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MiTek Hero Sponsor of BCMC Build 2012

Posted on May 14, 2012 in BCMC Build and Industry Announcements.

A special thank you goes to MiTek for becoming a Hero Sponsor of the BCMC Build project happening in conjunction with the BCMC show in New Orleans, October 17-19, 2012.

SBCA's WorkForce Development Website Ready to Help

Posted on May 14, 2012.

Have a position to fill?  Looking for a job in  the components industry?  SBCA's WorkForce Development (WFD) website is your one-stop shop for all your industry-specific employment needs.  Check it out today!

Builders Energy Code Position Confirmed by DOE

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Building Codes, Green Building and Housing & Construction.

Concerning what the requirement for adopting a code to comply with American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding stipulations, DOE confirmed that it is the 2009 IECC or an equivalent code that must be adopted -- not the 2012 edition.

A Look at Why Housing is Healing

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

Northern Trust analyzes several housing data indicators, concluding with consumer sentiment about jobs expectations. Their bottom line: housing is healing.

Canadian Housing Starts Up

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate of housing starts was 244,900 units in April, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation. This is up from 214,800 units in March.

Ranking Job Growth in US Cities

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

New Geography's Joel Kotkin and Michael Shires team up to rank the U.S.'s 398 metro areas, sorting them into like-sized buckets: small, medium, and large.

2011 Performance of Top 10 Builders

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Business.

The nation’s 10 largest home builders stayed in formation in 2011, leaving D.R. Horton crowned king of closings, with a total of 17,176. 

BFS Losses Narrow on Higher 1Q Sales

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Business and Housing & Construction.

Builders FirstSource, the Dallas-based pro dealer, posted net sales of $219.4 million for its first fiscal quarter of 2012, a 34.7% hike over sales of $162.8 million in the same quarter of 2011.

15 Best Housing Markets Through 2016

Posted on May 13, 2012.

The 15 cities are ranked by the projected annualized change in home prices between Q4 2011 and 2016. 

9 Fastest Growing Housing Markets

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

Only nine U.S. cities' home values are projected to grow by more than 3% in 2012, these nine housing markets are reviewed to try to identify the reasons behind their success.

Beezer Forms Home Rental REIT

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Business and Housing & Construction.

Beazer Homes USA Inc., is one of the nation's top home builders, has formed a REIT that will buy and then rent single-family homes, one of the largest and most talked-about asset classes in the real-estate business. 

Housing Hits Bottom, Future Decided in Next Eight Months

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

The U.S. housing market is reaching a bottom, according to Lewis Ranieri, the mortgage-bond pioneer. “I truly believe the future of the industry will be decided in the next eight months” as regulators come up with new rules, he said.

MN Governor Vetoes Anti-Sprinkler Bill

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Building Codes, Housing & Construction and Legislative.

Minnesota Governor Mark Dalton vetoed a measure (Senate File 1717) that would have prevented the adoption of building code provisions requiring the installation of sprinkler systems in new and existing single-family homes.

Builder Confidence Up Significantly

Posted on May 13, 2012 in Housing & Construction and Industry Announcements.

Builder confidence in the 55+ housing market for single-family homes had a significant increase of 10 points to  27 in the first quarter of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago.

SBCA Adopts Lumber Design Value Engineering Policy, Sends Letter to ICC

Posted on May 10, 2012 in Building Codes, Engineering & Testing, Housing & Construction, Industry Announcements, Legislative and Raw Materials.

SBCA has drafted an engineering policy regarding the transition to lowered Southern Pine lumber design values effective June 1, 2012, and has sent a letter to the ICC requesting their plan of action.

HERS Rating Gaining Traction

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Building Codes, Engineering & Testing, Green Building and Housing & Construction.

Little used until just recently, the HERS rating system is gaining traction as the building industry’s equivalent of mpg.

Spring Home Buying Best in 5 Years

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

Early reports show that the critical spring home buying season has gotten off to its best start in five years. 

Simpson Has Good 1Q

Posted on May 7, 2012.

Simpson Manufacturing has reported income, net of tax, of $7.2 million for the first quarter of 2012 compared with income of $7.1 million in the first quarter of 2011.

Major Homebuilders' Lots Improving

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Business, Economic and Housing & Construction.

Major US homebuilders released their 1Q earning statements, included are summaries and analysis.

Top 10 US Tax Haven States

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Economic.

Using data from tax service provider H&R Block, CNBC.com lists the top 10 states for low tax burdens.

Top 10 Changing Rental Markets

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Economic and Housing & Construction.

A recently released TransUnion rental screening report reveals that not every hot apartment market started out 2012 with the same force it enjoyed in early 2011.

OSHA Cracking Down on Fall Protection in Houston

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Housing & Construction and Legislative.

Federal jobsite inspectors are paying visits to home construction sites throughout the Houston area, handing out massive fines to workers found without the required protection from falls.

Understanding NLRB's Blocked Posting Rule

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Business, Legislative and Raw Materials.

Analyzing court actions blocking a rule that would have forced most U.S. employers to post a notice of employees' rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

Weyerhaeuser Earnings Released, Wood Products Up

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Raw Materials.

Weyerhaeuser Company reported net earnings of $41 million for the 1Q, or 8 cents per diluted share, on net sales of $1.5 billion.

SPIB's SYP Monitoring Data Requested

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Building Codes, Engineering & Testing, Industry Announcements, Legislative and Raw Materials.

SBCA has submitted a letter to ALSC requesting further information regarding Southern Pine lumber monitoring data previously collected by SPIB. 

BCMC Exhibitor Registration Now Open

Posted on May 7, 2012 in BCMC Build and Industry Announcements.

BCMC Exhibitor Registration is now open. See you in New Orleans October 17-19!

AWC Releases Several Revised Standards

Posted on May 7, 2012 in Building Codes, Engineering & Testing, Housing & Construction and Raw Materials.

The American Wood Council (AWC) has revised several of its standards and design tools in response to upcoming changes to Southern Pine design values.

Lumber Summit Registrations Filling Fast

Posted on April 30, 2012 in Business, Housing & Construction, Industry Announcements and Raw Materials.

Register to attend SBCA's first-ever Lumber Mill and Wood Truss/Wood Wall Panel Lumber Buyers Summit held May 14-15 at the Embassy Suites in Concord, NC.

BC Plans Generation of Wood Highrises

Posted on April 30, 2012 in Building Codes, Engineering & Testing and Housing & Construction.

A new generation of highrise commercial and institutional wood buildings are planned for B.C. in the next couple of years.

Wood Roof Systems Good for Light Commercial Applications

Posted on April 30, 2012 in Business, Housing & Construction and Raw Materials.

An average 8% growth for commercial building is projected this year, with warehouses and hotels seeing the largest percentage increases. This article explores the benefits of panelized wood roof systems in light-commercial applications.