Friday, April 3, 2020

April 2020


 Message from BANNJ President


BANNJ President John Cioletti
My Fellow Members,

As we struggle to navigate through these rapidly changing times it is essential that we take care of each other, our families and friends. Please use this time to find some peace with those close to you. We know that networking is a large part of our organization, but networking does not always have to take place in person. We encourage you to keep in contact with your colleagues. The Association is actively looking at alternate ways of networking through web-based solutions. We will utilize teleconferencing technology to hold committee and board meetings. 


To help you deal with this unprecedented situation, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has shared resources and guidelines regarding preparation for COVID-19 in the workplace. In addition, the State of New Jersey has established a special website devoted to business concerns, which will be updated as new information becomes available and the NJ Business Action Center’s Helpline (1-800-JERSEY-7) is also available from 8:00 am – 9:00 pm, seven days a week to address any concerns you or your employees have.    

On March 27, President Trump signed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act into law. You are probably aware that many taxpayers will be receiving a $1200 recovery rebate check, but Congress also made tax changes for both individuals and businesses to help stabilize the economy and earmarked $349 billion for loans to small businesses and some nonprofits with fewer than 500 employees. 
Among the loans that became available this week, see the link for the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Application here

The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  authorizes up to $349 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses to pay their employees during the COVID-19 crisis. Please see fact sheet and application here. Funds are NOT unlimited, so apply for these and any other applicable loans as soon as possible.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has created guides for three of the popular federal CARES Act programs. Use the following links to download the guides:

NEW Guide to SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL)

NEW Guide to the Employee Retention Tax Credit

UPDATED Coronavirus Emergency Loans Small Business Guide and Checklist (Paycheck Protection Program)
We have a remote office setup and our Executive Officer, Kathleen Kurpiel, will be available during normal business hours at kathleen@bannj.org or 201-843-6868. Please continue to communicate with us as you normally would during this time.  We will be sure to get any new information from National or State out to our members as we receive it.
**SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT FOR ANNUAL GOLF OUTING AT WHITE BEECHES GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB.  The outing originally scheduled for May 18th has been postponed/rescheduled to Monday, September 28th


All summer events are now tentative and will be determined based on National and State social distancing mandates concerning COVID-19. 



Information and Registration for all future events can be found on our website at https://members.bannj.org/events.


Best to all members and their families to stay safe and well.






New Jersey, New York differ on what construction work is 'essential' 
by POLITICO's Samantha Maldonado: "New Jersey has put few limits on construction work during the coronavirus pandemic even though neighboring New York has gradually curtailed what's allowed following public outcry over the risks to workers. Gov. Phil Murphy's executive orders allow construction work to continue in New Jersey, and he has not wavered from that position when asked repeatedly if non-essential construction should be halted amid concern of less-than-sanitary conditions at work sites and the difficulty in maintaining the social distancing practices required to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus. 'We have to have a state that's ready for us when we come out of this crisis, when we come out of this war,' Murphy said."


March started out as a strong month for the U.S. housing market — but by the second half of the month, the first indications that the coronavirus pandemic would weigh on home-selling activity began to emerge, according to a new report from Realtor.com.

The coronavirus appears to be splitting the mortgage market: More borrowers are refinancing to save money on monthly payments, while potential homebuyers are backing away fast.

Video: NAHB Chairman Dean Mon Addresses the Coronavirus Crisis

NJBA Reminds Members to Practice Job Site Safety & Social Distancing
Yesterday, during Governor Murphy’s daily press conference, he was questioned about allowing construction to continue as originally proposed. To this he responded that the Administration is holding onto his decision but will be looking at it regularly.

NJBA is strongly encouraging that every one of its members should remain vigilant and not become complacent on their job sites. NJBA recommends that all members of the building industry stay very mindful of the job site safety guidelines – especially in light of NY Governor Cuomo’s recent decision to suspend all non-essential construction. A New York Times article written last week may have forced his hand, since it contained photos of job sites that were in direct disregard and violation of public safety guidelines. Parts of California have also shifted towards a suspension by limiting construction services to projects related to the COVID-19 response and income-restricted affordable housing, among a few other exceptions.

NJBA wants to show Governor Murphy that the building industry in NJ is compliant and respecting his Administration’s guidelines by following proper procedures, particularly social distancing. To ensure that your workers are complying with all necessary safety protocols, please review the NAHB COVID-19 checklist and follow all guidelines in the poster below. This, and other info can be found on the NJBA COVID-19 resource page.






(March-April):


 Builders:

Seasons Construction Corporation
James Maras
84 Knickerbocker Road
Closter, NJ 07624
201-768-4949 seasonsconstruction1@gmail.com

Florio Enterprise
Charles Florio
449 East 18th Street
Paterson, NJ 07524
201-259-9179 florcharl@aol.com

Thalpaus, Inc.
Ozgur Akkas
8800 Boulvevard East 3G
North Bergen, NJ 07047
347-893-7042
renovate@thalpaus.com

Associates:

Besta, LLC.
Kristina Hedden
535 West 23rd Street, Apt. S11E
New York City, NY 10011
908-489-4993 kristina@bestanyc.com

Smart Homz
Dave LaMere
259 Nottingham Road
Ramsey, NJ 07446
201-566-2451
dlamere@smarthomz.com


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