December 2019 Building Connections Magazine

BUILDING ISSUE 53 | DECEMBER 2019

HBRA OF FAIRFIELD COUNTY

CONNECTIONS FEATURES HBRA Awards Night PWB Luncheon New Members

UPCOMING OSHA10 February GMM March GMM

Issue No. 53 | DECEMBER 2019

BUILDING CONNECTIONS Your Monthly Newsletter Building Connections is a monthly digital magazine produced and published by the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Fairfield County. Inside you will find the latest association news, legislative updates, upcoming events, and featured articles about the industry.

Contact Us hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com www.buildfairfieldcounty.com @hbraffc

On the Cover Redwood Construction & Consulting, LLC Cassondra Stevenson www.redwoodconsultingco.com/

Editorial Staff Clare Michalak Marketing & Graphics Coordinator Sarah Iannarone Membership and Events Coordinator

2019 Officers President Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders

2019 VIP PARTNERS

Sr. Vice-President Kim DiMatteo DiMatteo Insurance Vice President John Hertz Hertz Construction Secretary Rob Michaud The Michaud Group Immediate Past President Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc.

2019 Directors

Propane Pete Battaglio Hocon Gas Max Bender Bender Supply Steve Berko Four Square Build & Design Michael Church William Pitt Sotheby’s Ken DeLeo Doherty & DeLeo Brian Kurtz Interstate Lumber Steve LoParco LoParco Associates, Inc. Steven Roth Elevator Service Company Alex Shook Pella Commercial Michael Wood Wood Builders

Life Directors Joanne Carroll JMC Resources

Jerry Effren The Greyrock Companies Gary Fanali City Carting Peter Fusaro Preferred Builders Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

Thank you to the following VIP Partners for their support in 2019. Due to their generosity the Association greatly benefits - from developing new events and educational opportunities for the membership, to keeping our lights on!

Click Here to Register

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | FEATURES

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HBRA HOLIDay & Awards Night

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Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased five points to 76 in December. This is the highest reading since June of 1999

The HBRA Celebrated the end of the 2019 year and recognized the top HBRA Award Winners including Builder of the Year and an inductee into the Hall of Fame

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PWB LUNCHEON

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The PWB finished off the year with a holiday luncheon at Boca Oyster Bar. They collected gifts for the Children's Bank to benefit underpriveldged and at-risk children.

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HBRA new members See the newest HBRA members and be sure to welcome them into the association

BUILDER CONFIDENCEÂ

advice columns View our advice columns for insight on business projects, marketing, job searches, and a variety of other topics.

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MEMBER DISCOUNTS AND BENEFITS As part of your HBRA membership, members are eligible for discounts and benefits from NAHB, National Purchasing Partners, and a variety of other partners.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | UPCOMING EVENTS

osha10 - JANUARY 30 - 31

IBS 2020 - JANUARY 21 - 23

Stay a step ahead & learn what you need to know for your business and your employees. The OSHA 10-hour construction training course is designed for the on-site personnel of builders, remodelers, and subcontractors.

Join the HBRA and members of locals across the nation for the International Builder Show 2020 in Las Vegas. This is the premiere builder show with tours, educational opportunities, seminars, etc.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

fEBRUARY GMM - FEBRUARY 5

MARCH GMM - MARCH 4

Join us at JM Wright Technical High School in Stamford to tour the campus, talk to up and coming students in the trades. Breakfast will be provided by the school's culinary department

Save the date for the second installment of Beyond the Blueprint in March

SAVE THE DATE

SAVE THE DATE

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA EVENTS

HBRA AWARDS & HOLIDAY CELEBRATION

THE HBRA Celebrated the end of the year at a pop up beer garden in mill river park in stamford

HBRA Members and guests joined us in the Half Full Brewey pop-up tent in Mill River Park in Stamford on December 11 to celebrate the end of the year as well as recognize the 2019 HBRA Awardees including Builder of the Year and an inductee into the Hall of Fame.

Guests enjoyed light fare, the Bender Photobooth, as well as the seasonally decorated heated tent. Photos of the night can be viewed and downloaded here.

Thank you to O & Co Media for the beautiful photos and to Rocky Progano of MediaCom for all of his help with the A/V system, and to all of our sponsors that helped make the night a success!

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA EVENTS

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA EVENTS

PWB HOLIDAY LUNCHEON

The PWB celebrated the end of the year with a luncheon and toy drive at boca oyster bar, designed by member emilia ferri.

PWB members enjoyed the atmosphere and a delicious lunch at Boca Oyster Bar in Bridgeport. Members were able to network and take photos with fun holiday headbands to celebrate the end of the year as well as to say fairwell and give their best wishes to EO Jackie Bertolone who recently accepted a postition as a Chief of Staff for the First Selectwoman of Fairfield Thank you to all of our PWB members who brought in a gift for the Children's Connection. More than 30 wishes were granted for children in need.

For over 20 years, Children’s Bank, a program of the Children’s Connection, has provided holiday gifts for children who are most in need in our communities. The Connecticut Department of Children & Families (DCF) and other Norwalk agencies provide approximately 3,500 individual holiday wishes collected from the children they serve. These children have been abused, neglected and/or are at-risk, many of whom live in foster care or group homes and are struggling with frightening and unclear futures.

Deadline Extended There is still time to submit your listing form. Due to the holiday season, our deadlines have been extended until January 10th. Click the cover for the latest listing forms.

New Ad Opportunties Have you seen our newest $150 business card ad opportunity?

There is something for every marketing budget - the directory is distributed throughout the year so your ad receives exposure year round in print and online!

CLICK THE COVER FOR THE LATEST LISTING FORMS.

Click here for information

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA MEMBER EVENTS Annual DiMatteo Insurance party at IBS

It’s time to mark your calendars for the best party at IBS! The Annual DiMatteo Insurance party hosted along with Cyclone Home Systems and BENDER will be Wednesday, January 20th at 4:30pm at Carmine’s (in Las Vegas!)

We can’t wait to see you there!

(Evite to follow)

BUILDING CONNECTIONS |HBRA NEWS ConnecticutGreen Bank offers financing for remediation of health and safety issues that prevent energy upgrades Rocky Hill, CT (Nov. 25, 2019) – In Connecticut, 58% of the housing stock was built prior to 1969, according to the Partnership for Strong Communities, and this older housing stock can often present problems to home owners and residents. Along with structural and code violations from possible deferred maintenance over time, there is potential for the presence of health and safety issues, like mold and asbestos.

The existence of these hazards can also make energy assessments, and related efficiency improvements, impossible. To help implement home energy upgrades and remediate health and safety problems, the Connecticut Green Bank and its partners are offering special low interest rate financing solutions for single- and multifamily homeowners.

For owner-occupied 1-4 family properties, the Smart-E Loan program now allows asbestos and mold remediation to be financed in full (up to $25,000) when completed with an Energize CT Home Energy Solutions (HES) program assessment or other energyrelated improvements.

“Mold or asbestos in a home prevents blower door guided air sealing, which is an important part of the HES program,” said Lorenzo Wyatt, owner of Home Comfort Practice. “If we can’t complete this part of the assessment, home owners can’t access the full benefits of efficiency improvements, not to mention the obvious negative health implications.” Administered by the Green Bank in partnership with nine local lenders (community banks, credit unions and a community development financial institution), the Smart-E Loan offers long-term, low-cost financing for more than 40 qualifying energy improvements.

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA NEW MEMBERS

WELCOME TO OUR NEW HBRA MEMBERS John Jelliffe Digital Home Systems Digital Home Systems was founded in 1999 by Tom Manna, a lifetime musician, technology enthusiast, and seasoned sales and marketing executive.

With a keen understanding of what makes a first rate audio and video experience, Tom turned his passion into a vocation.Along with a talented team of music industry professionals and fellow techies with a high aptitude for craftsmanship, Tom established DHS to meet the exacting technology needs of discriminating clients that shared his high aesthetic standards.

Phil Levieff TecKnow At TecKnow, we help people lead simpler, smarter lives through voice automation technology integrated with next generation green energy products. We create smart homes and offices using components that work seamlessly together, all on the Apple HomeKit platform. The most integral parts of our lives can be managed using just our voices, allowing us to focus on our most valued pursuits. Security, lighting and entertainment are all great examples of how we can help clients live more simply, even when they are away from home.

Alfonso Jimenez GK2A Group, LLC GK2AÂŽ is a design & build company specialized in residential remodeling and new construction. Our niche and objectives focus on providing sustainable design and solutions to our clients with the commitment to reduce construction/remodeling costs and increase the appreciation value of their properties.

Tomas Fernandez Whitechurch Fairfield Integrated Systems, LLC Fairfield Integrated Systems (FIS), specializes in high-end integrations featuring Home Automation, Lighting Controls, Distributed Audio and Video, Networking, Security Cameras, Automated Shades and Custom Theaters. Our work process is centered around the client and their needs, not specific products. Please browse around our site to see more about our work and how to get in touch with us.

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA NEW MEMBERS

WELCOME TO OUR NEW HBRA MEMBERS Nancy King Seventy Acres Landscape Architecture & Design The Seventy Acres design studio creates dynamic landscapes that deliver enhanced property values, increased functionality and refined aesthetics. We collaborate with architects, engineers, soil scientists, hydrologists and other design professionals to deliver the best possible integrated design solutions for our clients. We specialize in understanding outdoor spaces and how people use them, resulting in enhanced outdoor experiences for our clients. Our designs add value while creating lasting connections with nature.

Andrew Bogdan Budget Blinds I’ve always had the desire to run my own business. After over 20 years in corporate America, I decided to pursue my dream and am now the proud owner of Budget Blinds of Greenwich. I enjoy consulting with my clients to find the best solutions and styles for their homes or businesses no matter the budget. From high-end motorized window coverings to draperies, blinds and shades....we can do it all! I am committed to providing unparalleled customer service, along with the best selection of products at a value you deserve and expect.

David MacKenzie Caliber Home Loans Inc. With 32 years of experience in the mortgage industry, I’m dedicated to ensuring that my team of Loan Consultants provide the ideal products and services to borrowers in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York. Personal integrity has always been at the heart of my success, and as Branch Manager, I keep this in mind while building Caliber Home Loans’ professional business presence in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York.

Deborah Moss Windowful Interiors Windowful Interiors provides custom designed window treatments in Fairfield County, Connecticut. If you are looking for affordable custom drapes, shades, curtains, valances, top treatments or shutters, Windowful Interiors is your one stop shop serving Westport, Fairfield, and neighboring communities. We specialize in sustainable window coverings that utilize natural and organic fabrics, are designed with energy conservation and climate control in mind, and bring natural beauty to your home. Ask about our motorized window treatments!

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | HBRA NEW MEMBERS

AirPlus Inc.

Tony Kiriazidis AirPlus Inc.

Affiliates Kim Kiriazidis AirPlus Inc.

Balderrama Brothers, LLC

Sweeney Construction, LLC

Go Live X

Alex Balderrama Balderrama Brothers, LLC

Patrick Sweeney Sweeney Construction, LLC

Angela Legg Go Live X

Kristin Damle Elissa Grayer Interior Design

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | BUILDER NEWS

Millennials now represent the largest cohort of home buyers. Here’s what they are looking for.

They’re here. For years, real estate agents and builders eagerly anticipated the entrance of millennials into the housing market.Millennials, a generation now larger than the baby boomers, were battered by the financial crisis as they started their careers and delayed some of the milestones that accompany homeownership, such as marrying and starting a family.

But in 2018, millennials represented the largest cohort of home buyers at 37 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors’ 2019 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends Report. While it’s difficult to generalize about what the Pew Research Center estimates are more than 73 million Americans,

real estate agents and observers see some trends among millennials. “Millennial home buyers are often looking for a lot at first and then they’re scaling back as they start searching for a home because of high prices and the limited selection of homes in most markets,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist for Realtor.com.

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS | BUILDER NEWS Homebuilders Aren’t Keeping Up With Millennials

Homebuilders aren’t building enough for millennialsThat generation is expected to be the largest single cohort of homebuyers next year, but the nation’s homebuilders are not keeping up. This is already exacerbating the shortage of homes for sale and for rent nationwide, but will especially hurt affordability for millennials (those born between 1981 and 1997).

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS | NAHB NEWS Most Home Building in Milllennial Areas, But Pace Lags Rest of Nation The majority of single-family and multifamily housing production in the nation is occurring in counties with the greatest concentration of millennials. However, in a warning sign that the housing affordability crisis persists and more construction is needed, the pace of housing production in areas with the greatest concentration of millennials lags the rest of the nation, according to the latest quarterly National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI).The third quarterly release of the HBGI sheds new light on the housing market by focusing on where millennials live. “Millennial counties” are defined as geographic areas where at least 26 percent of the population consists of this growing demographic group. These millennial counties are diverse, representing major metro areas including several California markets, Seattle, Portland, Boston and Washington, D.C., as well as more rural counties in places such as Ohio, Kansas and Missouri.The HBGI found that those counties with elevated millennial shares account for 62 percent of the entire U.S. population. These counties also account for 59 percent of single-family home building nationwide.

Statement from NAHB Chairman Greg Ugalde on Announcement of USMCA Trade Deal

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Greg Ugalde, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and developer from Torrington, Conn., issued the following statement after an agreement was reached on the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA):“NAHB commends President Trump and House Democrats for working together in a bipartisan spirit to reach an agreement on approving the USMCA trade deal, which represents a win for the U.S. economy, a win for American jobs and a win for housing affordability. Many of the products that go into American homes come from Mexico or Canada.

By moving swiftly to ratify the USMCA, Congress will help to address the nation’s housing affordability crisis.”

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New Guide Provides Answers to Common Code Questions A new guide co-published by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the International Code Council (ICC) helps industry professional navigate the 2018 International Residential Code. Available through BuilderBooks, NAHB’s publishing arm, the 2018 Home Builders’ Jobsite Codes: A Quick Guide to the 2018 International Residential Code, is a portable guide for home builders, contractors, inspectors, architects, engineers and other construction professionals.This invaluable resource covers the impact of the 2018 code changes to fire-resistant walls separating townhouses, emergency escape and rescue openings in basements, safety glazing adjacent to doors and bottom stair landings, and more.Written by Stephen A. Van Note, the 2018 Home Builders’ Jobsite Code helps readers understand specific code requirement such as update requirements for smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms and introduces helpful wood deck provisions.The field guide includes a glossary that provides definitions of construction-related terms and more than 100 detailed illustrations and useful tables and discussion on other areas of the code

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | NAHB NEWS Congress Poised to Revive Expired Tax Extenders

Builder Confidence Ends Year Strong on Solid Economic Fundamentals Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes increased five points to 76 in December off an upwardly revised November reading, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. This is the highest reading since June of 1999.“Builders are continuing to see the housing rebound that began in the spring, supported by a low supply of existing homes, low mortgage rates and a strong labor market,” said NAHB Chairman Greg Ugalde, a home builder and developer from Torrington, Conn.“While we are seeing near-term positive market conditions with a 50-year low for the unemployment rate and increased wage growth, we are still underbuilding due to supply-side constraints like labor and land availability,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “Higher development costs are hurting affordability and dampening more robust construction growth.”Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index gauges builder perceptions of current singlefamily home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.All three HMI components registered gains in December. The HMI index gauging current sales conditions rose seven points to 84, the component measuring sales expectations in the next six months edged up one point to 79 and the measure charting traffic of prospective buyers increased four points to 58.Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast fell two points to 61, the Midwest increased five points to 63, the South moved one point higher to 76 and the West rose three points to 84.Editor's Note: The NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index is strictly the product of NAHB Economics, and is not seen or influenced by any outside party prior to being released to the public. HMI tables can be found at nahb.org/hmi. More information on housing statistics is also available at housingeconomics.com.

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Early this morning, congressional and White House negotiators agreed to a package of tax changes that include a number of provisions sought by NAHB, including a series of temporary tax provisions known as “tax extenders.” Congress is expected to approve the package in the coming days and send it for the president’s expected signature by Friday.The tax extenders section of the bill contains a number of temporary tax items that expired at the end of 2017. The legislation would retroactively reinstate in 2018 and 2019, and extend the following tax provisions through 2020:Deduction for Mortgage Insurance. Allows taxpayers, subject to an income cap beginning at $100,000, to deduct premiums paid for private mortgage insurance and FHA/RHA/VA insurance premiums.Section 45L Tax Credit for Energy-Efficient New Homes. Provides builders a $2,000 tax credit for the construction of homes exceeding heating and cooling energy standards by 50%. The base energy code is the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code plus supplements.

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BUILDING CONNECTIONS | ADVICE COLUMNS & RESOURCES HBRA Available Resources

Dear Sales Coach

We have some pretty ambitious goals for the next few years in order to take our company to the next level. How can we get our employees to understand the significance of these goals and how it will benefit them as well?

~Steve J.

Dear Steve J.,

Leaders need to be involved in both strategic planning and team goal setting, but there’s a built-in problem here. Teams often tend to focus on immediate tasks, on “putting out fires,” and on familiar routines rather than the strategically vital organizational targets we set for the coming year.

People will always work harder for their own goals than their employer’s goals, so you must learn to tap that motivation.

To avoid the stressful situation where you are the only person who’s emotionally invested in attaining the corporate goal, we strongly suggest that you learn to tie corporate goals to personal goals.

Tap into what is important to your employees and then you will know what to manage to when you’re talking to them over the course of the year.

When you meet with them periodically, find a way to remind them about their vacation home, daughter’s college fund, new car, more time with the family, etc. By doing this, you will find that they will work harder, be more aggressive and focused in trying to reach their goals because now it connects to something personal.

HBRA JOB BANK There is a page on the HBRA website dedicated to displaying job openings for all HBRA members.

Click below for more information.

HBRA Job Bank HBRA ONLINE DIRECTORY Do you have a headshot that you would like to include on your member profile? Please email Clare at hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com.

- Ed Ed began Sandler/PEAK with focus on medium and small size firms to Corporate organizations who must lift their Management and Sales competency to Win, improve their ability to lead others to change their future, and position themselves as the Trusted Advisor to their Clients above all others.

Have a sales question? Email Ed at ed.schultek@sandler.com

BUILDING CONNECTIONS | MEMBER BENEFITS Click on the links below to view member benefits and discounts available through our partners