May 2016
Supported By
In Remembrance
HBAGNO Past President and found of LAS Enterprises, Leon A. Szyller passed away last Wednesday, April 27 at the age of 88. We owe much of our good fortune to our past leaders, and thank Mr. Szyller for his contributions to the industry. We wish the best to his family. 

Services were held Thursday, April 28. For those wishing to show support, the family asks to please consider a donation to the Northshore Jewish Congregation and/or Congregation Gates of Prayer in Metairie.
Recruit 3 & You're FREE


Recruit at least 3 new Builder or Associate members in 2016 and your next membership renewal will be free. Affiliate members or members being reinstated within 1 year not included in promotion.

If you are referring the new member to  SIF Workers' Comp Program (which could pay for their first year's dues,) please make sure to TELL LAUREN (504.837.2700 or lauren@home-builders.org) that you recruited them prior to the Board of Directors meeting that month.

If your 2016 membership renewal comes up prior to recruiting the 3 members, your 2017 renewal will be comped. Only the first 3 members will be counted (recruiting 6 new members does not grant 2 years of membership renewal.)


Resources:
  • Use the SPIKE ROLODEX to help identify potential new members that you work with daily. Give the completed Rolodex to Lauren to find out who's already a member. 
It's National Home Remodeling Month!
Utilize your website, social media, and print materials to publicize National Home Remodeling Month in May!

The National Association of Home Builders provides lots of resources -including the banner ad to the right - to help your campaign. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/1NGqVwE 


Join us for our next Remodelers Council meeting! Thursday, May 12 here at the HBA office - 2424 N. Arnoult Road. Professionals from  AdvantaClean will be sharing information on how to control mold & moisture in buildings - a major issue for our area! RSVP to Lauren if you are interested in attending. 
Ample Ammunition
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at elliot@graphsandlaughs.net. His daily 70 word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.

There exists concern among many that should another recession come soon, the government will have few, if any, tools to bring the economy back towards growth and prosperity because interest rates are already near rock bottom. As a result, it is feared that our economy could quite possibly remain in the doldrums for some time. Fortunately, this is simply not true. There remain numerous tools at the disposal of the Fed and of the Congress. Below are some ideas that are surely being considered should more intervention become necessary.
To begin, the central bank could once again ramp up its purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) through another round of quantitative easing. But rather than sticking to just Treasuries and MBS, this time the Fed could buy a much broader range of assets, including high-yield bonds, stocks, and even real estate to get asset prices up and markets out of the doldrums.
Another step the Fed could take is to push interest rates into negative territory, meaning it would start charging, yes charging, banks to keep money on deposit rather than paying them the current rate of 0.5%. While this seems preposterous, at present central banks in Denmark, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland, along with the European Central Bank are doing precisely this. The aim would be to encourage banks to lend by penalizing them to hold cash. In a similar vein, the Fed could alternatively pay banks to lend money to borrowers. This policy is less harmful than using negative interest rates, as it does not reduce bank profits nor does it encourage banks to charge their depositors to keep deposits on hand to recoup the money paid to the Fed. Paying banks is akin to using a carrot, lower rates; a stick.
In addition to the above, the Fed could also promise to keep mortgage rates at or below a certain level for an extended period of time with the explicit aim being to boost lending activity by enabling more people to qualify for a mortgage. This would boost home sales and residential construction activity.
Another way to boost spending and inflation is for the government to announce a tax cut and issue bonds to finance it. But, rather than selling the bonds to private investors (which takes money out of circulation), the Fed would buy the bonds. This "Helicopter money" (HM) named in honor of Milton Friedman and which fuses fiscal and monetary policy, is as close as you can get to raining cash from the clear blue sky like manna down on households. While HM is not to be rushed into, in a deep recession or global crisis, it might well make sense. And, if it were coordinated by a group of rich countries, all the better.
Lastly, the Congress could surprise us and use fiscal policy and pass structural reforms. Fiscal policy such as large tax cuts or spending on large infrastructure projects would give private sector firms more confidence about future demand and thus make a recovery more likely. Structural reforms could include tax reform and increased deregulation.
In short, the government is far from being out of policies that could be employed to jump-start the economy in the event of a recession in the near future. While some policies will undoubtedly work better than others, the key will be to implement a number of them at once.

From last month... 
There will be NO RECESSION in 2016!
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at elliot@graphsandlaughs.net. His daily 70 word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.

Despite all the news to the contrary, the US economy is in pretty good shape, better than the financial pundits think. Sure, the stock market has taken a battering of late, exploration and production activity in the oil patch has been declining, and exports are performing poorly, but the rest of the economy is fine. The service sector continues to grow nicely and construction activity continues to increase. Let's take a closer look at the facts.
The recent tumble in equity prices has nothing to do with a slowing economy and is not the precursor of a recession. Rather, the declines are the result of three quite independent factors. First, as the Fed raises interest rates, the value of financial assets must decline. Remember, the Fed initially lowered rates to boost asset prices and stimulate spending. As this process slowly unwinds, the value of equities must decline. Second, corporate profits have been flat for several quarters, and third, even at today's somewhat lower equity values, P/E ratios remain high by historic standards.
As for exports, the US is much less dependent on them than most nations. Exports of goods to China total less than one percent of GDP, while exports of goods to Europe are about 1.5% of GDP. While exports of services such as movies, music and intellectual property add to these totals, they do not vary much with economic conditions. As a result, while a 10% decline in exports certainly hurts manufacturers and their employees and reduces GDP by about 0.2%, it is far from catastrophic in an economy growing by a healthy 2.5%.
Regarding falling oil and gas prices, the benefits to the economy are just beginning. Until now, the price declines have resulted in large cutbacks in exploration and production (E&P) activity, as well as related manufacturing, construction and oil services activity that supports oil and gas E&P. The key here is that cheaper energy prices have boosted household incomes by about $130 billion or $1,000/household. While to date most of this money has been socked away, I expect that to change and to see increased consumer spending this year and next as households perceive the recent price declines as somewhat permanent.
Most importantly, the rest of the economy is already doing well. Unemployment is at 4.9% and will decline further as the year progresses, and at 4.9%, unemployment is already at one of the lowest levels in decades. Moreover, home sales and prices are up, as is loan demand. In addition, tight labor markets are finally leading to sizable increases in hourly earnings, which will boost household spending further, and inflation, which has been completely dormant for several years, appears to be rising. This is a particularly welcome development given that Japan and Europe continue to fight deflation.
Lastly, services, which account for roughly 84% of GDP, and construction activity, which accounts for about 6% of GDP, both of which are almost entirely domestically focused, are in fine shape and growing nicely. During the past 12 months, construction activity increased by 10.4% and services grew by 3%. In short, the parts of the economy that are inwardly-centered are doing well, and the negative impacts of softer growth from abroad are not nearly strong enough to derail our economy. As for the upcoming election, let's fervently hope that the threats to dramatically raise taxes or increase the deficit do not come to pass.

Eclipse Reflective Housewrap
Builders and homeowners can now save time and money with RoyOMartin's Eclipse Reflective Housewrap. Eclipse is a reflective insulation that replaces traditional housewrap, saving builders 40% in time and labor, in addition cost savings on materials. Simply install Eclipse as you would standard OSB, and tape the seams for continuous insulation. Videos on installing Eclipse can be found at our website www.royomartin.com or on YouTube. 

In addition to time, labor, and material savings, the homeowner will enjoy energy savings and comfort in their home, with inside temperatures cooler in the summer months and warmer in the winter months. RoyOMartin's Eclipse is available FSC Certified, and is made right here in Louisiana.

To find out more about Eclipse and how it can transform your building process, you can visit our website or contact the sales rep in your area, Amanda Vincent, at amanda.vincent@royomartin.com.

Member Rebate Program
The Member Rebate Program is a free member benefit of your State & Local Home Builders Association.

There are over 40 of the country's leading manufacturer brands participating in the Member Rebate Program.

Visit Member Benefits for more information, or CLICK HERE to view an online brochure with helpful information about the program.
In This Issue:
Recruit 3 & You're FREE
Recruit 3 & You're FREE
Recruit 3 & You're FREE
From Last Month
NEW JOB POSTING

Also Supported By: 

 

 

 

Did you know you can renew your membership online? 

Just login from the HBAGNO homepage to renew your membership.

May Calendar of Events
All Events held at HBA office unless otherwise noted 

See details below for 
"Featured Events"

11) Executive Committee Meeting @ 3pm 

12) Remodelers Council Meeting @ 12pm

13) 2nd Quarter President's Reception @ 11:30am
Ralph's on the Park

17) HBA Board of Directors Meeting @ 4pm

18) FREE Sales Training - Human Behavioral Styles @ 8:30am

20-21) Wess Wyman Memorial Fishing Rodeo, Venice, LA

30) Memorial Day, Office Closed
FEATURED EVENTS
Thursday, May 12
12 - 1pm


Remodelers Council Meeting

Location: HBA Office

Topic: Mold & Moisture in Attics, Interiors & Crawlspaces

Hosted By:

Friday, May 13
11:30am - 1pm

2nd Quarter President's Reception

Location: Ralph's on the Park, 900 City Park Avenue

Topic: Diversifying Economy & Future Housing Needs

Speaker: Michael Hecht, GNO, Inc.

Sponsored by
 

Wednesday, May 18
8:30 - 10am
 
FREE Sales Training: 
DISC - Human Behavioral Styles

Location: HBA Office

Friday, May 20 - 
Saturday, May 21
 
Wess Wyman Memorial Fishing Rodeo

Location: Cypress Cove Marina, Venice, LA

Registration fee goes up after May 6! Get your team in today.

In Every Issue
JOB POSTINGS

Salesperson
Warehouse/Forklift Operator
Goldin Metals
Harvey, LA

Email:
or Visit:

Apply in person at Harvey facility.
QuickLinksQuick Links & Resources



* Under Compliance, click on Employers' Workers' Compensation Coverage Verification
NAHB Online Courses Logo
2016 Senior Officers of the Board

President, Floyd Simeon
Vice President, Mike LeCorgne
Treasurer, Frank Morse
Secretary, Michael Kraet
Immediate Past President, Roy Olsen

2016 Board of Directors

Steve Albert
John Arms
Alexis Brown
Nick Castjohn
Charlie Fontenelle
David Gaspard
Phil Hoffman
Kevin Katner

Jo Ann Kostik
Peter Lanaux
Bruce Layburn
Harold LeBlanc
Brian Mills
Scott Morse
Helmut Mundt
Randy Noel
Lynda Nugent Smith
Rolf Parelius
Kimberly Rooney
Dorothy Stanich
Zach Tyson
Kirk Williamson
Steve Wobbema
Wes Wyman


HBA Staff Contacts

Jon Luther, Executive Vice President
Philip Thomas, Education Director & NOEL Program Director  philip@home-builders.org
Lauren Galliano, Director of Membership & Industry Relations   lauren@home-builders.org
Rita Bautista, Governmental Affairs Representative    rita@home-builders.org
Shane Gray, Accountant  shane@home-builders.org


Did We Miss Something?
Please contact Lauren at the HBA office with any pertinent industry-related issues and/or professional achievements you'd like to share with your association members.

Feature Articles in upcoming issues of sticks & bricks or HBA's printed publication, the homebuilder quarterly(HQ), are FREE opportunities for HBA members to market themselves to 1,000+ industry professionals.

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