BUILDER NEWS NAHB Urges Prompt Senate Action on Banking Bill GNAHB is urging the Senate to move quickly to pass the Economic rowth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (S. 2155), banking reform legislation now pending in the upper chamber. In an official statement, NAHB Chairman Randy Noel said: “NAHB commends the Senate for working in a bipartisan manner to advance S. 2155, legislation that contains critical reform elements that would help ease tight credit conditions that are keeping more home buyers on the sidelines even as the housing recovery picks up steam. “S. 2155 shows that lawmakers from both sides of the political aisle can work together on meaningful legislation that would alleviate harsh regulatory constraints on Main Street banks that have unnecessarily impeded a more robust housing and economic recovery. “We urge the Senate to pass this bill soon.” Read More The Big Voice Trend Ahead in Smart Home Tech oWhat are the big developments in smart home technology? And what’s n the horizon in the next year or two? Gordon van Zuiden, founder of the San Francisco home technology company cyberManor, has the answer to both questions: Voice control. The range of devices that can be controlled by voice is limitless. Stoves and fridges have joined smart thermostats and lighting in the category of appliances that can be adjusted by speaking. Simply put: If it’s got power, there’s the potential for voice control. “What’s happening right now is that voice control is evolving the same way that the personal computer or the internet did when they were first introduced: Things begin as complex systems, become simplified, and then so ubiquitous we don’t even think about their presence much,” said van Zuden. “We’re in the transition phase from complex to simple when it comes to voice control. It’s a march towards the ‘frictionless home’. A march toward the ultimate goal of: ‘I think something. I want something. It should do something,’” he said. Read More 20 HBRA of Fairfield County | MARCH 2018 Home Features Buyers Consider Essential nNAHB regularly conducts ational polls of American adults and home buyers in order to understand new trends and preferences in the housing market. This is the fourth in a series of posts highlighting poll results, as presented during the 2018 International Builders’ Show in Orlando, FL. See previous posts on tiny homes, driverless cars, and time searching for a home. A recent poll asked prospective first-time and second-time+ home buyers which features they considered essential in their next home. More than 40% of first-time home buyers think the list in blue below is essential, starting with a living room, a laundry room, a dining room, garage storage, and a walk-in closet in the master bedroom. Other features essential to many first-time buyers include a front porch, a 2-car garage, and a double sink in the kitchen. The list of essential items is a bit longer among second-time+ buyers. It includes many of the same features wanted by first-time buyers, plus a few more: a patio, table space for eating in the kitchen, hardwood floors in the main level, energy-star appliances, and granite countertops in the kitchen. Interestingly, the top two features are identical for both groups, although in reverse order: the laundry room and the living room. Read More
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