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T H E E - M A G A Z I N E O F T H E H B R A O F FA I R F I E L D C O U N T Y - J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2

UPCOMING

FEATURES

OSHA10 Axe Throwing Beyond the Blueprint

HBRA Directory Latest Updates

MEMBER BENEFITS mynpp.com NAHB Benefits

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Your Monthly Newsletter Building Connections is a monthly digital magazine produced and published by the Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Fairfield County. Inside you will find the latest association news, legislative updates, upcoming events, and featured articles about the industry.

hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com www.buildfairfieldcounty.com @hbraffc (203) 335-7008

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L ET T ER F RO M TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER

Dear Members, I hope everyone is staying healthy and warm so far this winter. We are so excited for March-we have some great events! First, on March 2 we have our annual Beyond the Blueprint-this time featuring architects. On March 3 and 4th, we have OSHA-10 training. This is filling up fast, so be sure to grab a spot. On March 15, we will be hosting an axe throwing networking event. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone in March! Be sure to keep our online membership directory in mind whenever you are looking for a business: www.buildfairfieldcounty.com/directory. Please do not hesitate to contact me if I can do anything for you or your business. kerry@buildfairfieldcounty.com Kind Regards, Kerry Brunn

ELITE 2022 OFFICERS President Kim DiMatteo Cross Insurance

Sr. Vice-President John Hertz Hertz Construction

Vice President Rob Michaud

Michaud Development Group

Secretary Michael Wood

DIAMOND

Wood Builders

Treasurer Steven Roth

Elevator Service Company

Immediate Past President Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders

PWB Chair Emilia Ferri

Emilia Ferri Architecture + Design

2022 DIRECTORS

TITANIUM

Luigi Altamura Altamura Homes

Propane Pete Battaglio Hocon Gas

Max Bender Bender Supply

Karen Bradbury

Closet & Storage Concepts

PLATINUM

Ken DeLeo

Doherty & DeLeo

Brian Kurtz

Interstate Lumber

Peter Sciarretta

Hemingway Construction

Alex Shook

Pella Commercial

Lisa White

Breakwater Renovation & Design

LIFE DIRECTORS Joanne Carroll JMC Resources

Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design

Jerry Effren The Greyrock Companies

Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders

Gary Fanali City Carting

Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty

Peter Fusaro Preferred Builders

Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc.

MEDIA

L ET T ER F RO M TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER

MARCH GMM - "Beyond the Blueprint" Mar. 2, 2022, 6pm-9pm The Water's Edge at Giovanni's, Darien

Join us for the third annual “Beyond the Blueprint” panel presentation, where premier local architects will offer a behind the scenes look of what it takes to produce award-winning homes in Fairfield County.

OSHA10 TRAINING March 3rd & 4th, 8am-2pm both days Ring's End Stratford $35 members*, breakfast & lunch included *Employees of member companies can always attend education at the member rate.

AXE THROWING WITH THE HBRA Mar. 15, 2022, 6pm-8pm Blue Ox Axe Throwing Join the HBRA of Fairfield County for the return of our fun networking event! Try hitting the target, or participate in tournament-style axe throwing games. Beginners will be guided through the process. Corn hole, Jenga, and card games also available, plus food & refreshments!

To register visit the HBRA website at www.buildfairfieldcounty.com or call (203) 335-7008

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2022 MEMBER DIRECTORY

Each year, the HBRA of Fairfield County publishes a Member Directory & Resource guide that is distributed to all current members and is made available throughout the year at events, in member’s showrooms, and by request. Your listing is included with your membership. We ask all members to complete the listing form to ensure the correct information is included and you are listed under the appropriate categories. We also have new advertising opportunities for our members. An ad in the directory is an investment that gives you year-round exposure to fellow members, industry professionals, and consumers. Plus the revenue generated from the ads helps the HBRA expand our services, events, and legislative advocacy opportunities so that we can better serve the members of the HBRA of Fairfield County.

Click here to finish your directory listing for 2022

The deadline to submit is April 30,2022. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at kerry@ buildfairfieldcounty.com or at 203.335.7008.

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JANUARY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 11

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A jobs pipeline: Companies looking for ‘home-grown’ talent meet with Wright Tech students in Stamford In what has been billed a first-of-its-kind event, the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Fairfield County invited J.M. Wright Technical High School seniors to meet with companies interested in hiring them right after graduation. Company representatives and students mingled for more than an hour at the school campus Wednesday, talking shop — literally — with the students studying trades from carpentry to plumbing. “It is very exciting to see the many employment opportunities coming the way of our students,” Wright Tech Principal Justin Lowe said in a press release about the event. “The HBRA is one of many groups we are hoping to build relationships and pipelines to employment for our students today and in the future.” After an introductory meeting in the lecture hall, students were invited to the gym where representatives from several companies were conducting interviews. Read More

JANUARY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 13

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N EW MEMBERS

DR Bank | Eugene E Schreiner

DR Bank is a Connecticut state-chartered and FDIC member bank offering consumer and business products, as well as commercial lending. Established as Darien Rowayton Bank in 2006, then as Laurel Road Bank in 2018, DR Bank maintains branches in Darien and Rowayton, Connecticut.. Read More

First Onsite Property Restoration | Lou Triscari

We are FIRST ONSITE, a leading restoration and property reconstruction company serving North America and beyond. We’re proud to provide the highest-quality remediation, restoration, and reconstruction services for essential industries of every kind: from healthcare and education, to commercial and residential. Read More

Ranney Michaels, LLC | Eric Michaels

Ranney Michaels LLC is based in Fairfield County and has a combined 50+ years of experience in the Design-Build industry. Our team includes expertise in architecture, construction and permitting. Read More

SEED Homes | Elizabeth DiSalvo

SEED Homes LLC is a new company formed in 2020. It is the Design Build branch of Trillium Architects LLC and its mission is to offer pre-designed prefab green homes in a predictable, cost efficient and easy way. Read More

Sunrooms of Connecticut | Micaela Morris

Sunrooms of Connecticut is CT’s only full service sunroom, hot tub, swim spa dealer & remodeling company who has been building sunrooms for homeowners & businesses for over 3 decades. Read More

Karras Inc. | Angelo Karras

Karras Inc. offers a diverse range of advisory services designed to deliver Best-inClass results to our clients. Our goal is to bring a fresh and unique approach to the Real Estate Industry, by merging innovative technology, good design and traditional practices into one cohesive strategy for success. Read More

Anderson Corp. | Drew Comeau

For over 115 years, our drive to make windows and doors that are different and better has been at the heart of our company. It has led us to pioneer new products, set higher standards for our entire industry and, ultimately, be America’s premier window manufacturer. Read More

Bivona Developments | Gary Bivona Welcome to Our Newest Affiliates

Fulcrum – Shana M. Italiano Ring’s End – Tyler Moore Hatch & Bailey Company – Chris Lenzen Andersen Corp. - Alan Currie, Anthony Pion, Sandy Quinn Bivona Developments - Matthew Napolitano, Jake Bivona, and Joe Bivona

PRESENTED BY

HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY DAY AT THE CAPITOL WEBINAR Katie Dykes, DEEP Commissioner

NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz

HBID at the Capitol Date: March 1, 2022 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM

Opening remarks by Katie Dykes, Commissioner, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, (DEEP) The State of Housing in Connecticut presented by NAHB Chief Economist Dr. Robert Dietz A moderated discussion with legislative leaders of the Housing and Planning & Development Committee, moderated by HBRA of CT President, Eric A. Santini, Jr. Registration is free with RSVP. Sponsor opportunities available!

CLICK HERE TO RSVP & SEE THE LATEST SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION

QUESTIONS?

Email Michele at mquadrato@hbact.org

H BRA MEMBERSH IP

The Ash Creek House Homeowners in the U.S can build and improve their homes to be more resilient to increasing climate extremes. We aim to educate homeowners with relevant climate risks and solutions to reduce potential damage to homes and save lives. In this series of blogs, we share stories of climate-resilient homes. Not only homes that were designed to be resilient, but homes that proved their resilience. Architect Leigh Overland lives with his wife in the Ash Creek House he designed. Overland and his wife aimed for low maintenance and a carefree house to be able to eventually retire in. They didn’t want to worry about potential climate extremes such as storms and wildfires or high insurance rates. They desired a safe and comfortable house. Since they moved in, six months ago, they experienced winds of up to 50 mph and fluctuating outdoor temperatures which did not affect the indoor comfortable ambiance. They continue to be impressed by the indoor warmth, and the mid-winter silence despite the strong winds, even when standing close to the windows. They enjoy a soothing and safe feeling. Overland even calls it “magical”. Read More

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JANUARY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 19

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N AH B N EWS

What’s Driving Outdoor Living Trends? Outdoor living has been propelled to the top of home owner wish lists and, subsequently, has become a top priority for architects and design professionals focused on residential design. Connection to the outdoors/nature and outdoor entertaining both ranked high on the top 10 list of design drivers in “The Future of Home Design,” a recent survey conducted by the New Home Trends Institute (NHTI) in collaboration with Pro Builder. More than 300 residential architects, designers and design-minded builders across the country responded to the survey with their opinions, experiences, and predictions about trends in new-home design, including styles, materials and more. The results offer insight into trends we can expect to see in home design during the next three to five years. Of those surveyed, 58% said connection to the outdoors/nature will be an important influence on their design choices in the coming years, while 45% said outdoor entertaining will also receive increased attention. Following value and cost considerations, connection to the outdoors and nature was predicted to be the largest driver of home design choices over the next three years.

22 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2022

Lumber and Paint Lead Building Materials Price Increases in January The prices of goods used in residential construction ex-energy climbed 3.6% in January (not seasonally adjusted), according to the latest Producer Price Index (PPI) report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The index was led higher by a 25.4% jump in softwood lumber prices, and 9% price increases for indoor and outdoor paint. Building materials prices increased 20.3% year over year and have risen 28.7% since January 2020. Over the past four months, the index has climbed 8.4%.

JANUARY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 23

N AH B N EWS

Supply Chain Issues Continue to Slow Housing With builders continuing to report supply chain problems that are causing construction delays, overall housing starts decreased 4.1% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.64 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. However, in a sign of strong demand, building permits increased at a solid pace in January. The January reading of 1.64 million starts is the number of housing units builders would begin if development kept this pace for the next 12 months. Within this overall number, single-family starts decreased 5.6% to a 1.12 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, decreased 0.8% to an annualized 522,000 pace. “The market needs more housing, but chronic production bottlenecks, including ongoing price increases for lumber and OSB, continue to raise housing costs and harm housing affordability,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter. “In fact, the number of single-family homes under construction continues to rise as construction cycle times increase due to delivery delays with building materials.” “While single-family starts dropped in January, the rise in permits, along with solid builder sentiment as measured in recent monthly surveys, suggest a positive start to the year given the recent rise in mortgage rates,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “The average 30-year mortgage rate increased from 3.1% to a 3.45% from December to January. Fueled by higher mortgage rates and construction costs, declining housing affordability will continue to affect the home building market in 2022.” On a regional basis compared to the previous month, combined single-family and multifamily starts are 2.6% higher in the Northeast, 37.7% lower in the Midwest, 2.0% lower in the South and 17.7% higher in the West. Overall permits increased 0.7% to a 1.90 million unit annualized rate in January. Single-family permits increased 6.8% to a 1.21 million unit rate. Multifamily permits decreased 8.3% to an annualized 694,000 pace.

NAHB Announces Support for SkillsUSA Carpentry Students NAHB this year will sponsor SkillsUSA’s mission and scholarships for the national carpentry winners of the SkillsUSA Championships during its National Leadership and Skills Conference. SkillsUSA is a national education nonprofit focused on workforce development. “NAHB is stepping up to support America’s construction future workforce,” said SkillsUSA Executive Director Chelle Travis. “We are rolling up our sleeves every day to serve career and technical education and forge meaningful partnerships between education and industry that result in a better-trained workforce and, ultimately, a shrinking skills gap. We are so appreciative of NAHB’s support for our carpentry students.” The annual SkillsUSA Championships, held this year in Atlanta, June 20-24, recognize the achievements of career and technical education students. The competition is designed to help encourage students to strive for excellence and pride in their chosen occupations. Participants prove their expertise in job skills for occupations such as carpentry, electronics, technical drafting, precision machining, medical assisting and culinary arts.

24 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2022

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N AH B N EWS

Builder Confidence Eases on Supply-Side Constraints Despite strong buyer demand, builder sentiment continued to slip in February as the industry grapples with ongoing building material production bottlenecks that are raising construction costs and delaying projects. Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes moved one point lower to 82 in February, marking the second straight month that confidence levels have declined by a single point, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released today. Despite these monthly declines, the HMI has posted very solid readings at or above the 80-point mark for the past five months. “Production disruptions are so severe that many builders are waiting months to receive cabinets, garage doors, countertops and appliances,” said NAHB Chairman Jerry Konter. “ Read More

26 HBRA of Fairfield County | JANUARY 2022

Nearly 7 out of 10 Households Can’t Afford a New Median-Priced Home Rising home prices and interest rates are taking a terrible toll on housing affordability, with 87.5 million households — or roughly 69% of all U.S. households — unable to afford a new median priced home. In other words, seven out of 10 households lack the income to qualify for a mortgage under standard underwriting criteria. Read More

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Have a sales question? Email Ed at ed.schultek@sandler.com.

JANUARY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 31

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