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 U LY 2 0 2 2
UPCOMING
FEATURES
Golf Outing and Sponsorship Opportunities
NAHB News Latest Updates
MEMBER BENEFITS mynpp.com NAHB Benefits
Exclusive Offer for Ring’s End Pro Customers Ring’s End has teamed up with BuildBook to help our home builders and remodelers run better projects and grow their business. BuildBook makes it simple to keep all of your project tasks, schedules, budgets, selections and conversations in one place.
Dashboard
Leads
Projects
Portfolio
Contacts
Collections
BUDGET
SELECTIONS
que bell stio ncircl e
plus New Selection
← All Projects
123 Main Street
Kitchen
James Johnson • New Construction • 123 Main St, Junction City, MO HOME
filter Filter
CHAT
plus Add New
dot- Today circl e
Event
Living Room
FEB 2021
LOGS
SCHEDULE
exp Month View and -alt
MAR 2021
FILES
Project
bell
Task CLIENTplus Add sear
s
ch 123 Main St. che vron plus Add Task -left arro Shrink
APR 2021
MAY 2021
JUN 2021
JUL 2021
All Tasks
wsh
2021
OC 10 – OCT 16
Backfill dirt around foundation AUG 2021 SEP 2021 6
cale Mar 20 nda Frame floor r
Feb 14 env Initial Deposit elop e- Pre-Construction Feb 14 - Mar 14 flagope alt nMar 15 clip Site Inspection doll boa ar rd- Site Prep Mar 14 Mar 31 flagche alt ck Apr 8 Cabinets han Living Room Trim d- Living Room Carpet poin Structure & Framing Mar 31 - Jun 10 flagtalt right Jun 12 clip Framing Inspection
boa rdflag- Rough In che alt ck clip Insulation Inspection boa rdche ck
Master Bath
TASKS
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
systems
cale Apr 12 nda Order bathroom r cale Apr 25 nda Get updated r
exhaust vent
pricing from Pella Windows rep
cale May 1 nda r
Complete Update blueprints Rich Parsons completed this on Oct 15
Buy replacement sprinkler valve
Jun 12 - Jul 23
Audrey Williams completed this on Sep 21 Jul 23
hom e
Overview
com Chat men t
Master Bedroom
clip Tasks boa rdche ck
boo Logs k
ellip More sish
✔ As simple as social media to use Master Bedroom Paint
✔ More powerful than docs and
spreadsheets to manage your projects
✔ Less chaotic than email and texting to
communicate with your team and clients
✔ No training required — be up and
running in minutes
"BuildBook has a small company feel, they are there to help their customers, customer service is the best I have experienced." — Cody Jones, C.K. Jones Developers
EXCLUSIVE OFFER
Ring’s End customers get BuildBook at a discounted rate Scan the code with your phone or visit www.buildbook.co/ringsend
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.
Contact Us:
hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com www.buildfairfieldcounty.com @hbraffc (203) 335-7008
Innovative Options and Designs to Complement Your Home Pella’s Impervia® windows and doors provide unmatched strength, energy efficiency and lasting durability with proven performance. There’s never a need for painting or refinishing because with our powder-coat finish, our windows and doors resist chipping, chalking and fading. Rot and corrosion-free to naturally resist water and bugs.
Complement your home with Pella’s proprietary, low maintenance fiberglass that offers a sleek and timeless style. Our windows and patio doors have been tested to withstand some of the harshest conditions, including extreme heat and sub-zero cold, damaging UV rays and seacoast environments.
Pella. Perfectly Beautiful.
For more information, please contact Sabina Mortillaro 631-219-9258 or smortillaro@pellactny.com
.
L ET T ER F RO M TH E EXECUTIVE OF FICER
Hello All, Thank you all who attended our June 1st Annual Meeting. At this meeting we welcomed our new 2022-2023 Board-I know this is an extremely strong board and I look forward to working with them. John Hertz is our new president and he brings many years of experience and leadership and I know he will lead this organization to greatnes. I would also like to thank Kim Dimatteo for her past 2 years of service as board president. She has put in many years of service to our organization and has accomplished great things as presidentincluding initiating workforce development talks and starting a 501C3. As a reminder, if you know someone who would benefit from becoming a member-we are currently running a special for new members-Join now and come to your first 3 meetings for free! 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 I hope you all enjoy your summer and we look forward to seeing you in September! Kind Regards, Kerry Brunn
175 POST ROAD WEST, WESTPORT, CT 06880
203.454.0032
KARENBERKEMEYERHOME.COM
Summer Happy Hour at Evarito’s Thursday, August 11th, 5pm-7pm
Join your fellow members and the HBRA of Fairfield County for happy hour networking at the rooftop bar at Evarito’s Mexican Kitchen in Norwalk. Enjoy drinks and apps and catch up with your fellow HBRA members to celebrate the summer! Early Bird Pricing: HBRA Members: $35 | General Admission: $40 Week of Event Price Increase: HBRA Members: $40 | General Admission: $45
Click here to register
Includes 1 drink ticket and assorted appetizers.
Sponsorships Available! Drink Ticket or Appetizer Sponsors: $750 each Sponsor the first drink or apps that attendees will enjoy while catching up and enjoying the views! Both Sponsorships Include: - Large signage at the event - Logo on event page and registration emails - 1 ticket to the event - Tagged in social media post
ELITE 2022 OFFICERS
Immediate Past President Kim DiMatteo Cross Insurance President: John Hertz Hertz Construction Senior VP: Rob Michaud Michaud Group VP: Brian Kurtz Interstate Lumber
DIAMOND
Treasurer: Steven Roth Elevator Service Secretary: Karen Bradbury Closet & Storage Concepts
2022 DIRECTORS
TITANIUM
Alex Shook Pella Windows
Bonnie Paige
Bonnie Paige Interiors
Chris Shea
Domus Constructors LLC
George Pusser
PLATINUM
Cornerstone Contracting
Lisa White
Breakwater Development
Peter Sciaretta
Hemingrway Construction
Stephen Gidley
Stephen C. Gidley Inc.
LIFE DIRECTORS Joanne Carroll JMC Resources
Peter Gaboriault Bear Paw Builders
Jerry Effren The Greyrock Companies
Terrence Beaty William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty
Gary Fanali City Carting Peter Fusaro Preferred Builders Michael Palumbo ERI Building & Design
Chris Steiner Steiner, Inc. Anthony DeRosa DeRosa Builders
MEDIA
HBRA GOLF CLASSIC September 19, 2022 Tashua Knolls Golf Course
40 Tashua Knolls Lane Trumbull CT 06611
Two Tournaments:
Sponsorship Opportunities Raw Bar Station: Market Price Dinner Sponsor: $2,000 Logo GolfTowel: $1,750 Soft Cooler: $1,500 Sunglasses Sponsor: $1,000 Ice Cream Cart: $750 Beer Koozies: $750 Hot Chocolate Station: $750 Closest to the Line: $500 Golf Ball Marker: $400 GolfTees: $400 Closest to the Pin (9-Hole): $300 Closest to the Line (9-Hole): $300 Tee Sponsor (18-Hole): $250 Tee Sponsor (9-Hole): $150 Pin Sponsor ( Add On): $100 Caddy Shack Station: $1,750
Early Bird Pricing - Register by Aug 19th
Premier Caddy Shack Stations (ONE remaining): $2,250 The stations will allow companies to set up their logo tent on the course in strategic locations and have employees stationed throughout the day. The HBRA will supply each station with ample beverages & food for the golfers. The Station sponsor also becomes the Tee Sponsor for their assigned hole, with pin flag and large logo sign, and receives 2 ticket to dinner. The Premier Caddy Shack stations get prime location at Holes #1 and #10 with the best visibility on the course, tee sponsor and pin flag.
18 - $225 each - $900 foursome 9 - $125 each - $500 foursome
The stations will be on the maps in each golfer's cart with the company name. Only 6 stations will be allowed on the course every 3 holes.
18-Hole - 11:00 AM Shotgun Start 9-Hole - 2:00 PM Shotgun Start Dinner - 4:30 - 6:30 PM
Golfer Registration after Aug 19th 18 - $250 each - $1,000 foursome 9 - $150 each - $600 foursome Dinner Only Registrations $60 per person
CLICK HERE to Register.
'"'Two businesses can share a station at one hole for $875 each.
CLICK HERE to Sponsor. We are also seeking raffle prize donations and volunteers! Email hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com or call 203-335-7008 to sign up for either.
For any questions on sponsorship specifics and details: Please call or email the office at 203-335-7008 or email hbra@buildfairfieldcounty.com. Please register by August 26, 2022
AUTHENTIC TO YOUR DREAM Andersen® A-Series windows and doors are based on the style of home you want. Whether it’s a stately Queen Anne, a bold Modernist design or anything in between, you can now create it with the best-performing, most energy-efficient products Andersen has ever offered. Don’t just imagine your dream home, build it with Andersen.
LO V E T H E L I F E YO U S E E. Learn more at andersenwindows.com “Andersen” and all other marks where denoted are trademarks of Andersen Corporation. ©2022 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved. DMS 01/22
Andersen is proud to support the Home Builders and Remodelers Assn. of Fairfield County and its members.
JULY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 11
Take Your Yard to the Next Level
Do your shopping from the comfort of your home and pick up your items curbside when it’s convenient for you at 21 Grove Street, New Canaan.
Avoid the line &
SHOP ONLINE
NEW MEMBERS
Lecla Home Improvements and Roofing Inc | Luis Clavijo
At Lecla Home Improvements & Roofing, Inc., we specialize in repair and installation of roofs, sidings, windows, and gutters for residential and commercial properties. Our business has been serving Connecticut and New York communities since 2003. . Read More
G & R Fabrication, LLC | Natalie Amsler
G&R Fabrication LLC can help you develop the perfect design using top-grade granite, stone or marble. Get help choosing stone that goes best with your existing décor - be it on your kitchen counters, bathroom vanity, or a decorative element in the house. We take the time to get your project exactly right, dedicating the same team to the entire process.Read More
RNL Development and Construction Corporation | Robert Lees
We specialize in single and multifamily home projects including new construction, additions, and renovations. Whether the project is as simple as painting or as complicated as building a new home we can do it. Let the 20 years of RNL’s experience in construction make your new project one of the best decisions you have ever made. Read More
ME MB E R S P OT LI GH T Will Contento is the Connecticut and Rhode Island Regional Sales Manager for Huber Engineered Woods, the makers of the Advantech, Zip system, and Exacor product lines. Will is responsible for overseeing all of Huber’s channel partners in CT and Rhode Island along with directly working with key decision makers in the architect and builder customer segments to drive the Huber specification. He will be celebrating his seven-year anniversary with Huber in July 2022. Since joining the company, Will has held three different positions: Field Sales Representative for all of New England, Territory Sales Representative for Connecticut, and his current position as a Regional Sales Manager of Connecticut and Rhode Island. Will specializes in building envelope performance, integrated solutions that provide protection against moisture penetration, air leakage, and thermal bridging, and lastly installation benefits and on-site quality control issues in the construction field. Huber Engineered Woods Regional Sales Manager – CT & RI 781-910-1763 William.contento@huber.com
COUNTY HAS ALL YOUR APPLIANCE & SMART HOME NEEDS SALES | SERVICE | INSTALLATION | CONCIERGE SUPPORT | BUILDER PROGRAMS
BEST SERVICE at the Guaranteed
BEST PRICE IN STORE AND ONLINE
countytv
COUNTYTV.COM
@countytvandappliancect
2770 Summer St, Stamford, CT 06905
info@countytv.com
203-327-2630
AJ ALBUQUERQUE Mortgage Banker | NMLS# 2244513 c: 203.510.0513 f: 203.882.6458 AAlbuquerque@TotalMortgage.com
67 FEDERAL ROAD BUILDING A, SUITE 203 | BROOKFIELD, CT 06804 NMLS#1456002 | TOTALMORTGAGE.COM | TOTALMORTGAGE.COM/BANKERS/APPROVEDBYAJ.COM *TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY, CONTACT FOR DETAILS. COPYRIGHT ©2022 TOTAL MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC., 185 PLAINS ROAD, 3RD FLOOR, MILFORD, CT 06461. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TOTAL MORTGAGE SERVICES IS AN EQUAL HOUSING LENDER. TOTAL MORTGAGE SERVICES, LLC - NMLS# 2764. LICENSING: AZ MORTGAGE BANKER LICENSE, LICENSE NO. 0924361, AL, AR, CA FINANCE LENDERS LICENSE, LICENSE NO. 6038205, CA RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LENDING LICENSE, LICENSE NO. 6038205, LICENSED BY THE DBO UNDER THE CA RMLA, CO REGULATED BY THE DIVISION OF REAL ESTATE, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IA, IL RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LICENSEE, IN, KS LICENSED MORTGAGE COMPANY, LICENSE NO. 0025126, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA MORTGAGE BROKER LICENSE, LICENSE NO. MC3712, MA MORTGAGE LENDER LICENSE, LICENSE NO. MC2764, MI, MS, LICENSED BY THE MS DEPARTMENT OF BANKING AND CONSUMER FINANCE, MT, ND, NE, NH LICENSED BY THE NH BANKING DEPARTMENT, NJ, NM, NY LICENSED MORTGAGE BANKER – NYS DEPARTMENT OF FINANCIAL SERVICES, NC, OH, OR LICENSE NO. ML-5246, PA LICENSE NO. 30567, RI LICENSE NO. 20102698LL, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WV, WY.
JULY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 15
N AH B N EWS
Have Building Material Prices Peaked? In just the past year, prices for materials used in residential construction have climbed nearly 20%. But that was also a period of intense demand and insufficient supply — a reliable recipe for skyhigh prices. So with interest rates rising at their fastest pace in decades, housing demand is already beginning to ease. But will that mean material prices are on their way down as well? If the mercurial fall in framing lumber prices in recent months is any indication (currently down 48% compared to one year ago), other materials are also likely to see prices flatten and drop as demand slows. Steel mill products and ready-mix concrete are prime examples: Steel mill products have increased 105.6% since January 2021, but have declined 3.1% thus far in 2022. And prices for ready-mix concrete are up 12% from the start of 2021, but have only increased 3.2% since the beginning of 2022.
Read More
Rising Interest Rates, Higher Construction Costs Slow Housing Production Rising interest rates and ongoing building material supply chain disruptions that raise construction costs continue to act as significant headwinds on the housing market. Overall housing starts fell 14.4% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.55 million units in May from an upwardly revised reading the previous month, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The May reading of 1.55 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 9.2% to a 1.05 million seasonally adjusted annual rate. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos, decreased 23.7% to an annualized 498,000 pace. “Single-family home building is slowing as the impacts of higher interest rates reduce housing affordability,” said Jerry Konter, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and developer from Savannah, Ga. “Moreover, construction costs continue to rise, with residential construction materials up 19% from a year ago. As the market weakens due to cyclical factors, the long-term housing deficit will persist and continue to frustrate prospective renters and home buyers.” Read More
Cyber Security Threats that Small Businesses Should Address The environments in which people work and collaborate are continually evolving. For many, work is no longer tied to one, physical location. For them, it’s about being productive wherever they are — whether that’s on the road, in a home office, at a jobsite or even in a coffee shop. With so much information being shared through myriad devices and across various networks outside of traditional office firewalls, your business’ data becomes increasingly vulnerable. This is especially true when even the most well-intentioned employees deliberately go around security protocols in an effort to remain productive and complete a task. According to surveys conducted by Dell Technologies of workers from a wide variety of companies: 72% of employees are willing to share confidential data externally. 50% of employees use personal cloud apps and email to share confidential data. 41% of employees will work around security safeguards to get work done. Read More
NOW HIRING! INTERNS | PROJECT COORDINATORS | PROJECT MANAGERS (ALL LEVELS)
LEARN MORE & APPLY ON FULCRUMCOMPANY.COM/CAREERS/
Construction Project Management for Owners, Developers, Lenders and Investors Entitlements Master Planning Cost Estimating Scheduling Contractor Evaluation
Construction Management Draw Preparation QA/QC Oversight Project Closeout Page Turn/Peer Review CONTACT US
fulcrumcompany.com
(877) 664-9642
Helping you lead a better life. 401 Westport Avenue, Norwalk, CT l 203 847 2471 l Aitoro.com
trust the experts AMAZING SHOWROOMS | INSIGHTFUL ADVICE
BROOKFIELD
|
FAIRFIELD
NEW LONDON
|
|
STAMFORD
Try our Visualizer 20 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
MANCHESTER |
|
NEW HAVEN
WEST HARTFORD
@TileAmerica.com
APRIL 2021 HBRA of Fairfield County 20
N AH B N EWS
House Hearings on Housing Miss the Mark The House Financial Services Committee held two hearings this week focusing on different aspects of the housing affordability crisis that largely failed to address the central problem: The lack of housing units is the primary cause of growing housing affordability challenges. Any policy that seeks to improve affordability without adding single-family or multifamily for-sale or for-rent housing is doomed to fail. On Tuesday, the Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations examined whether institutional investors who buy single-family homes in working-class neighborhoods are driving up rental costs or responding to market demand. A day later the full committee focused on the long-term impacts of the hot housing market and the huge gaps between White homeownership rates and minority homeownership rates.
Read More
How the Supreme Court Decision to Rein in EPA Authority Could Affect Builders The Supreme Court last week issued a decision that is generally positive toward NAHB’s interests when it voted 6-3 to restrict the ability of the Environmental Protection Agency to regulate carbon emissions. In the case of West Virginia et al v. EPA et al, the high court ruled that the EPA exceeded the authority of the Clean Air Act when it promulgated the Clean Power Plan (CPP) during the Obama administration Read More
Reflects their personality. Exquisitely. Our Crosswater London collection combines inspired design and meticulous craftsmanship to create a bath space that will take your client’s breath away. From vanities and tubs to faucets, they’ll find a total bath solution that’s distinctively striking. Join the many builders and remodelers who send their clients to Bender to create their next masterpiece. Experience the entire curated collection at a Bender Showroom near you.
bendershowrooms.com decorative plumbing | kitchen & bath cabinetry | tile & stone Hartford | New Haven | Norwalk | Waterbury © 2021 Bender Plumbing
JULY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 21
N AH B N EWS
Solid Job Gains in June Despite interest rate hikes, job growth remained solid in June. Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 372,000, following a gain of 384,000 in May, and the unemployment rate remained at 3.6% in June.
NAHB Awards Program Now Accepting Applications
Construction industry employment (both residential and nonresidential) totaled 7.7 million and has exceeded its February 2020 level. In June, residential construction lost 4,100 jobs, and non-residential construction added 16,500 jobs. Residential construction employment currently exceeds its level in February 2020, while 79% of non-residential construction jobs lost in March and April have now been recovered.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has announced that its awards program is now open. The NAHB Awards Program highlights the best and brightest in the residential construction industry in a variety of categories.
In the first half of 2022, more than 2.7 million jobs were created, and monthly employment growth averaged 457,000 per month. As of June 2022, total nonfarm employment is 524,000 lower than its pre-pandemic level in February 2020, almost fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read More
Read More
22 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
N AH B N EWS
Housing Begins to Slow as Financial Conditions Tighten Rising inflation and higher mortgage rates are slowing traffic of prospective home buyers and putting a damper on builder sentiment. In June, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market (HMI) fell two more points to a level of 67 — the lowest HMI reading since June 2020. Six consecutive monthly declines for the HMI is a clear sign of a slowing housing market amidst a high-inflation, slowgrowth economic environment. As inflation is running at a 40-year high, economic policy needs to focus on improving the supply side of the economy by bringing down material, energy and transportation costs. Largely because of these supply-chain challenges, single-family starts decreased 9.2% in May to an annual rate of 1.55 million. Single-family permits decreased as well, dropping 5.5% and bringing the annual rate down to 1.05 million — its lowest pace since July 2020. Further declines are expected in the months ahead, which itself is a recession warning for the coming quarters.
Read More
Completion Time of Multifamily Projects Keeps Getting Longer Time is money for most businesses, and that is especially true in residential construction. In addition to the rising costs of materials and labor in recent years, the amount of time it takes to complete a multifamily project has also continued to rise. According to the 2021 Survey of Construction from the Census Bureau, the average length of time to complete construction of a multifamily building — after obtaining authorization — has now risen to 17.5 months.
Read More
JULY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 23
24 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
26 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
JULYEd 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 27 Have a sales question? Email at ed.schultek@sandler.com.
WHEN YOU’RE BUILDING TO THE
CODE
IT’S A DIFFERENT WORLD ENTIRELY. We make the right products to do the right job, the right way, the first time. No matter what the region or climate, you can count on ZIP System® building enclosures to streamline the performance of your air, water and thermal barriers for structural assemblies. Is your project Built to the ZIP Code™? See why others have made the switch at ZIPSystem.com. #BuiltToTheZIPCode
FIRST-TIME USER REBATES AVAILABLE • • • 1
1
Up to $1,750 for AdvanTech® panels Up to $2,750 for ZIP System® panels Up to $800 in accessories
Restrictions and limitations apply. Visit HuberWood.com/Rebates for more information. © 2021 Huber Engineered Woods LLC. ZIP System and the ZIP System logo are registered trademarks of Huber Engineered Woods LLC. Huber is a trademark of J.M. Huber Corporation. HUB 24243-1 06/21.
28 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
Will Contento Huber Engineered Woods 781.910.1763 william.contento@huber.com
Want to lower your retirement plan cost?
John V. DiMatteo CPFA 203-924-5408 | jdimatteo@dimatteofinancial.com
30 HBRA of Fairfield County | JULY 2022
JULY 2022 | HBRA of Fairfield County 31