Vol. 5, No. 3 – January 30, 2006 

 

 

 MLA EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Early Bird Deadline – February 15! 

The Basic Materials Estimating School… This is a two-day school designed to teach participants the basic piece-by-piece estimating of building products usually sold in a full-service lumberyard/home center. Students learn the basics of blueprint reading, how to use the LT1 Guidebook for estimating that contains tables, checklists, construction illustrations and estimating reminders; and finally how to estimate a simple house plan piece-by-piece.  

March 6-7 – Fayetteville, Ark.

March 8-9 – Kansas City, Mo. 

Advanced Materials Estimating School… This advanced piece-by-piece estimating seminar is designed to assist the estimator or outside salesperson/estimator who already knows how to estimate but wants some shortcuts and instructions in multi-pitched roofs, including stick framing and finding wall lengths, floor area, and more complicated house layouts. Students receive the estimating guidebook as part of the class. 

March 10 – Kansas City, Mo.

Member Pricing: 

Basic Estimating - $450 per person

Advanced Estimating - $325 per person

Early Bird Discounts available – see registration form for details. Sign up early to get the best price.

Complete information and registration forms are available upon request from MLA at 800-747-6529. Or, simply reply to this email and we’ll send complete information today! 

Limited Time Offer – Forklift & You

For a limited time, you can obtain special “Forklift & You” items at a reduced price:

Operator’s Package – now available for $35 (normal price $55).

ID Cards & Certificates – now available for $9 each (normal price $12.95).

This offer is available only while supplies last. NLBMDA is reprinting items with their new logo, and would like to reduce inventory of items with old logo. Stock up now at reduced prices.

Call Shirley at 800-747-6529 to order today.

In addition, NLBMDA now offers “The Forklift and You” in DVD format,  in addition to the video. If you already own the video, you can obtain the DVD for just $50.

BLAIR COLLINGS INTERNSHIP IN GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS

NLBMDA is now accepting applications for Summer Internship in Washington, DC.

The annual Blair Collings Internship in Government Affairs provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the college-aged relative of a member dealer to spend eight weeks interning in the government affairs department of NLBMDA’s Washington DC office. Interns have the opportunity to learn about our federal government and issues affecting the building supply industry first-hand. Applications are available at www.dealer.org and are due by March 1, 2006.

 

LUMBER NEWS – QUICK GLIMPSES

 

Construction Spending Edges Upward… Construction spending during November was estimated at a seasonally adjusted annual rate (SAAR) of $1.146 trillion, 0.2 percent higher than the revised October estimate, according to the Census Bureau. The November figure is 7.8 percent higher than the November 2004 estimate. Residential construction was at a SAAR of $641.9 billion, about the same as the October estimate. 

Source: NAWLA Bulletin, January 16, 2006

Beetle Outbreak in British Columbia has U.S. Worried… As many as 21 million acres of forests may need to be harvested immediately, if the mountain pine beetle infestation in British Columbia continues to roost.

“In this case, we have dead timber that is degrading as it sits on the stump,” said John McLean, a forest entomologist. “A big effort is under way to access as much as can be handled by the system while at the same time, plant trees on the cutover lands to ensure that the new crop is established.”

The beetle outbreak is the latest natural disaster to befall British Columbia, and has forced mills to operate around the clock.

Source: LBM Daily, January 17, 2006

“Junk Fax” Rule Delayed… The rules implementing the Junk Fax Prevention Act of 2005, set to take effect January 9, were delayed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) on December 9 while seeking public comment. The deadline for the implementation of the new rules according to the law is April 5, 2006. NLBMDA will provide an update if there are any significant changes. A brief summary of the “Junk Fax” requirements is available at http://www.dealer.org/docsDoNotFaxRequirements7-05.pdf.

Source: NLBMDA Advocate, January 2006

Article Created a Blaze of Controversy… When Science magazine published its controversial study on the effects of logging after fires, not all of the scientific community was in agreement with the results.

Oregon State University sits at the center of the controversy: Its dean, Hal Salwasser, supports a congressional bill recommending acceleration of logging after fires, for example. Two other OSU professors, John Sessions and Michael Newton, co-authored a report that encouraged aggressive logging to restore forests after fires.

Source: LBM Daily, January 23, 2006

43% of First-Time Home Buyers Put No Money Down… As housing prices soared last year, an eye-popping 43 percent of first-time homebuyers purchased their homes with no-money-down loans, according to a study released Tuesday by the National Association of Realtors.

The trend is potentially ominous. The real estate market is cooling in some areas, and rates on adjustable-rate loans are creeping up. As a result, some no-money-down buyers could owe more than their homes are worth.

Source: Builder On-line Business Update, January 24, 2006

Remodeling Up 20 percent… Home remodeling and improvements totaled a record $275 billion in 2005 – up by almost 20 percent from a year ago.

And while there are signs that remodeling growth is slowing along with the rest of the housing sector, it’s still expected to expand faster than homebuilding in 2006.

“Remodeling seems to be showing more strength than new homebuilding at present,” said Kermit Baker, a senior research fellow at Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies. “As new home construction eases over the years ahead, remodeling is going to hold its own.”

Remodeling now accounts for 40 percent of U.S. residential construction annually. “We expect that share of activity to grow,” Mr. Baker said Friday.

Source: Remodeling Online Business Update, January 25, 2006

U.S. Looks to Canada’s New Government To Solve Softwood Lumber Dispute… On Monday, Canadians elected Conservative Stephen Harper as their next Prime Minister. On Tuesday, the White House remained upbeat that Harper and the U.S. could resolve the softwood lumber dispute.

“We are continuing to work to try to bring it to a resolution, and that’s what we’re committed to doing,” White House spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters.

Harper has stated that he might be willing to agree to changes in NAFTA, but only if America remains committed to the process.

Source: LBM Daily, January 25, 2006

Home Sales Drop 3rd Month in Row… Sales of existing homes fell in December for the third-consecutive month, in a surprisingly sharp drop that signaled the housing market is cooling off faster than expected.

Home resales declined 5.7 percent from November to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 6.6 million, the slowest since March 2004, the National Association of Realtors said Wednesday. Western states, notably California, suffered the worst, with home sales in the region skidding 11.4 percent from November and from December 2004.

Source: ProSales Business Update, January 27, 2006

Home Sales Increased in December… The newest figures from the Commerce Department show that while mortgage rates lowered, U.S. home sales rose by 2.9 percent last December to 1.282 million at year end. The prices on homes continued to decrease even as the total number of houses available on the market reached record levels.

Source: LBM Daily, January 30, 2006

 

SOME FACTS ABOUT EXERCISE

Today, exercise is more about health than athletic ability. Everyone from age 4 to 94 can benefit from some level of regular physical activity.

·         The CDC and American College of Sports Medicine set the baseline standard for physical activity in 1995, recommending at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise, preferably every day, in increments as short as 10 minutes. The Surgeon General’s Office endorsed this prescription in 1996.

 ·         In 2002, the National Institutes of Health doubled the daily goal to 60 minutes of accumulated moderately intense physical activity recommended to help achieve weight loss and optimal cardiovascular health.

·         72 percent of women do not engage in regular leisure-time physical activity, compared to 64 percent of men.

·         The Surgeon General’s Office estimates that nearly half of American youths ages 12 to 21 get no regular vigorous exercise.

·         Exercise can enhance mood and counter mild to moderate depression.

·         It maintains heart and lung function, builds muscle and aids joint flexibility.

·         Almost any form of physical activity, from gardening to racquetball, can improve overall health and the cardiovascular system.

·         Duration of exercise generally produces more benefits than intensity.

Conclusion: Doing something physical beats doing nothing – if you do it every day.

Source: Federated Insurance – Meeting Your Goals for Good Health, January 2006

MLA is proud to endorse….

 

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY 

“Only those who risk going too far can possibly know how far one can go.” – T.S. Elliot