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At the NAHB Board of Directors meeting last week, the association unveiled an important new member benefit for builders, developers and others who want to know more about the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s plans to step up the “listing” process for endangered and threatened plants and animals under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The interactive species finder map allows members to search by state and county to determine the status of the more than 1,400 species currently protected by the ESA as well as the status of 700 additional species whose listings are now in the planning stages. The NAHB Environmental Issues Committee touts this new member benefit as an “early warning system” for builders who might want to reconsider how to develop a specific property or whether to even purchase it based on its likelihood of being designated as an endangered animal’s critical habitat. State and local home builders associations may also find it helpful to know what listings are in the works for their market areas so that they can begin putting resources together for comment letters and other tools to address proposed listings and habitat designations. Importantly, the new map tool also includes a set of Frequently Asked Questions designed to explain how the ESA works and explain some of the related terminology.

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Just in time for the biggest grassroots lobbying event of the year for the nation’s housing professionals, our association has unveiled a new NAHB Advocacy App for

iPhone, iPad and Android mobile devices. The app brings the ability to participate in key

lobbying activities straight to your fingertips, making it super-easy to add your powerful voice to those of your fellow home builders, remodelers and associates as we fight to improve the climate in which our members do business. Not only that, but over the next few months, the app will be expanded and regularly updated to provide real-time news updates, legislative alerts and more.

In preparation for your travels to Capitol Hill as part of this week’s Legislative Conference, the NAHB Advocacy App offers the following features:

• Calendar of the day’s events
• Talking points on various policy issues
• Directory of congressional contacts
• Map of Capitol Hill
• NAHB Member Legislative Conference guide with staff contacts
• Live Twitter updates and social media sharing
• Legislative Conference feedback form

The NAHB Advocacy App, available as of May 31, can be downloaded free of charge through the Apple App Store and Google Play — NAHB has even developed a quick tutorial video to show you how. You don’t have to be a ”techno-geek” to employ this smart resource that adds even greater value to your NAHB membership, so why not put it in your virtual toolbox right now?



Upon entering this castle’s foyer, the grand spiral staircase winds up to the second floor.

The large master suite features a bayed sitting area, luxurious master bath with his and hers vanities, separate tub and shower and his and hers walk in closets.

The great room separates the master suite from the breakfast room, kitchen, living room, dining room and bar.

To the rear of the home is the veranda with a fireplace to keep you cozy warm on those spring and fall eves.

Three double doors lead you through the great room to the back yard and pool. A pool bath between the veranda and the mud room makes for convenience for family and guests.

Going up the spiral staircase to the second floor you will have your choice of any one of four bedrooms, each with their own private baths. There is a raised media room and a large game room next to the loft and possible exercise or optional bedroom.

Choose from more than 400 house plan designs that we offer in a wide range of styles and sizes.  Some of our more popular house designs include European-inspired Georgian and palladian homes, English manor house plans, Tuscan-style Italian villas, French chateaux, and colonial house plans.  Our Tuscan-style villas range from 1800 to 14,814 sf, and Newport classic house designs range from 1500 to 5000 sf.  Our starter castles, mansions and estate homes are designed int he grand tradition of some of the most impressive homes in the world.  Please feel free to search our house designs offered.  Our plans have been built around the globe, from Canada to Dubai, and one could be just for you!

Nationwide housing affordability held near historic highs in this year’s first quarter, according to the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI), released May 14.

In all, 73.7% of new and existing homes sold between the beginning of January and end of March were affordable to families earning the U.S. median income of $64,400. This is down just slightly from the 74.9% of homes sold that were affordable to median-income earners in the final quarter of 2012.

Commenting on the latest data, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe noted that ”HOI results for the beginning of 2013 are little changed from what they were at the end of 2012, with Ogden-Clearfield, Utah holding onto the title of the nation’s most affordable major housing market and San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif. retaining its position as the least affordable major market.

The bottom line is that, for consumers who can qualify for a mortgage at today’s attractive rates, the majority of homes being sold remain within their grasp in markets nationwide.” This was the third consecutive quarter in which Ogden-Clearfield hit the top of the affordability chart for major markets. There, 93.4% of all new and existing homes sold in this year’s first quarter were affordable to families earning the area’s median income of $70,800 – essentially unchanged from the 93.7% of homes affordable to median-income earners at year-end 2012.

Other major U.S. housing markets at the top of the affordability chart in the first quarter included Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.; Lakeland-Winter Haven, Fla.; Youngstown-Warren-Boardman, Ohio-Pa.; and the two New York metros of Syracuse and Albany-Schenectady-Troy, which tied for fifth on the list.

On the flip side of the coin, this was the second consecutive quarter in which the San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, Calif. metro area hit the bottom of the affordability chart for major markets. There, just shy of 29% of homes sold in the first quarter were affordable to families earning the area’s median income of $102,000.

Other major metros at the bottom of the affordability chart included New York-White Plains-Wayne, N.Y.-N.J., and the three California metros of Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale; and San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, in that order.



June is National Homeownership Month, and NAHB is offering an online toolkit to help HBAs and members take advantage of this important time of year. The kit has customizable resources for highlighting the benefits of homeownership, including print and web ads, a brief video, sample social media posts, talking points and radio spot scripts as well as articles of interest to current and potential home owners. To download these great materials, visit www.nahb.org/homeownershipmonth. You can start with the Guide to Celebrating National Homeownership Month, which provides ideas for events to engage the media, city and county officials, local home buyers and other members of the community in celebrating homeownership.

Choose from more than 400 house plan designs that we offer in a wide range of styles and sizes.  Some of our more popular house designs include European-inspired Georgian and palladian homes, English manor house plans, Tuscan-style Italian villas, French chateaux, and colonial house plans.  Our Tuscan-style villas range from 1800 to 14,814 sf, and Newport classic house designs range from 1500 to 5000 sf. Our starter castles, mansions and estate homes are designed in the grand tradition of some of the most impressive homes in the world.  Please feel free to search our house designs offered.  Our plans have been built around the globe, from Canada to Dubai, and one could be just for you!

• Character Is Key

A columned porch and diamond-pattern muntins on the windows add old-school charm to this newly built home. Inside, the owner wanted to stay true to the home’s cottage-inspired style. To do that, she chose a variety of homespun elements to create a space that looks informal yet stylish.

• Things Are Looking Up

A subdued palette of grays and browns gives the open layout of the home a sense of cohesion. In the hallway, antique-look pendants replaced basic builder fixtures and hint at the homeowner’s personal style. The beehive-shape light fixtures add plenty of vintage character at a much lower price than true antiques.

• On the Menu

After years of gathering decor ideas, the homeowner decided it was time to infuse her home with some of her favorites. Here, using an idea she saw on a TV show, she covered the upper portion of the dining room walls with chalkboard paint. Not only did the walls become a focal point, but they can also serve as an easy-to-read menu board while entertaining. Warm wood floors and furniture warm up the black-and-white walls.

• Homey and Warm

Subdued colors enhance the home’s coziness, while flea market treasures and homespun accents add intrigue. Here, a variety of textural fabrics, such as burlap curtains and flour-sack pillows, add depth in the living room. The large coffee table turns the living room into a casual eating spot and is big enough to be reach from every seat.

• Creative Collections

A seltzer-bottle collection adds bold impact as a mantelscape. The large metal star on the stone fireplace surround once hung on a barn; it serves to distinguish the living room’s focal point.

• A Delicate Balance

While this makeover added plenty of character, ease was also a goal. Above the island, an old iron pot rack relaxes the tad-too-traditional space and puts pots and pans within easy reach. Removing the door from one of the upper cabinets gave space to show off a collection of white dishware.

• Sweet Dreams

In the master bedroom, splashes of bright pink—inspired by the azalea photo that was enlarged and cut into quarters—create a feminine retreat. A dark wood bedroom set grounds the space by providing contrast to the soft blue walls. Lamps mounted directly to the walls above the headboard free up space on the nightstand for decorative elements and reading materials.

• Cultivated Style

A built-in dresser turns an awkward alcove into a convenient vanity area. A tree-inspired jewelry holder marries style with function and blends well with the room’s floral-inspired decor. A trio of rectangular mirrors above the dresser received a dose of personality with bold pink frames.

The Archival Designs‘ staff would like to extend wishes for a very safe Memorial Day weekend.

Choose from more than 400 house plan designs that we offer in a wide range of styles and sizes.  Some of our more popular house designs include European-inspired Georgian and palladian homes, English manor house plans, Tuscan-style Italian villas, French chateaux, and colonial house plans.  Our Tuscan-style villas range from 1800 to 14,814 sf, and Newport classic house designs range from 1500 to 5000 sf.  Our starter castles, mansions and estate homes are designed in the grand tradition of some of the most impressive homes in the world.  Please feel free to search our house designs offered  Our plans have been built around the globe, from Canada to Dubai, and one could be just for you!

Builder confidence in the market for newly built, single-family homes improved three points to a 44 reading on the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index (HMI) for May, released this Wednesday. The gain was from a downwardly revised 41 reading in April, and reflected improvement in all three index components.

Specifically, the component gauging current sales conditions increased four points to 48, the component gauging sales expectations for the next six months edged up a single point to 53 – its highest level since February of 2007 — and the component gauging traffic of prospective buyers gained three points to 33.

In general, builders are noting an increased sense of urgency among potential buyers as a result of thinning inventories of homes for sale, continuing affordable mortgage rates and strengthening local economies. This is seen as an encouraging sign, even as concerns related to costs and supplies of building materials, lots and labor are rising in some markets.

Commenting on the latest survey findings, NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe noted that, “While industry supply chains will take time to re-establish themselves following recession-related cutbacks, builders’ views of current sales conditions have improved and expectations for the future remain quite strong as consumers head back to the market in force.”

Drilling down to the regional picture, three-month moving averages of HMI scores didn’t budge this time around for the Northeast, Midwest or South, which held unchanged at 37, 45 and 42, respectively. Only the West recorded a decline, of six points to 49 in May.

A correction from an unsustainably high level of production on the volatile multifamily side was largely responsible for a 16.5% dip in nationwide housing starts to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 853,000 units in April, according to data released this week by HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.

However, permits for new construction headed solidly higher in the month, with a particularly strong gain in multifamily issuance. NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe noted that, along with new permits, permits that had been issued but not yet used rose in April, which is a good indicator that the dip in building activity was likely a “temporary pause” due partly to unseasonably poor weather conditions.

While single-family starts posted a modest, 2.1% decline to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000 units, multifamily starts posted a 38.9% decline to 243,000 units for the month.

• Combined starts activity was down 12.8% in the Northeast,
• 27.9% in the South and
• 6.2% in the West, but increased
• 10.9% in the Midwest.

At the same time, permit issuance, which can be an indicator of future building activity, gained 14.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.02 million units. That’s the fastest pace since June of 2008. The increase reflected a 3% gain to 617,000 units on the single-family side and a 37.5% gain to 400,000 units on the multifamily side.

Beyond that, three out of four regions posted double-digit permit gains in April:

• the Midwest had a 22.3% increase,
• the South a 16% gain and
• the West a 12.9% improvement.
• The Northeast posted a 2% decline.

Choose from  more than 400 house plan designs that we offer in a wide range of styles and sizes.  Some of our more popular house designs include European-inspired Georgian and palladian homes, English manor house plans, Tuscan-style Italian villas, French chateaux, and colonial house plans.  Our Tuscan-style villas range from 1800 to 14,814 sf, and Newport classic house designs range from 1500 to 5000 sf.  Our starter castles, mansions and estate homes are designed in the grand tradition of some of the most impressive homes in the world.  Please feel free to search our house designs offered.  Our plans have been built around the globe, from Canada to Dubai, and one could be just for you!

Today’s photos are those of Archival Designs’ Luxury House Plan Pontarion.

• String Artwork

To make this tree-motif string art piece, coat a piece of plywood with black interior latex paint. Sketch a tree lightly in pencil. Begin pounding 1-inch white nails into the plywood along the design at random intervals. Tie nylon cord to the lowest, left-most nail and begin looping the cord around the surrounding nails. Keep the nylon taught at all times. Work your way up the tree and extend out to each branch, ending at the top. Tie a tight knot at the top-most nail. Finish by tying 2-inch pieces of color cording to a few nails at the tips of the branches. Display in an oversize frame, or cut and miter molding to border the plywood.

• Keyed In

Unlock the secret to creative wall art with this quick and easy project. Apply white acrylic paint in vertical brushstrokes to the entire surface of a stretched canvas. While the paint is still wet, add a few thin gray lines and blend using vertical brushstrokes to create a striated appearance. When the paint is dry, use twine to tie a vintage key to the front of the canvas.

• Travel Documents

Keep vacation memories fresh with this easy and inexpensive wall art project. Cut a map to standard printer-paper size (8 1/2×11 inches). Use a word processor to create words, phrases, symbols, or photos that remind you of the special places you’ve traveled. Print your design on the map. Use spray adhesive to affix the map to a store-bought art canvas. Brush on two coats of decoupage medium, allowing the canvas to dry between applications to seal it. To give a newer map a weathered look, soak it in extra-strong coffee or black tea for an hour, then hang it up to dry.

• Gallery-Inspired Display

A stenciled wall treatment creates a spunky backdrop for a collection of crisp white-painted frames in this living space. Several of the frames were outfitted with shelves to create display space for art and other treasures. Purchase floating shelves with keyhole screw backs, or cut lengths of medium-density fiberboard shelves to size, then secure with blind shelf supports. For quick wall art, print a favorite lyric or quote on letter-size veneer sheets – available at most crafts stores – and frame.

• Hand-Drawn Wall Art

Even if your art skills are elementary, doodle on! With a marker in hand you can create one-of-a-kind wall art and unexpected updates for basic home decor in a matter of hours. Write a favorite quote, song lyric, or poem on a fabric scrap then frame, and enjoy. Draw a simple picture, then employ a blending technique to make it something truly special.

• Love Letters

Practice your A, B, C’s with this quirky art piece. Prime a piece of scrap wood and paint the background the color of your choice; let dry. Scour a junk drawer for small- to medium-size items that could work as letterforms. Disassemble or rework the items as needed to create new shapes. Remember, once the pieces are painted the same color, the form will be much more recognizable. After the pieces are selected, prime and then spray-paint them with a contrasting color; let dry. Apply a second coat and, once dry, attach to the background using contact adhesive.

• Sharpie Wall Frames

It’s hard to miss the writing on the wall with these showstopping frames sketched in black marker. Model the frame shapes after ornate versions of the real thing, using antique portrait frames for inspiration. Add diagonal lines at the corners to suggest depth. To highlight the differences in dimensions between your frames and art pieces, hang a three-dimensional sculpture or vase within one frame.

• Wall Decals

Perfect for a dorm room or rental, wall decals are a fun – and removable – way to add interest or define a space. This floor lamp and bookshelf decal gets a personalized touch when the book spines are embellished with bits of pretty scrapbook paper, held in place with double-stick tape. Decals work best on smooth walls. For a large decal like this one, begin applying the decal to the wall at the bottom of the design and work your way up. Follow package instructions for smoothing out bubbles and sealing edges.

• Embroidered Canvases

Thick yarn in natural colors makes this botanical wall art a standout piece. Use crafts paint and a foam brush to paint a store-bought canvas. Sketch a botanical design into card stock. Position the card stock in the dry canvas and lightly tape the edges to secure it. Use a heavy-duty needle to poke evenly spaced holes along your design through the canvas. Remove the card stock. Thread an embroidery needle with yarn. Beginning at the back of the canvas, use the existing holes to embroider the design. Use a thinner yarn or different color to highlight various areas of the design. Frame the canvas in a weathered-look frame to continue the rustic nature theme.

• Paint Chip Sunburst

This simple star burst can be recreated in a matter of hours. At a home center, select free paint chips in colors that coordinate with your space. Cut them into 1/2×2-inch strips. Use a compass to draw a 2-inch circle in the lower left-hand quadrant of a stretched canvas. Draw a 4-inch concentric circle around the first one (these will be your guides for applying the paint strips). Beginning in the upper right-hand quadrant of the canvas, adhere the strips to the canvas with a decoupage medium. They should appear to radiate out from the center of the penciled circles. As you work your way toward the circles, begin adding the darker strips. When you reach the 4-inch circle, attach only one end of the strip, allowing the other end to pop off the canvas to create depth. Finish in the center of the 2-inch circle with the darkest color.

• Photo Block Collage

Get favorite photos out of the attic or off of your digital camera and onto a wall with a photo collage. Choose images from a special vacation, shots of your garden in bloom, vintage family photos, or any other images you enjoy. Mount the photos to colorful blocks using spray adhesive. Lay out your desired pattern on the floor (we chose a heart) and use picture hanging strips to hang the blocks onto the wall.

• Twiggy Canvas

Using black acrylic paint and a thin paintbrush, paint several vertical twigs and birds on a stretched canvas. Find a real twig that roughly matches the size of your hand-painted ones, then paint it with a bright color (we chose fiery orange). Hot-glue a bird, painted the same color, to the twig, and then hot-glue the twig to the canvas.

Choose from more than 400 house plan designs that we offer in a wide range of styles and sizes.  Some of our more popular house designs include European-inspired Georgian and palladian homes, English manor house plans, Tuscan-style Italian villas, French chateaux, and colonial house plans.  Our Tuscan-style villas range from 1800 to 14,814 sf, and Newport classic house designs range from 1500 to 5000 sf.  Our starter castles, mansions and estate homes are designed in the grand tradition of some of the most impressive homes in the world.  Please feel free to search our house designs offered.  Our plans have been built around the globe, from Canada to Dubai, and one could be just for you!