Payday Gorilla

By DEREK KRAVITZ, AP Real Estate Writer
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1 hour ago 

WASHINGTON (AP) — Homes were built in September at the fastest pace in 17 months, a hopeful sign for the economy.

Most of the gain was driven by a surge in volatile apartment construction, which helps boost economic growth. But other data suggest a housing recovery is far off.

Single-family home construction, which represents nearly 70 percent of homes built, rose only slightly. And building permits, a gauge of future construction, fell to a five-month low.

“Certainly there is no overbuilding going on now, so the overall result is favorable,” said Pierre Ellis, an analyst at Decision Economics. “But greater optimism would have been prompted if single-family starts had increased — suggesting that builders were seeing a better market ahead.”

Builders began work in September on a seasonally adjusted 658,000 homes, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. That’s a 15 percent increase from August and the best pace since April 2010, when a federal homebuyers’ tax credit temporarily boosted construction.

Still, the level is roughly half the 1.2 million that economists say is consistent with healthy housing markets.

Single-family homes rose 1.7 percent. And building permits fell 5 percent.

Apartment building surged 53.4 percent to its highest level in three years.

Increased apartment construction could be a sign that builders are gaining access to hard-to-get financing for projects, analysts said. It could also be a positive sign for the broader economy.

The Federal Reserve “will still be more encouraged than not, given the healthy multi-family sector — and the positive hint about availability of financing that it gives,” Ellis said.

While home construction represents a small portion of the housing market, it has an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and about $90,000 in taxes, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Overall, homebuilding fell to its lowest levels in 50 years in 2009, when builders began work on just 554,000 homes. Last year was not much better.

Cash-strapped builders are struggling to compete with deeply discounted foreclosures and short sales, when lenders allow borrowers to sell homes for less than what is owed on their mortgages. And few homes are selling.

After previous recessions, housing accounted for at least 15 percent of economic growth in the United States. Since the recession officially ended in June 2009, it has contributed just 4 percent.

New-home sales fell in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 295,000, a six-month low. This year is shaping up to be the worst since the government began keeping records a half-century ago.

Renting has become a preferred option for many Americans who lost their jobs during the recession and were forced to leave their homes. Still, the surge in apartments has not been enough to offset the loss of single-family homebuilding.

Another reason sales have fallen is that previously occupied homes are a better deal than new homes. The median price of a new home is about 30 percent higher than the median price for a re-sale. That’s almost twice the markup in a healthy housing market.

The trade group said Tuesday that its survey of industry sentiment rose this month to 18, the highest level in 17 months. Still, the index has been below 20 for all but one month during the past two years. Any reading below 50 indicates negative sentiment about the housing market. The index hasn’t reached 50 since April 2006, the peak of the housing boom.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Article source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hhf-m9t-lTxlQ5rMmFIEOwwu8V4w?docId=90bdf0e9f138456aad61edaaf1b0403f

When Carter Oosterhouse takes the stage at The News-Journal’s Home Show this weekend, it might be hard to tell whether the women in the crowd are really there to hear tips on home design from “America’s favorite handyman” or just to drool.

The 6-foot 2-inch carpenter, once named one of People Magazine’s Sexiest Men Alive, is well-known among HGTV viewers for his looks. But, the multitalented Oosterhouse also has gained a following on the home-improvement network for his approach to do-it-yourself home design and renovations, as well as his off-the-screen charitable endeavors.

In a telephone interview from California this week, Oosterhouse says he looks forward to his two scheduled appearances here this weekend.

He says he likes to create the same energy about working inside the home that people experience when they go to a fashion show.

“My goal is to put a lot of that energy and excitement into what we do on a daily basis, to get people excited about wanting to work in their homes,” he says. “I feel like we can do that when we go to home shows.”

“There are plenty of things you can do around your home that will improve the environment you live in,” he says.

Jessica Fox, event marketing manager for The News-Journal, says his planned appearances already have created “a lot of excitement.” Fox says she has received many calls from people wanting to be sure they catch his show, scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Ocean Center, and sponsored by MG on the Halifax.

Oosterhouse, 35, spoke with The News-Journal this week about the Home Show, his background and his work.

Born and raised in Traverse City, Mich., Oosterhouse is the youngest of four. He worked as a carpenter during the summer while attending school. He owns homes in Los Angeles and Michigan, where he has restored a century-old farmhouse. He married actress Amy Smart in September.

What’s your goal for your appearances on Saturday and Sunday?

s the only place we mention the name of one of his shows

It’s similar to the goal for his HGTV show “Carter Can.” “I’ll be giving tips that go into do-it-yourself design in your home, including within kitchens and bathrooms,” he says. He hopes to “inspire people to work in their homes, and in their communities as well. I want to make sure that it’s sexy and cool and fun talking about insulation and sealant.”

Why are you working with environmental causes, both in your personal life and your HGTV shows?

“It’s our moral responsibility (designers and builders) to consider building with eco-friendly materials and products. The eco-friendly movement has drastically changed in the past four years. It was bells and whistles, and what we could use that’s really cool and environmentally friendly. Now, because the economic landscape has changed, it’s how can we lower the monthly bills.”

What are the biggest challenges for do-it-yourselfers?

“It’s about prep work in anything you do,” he said. It’s important to use paint chips and carpet swatches to figure out what look you want to go for.” It’s also important that items in the room be size appropriate, he said. “If you have a couch that you love, that’s huge, that you want to squeeze in anyway, then the whole dynamic of a room can change.”

Your college degree is in nutrition and communication. How did you end up in television?

“The summer after I graduated, I had a job lined up in Los Angeles to work for a nutrition company. At the last minute I started working for a production company instead. I worked behind the scenes for a good solid two years. They always had me fixing things and working on things.”

Then someone mentioned that the show Trading Spaces on HGTV was looking for a carpenter and he decided to audition.”"I wanted to produce and get into that scope of things and then lo and behold, look what gets me in front of the camera.”

“You build things, you play sports and celebrity poker. Is there anything you can’t do?”

“There’s plenty of things I don’t do. I try, but I don’t do well. I’m not a good cook.” But laughing, Oosterhouse admits he is “a jack of all trades.” His can-do attitude came from his parents, he says. “My dad when we were younger was telling me to change the brakes on the car. I was like 12. I said, ‘Dad I can’t do it.’ He said, ‘you’ll figure it out.’ ” Oosterhouse went out and started figuring out how to change the brakes. When he came to a point where he couldn’t do the next step, he went back inside to his dad. “He says, ‘I bet if I gave you $1 million, you could figure it out.’ I went back outside and figured it out. I didn’t get the million bucks, but whenever there’s a project out there, I can’t always do it maybe as well as it should have been done, but I’ll definitely try to tackle it.”

You’ve said that when you were younger, your father encouraged you not to watch television, but to “go outside and do something.” How are you continuing to spread that message?

“I started my nonprofit Carter’s Kids to fight childhood obesity. We build a playground a month all over the United States.”

“Childhood obesity is pretty staggering,” he says.”It’s taking the stuff I’ve learned, having movement in your life, not being stagnant.”

“Those things my parents taught me, at the time I wasn’t a huge fan of it. But, looking back, it’s one of the best things they could have done. They pushed us to be active. My father is still the best motivator. Even in my life now, if I’m sitting around, hanging out, I think ‘Oh, I should be doing something.’ “

“I’m the biggest advocate of kids and play, not only fighting childhood obesity, but the level of learning kids have when they have places to play and be active.”

What do you hope to be doing in five years?

“I’d like to continue to grow. Carter’s Kids already has “grown exponentially,” he says, but “I’d like to be building two playgrounds a month.”"We got a large grant from Lowe’s so we worked with them this past year in the non-profit Rebuilding Together. They work on rebuilding homes around the community and we build a playground right in the center. I want to do more of those.” He also hopes to be doing more TV production. “We have a little production company where we produce a few of the shows for HGTV. We have one coming out called Million Dollar Rooms and then another show Million Dollar Homes. Those are coming out early next year.”

Article source: http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/local/east-volusia/2011/10/19/carter-oosterhouse-appearing-at-news-journal-home-show-in-daytona-beach.html

Joplin’s recovery from the disastrous May 22 tornado will go into hyperdrive today when “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” begins building homes for seven Joplin families in seven days.

Nearly 13,000 volunteers — and dozens of area businesses — have pitched in to help make ABC TV’s largest build go together smoothly.

The lucky Joplin families will learn they’ve been picked this morning. They’ll see their new homes for the first time during the TV show’s “move that bus” reveal a week from today.

Nixa homebuilder Sam Clifton, owner of Millstone Homes, is leading the effort. It will be his second “Extreme Makeover” experience, having led the construction of a home for an Ash Grove family in 2009.

According to Clifton, upwards of 13,000 people have volunteered in myriad ways to help with the Joplin project.

“The local response has been really neat,” he said. “I’ve gotten so many emails from people who were hit by the tornado but who want to come to help us.”

He thanked the thousands of people and businesses who had donated time, money, building supplies, design assistance and logistical support.

The Joplin homes are being built for seven families whose homes were demolished during the EF5 tornado.

According to show organizers, several of the families lost loved ones during the twister, which claimed 162 lives.

Clifton said the seven houses will be built together on one street, ranging in size from 1,300 square feet to 2,000 square feet.

The build site, now cleared of debris, is within the tornado’s path of destruction.

Unlike most “Extreme Makeover” shows, the families won’t need to watch their former homes being torn down.

“There’s no demolition work on this project — the tornado took care of that,” said Clifton.

Although the homes are smaller than typical “Extreme Makeover” projects, Clifton said each will be customized to the family’s individual needs.

Sheri Hawkins, a project spokeswoman, acknowledged none of the new homes are being designed with basements or tornado shelters.

The families will learn they’ve been chosen during a morning “door knock” event, where show teams fan out to alert the winners.

A Brave Heart March –where hundreds of volunteer builders march to the construction site — will take place at 2 p.m. today.

Media are being invited to interview the families at 7 tonight.

2009 ‘Extreme Makeover’ winner to volunteer

Among the volunteers today will be Niki Hampton, who with her husband Chris received a free 3,300-square-foot home in 2009, compliments of “Extreme Makeover.”

It replaced a tiny, 800-square-foot home in which the Hamptons were raising six children in Ash Grove.

On Tuesday, Hampton said she is still thrilled with the family’s spacious home.

“It’s made it where I’m not a slave to the house and don’t have to rearrange everything just to move around,” she said. “I’m not walking over everybody.”

Though built in only seven days, she said the home remains of high quality and is sound, except for one small crack that developed in the ceiling near a vent from the home settling.

“Sam (Clifton) was a stickler for quality,” Hampton said. “Everything still works.”

Although the house was free and donations paid off their prior mortgage, Hampton said the much larger house has proved more costly to live in.

Their homeowner’s insurance increased about $300 a year, property taxes rose from $400 to about $4000 and utilities increased.

“The utilities aren’t as much as we thought they’d be, because the house was so well insulated,” she said. “It’s a little less than double what we paid a month before.”

While in Joplin, Hampton said she’ll talk with “Extreme Makeover” volunteers about what to expect.

And she had some advice for the new homeowners.

“Hold on tight,” she said. “They’re going to experience a lot on an emotional level.”

Article source: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111019/NEWS01/110190370/Joplin-Makeover-begins-today?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CSpecial%20Reports%7Cs

They asked around the park. Other people had recent work done by the man.

They sought references. Even the park managers said he was a good guy.

They’d often seen him around the park working, so they felt comfortable when he offered to do the same work for them.

Now, more than a dozen of them are pressing the police for help. They say the Santa Rosa contractor, Tim Silva, made off with at least $9,500 of their money after either partially finishing or not even starting work they hired him to do within the past few weeks.

Silva didn’t return telephone calls seeking comment.

The number listed for his business, “Silva’s Mobil Home Maintenance” — complete with the missing “e” on mobile — is disconnected.

According to the Contractors State License Board, Silva’s license to work on manufactured housing expired in June and he is legally “not able to contract at this time.”

Silva also was fined last week by the state and another complaint from June is listed as a “probable violation.”

Jim and Pat Alley Roper of Petaluma’s Leisure Lakes Mobile Home Park said Silva offered to level their coach, which they said was necessary, for $850. After paying Silva $350, he said he’d need another $150 to get started, they said.

“He went under the home, cut some holes and said he’d be back tomorrow,” said Jim Roper. “And that was it.”

Now after a couple of weeks, Silva hasn’t returned to finish the work, he said, and repeated phone messages have gone unanswered.

“This is getting ridiculous,” Jim Roper said.

Park resident Katy Byrnes told a similar story. She knew her coach needed to be leveled. A few weeks ago, Silva said he would do the work for $450, which Byrnes felt was reasonable.

The Ropers said Silva initially proposed a fee of $1,800 for their work, then quickly cut that in half, which they now see as a red flag.

“That was how desperate he was,” Pat Roper said. “We didn’t realize it at the time.”

Byrnes said she paid Silva $450 up front.

She said she also asked Silva to repair a damaged heat duct while he was under the house. After he tore out a large section of ducting, Silva told her he would need another $450 for supplies and labor, she said. Byrnes said she paid the additional money.

“Nothing’s been done,” Byrnes said. Silva hasn’t returned her calls either, she said.

Initially, police said there was nothing they could do, several residents said. They were told it was a civil matter and they may want to hire a lawyer to sue Silva.

But neither Byrnes nor Roper, a disabled Navy veteran, was satisfied with that answer.

Byrnes waited last week at the police department for a half hour to file a formal complaint. Pat Roper, too, said she feels defrauded, an especially stinging feeling because she and other park residents aren’t wealthy.

“Many people in the park are on a limited income or Social Security,” she said.

Jim Roper is surveying park residents to determine how many people contracted with Silva, what work he promised, if he accepted their money and whether he provided them with any documentation. He is compiling their responses to give to police or prosecutors.

So far, he has totaled $9,500 in apparent losses from 13 residents. He and his wife paid Silva $500 while Byrnes paid him $900. Another resident said she was out $2,500 while another paid $1,130.

Police Lt. Tim Lyons said his officers are investigating Silva on suspicion of larceny and violations of the state business code that make it a crime to work as a contractor without a license.

Just last week, the Contractors State License Board fined Silva $2,350 for violations similar to what Leisure Lakes’ residents are claiming.

The complaint listed as a “probable violation” means the licensing board concludes it has enough evidence to believe he harmed consumers and they should be forewarned, agency spokeswoman Venus Stromberg said. That investigation is pending.

Stromberg encouraged anyone who had unsatisfactory dealings with Silva or any other contractor to file a complaint with her agency. “That gives prosecutors more reason to go after them,” she said.

She also said consumers should know that licensed contractors are forbidden by law from asking for deposits of more than 10 percent of the project cost or $1,000, whichever is less.

— By LORI A. CARTER, THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Article source: http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20111018/COMMUNITY/111019532/1033/news?Title=Contractor-Chaos

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Nearly 13,000 volunteers have stepped up to help build seven houses in seven days starting this week in tornado ravaged Joplin.

Nixa homebuilder Sam Clifton is leading the effort during the largest project ever undertaken by ABC TV’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

The homes are being built for seven Joplin families whose homes were demolished during the EF5 May 22 tornado.

Several of the families lost loved ones during the twister, which claimed 162 lives.

Many Joplin families were considered for the build, but spokeswoman Sheri Hawkins said the seven families chosen for the show will learn sometime Wednesday that they’ll get a new house.

Final details about when the construction and filming will begin were still being worked out Tuesday.

The Brave Heart March – where hundreds of volunteer builders march to the build site – will take place Wednesday afternoon.

The timing for this event is unsure at this point, according to an Extreme Makeover news release.

Clifton said the seven homes will be built together on one street, ranging in size from 1,300 square feet to 2,000 square feet.

Although they’re replacing tornado-demolished homes, none of the new ones are being designed with basements or tornado shelters, Hawkins acknowledged.

Unlike most Extreme Makeover shows, the families won’t need to watch their former homes being torn down.

“There’s no demolition work on this project – the tornado took care of that,” said Clifton.

Although the homes are smaller than typical Extreme Makeover projects, Clifton said each will be customized to the family’s individual needs.

According to Clifton, upwards of 13,000 people have volunteered in myriad ways to help build seven homes in seven days.

He thanked the thousands of people and businesses who had donated time, money, building supplies, design assistance and logistical support.

“The local response has been really neat,” he said. “I’ve gotten so many emails from people who were hit by the tornado but who want to come to help us.”

Details about how to volunteer or donate money and supplies is available online at www.joplinextrememakeover.com

Article source: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20111018/NEWS01/111018017/1007/Joplin-gearing-up-Extreme-Makeover-7-home-build