October 2020 Building Connections

T H E E - M A G A Z I N E O F T H E H B R A O F FA I R F I E L D C O U N T Y - O C T O B E R 2 0 2 0

UPCOMING

November Webinars Membership Drive

FEATURES Member News COVID-19 Resources Latest Updates

MEMBER BENEFITS mynpp.com NAHB Benefits

Your Monthly Newsletter Building Connections is a monthly digital magazine produced and published by the Home Builders & 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 (203) 335-7008

2020 OFFICERS President Kim DiMatteo

DiMatteo Insurance

Sr. Vice-President John Hertz Hertz Construction

Vice President Rob Michaud

The Michaud Group

Secretary Steve LoParco

LoParco Associates

Treasurer Steven Roth

Elevator Service Company

Immediate Past President Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders

PWB Chair Stephanie Rapp

Stephanie Rapp Interiors

2020 DIRECTORS Luigi Altamura Altamura Homes

Propane Pete Battaglio Hocon Gas

Max Bender Bender Supply

Karen Bradbury

Closet & Storage Concepts

Ken DeLeo

Doherty & DeLeo

Brian Kurtz

Interstate Lumber

Peter Sciarretta

Hemingway Construction

Alex Shook

Pella Commercial

Michael Wood Wood Builders

LIFE DIRECTORS Joanne Carroll JMC Resources

Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design

Jerry Effren The Greyrock Companies

Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders

Gary Fanali City Carting

Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

Peter Fusaro Preferred Builders

Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc.

U P COMIN G EVEN TS

11.4

Virtual November General Membership Meeting: Economic Outlook Presentation November 4, 2020 | 2-3 PM Join us for our VIRTUAL November HBRA General Membership Meeting (GMM), featuring a presentation on economic and housing market conditions by Dr. Robert Dietz, National Economist and leading expert on housing in the US. Dr. Robert Dietz, Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders, will discuss current economic and housing market conditions with an eye on residential construction impacts.

Housing is a bright spot for the economy in the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, and building on this theme, Dr. Dietz will detail macroeconomic and demographic factors affecting housing demand and provide industry-level detail on supply-side headwinds that are limiting construction sector growth.

Robert will also describe NAHB’s economic forecast including future actions of the Federal Reserve. He will quantify geographic trends for home building, including the suburban shift – or a move to lower density markets – for both single-family and multifamily construction.

Bring your questions, including how the election will affect housing and the economy.

There is no charge for this event, but pre-registration is required.

The link to the online presentation will be emailed to registered attendees shortly beforehand.

Questions? Email hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com or call 203-3357008.

REGISTER OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 5

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U PCOMIN G EVEN TS

NOVEMBER 11TH at 3 PM Besides being a tool to help you and your employees save for retirement, offering a 401(k) is also great way to help retain your top employees. The “new” HBRA Member’s retirement program offers the opportunity for you and your employees to begin building for their future without the hassle of a traditional 401(k). The HBRA’s program is: · Simple · Compliant · Cost Effective DIMATTEO GROUP FINANCIAL SERVICES 79 Bridgeport Ave, Shelton, CT 06484 (203)924-5408

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OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 7

H BRA N EWS

HBRA GOLF CLASSIC HBRA members and guests joined us for a fall day on the course. Players participated in either the 18-hole or 9-hole tournament and had the opportunity to network, enjoy some on course refreshment, and play several oncourse games. Congratulations to all of the winners.

18 Hole Tournament 1st Place: The Hatch & Bailey Company: Chris Lenzen, Christian Dean, Jeff Penkoff, Robert Rowland 2nd Place: USI Insurance Services: Read Smith, Peter Calzone, Austin Smith, Matt Sarosky 3rd Place: Ring’s End Inc.: Lenny Volpe, Chris Alvarez, Rich Slade, Kyle Bertolone Longest Drive- Men: Chris Alvarez (DAS Custom Builders) Longest Drive- Women: Theresa Horn (Hemingway Construction) Closest to the Pin: Brian Stowell (Crown Point Cabinetry) Closest to the Line: Jamie Millward (MG Builders) Most Honest: Glen Gate Company: Brandon Jones, Jordy Scott, Nick Ackerman, Dave Gidneck 9 Hole Tournament 1st Place: Michaud Development Group: Rob Michaud, Marc Michaud, Chris Steiner, Mike Wood Closest to the Pin: Mike Wood (Wood Builders) Closest to the Line: Rob Michaud (Michaud Development Group) Putting Contest - Peter Calzone (Davenport Contracting) Thank you to all of our volunteers, sponsors, and staff who made the day possible. We appreciate all of your efforts.

NEW MEMBERS

Christopher Pagliaro Architects, LLC Christopher Pagliaro

Founded in New York in 1974 as a design studio, Pagliaro Bartels Architects has since earned a reputation for exceptional waterfront architecture throughout North America. Our philosophy hinges on the key concepts of place, space, light, scale, and material to create projects that combine functionality with aesthetic design Read More

Design + Decor Kelly Ames Smith

Since our inception in 2004, we have embraced an ongoing commitment to provide our readers a visually stunning and intellectually stimulating suite of products. In the same vein we continually strive to embrace our clients and create marketing avenues that are in-line with their brands while exceeding their expectations Read More

Goggin Safety Services Elizabeth Calvanese Elizabeth Calvanese is a partner in Goggin Safety Services, an all women owned business. While studying her undergrad at Suffolk University of Boston Elizabeth became interested in helping the lives of others.Having a background in the physical therapy world for seven years, Elizabeth often dealt with work-related injuries. Working with injuries involving heavy lifting, she then implemented her own CORE Training program used amongst outpatient clients for successful full-body rehab. Read More

Market Realty, LLC Judith M. Caracausa

Veteran broker Judi Caracausa is an integral part of the Mystic community.

Judi is an award-winning top producing agent in the Mystic-Stonington area with an impressive track record. She has built a solid reputation for her superb service and in-depth knowledge of the local real estate market selling Residential and Commercial properties.

Read More

Welcome to our New Affiliate Members Interstate+Lakeland Lumber Alvaro Radesca 10 HBRA of Fairfield County | OCTOBER 2020

2020

MEMBER RECRUITMENT

CHALLENGE

SPIKE BIG | WIN BIG Invite new members to join the HBRA for only $395.

This invitation is for new members only and valid for one year.

All HBRA members are invited to participate in the 2020 Member Recruitment challenge starting today! Members who recruit new businesses to join will receive NAHB spike points and are eligible for prizes.

How To Recruit New Members 1. Invite new members to join the HBRA at the special 2020 pricing of $395 and

2020nm 2. The HBRA will verify that the company is eligible for the new member pricing and will process their application. Only companies who have not been members for the past 5 years are eligible.

3. Once approved, you will be credited with a new member. We will be updating the member rankings on the HBRA website and on facebook.

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HAVE YOU SEEN OUR COVID RESOURCES PAGE? Visit https://buildfairfieldcounty.com/covid-19-local-and-national-updates/ for the latest news - Do you have canned, non perishable items to donate? We are hosting a food drive for local Connecticut food banks at various locations in Fairfield County.

Contact Kerry at kerry@buildfairfieldcounty.com with any questions.

- Do you have masks, gloves, gowns or other PPE equipment to donate to area hospitals in desperate need? Contact Kerry at kerry@buildfairfieldcounty.com for pickup.

- Do you have news about your business that you would like to share with the HBRA membership? Email design@buildfairfieldcounty.com to coordinate an instagram story or a newsletter feature.

It all started with a showroom visit.

“Designing and building great homes has always been our dream. That’s why we send our clients to a Bender showroom right at the outset to help them design their bathrooms.

There, they can meet with a design consultant and turn on the faucets, climb in the tubs, open the cabinets, touch the tiles, play with the lighting and much more. Clients love it.

And it makes our job so much easier.”

Get inspired, in person, at a Bender showroom near you.

Chris O’Dell The O’Dell Group

Kathleen Poirier, AIA

Kathleen Poirier Architects, LLC

bendershowrooms.com | 203.495.5183 decorative plumbing | kitchen & bath cabinetry | lighting | tile & stone Hartford | New Haven | Norwalk | Waterbury © 2020 Bender Plumbing

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 13

N AH B N EWS

What Voters are Saying About Housing During the Elections Housing has long been a key economic driver. So in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and at the culmination of the 2020 elections, housing is an especially critical topic.

NAHB recently surveyed more than 2,200 registered voters from across the country to learn more about how housing has been impacted by COVID-19 and how it could play a role in the upcoming elections. The survey confirmed that housing availability and affordability are growing concerns for many Americans, and that the pandemic has only compounded these issues.

Customer Service Equals Business Success for October’s Remodeler of the Month

Joshua Edgell, a remodeler from Painesville, Ohio, knew from a very young age he would choose home building and remodeling as a career path. His interest in Among the key findings, a larger portion of respondents feels that building quickly developed into the Democratic party is more likely to address housing affordability a passion, eventually leading him than the Republican party. The results also show the large majority to run his own business at JEMM Construction.” of respondents are in favor of an additional financial stimulus.

Read More Some of the survey’s other questions specifically asked voters:

Read More

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N AH B N EWS

Expectations for Housing Availability Improve More than one-in-four prospective buyers (28%) in the third quarter of 2020 expect their search for a home to become easier in the months ahead, while 61% percent expect it will be harder or stay the same, according to the latest Housing Trends Report. Strong new and existing home sales in the summer of 2020 may have been a factor contributing to buyers’ improved expectations for housing availability.

By contrast, a year earlier, fewer buyers (21%) expected availability improvements and more (68%) thought it would be difficult to search for a home.

Across generations, expectations that housing availability will improve rose most significantly among Gen X buyers (21% in the third quarter of 2019 vs. 32% in the third quarter of 2020) and Millennials (22% to 30%). Geographically, expectations that housing availability will ease up increased most significantly in the West (16% to 28%) and the Northeast (24% to 35%).

Read More

New Inclusionary Zoning Tool Available for NAHB Members Combating the housing affordability crisis requires comprehensive strategies at the federal, state and local levels to reduce building costs, boost supply and empower home buyers with a mix of housing choices. One strategy that many communities have adopted is inclusionary zoning (IZ) — local government ordinances that require a certain percentage of new residential construction to be sold or rented at belowmarket rates.

Read More

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 15

16 HBRA of Fairfield County | OCTOBER 2020

N AH B N EWS

The Future of Urban and Suburban Housing in the Wake of COVID-19

Lot Values Down in 2019

The pandemic has dramatically changed how most Americans view Median single-family lot prices their homes. The need for more spaces within a home for work, came down in 2019, breaking their schooling and exercise have driven many to evaluate where they live. relentless climb for the first time since 2013, according to NAHB’s Suburban developments often offer more space for a lower price.

With so many people acclimatized to working from home, the extra analysis of the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction data, The commute time is no longer a barrier to suburban homeownership.

2019 median lot price was $45,000, But what happens to urban home building if more people move? which amounts to a 9% decline since This will be discussed in depth in an NAHB webinar on Thursday, 2018, when half of the lots were Nov. 5 at 2 p.m. ET. The Future of Urban and Suburban Housing in the Wake of COVID-19 will answer questions about the demand for selling at or above $49,500. suburban versus urban housing.

Read More

The West divisions — Mountain and Pacific — stood out as the two Census divisions where lot values continued to grow rapidly, with the Pacific setting a new record high with half of the lots priced above $95,000.

Read More

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 17

N AH B N EWS

September New Home Sales Pause Following Strong Summer Surge Sales of newly built, single-family homes in September fell 3.5% to 959,000 from a downwardly revised August number, according to newly released data by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. Despite the monthly decline, the September rate is 32.1% higher than the September 2019 pace, and on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are up 16.9% in 2020.

“With sales up 32% from a year ago, the demand for new singlefamily homes remains strong as interest rates are at historic lows,” said NAHB Chairman Chuck Fowke. “However, the recent run-up in lumber and other material costs is leading to an increase in pricing.”

Why Home Builders Should Offer Smart Home Leak Detectors Most home builders know the value of incorporating smart home technology into their builds, and if there’s one device they shouldn’t overlook, it’s smart leak detectors.

Read More

“The pace of new home sales growth over the summer was going to slow given that the gap between sales and single-family construction reached an all-time high in August,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

Read More

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LAURA MOSS; CHRISTOPHER PAGLIARO ARCHITECTS, MARK P. FINLAY INTERIORS, FLETCHER DEVELOPMENT

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—Daniel Conlon, DANIEL CONLON ARCHITECTS

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18 HBRA of Fairfield County | OCTOBER 2020

Contact Associate Publisher, Roberta Mancuso to learn how New England Home Connecticut can help generate business for your company. rmancuso@nehomemag.com | 203.530.9593

COVID IN SIGH TS

COVID-19 Job Site Safety

General Government Resources CFPB: A Guide to COVID-19 Economic Stimulus Relief CDC: Guidelines for Your Home and Family HUD: Coronavirus Resources and Information FHFA: Coronavirus Assistance Information Read More

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 19

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 21

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

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 23

$ M EM BER REBATES & DISCOUN TS

OCTOBER 2020 HBRA of Fairfield County 25

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