THINGS I LEARNED AT IBS 2023...

Back to Las Vegas!

After attending the 2023 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) this February, I walked away with a few real ideas and creative solutions to apply to our business. While some displays were definitely meant to be more inspirational, others I look forward to implementing in future designs. I mean where else will you see a bath tub cascading with flowers or an archway of pastel toilets? Let me share some of my findings with you!

Tarra Del Chiaro Director of Marketing Accurate Lock & Hardware

Appliance and cabinet pulls were merchandised and treated like jewelry in key booths like Monogram and Café. This applies to combinations like black and brass, but also more subtle executions like lacquered and unlacquered brass on kitchen hoods in Monogram.

The use of Architectural Grilles on cabinets, ceiling beams and even place settings was an unexpected but really beautiful design element that paired well with tile, flooring, and cabinetry to dress up a kitchen and give it personality

Kohler had a stunning display of pastel toilets fit for the Easter Bunny. What is old is new again!

From Caesarstone to Bertazonni – the evolution from gas to induction cooking is sleek and a very present trend.

The Professional Women in Building Council is partnering with Circle of Care for their 2022 & 2023 philanthropy project. Circle of Care provides emotional and financial assistance to children and families, from day of diagnosis through treatment and beyond, with programs and services that meet the unique and challenging needs of pediatric cancer treatment. As part of the Art From The Heart program, the PWB will collaborate with Circle of Care to design and build room makeovers for two children currently undergoing cancer treatment. In November, PWB members gathered to make the dream playroom a reality for the first child, Milo. The team put together furniture and toys, sorted items, and decorated the room to perfection. The reveal was perfect, and the family was thrilled. Thank you again for our volunteers and donations!

Volunteers:

Donated Time & Talents to the Project

Emilia Ferri | Emilia Ferri Designs

Stephanie Rapp | Stephanie Rapp Designs

Joanna Silengo | MJG Interiors

Michelle Hughes | Tile America

Robin Carroll | Karp Associates

Peggy Rubens-Dahl | Fresh Architects

Lora Mazurak | Torrco

Erin Shiarzay | Ring’s End

Mara Skowronek | THC Paris

Lydia Cobb | MetLife

Services:

Monetary:

Northeast Building Supply

Prutting & Company Custom Builders

MetLife

Professional Group Plans

New England Cabinet – Joel Salwocki – Truck Garage

Karp Associates – Drywall/Carpentry

Silvermine Painting – Anna Roberts

L & M Custom Carpet – Gary Shafran

Kanters Carpet – Brian Kanter - (Installation)

Greenwich Play – Courtney Gault & Courtney Van Naarden - Toy Storage Cabinets/Bins/Labels

Delamar West Hartford – Rooms for the Family for Makeover Weekend

Geoff Knapp – Tooher Ferraris Insurance – Secured Hotel Rooms and Passes to Flaming Farms in Simsbury

Our styles range from contemporary to traditional and our experienced team of hardware specialists are well-versed in all of the diverse products we offer. Most recently, we expanded to offer lighting and furnishings, which are carefully selected and crafted to carry on the design elements of our hardware. Read More

At TotalHousehold Pro we offer digital marketing services specifically tailored for home improvement contractors. Since 2010, it’s been our goal to make sure potential customers can find your business online by establishing an attractive and high quality website. Read More

Stage to Move is an award-winning home staging and design firm specializing in the luxury market. We are a unique company in that we serve all needs related to selling and home preparation for the real estate market. From editing, auctions, painting, lighting, updates and floor repair to home staging we have all the solutions. Read More

RSN Interiors LLC is a family-owned company that turns the ordinary into extraordinary serving the tri-state area from Connecticut for over 20 years. We are committed to designing and building luxurious interior aesthetics for discerning clients and challenging situations. Read More

As a premier company dedicated to providing premier customer service, it is important to us to deliver unparalleled workmanship on every assignment. We offer a wide range of services to meet your project needs and ensure durable and cost effective workmanship. Read More

For over 25 years, Pagano Builders has been passionately building the finest high-end custom new homes, additions and renovations in Connecticut and New York. From grand modern estates to exquisite country homes, the quality and attention to detail that we demand is second to none. Read More

Construction trade program o�ers students skills and a head start

This New London Day article is a great example of leading by example demonstrated by our own HBRACT President, David Preka who recently spent a day in the work shop providing instruction and guidance to students engaged in the Home Builders Institute pre apprenticeship curriculum at Stonington High School. Contact your state or local HBRA to learn how you can help bring shop back to your local school districts.

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a workshop, amid band saws, router tables, and tools of all types, slightly more than a dozen students, halfway through the �rst year of a pilot trade program at the high school, are beginning to put their knowledge into practice.

“I’m very excited to take this class, because I need the training in high school,” said Gage Trebilcock, who intends to work at Electric Boat after graduation, as he glued boards together this past

�e �rst students in the state to take part in the Home Builders Institute’s Schools to Skills pre-credentialing apprenticeship program for construction trades were each building a Shaker style end table under the guidance of teacher Dean Rocha and David Preka, chairman and president of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Connecticut.

Watch HBRA member Leigh Overland of Leigh Overland Architect, LLC | The Overland Design Group on a local TV interview on his use of Insulated Concrete Forms in building and a tour of his Ash Creek home, showcasing how Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF), can be used to create a modern, strong, efficient and nearly maintenance-free home at the same cost — or less — as traditional building techniques.

“You guys are doing a fantastic job,” Preka told students. He said he was encouraged by their accomplishments so far this year. Preka, who also owns Advanced Group, was at the high school to give advice and provide a bit of mentoring to the students he said the trade industry desperately needs.

“We’re working with HBI to develop this program because there is a lot of shortage in this industry, so we’re just trying to encourage kids, and really people in general, to understand that this is a need for generations to come, because the generation that we have right now in this industry is in their 60’s,” he said.

�e Schools to Skills program, currently used in 33 states, is funded by a two-year, $10,000 grant from HBI, which pays for professional development for instructors, curriculum and costs associated with testing for students. It is one of only three curricula used nationwide and approved by the United States Department of Labor, as well as several state education

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NEW AFFILIATES

Closet Factory | Carol Kaesmann

Closet Factory | Hillary Wallace

Parksite / Tyvek | Joel Madsen

AVAILABLE JOBS:

These opportunities are offered by the HBRA members listed in the specific advertisement. Please do not contact the HBRA regarding these listings.

DHD Windows And Doors

JOB TITLE: Delivery Project Coordinator

DEPARTMENT: Operations

EFFECTIVE DATE: 2/10/2022

SUMMARY: Initiates, coordinates, and executes administrative and other project support to Sales Manager/team including providing Customer Service to the Company’s Customers.

DHD Windows And Doors

JOB TITLE: Warehouse Supervisor

DEPARTMENT: Warehouse

EFFECTIVE DATE: 9/15/2022

SUMMARY: Directs the activities of warehouse personnel involved in the receiving of various products into the facility, movements of product within the facility, and the picking and loading of product shipping out of the facility; ensures that all policies and procedures are followed.

JOB TITLE: Residential Construction Project Manager

SUMMARY: Plan, direct, and coordinate all activities concerned with the construction of new luxury single-family homes and/or renovation of singlefamily homes. Participate in the conceptual development of construction projects from acquisition through design and oversee their organization, scheduling and implementation through completion.

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Heavy Equipment Operator - Construction

CONTACT PERSON: Vernita Tertullien

START DATE: Immediate

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Stamford-based company that specializes in residential and commercial concrete and excavation work would like to hire a heavy equipment operator to perform work in southwestern Connecticut.

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Drywall Technician

CONTACT PERSON: Kelly Hamlett

START DATE: July

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Norwalk-based company is looking to add a full time multi-skilled drywall repair technician. They are a well-established and expert Drywall Repair Company serving Fairfield County.

BigHire, LLC

JOB TITLE: Concrete Laborer

CONTACT PERSON: Kelly Hamlett

START DATE: July

JOB DESCRIPTION: A Stamford-based company that specializes in residential and commercial concrete and excavation work would like to hire two concrete laborers to perform work in southwestern Connecticut.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today commended Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Member Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and their fellow committee members for making housing the focus of the panel’s first hearing of the new Congress and recognizing that market-based solutions are needed to boost the production of affordable housing and ease the nation’s housing affordability crisis.

“We applaud the committee for making housing a top national priority and allowing NAHB to share its views on the barriers the residential construction industry faces to increase the production of quality, affordable housing,” NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz said while testifying before Senate lawmakers. “Building more homes and apartments is the only way to tame inflation, satisfy unmet demand, achieve a measure of price stability in the for-sale and rental markets, and ease America’s housing affordability crisis.”

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On the latest episode of Housing Developments, NAHB CEO Jerry Howard and Chief Lobbyist Jim Tobin provide a recap of a successful 2023 International Builders’ Show, an economic overview for the year ahead.

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Two consecutive solid monthly gains for builder confidence, spurred in part by easing mortgage rates, signal that the housing market may be turning a corner even as builders continue to contend with high construction costs and building material supply chain logjams.

Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes in February rose seven points to 42, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI). This is the strongest reading since September of last year.

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The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has proposed new standards to determine if construction materials for federally funded infrastructure projects are made in the USA. The new guidance, required by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act—also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL)— “sets standards to carry out the statutory requirement that all manufacturing processes for construction material occur in the United States.”

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MarketWatch · Feb 09, 2023

There is more demand for homes in the U.S. than the number of homes available on the market. The U.S. is short of anywhere between 3.8 million and 5 million homes, and counting, according to the most recent estimates.

According to Freddie Mac FMCC, +0.23%, the U.S. was short of 3.8 million homes, as of the last quarter of 2020, up from 2.5 million two years earlier. The National Association of Realtors put that figure at 5.24 million in 2021.

The bottom line: The U.S. has not been able to keep up with demand due to the way the housing market resists changes, one economist said.

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The price and availability of building materials again topped the list of problems builders faced last year, while interest rates (along with general inflation and negative media reports) moved considerably up the list.

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Our Crosswater London collection combines inspired design and meticulous craftsmanship to create a bath space that will take your client’s breath away. From vanities and tubs to faucets, they’ll find a total bath solution that’s distinctively striking.

Join the many builders and remodelers who send their clients to Bender to create their next masterpiece.

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X Design Consultation including on-site walk-throughs and Recessed lighting layouts

X Large offering and inventory of integrated LED Recessed Lighting

X Indoor and Outdoor Lighting for all applications

X Door, Cabinet & Bath Hardware

X Motorized & Manual Window Shades

X Lutron Lighting Controls Standard Wallbox to HomeWorks

X Bath Ventilation Fans

X Builder programs

According to the latest data from the 2021 American Community Survey (ACS), the median age of owner-occupied homes was 40 years. The age of the housing stock is an important remodeling market indicator. Older houses are less energy-efficient than new construction and ultimately will require remodeling and renovation in the future. Moreover, as people use their homes for more purposes and require additional space, older housing represents an investment opportunity for homeowners.

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Knowledge is one of the most valuable assets for any business owner. And much of it can only be attained through real-world experience and collaboration.

That’s why NAHB recently established the Mentor Match program to further support members’ professional development needs. Mentor Match is a free, online resource exclusively for NAHB members to establish mentoring relationships. To sign up to become a mentor or mentee, or for answers to frequently asked questions, visit nahb.org/mentormatch.

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During the fourth quarter of 2022, credit continued to become less available and generally more costly on loans for Acquisition, Development & Construction (AD&C) according to NAHB’s Survey on AD&C Financing.

To analyze credit availability, responses from the NAHB survey are used to construct a net easing index, similar to the net easing index based on the Federal Reserve’s survey of senior loan officers (SLOOS). In the fourth quarter of 2022, both the NAHB and Fed indices were negative, indicating tightening credit conditions. This was the fourth consecutive quarter during which the indices from both surveys were not only negative, but declining (indicating tightening was more widespread than in the prior quarter). In the first quarter of the year, the NAHB net easing index stood at -2.3 before declining to -21.0 in the second quarter, -36.0 in the third and -43.3 in the fourth.

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Due to elevated mortgage rates and high construction costs, overall housing starts decreased 4.5% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.31 million units in January, according to data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Although rising builder sentiment indicates a turning point for housing later this year, the volatility in the 10-year Treasury rate in recent weeks is a sign that the housing sector will face further challenges in the coming months.

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The ongoing scarcity of skilled workers is one of the most significant challenges builders are facing. As a result, many state and local HBAs are partnering with community organizations to develop strategies for attracting the next generation of skilled trades professionals.

Last year, for example, NAHB launched a successful Boys and Girls Club pilot program in which several HBAs partnered with their local club to host a variety of engaging and fun career-focused programming.

To continue building the momentum into 2023, NAHB needs input from members and HBAs on the Boys and Girls program. Please take a moment to complete a short survey to help inform NAHB’s afterschool community organization partnership initiatives. In addition, NAHB is hosting a Creating Successful Partnerships with Boys and Girls Clubs webinar on Feb. 22, 2023, at 2 p.m. ET. NAHB members, executive officers and HBA staff are encouraged to join.

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NAHB’s analysis of headship rates from the latest 2021 American Community Survey (ACS) reveals that the Covid-19 pandemic unlocked some pent-up housing demand, especially among young adults ages 25 to 34. The pandemicheightened desire for more spacious and independent living, as well as “excess” savings accumulated early in the lockdown stages of the pandemic, propelled headship rates of young adults by two percentage point to 43.1%, the highest level since 2010.

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