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Volume 3: Issue 11 │ November 2019
Builder Confidence Hits 20-Month High
Builder confidence in the market for newly-built single-family homes rose three points to 71 in October, according to the latest NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) released in mid-October. Sentiment levels are at their highest point since February 2018. “The second half of 2019 has seen steady gains in single-family construction, and this is mirrored by the gradual uptick in builder sentiment over the past few months,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. “However, builders continue to remain cautious due to ongoing supply side constraints and concerns about a slowing economy.” Derived from a monthly survey that NAHB has been conducting for 30 years, the 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.
FREDERICKSBURG - STAFFORD - SPOTSYLVANIA - CAROLINE - KING GEORGE - ORANGE
HARD HAT
THURS. Nov. 21st 5 pm - 7 pm at Splitsville Click here for info
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New Member Orientation
November 21st 4pm-5pm at Splitsville Click here to register
VA Accepts NAHB's Radon Revisions
Stucco and Vinyl Most Common Exteriors
The most common exterior wall materials on homes started in 2018 were vinyl siding and stucco, according to data from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction (SOC). Vinyl siding (26%) and stucco (26%) were the most commonly used exterior materials on new homes started in 2018, followed closely by brick or brick veneer at 21% and fiber cement siding (such as Hardiplank or Hardiboard) at 20%. Smaller shares of single-family homes started last year had wood or wood products (5%) or stone or rock (1%) as the principal exterior wall material.
OSHA Grant to Fund Fall Prevention Training
Website Explains Opportunity Zones
NAHB, in partnership with the Job-Site Safety Institute (JSI), has received a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The grant will allow NAHB and JSI to continue offering the Fall Prevention in Residential Construction course at no cost to NAHB members across the country. Because of the grant, the four-hour fall prevention course is available free of charge to NAHB members. It is typically offered through local home builder associations.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve have issued a final rule to raise the threshold from $250,000 to $400,000 for residential real estate transactions that would require an appraisal. In a recent press release, the regulators stated that given price appreciation in residential real estate transactions since 1994 (when the appraisal threshold was last increased to $250,000), “the change will provide burden relief without posing a threat to the safety and soundness of financial institutions.”
New Rule Exempts Appraisals on Some Homes
The White House has released a new website that will serve as an information hub for the Opportunity Zones initiative established as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Opportunity Zones provide tax incentives for investors with capital gains to invest in and provide an economic boost to under-served communities. In a victory for NAHB, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has accepted our suggested revisions and clarifications regarding requirements for radon gas mitigation on properties located in Zone 1 counties, which have the highest potential radon levels. Earlier this year, VA revisions to its Lenders Handbook (VA Pamphlet 26-7) caused confusion regarding builder requirements for radon gas mitigation. As a result of an NAHB letter, the VA clarified that radon mitigation is necessary only on properties built in Zone 1.
Housing inequality is becoming more pronounced among older Americans as the number of older households continues to rise at unprecedented levels, according to a new report, Housing America’s Older Adults 2019, released recently by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Between 2012 and 2017, the number of households headed by someone 65 or older jumped from 27 million to 31 million and will continue to grow. At the same time, the number of older adults facing housing cost burdens reached an all-time high of 10 million. Meanwhile, homeownership rates are lower and debt rates are higher for those 50 to 64, as compared to earlier generations. The report shows that between 2012 to 2017, household incomes among the top 10% of wage earners age 65 and over increased by 22% while incomes of those in the bottom 10% fell by 4%.
A study from Freddie Mac offers insight regarding how lenders may be able to factor energy-efficiency rating systems into the mortgage underwriting process. The study, “Energy Efficiency: Value Added to Properties & Loan Performance,” tracked property sale prices and loan default rates to explore if energy-efficient features could increase home value and provide less financial stress to owners based on decreased utility costs. The study focused on homes that utilized two different energy-efficiency rating systems: the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET), and the Home Energy Score (HES) by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The HERS-rated homes represented primarily new construction, while the HES-rated homes were more likely existing homes. The homes in the Freddie Mac study were rated between 2013 and 2017. Approximately 10% of those homes were used for Freddie Mac’s national random sampling.
How to Value Energy Efficiency
Report Cites Growing Housing Inequality Among Older Adults
When it comes to the size of a home sought by buyers, age matters. The median square footage millennials (those born in 1980 or after) want in a home is 2,407 square feet, slightly higher than the Gen X generation (2,280 sq. ft.), and significantly more than baby boomers (1,913 sq. ft.) and seniors (1,869 sq. ft.). Millennials are most likely looking for larger spaces because they are at the age most associated with starting a family. Boomers and seniors, on the other hand, are much more likely to be empty nesters or retirees, so they are more likely to be looking to downsize. These are among the findings in the latest NAHB report, What Home Buyers Really Want (2019 edition). The report is based on a survey of prospective and recent home buyers that asks them about the features they want in a home and a community.
Millennials Want Bigger Homes
Spotsylvania County Bi-Monthly Meeting Monday, Dec. 2nd, 3:00pm King George County Quarterly Meeting TBD Stafford County Bi-Monthly Meeting Monday, Dec 9th, 9:00am Fredericksburg City Quarterly Meeting TBD Caroline County Quarterly Meeting Wednesday, Dec. 4th, 11:30am Orange County Quarterly Meeting Friday, Dec. 6th, 2:00pm
Half of payroll workers in construction earn more than $47,290 and the top 25% make at least $66,290, according to NAHB analysis of 2018 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment Statistics Survey data. In comparison, the U.S. median wage is $38,640, while the top 25% make at least $62,510. Year-over-year, median wages in construction outpaced the national median wages, 3.2% vs 2.5%. Wages of various construction trades and laborers rose even faster, ranging from about 7% for plasterers, stucco masons, roofers’ helpers, tapers and floor layers to 3.6% for construction laborers. Stonemasons saw their wages rise by more than 6% and terrazzo workers received wage hikes of more than 5%. Among construction trades, elevator installers top the median wages list with half of them earning over $78,990 a year, and the top 25% making at least $100,720. The median wage for rotary drill operators is close to $70,000, with the top quartile of the pay scale earning over $77,610 annually. First-line supervisors of construction trades are next on the list, with half of them making over $64,600. Boilermakers are a close fourth-highest paid construction craft, with half of these craftsmen working in construction earning over $64,480, and the highest paid 25% bringing in over $78,250. In general, construction trades that require more years of formal education, specialized training or licensing tend to enjoy higher annual wages. Carpenters are one of the most prevalent construction trades in the industry. Though the trade requires less formal education, the median wages of carpenters exceed the national median. Half of carpenters working in construction earn over $46,810, and the highest paid 25% earn at least $61,810 annually.
SAVE THE DATES! Upcoming County Meetings
Construction Trades Enjoy Competitive Wages
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Saturday, November 9th Board the Bus to National Harbor 5:00 pm- 1:00 am 5pm Appetizers at Cancun Margarita Bar & Grill 6:30pm Bus Departs Midnight Bus pickup at MGM Wednesday, November 13th FABA, FAAR, CHAMBER Annual Legislative Breakfast 7:45 am- 10:00 am Riverside Center Thursday, November 21st FABA Legislative Committee Meeting 8:30am FABA Boardroom Thursday, November 21st New Member Orientation 4:00pm Splitsville Thursday, November 21st Hard Hat Networking 5-7pm Splitsville Wednesday, December 11th FABA Holiday Party 5-7pm Riverside Center Saturday, January 25th 2020 Presidents Gala 6:00 pm- 11:00 pm The Inn at Old Silk Mill 1707 Princess Anne Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401
The Associates Committee meets the second Wednesday of each month at 9 am. This committee is chaired by the Associate Vice President and plans and organizes several FABA events, and keeps the association focused on the needs of all members.
Calendar at a Glance
-Bi-monthly or quarterly meetings with building officials from all five local counties and the city of Fredericksburg and meetings with BOS members and/or County Administrators. -Stafford County transportation impact fee reduction from $5,900 per lot to $2,999 -Changed definition of building height in Stafford County – most Single Family Dwellings now in compliance. -Changed Stafford County’s reserve drainfield requirements. -Pushing to make all submissions electronic – including upgrade of Stafford computer system and scanner, now more builder-friendly. -Currently working with Stafford on revised lighting standards. -In Stafford and Spotsylvania Counties, FABA facilitated VDOT agreement to allow water and sewer lines in the streets instead of in an easement on the lots. -FABA has spoken against fee increases in every jurisdiction in the past – most jurisdictions have not considered increases lately, but when they do, they typically seek our input. Most recently in April of this year two FABA board members spoke at Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors Meeting which resulted in a reduction of the proposed 20% fee increase to a phased-in increase over four years at 5% per year -Reduced SWM criteria for City of Fredericksburg – working with Friends of Rappahannock and City officials. -Coordinated the cluster mailbox issue with USPS. -Advocated for Proffer reform statewide
Legislative Impacts
Code Updates -- HBAV spent countless hours in meetings and testimony providing input and guidance on Building Code updates to save building costs: Defeated Mandatory Arc Fault – SAVING $250 per home Defeated mandatory fire sprinklers – SAVING $5000 per home Impact Fees – Advocated and successfully defeated two pieces of legislation to allow local government to collect impact fees on all new home permits. SAVING a minimum of $5k per home, up to as much as $20k per home (as it is in Maryland) Building Permit Fees – Advocated to pass legislation stating that building permit fees must only be used to run the building permit and inspection office. Fees can’t be used as a profit center. SAVING a minimum of $100 per home Tree Replacements -- Defeat of three pieces of legislation that would have required builders to replace all trees with the same size diameter as removed. SAVING a minimum of $500 per home Stormwater – Advocated to protect the construction general permit grandfather clauses and working on the new construction general permit for stormwater discharge. SAVINGS to developers in the thousands of dollars. Waste Management -- Stopped the regulations from requiring ALL dumpsters at building sites to be covered. SAVING a minimum of $100 per home. Plus, dozens of mandatory affordable housing bills were defeated! Total Snapshot of savings per home-$10,950
Summary of impact FABA had locally
Update on recent savings yielded from HBAV advocacy in the last 12 months
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New Associate Members (October 2019) 1. 12:45 Team Keller Williams Realty – spike Sherrie Shaw 2. 2 Navy Lane Interior Design – spike Dan Sandoval 3. Accurate Concrete Foundations – spike Brandon Serbay 4. Acors Topsoil and Mulch – spike Marc Simes 5. Airplus – spike Janet Holt 6. Alexcom & Associates – spike Sean Halsey 7. Alpha Media Fredericksburg/WFLS Radio – spike Richard Coleman 8. B101.5 – spike Marc Simes 9. Baystate Heating and Air – spike Frank Sigmon 10. BC Lawnscapes LLC – spike Jason Moore 11. Best Choice Home Inspections – spike Mary Jordan 12. Bowman Consulting Group – Gene Brown 13. Brammer & Associates – spike Suzanne Surles 14. Budget Blinds of Fredericksburg – spike Marc Simes
November 2019 Membership Report
New Builder Members (October 2019) 1. Abby Construction – spike Jeremiah Horstick 2. C&D Home Improvements – spike Matt Mituzas 3. Childress Homes – spike Dan Sandoval 4. Fisher and Hall Builders – Jamie Bowles 5. Fredericksburg Custom Homes – spike Sean Halsey 6. Honor Ridge Homes – spike Matt Mituzas 7. K. Hovnanian Companies – spike Sean Halsey 8. Stonehaven Homes – spike Jamie Bowles 9. Sundance Homes – spike Matt Mituzas
15. Bull Dog Solutions LLC – spike Marc Simes 16. Caliber Home Loans LLC – spike Gene Brown 17. Catholic Charities, Migration and Refugee Services – spike Glen Raymond 18. Chatham Construction Company Inc – spike Gene Brown 19. Christine Singhass-eXp Realty – spike Marc Simes 20. Closet Factory – spike Marc Simes 21. Dillard Alarm Company – spike Marc Simes 22. Dominion Eagle Insurance Agency LLC – spike Suzanne Surles 23. Dominion Raceway & Entertainment LLC – spike Marc Simes 24. Dominion Soil Science – spike Gene Brown 25. Dshane Professional Carpet Care – Gene Brown 26. E.L. Design – spike Brandon Serbay 27. Experimax – spike Phill Solow 28. Fiberon Decking – spike Dan Sandoval 29. First Choice Heating and A/C – spike Sean Halsey 30. First Heritage Mortgage – spike Marc Simes 31. Frank Painting LLC – spike Brandon Serbay 32. Fredericksburg Today – spike Marc Simes 33. GAF – spike Stacey Lampman 34. Get Organized with Christina – spike Marc Simes 35. Inspired Designs – spike Dan Sandoval 36. James House Asphalt Paving – spike Michelle Hall 37. JBM Ent. Contracting and Maintenance – spike Jason Moore 38. Jennifer Layton – Avery Hess Realtors – spike Brandon Serbay 39. JOB Inspections – spike Dave Phelps 40. John Danielson Jr. Inc – spike Gene Brown 41. John McLeod Electric – spike Marc Simes 42. Kennedy Sales – spike Dan Sandoval 43. Lando Massey Real Estate – spike Sean Halsey 44. Loving Air Inc – spike Phill Solow 45. Luck Stone Corporation – spike Marc Simes 46. M&T Bank – spike Marc Simes 33. M.S. Russnak Industries – spike Jeremiah Horstick 34. Marshall’s Pool and Water – spike Greg Schmidt 35. Master Framing Inc – spike Brandon Serbay 36. Netmender – spike Michael Pollaci 37. Next Door Photos – Fredericksburg – spike Teressa Taylor Griffis 38. Payne Storage – spike Marc Simes 39. PhillWill LLC – spike Jeremiah Horstick 40. Precision Drafting Services LLC – spike Dan Sandoval 41. Rachel Thomas – Vertical Real Estate – spike Sherrie Shaw 42. Radon Control Professionals South – spike Laura Rodier 43. Rappahannock Area YMCA – spike Gene Brown 44. Rebekah Ball – Avery Hess Realty – spike Scott Hine 45. Red Door Pro Wash – spike James Roberson 46. Riverside Center – spike Marc Simes 47. ROC Electrical LLC – spike Teressa Taylor Griffis 48. Rocking Nissan of Stafford – spike Marc Simes 49. Roof Re-Up LLC – spike Marc Simes 50. Sanfio Designs LLC – spike Michelle Hall 51. Sherri Hogue – spike Glen Raymond 52. Sherwin Williams Company – spike Michelle Hall 53. Shifflett’s Waste Services LLC – spike Gene Brown 54. Shoreline Vinyl Systems – spike Frank Sigmon 55. Spartan Capital Group – spike Scott Hine 56. STA Title & Escrow – spike Jeh Hicks 57. Sunbelt Rentals – spike Sherrie Shaw 58. Take Point Solutions Group LLC – spike Marc Simes 59. The Benchmark Group – spike Jamie Bowles 60. TruBlue Total House Care – spike Brandon Serbay 61. Truck’n America – spike Jamie Bowles 62. Vets on Track – spike Marc Simes
47. M.S. Russnak Industries – spike Jeremiah Horstick 48. Marshall’s Pool and Water – spike Greg Schmidt 49. Master Framing Inc – spike Brandon Serbay 50. Netmender – spike Michael Pollaci 51. Next Door Photos – Fredericksburg – spike Teressa Taylor Griffis 52. Payne Storage – spike Marc Simes 53. PhillWill LLC – spike Jeremiah Horstick 54. Precision Drafting Services LLC – spike Dan Sandoval 55. Rachel Thomas – Vertical Real Estate – spike Sherrie Shaw 56. Radon Control Professionals South – spike Laura Rodier 57. Rappahannock Area YMCA – spike Gene Brown 58. Rebekah Ball – Avery Hess Realty – spike Scott Hine 59. Red Door Pro Wash – spike James Roberson 60. Riverside Center – spike Marc Simes 61. ROC Electrical LLC – spike Teressa Taylor Griffis 62. Rocking Nissan of Stafford – spike Marc Simes 63. Roof Re-Up LLC – spike Marc Simes 64. Sanfio Designs LLC – spike Michelle Hall 65. Sherri Hogue – spike Glen Raymond 66. Sherwin Williams Company – spike Michelle Hall 67. Shifflett’s Waste Services LLC – spike Gene Brown 68. Shoreline Vinyl Systems – spike Frank Sigmon 69. Spartan Capital Group – spike Scott Hine 70. STA Title & Escrow – spike Jeh Hicks 71. Sunbelt Rentals – spike Sherrie Shaw 72. Take Point Solutions Group LLC – spike Marc Simes 73. The Benchmark Group – spike Jamie Bowles 74. TruBlue Total House Care – spike Brandon Serbay 75. Truck’n America – spike Jamie Bowles 76. Vets on Track – spike Marc Simes
The Membership Committee meets the second Wednesday of each month at 10 am. This group is responsible for coordinating membership recruitment and the new member mentor program to increase membership retention. Emphasis is placed on recruitment and retention of members with Spike Club, new member receptions, and networking opportunities. The 1st Vice President serves as co-chair.
Renewed Associate Members (October 2019) 1. B&F Ceramics 2. BB&T Mortgage 3. Boise Engineered Wood Products 4. C&F Mortgage Corporation 5. C&O Home and Business Services LLC 6. Encius Painting 7. Guaranteed Rate 8. iDesign Granite 9. Lansing Building Products 10. Rick Thompson Electric 11. Roche Brothers 12. WOW 1Day Painting
Renewed Builder Members (October 2019) 1. Built Right Homes LLC 2. Republic Home Builders 3. Ryan Homes 4. Silver Companies
FABA Education
OSHA-30
January 14th, 11:30am FABA Boardroom This workshop discusses the key steps to successful annual business planning. Mike will review the Vision and Mission of your business, as key components, as well as discuss the importance of being strategic in your approach to planning for 2020. You will learn how to identify and develop winning goals and objectives for your business, and build a winning strategic plan for 2020. This is a great business building session for any organization! It is sponsored by FABA and lunch will be served! If you plan on attending, please RSVP by January 13th!
Building a Winning Business Strategy and Plan for 2020
February 3-4 and February 10-11 8:00am-4:30pm You will be required to attend all 4 days to get the certifcation. More details on location TBD.
NAHB Student Chapters
FAB Foundation
The FAB Foundation is chaired by group of voluntary directors who work to help the Fredericksburg area community through several initiatives. FAB financially supports non-profit organizations in the Fredericksburg region that specifically coordinate and provide home repair and safer living conditions for those in need. Helping make repairs and improvements related to home ownership affordable. With a greater emphasis on the growing need for Workforce Development in our region, FAB has partnered with local educators and has established two local NAHB Student Chapters in Stafford and Spotsylvania counties, and will continue working toward the establishment of student chapters in all the municipalities that we serve. FAB Foundation has grant opportunities available for those looking to learn a trade and to potentially partner with member mentors and job placement opportunities. For more information on all the good that FAB Foundation does, call Maria Moore, Fredericksburg Area Builders Association Executive Vice President, at 540-898-2730, email at mmoore@fabava.com, or go to www.fabava.com and select FAB Foundation tab.
We currently have 3 active high school student chapters 1. Stafford High School 2. Spotsylvania Career and Technical Center 3. Caroline High School
Why Volunteer? Part of being a great volunteer is loving what you're doing. Find something that you're passionate about or something that inspires you, and then find a need in your community. There are dozens of reasons why you should volunteer - you just need to find the one that feels right. 20 GREAT REASONS TO VOLUNTEER - Help others - Make a difference - Find purpose · Enjoy a meaningful conversation · Connect with your community · Feel involved · Contribute to a cause you care about · Use your skills in a productive way · Develop new skills · Meet new people · Explore new areas of interest · Meet good people · Impress your mom · Impress yourself · Expand your horizons · Get out of the house · Make new friends · Strengthen your resume · Feel better about yourself
Community Service
The Community Service Committee plans and organizes FABA's outreach and service in the local community and partners with members and non-profit groups to find ways to give back.
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2019 FABA Board of Directors
President Marc Simes Vakos Companies 1st Vice President Stacey Lampman Spaces Design Studio 2nd Vice President Scott Hine Assurance Financial Group Secretary Sara Fila Legacy Engineering Treasurer Jeremiah Horstick CORELOT Immediate Past President Gene Brown Atlantic Builders, Ltd. Associate Vice President John Reid Embrace Home Loans Executive Officer Maria Moore FABA Legal Counsel Charlie Payne Hirschler Builder Director Dan Sandoval Republic Home Builders Builder Director Sean Halsey Halsey Homes Builder Director Tim Hall Tricord Homes Builder Director Teressa Taylor-Griffis Foundation Homes Builder Director Brandon Serbay Built Right Homes Builder Director Michelle Hall J. Hall Homes Associate Director Bruce Reese Legacy Engineering, PC Associate Director Frank Sigmon Builders FirstSource Associate Director Rusty Cowper Embrace Home Loans
The Legislative Committee meets monthly to discuss the status of local and state level legislation that affects the building industry. For more information from each county, plan to attend the Legislative Committee meeting this Thurs, Oct. 17th at 8:30 am. The FAB Foundation board of directors meets monthly to discuss ways to involve the association with local workforce educators and help promote workforce development in our area. If you would like to be invoived with these students, contact FABA for more information.
Legislative News
Home Builders Association of Virginia Representing Virginia's Residential Construction and Land Development Industry In what the Washington Post called the “…most consequential legislative elections in a generation…”, Virginians went to the polls on Tuesday to vote for their representative to the Virginia General Assembly. All 140 seats of the General Assembly were on the ballot – 100 members of the House of Delegates and 40 members of the State Senate. There were also numerous local City Council and Board of Supervisor races around the Commonwealth. Please click here for HBAV’s analysis of the key House of Delegates and State Senate races and the impact on the housing industry. For a quick look at who won, who lost, and which seats flipped, please click here. Given the narrow Republican majorities in both the House of Delegates (51-48) and Senate of Virginia (20-19) leading into the 2019 election, both parties spent unprecedented resources in several key contests to determine control of the General Assembly. Several national figures such as Vice President Mike Pence, former Vice President Joe Biden, Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Mayor Peter Buttigieg, and others visited Virginia to energize their party’s respective bases ahead of this election. The 2019 General Election was also impacted by a U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year which upheld a lower court ruling that found the House of Delegates district lines had been racially gerrymandered. The new court drawn map made several Republican districts lean Democratic. As a result, Republicans had to spend significant resources to protect incumbent legislators such as Speaker Kirk Cox (R-Colonial Heights), Delegate Chris Jones (R-Suffolk), Delegate Chris Stolle (R-Virginia Beach), and Delegate David Yancey (R-Newport News). Over the last eight months, there has been a lot of discussion about what this election would mean for Republicans and Democrats. With only a handful of states hosting elections this year (FiveThirtyEight: “Everything You Need To Know About The 2019 Elections”), the spotlight has been on Virginia’s 2019 legislative races as somewhat of a barometer for the upcoming 2020 Presidential Election. Given Virginia’s “battleground” status in federal elections, pundits and politicos have been hoping to glean insight from our elections to see if Republicans or Democrats will have the upper hand come November, 2020. Elected officials from both sides of the aisle have also been extremely vocal about what’s at stake on the state level. Following the significant Democratic victory during the 2017 legislative races, Republicans have held slim majorities in both the House of Delegates and the State Senate. As a result, the 2019 elections have been viewed by Virginia Democrats as an opportunity to take control of one or both chambers. UVA’s Sabato’s Crystal Ball writes: • While Democrats have won four of the state’s last five gubernatorial races, none of those Democratic governors enjoyed a free hand in the legislature, as Republicans have controlled the state’s House of Delegates since the 1999 election, a victory achieved during the governorship of Jim Gilmore (R) and thus prior to that of Mark Warner, the Democrat elected in 2001 to begin the Democrats’ current stretch of gubernatorial success. Tim Kaine (D) followed Warner in 2005 and later joined him in the U.S. Senate, with Terry McAuliffe (D) elected in 2013 and Ralph Northam (D) in 2017. The only GOP governor in this recent stretch has been Bob McDonnell, who was elected in 2009. Democrats have held the state Senate for part of the past two decades, but a Democratic governor confronted by an at least partially Republican legislature has been the most common alignment in recent history. As reported by the Virginia Public Access Project, “for much of the last quarter century, one party has controlled Virginia’s executive branch while another controlled one or both chambers of the legislative branch. That will change next year when Democrats, who currently occupy the Executive Mansion, gain control of the House of Delegates and State Senate.” For a visual of who has controlled the Executive Branch and Legislative Branch since 1994, please click here. What does this mean for the housing industry? Housing issues are not partisan issues – the growing demand for new single-family and multi-family housing stock at all price points has a significant impact on economic development, community redevelopment, health outcomes, education outcomes, workforce development, transportation, various other policy priorities in the Commonwealth. As HBAV wrote in the Washington Post this summer, we need to re-think our approach to local zoning and land-use, incentivize the production of new and affordable single-family and multi-family housing stock, and work in partnership with local government, state government, and other stakeholders to identify and eliminate local and state impediments to housing production and affordable housing. Legislators on both sides of aisle have been strong supporters of our industry - we look forward to working with our new Delegates and Senators, as well as the legislators that will be returning to the General Assembly, on the dire housing issues that our Commonwealth faces. If you would like to read more about some of the key elections during the 2019 Elections, HBAV’s analysis can be found here.
New Member Orientation November 21st, 4pm at Splitsville New Member Orientation New to FABA in 2019? Want to learn more about who we are and how to get the most out of your membership? Then join us for this informational meeting where we will go over all the benefits of membership and how to set up your accounts. Along with learning about how to save money with your membership.
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We help you ask the right questions about home or commercial roofing and exteriors. By combining our passion for our industry and our belief in 100% customer satisfaction, you have found the right experts for quality advice. Our goal is to provide our customers with the most outstanding service in the industry while maintaining a family atmosphere for our customers, vendors, and employees. Our 30,000 square foot facility allows us to buy in large volume and pass the savings on to our customers. Our partnerships with several manufacturers have strengthened our resources giving us valuable insight and education that we pass on to our customers. We are consistently proactive in researching new products, materials, and techniques so that our clients will have access to the latest product offerings in our market.
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FABA works to educate, promote and represent the building industry while enhancing the region’s quality of life.
NEWS AND HAPPENINGS Send us your press releases, news, and event information! We can post it here in our newsletter and on the Member Happenings page of our website! Contact admin@fabava.com for more information.
JOB OPENINGS? Do you have job openings, apprenticeships, or internships to fill? Contact us today! FAB Foundation is working with FABA's workforce partners to help you fill these positions with qualified and trained local students. FABA also posts job openings on the FABA website. Contact admin@fabava.com for more information or assistance.
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