Apply to be PR's Remodeler of the Year

We're now accepting nominations for Professional Remodeler's Remodeler of the Year.

You can nominate your own company or somebody else in the industry. Entries are due October 8! 

The Remodeler of the Year award recognizes the remodeling firm that exemplifies the best in the industry.

We’re looking for companies that:

• Excel in all aspects of remodeling
• Have made innovations in operations to deal with the current market
• Uphold the highest standards of the of the industry

The winning company will be featured in the December issue of Professional Remodeler and on HousingZone.com.

You can get the entry form here in a Google doc or a word doc by e-mailing me at jsweet@sgcmail.com.

NARI hires DC lobbyist - great news for industry

Big move by NARI last week:  the trade association has hired a lobbyist to represent remodelers' interests in Washington, D.C.

This is all part of a great transformation at NARI as the group really works to become a bigger force not only in the industry but for the industry. Sure, NAHB has a very significant presence in D.C., but representing builders takes up a lot of their attention. It's great to see NARI get in the game. And the more people out there advocating for housing the better!

Some more details from NARI:

Thomas M. Sullivan of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP has 19 years of experience in Federal legislative and regulatory advocacy. Tom's background makes him ideally qualified to represent the interests of NARI in Washington, D.C.

In addition to representing a number of clients before Congress and during the regulatory and rulemaking processes, Tom runs the Small Business Coalition for
Regulatory Relief (www.SBCRR.com) which serves as a resource for small business stakeholders who work to ensure their interests are represented in the regulatory process.

Before joining the Firm, Sullivan served as the highest ranking government official charged with exclusively advocating the views and needs of small business before
government agencies and Congress during his seven-year tenure as Chief Counsel for Advocacy in the Small Business Administration. As Chief Counsel, he headed a team of attorneys and economists who worked to remove regulatory barriers and to elevate small business visibility within all levels of government. The SBA's Office of Advocacy under his tenure helped save America's business community more than $65 billion. Inc. magazine in 2006 named Sullivan "an entrepreneur's best friend in Washington, DC."

Before his appointment to the SBA, he represented the National Federation of Independent Business, the nation's leading business advocacy association. From 1994 to 1998, Sullivan served on the Congressional Affairs staff of the U.S. EPA. He also served at the U.S. Department of Justice's Environment and Natural Resources Division.

In October 2008, the National Small Business Association named Sullivan the "2008 Small Business Star," their highest government-service award. In March 2005, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council bestowed him with the Small Business Advocate Award and induction into their Hall of Fame. The D.C. Metropolitan Subcontractors Association gave him the First President's Award as Outstanding Public Official, and Fortune Small Business magazine named him a Power 30 Most Influential Folks in Washington.

Upon leaving government, Tom Sullivan joined the Institute for Liberty as their Senior Fellow in Regulatory Policy. Tom was named to the NFIB Small Business Legal Center Advisory Board, and was appointed as an advisor to the Center for Small Business and the Environment.

First issue of Professional Remodeler at the printer

So this makes it a little more real. The first issue of Professional Remodeler officially went to the printer yesterday. You should be seeing it in your mailbox in mid-September.

We'll have copies at the Remodeling Show, as well, where you can visit us at booth #1901.

The other SGC Horizon construction titles (Professional Builder, Building Design + Construction and Construction Equipment) are all scheduled to be delivered to the printer today.

Pending Home Sales Hit Record Low

Or if you prefer the Realtors' spin, "Pending Home Sales Ease in Post-Tax Credit Market."

Either way you look at it, it's the lowest mark since the group started tracking pending sales this way in 2001.

The NAR Pending Home Sales Index, which tracks contracts not closings, fell to 75.7 based on contracts signed in June. That's down from 77.7 in May and 93.0 a year ago. (An index of 100 is equal to the average level of activity in 2001.)

From the NAR:

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, said lower home sales are expected in the short term. “There could be a couple of additional months of slow home-sales activity before picking up later in the year, provided the job market continues to improve,” he said. “Over the short term, inventory will look high relative to home sales. However, since home prices have come down to fundamentally justifiable levels, there isn’t likely to be any meaningful change to national home values. Some local markets continue to show strengthening prices.”

One More Week to Comment on EPA Lead Paint Clearance Requirement

Next Friday is the deadline for public comment on the EPA's proposed change to the LRRP to include a post-project clearance requirement.

The proposed change would require remodelers to test for lead and provide the results to owners and occupants after projects in a pre-1978 house.

To comment on the rule and see past comments, visit www.regulations.gov. The docket number for the rule is EPAHQ-OPPT-2005-00492. NAHB members can also access tips that the association put together for its members to comment on the proposed revision.

This is separate from the removal of the opt-out provision, which has already taken effect, but is being challenged in court by NAHB and other trade associations.

NAHB Remodeling Market Index Takes a Nasty Dip

Remodelers are feeling decidedly less optimistic about the remodeling market, according to the latest Remodeling Market Index from NAHB.

The index, released today, shows a drop from 47.9 in the first quarter to 40.7 in the second quarter. An RMI below 50 means more remodelers feel the market is deteriorating than feel it is improving. Last quarter was the closest the RMI has come to 50 since 2005.

The RMI increased in the Midwest (from 43.8 to 44.7) and West (42.0 from 34.8), but dropped in the Northeast (46.6 to 41.4) and South (44.1 to 42.4).

Two comments on the drop from NAHB officials:

"Remodelers are suffering from weak consumer confidence and constricted credit lines," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Donna Shirey, CGR, CAPS, CGP, a remodeler from Issaquah, Wash. "Homeowners are delaying remodeling projects because of economic uncertainty."


"While remodelers are continuing to struggle, we expect the rest of 2010 to be a period of stabilization for remodeling, with the first stages of recovery emerging by the end of the year, followed by a more robust recovery beginning early next year," said NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. "For now, professional remodelers are taking on smaller projects and working to find consumers willing to spend money despite the economic uncertainty."

Other questions showed that NAHB members are undertaking smaller projects than in the past, as well, with marked decreases in room additions and kitchens and increased work in bathrooms and handyman projects. We saw similar results in our Business Results Study released in April, which showed a 47 percent drop in average project size. (No link, because HousingZone isn't back up yet, but e-mail me if you'd like more info.)

Submit your homebuilding products for 101 Best New Products

Hey, product manufacturers, suppliers and PR folks.

The editors of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines are in search of the latest “breakthrough” products for the residential construction industry for our annual 101 Best New Products report.

The winners will be featured in the November 2010 issues of Professional Builder and Professional Remodeler magazines, as well as online at HousingZone.com.

To be considered for the report, products must be geared toward the home building and remodeling industries. Product categories include (but are not limited to):

•    Appliances
•    Decking/outdoor living
•    Doors
•    Flooring
•    Home technology
•    HVAC
•    Insulation
•    Kitchen & Bath products
•    Lighting
•    Molding & millwork
•    Paints, caulks & sealants
•    Roofing
•    Siding
•    Software
•    Structural
•    Tools & equipment
•    Walls & ceilings
•    Windows/skylights

Submissions are free, and companies can submit multiple new products. Submissions should include 1) a detailed press release that discusses the key innovations and features of the product, and 2) at least one high-resolution color image of the product (you may submit multiple images). Submissions are due September 7.

You can send your entries to me at jsweet@sgcmail.com.