June update

For a slow economy, there is still a lot of things going on. Some GOOD, some not so nice.

Good Stuff -

1. Archer Lion's first Inside Corner E-newsletter went out this month. You can see it at Archer Lion.com. It covers some of the things I am including here, with a few extras.
2. Our newly redesigned website (ArcherLion.com) grows every day thanks to a very gifted employee (and family member who will remain nameless but she knows who she is.)
3. Tax Incentives - the First-time homebuyer $8000 tax credit has now been monetized. This is a fancy way of saying you can use the money now for your downpayment or to pay additional on your downpayment. According to HUD and NAHB this will really help close more sales for these buyers. read more
4. Leading economists say we may have reached the bottom of the housing crisis. While at the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Spring Board of Directors meeting in Washington DC the end of May, several leading economists held a panel discussion regarding the current economy and what to expect. If you are an NAHB member, you can go to NAHB.ORG, click on Spring Boards and watch all of this panel discussion.
5. The Certified Aging-In-Place Specialist (CAPS) diploma is finally hanging on my wall. Thanks to Karen at the Chippewa Valley Homebuilders Association, I have done a newspaper interview and will be doing a television spot regarding universal design and building/remodeling considerations for senior citizens.

Not so nice stuff -

1. Contractor Licensing - The State of Wisconsin has a new contractor licensing rule that effects anyone who does work on 1-2 family housing which must be complied with by July 1, 2009. This costs $100 and is good for 4 years. It is really important for window and siding installers who do not have a regular WI contractor license to apply for this through the Department Of Commerce. read more
2. Tax Credits for windows - Just released, the Federal government has gone back to the original ruling of .30/.30 in order to qualify for the 30%/$1500 tax credit for all sales after June 1, 2009. Due to "discrepancies", sales prior to June 1 only had to have the Energy Star rating to qualify. But now the official ruling is for u-values of .30 or better and SHGC (solar heat gain coefficient) of .30 or better. For those that really follow these ratings, the SHGC of .30 is considerably more stringent than the Energy Star and many window manufacturers sis not have windows that could meet the criteria. However, most have now added glass packs or made improvements. There are many that will argue that the SHGC of .30 is not applicable in our climate, but can't fight the minds in DC. read more
3. Unemployment and current bank lending standards are not going to get better any time soon. From that same group of economists in DC that told me some good stuff.