Yearly Archives: 2016

Boosted by a greater share of sales to first-time buyers not seen in nearly four years, existing-home sales maintained their upward trajectory in June and increased for the fourth consecutive month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. Only the Northeast saw a decline in closings in June, and sales to investors fell to their lowest overall share since July 2009.

e National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI) posted a reading of 53 in the second quarter of 2016. Although it slipped one point from the previous quarter, it is still the 13th consecutive quarter with a reading above 50.

At a July 20 event hosted by the Center for American Progress (CAP), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro outlined steps HUD is taking to protect children from lead exposure, including developing procedures to contain lead hazards more effectively, improving lead-prevention policies, and partnering with other leaders and agencies to protect residents from lead poisoning. When asked why a lead problem still exists in 2016, Castro responded, "we have not dedicated the kind of resources that ought to be dedicated to the problem."

Efforts to improve the urban resilience of St. Petersburg, Florida; Boston; Detroit, Charleston, South Carolina; and Portland, Oregon are being supported by grants awarded by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to its district councils serving those areas. ULI is a research and education institute dedicated to responsible land use and creating sustainable, thriving communities worldwide; its district councils advance ULI’s mission in 53 metropolitan regions in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The second webinar in the new series from the National Institute of Building Sciences Off-Site Construction Council (OSCC) is only a week away. The webinar, “Precast Concrete Off-Site Construction: Techniques & Case Studies,” co-sponsored by thePrecast/Prestressed Concrete Institute, will be held July 26 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm ET) and again July 28 from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm CT (12:00 pm to 1:00 pm PT).

On July 19, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) issued a mortgagee letter clarifying the conditions in which it will insure mortgages on properties that have Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) assessments. While PACE structures vary, states generally treat PACE assessments on properties as they do other special assessments, such as property taxes. Under this structure, the owner of the property with a PACE assessment pays off the obligation to the local government, not the party who provided funding for the improvements

Wanted: North America’s most advanced commercial buildings! New Buildings Institute (NBI) is initiating its annual review of advanced energy efficiency commercial projects including zero energy, emerging and ultra-low energy projects.

The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) will spotlight key multifamily challenges and elevate housing policy on the national agenda at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions.

To protect children and families from the hazards of lead-based paint and from other home health and safety hazards, The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today awarded more than $52.6 million in Lead Based Paint Hazard Control grants to 23 local and state government agencies (see chart below).

Statement from the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and National Apartment Association (NAA) released in response to the passage of “The Housing Opportunity Through Modernization Act” in Congress

Corcoran-SunCal, in partnership with the Boston Housing Authority, today announced the launch of its website for ‘One Charlestown’ - the redevelopment of the Bunker Hill Public Housing Development. OneCharlestown.com includes design and planning information, a review of the public engagement process and partnership with the Resident Working Group, as well as images and schematics of the historic project

The National Institute of Building Sciences issued an open letter today to delegates attending the upcoming American Bar Association (ABA) Annual Meeting in August informing of the potential long-term impacts should they vote to support a proposed resolution. The resolution—which advocates that copyrighted codes and standards incorporated by reference in legislation and regulation be made available for free—would alter the way codes and standards are developed in the United States

With temperatures headed for the high 90s in Michigan this week, Consumers Energy is offering information to help businesses and households manage their energy use while still staying cool and safe.

President Obama is committed to ensuring that every American family can choose to go solar and to cut their energy bills – and that every American community has the tools they need to tackle local air pollution and global climate change.

In order to enable homeowners seeking clean energy technologies in their homes to leverage a range of financing options, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA) today announced guidance that makes clear the circumstances under which it will insure mortgages on properties that include Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) assessments. FHA will now approve purchase and refinance mortgage applications in states that treat PACE obligations as special assessments similar to property taxes

Congresswoman Aumua Amata, was pleased to announce the release of more than $9.5 million in grant funding to American Samoa through the Office of Insular Affairs’ (OIA) Capital Improvement Project (CIP) Program. “These grant funds are essential to making sure our infrastructure is sound, and I am pleased to make this announcement,” said Amata. “It is a never ending fight to make sure that our islands are being put on equal footing as the states and other territories, but I am thankful to have colleagues in the Department of the Interior who work closely with me to ensure that is the case,” continued the Congresswoman.

Nationwide housing starts rose 4.8 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.19 million units, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. Overall permit issuance increased 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.15 million.

REALTORS® Land Institute member Bob King, ALC, Owner/Broker, United Country Land & Lifestyle Realty in Anderson, South Carolina, stated that “Timberland prices will be trending upward as an increase in new home construction drives up softwood sawtimber prices. Timberland prices will also be rising as more recreational land buyers come back into the market.”

Federal homelessness programs are vital, but not sufficient, to achieve the goal of ending homelessness for all Americans. We must enlist federal, state, and local "mainstream" programs that serve low-income people, like TANF, Medicaid, and Housing Choice Vouchers, in our efforts to end homelessness. The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness has released a guide to better coordinate such resources.