel Event.

There are many upcoming events to add to your calendar! NAHB’s Fall Leadership Meetings are coming up quickly. This year’s meetings will be taking place Sept. 19-21 in Palm Springs, CA.

The Area 10 Leadership Conference will be held on October 12-13 in Minneapolis, MN. This training is uniquely designed to offer sessions that support the professional development of both member leaders and HBA staff. Registration is open to all members including those who are interested in becoming directors in the future!

NDAB’s fall events will be held in Fargo November 15-17. The meetings and Annual Banquet will be at the Radisson Blu. The details and location of the BUILD-PAC event are currently being finalized. We encourage all members to make the trip to Fargo as this is when we install our board of directors for 2024 along with announcing our 2023 award winners.

Don’t ever hesitate to reach out to me with any questions about NDAB or your membership!

Brittney Roehrich NDAB CEO

brittney@ndbuild.com or 701-240-3540.

BRITTNEY ROEHRICH NDAB CEO

JEFF SATTLER 2023 NDAB PRESIDENT

Verity Homes

What inspired you to enter this industry? Art Goldammer founded Verity Homes in 2002. He had humble beginnings, emerging from the back bedroom of Goldammer's house with a singular vision: to provide the Bismarck and Mandan markets with quality homes at a fair price, while elevating the standard of customer experience within the homebuilding industry. He sought to cultivate an engaging, transparent, and enjoyable process for our clients, setting Verity Homes apart from the rest of the building industry.

What is an interesting fact about Verity Homes? Verity Homes is in the process of developing The Cove at Lakewood, a shop condo community in Mandan, where the proceeds of each lot sold will go towards the construction of brand-new facilities for Furry Friends Rockin’ Rescue – we have already pledged 5 lots in the community for the facility – totaling $825,000 in pledged lots alone!

What do you hope to see Verity Homes accomplish in the coming years?

TRX Developers (a joint effort between Verity Homes and Diversity Homes) will be launching The Shores of Lakewood in Mandan this month, which will be the newest and largest addition to the Lakewood Community this will feature a private lake, a park area, pickleball and cornhole courts for the area residents. Lot sales have already been opened up!

Dakota Pioneer Land Company, LLC will also be launching a Master Community with 450+ lots in West Hills 5th Addition in Mandan this fall! People are able to start purchasing lots within the community now!

Gold Star Properties has started pre-leasing for Heart River Villas – a brand new Peace of Mind Living rental property community, which is directly across from the brand-new Lakewood Elementary School in Mandan, offering brand new modern designed rental properties in 2, 3, and 4 bedroom options. The homes are loaded with high-end features and even smart home package technology!

“We at Verity Homes are a Diversified Real Estate Powerhouse Beyond Homebuilding with everything you need from the ground up“

Verity Homes has a land development company named Dakota Pioneer Land Company, LLC, which has become one of the largest residential land developers in central ND.

SiteWorx Excavation & Development Company, LLC, was established to service our current land development entities and projects and provide excavation services for our homebuilding companies.

Luxxe Realty, LLC, established a partnership created to service ours and our customers’ MLS listing needs.

Verity Homes' continued growth and diversification into these different realms of the real estate sector exhibit their unique ability to leverage synergies between businesses. Each venture is not just an individual entity but a piece of a grander puzzle, all working together to create a comprehensive, high-quality real estate experience. This success paints a promising future for the company, its clients, and the communities we serve.

Housing Markets Leaving Lowest Income Households Behind

The Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies’ (JCHS) 2023 State of the Nation’s Housing report shows that while the growth in home prices and rents has slowed, housing costs are still high and record numbers of renters are severely cost-burdened. One of the key issues highlighted in the report is the shortages in housing.

As JCHS senior research associate Daniel McCue pointed out in a recent blog post, the share of vacant units for sale (0.8%) is the lowest dating back to the 1950s and the vacancy rate for rental units (6.5%) is lower than it’s been since the 1980s.

“With so few units available, options are limited, and competition is making housing much less affordable for everyone, while putting lower-income households at a disadvantage,” McCue stated.

High building costs also continue to exacerbate affordability challenges.

“Even excluding financing and labor costs, inflation in the price of building products has increased the cost of residential construction by 35% in the past three years, nearly four times the rate of increase over the previous three years,” McCue pointed out. “Regulatory barriers and development fees also push up costs.”

To account for higher costs, he added, “new homes are targeted to those who can afford higher prices, and as a result the homes get bigger and more expensive.” Only 1 in 5 new homes is smaller than 1,800 square feet, compared to one-third of homes in the 1990s.

Buyers who can afford these higher price points continue to remain engaged, based on recent data from NAHB.

“Despite lower perceptions of affordability, the share of prospective home buyers who are actively engaged in the purchase process remained essentially unchanged between the first and second quarters of 2023, at 56% and 55%, respectively,” noted Rose Quint, NAHB assistant vice president for survey research, in this Eye on Housing post

“The lack of change in this metric suggests that some buyers are willing to continue trying to find a home despite higher prices and mortgage rates.”

McCue concluded that federal assistance will be necessary to help solve this growing affordability issue.

“Ultimately, it will require a multifaceted, public and private sector approach with investment, advancement, innovation, and collaboration across every aspect of housing production to provide enough housing to meet the needs of millions of low- and moderate-income households who continue to be burdened by high housing costs,” he stated. The full report is available at jchs.harvard.edu