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Week of April 7, 2008
States Act to Ease Credit Woes
Even as the U.S. Senate makes another pass at a bipartisan solution to the nations housing crisis, states have already approved legislation designed to help lessen the wave of mortgage foreclosures. [ more ]
Government Affairs Recognition Awards Launch at Spring Board [ more ]
State and Local Events at 2008 Spring Board [ more ]
Tight Budgets, Rising Costs Squeeze States [ more ]
NAHB Resource for Research and Technical Assistance [ more ]
Lt. Governors Ascend to Top Spot 15 Times This Decade [ more ]
Register Online for Spokesperson Training [ more ]
Latest Census Bureau Estimates of Population Growth [ more ]
Building for Boomers & Beyond Symposium Coming to New Orleans May 19-21 [ more ]
Housing and auto layoffs expected to be high
By Martin Crutsinger, Of The Associated Press
Hospitals, schools and the assembly line at an airplane factory look like pretty good places to be with a recession looming and unemployment rising. Construction workers, real estate agents and auto workers aren't expected to fare as well.
The startling news that the economy lost 80,000 jobs last month and nearly a quarter-million over the last three months is the starkest signal yet that the country has probably fallen into a recession, with things on the job front expected to get worse.
"All the indicators suggest that we will see even larger job declines in coming months. Businesses are getting nervous and pulling back," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.
While the downturn is expected to be short and mild, economists are still forecasting the unemployment rate, which jumped to 5.1 percent in March, will climb much higher before the nation's job engine sputters back to life.
Modification could allow on-lot sewage disposal
By Freda R. Savana,The Intelligencer
While terms of the settlement were already spelled out, Bucks County Court has approved a modification to an agreement between Plumstead and the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority.
According to the change, a developer, or anyone who wants to subdivide a property, cannot claim an on-lot sewage disposal system wouldn't work because it would result in the construction of fewer homes, explained Jeff Garton, the authority's solicitor.
In other words, if building fewer homes would mean an on-lot system would work, then the developer needs to install one.
Dems lead in Bucks, Montco
By: Jenna Portnoy, The Intelligencer
Don’t be surprised if Bucks and Montgomery County Democrats show up to work a bit foggy-headed this morning.
They had reason to celebrate Monday when word spread that registered Democrats overtook Republicans by a combined 11,000 voters in the two counties — 7,533 in Montgomery and 3,472 in Bucks.
That’s big news for former Republican strongholds where the GOP retains the majority of county commissioners and has held the registration advantage for decades in Bucks and for as long as anyone can remember in Montgomery.
But it didn’t happen overnight, say Democratic Party leaders.
In Bucks, party Chairman John Cordisco is quick to note that Democrats haven’t lost a registration battle in five years. Registration for the upcoming April 22 presidential primary only put them over the top.
Development approval overturned
By: Theresa Katalinas, Bucks County Courier Times
A Newtown Township resident won a bid to “minimize the footprint of development” on the 63-acre Goodnoe tract.
Bucks County Judge Robert J. Mellon this week threw out the Newtown Township supervisors' September conditional use approval, which would have allowed Orleans Homebuilders to construct 21 homes at 235 Eagle Road. Most of the land was owned by Karen Goodnoe, who sold the land to Orleans. She is the ex-wife of former supervisor Raymond “Skip” Goodnoe.
The judge's decision came after resident James J. McCrane III filed a lawsuit in October claiming that the development “exceeds the allowable net building site area” and that “the open space designated within the development constituted leftover and unusable lands.”
Sale of home to benefit charities
By:Sandra Moyer, The Intelligencer
Picture this: a brand-new 5,600-square-foot home overlooking the neatly manicured greens of a golf course.
Cross the threshold and it gets better, with a large, eat-in kitchen filled with the latest appliances, a cozy second-floor library overlooking the light-filled family room and a home gym with mirror-lined walls in the basement.
Think it might be your dream home?
Some builders are banking on it.
And some charities will benefit.
The Home Builders Association of Bucks and Montgomery Counties is sponsoring the sale of a new home in Mignatti Co.'s Golf Club Estates at Heritage Creek in Warwick.
