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The official magazine of Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee
President Eli Routh
Vice President
Danny Clawson
Secretary/Treasurer
Sam Gray
Executive Vice President John Sheley
Editor and Designer Jim Argo
Staff
Connie Nicley
Kim Grayson
THE NAIL is published monthly by the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee, a non-profit trade association dedicated to promoting the American dream of homeownership to all residents of Middle Tennessee.
SUBMISSIONS: THE NAIL welcomes manuscripts and photos related to the Middle Tennessee housing industry for publication. Editor reserves the right to edit due to content and space limitations.
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to: HBAMT, 9007 Overlook Boulevard, Brentwood, TN 37027. Phone: (615) 377-1055.

The association's 2026 Showcase House project is now underway. Contribute now to help us raise funds to promote the local housing industry.
12
Golf Tournament set for August 13th, register now!
Register now to play in the James Hardie Building Products Golf Tournament this August! Secure your afternoon round spot or sponsorship (page fourteen) today.
Nationwide single-family permits have slowed in the first quarter of 2026, with the sharpest declines occurring in metro counties
Register now to participate in the Clay Shoot Tournament this September! Team and player registrations are now being accepted and sponsorships are available (page eighteen).

Elevated mortgage rates, rising inflation and economic uncertainty kept many buyers out of the market in May as consumers and builders continue to deal with challenging affordability conditions.
Sales of newly built single-family homes fell 7.3% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 580,000, according to newly released data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau. The pace of new home sales is down 6.8% from a year earlier.
“The decline in builder sentiment is consistent with our latest builder surveys,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio. “Many potential buyers remain on the sidelines as elevated mortgage rates, higher construction costs and limited purchasing power continue to reduce the pool of qualified buyers.”
“While builders are employing incentives and pricing adjustments to support sales activity, many households remain priced out of the market,” said Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington, NAHB’s assistant vice president for forecasting and analysis. “A sustained reduc-
tion in financing costs would help improve housing affordability and strengthen housing demand. The trajectory of mortgage rates and improvements in housing affordability will be key factors determining whether demand stabilizes in upcoming months.”
A new home sale occurs when a sales contract is signed, or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or completed. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the May reading of 580,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months.
New single-family home inventory in May was 496,000 units, down 1.4% compared to a year ago. This represents an elevated 10.3 months’ supply at the current building pace. The inventory of completed, ready-to-occupy homes inventory was 115,000 homes in May, the same level as a year ago.
The median new home sale price was $424,900, up 2.0% from April and virtually unchanged from a year ago.
Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are up 1.9% in the Northeast and 4.2% in the Midwest. New home sales are down 8.2% in the South and 11.4% in the West n

Housing starts fell sharply in May, driven by a steep drop in multifamily construction, while single-family building also slipped amid high interest rates, rising construction costs and persistent labor shortages.
Overall housing starts decreased 15.4% in May to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.18 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
The May reading of 1.18 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 1.9% to an 882,000 seasonally adjusted annual rate and are down 6.7% compared to May 2025. The multifamily sector, which includes apartment buildings and condos,
decreased 40.2% to an annualized 295,000 pace and are down 14.2% compared to May 2025.
“The decline in housing starts aligns with NAHB’s latest builder survey, which showed builder sentiment weakening further in June,” said Bill Owens, chairman of the NAHB. “Elevated mortgage rates, affordability challenges and cautious buyers continue to weigh on demand for new homes. Builders are offering incentives and cutting prices, but difficult market conditions are still limiting sustained momentum for new construction.”
“Year-to-date declines in single-family housing starts and permits underscore the continued challenges in the housing market,” said Jing Fu, NAHB’s senior director of forecasting and analysis. “While the Midwest has shown some resilience, lower permit activity indicates builders
Builder sentiment remains subdued as rising material costs, elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to strain the housing market.
Builder confidence in the market for newly built single-family homes fell two points to 35 in June, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released recently. This is the 14th straight month that sentiment has remained below 40, a streak not seen since 2011-2012 during the foreclosure crisis.
“With the nation short about 1.2 million homes, builder sentiment will remain soft until barriers are eased and conditions improve for home building,” said NAHB Chairman Bill Owens. “Congress can help by passing the major housing package now before the Senate, along with the CONSTRUCTS Act to address the construction labor shortage and the Energy Choice Act to prevent state and local bans on natural gas in new homes.”
“Costly and inefficient regulatory policy is clearly impeding the ability of builders
to increase the housing supply,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “According to a new NAHB study, government regulation, taxes, fees and other costs add more than 26% to the price of an average single-family home.
Easing permitting bottlenecks, density limits and inefficient zoning rules would help reduce costs and support the housing growth the nation needs.”
The latest HMI survey also revealed that 35% of builders cut prices in June, up from 32% in May. The average price reduction

remain cautious about future construction amid economic uncertainty and affordability pressures.”
On a regional and year-to-date basis, combined single-family and multifamily starts were 17.5% higher in the Northeast, 4.1% lower in the Midwest, 1.6% lower in the South and 4.9% lower in the West.
Overall permits decreased 0.7% to a 1.41-million-unit annualized rate in May. Single-family permits increased 0.6% to an 886,000-unit rate and are down 1.8% compared to May 2025. Multifamily permits decreased 2.8% to an annualized 527,000 pace and are up 2.5% compared to May 2025.
Looking at regional permit data on a yearto-date basis, permits were 10% higher in the Northeast, 2.4% higher in the Midwest, 6.7% lower in the South and 0.1% higher in the West.
The number of single-family homes under construction is at 587,000 units—5.9% lower than a year ago. n
was 6% in June, the same rate as the previous month. The use of sales incentives was 62% in June, up slightly from 61% in May, and marking the 15th consecutive month this share has reached 60% or higher.
Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for more than 40 years, the NAHB/Wells Fargo HMI gauges builder perceptions of current single-family home sales and sales expectations for the next six months as “good,” “fair” or “poor.”
The survey also asks builders to rate traffic of prospective buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or “low to very low.” Scores for each component are then used to calculate a seasonally adjusted index where any number over 50 indicates that more builders view conditions as good than poor.
The HMI index gauging current sales conditions fell two points to 38 in June, the index measuring future sales held steady at 45 and the index charting traffic of prospective buyers remained unchanged at 25.
Looking at the three-month moving averages for regional HMI scores, the Northeast rose two points to 44, the Midwest held constant at 43, the South fell two points to 33 and the West dropped one point to 27 n


sponsored by members of the HBAMT
Help us raise funds to promote the Home Building Industry by donating needed materials and labor for the construction of the HBAMT Showcase House at the Preserve at June Lake!
THE 2026 SHOWCASE HOUSE at the Preserve at June Lake in Spring Hill is an effort to generate funds to help promote the local Home Building Industry and defend its builders against unjust legislative activity. The project will require the
SEE INSIDE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF MATERIALS AND LABOR NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT. To donate materials, or for specific details regarding materials please contactJim at jargo@hbamt.org or 615-498-6671 Calling all Members!
materials and labor needed for the construction of a new, custom designed home. You can help with the Showcase House project by donating needed materials and labor. See inside for a list of those items that are in need of your contributions.
Material and labor donations now being accepted!


Donate materials and/or labor today to the HBAMT Showcase House at the Preserve at June Lake! A complete list of needed materials/jobs is listed below.
To donate materials, or for details regarding materials, contact - Jim at jargo@hbamt.org or 615-498-6671.
Interior/Exterior Design
Spring Hill, TN
Showcase House: Lot to be determined
Directions From Nashville, TN: Take I-65 South toward Huntsville to exit 55. Take Buckner Road to the right and urn left onto Buckner Lane. Community will be on your right.
Design Boards/selections
Concrete Footings, Garage & Porches, Sidewalks
Foundation Walls - Block
Gravel
Driveways, porches, walks
Framing - lumber package
Cornice/Siding
Roofing - 30yr Shingle
Roofing labor
Exterior Window & Doors
Concrete block
Construction drive, garage & porch slabs, driveways, sidewalks, and crawl space
Broom finish
Stick frame w/ floor and roof truss. 2x6 Exterior walls
Maintenance-free composite wood soffit & fascia
* GAF Timberline or similar w/ standing seam metal
Labor w/ NAHB standard warranty
"Windows - Fiberglass or Aluminum Clad/Wood (must be approved by ARC) Casement
Doors - Wood or Clad Front Doors, Fiberglass pedestrian doors"
Mirrors Plate glass mirrors w/ applied bevel in all baths (96” height from floor)
Shower Doors
Bath Hardware
Door Hardware
Garage Doors
Masonry Brick
Masonry Brick Labor
Plumbing
Frameless
Kohler Purist or similar towel bars, rings, paper holders throughout
Schlage Transitional or similar
Insulated - Steel or simulated wood (ARC approval needed) w/ chain drive motor (wifi capable)
Queen size brick (minimum brick to grade) quantity based on design approved by ARC
Labor w/ NAHB standard warranty (to include brick/masonry cleaning)
*Kohler Purest or similar fixtures colors will
Plumbing Continued "depend on design selections 1 kitchen faucet
1 laundry faucet
1/3 HP disposal
Water connection for refrigerator
2 lav sinks w/ widespread faucets
3 lav sinks w/ center set faucets
1 Pedestal Sink (possible freestanding vanity depending on design in ½ bath)
1 freestanding oversized tub in Master bath w/ tub filler (location and type dependent on design)
2 enameled steel tubs w/ tub-shower combos 4 elongated toilets
3 hose bibs
Water & Sewer install"
Plumbing Misc. Fixtures
Tankless Natural gas water heater 10 GPM for indoor installation
Electrical "Rocker style light switches throughout.
Wiring for 1 front and 2 rear exterior light fixtures (front fixture to be gas lantern with electrical start) 6 ceiling fan locations including back patio
60 recessed cans Electrical service install"
Electrical Lighting/Accessories
Insulation
HVAC
Fireplace face & hearth
Fireplace
Handrails
Sheetrock
Porch Ceiling and columns
Shutters
Trim Carpentry Millwork
Interior/Exterior Paint
Tile
Hardwood flooring
Carpet
Cabinets
Per selections
Sprayfoam Per code
"Gas heat/electric air
1 gas fireplace (two possible plan depending) Gas water heater
Gas cooktop
Possible added gas line at patio"
Selections/style to follow: Stucco surround and hearth
Depending on location - Ventless where direct-vent not possible
Black Iron Rail where required
Square corner bead
"Pine tongue & groove porch ceilings
Columns are dependent on ARC approval (paint grade composite or stain grade cedar)"
Must be "operable” w/ hinges and shutter dogs type of shutter per ARC approval
"*styles and type dependent on design Solid or semi-solid core doors throughout 7-¼ “ baseboard
3-½ “ casing at windows, cased openings, & doors White oak stair treads, railing, and mud bench Decorative/Accent walls or ceiling
treatments TBD
All closets & built-ins to be site built MDF material"
Per Design
ALL Bath floors, shower walls & floors, tub surrounds, laundry floor, and kitchen & bar backsplash
⅜” x 5” engineered hardwood (sliced face)
Locations and style TBD w/ 6lb pad
"Kitchen/Bar/Pantry - shaker style, wood construction, simulated or full overlay to ceiling w/ crown, hidden pantry access, soft close throughout, coordinating island with cabinets under bar top for added width and storage
Baths etc - shaker style wood construction, w/ soft close throughout"
Countertops Quartz throughout (4” splash throughout less kitchen)
Gutters/Downspouts
Appliances
Irrigation/Lighting
Landscaping
Sod/Hardscape
Yard Fence
Misc Labor & Construction Clean Up
6” half-round precolored aluminum
Frigidaire pro series or equivalent: gas range or cooktop (depending on design), microwave, dishwasher, hoodliner, dbl oven if cooktop is used, refrigerator
Full yard irrigation w/ front yard lighting (partial side yard if corner lot)
Per ARC approved landscape plan
Full yard, Some hardscape may be required depending on lot conditions
ARC Approved Design
Site clean up throughout construction, rough clean, window clean, final clean, re-cleans as needed
Sod Full yard
Yard Fencing (if applicable)
Misc Labor & Building Clean Up
To
5' black aluminum fencing
Brick, rough, finish, & window cleaning

Please return your completed registration form (provided below) to the HBAMT to enter.
BE A MEMBER OF THE HBAMT (all teams must have at least one HBAMT member playing)
x
. Add an additional
if you check the box below to purchase a Mulligan Packet r Check here to add $80 and purchase a Mulligan Packet for each player (each packet includes two (2) mulligans, one (1) extend-a-putt, and one (1) red tee per player on your foursome) Make checks payable to HBAMT; cc payment below* |
Single-family home construction declined across all geographic regions in the first quarter of 2026 due to economic uncertainty, high material costs and elevated interest rates, while multifamily construction showed growth in most areas, according to the latest findings from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Building Geography Index (HBGI).
“Markets continue to shift single-family construction activity away from high-density population centers toward more affordable rural areas,” said NAHB Chairman Bill Owens, a home builder and remodeler from Worthington, Ohio.
“Higher material and financing costs are acting as major headwinds to single-family production,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “And while builders continue to offer price cuts and incentives, ongoing affordability challenges are keeping many potential buyers on the sidelines. Meanwhile, multifamily markets have remained broadly resilient, but the same pressures weighing on the single-family sector could soon affect the multifamily market as well.”
Nationwide single-family permits have slowed in the first quarter of 2026, with the sharpest declines occurring in large metro core counties—areas with the highest population densities. Core counties within large metro areas contracted 16.0% year-over-year on a four-quarter moving average basis, while compared to the previous quarter, this market deteriorated further by 3.2 percentage points. More broadly, single-family construction in non-rural areas, which includes counties in both small and large metros, declined 9.2%.
10.8% in small metro outlying areas
7.0% in micro counties
4.5% in non-metro/micro counties
Multifamily Construction Up Across the Nation
Multifamily construction expanded across all markets in the first quarter of 2026, except for outlying counties in large metros and micro counties. These two geographies appear to be normalizing after posting consistent growth throughout 2025.
In terms of multifamily market growth, large metro core counties posted the strongest gain in the first quarter at 20.8%, with activity picking up pace after returning to a positive growth rate in the last quarter of 2025. Multifamily construction in non-rural counties also experienced strong growth of 10.5% while growth in rural counties slowed considerably from 11.4% in the previous quarter to 1.8% in the first three months of this year.
The first quarter HBGI shows the following market shares in multifamily home building:

36.5% in large metro core counties
26.9% in large metro suburban counties
3.1% in large metro outlying counties
23.8% in small metro core counties
5.1% in small metro outlying areas
3.4% in micro counties
1.2% in non-metro/micro countiess. n
Large metro core counties, on average, shed 0.1 percentage points in market share every quarter for the past decade, with the pace of decline accelerating after the pandemic. This geography accounted for 14.7% of single-family permits in the first quarter, down 1.3 percentage points from a year earlier and 4.1 percentage points lower than a decade ago. A similar trend applies in large metro suburban counties where market share lost 3.3 percentage points over the past decade.
In contrast, gains have been distributed evenly across the remaining geographies. Outlying counties in small metros recorded the largest gain of 1.9 percentage points compared to a decade ago and an increase of 0.7 percentage points relative to the first quarter of 2025.
The first quarter HBGI shows the following market shares in single-family home building:
14.7% in large metro core counties
24.3% in large metro suburban counties
9.3% in large metro outlying counties
29.4% in small metro core counties


The 15th Annual HBAMT Golf Tournament is set for Thursday, August 13 at the Towhee Club in Spring Hill. Sign up now to sponsor at one of the following levels!
sponsorship level price/# available benefits selection
TITLE SPONSOR
Lunch Sponsor
Breakfast Sponsor
$12,000 1 available
$7,500 1 available
$3,500 1 available
Platinum
Gold Sponsor
$2,500 9 available
$1,500 5 available
Silver Sponsor
Hospitality Cart
Wrap-up Party Sponsor
$700
$3,000 2 available
$3,000 1 available
l Company name featured as headliner on all materials; w/signage
l Booth at registration, awards wrap-up & course hole
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials
l Eight (8) tickets to breakfast; eight to Lunch; eight to Wrap-up
l Company name featured as Lunch Sponsor on all material
l Booth at check-in and Golf Tournament course hole
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials
l Four (4) tickets to Lunch; four to Wrap-up; two to Breakfast
l Company name featured as Breakfast Sponsor on all material
l Booth at check-in and Golf Tournament course hole
l Your booth will be breakfast ticket pick up point for all golfers
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials
l Two (2) tickets to Breakfast; two to Lunch; two to Wrap-up
l Single hole sponsor for BOTH MORNING & AFTERNOON rounds
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials at hole
l Signage at tournament provided
l Opportunity to hand out information & goodies
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Wrap-up
l Company name featured on all materials
l Booth at wrap-up & course hole
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials at hole
l Signage at tournament provided
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to wrap-up
l Hole sponsor for both morning & afternoon rounds
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials at hole
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to wrap-up
l Hospitality cart with your name on it
l Ride cart handing out beverages & goodies both rounds
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to wrap-up
l Company name featured as Wrap-up Sponsor on all material
l Booth at check-in and Golf Tournament course hole
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials
l Two (2) tickets to Wrap-up; two to Lunch
Indicate which of the sponsorship levels shown above you selected and return the completed form below to the HBAMT to sign up today! (List company EXACTLY as you want it to appear on signage.)

Eighteen SPIKES (in bold) increased their recruitment numbers last month. What is a SPIKE? SPIKES recruit new members and help the association retain members. Here is the latest SPIKE report as of May 31, 2026.





Please return your completed registration form (provided below) to the HBAMT to enter. ALL COMPANY TEAMS MUST BE A MEMBER OF THE HBAMT (all teams must have at least one HBAMT member playing)
Select one, print player(s) name(s) below: r FOURSOME: Print names of players. Four (4) players per team ($900 per team). **Team not guaranteed for shoot until payment received** r SINGLE SHOOTER: Print name of player. $250 per shooter. **Shooter not guaranteed for shoot until payment received** 1.)
4.)

TITLE SPONSOR
$6,000 2 available
Sign up now to sponsor the HBAMT’s Sporting Clay Shoot this September at the Nashville Gun Club!
l Company name featured as Tournament Sponsor on all material
l Signage at tournament provided
l Booth at Check-in and tournament station
l Your booth will be ticket pick up point for all shooters
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Dinner
Ammo Sponsor
Dinner Sponsor
Lunch Sponsor
$3,000 2 available
$3,000 2 available
$1,500 2 available
Station Sponsor
$500
l Booth at Check-in, recognized as Sponsor at Check-in
l Signage at tournament provided
l Station sponsor for the duration of the tournament
l Opportunity to hand out information & goodies
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Dinner
l Booth at Dinner, recognized as Sponsor during Dinner
l Signage at tournament provided
l Station sponsor for the duration of the tournament
l Opportunity to hand out information & goodies
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Dinner
l Booth at Lunch, recognized as Sponsor during Lunch
l Signage at tournament provided
l Station sponsor for the duration of the tournament
l Opportunity to hand out information & goodies
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Dinner
l Station sponsor for the duration of the tournament
l Opportunity to hand out promotional materials at station
l Two (2) tickets to Lunch; two to Dinner
Indicate which of the sponsorship levels shown above you selected and return the completed form below to the HBAMT to sign up today! (List company EXACTLY as you want it to appear on signage.)
CHEATHAM COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Roy Miles
Cheatham County Chapter details are being planned. Next meeting: to be announced.
RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
DICKSON COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Matt Spann
Dickson County Chapter meetings are typically held on the third Thursday of the month.
Next meeting: to be announced.
Topic: to be announced.
Free w/RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
MAURY COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Sam Gray
Maury County Chapter meetings are typically held on the third Tuesday of the month.
Next meeting: to be announced.
Topic: to be announced.
FREE w/RSVP thanks to Ferguson! PLEASE RSVP to cnicley@hbamt.org
METRO/NASHVILLE CHAPTER
Chapter President - Lisa Underwood
Metro/Nashville Chapter details are typically held on the fourth Thursday of the month.
Next meeting: to be announced. RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
ROBERTSON COUNTY CHAPTER
Robertson County Chapter details are currently being planned.
Next meeting: to be announced.
RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
SUMNER COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Joe Dalton
The Sumner County Chapter typically meets on the third Tuesday of the month. Next meeting: to be announced. RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
WILLIAMSON COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Rachel Holloway
Williamson County Chapter meetings are typically held on the third Tuesday of the month.
Next meeting: Tuesday, July 7th.
Topic: WILLIAMSON COUNTY CHAPTER MEET & GREET! Held at the new Huskey Building Supply Experience Center. Candidates in the 2026 Williamson County Elections have also been invited to come and introduce themselves to voters representing the building community in Williamson County!
Tues., July 7th | 4:00-6:00 p.m.
at Huskey Building Supply's Experience Center! 424 Lewisburg Ave - Franklin, TN 37064
FREE w/RSVP thanks to Huskey Building Supply!
$20 w/o RSVP
RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
WILSON COUNTY CHAPTER
Chapter President - Margaret Tolbert
Wilson County Chapter meetings are typically held on the second Thursday of the month.
Next meeting: Thursday, September 10th, Thursday, 8:00
a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Express - Mt. Juliet 565 S. Mt. Juliet Road Mount Juliet, TN, 37122
Topic: "Building in Tennessee; What's Ahead for Home Builders - with special guest Senator Mark Pody."
Holiday Inn Express - Mt. Juliet
565 S. Mt. Juliet Road Mount Juliet, TN, 37122
FREE with RSVP pending sponsorship RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
COUNCILS
HBAMT REMODELERS COUNCIL
The HBAMT Remodelers Council meets at varying locations throughout the year.
Next meeting: to be announced.
RSVP to RMC meetings and events to: cnicley@hbamt.org
INFILL BUILDERS COUNCIL
Infill Builders Council meetings are typically held on the last Wednesday of the month.
Next meeting: to be announced. PLEASE RSVP to: cnicley@hbamt.org
MIDDLE TENN SALES & MARKETING COUNCIL
Council President - Kristen Carbine
The SMC typically meets on the first Thursday of the month. Next meeting: Thursday, August 6th, 9:00 a.m. at the HBAMT - 9007 Overlook Blvd., Brentwood, 37027
Topic: "Marketing: Builder & Realtor Relationships." Free for SMC Members pending sponsorship.
$20 for non-members with RSVP; $25 w/o RSVP
RSVP REQUIRED to: cnicley@hbamt.org
