New-Home Sales Rise 2.4 Percent in July
Sales of newly built single-family homes rose 2.4 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 515,000 units in July, the Commerce Department reported today. The report also indicated continuing contraction in the number of new-homes for sale as builders keep a tight rein on inventories to help restore better balance between market supply and demand. "With 15 consecutive months of reductions in the number of new homes for sale, builders are clearly doing a good job of chipping away at their inventories," noted Sandy Dunn, president of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Point Pleasant, W.Va. "Now that the government has also done its part by passing a much-needed housing stimulus package, we are looking forward to positive effects on new-home sales in the near future."

Click Here>> 

 

USGBC to Hand Over LEED Certification Process to GBCI
Starting Jan. 1, 2009, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) will no longer oversee the actual certification of buildings applying for LEED status. That process will be taken over by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), an autonomous organization that already manages the certification of the LEED professional accreditation program. "The conversation [about the shift] has been taking place over the course of the past year," says Peter Templeton, senior vice president of the USGBC. The organization began talking about such a shift as it considered "how we can scale the program to meet demand"-currently, more than 13,000 commercial projects await certification-"and looking at what we can do to ensure that there will always be quality and integrity in the building certification process," explains Templeton.
Click Here>> 
 
New Yorkers Go Green to Save Green in Tough Times
You won't need a windmill, an array of solar panels, or a roof shaped like a biodome. In fact, it can be difficult to distinguish between a green home and a conventional one, but there's one key difference you will notice: More money in the bank. With fuel costs rising and the city's economy in meltdown, more New Yorkers are taking simple steps to make their homes environmentally friendly. "The idea of green is probably something you can't see from the outside," said Nate Kredich, vice president of residential market development for the Green Building Council. Kredich says what distinguishes a green home is it's high quality, with better windows, insulation and energy efficient appliances.
Click Here>> 
 
Boston Sets Green Standard For Affordable Housing
From now on, all affordable housing funded by Boston's Department of Neighborhood Development must be deemed "green." Under the department's new Green Affordable Housing Program, projects must meet the Energy Star standard, as well as the US Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification standard, or LEED, a nationally recognized benchmark for energy-efficient and environmentally friendly buildings. Yesterday, Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino, along with neighborhood development director Evelyn Friedman, kicked off the program by naming six housing projects set to receive $2 million in grant money from the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative. The funding will be used to help them comply with green standards.
Click Here>> 
 
NAHB to Honor the Nation's Best Apartments and Condos
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today opened the online nomination process for its annual Pillars of the Industry awards program, which recognizes the best work in the nation's multifamily housing industry. "NAHB Multifamily's Pillars of the Industry Awards offer us a wonderful opportunity to showcase all the benefits of apartment and condo living available to today's housing consumer," said Steve Patterson, chair of NAHB's Multifamily Leadership Board, and CEO of ZOM USA, Orlando, Fla. "Each year the winners set the bar even higher for our industry." Top entrants in more than 30 categories will be lauded for excellence in areas such as design and execution, innovative marketing and successful corporate leadership. Professionals in all segments of the multifamily housing industry can nominate their best work, with awards offered in categories for the Builder, Marketing, and Individual/Firm.
Click Here>> 
 
End Of Down Payment Program Spurs Builders
Home builders are always trying to sell their homes, but these days they have an extra incentive-beating the clock. In a few weeks, a financing option used by almost 20 percent of new-home buyers to help scrape together a down payment is going away, making it tougher for many people to become homeowners. It's a provision in the Federal Housing Administration rules that lets builders and other home sellers channel money through a charity to help home buyers cover their down payment.
Click Here>> 
 
Multifamily Builders Choose to Build Green
More of the nation's apartments and condos are going green as multifamily builders and developers respond to growing consumer interest in sustainable building practices, according to a recent survey by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). "Apartments and condos are inherently green, because they offer more compact development to begin with," says Steve Patterson, chairman of NAHB's Multifamily Leadership Board and an apartment and condo developer from Orlando, Fla. "With today's heightened consumer interest in green, multifamily builders are embracing more green and recyclable products, and are more willing to invest in energy efficiency."
Click Here>> 
 
Act Now to Reduce the Impact of Rising Home Heating Costs
According to the Energy Information Administration's (EIA) most recent short-term energy outlook, home heating costs are expected to rise again this winter. The projections are based on a typical heating season that spans from October to March. Specifically, the EIA projects a dramatic 49 percent increase for heating oil, bringing the average cost per season to $2,858 per household, up from $1,468 only two years ago. For households utilizing propane, costs are expected to jump 26 percent, representing a cost of more than $2,116 this season. Natural gas prices are expected to increase by 43 percent, bringing the average cost up to $1,216 per household. An expected 9 percent increase for electricity would equate to approximately $929 in heating costs this winter.
Click Here>> 
 
Economy Gets Big Stimulus Boost
A revised reading on gross domestic product announced Thursday showed much better U.S. economic growth than previously reported for the second quarter. GDP, the broadest measure of the nation's economic activity, stood at an annual rate of 3.3% in the quarter, adjusted for inflation, the Commerce Department said. Economic growth between 2.5% and 3.5% is typically viewed as the norm for a healthy economy.
Click Here>>