College Football Hall of Fame Construction Complete

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Birmingham contractor and developer Brasfield & Gorrie have just completed construction on the $68.5 million dollar College Football Hall of Fame and Chick-fil-A Fan Experience in Atlanta. Immediately neighboring the Centennial Olympic Park and the Georgia World Congress Center, the three-story attraction opened to the public last weekend.

The 94,256-square-foot attraction was built to entertain and educate football fans on the history and traditions of college football. Previously located in South Bend, Indiana, the College Football Hall of Fame has been combined with a “fan experience” that includes interactive exhibits and museum-grade memorabilia.

Designed by tvsdesign-Turner Properties, construction on the Hall of Fame and Fan Experience began in January 2013 and was completed ahead of schedule. Brasfield & Gorrie Division Manager Chris Britton credits the “the strong partnership between Atlanta Hall Management, Brasfield & Gorrie, Cousins Properties-Gude Management, tvsdesign, BenchMark Management and other team members,” for the projects early completion, adding that “the commitment of each stakeholder was integral to this project’s success.”

One of the most unique aspects of the multi-media, interactive exhibits is that the experience can be tailored to each visitor, courtesy of the RFID badges that they are issued upon entering the exhibit. The first stop is a kiosk where visitors enter their email address and school of choice. Every exhibit from that point on will highlight that school’s accomplishments, and all of the featured videos, images, and recordings related to that school are made available through email link, for free on the Hall of Fame’s website.  One particularly interesting exhibit is the booth which shows footage of each team’s field entrance traditions, from the point of view of a person standing at the bottom of the hill.

According to Hall of Famer Kevin Butler, kicker for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, “What they’ve done is taken the technology that we use in everyday life and joined it with the history of college football.” Butler, who went on to play professionally for the Chicago bears and Arizona Cardinals, added that “This facility is the new age of hall of fames.”

 

Offices Break Ground in New West Belt Submarket

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The area along Sam Houston Park Drive is so hot it recently scored a new submarket designation from the CBRE real estate services marketing company. HBW subscribers who have followed the development activity along Sam Houston Park Drive and participated in the development projects being built there are not surprised that the area has finally been designated as the “West Belt” submarket. West Belt has captured areas that were formerly in the North Loop, FM 1960, and Katy Freeway submarkets. Building professionals seeking commercial construction job leads would fine it worthwhile to check out what’s happening in West Belt.

 

Last week, the Woodlands-based real estate firm D’Agostino Companies broke ground on The Offices at Sam Houston, a four-story, 113,363- square foot office building located at 10203 Sam Houston Park Drive. The new building is within the 42-acre Sam Houston Crossing Business Park, which lies along Beltway 8 between US 290 and Texas 249. The project is slated for a June 2015 completion date. CBRE is marketing the property, which has been designed by Browne McGregor Architects. Metzger Construction Company provides the general contracting services.

 

The building already has 60% of the building leased, with Caterpillar, Inc. and Solar Turbine anchoring the complex. CBRE will handle the leasing for the remaining 46,000 feet of office space. D’Agostino Companies is seeking LEED-Silver certification for the tilt-walled project. The developers currently own more than 25 projects in the Houston area, with their most recent developments being 2051 Greenhouse Road and Vision Park Plaza.

 

The West Belt submarket is currently comprised of 53 buildings totaling over 4.7 million square feet. The vacancy rate is 5.5%, with rents averaging $19.21 per square foot. Last quarter, Transwestern Development Company’s 150,000 square foot Westway Plaza office complex, broke ground, with Sugar Land-based E.E. Reed Construction Co. serving as general contractor.The California-based Panattoni Development Company is currently building a three-story, 135,000 foot Class A office project, with Houston-based Arch-Con Construction serving as general contractor and Powers Brown Architecture providing the design.

 

HBW proudly serves building professionals in the Houston markets, giving the very best in up-to-date building permit activity reports.  In addition to our Building Trend Activity for Residential Construction Reports, HBW can create a number of custom reports for any need you might have. We also offer exclusive White Paper Reports to help you market your business. White papers start by giving an overview of the trends in your area and then advice on how to turn your weekly building permit information subscription into successful business leads. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

 

4 Projects to Avoid for a $mart Remodel

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It’s inevitable that homeowners eventually have to re-evaluate whether their house meets their lifestyle needs. When they love their location and neighborhood, really like their house, and don’t want to waste money on closing costs and moving expenses, homeowners usually decide to stay where they are and  remodel their home. Knowing what features would improve your quality of life key, but it’s also important to know which remodeling projects might not pay off when it finally comes time to sell. Knowing about these four remodeling project types will help you avoid costly mistakes that could affect your home’s resale value.

1. High-Maintenance Landscapes

Unless you personally enjoy being outdoors enough to enjoy it, and unless you have a love of gardening or the resources to hire maintenance help, don’t add an exorbitant landscape to your home. The same thing is true of adding water features, which bring higher utility bills that might turn frugal, conservation-minded future buyers off.  Stick with a healthy, well-manicured lawn and tastefully arranged ornamental trees and flowers to give your home curb appeal, instead of adding landscaping that potential buyers might see as a headache.

2. Fussy Flooring

Carpet is certainly more comfortable and welcoming than hardwood. But carpet traps dirt and allergens, lacks the longevity of hardwood and tile, and can easily start to look dingy. Many homebuyers prefer to see if there is solid flooring beneath the carpeting, even to the point of ripping up the carpet and restoring the hardwood floor. So rather than adding new carpet to hard floor surfaces, consider investing in getting your hardwood floors cleaned and restored. If your hard floor surfaces are beyond salvage, then the next best flooring options are tile, linoleum, bamboo and cork, which have the benefit of also being green. Avoid vinyl and laminate.

3. Upscale Upgrades

Unless you are a foodie or aspiring gourmet chef who will get tremendous enjoyment from your upscale kitchen, don’t install higher-end kitchen equipment and appliances than would be found in comparably priced homes in your neighborhood. Unless your idea of unwinding after work every day involves luxuriating in a personal steam room or spa that is wired with internet-equipped television and surround-sound, it might not be a good idea to invest in these upgrades, either. Potential home buyers might not be willing to pay extra for features they deem unnecessary and the property values of your surrounding neighborhood will keep your own property value down.

4.Highly Specialized Rooms

If you are a committed hobby enthusiast who needs the space to pursue your passion, then you should make sure that your hobby room really is, for example, the woodworking shop of your dreams. But actually having a room that is so specifically purposed—yoga studio, wine and cigar cellar, art studio— that it doesn’t seem to function well for any other endeavor might harm your resale value. Make sure that specialized rooms can be easily envisioned as something else when potential buyers come to call. Having an extra, undesignated room in the floor plan is actually very beneficial for resale value because buyers will see it as a potential extra bedroom, an office, craft room, rec room, or home gym.

 

 

Pool & Spa Builder Certification Course Nov. 2-7

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With the swimming season drawing to a close, many pool and spa builders are beginning to think about how to enhance their professional profile during the cooler months. One way to do this is to seek professional certification from the Association of Pool & Spa Professionals (APSP). During the annual International Pool/Spa/Patio Expo being held November 2-7 in Orlando, the APSP will be offering several certification courses in designing, building, and servicing spas and pools.

According to APSP CEO and President Rich Gottwald, “the economy is heating up and this is the time for pool and hot tub professionals to differentiate themselves with APSP training and certification.” The Expo is the perfect place to find this career-building credential. “With the largest group of pool, hot tub, spa and patio industry suppliers and manufacturers, retailers, builders, service professionals and landscape architects from around the globe in attendance at Expo,” Gottwald says, “we’re pleased to offer diverse training that meets the attendees’ expectations and needs.”

From November 2-4, the ASPA will offer the Pool & Spa Construction Course. This course offers technical expertise that will help novices learn more about building quality pools and spas, and show veteran pool builders how to build more complex pools. During the 3-day course, novice participants will work through the APSP Builders Manual and prep participants for the APSP Certified Building Professional exam held Nov. 5.

Also held from November 2-4 is the Certified Service Technician Course. Geared towards professionals with at least two years of experience, this course will cover the key concepts and best practices found in the APSP Service Tech Manual, specifically hydraulics, water quality, troubleshooting, and repair. The course will prep attendees for the Certified Service Technician (CST) exam on Nov. 5.

The two-day Certified Hot Tub Technician Course taking place from Nov. 3-4 will focus on the unique challenges faced by technicians who specialize in repairing hot tubs and spas. The APSP Hot Tub Technician Manual provides the backbone of the course, which will focus on hot tub installation, structures, finishes, service, maintenance, water chemistry, seasonal care and troubleshooting. Participants will also be prepped for the Certified Hot Tub Technician (CHTT) exam on Nov. 5

Debuting at this year’s festival is the one-day Train the Trainer Course on Nov. 3. This course trains subject matter experts to teach APSP certification courses in the workplace and convention venues. Completion of this course enables participants to earn an honorarium for their instruction hours. In order to participate in this course, the attendee must have already received a Certified Building Professional or Certified Service Professional designation.

The Pool & Spa Construction and the Certified Service Technician courses confer 24 continuing education credit hours towards attendee’s re-certification requirement. The Certified Hot Tub Technician Course provides 16 continuing education hours, and the Train the Trainer course offers 6. All courses are taught by veteran spa and pool professionals who are members in good standing of the APSP. For more information, contact the APSP’ Career Institute at ci@APSP.org

Construction Begins on the Sonoma at Fiddler’s Creek

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Because they’ve been keeping up with the latest residential building permit activity in Southern Florida, HBW subscribers already know that Lennar Corp. has begun construction on its new Sonoma Village of the Fiddler’s Creek community in Naples. Located on Collier Boulevard near the throughway to Marco Island, there are 44 homes slated for construction in this CIBA Community of the Year Award-winning development. Those seeking residential construction job leads would do well to investigate Naples.

The Sonoma is an 11-building  coach home village featuring Mediterranean styling. Each 2-story building features four residences. There are two floor plans available, the Verona and the Florence.

The Florence coach home is a fully furnished ground-floor home comprising 1,741 square feet of living space. This three-bedroom, two-bath, split floor plan includes a spacious living room, kitchen with granite countertops,crown molding and Colonial-style wooden casements, breakfast area, dining room, screened  porch, and two-car garage. Prices start at $289,985.

The 3-bedroom and two bath Verona is an upstairs coach home with 2,110 square feet of living space. The central living room area has an adjoining dining area, breakfast nook, and kitchen. The rear-situated master suite features an oversized walk-in closet. The Verona also features a screened patio and two-car garage. Prices start at $303,990.

Sonoma Village will be built from steel-reinforced concrete blocks and feature a built-in pest control system. The tile roofs and brick-paved drive- and entryways complete the Mediterranean styling. Energy-efficient appliances and fixtures, along with hurricane-resistant windows and doors, create a home that is both eco-friendly and durable.

Sonoma village amenities include a 54,000 Club & Spa complex for hosting parties and special events. The Club & Spa offer a tropical lagoon-style swimming complex, tennis courts, a fitness center, and restaurants. Residents are eligible to join the Fiddler’s Creek Golf Club, as well as the Tarpon Club for recreational water craft enthusiasts.

HBW serves building trades professionals in Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Texas, and Oklahoma. Building professionals who are proactive and informed can count on HBW’s newsletter to deliver the latest in building trends, construction technology innovation, and regulatory activity. To show you how we can help your business succeed, HBW is glad to provide you with complementary building data report or one of our specialized White Paper Reports. Contact us today and start making your business more profitable!

Closed for the Season: Winterizing Your Pool

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With Labor Day behind us and cooler weather ahead, most pool owners around the country are beginning to think about winterizing their in-ground pools. Winterizing a pool keeps key components from freeze damage. It also saves a lot of time and money when spring rolls around and it’s time to re-open the pool.

One way to know, for sure, that it’s time to close the pool is when the nighttime temps are in the 40’s, and daytime temps are in the low 70’s. Closing the pool earlier that that causes algae overgrowth, but waiting till later might mean having to dredge fallen leaves out.

After you have determined it’s time to winterize the pool, it’s time to treat the water. Start testing the water during the course of a week to make sure that the pH is right. It should be in the 7.2-7.8 range to prevent scales, stains, and algae. When your water reaches this range, shock the water according to label instructions, and then run the pool filter for 24-48 hours.

After turning off the filter, shock the water according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  Then, vacuum out the debris and add algaecide to the water. If you prefer, you can use a premade winterizing kit that includes all of the chemicals needed to properly close your pool.

Having shocked and vacuumed the pool, it’s time to remove everything but the water. Take out the toys, nets, ropes, hoses, ladder, and other decorative fittings. Remove the diving board and store it for winter.

With everything but clean water now gone, you can safely start to lower the water level. Opinions vary widely about just how much the pool should be drained, but it is true that some pool fare better with water left in as a buffer from the elements. When in doubt, follow the pool manufacturer’s advice on draining the pool. After closing the valve on the skimmer line, make sure to lower the water below the mouth of the skimmer, which could be damaged by freezing water.

With the pool water safely below the skimmer intake, it’s time to purge the water from the filter, hose, heater, and all other equipment. Remove and store any paraphernalia that can be removed. Follow the manufacturer’s directions about coverings and lubricants for the pool equipment.

Finally, install the pool cover. Make sure that the water bags are filled halfway to prevent gaps between the cover and the pool edge. It’s vitally important to keep out leaves, trash, and other contaminants after the pool cover has been installed.

For more information, consult the Association of Pool and Spa Professionals, and the National Sanitation Federation’s Joint Committee on Recreational Water Facilities.

Houston A Top Area For Residential Construction

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Real estate mega-site Trulia has finally confirmed what HBW subscribers have already known: Houston is hot for home building. According to Trulia, Houston is the fourth most powerful home building market in the country. Those seeking residential construction job leads should look into the Houston market with a customized HBW Residential Builder Summary Report.

According to Trulia, the 2014 annualized permit activity relative to the metro historical norm is up 61% in the Houston metroplex, with a 10.4% year-over-year increase in asking price for new homes. Multifamily construction accounts for 34% of the market and the asking prices continue to rise in the multifamily sector. Houston is on track to build 50% more new homes in 2014 than the city’s historical average, which evens out to about 30,000 new residences. It’s also one of the few locations where the home building activity spike is accompanied by rising home prices.  According to the Houston Association of Realtors, the average asking price in July was $202,000.

Houston’s July homebuilding numbers have been helped by a steep demand for new homes and a low inventory of available units. 7,769 homes were sold last month, which is a 1% increase over July 2014. It took an average of 45 days to sell a home, with sales for homes valued over $150,000 sharply increasing, while sales of lower-valued homes valued dropped off.

Master-planned communities in and around Houston account for much of the home building boom. CDC Houston is building Springwoods Village, with a projected 4500-5500 units to be built out. The Woodlands Development Corp. is expanding within The Woodlands and Bridgeland, with a combined 55,210 lots to be developed over the next two decades. The Johnson Development Company will be building out a combined 11,500 residential lots in Riverstone and Woodforest, over the next five years. 2014-2106 will see Newland Communities, Inc. build 12,800 new homes in Telfair and Cinco Ranch. Caldwell Companies expect to finish building out 3,210 lots in Willowcreek and Towne Lake between now and 2018. River Park West, The Vintage, and Cypress Creek Lakes will see Mischer Investments, LP, build out over 2,400 during the next five years. Finally, Friendswood Development Co. plans to develop 2,429 lots in two Kingwood neighborhoods, Royal Shores and Oakhurst, over the next few years.

USGBC’s Greenbuild Expo Adding Sustainability Summits to 2014 Program

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Greenbuild , the United States Green Building Council’s annual conference and exposition, will be happening from October 21-23 this year as the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Already well-known for educational presentations and exhibits featured on the showroom floor, Greenbuild is enhancing its educational offerings with three summits at this year’s expo.

The Affordable Homes and Sustainable Communities Summit will take place on Tuesday, October 21, 2014 from 9:00 AM-5:30 PM. Dedicated to sharing knowledge and problem-solving  about green affordable housing and sustainable community development, attendees are dedicated to “expediting the economic, social, and ecological health of underserved communities. Dr.  Antwi A. Akom, associate professor of Environmental Sociology at San Francisco State University and co-founder of the Institute for Sustainable economic, Educational, Environmental Design will deliver the opening address. Sessions on healthy housing, community engagement, profitability and affordable green housing,  gentrification, and investment in underserved communities will be featured at the summit.

The Materials and Human Health Summit will also take place on Tuesday October 21, from 9:00AM-5:30PM. Internationally renowned designer, strategist, and sustainable growth pioneer William McDonough  will present the opening address. Sessions will focus on on purchasing and spec transactions, life-cycle assessment for whole buildings, LEED v4’s impact on the materials market, how to interpret environmental product descriptions (EPD) & health product declarations (HPD) when crafting a bill of materials, and building a sustainable materials workforce.

Both the Materials and Human Health Summit and the Affordable Homes and Sustainable Communities Summit  will share a closing keynote address by  Acting U.S. Surgeon General, Rear Admiral Boris D. Lushniak, MD, MPH, who will be discussing the role of the U.S. Public Health Service in collaborating to with the building and materials industries to improve and promote the health of individuals, families, and communities.

The Vision 2020 Sustainability Summit also takes place on Tuesday the 21st, but runs from 7:45AM-4:30PM. This summit offers continuing education units to maintain your LEED certification, and affords networking opportunities for those working in sustainable building. The focus of Vision 2020 is to demarcate critical sustainability goals and determine what needs to happen in order to meet these goals by 2020. Energy and water efficiency, building science, indoor environmental health,  materials and products, design, economics and financing, underwriters, codes and regulations, and sustainable communities will be discussed at this summit.

Strong Sales and Slow Building Starts Split Oklahoma City Housing Market

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2014 saw the Oklahoma City housing market slowly build back up. Pre-existing home sales have steadily increased. But even as areas near Moore and Edmond have expanded out, the home building market in Oklahoma city hasn’t quite rallied to the level market prospectors hade hoped.

According to the Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association and Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors, buyers have been paying more for their houses, but this positive development has been offset by a drastic shortfall in the supply of new housing and labor shortages. The inventory of new homes is dropping drastically, and while the prices are higher, demand has dipped.

With the strong local economy, high employment rates, and low mortgage rates, it’s difficult to tell exactly why the single-family new homebuilding market is underperforming even as the sale of existing housing remains strong.

Construction was slower this year in part because of the weather. The severe winter conditions caused construction delays, as did the exceptionally wet spring season. But as things warmed up and dried out, the awaited upturn hasn’t quite materialized.

According to the building permit reports, home building stats are down 8.9% compared to last summer across Canadian, Cleveland, and Oklahoma counties. Permits were down 10.3% in Oklahoma City, Edmond, Midwest City, and Norman for the first half of 2014.

Part of the problem lies in the lack of developed land. When the real estate market tanked in 2008, land investment and acquisition did, too. Because it takes an average of two years to credential and entitle land tracts in preparation for development and building, and nobody has been buying land since 2008, there aren’t a lot of lots that are ready to become developed subdivisions. Developers are just now beginning to invest in land again, and these lots won’t be ready for another 2 years.

Another issue is that the supply of new homes has been so low that the prices for new homes, as compared to prices for existing homes, has been disproportionately high, which has kept buyers from entering the game. the Oklahoma City Metro Association of Realtors report a 2.58 increase in home sales for July, with and overall increase of 12.07% over the last summer’s rates.  The housing inventory of newly built homes is lowest in the middle- and lower-middle price range where most people live. There is a 3.3 month supply for homes priced $125,001-$200,000, and a 3.4-month supply for homes priced $75,000-$125,000.

Modest New Home Market Expected to Continue

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After 6 years of doldrums, the overall housing market in the U.S. is finally back on track. But the new residence sector of the market is “running in place,” maintaining the modest gains made over the beginning of the year but not quite breaking through to growth levels.

According to Regions Financial chief economist Richard Moody, “the new-home sales figures by now have that lived-in feeling, with few signs of a significant change, in either direction, over the near term.” The sales pace of newly built homes is approximately 8% lower than last year’s figures, with July’s seasonally adjusted sales rate running 2.4% lower than June.  The median price for a new home was 269,800 for July, with is the lowest rate since February.

Despite appearances, these numbers aren’t quite as terrible as they seem. New home sales in the South region are up by 5.4%. More importantly, the inventory of newly built homes reached a four-year high in July, with the six-month supply rate running over 5%. Given the serious labor and lot shortages that have strained residential homebuilding in recent years, these numbers are a positive indicator that the market grown for new homes is stabilizing, which experts consider a precursor to steady future market growth.

Patrick Newport and Stephanie Karol, economists for IHS Global, identify the modest pace of new home sales as a “temporary result of an inadequate supply of new homes,” which has driven the house prices up in the hotter housing markets.

The current mortgage rates are also beneficial for the US Housing market. According to Freddie Mac, the current average interest rates on mortgages sits at 4.10%, down from the 4.58% rate of a year ago.