June 2016

Labor + Trade Relations

Quest to Create a New Generation of Skilled Trades

How MiCareerQuest aims to finding an answer to the construction industry's labor shortage

Students exploring trade careers at the MiCareerQuest exhibits in Michigan

Green Design

WaterSense, Sustainability Part of Policy Modernization Act

Congress will need to reconcile the Act with a similar bill that was recently passed. A reconciled bill would pass through the House and Senate before reaching President Obama.

Energy Efficiency

Rooftop Solar Required in Santa Monica

A new city ordinance makes solar systems mandatory for commercial and residential construction. Builders might oppose another regulation, though.

Timber Framing

New Guide for Building With Raised-Heel Trusses

The eight-page Raised-Heel Trusses for Efficient, Cost-Effective, Comfortable Homes (Form R330) offers detailed illustration and installation instructions, and describes how a raised-heel truss construction system can increase a home's structural and ene

Home Builders Institute's Schools to Skills Grant Application Open Through December

As Mortgage Rates Rise, Buyers Lose Purchasing Power

Renters Are Choosing Single-Family Homes for These Features