Builders Outlook 2016 Issue 1

The millennial generation is poised to make asignificant impact on home design with their strongpreferences for energy efficiency and smart hometechnology; comfortable, workable kitchens and morecasual spaces, said speakers today from the NationalAssociation of Home Builders (NAHB) and BetterHomes and Gardens. Both spoke at a press conferenceon housing preferences for millennials, Gen X, boomersand seniors held during the NAHB InternationalBuilders Show In Las Vegas.

Builders Outlook

But first, they have to move out oftheir parents homes and into a placeof their own, said NAHB AssistantVice President for Survey ResearchRose Quint. In 2015, about 15percent of adults ages 25-34 livedwith a parent, about 3 percent morethan the highest share between 1983and 2007 12 percent. Thattranslates into 1.3 million people whonormally "would be out there, formingtheir own households, demandingtheir own units," either as buyers orrenters, she said.Quint had anticipated that new

mortgage programs and loosermortgage insurance requirementsunveiled a year ago would have ledto an increase in consumers buyinghomes for the first time. But a look atthe size of the typical new single-family home in 2015 found theopposite: home sizes grew to anaverage of 2,721 square feet, thehighest yet, and an indication that thenew-home market continues to bedominated by move-up buyers, ratherthan first-time buyers."Before we see that expected

pullback in square footage and price,were going to have to see asignificant return of the first-timebuyer," who is more likely to buy asmaller home at a lower price point,Quint said.This year, home buyers of all ages

say they are looking for homes withseparate laundry rooms, energy-starappliances and windows, exteriorlighting and a patio.What they dont want are rooms

with cork flooring, elevators, petwashing stations, expensive outdoorkitchens and fireplaces, and two-storyentryways and family rooms. Andtheir countertops should be granite,but never laminate, according to aFall 2015 survey of potential buyers.In terms of house type, buyers want

a detached, single-family home: 65percent of all buyers and 68 percentof millennials expressed that

preference. That number rises to 72percent with Gen X (born between1965 and 1979) but falls somewhat to55 percent with those born before1945, Quint said.Better Homes and Gardens Brand

Executive Editor Jill Waage echoedQuints findings on preferences forwell-equipped kitchens and casual,comfortable living spaces especiallyoutdoor living rooms, wheremillennials want to entertain theirfamilies and friends.Whats important about this

generation is their comfort withtechnology. Millennials "are leadingthe way on this," Waage said. "Theyare the first generation to walk intohomeownership with a smartphone intheir hands."These millennials want to use

technology to make entertainmentchoices easier, monitor the comingsand goings of packages, repairmenand their children, and improve theirhealth and well-being. When it comesto product choices, "theyve read theratings, comments and reviews, andthey know whats worth it," and haveprobably created a Google alert sothey know when its on sale, she said.Their home improvement

preferences center on homeorganization and workspaces, as theseparation between working in anoffice and telecommuting continues toblur."This generation is searching out

ideas, following bloggers," andcreating Pinterest boards with theirpreferences, Waage said. "Theyvealready curated their dream homeonline, saving it on their boards sothey can [be ready] when the dayfinally comes."The survey results are also

important to home builders in the 55+market, said David Peskin, presidentof Reverse Mortgage Funding LLC(RMF), which sponsored the NAHBstudy on consumer preferences. Theboomer generation is currentlyexperiencing a transition to their next

phase of life, so the home buildingand finance industries should committo better understand the wants andneeds of this generation to offer thebest possible solutions for them,"Peskin said."The results of this important

survey shed light on the buyingpreferences of older Americans, andconfirm that an uneasiness overfinances is one of the primary

reasons they are hesitant aboutrelocating to a new residence thatbetter suits their needs. At RMF, weare committed to helping homeowners age 62 and older meet theirfinancial needs, so this data will beinformative to the way we educateconsumers about our Home EquityConversion Mortgage for Purchase(H4P) product."

National, State & Local Building Industry News2016: Issue 1

www.elpasobuilders.com

Millennials toShape HousingPreferences Once They Start Buying

2 Builders Outlook 2016 issue 1

HEAT UP YOUR SALES WITH NATURAL GAS.Nothing is more attractive to homebuyers than the right mix of comfort and value. Natural gas homes can provide both.

Natural gas furnaces are more efficient than their electric counterparts, and natural gas dryers can dry two loads of laundry for the cost of drying one load in an electric model.*

For more information:[email protected] Nieves: 915-496-6126Jorge Sejera: 915-680-7216

*Source: Council for Responsible Energy

The year got off to a shaky start, withthe Dow Jones losing over 1,000 pointsor 6% in the first week, oil pricessettling at their lowest level sinceFebruary 2004, China facing aconsiderable economic slowdown andan across the board commoditiescrash signaling we have oversuppliedthe market with production capacityand inventoried goods. Weve seenbetter days, but such is the nature ofeconomic cycles. At the end of the day, a lot comes

down to consumer sentiment, peoplewill keep buying homes if they feelconfident in the economy and securityin their jobs, and of course, havemoney in their pockets. Fortunately for us, lower prices at the

pump mean more money inconsumers pockets and thus more

disposable income for goods andservices, did anybody say mortgagepayment?Another positive for us here in El

Paso is that according to pastperformance, we should have nowhereto go but up. For those of you whoattended the installation in Decemberand had to sit through my nerdypresentation, you might remember thegraph that represents starts in El Pasofor the past 15 years. (Pictured above)This graph shows that even during

the worst housing crisis in recordedhistory, we were starting about 2,640

homes a year, in 2015 we only pulledaround 2,000 permits. We haventstarted less than 2,000 in 20 years, soit is very unlikely that we start less thanthat in 2016. Another important issue at stake

here is lot availability. Its been gettingharder and harder for developers toproduce affordable lots given todaysdevelopment costs, we can only hopethat the commodities crash will helpalleviate some of the costs associatedwith developing land, such as diesel,hot mix asphalt and concrete.It is my opinion that tight supply of

affordable lots has created someupward pressure on affordable housingdemand in the Sun City, I believe thelow number of starts we had last yearis another representation of thisphenomenon. In conclusion, I predict a little bit

more of the same for 2016, El Pasoseems to walk to the beat of its owndrum and that drum has been knockingout at least 2,000 homes per year forthe past 20 years, so lets keep ourheads up and build El Paso.

32016 issue 1 Builders Outlook

CarlosVillalobosPresident,El Paso Association of Builders

Year off to shaky start but El Paso is steady as she goesPresidents Message

Even during the worst housingcrisis in recorded history, we werestarting about 2,640 homes a year,in 2015 we only pulled around2,000 permits. We havent startedless than 2,000 in 20 years, so it isvery unlikely that we start less thanthat in 2016.

Insurance developed for builders.Developed for builders with the backing of the strongest insurance carriers serving the Texas building industry, our insurance program oers exible coverage options and rates that are more competitive than ever. As an authorized member of Builder Agent Network, were dedicated to providing builders and contractors with the best-in-class insurance programs, pricing, underwriting, resources and service.

Product Portfolio Highlights

tA rated carriers, several availablet(-PFSJOHDoverage for property damage that results from faulty, defective, or poor workmanship in your work. t(--JNJUTPGVQUP...BvailabletExpanded policy form for commercial projectstBuilders Risk master policies, monthly reporting, annual and one shotst Workers Comp - Two highly cost-eective programs tExDFTT-JBCJMJUZGPS$PNNFrcial (eneral Contractorst$PNNFrcial Umbrella

www.builderagentnetwork.comwww.hubinternational.com

El Paso, Permian Basin and Surrounding AreaHUB International Insurance Services-VJT3PTBT915-206-6047

A trip to Las Vegas to visit theInternational Builders Show (IBS)was just what the doctor ordered. Igot to visit with old friends, makenew ones, and most of all hangaround our members away fromhome. Thanks to all of you that tookthe time and expense to go. Myspecial thanks to Randy and Bobby,Edmundo and Carlos, Fernandoand Sam. Also to Randall and hisfamily for a great start to the week.Make plans for Orlando next yearand the year after. I hope to beable to go then as well. Going away has its advantages,

but once you get back you realizereally quickly that youre not inVegas anymore. Its a challengingtime for us at the EPAB mostlybecause weve changed our routineand its creating some confusion,mostly about dues. Let me repeat

here that we have changed the duedate for all members to January ofthe calendar year for renewals.That means that no matter if youused to be billed in April, you arenow going to be billed in themonths of November andDecember for payment of dues bythe end of January. If you haventpaid by then you are considered indefault of membership. With themove to January and the duesincrease some of you are nowrealizing we just made the change.If you have any questions on thatplease call me. But mostimportantly mark your calendar forJanuary dues. Now isnt thatsimple? The Pope is coming, the Pope is

coming and this city is going toexperience something eithermagical or frightening. Traffic on

the week of February 15 is going tobe brutal, according to all theinformation we know. If you dontneed to be south of the I-10 onPapal day February 17 then dont.Schools are closing, city hall isclosing, and downtown will becordoned off. Even sections of Loop375, the border highway, Paisanoand others will be shut down. Seeour accompanying press releasefrom the City of El Paso. Be safe,be cautious.

Finally I have had the opportunityto be invited to speak before somefinancial folks about new homeconstruction in El Paso. Somethings that are being looked at iswhat is hurting the industry? Is itover regulation, tougher qualifyingfor customers, and higher landprices or does it come from the onebig thing we can control. Thatsbonuses to realtors and agents.This is a questionable practice thatis anti-consumer and anti-industrysome say. Things are alreadytough enough without these costlyadventures. Trust me that it is alocal practice that doesnt makeeconomic sense to any builder. Andit looks like its inviting regulators toinspect the practice. Just saying,dont gamble with your businessthis way.

Ray Adauto,Executive Vice PresidentEPAB

4 Builders Outlook 2016 Issue 1

What do Las Vegas, the Pope and homebuilding have in common?

ExecutivesMessage

GINDILUB El Pa aso SINC 0951EC


Builder Confidence HoldsFirm in Januaryn Builder confidence in the market fornewly-built single-family homes held steadyat 60 in January from a downwardlyrevised December reading of 60 on theNational Association of HomeBuilders/Wells Fargo Housing MarketIndex.

After eight months hovering in the low60s, builder sentiment is reflecting thatmany markets continue to show a gradualimprovement, which should bode well forfuture home sales in the year ahead, saidNAHB Chairman Tom Woods, a homebuilder from Blue Springs, Mo.

Januarys HMI reading is right in linewith our forecast of modest growth forhousing, said NAHB Chief EconomistDavid Crowe. The economic outlookremains promising, as consumers regainconfidence and home values increase,which will help the housing market moveforward.

Derived from a monthly survey thatNAHB has been conducting for 30 years,the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing MarketIndex gauges builder perceptions of currentsingle-family home sales and salesexpectations for the next six months as"good," "fair" or "poor." The survey alsoasks builders to rate traffic of prospectivebuyers as "high to very high," "average" or"low to very low." Scores for each

component are then used to calculate aseasonally adjusted index where anynumber over 50 indicates that morebuilders view conditions as good than poor.

The HMI component gauging currentsales condition rose two points 67 inJanuary. The index measuring salesexpectations in the next six months fellthree points to 63, and the componentcharting buyer traffic dropped two points to44.

Looking at the three-month movingaverages for regional HMI scores, all fourregions registered slight declines. TheNortheast, Midwest and West each posteda one-point decline to 49, 57 and 75,respectively, while the South fell two pointsto 61.

Residential RemodelingSpending Trending Upn Spending on residential remodels willcontinue to trend upward, according toexperts at a press conference hosted bythe National Association of Home Builders(NAHB) Remodelers at the InternationalBuilders Show in Las Vegas. Professionalremodelers from around the country agreedwith the forecast, citing clients increasedfinancial security.

NAHB projects that remodeling spendingfor owner-occupied single-family homes willincrease 1.1 percent in 2016 over 2015,and another 1.9 percent in 2017.

Our remodeler members have regainedconfidence in the market as home ownersmove forward with new remodelingprojects, as reflected in the positive fourthquarter results of NAHBs RemodelingMarket Index, said 2016 NAHBRemodelers Chair Tim Shigley, CAPS,CGP, GMB, GMR, a remodeler fromWichita, Kan. NAHB Remodelers looksforward to working in a strengthenedmarket as remodeling continues toincrease in popularity.

After recent revisions, Census estimatesnow indicate that improvements to owneroccupied housing increased at a real rateof 1.3 percent last year, which is consistentwith NAHBs expectations and our measureof remodelers sentiment, said Paul

Emrath, NAHBs vice president for surveyand housing policy research. Goingforward, we expect this modest growth inthe market to continue, fueled in part bysteady appreciation in house prices that willenable owners to tap into their home equityto fund remodeling projects.

While the economic recovery hasbrought about a surge of remodelingactivity for second homes in our market,access to credit continues to hamper theremodeling markets full potential locally,said Jeff Grantham, CAPS, CGP, CGR,GMB, a remodeler from Petoskey, Mich.We remodel many of these homes tomake them accessible to family membersof all ages.

National Builder News

NAHB projects thatremodeling spending forowner-occupied single-

family homes will increase1.1 percent in 2016 over2015, and another 1.9

percent in 2017.

Looking at 2016, the domesticeconomic landscape looks solid, albeitunspectacular. The unemploymentrate should continue falling, houseprices are likely to rise by 5%, and theeconomy will be led almost entirely bythe continuing improvement inhousehold balance sheets, and inconjunction with increasedemployment and slightly faster wagegrowth. Government spending will beslightly higher in 2016 (but not enoughto matter), capital expenditures byfirms will remain weak, and exports willcontinue to suffer due to the strong USdollar. The most serious domesticproblem is weak inflation, and it should

begin to increase. Despite continuingpoor global economic growth, theAmerican economy will not weaken,but is also unlikely to strengthen much. With this in mind, I expect full-year

2016 GDP to come in at 2.4%, slightlyhigher than the expected 2.2% GDPgrowth experienced in 2015. Newhousing starts should increase byabout 12%, with total starts coming inat 1.25 million. Single-family starts willlikely total 830,000, up from 710,000,while multifamily starts should hit410,000, up from 400,000. New andexisting home sales should rise byabout 4% and end the year at 6.0million, with mortgage purchasevolume advancing by $60 billion andrefinance activity falling by about $250billion. Housing inventories shouldjump by about 150,000 units, to 5.5months of inventory, up from 5.0months now. Given the continued improving labor

market, expect net new monthly jobgrowth to average 185,000/month,which while down from 205,000/monthin 2015, is excellent given the

shrinking size of the working agepopulation. As a result, theunemployment rate should fall from5.0% today to between 4.6% and 4.8%by year end and possibly lower,depending upon the behavior of thelabor force participation rate (LFPR). Ifthe LFPR rises, and that would begood, unemployment may end the yearas high as 4.8%, but if the LFPRcontinues to fall, an unemploymentrate of 4.6% or even 4.5% is distinctlypossible. As for inflation, headline inflation will

noticeably increase while core inflation(which excludes food and energy)edges up only slightly. Inflation shouldrise because energy and commodityprices are not likely to fall further andthe dollar is unlikely to continuestrengthening. As a result, thedownward pressure these forces haveexerted on headline inflation will ceaseand headline inflation, now at 0.3%,should move towards the core ratewhich is now at 1.3% and will probablyrise to 1.7% by year end, which is stillbelow the Fed target of 2%. As a

result, the Federal Reserve will havethe luxury of time to slowly raise thefederal funds rate from where it is now,between 0.25% and 0.50%, tobetween 1.00% and 1.25% by yearend, with a rate increase coming everythree to four months As a result of slightly faster GDP

growth and falling unemployment in2016, 10-year Treasuries will end theyear at 2.75% and 30-year mortgagerates will probably hover around 4.5%as the yield curve flattens due to fasterrising short-term rates. But slightlyeasing credit conditions and risingconsumer spending due to improvingemployment numbers and wages willkeep the economy and housing marketon track despite mildly higher interestrates. Finally, I put the chances of arecession in 2016 at 15% to 20%. Solook forward to steady economicactivity in 2016 and fear not slowlyascending interest rates.

Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President ofGraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached [email protected]. His daily 70 wordeconomics and policy blog can be seen atwww.econ70.com.

6 Builders Outlook 2016 Issue 1

FinancialPerspective

Elliot EisenbergEconomic & PolicyBlog

Economic Forecast:2016: Slightly Better Than 2015

U.S. recession cries get louderAmerica's economy is not in a recession, butfears of one are growing fast.http://money.cnn.com/

The chance of the U.S. sinking into afull-blown recession now stand at 18%,according to a CNNMoney survey ofeconomists this week.That's nearly double what the

nation's top economic policymakerpredicted only a month ago.Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen

put the probability of a recession in2016 at about 10% during herDecember press conference after theFed raised interest rates for the firsttime in years.She has said repeatedly that she

thinks a recession is not on thehorizon. The U.S. has enjoyed twoyears of incredibly strong job growth --the best since 1999 -- and theeconomy is expanding at a healthypace of around 2% a year."There are plenty of things to worry

about in the world, but the health andongoing strength of the U.S. economyis not one of them," says James Smithof EconForecaster.com.But the risks are rising, and the

pessimists are getting bolder in theirpredictions.The stock market is off to its worst

start ever to a year. China's stockmarket is tanking again, pulling muchof Europe and Asia into bear marketterritory. While it's clear that China'seconomy is slowing down, no one iscertain just how bad it is. Chinese datais questionable, and the country's head

statistician is now under investigationfor possible corruption.While the U.S. remains healthy for

now, to paraphrase John Donne, "noeconomy is an island" anymore.There's a spillover effect.American stocks plunged into

correction (a 10% drop) this month asinvestors don't see how U.S.companies can continue to grow a lotwhen China and so many emergingmarkets are having issues.Citigroup predicted a 65% chance of

a U.S. recession, a call that was soeyebrow raising that Yellen herself feltthe need to swat it away, calling it"absolutely" wrong.The stock market almost never leads

the economy into a recession. It'susually the other way around."The equity market has completely

divorced itself from U.S. economicfundamentals," says Bernard Baumohl,chief economist at The EconomicOutlook Group. "Low interest rates,cheap oil prices, and the lowest inputcosts ever for business are not -- andnever will be -- the precursors ofrecession."Nearly all the experts say the key is

the American consumer. As long aspeople keep spending, the U.S. -- andthe world -- should pull through.But there are warning signs even

beyond the stock market."The manufacturing sector is already

in recession," says Brett Ryan, chiefeconomist at Deutsche Bank. Ryan

and many economists told CNNMoneythey are watching claims forunemployment benefits closely as anindicator that the strain is movingbeyond manufacturing and into otherparts of the economy.Beyond jobs, Ryan is also watching

car sales, tax receipts and loans(specifically the Fed's senior loanofficer survey). So far, everything otherthan manufacturing still looks solid.The Fed's modest interest rate hike

was supposed to be a vote ofconfidence that the U.S. economy hadfinally put the Great Recession behindit and was back on solid footing. Butnow Washington, Wall Street and Main

Street question if that optimism is fartoo rosy.The Fed predicts four more rate

hikes in 2016. Investors now thinkthat's far-fetched and will be watchingthe central bank's statement closely onWednesday for signs the Fed is "onhold" again."It's no leap to say the four rate

hikes envisioned by the Fed this yearseem increasingly implausible," wroteMorgan Stanley in a recent report."Stall speed in the U.S., or even a shiftto a lower channel of growth, wouldlikely halt the Fed in its tracks."

72016 ISSUE 1 Builders Outlook

Buildeers OutlookOn the Scene

Board Member OrientationThe 2016 Board of Directors had an orientation on what

and hows of being a director for the association. RayAdauto did a quick review of what the association is andisnt and how each director must conform to regulationsthat affect the board. What I want them to go out with isthe understanding that this is much a business as it isanything else, and we have responsibilities to uphold, Raytold the Outlook. Among the issues that were presentedwas the importance of protecting sensitive information thatis discussed at Board meetings, or within the financialinformation that is learned and discussed. I think whatRay wanted to do is to emphasize to us that there are realresponsibilities as an elected or appointed member of theBoard, said President Carlos Villalobos. We are theultimate responsible party and Im glad we all agree touphold the directorship, he continued.

Buildeers OutlookOn the Scene

International Builders Show,Las Vegas

Its Vegas Baby!By Ray AdautoThe 2016 edition of the International Builders

Show took place in Las Vegas January 19-21. Theannual gathering of product, services, education andfun was held at the Las Vegas Convention Center.Surfaces the show for counter tops and relateditems was held at the Mandalay Bay Hotel on thesouth strip. The IBS has grown to include KBIS, thekitchen and bath show along with window coveringsshow. No matter how prepared you think you are theshow takes at least two full days to see and morethan likely three. The National Association ofBuilders along with state and local associationscome together for education on all types of subjects.Those classes begin on the Saturday before theexhibitions open and continue after the exhibitorsclose. This year the El Paso Association of Builderscontinued to be well represented at the IBS.Although this reporter wasnt able to see everyonewho did attend from El Paso I was able to run intoseveral members. Frank and Isela Torres took in Las Vegas early,

enjoying a quick non-stop on the same plane I took.The flight went well but at the luggage carousel weencountered an unusual sight of a piece of luggagehung up against the conveyor belt and the carousel.Several times we were told that there appeared to bea problem and that help would be coming. Finallyafter 45 minutes they diverted our luggage toanother carousel and we were off. If youve everbeen to Vegas for a convention you know that inspite of the preparedness of the city things can anddo go wrong. Imagine if you will having one hundredthousand people coming into town and then throw infilming for the new Bourne film. Exactly whathappened and that meant traffic was a nightmare.For those taking taxis the cost of travel multiplied asthe meter kept running during the long waits at lights,diversions, and closures. For those driving you hadto figure alternate routes. Still transportation to andfrom the IBS went pretty well on the provided buses. There are several halls at the show and we started

at the north hall for KBIS, simply one of the bestparts of this show. Whatever you could imagine wason display from giant companies like Delta andMoen, to some of the smaller boutique orinternational companies trying to get a foothold in themarket. Because of the international flavor visitorscame from all around the world, looking and makingdeals. The central halls were where the IBS or builders

show took place. Hundreds of thousands of squarefeet of all things for building, from trucks to tumblers,nails to glues everything you need to build was ondisplay. I found several items of interest here mostlyhaving to do with insulation and alternative energy.Contrary to tradition these alternate ways to getwater, provide electricity or dampen the cold werereally growing and maturing. One particular vendorshowed how to capture drinking water from the air, asort of machine out of the future. Others showed thelatest in lighting with heavy emphasis on LEDtechnology. In the South hall many smaller companies showed

off their products including several companieslaunching new products at this show. Asia, and inparticular China was well represented again. Someexciting products from Mexico and Canada werealso displayed. Edmundo Dena (Accent Homes) and Carlos

Villalobos (EPAB President and Pointe Homes)toured with me on Wednesday and came awayenthusiastic with what they saw. I was hoping tofind something that I can use at Accent to bring moreof a wow factor to my product line, and I think I foundseveral items Ill be looking at more closely, saidDena. I agree that we came to see something,exactly what I dont know but thats whats greatabout a huge show like this, youll find something

unexpected, just like I did, President Villalobos said.Both agreed that the show is overwhelmingespecially for the first timer. Even though we havebeen here before theres always new things to lookat, said Leti Navarrete who along with husbandJavier enjoyed the show. Member that I saw werefrom Classic American Homes, Pacifica Homes,CTU Metro Homes, Cullers and Caldwell, CullersHomes, Tropicana Homes, Bella Vista Homes,Custom Dream Homes, MA Homes, Crown HeritageHomes, Morrison Supply, Ferguson Supply, GMFHomes, Accent Homes. If I missed some of you Im

sorry but theres so much going on that sometimes Ionly saw folks away from the show.My thanks to all of you who shared the experience

with me or sat enjoyed Vegas at the restaurants,tables, or show floor. Ill think you all will agree thatnothing compares to a show like the IBS/KBIS inVegas. Next year the show moves to Orlando,Florida. Its Disney and Universal versus Caesarsand the Wynn. Make plans to attend the 2017IBS/KBIS in Orlando.

City prepares for Papal Visit Here is what you needto know:El Paso, Texas The City of El

Paso is preparing to impose trafficcontrol and operational changes inthe interest of public safety, healthand welfare as a result of PopeFrancis landmark visit to the border.Pope Francis will be in Jurez on

February 17, 2016. He will not visit ElPaso. However, due to the proximityof his motorcade route and mass tothe El Paso-Jurez border, the City ofEl Paso will restrict travel indowntown and South-Central ElPaso.Enhanced traffic control will also be

necessary near the Sun Bowl wherethe Catholic Diocese of El Paso willhave a celebration on the day of thePopes visit to commemorate thehistoric event.Travel Updates, Road ClosuresFor safety purposes, the public is

being asked to avoid traveling todowntown and South-Central El Pasoon the day of the papal border visit.The City of El Paso will not provideany mass viewing areas related to thepapal border visit. The Mass inJurez will not be visible from El Pasoroadways.Loop 375 will be closed as part of

security measures. The public will notbe allowed to gather on Loop 375.The Information about the Diocesesevent at the Sun Bowl is available athttp://www.elpasodiocese.org/popes-visit.html.The publics cooperation and

patience in abiding by the travelrestrictions and enhanced trafficcontrol in downtown, South-Centraland West-Central will be appreciated.El Paso Police and Fire officials

have been meeting regularly withother public safety and lawenforcement agencies to prepare forthe visit and to coordinate efforts.Planned road closures and travelrestrictions include: Loop 375 from U.S. Highway-54 toSanta Fe will be closed in bothdirections to traffic (vehicular,pedestrian, bicycle, etc.) forapproximately a 24-hour periodstarting at 3 a.m. on February, 17,2016. Loop 375 from U.S. Highway-54 to

Yarbrough will be closed to traffic(vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, etc.)from 10 a.m. until the Popedeparts the Mass location and hismotorcade travels away fromroadways adjacent to the El Paso-Jurez.

City streets in South-Central ElPaso bounded by Loop 375 to thesouth, Campbell tothe west, Paisano tothe north andColes/First to theeast will have limitedaccess to traffic(vehicular,pedestrian, bicycle,etc.) starting at 3a.m. on February 17,2016. Access in therestricted area will be limited toresidents and businesses.

Once Pope Frances arrives atthe Mass location in Jurez no onewill be allowed to leave or re-enterthe restricted area until the Popedeparts the mass. Campbell from Paisano toInterstate 10 will be closed tovehicular traffic starting at 3 a.m.on February 17, 2016. The closurewill remain until the Pope departsthe mass.

Cotton from Paisano to Interstate10 will be closed to vehicular trafficstarting at 3 a.m. on February 17,2016. The closure will remain untilthe Pope departs the mass.

Delta will be closed from Paisanoto Boone will be closed tovehicular traffic starting at 3 a.m.on February 17, 2016. The closurewill remain until the Pope departsthe mass.

Additional closures may benecessary should plans related tothe papal border visit change.

Community MeetingsThe City of El Paso is hostingcommunity meetings in South-Centralto notify residents and businesses oftraffic control plans impacting theirneighborhoods. Three meetings willbe held at the Armijo RecreationCenter gymnasium at 700 E. Seventh

Avenue. Meeting time and dates: 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, January 27,2016

10:30 a.m. Thursday, January 28,2016

6 p.m. Monday, February 1, 2016\

International BridgesAll international ports of entry in the

region, includingPaso Del Norte,Stanton Street, andYsleta, will be openin both directions onFebruary 17, 2016.The public is

asked to plan aheadif traveling acrossthe border. TheOffice of Emergency

Management in El Paso recommendstraveling across the border at least aday in advance for those planning onparticipating in papal events inJurez.Customs and Border Protection has

committed to assisting with movingtraffic steadily northbound at theborder by having all lanes open onFebruary 17, 2016. Commercial trafficwill be rerouted on February 17, 2016from the Bridge of the Americas toYsleta to assist with mitigating traffic.Anyone traveling across the bordershould carry a current passport orborder crossing card.The publics cooperation and

patience will be appreciated at thePaso Del Norte, Stanton Street andYsleta bridges as delays in gettingthrough toll collection stations mayoccur due to the increaseinternational travelers. Providing tollcollectors with exact change willassist in keeping delays to aminimum. Debit and credit cardpayments will be accepted. Mexicancurrency will also be accepted. Fareinformation is available atwww.elpasotexas.gov/international-bridges/fares.

Sun MetroFixed routes will be serving

customers traveling to downtown ElPaso on February 17, 2016. They willhave extended hours on that day withthe last buses leaving at 10:15 p.m.

Several Sun Metro routes will bedetoured as a result of the plannedroad closures. Service delays shouldbe expected for all routes serving theDowntown Transfer Center.Information about detoured routes isavailable at www.pope915.com andmay be obtained by calling (915) 212-3333.

Park and RidePark and Ride services will be

available to the Sun Bowl onFebruary 17, 2016. Park and Rideroundtrip fare to the Sun Bowl is $3.Exact change is required. Parking isfree at Sun Metro lots. Departures tothe Sun Bowl will be scheduled forevery 30 minutes between 10 a.m.and 3:30 p.m. at all locations. Parkand Ride locations: Eastside Transfer Center, 1165Sunmount near Cielo Vista Mall

Far Eastside: Edgemere at R.C.Poe

Mission Valley Transfer Center,9065 Alameda

Northeast Transfer Center, atDiana and Dyer

Al Jefferson Westside TransferCenter, 7535 Remcon

City Office ClosuresThe City of El Paso will be

operating under a modified workweek. All administrative offices will beopen on Monday, Tuesday, Thursdayand Friday. The city is working onFriday in lieu of its regularWednesday work day due to thepapal border visit. Essentialpersonnel will follow a normal workschedule.

Stay InformedInformation about traffic control,

travel and City service operationalchanges related to the papal bordervisit is available atwww.pope915.com. The public mayalso access information by clicking onthe Pope915 banner at the Cityshomepage at www.elpasotexas.gov orby subscribing to social media usingTwitter hashtag #pope915 or likingthe City of El Paso on Facebook @www.facebook.com/elpasotexasgov.

/dDZW tDt

& ,

'^d

The value of your EPAB Membership just got even better!

The National Associationof Home Builders (NAHB)urged Congress to passlegislation that would helpstreamline programs to helplow-income home buyersand renters.The Housing Opportunity Through

Modernization Act of 2015 (H.R.3700) includes many NAHB-supported bipartisan fixes to HUDprograms, specifically regardingSection 8, FHA and rural housing,NAHB Immediate Past ChairmanKevin Kelly testified at a hearingbefore the House Financial ServicesCommittees Housing and InsuranceSubcommittee.Introduced by Subcommittee

Chairman Blaine Luetkemeyer (R-Mo.), the legislation includes anumber of reforms to increase accessto affordable rental housing, provideassistance to low-income renters andfacilitate homeownership. Specifically,the bill would:

Allow the contract terms of HUDsSection 8 Housing ChoiceVoucher program to be extendedfrom 15 to 20 years.

Pare down duplicativerequirements that have made theSection 8 program difficult toadminister.

Protect Section 8 Housing ChoiceVoucher residents fromdisplacement due to fluctuations inthe Fair Market Rent, whichdetermines payment standardamounts for the voucher program.

Change the Rural Housing ServiceSingle Family Guaranteed LoanProgram so that it will be currentwith other government loanprograms while providingefficiencies for home buyers andlenders.

Create a Multifamily HousingRevitalization Program to provideaffordable rural multifamilyhousing.

Reduce current FHA regulationssurrounding existing condominiumprojects, including streamliningproject certification rules andreducing owner-occupancyrequirements.

Rep. Luetkemeyers bill makesnecessary and common-sensechanges to important housingprograms, said Kelly. It will reducecosts to taxpayers and improveaccess to affordable housing to thosemost in need. We urge the House toact swiftly to advance this bill. Executive Order on Floodplain

Rules Could Harm HousingAffordabilityWhile this legislation would help

housing affordability, Kelly expressedconcerns that President Obamas

recent executive order on FederalFlood Risk Management Standardscould result in unintendedconsequences for housing. Theexecutive order expands floodplainsmanagement requirements far beyondthe long-established 100-yearfloodplains limits for all federallyfunded construction projects. HUD has indicated it will apply the

new flood risk management standardto multifamily projects using FHA-backed loans for new constructionand substantial rehabilitation as wellas Community Development BlockGrants and HOME grants. However, HUD has not mapped the

geographic limits of the floodplain noranalyzed the costs and benefits ofimplementing the new standard. To avoid undermining the many

positive outcomes H.R. 3700 will haveon housing affordability, NAHB is

urging HUD to develop and releasefor public comment a cost-benefitanalysis associated with the newstandard and identify the additionalfloodplain area for which future HUDactions must comply before it beginsto implement the executive order. We strongly urge HUD to use any

and all flexibility when implementingthe order to ensure HUDs rules donot make construction or substantialrehabilitation of HUD-financed orHUD-assisted multifamily housingcost prohibitive, said Kelly.


we so is precious time that Pioneer Bank understands

finances a about spend less time worrying oer products to help you

is precious time that

th th t matter

more and worrying

o help you we so ous

tt

A ld An old An old

d f i d i d friend wi d friend wi

your fin

ith id

Business or personal, whatever When you growcommunity bank since Pioneer

ith new id ith new ide

ancial needs, we provide

i 1901.

ss or personal, whatever . , we grow you grow

1901. nity bank since it bank since your been has Bank r

deas since eas since

oans

1901

Commercial Lersonal and P

SavingsFREE Business CheckingFREE Checking

e 1901. 1901.

THREE CONV THREE CONV THREE CONV

OCOC VENIENT L VENIENT LOOC VENIENT L

Obtain

TIONS

provide understands your needs and online these and additional bills from and cre Obtain solution

ATIONSAATC TTIONSTTAin banking!

car loan

es the latest innovations tands your needs and

. Pioneer Bank ay Bill P and additional bills from

edit card then pay , car loan your mortgage your mortgage

ns to help you succeed!

ing!

oansMortgage Loans Commercial L

RayOnline Bill P

tatementseS BankingInternet & Mobile Merchant Services

g g

emote Deposit

Phone: (915) 782-2485El Paso, TX 799127015 N. Mesa

P E 6

S. R

esle

r Dr.

S. R

esle

r Dr.

N. Mesa St.

N. Mesa St.

N

Phone: (915) 782-2400

iEl Paso, TX 799056068 Gateway East

Phon El Paso, TX 799052290

N

Gateway East

Trawood Dr.

e: (915) 782-2470

b so, TX 79905

Trawood

for more details.See bank representativedepending on account. $250,000. Services vary is insured by FDIC up to

C re of $50 to open. Each accountN

Lee Trevino Dr.

Lee Trevino Dr.

awood Dr.

tative

b k unt. s vary

up to Each account

www

. ipwwwwww..piwww

boneerb

comcomb k.combnk.

mmm

Legislature Home Builders Support House Bill thatStreamlines HUD Programs


A wife and mother in her 20s. A widow and the sole owner of aconstruction business at 35. A University student at 46.A registered architect at 49.

In todays American culture, women areencouraged to follow their dreamsregardless of age. But for a woman whomoved from Mississippi to Texas in 1900 in acovered wagon to marry late, have her firstchild at almost 30, run a successful businessand go to a university in her 40s in the earlypart of the twentieth century was most unusual.Mabel Clair Vanderburg Welch never blinkedan eye. As she once said, Things had to bedone, and I managed to get them done.Mabel Welch accompanied her husband from

DeKalb, Texas, to El Paso in 1916, looking fora cure for his tuberculosis. Born nearLongtown, Mississippi, she would not onlyembrace her new home but become the firstwoman architect in El Paso and only the secondregistered one in Texas.Following graduation from high school,

Mabel Vanderburg served apprenticeships inboth millinery and interior decoration,traditional female pursuits in her day. Thesetwo artistic endeavors would serve her wellboth in helping her husband with his buildingcompany and later when she herself beganbuilding homes.After courting for five years, Malcolm and

Mabel married in 1915. During an Armyphysical, Malcolm was told he had TB and adoctor recommended that he come to dry WestTexas. Malcolm took three years to convalesce,and although he had been a successful merchantin DeKalb, he began building houses in ElPaso, an occupation that would keep himoutside in the soothing dry air he and Mabelhad come to love. Having built houses on afarm he owned, Malcolm began financinghomes for El Paso residents and by 1920 beganbuilding homes in earnest.From the beginning, Mabel was an active

part of Welch Construction Company. She didall the drawings for the houses her husbandbuilt, as well as the interior decorating. He builthouses on Trowbridge Drive, Pershing Drive,Tularosa Avenue, Hastings Drive all overCentral El Paso and in the Lower Valley, allof dark brick with white trim and black linesaround screen doors. The couple would moveinto a newly built house until it was sold. In a1960 interview Mabel said, For five years wedid not occupy the same house over twomonths at a time. My husband built them and Ifurnished them.Three years after their arrival in El Paso,

their only child, Elvin Carl, was born inDecember 1919. Even though Mabel Welchcalled herself old fashioned for believing thatwomen who have a good economic positionshould not work, she herself was not only awife and mother but a draftswoman anddecorator and part owner of a successfulcompany in the 1920s.In 1924, Malcolms TB became active again

and Mabel had to finish a house underconstruction. While her husband was in thehospital, Mabel built the home she lived inmost of her life at 3131 Wheeling Ave. Thehouse was designed as a duplex, with hertubercular husband living in quarantine in theeast side which opened to a porch where hecould talk with his building crews. As an adult,his son Elvin recalled the only way he and hisdad could communicate while the latter wasquarantined was to wave to each other fromtheir respective sides of this uniquely designedhouse.In a typed autobiography her son recently

presented to the El Paso County HistoricalSociety, Mabel Welch noted that at first, themen who worked for her husband refused towork for a woman. So she replaced them andhad no more trouble. She proceeded to buildnine homes in the 3100 block of WheelingAvenue and a total of 15 on the street in orderto be close to her son and husband. During this

time, Malcolm advised his wife on financialmatters, building techniques and methods ofdealing with building crews, and she learnedevery part of the business. In 1927, Malcolmdied, and Mabel became the sole owner of theconstruction business, drawing all the plans,supervising the building, and even keeping thebooks.At the time of Malcolms death, the Welches

had a home under construction which had to becompleted or Mabel would have lost the$10,000 bond. She needed money to completeconstruction and also to build other housesnearby, so she went to Sam Young, thenpresident of El Paso National Bank, who lenther the money immediately, despite the fact thatwidows were poor financial risks in her day. Inher autobiography, Mabel said that Young lenther money because he had never seen medancing or partying in Jurez.Mabel had begun building Spanish style

homes before her husbands death. Havingdiscovered Spanish architecture in Californiawhile on a vacation, she thought the stylecomplemented El Pasos culture more than theEastern red brick bungalow style that was thenpopular. She showed Malcolm one of her earlySpanish houses on 2915 Wheeling Ave. on theway to the hospital for the last time before hedied. Its very beautiful, he said.Her second such design was at 2731

Wheeling Ave. and then three elaborate two-story houses followed in Castle Heights belowManhattan Heights. From then on, MabelWelch would be known for her Spanish-Mediterranean designs with wrought irondecoration, red tile roofs, arches, balconies, andcourtyards.While many builders went out of business

during the Depression, Welch did not. She soldher medium-priced houses as quickly as theywere built. In 1934, the Womens Division ofthe Chamber of Commerce began anarchitectural program in El Paso to support theuse of Spanish design. Welch herself wrote, Acity with our historical background andgeographical location should have anarchitectural flavor appropriate to, and typicalof, our surrounding culture. In 1935, the citypresented her with an official commendationfor changing the predominant style ofarchitecture in El Paso from Americanbungalow to Mediterranean.In 1936, Welch studied architecture and

related subjects at the University of Chicago. In1937, Mabel Welch began studying withGeorge Washington Smith of Santa Barbara, theforemost authority on Spanish Colonial Revivalarchitecture in California and credited for thatstates love affair with the style. She also

studied Spanish architecture in Mexico City andSan Antonio. In 1939, the Society of AmericanRegistered Architects admitted Mabel Welch, ElPasos first woman so honored.The first expensive Spanish style home that

Welch built was at 3100 Gold Ave. for the PaulHarvey family. With walls two feet thick, asmany as five layers of tile on the roof, heavywooden beams to support the tile and ironworkmade to look old, the house caused Welch tohire Mexican artisans to produce many of theSpanish techniques, as American workers didnot have the needed skills. Welch writes in herautobiography that she hired a Mexican woodcarver to carve the faces of the Harvey childrenon the ceiling beams of the living room andother decorations throughout the home.Welch also built huge homes on Rim Road

for prominent families, including A. B. Poe, J.P. Kemp and F. P. Schuster, whose house wasdesigned not in Spanish style but EnglishNorman, based on ideas the Schusters hadcollected from various sources during a trip toEurope in 1927. The original recycler, Welchbought marble mantles and stair treads from theold U.S. Courthouse downtown when it wasrazed and used the marble in the Schustercastle in 1939. She was to use other salvagedmaterials in other houses during her career.In 1943, Welch and several other members of

the Womens Division of the El Paso Chamberof Commerce took a goodwill tour ofChihuahua City, about 220 miles south of ElPaso to study the citys Spanish architectureand the regulations that kept that city so cleanand inviting. Welch came back with many ideasto incorporate into her own designs. Thisgoodwill tour also created a bond with Mexico,and it was such a success that the El PasoChamber invited the Chihuahuan women tovisit later that year.Four of Welchs Spanish designs were

chosen for inclusion in Planning Your Home forBetter Living by Clarence W. Dunham, Yaleengineering professor and Milton D. Thalberg.The house at 3038 Federal Ave. was one of thefeatured homes in the book used at YaleUniversity for several years as a compilation ofoutstanding architecture throughout the nation.In 1959, Mabel Welch became a Fellow in

the Society of American Registered Architectsin recognition of her long and distinguishedcareer. She built more than 800 homes in WestTexas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico.Many of those were in Manhattan Heights, ahistorical district at the base of the FranklinMountains in Central El Paso. Welch built anumber of large homes after World War II onGold Avenue, Silver Street and FrankfortAvenue. She also became a real estate broker

and bought older homes to remodel and sell.While excelling in her career, Welch raised

her son, who became an electrical engineer, andspent much of his life working with the nationsspace and guided missile programs. She wasactive in the Womens Division of the Chamberof Commerce for decades, influencing manybusinesses to build in Mediterranean styledowntown, helping to give El Paso a distinctivelook. Taking an active role in making El Pasoan attractive place to live, Welch established theBeautify El Paso Association in 1966 andworked on President Lyndon B. Johnsonsbeautification committee.She served her city in many ways including

working for the Sun Carnival Association andwomens auxiliaries of Texas Western College(now UTEP), the symphony and ProvidenceMemorial Hospital. She was a member of theNational Society of Arts and Letters, the ElPaso Museum of Art, the Historical Society andthe Humane Society.Welch was always interested in furthering the

relations between El Paso and Mexico and wasactive in the Pan American Round Table andestablished the Jurez Chamber of CommerceWomens Department. Texas Governor CokeStevenson recognized Welch for renewedefforts toward good neighborly relations withMexico.By 1960, Welch recognized that fewer homes

were being built in Mediterranean design.Whereas in the 1920s and 1930s, adobe wasamong the cheapest of building materials, it hadbecome one of the most expensive, along withthe red tile roofs her designs featured. Late inlife, she gave her vast collection of books onSpanish architecture to the El Paso PublicLibrary.Welch died in December 1981 in California

where her son and family lived. She was 91. Infall 2008, the El Paso County Historical Societyinducted her into its Hall of Honor. Her sonElvin, retired and living in Yakima,Washington, attended the ceremony. He told PatWorthington, curator for the Society, that hismother had made him promise to burn all herplans and papers in McKelligon Canyon afterher death. Like a good son, Elvin did. What hasnot been destroyed, however, are all themarvelous Spanish homes in ManhattanHeights and other areas in town that MabelWelch created for families, a concept that gaveher such joy.

By Elizabeth Torres, Javier Medina, andRuth Vise. Source:

http://epcc.libguides.com/content.php?pid=309255&sid=289161

In HistoryArchitecture

Mabel Welch (1890-1981)El Paso's first and greatest female architect

Welch also built huge homes on Rim Road for prominent families, including A. B. Poe, J.P. Kemp and F. P. Schuster, whose house was designed not in Spanish style but EnglishNorman, based on ideas the Schusters had collected from various sources during a trip toEurope in 1927


IntroductionsMeet your board member

The Builders Outlook asked EPABBoard Members some interestingquestions There responses were evenmore interesting!

HOMESofPARADE Enchanted Hills

May 28-June 12Preview Party May 27

Sal MasoudWhat is the strangestfood you have evereaten?Deep fried cockroachesand Whataburger

What in your life is moreimportant than money?My childrenWhat makes you feel old?Knowing I am going to be agrandfather in March.Who do you admire as a leader?SaladinIf you could have a drink withsomeone form history whowould it be?Genghis KhanWhat is the best inventionduring your lifetime?The internet

Leslie DriggersWhat makes you feelold? Paying income taxes.

Person in history I'dlike to have a drink with: Mabel Welch.What creeps you out?Appliances that think they'resmarter than individual humans.Cause you'd fight for?Human rights in childbirth andparenting, supporting the right toinformed consent.First job?Babysitting John Martin's adorablelittle kids. First paying gig!

Mark WintonIf you had 1,000,000dollars to give away,how would you do it?Build free homes fordisabled veterans.

What makes you feel young?Looking at all the other builders.What makes you feel old?Starting to go grey at 29.Who do you admire as a leader?Joe RoganWhere are you most likely to beat 8:00 on a Saturday night?At home getting ready to go outwith my wife

What...?The El Paso Association of Builders presents

Development by: Southwest Land DevelopmentBeautiful Homes by:

BIC, Palo Verde, Pointe Homes, DR Horton, CTU Metro Homes, Pacifica Homes, Deal 2 Deal, Trinity Homes and Edwards Homes

132016 Issue 1 Builders Outlook

AssociationNews & Events

FEBRUARY 10BOARD MEETING

11:00 AMGENERAL MEETING

12 NOONMARRIOTT HOTEL

FEBRUARY 24LUNCH AND LEARN

NOONEPAB OFFICE

MARCH 11-13HOME & GARDEN SHOWCONVENTION CENTER

UPCOMINGEVENTS NEW MEMBERS

SODA SPONSORBELLA HOMES

Connect to the El PasoAssociation of Builders:www.elpasobuilders.com

innovative design

&desktop publishing

since 1984

ted escobedoted@snappypublishingcomtalk & text: 9158202800

Get Creative. Make it Snappy.

brought to you by:

Search No More. TheAssociaion of Builders has aNEEU Website, strictly for NEEU Homes!

The finest builders in thearea showcase theirhomes at:

BUILDERS: Are you searching for customers who are searching for a new home?

HOME WATERSERVICES/IWSCONTACT:

RUBEN DIAZ, JR.4500 TURF ROADEL PASO, TX 79938

915-849-0401

THE DORIAN GROUP &OCEAN GALLERY USA

CONTACT: MIGUEL ANGEL MERCADO8411 LOCKHEED DRIVE,

SUITE #5EL PASO, TX 79925

915-778-5111

If you have an event or meeting that you would like to share withEPAB members, please submit your information to:[email protected]

All experts agree that the surestway to have healthy finances yourentire life is to create and follow along-term financial plan. Heres yourstep by-step guide to getting yoursstarted.

Step 1 Establish YourEmergency Fund

Plan how you will create anemergency fund, where you keep atleast six months worth of livingexpenses safe and liquid. Thisaccount is not only meant for savingmoney for rainy days (losses incurredby investments, disability, disasterrecovery, unemployment, etc.), butalso for planned expenses.Proactively assess what big expenseswill come your way in the next fewyears, such as replacing your oldfurnace or a down payment for a newhome, and save accordingly.

Step 2 Plan to Repay Your Debt

Make reducing and eliminating debtyour priority using all availablefunds to pay off debt.Start with your credit card debt and

student loan, and pay them down asquickly as you can. Assess theirinterest rates and see possibleoptions for reducing those interestrates. Check if loans are tax-deductible and how much you canwrite off.

Step 3 Take Advantage ofEmployer matches

If your employer offers a 401(k)retirement plan, find out whether youremployer offers a matchingcontribution. Many employers willmatch up to a certain dollar amountevery dollar you contribute. Contributeas much as you can, becausewhatever you add simply increasesbecause of the employer match. Youcan contribute up to $18,000 during2016. Individuals age 50 and overcan make an additional $6,000 catch

up contribution.Additionally, some 401(k) plans

allow you to make Roth contributions.You cannot deduct thesecontributions from current income, butyou will receive any withdrawals youmake after retirement free of incometaxes. If your employer does not offerthis option, you might want to lookinto opening a Roth IRA. Your taxadvisor can help you determine theproper mix of tax-advantaged benefitsfor your expected post-retirementsituation.Although retirement may seem far

off, being aggressive with yoursavings right now will let you enjoythe advantages of interestcompounding.

Step 4 InsureMost people think they are

appropriately covered with theircurrent insurance policies, only torealize theyre not when tough timesor a disaster bulldozes through theirlife.Create your long-term insurance

plan based on the needs of yourfamily, your age and current (andexpected) economic situation. Startwith the most basic requirementsfirsthealth insurance and lifeinsurance, if you have dependents.From there, you can expand yourportfolio to include disability incomeinsurance, critical illness insurance,long-term care insurance and evenannuities.

Step 5 Saving For KidsYou may have already started

saving for your childrens collegetuition. Although starting early is thebest plan of action, you can maximizeyour savings by starting a 529 collegesavings plan. Some universities haveprepaid tuition plans, which allow youto lock in current rates. (Of course, ifyou do this, your child will have to goto this university!) Families can alsominimize college expenses byselecting lower-cost schools ordividing time between militaryservice/community college anduniversity.

For a review of your financialsituation and assistance in developingyour financial plan, please contact us.

Employer Benefits of El Paso(915) 542-0900

[email protected]

Builders Outlook 2016 issue 1

Joe BernalEmployer Benefits of El Paso

Your step by step guide for personalfinancial planning

ExpertAdvice

14

JaimesCourier

Service,Inc.

JaimesCourier

Service,Inc.

915-549-4533 or

915-478-2404

Bonded, insured foryour peace of mind.

Give your customers the option of the sun

Now more than ever,ElPaso home buyersare planning for the future.

Border Solar can helpyou oer yourcustomers solar poweras a sensiblealternative.

The future startstoday.Crossing to CleanEnergy

7365 Remcon CircleEl Paso, TX 79912

(915) 6134168follow us on twitter andfacebook:BorderSolar

EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

PRESIDENT

Carlos Villalobos

VICE PRESIDENT

Don Rassette

SECRETARY/TREASURER

Kathy Parry

ASSOCIATES CHAIR

John Dorney

ECECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT

Ray Adauto

PAST PRESIDENT

Edgar Montiel

Membership Retentiion

Patrick Tuttle

Finance Committee

Kathy Carrillo

Henry Tinajero

ADVISORY TO THE BOARD

Jay Kerr, Firth, Johnston, Bunn & Kerr

James Martinez, Law Office of James Martinez

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Antonio Cervantes, BIC Homes

Leti Navarrete, Dream Homes/Bella Homes

Robert Najera, Joseph Custom Homes

Bud Foster, Southwest Land Development Services

Walter Lujan, Dawco Home Builders

Fernando Torres, CTU Metro Homes

Leslie Driggers-Hoard, Homes By Design

Edgar Garcia, Bella Vista Cutom Homes

Mark Winton, Mark Winton Homes, Inc.

Jason Cullers, Cullers Homes

Samira Gonzalez, ICON Custom Homes

Sal Masoud, DRE Development

Joe Bernal, Employer Benefits Of El Paso

Linda Troncoso, TRE & Associates

Bret Thompson, Foxworth Galbraith Lumber

Ted Escobedo, Snappy Publishing, LLC

Patrick Tuttle, Legacy Real Estate

Sam Trimble, Lone Star Title

Luis Rosas, HUB International

Gilbert Pedregon, GECU

Gregg Davis, First Light FCU

TAB STATE DIRECTORS

Randy Bowling

Greg Bowling

Sam Shallenberger

NATIONAL DIRECTORS

Bobby Bowling IV.

Demetrio Jimenez

2015 Builder Member Of The Year

Edgar Montiel

Palo Verde Homes

2015 Associate Of The Year

Interceramic Tile

2015 John Shatzman Award

Bradley Roe

Honorary Life Members

Mark Dyer

Wayne Grinnell

Don Henderson

Chester Lovelady

Cliff C. Anthes

Anna Gill

Brad Roe

Rudy Guel

E H Baeza

Past Presidents

Committed to Serve

EPAB Mission Statement:The El Paso Association of Builders isa federated professional organizationrepresenting the home building

industry, committed to enhancing thequality of life in our community byproviding affordable homes of

excellence and value.The El Paso Association of Buildersis a 501C(6) trade organization.

2015 Builders Outlook is published and distributed for the El Paso Association of Builders

by Ted Escobedo, Snappy Publishing, [email protected]

El Paso Texas 915-820-2800

6046 Surety Dr. El Paso, TX 79905 915-778-5387 Fax: 915-772-3038

Greg Bowling

Kelly Sorenson

Mark Dyer

Mike Santamaria

John Cullers

Randy Bowling

Doug Schwartz

Robert Baeza

Bobby Bowling, IV

Rudy Guel

Anna Gil

Bradley Roe

Bob Bowling, III

Edmundo Dena

Hershel Stringfield

Pat Woods

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS

(800) 368-5242

TEXAS ASSOCIATION OFBUILDERS(800)252-3625

Steady employment and economic growth, pent-updemand, affordable home prices and attractivemortgage rates will keep the housing market on agradual upward trend in 2016. However, persistentheadwinds related to shortages and availability of lotsand labor, along with rising materials prices areimpeding a more robust recovery, accordingto economists who participated in a National Associationof Home Builders (NAHB) FallConstruction ForecastWebinar.

BBuuiillddeerrss OOuuttllooookk

This recovery is all about jobs, saidNAHB Chief Economist David Crowe. Ifpeople can get good jobs that pay decentincomes, the housing market will continueto move forward.The good news, Crowe added, is that

total U.S. employment of 142 million is nowwell above the previous peak of 138 millionthat occurred in 2008.The one caveat is that job growth has

been concentrated heavily in the servicesector, which tends to pay lower wagesthan goods producing jobs.Meanwhile, home equity has nearly

doubled since 2011 and now stands at$12.5 trillion.The single biggest asset in most

peoples portfolio is the home they own,said Crowe. Thats important because theprimary purchasers of new homes are thesellers of existing homes. The more equity

they have, the more comfortable they feelabout purchasing a new home.And while mortgage interest rates are

expected to rise over the near-term,averaging 4.5 percent in 2016 and 5.5percent in 2017, Crowe said this is notexpected to have an impact on the housingrecovery. As the economy gets better, joband wage growth should keep pace. Soeven though mortgage rates will rise, theywill still be low by historical standards andvery affordable.

Supply HeadwindsCrowe noted several factors that are

hindering a more robust recovery. Citing anNAHB survey of its members, 13 percent ofbuilders reported the cost and availability oflabor was a significant problem in 2011 andthat concern jumped to 61 percent in 2014.About one-fifth of builders shared the

same concerns regarding lots in 2011 andthat ratio shot up to 58 percent in 2014.Concerns over building materials stood

at 58 percent among builders in 2014, upfrom 33 percent in 2011.

Single-Family Continues to Post GainsTurning to the forecast, NAHB is

projecting 719,000 single-family starts in2015, up 11 percent from the 647,000 unitsproduced last year. Single-familyproduction is projected to increase anadditional 27 percent in 2016 to 914,000units.On the multifamily side, production ran at

354,000 units last year, slightly above the331,000 level that is considered a normallevel of production. Multifamily starts areexpected to rise 9 percent to 387,000 unitsthis year and post a modest 3 percentdecline to 378,000 units in 2016.Residential remodeling activity is

forecasted to increase 6.8 percent in 2015over last year and rise an additional 6.1percent in 2016.

Continued Page 6

The annual Fall Home and Garden showbrought thousands of people into theJudson Williams Convention Center as theshow kicked off October 9. The throngs ofpeople were greeted by a very nicelypresented show compliments of theproducer Show Technology out of SanAntonio. The show featured a spectacular

showcase home by new builder memberMetro Homes. The design of the displaywas made to be partially constructed offsite in order to meet the time linesestablished for the show. I have to tell youthat even with that additional time we reallyhustled to make sure we had a greatproduct to show, said Fernando Torres ofCTU Metro Homes. Beautiful and elegantlystaged the house became the favorite ofthe show winning Best of Show for theefforts. We are excited to be able to showoff our models to the public and to the realestate agents because were new to themarket and we think we have a very goodproduct to offer the consumer, Torrescontinued.

No doubt that the home brought togetherideas that really made the showcase homethat much more interesting. The processof actually piecing the walls together,setting up the floor and the all that goes ona wall or in the ceiling is not something forthe faint hearted. We were asked byHabitat for Humanity to donate what wecould from this build, and Im proud that wecould, Torres told the Outlook. The rest ofthe showcase was quickly taken to a lotwaiting for some of the frame and otherparts that could be used so to not go towaste. Overall a very beautiful greenshowcase home that will continue to givefor years to come. The Fall Home and Garden was the only

show of its kind this year since the civiccenter was taken over for the MensBowling Championship (ABC). The civiccenter turned into a large bowling alleycomplete with state of the art lanes. Werun into situations like this when the civiccenter or halls we use are the only onesthat can fit our shows, said Tommy Mantiniof Show Technology. We have to beflexible but then again I know that this yearwe would have pent up demand and itshowed during this event.What impressed many was the carpeted

aisles and the amount of room tocomfortably move around. I thought thiswas one of the nicest shows weve had in

some time, said Associates ChairmanSam Shallenberger. We had new displaysand exhibitors and that was a nice thing tohave. The presenting attraction was the Wall

Wizard, Brian Santos who did severaldemonstrations during the three day event.I really love coming to El Paso and seeingso many folks for the first time, Brian toldthe Outlook. The El Paso Association ofBuilders has helped me get other gigs withother associations and Im grateful for therecommendation, he continued. Santos,who has authored several how to booksand is an inventor and innovator for severalcompanies including Home Depot. Myrelationship with Rubber Maid and HomeDepot and Lowes is really a great thing to

bring to the consumer because I knowwhats hot in the world of walls, Santossaid. Our sincere thanks to CTU Metro Homes

and all the suppliers and the staff of DavidAcosta Real Estate. We also owe a debtof gratitude to the exhibitors who filled thecivic center with good products and lots ofthings for the visitor to see. Our SpringHome and Garden Show is on for March11-13, 2016. Dont miss this opportunity toreach potential customers. Visit ShowTechnology today atwww.showtechnology.com to getinformation on the Spring show.

See More Photos Page 8

22001166:: HHoouussiinnggRReeccoovveerryy ttoo ppiicckkuupp sstteeaamm aammiiddcchhaalllleennggeess

National, State & Local Building Industry News2015: Issue 10

www.elpasobuilders.com

Fall Home andGarden Showattracts thousands

Advertise yourbusiness to thehome buildingindustry

The Builders Outlook is the official publication of the ElPaso Association of Builders. Our award winning monthlynewspaper is the only publication to target El Paso homebuilders and related businesses.

Widely distributed throughout the city and available toreaders online, the Builders Outlook is an importantadvertising medium for any business that want to reach thisvaluable market.

Call 778-5387 today for more information

For All Your Electrical NeedsResidential Specialists

Tract Homes Custom Homes

915-208-9313 602-708-7560

Total CustomerSatisfaction

15

El Paso Disposal

772-7495

BuildersOutlook

2016Issue 1

01_Outlook_p01 copy02_Outlook_p0203_Outlook_p0304_Outlook_p0405_Outlook_p0506_Outlook_p0607_Outlook_p07NEW08_09_Outlook_CSV2(Uploading) (Page 01)08_09_Outlook_CSV2(Uploading) (Page 02)10_Outlook_p1011_Outlook_p1112_Outlook_p1213_Outlook_p13_14-15_Outlook_p14_ (Page 01)14-15_Outlook_p14_ (Page 02)16_Outlook_p16

Documents

Builders Outlook 2016 Issue 1