BANNJ President, Anthony Volpe |
President's Message
The
New Jersey Builders Association (NJBA) held its 69th Annual Atlantic
Builders Convention on April 10th-12th in Atlantic
City. It was great to see our members participating
with booths on the show floor, as attendees supporting the show and attending
some of the outstanding events and educational seminars offered. Congratulations and thank you to longtime builder board member, Arnold DeMasi of DeMasi Construction, who was honored at the April 10th Board of Directors Meeting as an NJBA Life Director for 10 years of service representing BANNJ at the state level of leadership.
Arnold DeMasi, second from right |
The show culminated with the Sales & Marketing (SAM) Awards on Thursday, April 12th, and the following BANNJ Members were winners in the following categories:
Best
Kitchen Remodeling/Renovation Project
Belvedere Building & Contracting; Design By: Home Supply Inc.
Belvedere Building & Contracting; Design By: Home Supply Inc.
Best
Specialty Room Remodeling/Renovation Project
Creative Design Construction Inc.; Design By: Glen Lumia & Sarah Roy
Creative Design Construction Inc.; Design By: Glen Lumia & Sarah Roy
Best
Extreme Home Make-over
Farmhouse Revisited; Belvedere Building & Contracting
Farmhouse Revisited; Belvedere Building & Contracting
Salesperson
of the Year - For Sales Housing
Linda Nassaney; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Linda Nassaney; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Sales Manager
of the Year - For Sale Housing
Angela Ferrara; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Angela Ferrara; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Rookie of
the Year - Rental Communities
Leo Loyo; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Leo Loyo; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Leasing
Team of the Year
Edwin Blanco, Sharon Bloodgood, David Wrenn,
Joseph Runfola, Jr., Andy Tungka & Alyssa Sciangula
The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Edwin Blanco, Sharon Bloodgood, David Wrenn,
Joseph Runfola, Jr., Andy Tungka & Alyssa Sciangula
The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Leasing
Manager of the Year
Martin Brady; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Martin Brady; The Marketing Directors, Inc.
Best
Brochure for an Associate Member
Caliber Home Loans
Caliber Home Loans
Best Ad for
an Associate Member
Caliber Home Loans
Caliber Home Loans
Best Social
Media Campaign for an Associate Member
Cahn Communications
Cahn Communications
If you have not
done so, don’t forget to register for our informative presentation on Thursday,
April 19th on what to include in your next business contract,
updates in the Consumer Fraud Act, and learn
how to protect your business bottom line from costly fines and penalties! Join us at Ferguson in Ramsey to tour their
beautiful showroom, mix with building industry peers and listen to our experts
on how to Put the Law on Your Side. We
still have some excellent sponsorships and golf foursome and individual tickets
available for our Annual Golf Outing & Scholarship Awards on Monday, May 21st
at White Beeches Golf & Country Club.
Be sure to register soon to play at this beautiful private club as last
year’s event sold out!
Welcome New Member:
Atlas Senman
From the Ground Up Builders, LLC.
50 E. Ridgewood Avenue, #152
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
551-497-2785
njbuilder1@gmail.com
Atlas Senman
From the Ground Up Builders, LLC.
50 E. Ridgewood Avenue, #152
Ridgewood, NJ 07450
551-497-2785
njbuilder1@gmail.com
Looking forward, there are
signs that conditions in the housing market should show continued improvement
in the coming months:
·
While
the economic recovery has been uneven, it continues to add jobs, a key driver
for housing market recovery.
·
Low
interest rates and post-bubble house prices that have settled back to normal in
most of the country means that housing affordability is high in many markets.
·
Growing
household formations, along with shortages of lots and labor, have resulted in
tight housing inventories in many markets across the nation.
Housing
Market Snapshot
Housing Starts (February 2018)
Total: 1.24 million↓ Single: 902,000↑ Multi: 334,000↓
Total: 1.24 million↓ Single: 902,000↑ Multi: 334,000↓
Home
Sales* (February 2018)
New: 618,000↓ Existing: 5.54 million↑
Median Home Prices (February 2018)
New: $326,800↑ Existing SF: $243,400↑
New: 618,000↓ Existing: 5.54 million↑
Median Home Prices (February 2018)
New: $326,800↑ Existing SF: $243,400↑
*Seasonally
Adjusted Annual Rate; Arrows indicate direction from previous month for starts
and sales and year for prices.
NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index – The index, which measures builder confidence in the
market for newly built single-family homes, fell one point to 70 in March from
a reading of 71 in February. Any number over 50 indicates that more builders
view sales conditions as good than poor.
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz’s analysis: “A strong labor market, rising incomes and a growing economy are boosting demand for homeownership even as interest rates rise. With these economic fundamentals in place, the single-family sector should continue to make gains at a gradual pace in the months ahead. At the same time, builders need to manage increasing costs for labor, lots and building materials to keep their homes competitively priced.”
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz’s analysis: “A strong labor market, rising incomes and a growing economy are boosting demand for homeownership even as interest rates rise. With these economic fundamentals in place, the single-family sector should continue to make gains at a gradual pace in the months ahead. At the same time, builders need to manage increasing costs for labor, lots and building materials to keep their homes competitively priced.”
Congress Can Play a Role in Lumber Trade
Dispute
·
Record high
lumber prices are harming home builders and home buyers.
·
Since January of
last year, rising lumber prices have increased the price of an average
single-family home by $6,388.
·
Much of these
unprecedented price hikes are due to tariffs averaging more than 20 percent on
Canadian softwood lumber shipments into the U.S.
·
The tariffs are
acting as a tax on American home builders and home buyers, making housing less
affordable for American families.
·
This is why it is
absolutely imperative that the Trump administration resumes talks with Canada
to find a long-term solution to this trade dispute that will ensure American
home builders and consumers have access to a reliable supply of softwood lumber
at reasonable prices.
·
You can help by
contacting your U.S. Representative and Senators and asking them to urge
President Trump to re-start softwood trade negotiations with Canada.
·
Send a letter to
your lawmaker by logging on to Capitolconnect.com/builderlink.
·
While it is
important to find an equitable solution to the trade dispute more needs to be
done.
·
Since the U.S.
imports roughly one-third of its lumber from Canada and does not have the
capacity to meet demand, NAHB is also working with Congress and the
administration to take steps to increase domestic lumber production.
·
The recent
spending bill approved by Congress includes several reform measures that would
reduce the red tape that inhibits our nation’s forestry professionals from
harvesting timber from federally-owned lands.
·
NAHB will
continue working on all fronts to find solutions that will ensure a lasting and
stable supply of lumber imports into the U.S. at a competitive price.
Premier Partner Spotlight
Ferguson raises the bar for industry standards as the
top-rated wholesale supplier of commercial and residential plumbing supplies.
However, our expertise goes beyond plumbing. We are a diverse distributor that
spans multiple businesses including HVAC/R, waterworks and industrial. In the
past 63 years, we’ve grown from a local distributor to a $13.8 billion dollar
company with more than 1,400 locations and over 23,000 associates nationwide.
We pride ourselves on delivering world-class service and our customers know
that “Nobody expects more from us than we do” is more than just a tagline to
Ferguson associates. It’s a cultural belief that is demonstrated every day
through exceptional customer service, product selection and industry
knowledge. For more information, contact Victoria Reczkowski at
victoria.reczkowski@ferguson.com.
Save the Date! |
Thursday, April 19th-Educational Seminar Updates on
Contracts & Consumer Fraud Act-Put the Law on Your Side. Join us for this informative and valuable
information and protect your business bottom line. Learn from the experts what to look for
BEFORE you sign your next contract. 5:30pm, Ferguson Showroom, 50 Spring Street,
Ramsey NJ. $30 per person
Monday, May 21st-Annual Golf Outing & Scholarship
Awards-Don’t miss playing at a beautiful private club and join us for a day on the
course or just attend our cocktail reception and dinner following the golf
outing. Excellent sponsorship and
networking opportunities. Early special
pricing for foursomes until March 15th!
Wednesday, June 6th-Mid-Year Legislative & Regulatory
Lunch & Learn-Join us for lunch and get an update from the experts at NJBA
on the housing market legislative and regulatory issues affecting our industry
and the forecast for building issues affecting our state. $25 per person.
Be sure to register for all events on
our new website secure payment portal at www.bannj.org!