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NEWS
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May Housing Starts Up 13% from April; 31% Higher than Last May; First Five Months of 2013 Up 21% from 2012
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The U.S. Census Bureau recently released statewide totals for building permits issued in May and shows 1,476 single-family permits were pulled. This number is 13% higher than the April numbers, when 1,304 single-family permits were pulled, and 31% above last May’s 1,129 permits. For the first five months of the year, Indiana has pulled 5,214 single-family building permits, a 21% increase from 2012, when 4,313 single-family permits were issued for the first five months. |
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255 Metros Listed as Improving Housing Markets in July, Includes 9 Indiana Cities
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A total of 255 metropolitan areas qualified to be listed on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for July. This is down slightly from the 263 metros that made the list in June, but is more than triple the number of metros that were on it in July of 2012. Indiana cities making the list are Bloomington, Columbus, Elkhart, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Indianapolis, Lafayette, Muncie, and Terre Haute.
The IMI identifies metropolitan areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. A complete list of all 255 metropolitan areas currently on the IMI, and separate breakouts of metros newly added to or dropped from the list in July, is available at www.nahb.org/imi. |
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Two Lafayette Builders Receive Governor Appointments
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President of Citation Homes, Steve Schreckengast, of Lafayette, has been reappointed to the Ivy Tech Board of Trustees by Governor Pence. Schreckengast will serve a three-year term, effective July 1, 2013. Schreckengast is a member of the BA of Greater Lafayette.
Lafayette builder Patrick Richard has been reappointed by Governor Pence as a member of the Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission. The Commission adopts the code of building and fire safety laws that affect all buildings classified as Class 1 or Class 2 structures in the state of Indiana and reviews applications for variances, appeals of state and local orders, and local building ordinances. Richard was appointed by Governor Daniels in January and his reappointment runs through 2017. Richard is a residential and commercial builder in Lafayette and a member of the BA of Greater Lafayette. He serves as an Area Vice President and State Director for Indiana Builders Association. He has earned the CGB and CGP professional designations. |
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State Unemployment Rate Inches Higher
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The Indiana unemployment rate for June hit 8.4 percent, compared to 8.3 percent in May. The state says 5,300 private sector jobs were created in June, with most of that growth in manufacturing. Indiana Department of Workforce Development Commissioner Scott Sanders says the sector had its largest one-month job increase in nearly a decade. |
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New Website Aims to 'Cut Red Tape' for Indiana Businesses
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'Cut Red Tape' is a new website allowing Hoosiers to submit suggestions of existing regulations that could be simplified or eliminated in order to streamline rules for businesses in Indiana. There are over 11,000 pages of state regulations on the books today. "Every dollar not spent on regulatory paperwork by Indiana businesses is a dollar they can spend putting Hoosiers to work," said Governor Pence. |
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Fall Protection Seminar - July 24
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Take a look at a step-by-step approach to fall protection on the jobsite as well as fall protection on wood frame structures at the Metro Indianapolis Coalition for Construction Safety (MICCS) Safety Directors Forum. The forum is presented by Kirk Grundahl. P.E., Executive Director of the Structural Building Components Association (SBCA), and will focus on OSHA's fall protection regulations and the B11 Summary Sheet. The seminar is free and will be held on July 24th from 8:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at ERMCO (1625 W. Thompson Rd., Indianapolis). To register, please click here. |
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REGULATORY
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Fire Sprinkler Demonstration Set for August 6 in Indianapolis
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Fire Team USA will host a free, 1-day workshop, including a side-by-side fire and sprinkler burn demonstration, from 8:30 to 4:30 on August 6th at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. You may register for the workshop here. The workshop is scheduled in conjunction with the National Association of State Fire Marshals annual conference, August 7-9 at the Marriott.
This is the 2nd demonstration held in Indiana this year. In January, a fire and sprinkler burn demonstration was held in Noblesville, Indiana. Click here to view the Fox 59 News story on residential fire sprinklers and watch the video.
The Indiana Builders Association opposes mandatory installation of fire sprinkler systems in new home construction. IBA supports the installation and maintenance of smoke detectors and education on fire prevention. Operable smoke detectors save lives. The chances of surviving a reported home fire when working smoke alarms are present are 99.45 percent. For additional information, please contact Carlie Hopper, Regulatory Affairs Director, at (800) 377-6334 ext. 206 or Carlie@BuildIndiana.org. |
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IDOL to Focus on Transportation-Related Incidents
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Transportation-related incidents account for half of the 122 workplace fatalities from 2011 and are the leading cause of fatal workplace injuries in the U.S. The Indiana Department of Labor (IDOL) is developing an initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate workplace transportation-related fatalities. Please visit the transportation safety webpage for a fleet safety plan and procedures for certain high-risk behaviors, including distracted driving. |
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Governor Grants Exceptions for Proposed Rules Updating Building, Fire, Mechanical and Fuel Gas Codes
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The Indiana Fire Prevention and Building Safety Commission has received exceptions from Executive Order 13-03 to move forward with the 2013 Building, Fire, Mechanical and Fuel Gas codes. On his first day in office, Governor Pence signed Executive Order 13-03, which called for a moratorium on new regulations, excluding rules needed for emergencies, health or safety reason, in Indiana until existing regulations could be reviewed by the Office of Management and Budget. The state’s code review committees will meet again later this month to address outstanding issues and to ensure that accurate fiscal information is included for the required economic impact analyses. IBA has a voting member on each of the state’s code review committees. |
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NAHB
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Tax Code Rewrite Threatens Homeownership, Rental Housing, and Our Industry
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Act Now! Write Your Senators online at CapitolConnect.com/BuilderLink
Tell Them:
It is critical that they preserve vital housing tax incentives like the mortgage interest deduction and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit to create jobs and keep the economic recovery moving forward.
What’s at Stake:
The Senate is considering revamping the tax code which could ELIMINATE SOME OR ALL HOUSING TAX INCENTIVES. This could harm the bottom line of all residential construction businesses, depress home values, impose a tax increase on home owners and cause massive layoffs in housing and other industries
Background:
The Senate Finance Committee recently announced it will consider comprehensive tax reform and initiate proceedings with a blank slate: no exemptions, deductions, or credits. Our industry must pull together to defend the mortgage interest deduction and other critical housing tax incentives. Many of the tax reform proposals have suggested eliminating or reducing the mortgage interest deduction, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the capital gains exclusion for home sales and the deduction of property taxes, among others. This would DEVASTATE OUR INDUSTRY by depressing home values, which would put countless more home owners underwater and trigger a new wave of foreclosures and layoffs in our industry.
Urge Your Senators to:
Preserve important housing incentives (the mortgage interest deduction, the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, the capital gains exclusion for home sales, and the deduction of property taxes) in the tax code.
How to Contact Your Senators:
Write them at www.CapitolConnect.com/BuilderLink
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Advocacy App for Smartphones
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The free NAHB Advocacy App offers talking points on various housing issues, a directory of congressional contacts, live Twitter updates and social media sharing, and much more. Learn more about the Advocacy App here. For help, please contact Rin-Rin Yu at ryu@nahb.org or at (800) 368-5242 ext. 8404. |
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Upcoming Education Opportunities
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Whether you’re looking for continuing education for your professional designation, you want to learn more about a subject related to the building industry or you want to network with other building industry professionals, consider these NAHB educational opportunities:
Wednesday, July 24, 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Financing for Home Builders
This webinar reviews the current challenges facing home builders who are seeking acquisition, development and construction financing and explore the opportunities for obtaining credit through various financing sources. The speakers discuss the pros and cons of the various financing options and offer guidance on working effectively with each type of entity to achieve the best results for your business needs.
Wednesday, July 31, 2:00-3:00 PM ET
Build an Energy-Efficient Log Home? YOU BET!
Think log homes are gorgeous, but leaky, drafty energy guzzlers? Think again. Energy efficiency and maintenance begin in the design phase. This webinar will show you how to develop a construction plan for energy efficiency early in the process and carry that plan through completion. |
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