NAHB

WASHINGTON, D.C. - August 2, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev., issued the following statement regarding the proposed debt ceiling agreement announced by President Obama and congressional leaders:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 29, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly 25 million homeowners across the country would face more expensive mortgages if a proposal by federal regulators goes unchanged. A proposal released by six federal agencies to implement credit risk retention provisions included in the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act would require homeowners to have at least 25 percent equity in their homes in order to qualify for a lower-rate "Qualified Residential Mortgage" (QRM) for refinancing. An analysis of the CoreLogic data shows 24.8 million U.S. homeowners – more than half of all U.S. homeowners with a mortgage - have less than 25 percent equity in their homes.Homeowners looking to refinance but fail to qualify for a QRM will be subject to additional costs associated with lenders' risk retention requirements included in the Dodd-Frank bill. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, consumers in a non-QRM loan could pay between 0.80 and 1.85 percentage points more in interest rate, simply because they could not meet the down payment or equity requirements.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 28, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The remodeling market slipped under pressure from a sluggish economy according to the National Association of Home Builders' (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI), which dipped during the second quarter to 43.9 from the first quarter result of 46.5. An RMI below 50 indicates that more remodelers report market activity is lower compared to the prior quarter than report it is higher.The overall RMI combines ratings of current remodeling activity with indicators of future activity, like calls for bids. Current market conditions for the second quarter of 2011 fell to 44.8 from 46.1 in the first quarter. Future market indications dropped to 43.0 from 46.8 in the previous quarter.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Former NFL football players are working side-by-side with local home builders and contractors this week to renovate a section of St. Ann's Infant & Maternity Home in Hyattsville, Md. The Home Builders Care Foundation (HBCF) of the Maryland-National Capital Building Industry Association (MNCBIA) is coordinating the community service project, which is converting an older, institutional-like section of the children's residential wing into a warm, comfortable living space."Every child and every family should have a safe, comfortable place that feels like home, whether it is temporary like here at St. Ann's, or a permanent home to call their own," said Calvin Snowden, president of the Washington, D.C. NFL Players' Association (NFLPA) former players' chapter. "It is incredibly rewarding to be able to give back to the Washington, D.C., community through a project like this."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 26, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes declined 1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 312,000 units in June, according to figures released today by the U.S. Commerce Department today."Today's report shows that new-home sales remain in a holding pattern at relatively low levels," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "This reflects what we are hearing from builders in the field, who continue to see uncertainty in the marketplace and are reacting accordingly by keeping inventories at a record low. With inventories at razor-thin margins, any uptick in demand will generate increased building activity in the months ahead."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 19, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts rose 14.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 629,000 units in June, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. This was the best pace of housing production since the beginning of the year, and was attributable to significant gains registered in both the single-family and multifamily segments as well as every region of the country."Today's numbers are an encouraging sign that builders are responding to improving consumer interest in new homes and apartments by gradually replenishing their extremely thin inventories in places where demand is evident," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "That said, the lack of access to construction credit remains an impediment to starting new projects and getting building crews back to work in markets that are improving."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes rose two points to 15 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for July, released today. The gain largely offsets a three-point dip recorded in June, and marks the ninth time out of the past 10 months in which the index has held within the same three-point range."The improvement in builder confidence in July is a positive sign that the outlook perhaps isn't quite as bleak as was feared in June," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "While builders continue to confront serious challenges with regard to competition from foreclosed properties that are priced below replacement cost, inaccurate appraisals of new homes, and a very restrictive lending environment for new home construction, select markets are showing gradual improvement as consumers begin to take advantage of very favorable buying conditions."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 18, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders commends the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for rejecting a proposal to add third-party clearance testing to the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP).“We’re pleased that the EPA listened to the concerns of remodelers about the extreme costs the proposed clearance testing would have imposed,” said Bob Peterson, NAHB Remodelers chair and a remodeler from Fort Collins, Colo. “Home owners are saved from spending a great deal of money on lead testing. If remodeling is more affordable, home owners will be able to hire an EPA-certified renovator to keep them safe from lead dust hazards during renovation.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. - July 14, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) announced the finalists today in the 2011 NAHB Multifamily Pillars of the Industry Awards, which honors the best and most creative work in multifamily housing. Finalists represent a wide array of projects featuring innovative concepts and trends in multifamily housing such as green and energy efficient features, community amenities and proximity to public transportation.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 30, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) is accepting entries for the Best in American Living Awards (BALA), the premier award program for the home building industry.Sponsored by NAHB's Design Committee, BALA recognizes exceptional design and uses the example of trend-setting designs to educate builders and improve residential design in all aspects of the housing industry

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- A drop in some mortgage loan limits for the government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs) Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration scheduled to occur on Oct. 1 will reduce housing demand and place downward pressure on home prices in major housing markets, according to a new study from the Economics and Housing Policy Group at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 24, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Sales of newly built, single-family homes declined 2.1 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 319,000 units in May, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department today. The decline only partially offsets a larger gain that was registered in April."Today's report indicates that new-home sales are holding fairly steady at a relatively low rate, with both April and May sales numbers running above the first-quarter average," noted Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. "In view of the slow progress of economic recovery and the challenges builders continue to face with regard to rising materials prices, access to construction credit, competition from foreclosed homes and inaccurate appraisals, the averages for the last two months combined represent some very slow improvement which should continue as expected economic gains boost consumer confidence."

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 23, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today expressed support for a five-year extension of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to ensure that the federally-backed flood insurance program remains efficient and effective in protecting flood-prone properties and creates more stability in the housing market.Testifying before the Senate Banking Committee, Barry Rutenberg, first vice chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., told lawmakers that because the NFIP has had to undergo a series of short-term extensions over recent years, it has created a high level of uncertainty in the program and caused severe problems for the nation’s already troubled housing markets.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 16, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nationwide housing starts rose 3.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 560,000 units in May, according to newly released figures from the U.S. Commerce Department. The gain partially offsets a larger decline that was registered in April."While the upward movement registered in today's report is somewhat good news, housing production continues to bounce along the bottom near historic lows, and is only running at a level necessary to replace dilapidated or destroyed units," said Bob Nielsen, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Reno, Nev. He also noted that "Amidst this fragile marketplace, the nation's policymakers should be aware of a recent poll that confirms the strong value that most American voters continue to place on homeownership and housing choice.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- After holding at a low but steady level for the past six months, builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes declined three points in June to a reading of 13 on the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI), released today. The last time the index was this low was in September of 2010

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As Congress looks into mandating E-Verify, a voluntary Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today urged lawmakers to ensure it is a fair, efficient and workable system and noted that this should be only one component in achieving comprehensive immigration reform.Testifying on the "Legal Workforce Act" (H.R. 2164) before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, Barry Rutenberg, first vice chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that Congress should not end its efforts to address immigration issues after considering a compulsory E-Verify program for all U.S. employers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- As Congress looks into mandating E-Verify, a voluntary Internet-based system that allows businesses to determine the eligibility of their employees to work in the U.S., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today urged lawmakers to ensure it is a fair, efficient and workable system and noted that this should be only one component in achieving comprehensive immigration reform.Testifying on the "Legal Workforce Act" (H.R. 2164) before the House Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement, Barry Rutenberg, first vice chairman of NAHB and a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that Congress should not end its efforts to address immigration issues after considering a compulsory E-Verify program for all U.S. employers.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 15, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- Nearly three out of four American voters believe that it is reasonable and appropriate for the federal government to provide tax incentives to promote homeownership, a sentiment that cuts across partisan and regional lines across the country, according to a recent poll conducted on behalf of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- On Tuesday, June 14 at 1:30 p.m., the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) will host a media teleconference to reveal the results of a national poll looking at voter attitudes toward homeownership and key housing policy issues.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - June 9, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) -- The National Association of Home Builders’ quarterly Multifamily Production Index (MPI) recorded its third consecutive quarterly increase in the first three months of 2011 indicating continuing improvement in the multifamily housing market.The MPI, which tracks multifamily housing industry sentiment about the strength of the market on a scale of 0 to 100, increased from 40.8 in the fourth quarter of 2010 to 41.7 in the first quarter of 2011.