It is almost July and the housing starts have not seen much improvement. This should be the peak of the season but it is just not happening. Economic forecasters are now saying that the U.S. housing market is not going to see much of a rebound in 2009 and a very slow increase over the next couple of years. This is mostly due to the lack of customer confidence in the economy turning around. Many people have worries of possibly being laid off from their job; the sense of job security is very low. Homeowners that would like to build, have little confidence that they could sell their existing home. Finally the concerns of the latest interest rate increases have knocked many out of the market.

With all of these mounding issues it is evident that the new home construction industry is going to continue to suffer for several years. Many have thought that the Green Building focus would help bring the U.S. housing market out of the slumps, but there are just too many factors that are holding it down. So it does not look like Green will save the day.

The big concern that is not talked about in the many news articles is the fact that the U.S. is going to be faced with much higher priced material in the future. This might not make sense based on the low demand but a major change is happening in the supply chain that will have a dramatic effect on the price of materials.

First we have material supply yards closing at an alarming rate because they can not afford to remain open. Stock Building Supply has just completed a chapter 11 restructure with more than two thirds of its locations closing. BMC West is just going into chapter 11 and many small family owned yards are closing or going bankrupt. This is happening in lumber, windows, doors, roofing, drywall, electrical and plumbing yards across the country.  The wholesale companies are facing the same problems. But this even goes to mills and manufacturing facilities.

The prices of many of home building products are based on supply and demand. The demand is low and the supply is getting lower. The prices of many products so low the mills or manufacturers can not make any money, so they have stopped production. When this market decides to turn around then prices will go through the roof, there will just not be enough supply to keep up with even the smallest increase in demand. This process will make it even harder for people to afford to start a home and slow the recovery of new housing starts.

So the next several years will be a difficult one for anyone in the housing industry.

June 15, 2009 – Leaders in the movement toward sustainability in housing and other industries told last month’s NAHB Green Building Conference in Dallas that the marketplace is in a period of transition and that home builders should be gearing up to fill demand for energy- and resource-efficient homes.

If builders don’t change on their own, they said, it is likely that the government will come in and force them to build sustainably.
To read the complete article visit NAHB or Click Here
Green Building Signals Big Changes Ahead for Housing

A movement is taking place in an old methodology. Prefab or modular homes seem to be taking a very popular spot light in the green arena. This is not the old modular homes that most people think of, where the home is a square box split in half and resemble a double wide trailer home. These new breed of modular homes are quite stylish and green friendly.

There are a few things that make these green modular homes appealing. The basic principle of modular homes is to build in a controlled environment and utilization of material. Several companies are creating boxes of particular components like kitchen, bedrooms and bathrooms. These boxes are like building blocks that are assembled in many different configurations to create the home. This process can speed up the construction of the home.

What make a modular home to be considered green? Well if we look at what green building is all about we may understand even more. The primary goal is to reduce environmental impact and create a healthy living environment. Modular homes reduce the impact on the land, reduce waste of material and make many green products more economical buy using bulk purchase. Transportation is one huge factor, with fewer deliveries to the jobsite.

A great article on this process and the reasons for using modular homes can be found at Low Impact Living, in an article called Green Prefab Homes-Prefabulous!, Written by Jason Pelletier. They have covered this process very well and explain modular living in further detail.

Is there a future for prefab homes? Well if anyone that follows the financial news or the stock market will now how successful Warren Buffet has been. So what does Warren Buffet have to do with Prefab Homes? In an article posted May 8, 2009 in Environmental News Network, Warren Buffet is investing in Green Prefab Homes. Now everyone knows that anything Mr. Buffet touches seems to turn to gold. A Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary called Clayton Homes has just launched a green prefab home called I-Home. To read more about this go to Warren Buffet Company Debuts Line of Green Prefab Homes, By Jason Pelletier.

Not every home buyer is going to have an interest in prefab or modular homes but this may be the next big Green movement in the building industry. There are several companies that are giving the modular or pods a big push. The smaller size also makes it fit in the square foot per bedroom scale in all green certifications. The cost is ranging from $100 – $170 a square foot without land or site prep.

In the old space movies it showed people living in pods in space, well we are not quite there but we are living in pods on earth, just another step into the future of housing.

Well today is Friday and we have completed the building section of our three day classes. Today I want to share with you the great place we are meeting. It is called Victory Ranch, an exclusive community with 18 hole golf course and miles of private fishing on the Provo River.  You can learn more about Victory Ranch Here http://www.victoryranchclub.com

I also have atached a few pictures that I took today.

Well today was my first day of a three day training to become a Certified Green Professional. It was a very packed day, covering aspects of the program, the building envelope, community design, framing options, air and water infiltration and much more. tomorrow is more on mechanics like HVAC and plumbing. Then we have the test. Saturday is a business management class on green building.
This is a great program for anyone related to the industry. We have designers, builders, real estate brokers and suppliers in the class.
I will follow up tomorrow with pictures of the fantastic spot we are meeting.

I found this article on Federal Times.com that is very interesting. President Obama has outline what building will be upgraded and how much money will be spent.

Hundreds of federal buildings across the country will be going green in the next year or two under the General Services Administration’s plans for spending more than $5.5 billion in stimulus funds.

Do you have a Green Business?

Get GREEN products wholesale and redistribute.

Stop the environmental damage from plastic. Designer reusable grocery bags.

Go GREEN on St. Patrick’s Day!!!

This is the day to celebrate GREEN, Do it with great support to promoting A Greener world.

E-Mail Environmentally green blogs from the web to all your friends.

Have a GREAT Green St. Patrick’s Day