The Mississauga News - Friday, March 3, 2006 NH19 More home builders say shortages, cost of serviced lots are critical problems Lake Louise, February 25, 2006 - More hom e builders say that shortages and associated rising costs o f serviced lots are a critical problem for them this year than last, ac cording to the W inter 2005/2006 Pulse Survey of new home builders and renovators. The semi-annual survey was conducted by the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA), the voice of Canada's residential construction industry. The results were released at the 63rd national CHBA Conference in Lake Louise. Thirty-tw o per cent o f hom e builders said the lack o f serviced lots is critical. Thirty-six per cent report that higher prices for serviced lots are driving up their costs, up from 29 per cent a year ago. In O ntario, 41 per cent say the shortage is critical and 42 per cent cite the rising cost of lots as critical. The new Pulse Survey also identifies the shortage and cost of trades and labour as major concerns. Twenty-six per cent of respondents said labour scarcity is critical - up 11 _per cent since last year. As well, 20 per cent reported that rising labour costs have become critical, an increase o f four per cent over last year. The shortage o f labour is also critical for one in five renovators. O f even greater concern to renovators is the underground economy. O ne-quarter o f renovator respon dents cited the underground economy as a critical prob lem. More than two-thirds believe at least 30 per cent of all repairs and small renovations (under $5,000) are being done on a cash deal basis. The pace of home building is expected to moderate slightly. New home builders are forecasting about 207,400 starts in 2006, down from 225,481 in 2005 and the 17year high o f 233,431 in 2004. All regions are expected to record fewer starts. The renovation sector continues its strong performance, according to the Survey. About half of CHBA renovator members reported higher activity, supported in part by re quests for larger renovations such as room additions. In all regions, the proportion o f renovators who expect even higher activity over the next year is larger than the propor tion that expect lower activity. About half of the new home builders across the coun try plan on making significant changes to the homes they build this year. As energy prices rise, 34 per cent of respon dents said they plan to incorporate more energy-efficient features. About 25 per cent said they plan to include more environmentally-friendly features and 14 per cent said they are planning more accessible designs. About the Pulse Survey T he 37th semi-annual Pulse Survey of new home build ers and renovators was conducted by the Canadian Home Builders' Association in December 2005 and January 2006 with the assistance of Canada Mortgage and Housing C or poration and Natural Resources Canada. A total of 283 new home builders and renovators responded to the Sur vey. Clayton Research tabulated and analyzed the responses on behalf of the CHBA. About the Canadian H om e Builders' Association T he Canadian H om e Builders' Association (CHBA) is the national voice of the residential construction indus try, representing more than 7,000 member firms across the country. M embership comprises new home builders, rehovators, developers, trade contractors, building mate rial manufacturers and suppliers, lenders and other profes sionals in the housing sector. MODEL HOME GRAND OPENING ON MARCH 25th REFLECTIONS OF The advantages of a new home If a home comes up for sale in a mature neighbourhood where there's an established sense of community and a history of strong property values, buying a resale home can be a good choice. However, there are several reasons why buying a new home is often the wiser choice. We just don't build homes the way they used to - and that's a good thing! Today's homes are built with state-of-the-art tech nology using lowmaintenance and durable building materials, to save you time and money. From vinyl-clad windows to aluminum soffits to clay brick, a modern home requires far less upkeep than a resale home, even a fairly modern one. Advanced wiring and Internet-ready cabling means you can work out of your new home about as efficiently as you can in many office buildings. Modern home design is lightyears ahead of older homes. In deed, light is one of the main design features of today' s homes. Windows are bigger and better and they're everywhere. They flood the interior with natural light without letting in the cold or letting out the heat. Today's homes also offer floorplans. that are very functional, accommodatingyour needs, not the lifestyle of some mythi cal family from bygone generations. Open concept plans give modern homes a light and airy feeling, yet they can be informal or formal, casual or elegant. Moreover, you can get exactly what you want, because many builders will customize the model you choose, allowing you to create rooms or styles that meet your personal needs. Options and upgrades provide further flexibility. Modern designs are also very clever when it comes to providing storage space, the lack of which is one of the biggest drawbacks of older homes. Better insulation, higher efficiency heating systems, better windows and doors, overall tight construction and improved ventilation are hallmarks of homes built in the last few years. That means lower energy costs and a more comfortable home all year round. W ith the purchase of a new home also comes peace of mind. Every new home sold in Ontario is covered by one-, two^ and seven-year warranties, described in detail later. Safety is also improved, with features such as smoke detectors wired into the home' s electrical system; or video surveillance in condos. Finally, many new homes are built in new communities, where there is consistent design among the homes and care ful attention paid to public elements such as landscaping and street lighting. New home communities generally offer parks, schools, shopping and recreational amenities close at hand. | -- -/ | I IS IS El i f I l S B ' S S j -j! -----; r - - | | v* - H r r r r J j r r r r B * l'r i ! i ~ n i i The Gershwin 2979 sq. ft. 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