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ASHI Government Affairs Special Report
The principal intent of the Stimulus legislation signed into law by the President this week is to infuse cash into the economy in ways targeted to stimulate economic activity. The current economic downturn is closely related to the crises in the housing/mortgage defaults/home foreclosures. Much of the legislation focuses on housing issues. To the extent that the Stimulus will be successful in defining a bottom in the housing markets and spurring new home sales activity (and new revenue opportunities for professional independent home inspectors), the legislation has the potential to positively impact all members of ASHI. Beyond that, individual ASHI members may have specific programmatic interests in the Stimulus that could benefit their individual practices or have a prominent impact in their marketing territories. ASHI has identified and highlighted specific provisions in the Stimulus that may have impact on or utility for ASHI members. This report is intended for ASHI members only, to help
you monitor local market developments and make
business decisions.
You are invited to review this targeted list of spending
initiatives supported in the Stimulus and strategize
how best you might use this information - perhaps in
coordination with local government officials and
business contacts - to your business advantage.
KEY PROVISIONS IN STIMULUS OF INTEREST
TO ASHI
Expanded Tax Credit for First-time Homebuyers
The Stimulus increases the tax credit for first-time homebuyers to $8,000. This provision expands and improves the tax credit, which was enacted in 2008 with ASHI support as a means to incentivize credit- worthy first-time buyers to enter the market and make entry-level purchases. While the size of the credit was raised less than hoped, the Stimulus removes the repayment provision, making the credit a "true" tax credit and a greater incentive to buy. This provision is effective for purchases between January 1, 2009 and December 1, 2009, encouraging buyers to enter the market sooner than later. Home Inspection Opportunities: Do your other marking materials, including your Web site, reach out to first-time buyers assuring them you are the home inspector who wil help them take this big step? Community Development Fund: Community
Development Block Grants and Neighborhood
Stabilization Program
The Stimulus provides $3 billion, of which $1 billion is appropriated for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and $2 billion is available for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP). NSP funding will assist states, local governments, and nonprofits in the purchase and rehabilitation of foreclosed, vacant properties to create more affordable housing and reduce neighborhood blight. Home Inspection Opportunities: Learn more about these programs and grants to identify opportunities in your city and state. Neighborhood Stabilization Program Grants HUD CDBG Contacts Rural Housing
The Stimulus provides $200 million. The amount of funding provided by the Stimulus will support $11,472,000,000 in direct and guaranteed single family housing loans under the Rural Housing Insurance Fund, of which $1 billion is for direct single family housing loans and $10,472,000,000 is for guaranteed single family housing loans. Home Inspection Opportunities: Identify and market to potential purchasers eligible for this program. Assisted Housing Stability and Energy and Energy
And "Green Retrofit Investments
The Stimulus provides $2.25 billion. Of this amount, $2 billion will provide full-year payments to landlords participating in the Section 8 Project-Based program, and $250 million will support a program to upgrade HUD sponsored low-income housing to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and furnaces. The legislation specifies, "Grants or loans shall include a financial assessment and physical inspection of such property". Home Inspection Opportunities: Learn how to be listed on the FHA inspector Roster and investigate UPSC Inspection Certification Training for Inspectors. Expanded Tax Credit for Home Energy
Retrofits
The stimulus boosts the existing 10 percent tax credit for retrofitting existing homes with energy efficient improvements or qualifying equipment to 30 percent. Home Inspection Opportunities: Are you interested in becoming qualified to do energy audits? There are a number of ways to do so. Read about some of them in the ASHI Reporter. Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Energy
Efficiency & Conservation Block Grants;
Weatherization Assistance Program and State Energy
Program
Funds under this heading include $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. There is $5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program. Further, there is $3.1 billion for the State Energy Program, which primarily addresses renewable energy development. Home Inspection Opportunities: Prepare yourself to take advantage of energy efficiency business opportunities. Consider each program independently. Contact your state and local officials to identify business opportunities funded by each. For instance, eligible activities under the EECBG program include conducting residential and commercial building energy audits. Download a PDF with more information here. Low-income Home Energy
The final version of Stimulus does not include funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program Public Housing Capital Fund
The Stimulus provides $4 billion. This funding will assist public housing authorities in rehabilitating and retrofitting public housing units. HUD shall make available $1 billion by competition for priority investments, including investments that leverage private sector funding or financing for renovations and energy conservation retrofit investments. Home Inspection Opportunities: Add multi- unit inspections to your services and learn how to get your inspections accepted by HUD. Office of Lead Hazard Control and Healthy
Homes
The Stimulus provides $100 million. Funding is provided for competitive grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to remove lead-based paint hazards in low-income housing. Projects that were highly rated in 2008 competitions but were not funded due to constrained resources will be the focus of these resources, thereby encouraging that the funds will be spent quickly. Home Inspection Opportunities: Market your lead inspection expertise to local governments with grants and to low-income housing landlords. Federally backed Mortgage Loan Limits
The Stimulus raises the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), Fannie and Freddie loan limits for calendar year 2009 to the level set in calendar year 2008. Home Inspection Opportunities: More loans; more homebuyer inspections. Home Investment Partnerships Programs
The Stimulus provides $2.25 billion. Funds are provided to coordinate with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit to fill financing gaps caused by the collapse of the tax credit market and to jumpstart stalled housing development projects. Home Inspection Opportunities: Learn more about HUD's requirements for new homes. Native American Housing Block Grants
The Stimulus provides $510 million. This funding will rehabilitate and improve energy efficiency in housing units maintained by Native American housing programs. |
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ASAP Environmental
HEALTHY HOMES FOR BETTER LIVING
1 Arcadia St. Dorchester, MA 02122
inspections@asapenvironmental.com 800-349-7779 www.asapenvironmental.com
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The chapter's next membership meeting and
educational program will take place on Thursday,
March 26th at The Lantana in Randolph, MA. The
meeting will start with dinner at 5:00 followed by the
roundtable at 6:00.
Next we welcome Bill Hulstrunk, technical manager
for National Fiber who will discuss the many types of
insulation used in buildings over the years. He will
highlight how to identify them in the field and discuss
their manufacture, performance and problems and
issues of associated with each. He will also offer a
look at cellulose insulation in terms of benefits, air
movement reduction, moisture control, fire resistance,
sound attenuation and vermin & mold control. During
the second half of our program, Gregory Stratis of E.F.
Shea New England Concrete Products, Inc., will offer
a presentation about retaining walls, including the
definition of Segmental Retaining Walls (SRW's), their
planning and design and the engineering principles
that back them up. He will also discuss E.F.
Shea/ReCon including product features and
specifications, product benefits and its use in wall
construction. Examples of wall installations will be
highlighted. Time will be provided for questions and
answers.
I look forward to seeing everyone at this membership
meeting to hear these excellent speakers.
Bob Mulloy, Education Chairman
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FREA
E&O Insurance for Home Inspectors
800-882-4410 www.frea.com |
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I want to introduce you to the Council of
Representatives and explain their role in the
organization
NEW ENGLAND
Chapter COR Representatives
William Sutton
Bay Colony Inspection Consultants Milton, MA 02186 Phone: (617)698-0945 Cell number: (617)694-4224 Email: wsuttoninspector@hotmail.com Website: www.billsutton.com ASHI Certified Inspector Lisa Alajajian- Giroux
HomeQuest Consultants Milford, MA 01757 Phone: (877) 898-9990 Cell number: (508) 292-2635 Email: homequest1@comcast.net Website: www.homequestconsult.com ASHI Certified Inspector Lisa Alajajian-Giroux, New England/Canada - Group
Leader/Group Secretary
New England Chapter President
ASHI chapters and unaffiliated members are
represented on the council, which is divided into 10
geographic regions.
Each region has a group leader.
Once a quarter, the group leaders participate in a
conference call chaired by the COR speaker Howard
Pegelow. They discuss the upcoming ASHI Board
meeting for the purpose of offering direction to the
board members. Ideally, such direction is from the
ASHI membership, as passed through their
respective council reps, when practical.
The position of council rep is important to ASHI. First
of all, council reps are the conduit between the
general membership and the board and committees.
They also perform an important duty, forming the
nomination committees for both the slated officers
and directors. As a whole, they elect the ASHI Board of
Directors from within. These directors and officers are
the governing body of our organization. For us to grow,
we need your assistance.
The council representatives are here for each of you.
Please feel free to contact any of us to assist you in
your needs.
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CORCORAN & HAVLIN INSURANCE GROUP
THE SUPERIOR HOME INSPECTOR ERRORS &
OMISSIONS INSURANCE PROGRAM!
Underwritten by AIG's Lexington Insurance Company - Rated A++ by A.M. Best Home Inspector E&O Coverage offers these features:
For a quote or more information, please call Debi
Drury (x244 or ddrury@chinsurance.com) or
Mike Curtis, Marketing Manager (x243) or visit
website at www.chinsurance.com
287 Linden Street, Wellesley, MA 02482 800-304-8242 Fax 781-235-7190 |
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Baseball's opening day may be only seven weeks
away, but the housing market just hit a triple for first-
time homebuyers, according to the latest housing
report from the Massachusetts Association of
REALTORS® (MAR).
"With historically-low mortgage interest rates, average
home prices at their lowest level in years, and the new
Federal $8,000 tax credit, the housing market just hit
a 'triple' for first-time homebuyers in the
Commonwealth," said MAR President Gary Rogers, a
broker at RE/MAX First Realty in
Waltham. "Meanwhile, the December 1 deadline for
that tax credit and shrinking supply of homes for sale
really makes this a good time to get into the market to
buy a home. Starter home sales really get the market
moving for everyone else who already owns a
home."
The Association reported today that single-family
home sales were down 12.5 percent in January
compared to the same time last year. Despite the
drop in sales activity, January is only the second
month in the past five that sales have been down.
Condominium sales were down 26 percent in January
compared to the same time last year. The median
price for a single-family home in January was
$263,500 while the median price for a condominium
was $204,000.
There were 1,737 detached single-family homes sold
this January, a 12.5 percent decrease from the 1,986
homes sold the same time last year. On a month-to-
month basis, home sales were down 33.8 percent
from 2,623 homes sold this past December. While
the month-to-month decrease in sales is significant, it
is not unprecedented for this time of the year as
January sales typically go down from December.
"Affordability has improved in Massachusetts, so even
when sellers accept a more modest price for their
homes, they find their next home to be much more
affordable," said Rogers.
The median selling price for single-family homes in
January was $263,500, a decrease of 17.9 percent
compared to $321,000 in January 2008. On a month-
to-month basis, the January median selling price was
down 4.2 percent from $275,000 in December 2008.
The January median selling price is back to 2002
levels.
The condominium market experienced a 26 percent
decrease in the number of units sold this January,
compared to the same time last year (from 850 units
sold in 2008 to 629 units sold in 2009). On a month-
to-month basis, condominium sales were down 33.3
percent compared to the 943 units sold this past
December. Similar to the single-family market, it is
not unprecedented for condominium sales to go down
significantly from December to January. The January
median selling price for condominiums is back to
2003 levels
Condominium median selling prices in January were
down 26.1 percent from $276,000 in 2008 to $204,000
in 2009. On a month-to-month basis, the median
selling price of a condominium was down 11.3
percent from a December median of $230,000.
Inventory and Days on Market:
The inventory of residential properties on the market
as of January 31, 2009 decreased 20 percent
compared to the same time last year (from 44,540
listings in 2008 to 35,459 listings in 2009). At the
current sales pace, this represents approximately
15.0 months of supply, a decrease from 15.7 months
of supply in January 2008. On a month-to-month
basis, the average months of supply is up from 10.0
months in December 2008. It is considered a
balanced market when there are between 7.5 and 8.5
months of supply.
The inventory of single-family homes decreased 19.0
percent from January 2008 (30,559 listings in 2008 to
24,822 listings in 2009) which translates into 14.3
months of supply in January 2009. This is down from
15.4 months of supply last year and up from 9.6
months of supply in December 2008. This is the 10th
straight month that inventory has gone down
compared to the year before and is at its lowest level
since February 2005.
The condominium market saw January inventory
decrease by 24 percent from last year (13,981 listings
in 2008 to 10,637 listings in 2009), which translates
into 16.9 months of supply, up from 16.4 months in
2008 and up from 11.3 months this past December.
This is also the 10th straight month that inventory has
gone down compared to the year before and it is the
second lowest level since December 2004.
Detached single-family homes stayed on the market
an average of 146 days in January 2009 compared to
an average of 143 days in January 2008, while condos
stayed on the market an average of 179 days, up from
an average of 165 days in January 2008. On a month-
to-month basis, days on market for single-family
homes were up from 140 days and condos were up
from 142 days in December.
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CRACK-X
Got water in your basement?
Since 1985, CRACK-X has been a full service company specializing in residential and commercial foundation welding of cracks and other concrete repairs such as bulkheads, penetrations, cold joints, elevator pits, and slabs. We are committed to 100% customer satisfaction and back up all vertical wall crack repairs with an unconditional 10-year warranty. 25 Washington Avenue, Natick, MA 01760
877-272-2539 www.crackfx.com |
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B-Dry Systems
20 YEARS OF SOLVING WATER PROBLEMS
Written warranty for the full life of the structure. 800-320-2379
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The New Hampshire Board of Home Inspectors has
announced that their next board meeting will be held
on April 30, 2009 at 9:00 am at their office at 57
Regional Drive in Concord, NH. For more information
including a list of board members, please go to the
website below.
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Vent Master
ATTIC VENTILATION SPECIALISTS
Inspectors, when you see signs of:
Recommend Vent Master For a FREE consultation, call Don Marcoux at Vent
Master
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in
cooperation with the firm named below, today
announced a voluntary recall of the following
consumer product. Consumers should stop using
recalled products immediately unless otherwise
instructed.
Name of Product: Bosch® and Siemens® Model
Dishwashers
Units: About 476,500
Manufacturer: BSH Home Appliances Corp., of
Huntington Beach, Calif.
Hazard: An electrical component in certain model
dishwashers can overheat, posing a fire hazard to
consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: BSH Home Appliances has
received 51 reports of incidents, including 30 reports
of fires resulting in property damage. No injuries have
been reported.
Description: This recall involves certain Bosch® and
Siemens® dishwashers manufactured from May 1999
through July 2005. The brand name is printed on the
dishwasher's front control panel. Model and serials
numbers are located inside the dishwasher door
panel on the upper right side.
Brand Model Numbers Must Begin With Serial
Numbers within the range of
Bosch SHE43C, SHE44C
SHE46C, SHE56C
SHU33
SHU42
SHU432
SHU43C, SHU53A FD8503 - FD8507
FD8501 - FD8505
FD7905 - FD8505
FD8407 - FD8505
FD8004 - FD8211
FD8205 - FD8507
Siemens SL34A FD8308 - FD8505
Sold at: Appliance and specialty retailers nationwide
from May 1999 through December 2006 for between
$550 and $1,100.
Manufactured in: United States
Remedy: Consumers should immediately stop using
the listed model dishwashers and contact the repair
hotline for a free repair.
Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact
the BSH Home Appliances at (800) 856-9226 anytime
or visit the brand's Web site at
www.boschappliances.com or www.siemens-
home.com
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Peter Greifer Enterprises
ASBESTOS REMOVAL & MOLD REMEDIATION
Serving Eastern Massachusetts & Rhode Island 800-582-5288
401-946-4506 (Rhode Island) peter.greifer@verizon.net |
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The ASHI NE Chapter maintains a library of
educational books, video tapes and CD's for Chapter
members and candidates to utilize for personal and
business growth. Those who wish to sign materials
out may do so for a fee of $16 per item ($10 per
tape) which covers two-way shipping and handling.
Library materials may be used for a two week period,
beginning on the date of shipment. Those who fail to
return library materials on time will be assessed a
fine
of $1 / day. If the materials are not received back
within two months of date of shipping, you will be
charged the cost of replacement. To sign materials
out, there is a form that is posted on our web site
that is to be completed and sent to the executive
office. It is always recommended that you call the
executive office to check on the availability of an
item. Once this form is received, the executive office
will ship the items out with a postage paid return
envelope. The list of the materials that are currently
available in the chapter library is on the web site as
well.
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Rene Mugnier Associates
When in doubt, refer to a structural engineer
specializing in the investigation of homes and
commercial structural problems.
REHABILITATIONS & INVESTIGATIONS
777 Concord Ave., Ste. 201, Cambridge, MA 02138
617-547-7773 |
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The Massachusetts Board of Registration of Home
Inspectors holds meetings on a regular basis that are
open for home inspectors to attend. These board
meetings are usually held at 239 Causeway Street,
2nd Floor, Room 204 in Boston from 10:00 am to 3:00
pm.
The meeting dates for 2009 are as
follows:
May 13, 2009 July 15, 2009 September 16, 2009 November 18, 2009 You are encouraged to call the board office at 617-727-
4459 for any posssible changes in location and time
of these meetings.
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Atlas Watersystems
WE DON'T MAKE THE WATER.
WE MAKE THE WATER BETTER!! Residential & Commercial Water
Filtration & Purification Water Testing & Analysis
Radon & Arsenic Remediation Softeners * Filters * Purification 800-215-9966 www.atlaswater.com "Bringing Technology to Water"
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President
Lisa Alajajian-Giroux /
homequest1@comcast.net
Vice President
Mike Atwell /
m.atwell@rcn.com
Secretary Donald Bissex /
dbissex@comcast.net
Treasurer
Paul Kristenson /
absinspections@comcast.net
Directors
Paul Cornell / pcornell@inspecthouses.com Paul Rogoshewski / paul@harmonyhomeinspection.com Council of Representatives
Lisa Alajajian / homequest1@comcast.net Bill Sutton / wsuttoninspector@hotmail.com Committee Chair
By- Laws: Mike Atwell / m.atwell@rcn.com Communications: Education: Bob Mulloy / rmulloy@verizon.net Legislative: Membership: Executive Director
Walter Perry /
wperry@choiceonemail.com
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We look forward to seeing you at our monthly membership meeting on March 26th !
Sincerely,
ASHI New England
email:
clough@choiceonemail.com
phone:
800-248-2744
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