President Bush Signs Landmark Housing Bill Into Law
NAHB
Landmark housing legislation signed into law today by President Bush is aimed at ending the current cyclical downturn in the housing industry, helping home buyers and strapped borrowers and strengthening the housing finance system, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
http://www.nahb.org/news_details.aspx?newsID=7611

New IRS Utility Allowance Regulations Good For LIHTC Properties
multihousingnews.com
The Internal Revenue Service has published long-awaited regulations changing the way rents are adjusted on Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) properties where residents pay for their own utilities. This gives LIHTC property owners more flexibility in the way they calculate utility allowances for their low-income residents.
http://www.multihousingnews.com/multihousing/content_display/industry-
news/e3i0e5e7151b1d77beb3a2e945bddee4ba5

Paulson Says Stimulus Worked, But Housing Still Correcting
The Wall Streeet Journal
U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson Thursday said new economic data prove that the economic stimulus plan has successfully propped up the U.S. economy, but said it will take additional months for the housing market -- the biggest risk to the economy -- to fully recover.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121752429127901443.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

California's Discount Foreclosure Sales Point to Housing Bottom
bloomberg.com
California led the U.S. into the worst housing recession since the 1930s. Now the most populous state may be the first to find the bottom.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aAL047pyn7t4&refer=home

Money to be made out of US housing market?
FTAdviser
Last week Schroders' fixed income chief Bob Michele remarked, in an interview, that investors could do worse than looking to the US mortgage market for somewhere to spend their cash.
http://ftadviser.com/FinancialAdviser/AssetClass/Comment/article/20080731/99
7193c2-5f06-11dd-b5f3-0015171400aa/Money-to-be-made-out-of-US-housing-market.jsp

White House says U.S. avoided recession
marketwatch.comm
The U.S. has avoided a recession, President Bush's budget director claimed Thursday, but he said challenges including energy costs remain. Nussle and Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Edward Lazear both touted the effects of the stimulus package signed into law by President Bush. Responding to a question about the need for a second such package, Nussle said such calls are "all about politics and the election."
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/white-house-says-us-avoided/story.aspx?
guid=5E122AE2-51E7-40C3-B4A8-6D1933A0D184&dist=SecMostCommented

Mazria Publishes Code Equivalents for 2030 Challenge
buildinggreen.com
Architecture 2030, the organization created by Ed Mazria, FAIA, to reduce the building sector's contribution to climate change, has published a guide that compares existing energy codes with the performance targets of the 2030 Challenge.
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/7/29/Mazria-Publishes-
Code-Equivalents-for-2030-Challenge/

Solar Water Heating Required in New Homes in Hawaii
buildinggreen.com
Legislation passed in June 2008 will require that most new one-family houses be equipped with solar water heaters, starting in 2010. The law cites Hawaii's overwhelming dependence on fossil fuels and the impact on the state's economy of rising petroleum prices as reasons for the requirement.
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/7/29/Solar-Water-Heating-
Required-in-New-Homes-in-Hawaii/

San Francisco Allocates $3 Million for PV Incentives
buildinggreen.com
San Francisco officials hope to lead the nation in the installation of rooftop photovoltaic systems by having 10,000 systems in place within a decade.
http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2008/7/29/San-Francisco-Allocates-
3-Million-for-PV-Incentives/

Builders hail move to lower county traffic impact fees
sacbee.com
It may not jump-start new construction, but builders and developers praised El Dorado County's move to lower its traffic impact fees.For a single-family home, that translates to a $240 to $700 drop in fees, depending on location. New fees will range from $15,430 in the county's northwest region to $41,700 in the Cameron Park-Rescue area and the area west of Placerville along Highway 50.
http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/1122430.html

House auctioneers stay busy in tough market
The seattletimes
Despite the soft real-estate market, Beazer Homes USA recently sold 26 beachfront condos on the Jersey Shore in 75 minutes.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/realestate/2008073387_auctions27.html

Builders Can Use New Tax Credit to Help Spur Home Sales
nbnnews.com
Prospective first-time home buyers who have been sitting on the fence now have a significant financial incentive to explore the opportunities available in today's housing market. H.R. 3221, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 — which was passed by the Congress on July 26 and signed by President Bush on July 30 — allows first-time home buyers to take a $7,500 tax credit from the purchase of a single-family home, townhome or condominium apartment.
http://www.nbnnews.com/NBN/issues/2008-07-28/Front%2BPage/index.html

Register for the 2009 Builders' Show in Las Vegas
buildersshow.com
The International Builders' Show is the largest annual light construction show in the world—over a million-and-a-half square feet of the latest and most advanced building products and services ever assembled. See all of the latest innovations for yourself with hands-on demonstrations and working models in over 300 building industry categories at the National Association Home Builders' annual convention.
http://www.buildersshow.com/Home/Page.aspx?pageID=1901

New housing project to pay sewage tolls
the-signal.com
In April, talks about building at least 40 homes in Canyon Country at the end of Houston Court were slowed when Santa Clarita city planners expressed concern about city sewers used for an unincorporated county project. Planners working for developer W.L. Homes LLC, met with the city and resolved their outstanding sewer issues.
http://www.the-signal.com/news/article/3170/

Residential building boom
dailynews.com
A residential building boom is exploding near Northridge Fashion Square, where the construction of nearly 2,000 apartments and condos is expected to worsen traffic congestion and result in the demolition of a venerable Kmart store.Three of the projects are mixed use, with residential units built atop retail space. The fourth is a senior-citizens complex that includes a wing for assisted-living tenants.Developers of the four complexes say they're proceeding despite the nationwide slump in home construction, with the projects' proximity to restaurants and the regional mall giving them the impetus to build.
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_10027386

Sponsored Press Releases

COMMUNITY CELEBRATES RESTORATION OF HISTORICAL HOME FOR HOMELESS
homeaidoc.org/
Catholic Worker Isaiah House, a turn of the century Victorian house that nightly provides refuge for the homeless most at risk on the street – families, senior adults and the disabled - was the site of a dedication ceremony hosted by HomeAid Orange County. Building industry leaders, contractors, architects, state and community leaders and Isaiah House guests gathered to honor the contributions of California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors, Orange County Inland Empire (CALPASC OCIE), Pacific Design Estates Construction, Inc., William Hezmalhalch Architects and more than 300 consultants, suppliers and cash donors for their dedication to renovating Isaiah House.
http://www.homeaidoc.org/

Calendar of Events

August. 3; Houston, Texas
Designed by Archtects
www.architectureweek.com

August. 7; Providence, R.I.
EOC Assocation Excellence Awards

August 13; Richmond, Va.
CACE 2008 Annual Meeting
www.aia

August 14; Arlington, Va.
GreenGov Conference
www.usgbc.org

August 14; Dallas, TX.
MetroCon 2008
www.asd.org

August 17; Newport Beach, Calif.
Selling to Active Adults in Today’s Market
www.biasc.org

August 18; San Diego, Calif. Calif.
A.R.E. 3/4 Ready Fast Course
www.aia.org

August 19; San Diego, Calif.
West Coast Interiors Expo
www.asid.org

August 21-23; Sacramento, Calif.
Concrete Countertop Industry Conference
www.NKBA.org

August 22; Diamond Bar, Calif.
Remodelrs Council: Design/ Build Solutions
www.biasc.org

September 9; Baltimore, Md.
The Remodeling Show
www.theremodelingshow.com

September 10; Baltimore, Md.
2008 NARI Leadership Summit
www.nari.org

September 17; Denver, Colo.
Multi-Housing World 2008
www.asid.org

September 17; Chicago,IL
The 18th Annual NIC Conference
www.nic.org

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