December 2021 Building Connections Magazine

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 - D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 1

UPCOMING

FEATURES

OSHA10 HBRA Directory

Holiday Party HBRA Directory 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

2021 2021 OFFICERS President Kim DiMatteo ACBI

Sr. Vice-President John Hertz Hertz Construction

Vice President Rob Michaud

Michaud Development Group

Secretary Michael Wood Wood Builders

Treasurer Steven Roth

Elevator Service Company

Immediate Past President Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders

PWB Chair Stephanie Rapp

Stephanie Rapp Interiors

2021 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

Lisa White

Breakwater Renovation & Design

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.

2021.

L ET T ER F RO M TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER

Hello Members, I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays and is getting some much-needed relaxation. I am so thankful that this year we were all able to gather and have a sense of normalcy by year’s end. Our HBRA staff and board are working diligently to make 2022 one of our best years yet-stay tuned for fun and exciting events and educational courses we will be offering.

I am so thankful to each and every member and VIP partner for continuing their support of our organization. Each of you make what we do possible every day.

Be sure to keep our online membership directory in mind whenever you are looking for a business: www.buildfairfieldcounty.com/directory.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can do anything for you or your business. kerry@ buildfairfieldcounty.com Kind Regards, Kerry Brunn

L ET T ER F RO M TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER

Welcome to 2022, I want to personally wish everyone of you a Happy New Year. From my family to yours, I am looking forward to a prosperous, healthy, and exciting 2022.

The Board, Staff, and Committees have been working hard to make this year a positive and electrifying year for all members.

We would like to grow the membership and offer a mix of networking, educational, and entertaining events. Highlighting giving back to our community, we will focus on bringing The Fairfield County Home Builders and Remodelers back in the public’s eyes. One example includes the Work Force Development, which will be a great starting point following the Governor’s announcement last week on CareerConneCT. We are also hoping to bring back The Luxury Home Tour in the late Spring. I encourage all who would like to be involved in our Committee, or to be a part of this exciting event, to contact Kerry Brunn at 203.335.7008. This event will be the Event of the Year and we would like everyone to be a part of it. As the saying goes, it takes a tribe! So, please get involved.

A gentle reminder to all membership: You get out of the association what you put into it. There are multiple ways you and your company can benefit from being a member. My suggestion is get involved, and what you are looking for will come.

Benefits may include: · Networking · Education · Legislation · Discounts We are always looking for Committee and Board members, and we would love to hear from all who are interested.

I am looking forward to the months to come.

All my best, Kim Marie DiMatteo President

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2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

Each year, the HBRA of Fairfield County publishes a Member Directory & Resource guide that is distributed to all current members and is made available throughout the year at events, in member’s showrooms, and by request.

Your listing is included with your membership.

We ask all members to complete the listing form to ensure the correct information is included and you are listed under the appropriate categories.

We also have new advertising opportunities for our members. An ad in the directory is an investment that gives you year-round exposure to fellow members, industry professionals, and consumers. Plus the revenue generated from the ads helps the HBRA expand our services, events, and legislative advocacy opportunities so that we can better serve the members of the HBRA of Fairfield County.

Click here to finish your directory listing for 2022

The deadline to submit is April 30,2022. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kerry@ buildfairfieldcounty.com or at 203.335.7008.

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H BRA EVEN TS

We had so much fun with our members!

N EW MEMBERS

Executive Craftsman | Steve Lanefski

For over twenty years Executive Craftsman has been remodeling homes increasing the value of homes in Fairfield County, CT. Today Executive Craftsman is the home builder of choice for residents in Fairfield County, CT.. Read More

JC Forest, LLC | Jessenea Leon Chen

JC Forest is a multifamily real estate investment company with an aim at transparency, respect and integrity in each of its deals, but also the best standards of service to residents of its buildings. Read More

Matteson Landscape Architecture, LLC | Jessica Matteson

After 20 years working for firms that ranged from organic design-build firms in upstate NY, to top end residential firms in Greenwich, CT, and urban design firms in Atlanta, GA, Jessica opened MLA to design landscapes according to her own philosophies of biophilia, the preciousness of time, environmental responsibility, and natural beauty. Read More

Newbury Sales Group | Colleen Stewart

Colleen joined Newbury Sales Group, LLC. in June of 2013. Her previous experience focused on electronic access control, ranging from specifying door hardware, installing it, and maintaining the systems behind it. Read More

Union Savings Bank | Theresa LaRock

Union Savings Bank has been serving the local area since 1866. And since its inception, our mission has been to work for the benefit of the community rather than for the benefit of shareholders. Read More

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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 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.

DECEMBER 2021 | HBRA of Fairfield County 19

N AH B N EWS

Challenges We Faced in 2021: Building Materials Prices The rising cost of building materials was one of the primary focus areas for NAHB in 2021 as the home-building industry struggled with the far-reaching impacts of skyrocketing prices.

The year began with a letter to the Biden administration that highlighted the sharp increases in costs for lumber and oriented strand board as “unsustainable, particularly in light of a continued housing affordability crisis.” NAHB called for an investigation as to “why production remains at such low levels during this period of high demand,” which has continued to remain an issue.

These costs have subsequently translated into higher housing costs, which have affected the buying capabilities of many prospective home buyers. Top stories on NAHBNow in 2021 identified the monetary impact to consumers, and provided resources to help address the negative impacts of such dramatic price increases:

Read More

How Design Trends are Shifting to Adapt to Post-COVID Life Design firm Mary Cook Associates (MCA) recently released its third white paper dedicated to interior design methodology and fundamentals.

This eight-part series from MCA highlights the ways developers and builders of multifamily and single-family units can respond to recent shifts in home life.

The paper, “Living It Up,” develops ‘Five Ps’ recharacterizing livability in single-family and multifamily interiors since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read More

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N AH B N EWS

8 Ways to Save Energy This Winter Winter is upon us, and clients may be thinking about home improvements to save money on utility bills as they start to feel the effects of colder weather inside their homes.

Approximately 13% of greenhouse gas emissions come directly from buildings because of heating, cooling and cooking needs, so even small improvements can have a notable impact both on clients’ homes and the environment. Here are a few options to reduce energy usage and carbon footprints this winter in both new and existing homes: Conduct a free home energy assessment. An energy audit completed by a professional is a great first step to help benchmark where a home stands in terms of energy efficiency, and will give you a better sense of actions to take to help improve the home’s energy performance.

Use LED lights. Replacing existing lights with LEDs and putting lights on a timer could save hundreds of dollars in energy costs.

Weatherize the home. Seal any noticeable cracks, particularly around leaky doors and windows. Caulking these areas and weatherstripping can help air-seal troublesome spots. Low- or moderate-income customers may be eligible for the Weatherization Assistance Program to help offset costs.

Add Insulation. Adding insulation to the attic, basement and walls helps keep heat inside the house and makes it more comfortable.

Improve windows. Even if an upgrade isn’t a possibility at the moment, less expensive options such as caulking, weatherstripping and adding thicker window coverings can help keep the inside of the home warmer.

Install a programmable thermostat. Check with the local utility provider to see if it provides free or discounted programmable thermostats that will adjust the temperature automatically based on your clients’ schedule.

Check the water heater settings. Lowering the temperature can reduce your energy use.

Upgrade appliances. Check out ENERGY STAR’s website to learn more about the most energy-efficient appliances on the market.

Clients also can incorporate energy-saving actions in their everyday routine, such as unplugging devices when not in use to avoid draining electricity and adjusting their thermostats to match their schedules and take advantage of natural heat in the home, such as heat from more frequent holiday cooking.

Read More

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How Builders Adapted Their Operations for COVID — and What Will Stay or Go After the Pandemic January is often a month to take a hard look at what should be kept for the year ahead and what can be purged. For many builders, this may include taking a look at COVID-required or -initiated practices they implemented in the early months of the pandemic to see what still makes sense going forward.

Pro Builder magazine and Home Innovation Research Labs recently conducted a survey of more than 300 builders to determine what they plan to continue or discontinue from the past 21 months.

Some of the top practices builders plan to continue include: Expanding their stable of suppliers because of pandemicdriven supply chain issues and materials price volatility, which they don’t expect to scale back when those crises abate.

Incorporating consumerdemanded products and features to meet changing lifestyle needs, including a greater emphasis on indoor air quality and occupant health, floor plans with at least one dedicated office (and likely another), spaces for remote learning, and more and bigger outdoor living areas.

Read More

N AH B N EWS

New American Home 2022 Optimizes Space, A to Host Roundtable Discussion with EPA, Energy and Style Building a show home that will “wow” even the industry’s top Corps on WOTUS builders — and building it in half the time of a typical project — is no Changes small feat. But the build team of The New American Home® 2022 delivered just that: an impressive showcase of the latest techniques and products in residential construction.

“I really couldn’t have asked for anything more, except for maybe the amount of time we had to build the house,” said Steven Earl, president of Envy Homes, who oversaw the 2022 home. Because of a variety of permitting and design-related delays, the project could not get underway until late May of 2021. And like many other builders across the nation, Earl says countless supply-chain delays created a variety of scheduling challenges throughout the entire project.

Now a finished product, the 2022 home boasts numerous innovative designs and features, many of which not only enhance aesthetics but also boost energy efficiency and air quality. The home is expected to achieve net-zero status and Emerald-level certification from the National Green Building Standard. It will also earn certification from ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPLUS, and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Zero Energy Ready Home Program.

An aerial rendering of the home shows the central courtyard and rooftop deck.

In contrast to many of the other New American Homes built in previous years, the 2022 home scaled back its total square footage to exhibit how to integrate as many new features as possible within a more attainably sized home.

“We wanted to build a home that is more realistic, as far as size, price and location, which would appeal to an even broader audience,” said Serena Hahn, CEO of Envy Homes. “It’s definitely not your typical show home, but we know there’s incredible demand right now in this segment of the market, so there’s a lot of excitement to see what can be done within a property like this.”

On Monday, Jan. 10, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Advocacy is hosting a virtual roundtable meeting with staff from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) to discuss how the Biden administration’s proposed rule to withdraw the Trump administration’s “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) definition under the Clean Water Act and replace it with a new WOTUS definition will affect small businesses such as land developers and home builders.

The purpose of SBA’s roundtable meeting is to have EPA and Corps staff explain elements of the proposed WOTUS definition and encourage discussion of the impact of the proposed rule on small businesses. The forum will include a Q&A session with EPA and the Corps.

To learn more and register for the roundtable discussion, visit sba.gov.

With 4,646 square feet of living space, the 2022 home is approximately one-third smaller than the average New American Home built within the last 10 years. “Although we were working within a smaller scope, we still found countless opportunities to create a ‘wow’ home and maintain a sense of luxury,” said Ed Binkley of BSB Design and one of the project’s lead designers

Read More

Read More

DECEMBER 2021 | HBRA of Fairfield County 23

N AH B N EWS

Latest Wave of Rising Lumber Prices Adds More than $18,600 to the Price of a New Home Following a few months of moderating prices last spring and summer, lumber prices are soaring once again, disrupting the housing market and harming housing affordability.

Over the past four months, lumber prices have nearly tripled, causing the price of an average new single-family home to increase by more than $18,600, according to NAHB standard estimates of lumber used to build the average home. This lumber price hike has also added nearly $7,300 to the market value of the average new multifamily home, which translates into households paying $67 a month more to rent a new apartment..

According to Random Lengths, as of Dec. 29, the price of framing lumber topped $1,000 per thousand board feet — a 167% increase since late August.

Read More

Domestic Sawmill Output Continues to Lag Home Construction With an historically low level of overall housing inventory and solid demand because of low mortgage interest rates and favorable demographics, new construction has been unable to add needed supply to the market because domestic production from the sawmill industry has not kept pace with home construction gains since mid-2020, resulting in unsustainable gains for home prices.

Read More

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