Builders News August 2018

THE GREATER IOWA CITY AREA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION I www.iowacityhomes.com
Affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders & Home Builders Association of Iowa
Student Built House
Groundbreaking
AUGUST 2018
Check the Calendar of Events
at www.iowacityhomes.com
for more information!
Remodelers Council
Board Meeting
AUGUST 7TH NOON - 1:00 PM
IC HBA Conference Room
Women’s Council Build Day
AUGUST 30TH
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City
IC/CR Fall Mixer
AUGUST 30TH 6:00 - 8:00 PM
The Hotel Kirkwood
7725 Kirkwood Blvd SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Vocational Training Council Chair, Aaron McGlynn with Cabinet Works, welcomes everyone to the groundbreaking.
A ceremonial groundbreaking was held Thursday, June
28, 2018 at 3:00 pm at the site of a future home of Reach
for Your Potential clients. The home is being built at
1881 Dickenson Lane in Iowa City by local students.
The groundbreaking is the beginning of a new project
put on by our Vocational Training Council. The
council organizes workforce development projects in
the greater Iowa City area. Students participating in
the program learn an important skill set, earn college
credit, and help give back to the community.
Membership Committee
Membership Drive
SEPTEMBER 6TH NOON - 2:00 PM
IC HBA Conference Room
IC Area HBA Build Day
SEPTEMBER 7TH
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City
September Membership
Meeting
SEPTEMBER 13TH 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Hawkeye Ready Mix
3375 Klein Rd, Iowa City
We were excited to have Governor Kim Reynolds at
the groundbreaking as well as many other elected
officials and members of the IC Area HBA, Vocational
Training Council, the student and their parents.
The project includes 13 students of all different ages
building a home for a local non-profit organization
called Reach for Your Potential. RFYP supplies
housing for adults with disabilities. This project
also partners with Kirkwood Community College,
allowing each student working on the house to
receive two hours of construction credits. Members
of the Homebuilders Association are paying for the
college credits, and students will also complete their
10 hours of OSHA certification.
STUDENT BUILD PAGE 4
Dr. Mick Starcevich,
outgoing President of
Kirkwood Community
College, talks about
the valuable skills the
students are learning.
Governor Kim Reynolds
talks about everything
we are doing right
for students and
homeowners in Iowa City.
Remodelers Social
SEPTEMBER 18TH 6:00 - 8:00 PM
Water Concepts
214 Southgate Ave, Iowa City
Board of Directors Meeting
SEPTEMBER 20TH NOON - 1:00 PM
IC HBA Conference Room
Remodelers Council
Build Day
OCTOBER 25TH
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City

2 ICAHBA Builders News | August 2018
Message from the President
Dear HBA Members,
What do higher interest rates mean for the housing market?
If you have been thinking
about buying or have
recently purchased a
home you know that
the market is incredibly
competitive. Part of the
reason for the vibrant
housing market is that
interest rates have been
low for almost a decade.
But the era of ultra-low
interest rates appears to
be slowly coming to an end. The current national average
interest rate for a 30 year fixed loan home mortgage is 4.4%
as of July 1st, 2018.
So how do rising interest rates translate into real dollars?
Let’s say that you decided to purchase a $300,000 home
and you are planning on putting 20% down, or $60,000 and
finance $240,000 over 30 years. If you locked in your loan at
3.5% interest rate your monthly payment would be $1,078
and you would end up paying $387,975 over the term of the
loan. If you locked in your loan at 4.25% interest rate your
monthly payment would be $1,180 and you would end up
paying $425,036 over the term of the loan excluding taxes
and insurance.
When should you buy?
If you are looking to buy and are able to do it now, you’ll
save money over doing it later. Not only are interest rates
expected to continue to climb, we are also seeing building
material price increases that are outpacing wage growth.
Any additional increases in the interest rates mean that
your monthly payment is higher, which decreases your
purchasing power.
Some Perspective.
Mortgage rates will continue to be low by historical standards.
They were around 7% in the 1990’s and in the early 1980’s they
were as high as 18%! So while interest rates may creep toward
5% over the next year remember that we didn’t see a rate
below 5% until 2009. So while the rates aren’t as low as they
once were it is still a good time to buy a home.
Sincerely, Adam Hahn
Watts Group - Director of Construction Services
2018 Greater Iowa City Area HBA President
2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
PRESIDENT
Adam Hahn
Watts Development Group
PAST PRESIDENT
Andy Martin
Martin Construction
1ST VICE PRESIDENT
GT Karr
Sueppel’s Siding & Remodeling
2ND VICE PRESIDENT
Mike Bails
Urban Acres
SECRETARY
Kelly Manning
Sobaski Abbey Carpet & Floor
TREASURER
Marty Tunning
RSM US LLP
Builders Respond to Growing Interest in Green Homes
During National Homeownership Month in June, we’re focusing
on the critical role that the home plays in our lives and how NAHB
members are finding innovative ways to build the American Dream.
Ongoing research by NAHB and its partners shows that many
home buyers are interested in green, sustainable and highperformance
building practices. NAHB’s report, Housing
Preferences of the Boomer Generation: How They Compare to
Other Home Buyers, asked home buyers across four generations –
millennials, Gen Xers, baby boomers and seniors – what features
they consider essential/desirable in a new home.
DIRECTORS
Glenn Siders - Siders Development
Mike Pugh - Pugh Hagan Prahm, PLC
Art Floss - CBI Bank & Trust
Chad Keune - Advantage Custom Builders
Rory Triplett - Insurance Associates Iowa City
Todd Helle - Terry Lockridge & Dunn
STATE REPRESENTATIVES
HBAI PAST PRESIDENT
Tim Ruth - McCreedy-Ruth Construction
HBAI TREASURER
Melissa Schooley - Great Western Bank
NATIONAL DIRECTOR
Aaron McGlynn - CabinetWorks Construction
Energy-efficient strategies, including ENERGY STAR appliances
and windows and above-code insulation made the most-wanted
list and would positively influence the purchase decision of 80% or
more of all home buyers. Water-efficient features were also cited as
essential/desirable by 72% of respondents.
Builders are responding to this interest by increasingly
incorporating these strategies in new home construction.
“Homes constructed with green, sustainable and high-performance
strategies offer home owners a product that can reduce their
total cost of ownership through lower utility bills and can be
resold at a premium in many markets,” said Troy Johns, founder
of Urban Northwest Homes in Vancouver, Wash. “These homes
also generally provide increased comfort and a healthier indoor
environment for occupants.”
Approximately one-quarter of the single-family builders in NAHB’s
2017 Green Practices Survey are building with strategies that would
qualify for at least Bronze-level certification under the requirements
of the 2015 National Green Building Standard (NGBS).
The NGBS is the only green rating system approved by the
American National Standards Institute and provides thirdparty
certification for residential construction through six key
categories: site design, resource efficiency, water efficiency, energy
efficiency, indoor environmental quality, and building operation
and maintenance. Homes must meet a minimum threshold in each
category to achieve certification.
The Green Practices Survey also showed that current home building
practices among respondents met Bronze level certification in energy
efficiency for 74% of the properties and over half met it for water,
indoor environmental quality and operation/maintenance.
To help industry professionals respond to the growing interest in
green building, NAHB offers the Certified Green Professional
and Master Certified Green Professional designations. These
designations recognize builders, remodelers and other industry
professionals who incorporate green and sustainable building
principles into homes. NAHB also offers educational courses in
green building. Get started at nahb.org/learn.
For more information about sustainable building practices, contact
Michelle Diller.
REMODELERS COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE
Brad Storck - Bachmeier Carpet One
2018 COMMITTEE CONTACTS
PARADE OF HOMES
Dan Robertson - Overhead Door Company
of Cedar Rapids & Iowa City
Mitchell Manning – Sobaski Abbey
Carpet and Floor
IOWA CITY HOME SHOW
Katy Stutsman – Kitchens By Design
Maggie Gehrls – PSC Distribution
The Greater Iowa City Area
Home Builders Association
EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Karyl Bohnsack
karyl@hbaofic.org
PO Box 3396, Iowa City, IA 52244
Phone: 319.351.5333 • Fax: 319.358.2443
Website: www.iowacityhomes.com

August 2018 | ICAHBA Builders News 3
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
JOIN US
General Membership Meeting
at Hawkeye Ready Mix
3375 Klein Rd, Iowa City
Thursday, Sept. 13th from 6 - 8 pm
RSVP to Karyl@HBAofIC.org or (319) 351-5333 by Friday, Sept. 7th
Sponsored and Hosted by
Hawkeye Ready Mix
TM Home Renovations, LLC
Toby Moran
PO Box 192, Oxford, IA 52322
(319) 551-0185
tmhomerenollc@gmail.com
Sponsored by Tim Ruth
William Easton Design, LLC
William Easton
PO Box 1028, Iowa City, IA 52244
(319) 431-8660
weaston@williameaston.net
williameaston.net
NEW AFFILIATE MEMBER
Answers by Alexander
Brian Ahrendsen
1534 S Gilbert St, Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 499-4890
Brian.Ahrendsen@alexlbr.com
Alexlbr.com/answers
CONNECT
WITH US:
www.facebook.com/IowaCityAreaHBA
twitter.com/iowacityhomes
Join Us
IC/CR HBA’s Fall Mixer
The Hotel Kirkwood
14 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar Rapids
Thursday, Aug. 30th from 6 - 8 pm
Free to Iowa City and Cedar Rapids HBA members.
Sponsored by Hills Bank and Trust Company
RSVP to Karyl@HBAofIC.org or
(319) 351-5333 by Friday, Aug. 24th

4 ICAHBA Builders News | August 2018
Student Built House Groundbreaking
Tim Ruth with McCreedy Ruth Construction and general contractor on the build breaks ground with
the students, Governor Reynolds and others involved with the Student Built Home.
Governor Reynolds signs the wall at the Student Built Home after the groundbreaking.
Thank you, Mary Ruth, for lining up the ice cream
truck! It was the perfect end of a perfect day.
Governor Reynolds takes a moment to smile
with some of Reach for Your Potential’s clients.
Ambassadors with the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce joined us for the groundbreaking.
We had a great crowd for the Student Built Home groundbreaking!

August 2018 | ICAHBA Builders News 5
Student Built
House Progress
The students have come a long way in a short amount of
time! Despite the rain and heat a lot of work has been
done towards the future home for Reach for Your Potential.
The students have enjoyed great success with the help of
many of our members.
Aging in Place from the Eyes
of the Housing Industry
Residents of Johnson County were invited to the Johnson County
Aging in Place Forums to learn about Aging in Place from the
perspective of builders and remodelers.
Iowa City Area Association of Realtors opened their Education
Center June 13th for the Forum.
Monica Hayes with Skogman Realty welcomes everyone to the 2nd Aging in Place Forum. Forums continue through Oct.
Andy Martin with MCIC and GT Karr with Sueppel’s Siding and Remodeling educate the group
on the Certified Aging in Place (CAPS) Designation that many of our members have.
Tim Ruth with McCreedy-Ruth Construction talks about items to consider during the
construction of a new home to help you stay in your home longer and more comfortably.

6 ICAHBA Builders News | August 2018
3rd Annual Construction Camp at Clear Creek Amana
The 3rd Annual Construction Camp was held the weeks of June 10th and June 18th.
With the help and support of the Greater Iowa City Area Home Builders Association, the third Annual CCA Construction Camp was a success! Mr.
Clark and Mrs. Boeset, both returned as instructors for week one with Mr. Clark bringing in help for week two as Mrs. Boeset had another commitment.
Middle school students in the 2018 camp participated in 5 days of learning and doing from 9 am to 3 pm. The campers learned how to use a tape
measure as well as tool safety before they constructed a box to take home and a swing to share with local trails.
The Nail Driver champs of the first week of Construction Camp.
Graduation Day at the end of the first week of Construction Camp at the Clear Creek Amana Middle School STEM Center
The students built a cell phone stand at Cabinet Works
during the second week of Construction Camp.
Parents are invited to Graduation Day at the end of camp to learn
about what their kids learned and accomplished during the week.
The Construction Campers got to take a field trip to Wellman
and visit Cabinet Works during the second week of camp.
The graduating class of the second week of Construction Camp.
Thank you to all of our members that
made Construction Camp possible!
The Students got to show off their handiwork on Graduation Day.

Housing Starts Reach
Post-Recession High in
May as Permits Soften
August 2018 | ICAHBA Builders News 7
The kitchen in the Hancock model near
Pittsburgh was a Best in 55+ Housing
award winner for Traditions of America.
Photo by Mike Mihalo, CPP.
Total housing starts rose 5% in May to a
seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.35
million units, according to newly released
data from HUD and the Commerce
Department. This is the highest housing
starts report since July 2007.
While housing production numbers rose,
overall permits dropped 4.6% to 1.3 million
units: Single-family permits fell 2.2% to
844,000 while multifamily permits fell 8.7%
to 457,000.
“Ongoing job creation, positive
demographics and tight existing home
inventory should spur more single-family
production in the months ahead,” said
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.
“However, the softening of single-family
permits is consistent with our reports
showing that builders are concerned over
mounting construction costs, including the
highly elevated prices of softwood lumber.”
The May reading of 1.35 million is the
number of housing units builders would
begin if they kept this pace for the next
12 months. Within this overall number,
single-family starts rose 3.9% to 936,000—
the second highest reading since the Great
Recession. Meanwhile, the multifamily
sector rose 7.5% to 414,000 units.
Year-to-date, single-family and multifamily
production are respectively 9.8% and 13.6%
higher than their levels over the same period
last year. The year-to-date metric can help
compare performance data over a specific
time period and show growth trends.
“We should see builders continue to
increase production to meet growing
consumer demand even as they grapple
with stubborn supply-side constraints,
particularly rising lumber costs,” said
NAHB Chairman Randy Noel.
Proud Partner of
Project Timeline
August 30, 2018
Women’s Council Build Day
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City
September 7, 2018
IC Area HBA Build Day
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City
October 25, 2018
Remodelers Council Build Day
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
Katie Lammers Women Build
924 N Governor St, Iowa City
Visit IowaValleyHabitat.org
for details and regular updates
Regionally, the Midwest led the nation
with a 62.2% increase in combined singleand
multifamily housing starts. Starts fell
0.9% in the South, 4.1% in the West and
15% in the Northeast.
Looking at regional permit data, permits
rose 42.1% in the Northeast and 7.2% in the
Midwest. They fell 4.6% in the West and
13.9% in the South.
Read more analysis in Eye on Housing.

Co ridor Business Journal
2345 Landon Road, Ste. 100
North Liberty, IA 52317
See the nex two
businesses to be
inducted into the
Co ridor's most
exclusive club.
HALL
OF
FAME
Brooke Wagler
Ryan Hauser
Michael Sears
Mark Pa ton
Brad Bowman
Sandy Steil
8 ICAHBA Builders News | August 2018
REMODELER’S CORNER
Martin Construction, founded in 2007, is a family-owned remodeling company
with Andy Martin—former Greater Iowa City Area HBA President—
at the helm. Martin Construction works with clients in the Iowa City area
on projects from the smallest repair to total renovations, offering personal service
and professional work, while achieving the highest standards; whether it’s fixing a
sticky door or re-designing your whole home, they’ve got you covered!
This remodel involved transforming the entire first level of the home: the entryway,
living room, dining area, kitchen, bathroom, and two bedrooms. In addition, a threeseasons
room used for storage was fully enclosed, and made into the master bedroom.
Kitchen cabinets and counters were provided by Kitchens by Design using Ultra Craft
and Ceaserstone. The Alabaster Oak LVP flooring and glass backsplash were supplied
by Bachmeier Carpet One, and the Kohler faucet and stainless-steel double-bowl sink,
along with other plumbing fixtures, were supplied by Studio H20.
GETCONNECTED…
CBJ's Hall
of Fame
THE GREATER IOWA CITY AREA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION I www.iowacityhomes.com
THE GREATER IOWA CITY AREA HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION I www.iowacityhomes.com
Affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders & Home Builders Association of Iowa
“One of the best things about what we do is we get to help our clients solve
the problems they have with their home. Another is the opportunity to completely
transform spaces. On this project, we got to do both of those things, so
that was really rewarding. This was a fun young family to work with, and now
their home will really work for them as their kids grow.” - Andy Martin, owner of
Martin Construction
“Our experience with Martin Construction was first rate. From the planning and
conceptual phase to demolition to framing and finish work, Andy and crew were
very detailed, tidy, and respectful of our home and our plans to make it better. They
were conscientious of any concerns or problems that came up and immediately addressed
any issues we raised. Most of all, the completed work is excellent, and we
love our new house! We would gladly recommend Martin Construction to anyone
looking to hire a builder.” - Eric and Eve Menzel
Need a Construction Loan?
Call Hills Bank!
Affiliated with the National Association of Home Builders & Home Builders Association of Iowa
May is National Remodel Month
Spring is the time of year when many Americans make plans to remodel their
MAY 2017
2017
$2.00 I A LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESS WEEKLY IN IOWA’S CREATIVE CORRIDOR I JULY 17 - 23, 2017
2017's Best of
the Corridor II
Sparks fly when we discuss who’s the best in the
Corridor. In the spirit of democracy, however, the
CBJ held a calm and orderly vote by readers back in
June, which we ca l our annual Best of the Corridor
competition. After profiling the first group of 25
winners in last week’s edition, we invite you turn the
page to see who cleaned up in Best Cleaning Service,
who locked down Best Security Company, and who
wrote the book on Best Printer, among others. >>
Fireworks burst around the Tree of Five Seasons in downtown Cedar Rapids. PHOTO WILLIAM BUCKETS
homes. May is National Home Remodeling Month, and the NAHB Remodelers
and Greater IC Area HBA Remodelers Council reminds you to only trust your
dreams for your home to a qualified professional remodeler.
AFTER
BEFORE
Bea Day Plumbers, Inc. founded in 1980, is a women-owned
plumbing remodeling company and the lead contractor on this
project. Jane Hagedorn is the Owner and on the Remodeler’s
Council Board with the Greater Iowa City Area HBA. Bea Day
Plumbers, Inc. contracts remodeling projects, service work and
new home projects. They are commi ted to quality plumbing,
customer satisfaction, and promoting women in the construction
trades. From the bidding process through the finish of the project,
they offer clear and honest communication with their customers.
The owner of this bathroom remodel project chose to maintain
the basic footprint and fixture placement for the bathroom.
Plumbing and electrical systems were upgraded to comply with
modern codes. Per the homeowner’s request new fixtures were
chosen to be consistent with the vintage of the home. Custom
cabinetry and trim was buil to match existing cabinets and trim
in the home.
Bea Day Plumbers utilized a team of Remodeler’s Council
members to complete this project. Members included Lammers
Construction, Crown Electric, Sobaski Abby Carpet and Floor,
Knebel Windows and Ramsey Creek Woodworks.
For more information on home remodeling, and for help finding a professional
remodeler, visit www.iowacityhomes.com/remodelers-council
Check the Calendar of Events
Kinnick Stadium - Press Box
Thur, Oct. 12th - 6:00 pm
Check the Calendar of Events
at www.iowacityhomes.com
for more information!
OCTOBER MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP MEETING
OCTOBER 2017
at www.iowacityhomes.com
for more information!
Remodelers Council Social
WELCOME
NEW MEMBERS
Lowe’s – Coralvi le #1688
Greg Damhorst
2701 2nd St.
Coralville, IA 52241
Moxie Solar
Thomas Baumgartner
230 Sugar Creek Ln
North Liberty, IA 52317
Parade Craze
Ryan Geertsen
1099 W South Jordan Pkwy
South Jordan, UT 84095
April 25th
6:00-8:00 pm
Colonial Lanes
Membership Commi tee
May 9th
11:30 am – 1:30 pm
IC HBA Conference Room
May General
Membership Meeting
May 11th
5:30 pm – 8:00 pm
IVHFH ReStore and Education Center
2401 Sco t Blvd SE, Iowa City
Board Meeting
May 18th
12:00 - 1:00 pm
IC HBA Conference Room
Women’s Council Social
May 23rd
5:30 pm
Graze Restaurant
115 East Co lege St, Iowa City
SPEAKER BEGINS AT 6:30:
Affordable Metal Mfg
303 Cleveland Street, Muscatine, IA 52761
Phone: (563) 264-8212
Fax: (563) 264-8212
brooke@a fordablemetalmfg.com
www.a fordablemetalmfg.com
Sponsored by: Tim Ruth
Hausers Water Systems
1636 220th Street, Manchester, IA 52057
Phone: (563) 927-3716
Fax: (563) 927-2145
ryan.hauser@hauserswater.com
www.hauserswater.com
Sponsored by Tim Ruth
Iowa Cleaning, LLC
503 Potter Street, Ti fin, IA 52340
(319) 333-8343
michael@iowacleaning.net
www.iowacleaning.net
Sponsored by Adam Hahn
Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity
2401 Sco t Blvd SE, Iowa City, IA 52240
(319) 337-8989 mark@iowava leyhabitat.org
www.iowava leyhabitat.org
K+R Wholesale Building Materials
Rob Mu ray and Corinne Ashford
PO Box 3670, Camdenton, MO 65020
Phone: (573) 346-1187 Fax: (573) 346-1387
rmu ray@krwholesale.com
www.krwholesale.com
Sponsored by: Andy Martin
Star Equipment Ltd
2950 6th Street SW, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: (319) 365-5139 Fax: (319) 365-6726
bradbowman@starequip.com
www.starequip.com
Sponsored by: Tim Ruth
Steil Consulting, LLC
PO Box 5712, Coralvi le, IA 52241
(319) 631-1890 sandrasteil@outlook.com
Sponsored by Duane Musser
Remodelers Council Social
R
Tom Brands
Iowa Wrestling Coach
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:
COST: $15 PER PERSON Gold Cards Apply - RSVP to Karyl@HBAofIC.org or ca l (319) 351-5333 by Oct. 9, 2017
September 26 4:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Big Grove Brewery & Tap Room
1225 S Gilbert St, Iowa City
Mike Rowe Ski led
Trades Event
September 28 4:00 – 8:00 pm
Iowa Events Center, Des Moines
Remodelers Council
Committee Meeting
October 10 Noon – 1:00 pm
IC Area HBA Conference Room
October General
Membership Meeting
October 12 6:00 – 8:00 pm
Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City
Legislative Committee
October 17 7:30 – 8:30 am
IC Area HBA Conference Room
Board of Directors Meeting
October 19 Noon – 1:00
IC Area HBA Conference Room
ATTN:
MEMBERS
When you promote your business in the monthly Iowa City HBA “BuildersNews”
newsletter, you connect with local builders and Corridor Business Journal readers. The
CBJ has been proud to serve business news to a targeted audience of community leaders
and top professionals since 2004.
You wi l be contacted soon, by
Judith Cobb from the CBJ for the
2018 Membership Directory.
Don’t miss ge ting your ad in the
directory, contact Judith,
judith@co ridorbusiness.com.
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