New Homes
New Homes
Throne speech may be good news for trades, homeowners
Premier Greg Selinger opened the fall session of the Manitoba Legislature with the throne speech on Monday, and there were a few items that may have a direct impact on housing and renovations.
The government announced the development of legislation to support "granny suites," an attached residence on a dwelling for an elderly parent. Manitobans are definitely living longer now, and having a parent move in with their children may be a viable solution.
However, if you're considering some form of attached residence, addition or significant alteration to your existing residence, contact a professional.
Optimize the work to be done not just for the time that the parent is living with you, but also for that inevitable time when the suite becomes vacant or when you sell your home. A professional RenoMark renovator can help you with that process.
On other throne speech matters, the current version of the Manitoba Condominium Act has been in effect since September 1, 2006. The Manitoba Home Builders' Association has been in consultation with the Finance Department and Consumer and Corporate Affairs reviewing possible changes and upgrades to the act that will benefit all Manitobans, both consumers and builders alike.
As well, the throne speech contained a couple of references to addressing the skills shortage in Manitoba, an issue mentioned frequently in this column.
With a forecasted shortfall of 10,000 skilled tradespeople in the construction industry over the next eight years, it's hoped that the Economic Advisory Council will address the skills shortage and expedite the movement of skilled trades to our province.
One item announced Monday that may not appear on everyone's radar screen is the giving of authority to municipalities to seize vacant or derelict buildings. If applied to derelict houses or commercial buildings in an area that could be rezoned as residential, this legislation could bring new life to neighbourhoods that are now decaying.
Trying to fix a neighbourhood one house at a time is an agonizingly slow process. Areas that are dominated by vacant or derelict buildings need a complete overhaul, not a Band-aid. This legislation could be the start of something huge in our community.
If this is an olive branch being extended to other levels of government and the private sector and it's backed up by all of the necessary tools to make a real difference, we all need to seize it.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
The time is right to buy a new home
Numerous people are expressing interest in buying a new home. Attendance at the Fall Parade of Homes had never been higher. However, as frugal Manitobans, we want to make sure that the timing is right and that we are optimizing when the best time to buy might be.
Consider the following rationale when making that decision:
It was only one generation ago (1981) when motrgage interest rates were over 20 per cent. Currently, a 5 year fixed mortgage is available at 4.35 per cent. It cost more to carry a $200,000 loan in 1981 than it does to carry a $500,000 mortgage today. They are also safe rates. Once again, the Canadian banking system was voted as the best in the world. There is no danger of us replicating the American situation.
Manitoba’s unemployment rate is one of the lowest in Canada. Our diversified economy ensures that even when one sector weakens, there is more than enough support from other areas to carry the economy. Our economy is strong and there are still shortages in numerous professions.
Home values in Manitoba have not depreciated for decades. Every year, homes have increased in value consistently. Market fluctuations have not impacted the value of your home. Saying that, one shouldn’t think of their home as a financial investment, but rather a lifestyle investment.
By choosing a new home in a newly developing neighbourhood, you are choosing new friends, schools and community clubs.
And, once again, Manitoba new homes were named as the most energy efficient in Canada. As well, since 1990, GHG emissions in Canada have increased 21.7 per cent. Over the same time period, the number of households in Manitoba has increased by 13.2 per cent. However, the energy efficiency of Manitoba homes has increased by 21.6 per cent. Between 1990 and 2005, GHG emissions in Manitoba homes have been cut by 31.3 per cent.
Homes built since 2001 require less than half the space heating energy of older homes, despite being larger in size. The Manitoba residential construction industry is proactive on energy issues, not reactive.
Winnipeg has the oldest housing stock in Western Canada and the third oldest in all of Canada, behind only Montreal and Halifax. New homes built in Winnipeg are built to last.
So, if you are considering the purchase of a new home but are wondering if the timing is right, there¹s no need to ponder any further. There has never been a better time to buy a new home. The time is now.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association
New Homes
Skilled labour shortage affects Manitoba construction
Last week, this column focused on the skilled labour shortage in the construction industry and how the newly formed Manitoba Construction Sector Council was conducting workshops to address this problem.
There's never one easy solution to a problem of this magnitude, but the MCSC is pulling out all the stops to try to resolve it.
The Manitoba Construction Sector Council (www.mbcsc.com) is comprised of five partners: The Construction Association of Rural Manitoba, the Manitoba Building and Construction Trades Council, the Manitoba Heavy Construction Association, the Manitoba Home Builders' Association and the Winnipeg Construction Association.
The MCSC operates within the Alliance of Manitoba Sector Councils and its officers are John Schubert (Chair), Gord Lee (Vice-Chair) and Dave Martin (Secretary-Treasurer). Taras Luchak is the Executive Director.
The mandate of MCSC is to assist Manitoba's construction sector by consulting industry stakeholders and offering solutions to their current and future human resource needs. The council's primary goal is to upgrade skills throughout the industry.
Efforts will also be made to enhance the image of the industry and the benefits of working in the construction sector, with emphasis on attracting individuals from nontraditional groups. These are indeed lofty targets but critical to the welfare of the industry.
Three construction training projects have already been approved by the MCSC board of directors and are moving ahead at different paces. They are the Pre-Employment Construction Training Program, the On the Job Mentorship Program and the Supervisor Development Program.
The first one that they hope to commence is the Pre-Employment Construction Training Program, as early as next January. This program is aimed at recruiting the unemployed, underemployed and underrepresented into the construction industry. The course is designed to be 12 weeks long and includes essential skills, safety training, hand and power tools and practical work site experience. The goal is for successful graduates of the course to step directly into construction jobs.
The Manitoba Construction Sector Council hopes to be able to advertise the program soon, closely followed by interviews and selection of the successful applicants. The first class is limited to 16 participants.
This will hopefully be the first step in the creation of numerous full-time jobs in Manitoba's construction industry.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
New Homes
More workers needed to meet the needs of construction industry
Manitoba¹s construction industry was reminded again this week that it faces a significant shortage in skilled labour over the next 10 years. The Manitoba Construction Sector council convened a workshop of industry partners to address this situation.
In June of this year, the CSC published an assessment of the construction labour market from 2009 through 2017. The report indicated that construction employment needs would rise, but there would be an expected shortfall of nearly 9,000 workers over that time. A total of 5,400 would be needed just to keep pace with anticipated retirements.
Immediate needs have been highlighted by some of this province¹s major projects. The federal stimulus package has helped kick-start some of these projects but, without an adequate available workforce, it will be very difficult to bring them to fruition.
Although residential construction has experienced a downturn in 2009, all indicators point to growth and expansion from 2010 through 2017. Just last week, the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation projected a 12.3 per cent increase in housing starts in 2010 compared to 2009.
Manitoba is still experiencing economic growth while other provinces had declines this year. Our population continues to increase and our unemployment rate is among the lowest in Canada. As mentioned earlier, major projects such as those by Manitoba Hydro, the Government of Manitoba, Trans Canada Pipelines, INCO and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights will continue to exert great demands on the existing workforce.
Commercial building construction is expected to increase next year.
Manufacturing, transportation and engineering construction growth is all anticipated in 2010 and beyond.
However, a major concern is where the workers necessary to complete these projects will be found.
Resolving the problem is not as simple as a short term fix. This shortage took time to develop and it will take time to fix. Time we don¹t have.
Although our net migration patterns are positive and we have the ability to recruit domestic and foreign skilled labour to this province, that will contribute to the solution but not resolve it. Manitoba does have a share of underemployed people who want to improve their career but haven¹t yet found the opportunity to do so. These individuals need to be given the opportunity to train and learn a new profession.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders’ Association
New Homes
Congratulations to Renovation of the Year winners
THE Renovators Council of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association held its annual Renovation of the Year Awards Night October 30 at the Niakwa Country Club. A record-setting 33 entries were received in six categories.
Seven judges reviewed and evaluated all 33 entries, scoring them on criteria devised specifically for this competition. Laurence Rosenberg, president of the evening 's feature sponsor, The Accurate Technology Group and Dream Room Productions, assisted MHBA President Mike Moore with the award presentations.
Following are the award recipients by category:
Additions
Category A: Gold --Oswald Construction Limited
Category B: Gold -- All Canadian Renovations
Category C: Gold -- Character Homes Ltd
Kitchens
Category A: Gold -- All Canadian Renovations Silver -- Parkhill Homes Category B: Gold -- Rempel Builders Silver -- Character Homes Ltd. Category C: Gold -- Harwood Design Builders
Bathrooms
Category A: Gold - All Canadian Renovations
Category B: Gold - Hands-On Design
Basements
Category A: Gold --- All Canadian Renovations
Exteriors
Category A: Gold --- Custom Touches
Category B: Gold --- Hands-On-Design
Whole House
Category A: Gold --- Sakiyama Construction
Category B: Gold --- Oswald Construction Ltd.
Category C: Gold -- Character Homes Ltd.
The Renovation of the Year Awards take place annually at the end of October. For a complete listing of all MHBA renovators and more information on the RenoMark quality guarantee, visit the Manitoba Home Builders' Association web site at www.homebuilders.mb.ca.
Mike Moore is president of the Manitoba Home Builders' Association.
