www.elpasobuilders.
com
BuildersOutlook
PUBLISHED BY THE EL PASO ASSOCIATION OF BUILDERS: NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY NEWS
Housing and Mortgage Trends for the Rest of 2019
Source: https://finance.yahoo.com
The first half of 2019 surprised housing
markets across the country: Mortgage rates
fell. That’s the opposite of what the experts
had predicted at the beginning of the year,
and it’s welcome news for home buyers,
sellers and homeowners. Millions of owners
could benefit from refinancing at these
unexpectedly lower rates.
In other ways, housing forecasters’
predictions for 2019 were correct. Buyers
are still competing for a short supply of
homes, but the market isn’t quite as tilted in
favor of sellers as it seemed six months
ago. Home prices continue to rise, but not
as fast as they have over the past few
years. Many would-be buyers struggle with
affordability.
NerdWallet has identified these housing
and mortgage trends to watch in the second
half of 2019.
1. Wanted: More homes for sale
In real estate, it’s been a seller’s market
since August 2012. More would-be buyers
exist than homes for sale, giving sellers a
stronger negotiating position. While the
market still favors the seller in most places,
the balance of power is moving in the
buyer’s direction.
More homes are available for sale now,
so buyers have greater choice. In April,
there were 1.83 million pre-owned homes
for sale, an increase of 30,000 from the
same month last year. Meanwhile, 327,000
new single-family houses were for sale, an
increase of 33,000.
Even with thousands more homes on the
market, there’s still a shortage of homes for
sale. Freddie Mac estimates that in 2017,
370,000 fewer homes were built than
needed to satisfy demand resulting from
population growth. “Until construction ramps
up, housing costs will likely continue rising
above income, constricting household
formation and preventing homeownership
for millions of potential households,” Freddie
Mac concludes.
2. Home prices will keep going up
Toward the end of last year, many
forecasters predicted that home prices
would continue to rise in 2019, but at a
slower pace. They were right.
In the first four months of 2019 (the latest
numbers available), buyers were paying
more for resold homes than a year before
— but the year-over-year price increases
each month were less than 4%. For the
same period in 2018, year-over-year prices
were more than 4.5% higher.
“Home price appreciation will slow down
— the days of easy price gains are coming
to an end — but prices will continue to rise,”
says Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the
National Association of Realtors. The NAR
predicts that home prices will continue
hitting the brakes and that year-end prices
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will be 2.2% higher than at the end of 2018.
Not everyone believes the pace of home
prices will slow much in 2019. Fannie Mae
has revised its price forecast, but it still
predicts that prices for existing homes will
rise 4.3% this year.
3. Mortgage rates will remain low
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the
National Association of Realtors all
predicted that mortgage rates would rise
through 2019. Instead, mortgage rates have
tumbled.
After peaking at 5.09% in November
2018, the average APR for a 30-year fixed-
rate mortgage fell to 4.09% by June 2019, a
decline of a full percentage point, according
to NerdWallet’s daily mortgage rates survey.
The forecasters now predict that the 30-
year fixed will remain relatively steady
through year’s end, not changing by more
than a couple of tenths of a percentage
point.
The unexpected drop in fixed mortgage
rates means fewer people are getting
5. More people could save by refinancing homebuyers … return to the housing market
adjustable-rate mortgages. At the end of
While the drop in mortgage rates benefits in relatively greater proportions,” wrote
2018, experts thought rising rates would
home buyers, it’s good for homeowners, too Robert Dietz, chief economist for the
cause a surge in ARMs this year. With fixed
— specifically, homeowners who would National Association of Home Builders, in a
rates dropping back to enticing levels, that
snag lower monthly payments by May blog post.
surge never happened.
refinancing into a mortgage with a lower Year-over-year median prices for new
Interest rates have been falling based on
interest rate. Every time rates fall, there’s an homes followed the increase in size, going
the perception that the economy is cooling
increase in the number of homeowners who up sharply in April to $342,200 — an 8.8%
off, and because of trade tensions between
could save money by refinancing. increase over the median price 12 months
the United States and China. The Federal
Black Knight, a technology provider for earlier of $314,400.
Reserve, which typically cuts short-term
the mortgage industry, estimates that 5.9
interest rates in response to economic
million homeowners could cut 0.75% or 7. Attention is on first-time buyers
weakness, is expected to reduce rates at
more from their mortgage interest rate by The mortgage and real estate industries
least once by the end of 2019, which could
refinancing. are focused on serving first-time home
ease upward pressure on long-term
Does a lower mortgage interest rate buyers, and for good reason: There’s a lot
mortgage rates.
automatically mean that you should of pent-up demand.
refinance? No. You might benefit from a Tian Liu, chief economist for Genworth
4. Affordability continues to be a concern
smaller rate decrease, or you might have to Mortgage Insurance, says roughly 3 million
Even as home price growth slows and
wait for a bigger rate drop. A mortgage first-timers delayed buying homes between
mortgage rates fall, home buyers still have
refinance calculator can help you figure out 2007 and 2015.
difficulty affording homes — especially first-
the ideal time to refinance, which can Those buyers are “reaching that age
timers toward the less expensive end of the
depend on the rate difference, your loan when they can no longer delay,” Liu says.
market.
size, how long you’ve had your mortgage, “Their housing needs are really catching up
“While affordability is much better than we
the loan fees you’ll have to pay and how with them. It doesn’t feel right to be raising a
expected it to be, rising prices have offset
long you plan to have the refinanced loan. family in a rental apartment. They want to
much of the benefit of lower mortgage
Even if you bought your home recently, own their place. So I think those drivers will
rates,” says Danielle Hale, chief economist
it’s worth checking whether you should be very significant for the next few years.”
for Realtor.com. “What that means for the
refinance. Black Knight estimates that From the early 1990s to around 2005,
individual buyer is that their monthly
953,000 homeowners who got mortgages in first-timers accounted for roughly 40% of
payments might be roughly the same as if
2018 could save an average of $162 each home sales, according to NAR research.
you had bought a year ago.”
month by refinancing. That share soared to 50% in 2009, then fell;
Mark Boud, chief economist for
it was 33% in 2018. With millions of
Metrostudy, calls the national housing
6. New homes get bigger millennials reaching their 30s, market forces
market “top-heavy.” He means that there are
From a home buyer’s perspective, most could cause the first-timer share to rise
plenty of homes available for buyers who
markets need more houses for sale, and again in the coming years.
can afford to pay $800,000 or more. But
they need to be on the affordable end of the
buyers outnumber sellers of homes priced
price scale. After all, many first-timers buy
$400,000 or less. “We’re still very short of
starter homes instead of forever homes,
supply in this lower price range,” he says.
with prices below the area’s median. Sizes
The share of newly built homes under
of new homes trended mostly downward in
$400,000 has gone down. In April 2018,
2018, but the median home size went up in
67% of new homes sold for less than that
the first quarter of 2019.
price; this April, 64% did.
Builders construct larger homes during
economic recoveries “as high-end
2 BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8

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 2019Issue8
President’sMessage
Sergio Cuartas
President
El Paso Association of Builders
I am truly privileged to write these
lines to the hardest working, the most
prominent and diverse group of
business people in our El Paso Strong
Association of Home Builders.
On Saturday August 3rd, a 21 year
old kid drove about 10 hours from east
Texas to El Paso, to kill as many
“Mexicans” as his civilian version AK
47 would allow (according to a local
arrest affidavit). Many people believe
the cause of such an act of terror to be
mental illness, past trauma or kids
playing too many video games. Others
attribute the killings to youth
indoctrination into radical extremist
hate cultures and conspiracy theories
such as the white supremacist “great
replacement”. Our kids are
psychologically kidnapped from our
society at an early age as the three
Denver girls who were caught in
Frankfurt before they could join ISIS in
2014 who were lured with the promise
BuildersOutlook
Anti-immigration sentiment and the labor crisis
of “sense of belonging” or “making a
difference”.
El Paso events along with Dayton,
Las Vegas, Orlando, Virginia tech,
Sandy Hook, etc. made me remember
the 80s when I was growing up during
the times of Pablo Escobar, the
guerrillas and paramilitary wars in
Colombia. It seemed that every week
we would hear about a car bomb that
went off somewhere, killing many, or a
plane that was shot down or a
complete town which was totally
massacred. The constant flow of
horrifying news desensitized us to
where those events became the norm
as it is common in many places in the
world today. A good friend of mine told
me that she felt ashamed of being
white. I was extremely sad and
shocked as our racial divide dawned
on me. Others were really depressed
or disconcerted by the chaos.
Others yet believe that the cause
could be the easiness with which one
can buy assault weapons in the US.
Others talk about how evil can be done
not just with guns as the Boston
marathon bombers did in 2013 injuring
hundreds of victims using homemade
bombs or the 2016 Nice, France truck
driver who killed more people than in
the deadliest mass shooting in the US,
injuring hundreds as well. Mass
shootings may be the least of our
problems. In 2016 there were about
38,000 gun related deaths in the US
with 22,000 of them being suicides and
16,000 homicides with merely 71
deaths in mass shootings.
Many believe that there is no
regulation that can combat these
issues. Some believe that the second
amendment may be obsolete while
others believe that it is more relevant
than ever, especially those with
concealed carry permits. I encourage
you to listen to all sides, all views, and
all issues. We cannot allow ourselves
to become indoctrinated by the media
or by the internet algorithms who feed
us only what they think we want or
need to hear. We could choose to be
open minded to listen to others views
and connect with other cultures if we
are to defeat the evil who threatens
our beautiful USA and the world.
We can clearly realize that we are
not only facing gun violence or hate
propaganda, but also fear-inflicting,
anti-immigration rhetoric, which could
be compounding the labor shortage
crisis which is dramatically affecting
our industry and our country. It is
awfully hard to find US citizens who
would gladly work building rock walls,
3
roofs, concrete foundations or framing.
According to the Bureau of labor
statistics the number of open
construction positions in the US in May
2019 was 369,000 while the quota for
work visas for the construction industry
is only about 15,000/year. The average
age of a master plumber in TX is 58
years old. Fortunately there are
thousands of people who are willing to
travel to the US and do these jobs on
a work visa. That is one solution which
we have not been able to implement
because our politics are incredibly
polarized as we allow ourselves to be
indoctrinated.
Because of simple economics we
could be in favor of allowing people
who have clean records and who want
to join the US labor force to do it
legally. We could also adopt
comprehensive immigration reform and
free trade as compared to trade wars
and closed labor markets. This is
immensely important for our industry
as millennials, which are the largest
segment of the population are entering
the home buying market at a rapidly
growing rate, especially when home
affordability keeps declining.
4 BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8

Executive’sMessage

Ray Adauto
Executive Vice President
El Paso Association of Builders

EPAB is El Paso Strong

No one can imagine the
unimaginable. No one can
comprehend what kind of evil this
was. No one can imagine the pain
for those directly affected. No one
can fathom that it would happen
here.
On the night of the public
memorial at Southwest University
Park, home to our Chihuahuas
Triple A team I found myself writing
this. I worked as the public address
announcer for the team and that
experience is the background.
“ I look at the field perfectly
manicured, reserved for baseball
and base slides. But not tonight.
Instead that field of green is home
to sadness with symbols of
condolences and prayer. It holds
the flowers of hope and of healing.
My field of dreams is now front and
The 22 killed at the shooting
center in prayers and images I
never thought I’d see. While
politicians talk of the crime it is the
people who came with heavy hearts
and dreams of speaking unity and
love. It really is a field for all. A field
of Hope. Amen.” © 2019 Ray
Adauto
To all of you that have reached
out to my community, thank you. To
Vanilla Ice who graciously sent a
video message to us, thank you. To
Raul Flores, Hercules Industries
employee who lost both his mother
and father, our prayers are with
you.
I promise you this. El Paso and
our surrounding communities will
recover, showing the world that we
are #ELPASOSTRONG.
David Alvah Johnson, 63
Luis Alfonso Juarez, 90
Elsa Mendoza De La Mora, 57
Margie Reckard, 63
Javier Amir Rodriguez, 15
Angelina Silva-Englisbee, 86
Juan Velazquez, 77 (USA)
Alexander Gerhard Hoffman, 66
(Germany)
Jordan Anchondo, 24 Sarah Esther Regalado Moriel, 66
Andre Pablo Anchondo, 23 Adolfo Cerros Hernandez, 68
Arturo Benavides, 60 Jorge Calvillo Garcia, 61
Leonardo Cipeda Campos, 41 Gloria Irma Marquez, 61
Maribel Loya Campos, 56 Maria Eugenia Legarreta, 58
Maria Flores, 77 Ivan Manzano, 46
Raul Flores, 77 Teresa Sanchez, 82 (Mexico)

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2019Issue8 BuildersOutlook 5

NationalOutlook
Single-Family Starts Show
Modest Improvement
Due to a decline in multifamily
production, total housing starts fell 4
percent in July to a seasonally
adjusted annual rate of 1.19 million
units from a downwardly revised
reading in June, according to a report
from the U.S. Housing and Urban
Development and Commerce
Department.
The July reading of 1.19 million
starts is the number of housing units
builders would begin if they kept this
pace for the next 12 months. Within
this overall number, single-family starts
increased 1.3 percent to 876,000 units.
The multifamily sector, which includes
harbinger of future housing production,
increased 8.4 percent to a 1.34 million
unit annualized rate in July. Single-
family permits edged 1.8 percent
higher to a 838,000 rate while
multifamily permits jumped 21.8
percent to a 498,000 pace.
Looking at regional permit data on a
year-to-date basis, permits rose 2.4
percent in the Northeast. Permits fell
7.1 percent in the Midwest, 0.1 percent
in the South and 6.8 percent in the
West.Looking at regional permit data,
permits rose 21.9 percent in the
Northeast. Permits fell 10.4 percent in
the South, 7.9 percent in the West and
0.6 percent in the Midwest.
Confidence Higher as
Interest Rates Move Lower
Builder confidence in the market for
newly-built single-family homes rose
one point to 66 in August, according to
the latest National Association of
Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing
Market Index (HMI) released today.
Sentiment levels have held at a solid
64-to-66 level for the past four months.
“Even as builders report a firm
demand for single-family homes, they
continue to struggle with rising
construction costs stemming from
excessive regulations, a chronic
shortage of workers and a lack of
buildable lots,” said NAHB Chairman
Greg Ugalde, a home builder and
developer from Torrington, Conn.
“While 30-year mortgage rates have
dropped from 4.1 percent down to 3.6
percent during the past four months,
we have not seen an equivalent higher
pace of building activity because the
rate declines occurred due to
economic uncertainty stemming largely
from growing trade concerns,” said
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.
“Although affordability headwinds
remain a challenge, demand is good
and growing at lower price points and
for smaller homes.”

TEXA
X S
apartment buildings and condos, fell
16.2 percent to a 315,000 pace.
“Despite housing affordability
headwinds, builders remain confident ASSOCIATION
O
about the market and this is reflected OF
in recent modest gains in single-family BUILDERS
starts,” said Greg Ugalde, chairman of
the National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB) and a home builder
and developer from Torrington, Conn.
C O M I N G S E P T E M B E R 2019
2 0 1 9 - 2 0 2 1 TA B C O N T R A C T S
“Permits bottomed out in April and
single-family starts hit their low point in
May, and now we are starting to see
the gradual improvement in the market
T E X A S A S S O C I AT I O N O F B U I L D E R S
that we’ve been forecasting,” said
NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz. I S H E R E TO H E L P P R OT E C T YO U !
On a regional and year-to-date
basis, combined single-family and Updated TA AB Contracts will reflect the most recent legislative changes affecting the homebuilding
multifamily starts in July rose 3.7 industr y in Texas.
percent in the South. Starts declined
5.7 percent in Northeast, 7.9 percent in TAB
A ’s current Texas Residential Construction Cont
o racts Package subscription will expire August 31, 2019
9.
the Midwest and 12.3 percent in the
West. www.TexasBuilders.orrg
Overall permits, which are a
6 BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8

ElPasoOutlook
El Paso Builder
Market Break-Down
By the El Paso Association of Builders Market
Intelligence Committee

In an ongoing effort to provide member

value for the El Paso association of
Builders, the Market Intelligence
Committee has been tasked with
compiling valuable market insight for
our members. This is the 3rd article of
a monthly reoccurring market
breakdown to be featured in the
Builders Outlook. Below you will find
detailed market information relevant to
those in the home building industry.

3rd Quarter El Paso Association of

Builders Survey:

Participation:
The overall number of respondents
was low, 26 builders, and only 16
associate members.

Biggest challenge as Builders?:

Labor 69%
Lots 23%

What is your optimism of market

health?: (Buiders)
Positive 58%
Very positive 23%
Neutral 19%

Expected market change?:

Improving 65%
Remains the same 35%

The city of El Paso is going to ask

for nearly $1Billion bond in
November. Do you know anything
about this?
NO 81%

Associates:

What is your optimism of market

health?: (Associates)
Positive 69%
Very Positive 19%
Negative 6%

Expected market change?:

Same 63%
Improve 31%
Decrease 6%

What remains your biggest

roadblocks?
product imports, increasing home
prices, lot avails to builders, land

79% say the roadblocks are the same 69%

from previous survey Texas Housing Affordability MSA’s First Quarter 2019 YES
The city of El Paso is going to ask
for nearly $1Billion bond in
November. Do you know anything
about this?
2019Issue8
FinancialOutlook
China is Slowing and It’s Their Fault
Elliot Eisenberg
Economic & Policy
Blog
Over the last several years, the
economic data coming out of China
has not been particularly good; GDP
growth in 19Q2 was 6.2%, a three-
decade low. While the Chinese publicly
say that the trade war with the US and
global slowing are the culprits and that
6.2% is not bad for a middle-income
nation, the weakening growth is a sign
of a much more serious problem. In
short, despite, or more accurately
because of the policies pursued by
President Xi, China will, like most
nations, fail to make the leap from
middle-income to wealthy, and in the
process will fail to overtake the US as
the globe’s largest economy.
To begin with, official data
overestimates true growth. A recent
paper that looked at real Chinese
BuildersOutlook
economic activity by drilling down to
tangible visible variables, such as
electricity consumption and port
activity, found that growth between
2010 and 2016 was about 20% slower
than what was reported. As a result,
Chinese GDP is not $14 trillion, but
closer to $11.5 trillion, and thus per
capita GDP is about $8,300 not
$10,000, a big difference. For
purposes of comparison, US per capita
GDP is about $62,000, in Japan it is
about $40,000 and in Mexico it is
about $10,000.
In addition, Chinese growth at this
stage of their economic development is
not keeping up with the growth
patterns of Japan, South Korea and
Taiwan, the economies China is most
trying to emulate. Those nations all
experienced many decades of
superfast growth and only began to
slow as they approached developed
nation status; the 1970s for Japan, and
the late 1980s and early 1990s for the
others. By contrast, China’s growth
rate has been consistently below that
of the trio above at similar stages of
development. For example, when
Taiwan’s per capita income was where
China’s is today, Taiwan kept growing
at 7.5% for another decade while
South Korea grew at 6.3%. China will
soon have a hard time keeping growth
much above 5%.
This slowdown is the result of
China’s commitment to state control
over the economy. Making matters
worse, since about 2005, the
government has tightened its control
over the sectors of the economy it
considers militarily or economically
strategic. As a result, competition in
those areas has decreased and
productivity and economic growth have
slowed.
Another reason for slipping growth is
an overreliance on debt to stimulate
the economy whenever growth slows.
As a result, the Chinese debt-to-GDP
ratio is three times higher than that of
its east Asian peers at similar stages of
development. This huge debt overhang
not only limits the use of fiscal policy in
the future but is compounded by an
overreliance on infrastructure
7
spending. Decades ago, when roads
were bad and housing was drastically
substandard it made sense, but no
longer. As a result, the return on
capital has plummeted from almost
20% in 2007 to 8.4% in 2017.
In closing, think about it this way. If
GDP growth in China averages 6% in
the 2020s, 5% in the 2030s, 4% in the
2040s, and 3% in the 2050s, by 2060
China’s economy will be 50% bigger
than ours. But if, as is more likely
given the problems just discussed and
given irreversible demographic trends
resulting from the now discarded one
baby policy, Chinese growth is just one
percentage point/decade lower (thus
averaging 5% growth in the 2020s, 4%
in the 2030s, 3% in the 2040s, and 2%
in the 2050s), China will, at best, come
close to catching the US. And as their
population is four times larger, they will
forever remain a relatively poor nation.
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of
GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be
reached at Elliot@graphsandlaughs.net.
His daily 70-word economics and policy
blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.
EventsOutlook
Texas Builders meet at
Sunbelt Show, Vanilla Ice
sends love to ELP
The annual Sunbelt Builders Show
brought in thousands of visitors to the
Gaylord Texan in Grapevine on
August 6. The show was a part of the
Texas Association of Builders summer
meetings. The showstopper was the
opening act, Vanilla Ice aka Rob Van
Winkle. He is a Dallas area native
and highly successful recording artist
and now a successful builder with a
television program called “Vanilla Ice
Project” shown around the country.
Vanilla Ice opened the Sunbelt Show
in a rousing audience participation
program that included a Q&A from the
audience and then a live performance
of his hits including “ICE, ICE Baby”
which he wrote at age 16.
The four-day event included a quick
version of meetings and a Board of
Directors meeting on the last day of
the event. This was the final TAB
Board meeting for outgoing President
Robert Wood. “I want to say that I
have enjoyed being President of TAB
so much, particularly meeting all the
fine hard-working men and women
affiliated with us,” Wood told the
Outlook. “I think that we have great
leadership coming up in Randy
(Bowling), he’ll do us proud,” he
continued. Randy Bowling, Tropicana
Homes will ascend to the office of
President on November 21 at the fall
board meetings in Austin. The TAB
meetings will be held at a new
location for TAB, the Line Hotel
located at First Street and Congress.
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TAB will have a select number of
rooms available on a first come, first
served basis. That room block opens
soon and will be announced in an
email.
The show occurred just three days
after the massacre in El Paso, and as
such the EPAB members in
attendance were all given prayers and
wishes of hope. Vanilla Ice cut and
we posted a 35 second video he did
for the community. “I want you to let
the people of El Paso and Juarez to
know that I am saddened with the
tragedy,” he told Ray Adauto. “I want
you to know that this evil will not
define El Paso.”
The TAB meetings were hopeful
and looking forward to 2020 with a
word or two of caution. “We must
guard ourselves as the politics of the
state affect housing,” said Scott
Norman, Executive VP of TAB. “We
must remember that we are neither a
“D” or “R” when we go to the
legislature, we are an “H” for
housing,” he told the board. Clearly
the state of Texas has grown and with
that growth come political changes.
TAB has a long history of success
with the legislature and that won’t be
affected by who or what party is in
control of the legislature. “One thing
our members can count on is our
efforts to ensure that new home
construction is safe and viable in
Texas,” Norman said.
The next TAB meeting will be
November 20-23 in Austin. The new
venue is sure to attract many
especially those from El Paso looking
forward to Randy Bowling’s
installation.
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August General Meeting:
EPAB meets EP Electric CEO

EPAB meets EP Electric CEO

The membership meeting on August
15 featured the “interim” El Paso
Electric Company CEO Adrian For All Your Electrical
Rodriguez as our keynote. Rodriguez
received his Bachelor of Arts with
Residential Specialists
highest honors in Economics and
Government from the University of
Tract Homes • Custom Homes
Texas at Austin where he was a State
of Texas recipient of the 1999 Truman
Scholarship, a Master in Public Policy
from Harvard University where he
was the editor-in-chief of the Harvard
Journal of Hispanic Policy, and a Juris
Doctorate from Columbia University Total Customer 915-208-9313
School of Law where he was a
managing editor of the Columbia Law
Satisfaction 800-853-3996
Review.
But he reminded the audience that
he is also a graduate of Eastwood
High School, something elicited a
strong reaction from past President
Edgar Montiel. “I’m a trooper also,”
Montiel said to Rodriguez who then
revealed his graduating class. As it
turns out they graduated a year apart.
Mr. Rodriguez talked about the sale
of the company to JP Morgan
investment and said the sale was a
positive for the electric company and
the customers. “What we have here
is a relatively small company when it
comes to utility companies in the
country, so the transaction is really
regional in nature,” he said. He went
on to remind the audience that EPE
has partnered with the EPAB for
decades and in spite of any hiccups
we’ve always worked things out. “Our
commitment to the association is
strong and we appreciate what we do
together,” he continued.
The Community Outreach
Committee was honored by the
members of St. Pius X volunteers
who asked for support from the
association. Laura Loy and Angelique
Roman both thanked the association
members who were generous in
getting paint, lumber, nails, supplies
and money to the group. A large
number of volunteer kids and adults
from Iowa spent a week working on
homes out in the eastside colonias.
Members also remembered the
victims of the shooting in El Paso with
a moment of silence and prayer.

El Paso Association of Builders

10 BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8

EPABMembers&Services
Builder-DeveloperMembers
BUILDER & DEVELOPERS D B Innovations LLC Hakes Brothers LLC Padilla Homes 915-637-5193
Bain Construction Dan Berry Chris Hakes Misael Navarrete Tropicana Building Corp.
Scott Bain (915) 283-7558 575-373-1120 (915) 833-3839 Bobby Bowling IV
915-852-8620 Dawco Home Builders Hanson Asset Management, LP Palo Verde Homes 915-821-3550
Althon Investments, LLC Walter O. Lujan Russell Hanson Edgar Montiel Tropicana Development
Jose Luis Martin 915-587-5267 915-842-0111 915-584-9090 Greg Bowling
(915) 532-3100 Deal 2 Deal Custom Homes Homes by Design Pointe Homes 915-757-1802
Bella Vista Custom Homes, Inc. Delton Deal Leslie Driggers Hoard Carlos Villalobos Tropicana Homes
Edgar Garcia 915-217-9233 915-525-4765 915-790-1515 Randy Bowling
915-433-4854 Del Rio Engineering, Inc. Hunt Communities, LLC Porter Homes 915-821-3550
BIC Homes Sal Masoud Kathy Parry Albert Porter Tropicana Properties
Antonio Cervantes 915-833-2400 915-298-0490 915-833-3597 Demetrio Jimenez
915-855-8236 Diamond Homes, LLC ICON Custom Builder, LLC. R.C. Baeza & Associates 915-755-9113
Blue Sage Homes, LLC Valerie Baquera Carlos Garcia Robert C. Baeza Uptown Homes Residential, Inc.
Jaime Gonzalez 915-449-9044 915-859-3713 915-857-1818 Francisco Baquera
915-787-9175 E. Valencia Land Development LLC Industrial Realty Group Incorporated R.E. Welch Contractor 915-240-4996
Carefree Homes Eddie Valencia Brent D. Harris Gordon Welch Vallance Construction LLC
Richard Aguilar 915-855-0622 915-877-4300 915-778-9977 Oswaldo Prieto
915-590-8511 Eclat Homes & Designs JER Custom Homes, LLC Rassette Homes, Inc. (915) 245-8580
Casas De Leon, LLC Veronica Guerra Jorge E. Rodriguez Donald Rassette Will Harvey Development
Nick Bombach (915) 630-6729 915-929-8420 915-585-3330 Will S. Harvey
915-584-5050 Edward's Homes, Inc. Lloyd Hamilton Contruction Rio USA 915-584-8242
Cisco Homes LLC Eduardo Fernandez Lloyd Hamilton, III Fredduy Klayel Winton/Flair/Accent Homes
Francisco Arroyos III 915-849-8819 915-588-8558 915-526-2885 Herschel Stringfield
915-633-8002 EPT Bella Custom Dream Homes LMJ Construction Co., LLC Rosewood Design and Build 915-584-8629
Classic American Home Leti & Javier Navarrete Mike Lopez Brianna Barnes Zia Homes of El Paso, LLC
Priscilla Hernandez 915-779-4553 915-855-2323 (915) 730-4747 Preston Brown
915-593-7707 EPT Land Communities Loyalty Homes Santana Custom Homes 915-490-9525
Crown Heritage Homes David Bogas Gustavo Loy Fernando Santana
Lydia Mlouhi 915-838-8100 915-471-1894 915-694-4256
915-252-8193 Everest Homes M A Builders & Design, LLC Southwest Land Development
CS Custom Homes Edmundo Dena, Jr. Mustafa Ali Services
Steve Gonzalez 915-855-8633 915-587-9566 Doug Schwartz
915-346-1107 Fortune Custom Homes Maravilla Homes 915-592-0290
Cullers & Caldwell Builders Javier Andrade Victor Robles Spanish Oaks Custom Homes
John Cullers 915-856-7795 915-328-8599 Juan R. Saenz
915-584-5600 Gaddy Construction Metro Homes, Inc. 432-238-3090
Cullers Homes Charles Gaddy Judith Arrunada, Fernando Torres The Heritage Group
Jason R. Cullers 915-581-3966 915-538-2497 David Bingham
915-584-5600 Guel Construction Pacifica Homes, Inc 915-598-6606
Rudy Guel Juan Jose Vasquez Trejo Construction Co
915-595-0979 915-857-1855 Juan Trejo

AssociateMembers Appears Alphabetically by Service or Product

3RD PARTY INSPECTIONS BANKS/BANKING SERVICES Ken Donham CONCRETE ACCESSORIES & CUSTOM PADS, LANDSCAPING,
Vision Consultants, Inc. Bank of Texas 505-991-4719 MASONRY-LANDSCAPE CUSTOM AQUARIUM, BUBBLE
Kelly Sorenson Ray Owen Lowes Home Improvement Border Construction Specialties WALLS
915-227-2100 915-313-6720 Johnny Rodriguez Ricardo Yvellez The Dorian Group/Ocean Gallery USA
City Bank Texas 915-755-9155 915-566-1688 Miguel Angel Mercado
ALARM SYSTEMS Bob Kotarski McCoy's Building Supplies 915-778-5111
ADT Security 915-833-0267 Doug Danner CONCRETE WORK-POST TENSION
Veronica Vazquez Citizens Loan Center 915-751-8261 J & H Concrete & Post Tension DISPOSAL HAULING
915‐258‐3870 Jim Easley L & P Building Supply Jorge Herrera ‘ Demcon Disposal Management, LLC
915-275-0715 Denise McConnell 915-581-3103 Ryan Robles
APPLIANCE DISTRIBUTORS First National 1870 575-527-8000 915-577-9477
Builders Source Appliance Gallery Ernesto Avila Foxworth Galbraith Lumber CONSULTING, COACHING AND
Sandra Lucero 915-881-6702 Dan Villarreal TRAINING DOOR SHOP/ MILLWORK
915-775-1000 Vantage Bank 915-779-7777 Senpai Training and Development SUPPLIER
Morrison Supply Josie Cantu Leonardo Corral Trim Team
Sam Shallenberger 915-594-3404 CABINET MANUFACTURING 915-303-0743 915-856-0791
915-778-3086 Western Heritage Bank J. B. Laminates
DOORS
Kathy Carrillo Gina Rodriguez CONSULTING/ENGINEERING Franklin Door and Trim
APPLIANCES 915-782-2400 915-886-5510 LOI Engineers Jesse C. Brown
GE Appliances WestStar Bank Bernardino Olague 915-781-1532 940-210-0450
Christine R. Villanueva David Osborn CABINETS 915-871-1190
806-252-3683 915-747-1640 Cabinet Masters DUMPSTER RENTAL/SPRAY FOAM
Whirlpool Mike Robles CORPORTATE RETIREMENT PLANS INSULATION
Gwen Walker BATHROOM RENOVATIONS 915-256-5012 Bukaty Financial Companies Group 915 Siteworks, LLC
505-220-3915 Rebath of El Paso/Las Cruces Ruth Rivera Miguel Chavez
Lisa Walling 512-796-1205 915-859-3713
ASPHALT PAVING 915-633-8101 CIVIL ENGINEERS CPA
ELECTRICAL CONTRACTORS
Alpha Asphalt Moreno Cardenas Inc. Beasley, Mitchell & Co., LLP Haskins Electric
Gabriel Chavez BRICK Roberto Moreno Brad Beasley Charles B. Haskins, Jr.
915-252-6244 Acme Brick Company 915-532-2091 575-528-6700 915-629-9196
Brent Smith James L. Ellis, CPA, PC IES Residential
ASSOCIATION 915-859-9171 CONCRETE Jim Ellis 915-593-7070 Joshua Garnica
El Paso Mortgage Bankers Association Oropeza Concrete 915-598-8631 915-356-5644
Brenda Aguirre Angel Oropeza SBNG, P.C. Saldivar Electric, Inc.
915 204-3867 BUILDING MATERIALS 915-873-7391 Tyler Smith Martin A. Saldivar
Greater El Paso Assoc. of Realtors BMC Select 915-544-6770 915-778-7085
Jason Sanchez David Quintana CONCRETE & LANDSCAPING Randall Smith, CPA
915-779-3521 915-218-5816 MATERIAL Randall Smith
ENERGY STAR RATER
Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce Boise Cascade GCC Sun City Materials, LLC 915-225-5200 915-533-8266 Senercon
David Michael Jerome Mike Flores Antonio “Tony “ Chavez Javier Ruiz
915-534-0522 915-525-6037 915-565-4681 CREDIT UNION 915-892-0547.
DWS Building Supply Jobe Materials, LP First Light Federal Credit Union
ATTORNEYS Sabrina Voorhies Charlie Tellez Lorenzo Revelez ENGINEERING
Firth, Johnston, Bunn & Kerr 915-351-7300 915-298-9900 915-225-0581 CEA Engineering Group
Jay Kerr; Victor Firth E.F. Building Materials, Inc Mini Concrete Materials GECU- Greater El Paso Credit Union Jorge L. Azcarate
915-532-7500 Efren Fraire Joe Soto Danny Galindo 915-544-5232.
915-593-1301 915-852-4468 915-774-4733 Conde, Inc.
Conrad Conde
El Paso Building Materials MTI Ready Mix, Inc. TFCU
915-592-0283.
AUTO HOMEOWNER INSURANCE Ken Wade Tony Mullen Yolie Melendez-Estrada TRE & Associates
TAB endorsed State Auto 915-549-1170 915-859-5767 915-843-8328 Linda Troncoso
(Association Insurance Solutions) Franklin Building Materials 915-852-9093.
Russ Sartain, Danner Bethel Cristina Sheldon
512-203-2910 915-855-3859
Simpson Strong-Tie Company, Inc.
2019Issue8 BuildersOutlook 11

EXTERIOR FOIL SHEATHING Joe Bernal Ins. & Financial PORTABLE RESTROOMS ROOFING CQC Testing and VEHICLE DEALERSHIP
Powerfoam Insulation Services, Inc. Sarabias Blue Sanitation MAK Roofing & Construction Engineering,LLC Rudolph Chevrolet
Arnie Pedersen Joe M. Bernal Monica Brown Felix Vizarreta Jaime Rojas Mike Ruffin
972-299-5556. 915-542-0900. 915-544-9022. 915-533-3108 915-691-0532 915-771-7766 915-544-4321
Porta- Jons Imperial Construction WASTE DISPOSAL
EXTERIOR PATIO PRODUCTS INSURANCE - RISK Alexandro Garcia TILE & NATURAL STONE El Paso Disposal
Modern Exteriors MANAGEMENT POST TENSION 915-222-3838 Floor & Decor Irma Parsons
Hector Macias HUB International Post Tension Steel USA General Contractors Pedro (Peter) Ramirez 915-772-7495
915-857-5126 Luis Rosas Dennis Moore Javier Olmos 915-407-5599
915-206-6023 915-474-0180. 915-532-0119 915-633-3339 Interceramic Tile & Stone WATER SOFTENERS
FIREPLACES/INSTALLATION Gallery El Paso Water Softeners
Jack White Building Specialties ROOFING PRODUCTS David Holguin Rebecca Estrada
Claudia Lardizabal INSURANCE AND BONDING PUBLICATIONS ABC Supply Co., Inc. 915-593-7357 915-307-9183
915-855-8630 C. D. Lee/Britton Insurance & Homes of El Paso Larry Eck
Bonding Riley Stephens 915-533-0645
FLOORING Anthony Landavazo/Lisa 915-585-1000 Eagle Roofing Products TITLE & ESCROW  WATER REMOVAL
Bordertown Carpets Daniels Su Casa Magazine Scott Aguilar COMPANIES Jimmy Garza Emergency
Brian M. Abraham 915-595-3393 Edwin Rosario 928-220-3899. Del Sol Title Co. Water Removal
915-522-8993 915-355-7190 Hector Phillips Jimmy Garza
IRON WORK PRODUCTS SANITATION & FENCE 915-838-8000 915-562-1123
Area Iron & Steel Works, Inc. PUBLISHING SERVICES United Site Services Lone Star Title Co. of El Paso
FOAM INSULATION Fred L. Edmonston Jr. Snappy Publishing, LLC Ramon Armendariz Aaron Rich WINDOW TREATMENTS
New Era Foam 915-833-9494 Ted Escobedo 915-330-2318 915-545-2222 Gotcha Covered
George Tollen 915-820-2800 Prosperous Title Sophie Soudaiha Agraz
915-861-6683 SELF STORAGE Liz Olivar 915-201-4264
LEGAL SERVICES/TITLE READY MIX Remcon Self Storage 915-288-2462 Southwest Décor El Paso
FOUNDATION REPAIR & COMPANY MTI Ready Mix, Inc. Will Harvey Sierra Title Company Corporation
STABILIZATION David J. Ellis Fee Office for Tony Mullen 915-833-2399. Angelique Roman, Marielsa Chris Matthews
G & G Enterprises Gen. Sierra Title 915-859-5767 Pulido 915-594-9240
Contractor David J. Ellis SIDING, WINDOWS, PATIO 915-544-3322
Juan F. Garcia 915-566-2666. 915-566-0111 REAL ESTATE SERVICES COVERS,CARPORTS Stewart Title of El Paso WINDOWS
915-726-8995 Team Juan Uribe, LLC Modern Exteriors Cindy Bilbe Pella Windows
LIGHTING Juan Uribe Hector Macias 915-225-8200 Jason Bates
City Lights 915-479-5151. 915-857-5126 WestStar Title 915-833-3066
GRANITE/QUARTZ Thomas Brown Home Pros Real Estate Group Rachel Valles Sun West Windows and Glass
COUNTERTOPS 915-533-6045. 915-533-6096 Penny Moore. 915-849-5537 Ernie Hernandez
Stone City Rocks Designer's Mart 915-585-8806 SOLAR PANELS Texas Title Company 915-383-2201
Chris Baca Valerie Edmiston Legacy Real Estate Services Border Solar Steve Raney
915-246-7614 915-778-9223 Patrick Tuttle Javier Ruiz 915-593-3400
915-231-9994. 915-613-4168
LIGHTING & BATH FIXTURES Century 21 The Edge Solar Smart Living TOTAL OFFICE SOLUTION
HOME & AUTO INSURANCE Ferguson Enterprises Inc. Scott Kesner Larry Perea SOURCE
State Auto/Association Albert Holguin 915-772-0553 915-400-2995 Spectrum Technologies
Insurance Solution 915-231-5836. 915-231-9357 Harris Real Estate Group Miled Daou
Danner Bethel Lane Harris 915-781-2000. 915-781-2288
512-203-2910 LOW VOLTAGE WIRING 915-443-8423 STORMWATER/SAFETY
Prewire of El Paso, Inc. Bella Vista Realty ESS Environmental and Safety TRUSS
Steven Drury Grisel Ortega Solutions El Paso Truss
HOME FURNISHINGS 915-598-4937 915-491-2056 Jose L. Garcia Ramirez Luis Mendiola
Copenhagen Imports 915-775-1171 915-775-1174 915-751-0025
Flemming Carlsen LUMBER RES. & COMM BUILDING Franklin Building Materials,
915-581-8897 915-584-7769 84 Lumber PRODUCTS Cristina Sheldon,
Ernie Chavez Massey Johnson SURVEYING ENGINEERING 915-855-3859
915-584-8447 Josie Ledesma Barragan & Associates
HOME WARRANTY 915-487-3359 Benito Barragan UTILITY
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty MIRROR, SHOWER DOOR, 915-591-5709 Texas Gas Services
Leslie Schey STOREFRONT,AUTOMATIC Maria Ortiz
915-242-7699. 303-306-2222 DOORS & CURTAIN WALLS TESTING & ENGINEERING 915-680-7288
Centricity Performance Glass &
Brent R. Morgan Aluminum
800-749-0381X4790 Hector Hernandez
Home of Texas 915-592-5583
Amanda Eason
210-540-7891 MOLDING & LUMBER
StrucSure Home Warranty Adams Moulding & Lumber
Scott Whisenant Tom Swahlen
210-232-3947 915-584-1440

HVAC MORTGAGE COMPANIES

A C Refrigeration, LLC Cadence Lending Group
Angel Cabrera Carolyn De Leon
915-820-8503 915-779-1633 915-706-2649
Startech Heating and Air New American Funding
Conditioning Tania Guzman Campaign
Luis Procter 757-831-7322.
915-757-1982 Patriot Mortgage
Wolf Air Randy Bowling
Arturo Alcantar 915-757-9500
915-694-8214 Rocky Mountain Mortgage
Company
Justin Hahn
HVAC DUCTLESS MINI SPLIT 915-593-3111
Mitsubishi Electric Trane HVA Supreme Lending
505-228-4264 Lisa Wren
601-549-6768
HVAC EQUIPMENT Commerce Mortgage
Lennox Industries Stephen Sepulveda, Gilbert
Brandon Walker Pedregon
818-932-5063 915-209-3189
Goodman Mfg.
Jorge Guajardo NEWSPAPER
915-219-3896 El Paso Times
Sal Hernandez, Justin Riley
HVAC SALES/INSTALLATION 915-546-6244. 915-546-6406

T R E AT Y O U R S E L F
Belmont's Air Conditioning, Inc.
Rafael Belmonte PAINT DISTRIBUTOR
915-778-7399 Dunn-Edwards Paints
Nathan Gordon
HVAC Supplies 915-855-7535 915-855-8168
Hercules Industries Sherwin Williams Paint
John Chaney Cruz Lopez
915-778-9377 915-532-6921. Make the most of your next trip with a complimentary upgrade when you
I T & WEB DESIGN PLUMBING use coupon # UUGA037. Plus, receive up to 25% off base rates with
Cognent, Inc. Q Martins Plumbing
Martin Paredes Jose Martinez AWD # G572900.
407-809-4417. 915-240-5218.

INSULATION PLUMBING & IRRIGATION Visit avis.com/nahb or call 1-800-331-1212.

New Start Insulation SUPPLIES-DISTRIBUTORS
Jose Carreon Baron Supply
915-256-2371 David Trammell
915-886-3697
INSURANCE Sun City Winnelson
Bundle Bee Insurance Agency Dean Moore
Victoria Dominguez 915-532-1600
915-598-3500 El Paso Winnelson Terms and Conditions: Offer valid for a one time, one car group upgrade on an intermediate (group C) through a full-size four-door (group E) car. Maximum upgrade to premium (group G), excluding intermediate SUV (group F). Offer valid on daily, weekend, weekly
and monthly rates only. The upgraded car is subject to vehicle availability at the time of rental and may not be available on some rates at some times. All taxes, fees (including but not limited to Air Conditioning Excise Recovery Fee, Concession Recovery Fee, Vehicle
Great American Insurance Rene Goldfien License Recovery Fee, Energy Recovery Fee, Tire Management Fee, and Frequent Traveler Fee) and surcharges (including but not limited to Customer Facility Charge and Environmental Fee Recovery Charge) are extra. Optional products such as LDW and refueling
are extra. Valid at participating Avis locations in the contiguous U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands and Canada. One coupon per rental. A 24-hour advance reservation is required. May not be used in conjunction with any other coupon, promotion or offer. Upgrade will
Group 915-778-4640. be applied at vehicle pick-up time. Renter must meet Avis age, driver and credit requirements. Minimum age may vary by location. An additional daily surcharge may apply for renters under 25 years old. Fuel charges are extra. Rental valid through December 31, 2019.
Julie Tomlinson W.W. Sales ©2018 Avis Rent A Car System, LLC

513-412-4921 Eric Hoppes

505-463-8204
12
HomesUS.com: Sales Pace Level, but Pending Sales Continue to Fall
Texas’s new home market appears to
be cooling as total new home sales have
declined statewide for the second
straight month despite lower mortgage
rates, according to a report released by
HomesUSA.com.
Mortgage rates averaged below 4.00%
in July, according to Freddie Mac, but the
12-month rolling average of new home
sales statewide in July dropped to 3,710
from 3,985 in June. The new home sales
data reported by HomesUSA.com comes
from the Houston Association of
REALTORS, North Texas Real Estate
Information Systems, San Antonio Board
of REALTORS and the Austin Board of
REALTORS Multiple Listing Services
The average number of Days on
Market for new homes statewide was
flat, meaning the pace of new home
sales remained the same. According to
the HomesUSA.com New Home Sales
Index, statewide, the Days on Market
were 120.28 days in July versus 119.73
days in June. Builders benefited from
higher home prices statewide as the
average new home price increased more
than $700 in July.
"While the new home sales market
appears to be tightening, the Texas new
home sales market remains the envy of
the nation," says Ben Caballero, owner
of HomesUSA.com. “Houston and
Dallas-Ft. Worth continue to shine,
selling more than 1200 new homes every
month for the last 12 months. Our
homebuilding market is incredibly
resilient," he added. Caballero is the
nation's top-ranked real estate agent and
real estate's first Guinness World Record
holder for home sales.
El Paso Builders Assocation
Health Benefit Program*
*Medical benefits prro
ovided under GSABA Health and We
ONEDIGIT
TA
AL IS BUILDING BETTER BENEFITS
Our health program provides qualifying
member companies an opportunity to save
on their healthcare costs while striving to
generate low renewal increases annually. The
new program allows for more liberal
underwriting and aggressive rating while
providing a strong network, rich benefits and
cost savings compared to the market.
HEAL LT
TH PLAN
• Potential premium
savings
• Stable renewals
• Lower deductibles
HUNTER BA AYLEY
hbayley@onedigital.com | 713-299-6886
BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8
“The Texas new homes market isn’t as July were 653, down from 700 total sales Houston, where the average new home
red hot as it was,” Caballero admits, as in June. Dallas-Ft. Worth total new home price fell from $358,810 in June to
pending new home sales continue to sales in July were 1,270 versus 1,364 $357,118 in July. (See Chart 3: Texas
decline in Texas. Last month, pending total sales in June. San Antonio total New Home Prices)
new home sales were again lower in all new home sales in July were 491 versus Texas Pending New Homes Sales
four of the state’s biggest new homes 534 total sales in June. (See Chart 2: Data
markets, HomesUSA.com reported. For Texas New Home Sales) Pending new home sales were lower
Texas, pending new home sales in July Texas New Home Prices in all four of the state's top new home
based on a 12-month rolling average New home prices were higher in three markets. Dallas-Ft. Worth posted a 12-
dropped to 3,245 from 3,547 pending of the state’s largest new home markets, month rolling average for pending new
new home sales in June. including Dallas-Ft. Worth, Austin and home sales in July of 1,120 versus 1,225
Exclusive Data: Average Days on San Antonio. The average new home pending sales in June. Total pending
Market – New Homes in Texas price in Texas for July was also higher at sales for Austin in July were 570, down
The HomesUSA.com New Home $357,859 versus $357,130 for June. from 622 pending home sales in June.
Sales Index showed the pace of new In Dallas-Ft. Worth, the average new San Antonio pending new home sales in
home sales remained level last month. In home price for July was $375,694 versus July were 432, down from 471 pending
Dallas-Ft. Worth, the DOM was flat at $373,960 for June. In San Antonio, the new home sales in June. Pending new
115.56 days in July versus 115.51 days average new home price for July was home sales in Houston for July were
in June. San Antonio was the exception. $299,151 versus $297,387 for June. 1,223 versus 1,229 pending saless in
Its new home sales pace improved as its Austin’s average new home price in July June
DOM numbers dropped to 100.60 days was $372,365 versus $367,041 in June. Source:HomesUSA.com
in July from 102.06 days in June. The one exception was the state’s
The new home sales pace in both biggest new home sales market in
Austin and Houston showed some
decline. The DOM in Austin increased to
112.69 days in July from 111.05 days in
June. Houston’s sales pace also
slowed, with its DOM climbing to 136.29
El Paso Disposal
days in July from 135.77 days in June.
(See Chart 1: Texas New Homes Days
on Market)
Texas New Home Sales Data
Total new home sales were down in
all four of the state’s largest markets.
Statewide, the new home sales in the
772-7495
four markets included in the Index
showed a 12-month rolling average of
3,710 in July versus 3,985 in June.
Houston total new home sales in July
were 1,297 versus 1,388 total sales in
June. Austin total new home sales in
Welfarre
e Plan
• Enhanced coverage
• State mandated coverage
• COBRA administration
•TTe
eledoc services
2019Issue8 BuildersOutlook 13

MembershipOutlook
Upcoming Events
SEPTEMBER 12 SEPTEMBER 20
BOARD MEETING AT POH PREVIEW PARTY
12:00
EPAB OFFICE SEPTEMBER 21‐OCTOBER 6
PARADE OF HOMES

New Members
GOTCHA COVERED MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC TRANE
CONTACT: HVAC
SOPHIE SOUDAIHA AGRAZ CONTACT: BOB COURSEN
3827 HILLCREST DRIVE 4600 FAIRBANKS DR., # 1626
EL PASO, TX 79902 EL PASO, TX 79924
915‐201‐2192 505‐228‐4264

Soda Sponsor
Showrrooom:
9400 Gateway East  El Paso, TX  79907
PALO VERDE HOMES (915) 593-1301  (800) 356-9546
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915.585.1000 Leslie Schey

Builder Solution Specialist
Proud member of the El Paso Association of Builders
361.739.7739 | lschey@2-10.com
14 BuildersOutlook 2019Issue8

Permits&Inspections

THE WOONERF: Silly

Name, Great Idea

Did you know that El Paso is one of

the only cities in the United States with
a woonerf?
Woonerf (plural “woonerven”) is a
Dutch word that literally means “living
yard”, and refers tostreets that are
designed for use by cars, bicycles and
pedestrians across their entire
expanse.
Woonerven usually lack curbs, lane
lines, and other traditional street
markings that serve to separate
different types of traffic. Instead they
allow cars, bikes and people to
intermingle.
Woonerven may also have street
furniture, such as trees, planters or
bollards, which serve to narrow
the drivable surface. This “designed
ambiguity” means that drivers slow
down to speeds that make conditions
safer for them and other road users.
These shared-use streets are a safe
and creative option for areas with high
numbers of pedestrians and an
ongoing need for vehicular access.
El Paso introduced its first woonerf in
2013 on Missouri Avenue next to
Southwest University Park, connecting
Cleveland Square to the Old San
Francisco neighborhood. While the
street is closed to cars during games at
the ballpark, at all other times it is a
drivable, walkable, bikeable

DESIGN WITH NATURAL GAS IN MIND.

thoroughfare, the likes of which cannot
be found in more than a handful of
other places in North America!
What is an Event Permit? Nothing is more attractive to homebuyers than the right mix of comfort and value. You can
An Event Permit allows the
provide both when you build homes that have natural gas.
applicants to use City Right-of-Way
(ROW) to host and facilitate events.
The event permit application is used for
Natural gas furnaces, water heaters and clothes dryers offer greater efficiency and lower
all event types: Parades, Temporary operating costs than their electric counterparts, and natural gas kitchens sell themselves.
Events and Special Events.
When do I need a Event Permit? Let us help you plan for natural gas right from the start.
An Event Permit is required for all
events that take place on City Right-of- For more information:
Way. ElPasoNewBusiness@TXGas.com
What is Right-of-Way?
William Nieves: 915-496-6126
Any public street, alley, or sidewalk
What if my event is Downtown? Jorge Sejera: 915-680-7216
Any special events that take place in
the Downtown area must obtain a
Please continue to direct service line and meter set requests to the Texas Gas Service
permit through the Downtown Builder Services atslimgas-metroElPaso@onegas.com
Hotline at slimgas­metroElPaso@onegas.comoror 1­866­206­9587.
1-866-206-9587.
Management District (DMD).
What if my event is in a City Park?
Permits to reserve the parks must
obtain their Parks and Recreation
permits individually.

WRITTEN INSURED
543521034/.-.
,3+*-.3)(3,4*-.3'*-3&*%34/$(3#%,433"-.$43!-) 3$(3
,4*(.3-*% 4,333-*+3!-) 3,4*(.3"$,,3 .-$+) 34).3$(3
New Home Warranties
*- .$)(334*3**3'**-)("3$.-,3$(3+*-.3
• A Texas Warranty designed for Texas Builders
/.3-,43($+.3)(3-) 3),3&*%-3$ .3'*-3+*-.332$3*-3),)43%, • 10 Year New Home Warranties
• FHA, VA & USDA Approved
• Remodelers & Detached Garage Options
• Options for General Liability, Builder’s Risk & More
Texas Strong for Over 37 Years!

521032323 335+.-) $,35.303

$,*3. $,33--
-) 334*(.33
$.-,33
-$()4.33$4.33**-)("33
$,,3* 331*-.
HOME
O F T E X A S
800.445.8173 ext. 2149
sales@homeoftexas.com • www.homeoftexas.com
www.elpasobuilders.com VOL 2019 ISSUE 8

BuildersOutlook
PUBLISHED BY THE EL PASO ASSOCIATION OF BUILDERS: NATIONAL, STATE AND LOCAL HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY NEWS
Insurance developed for builders.
Developed for builders with the backing of the strongest insurance
6046 Surety Dr. El Paso, TX 79905 915-778-5387 • www.elpasobuilders.com carriers serving the Texas building industry, our insurance program
offers flexible coverage options and rates that are more competitive
■ EXECUTIVE OFFICERS Johnny Rodriguez, Lowe's than ever. As an authorized member of Builder Agent Network©, we’re
PRESIDENT Randall Smith, Randall Smith, Cpa dedicated to providing builders and contractors with the best-in-class
Sergio Cuartas Justin Hahn, Rocky Mountain Mortgage insurance programs, pricing, underwriting, resources and service.
VICE PRESIDENT Angelique Roman, Sierra Title
Edgar Garcia Ted Escobedo, Snappy Publishing
SECRETARY Patricia Martinez, Stewart Title
Product Portfolio Highlights
Sal Masoud Henry Tinajero, WestStar Bank
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT t
“A” rated carriers, several available
Ray Adauto ■ TAB STATE DIRECTORS
PAST PRESIDENT
Randy Bowling, Life Director t
(-
PêFSJOH
Doverage for property damage that results from faulty, defective,
Edmundo Dena or poor workmanship in your work.
Sam Shallenberger
Edmundo Dena
■ COMMITTEE CHAIRS: t
(-
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PG
VQ
UP
...
Bvailable
Gus Loy
ASSOCIATES CHAIR
Luis Rosas
Don Rassette t
Expanded policy form for commercial projects
Luis Rosas
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS
Sal Masoud t
Builder’s Risk master policies, monthly reporting, annual and one shots
■ NATIONAL DIRECTORS
GOLF TOURNAMENTS t Workers’ Comp - Two highly cost-effective programs
Bobby Bowling, IV
Sam Shallenberger
Demetrio Jimenez
FINANCE COMMITTEE t
ExDFTT
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GPS
$PNNFrcial (eneral Contractors
Kathy Carrillo/Treasurer
COMMUNITY OUTREACH t
$PNNFrcial Umbrella
Angelique Roman
Honorary Life Members
LAND USE
Rudy Guel
Sal Masoud
EDUCATION
Brad Roe El Paso, Permian Basin and Surrounding Area
Wayne Grinnell
Patrick Tuttle
INDUSTRY PROMOTIONS
Don Henderson HUB International Insurance Services
Anna Gill
Ted Escobedo
Mark Dyer -VJT
3PTBT
■ ADVISORY TO THE BOARD Sam Shallenberger 915-206-6047
Jay Kerr, Firth, Johnston, Bunn & Kerr www.hubinternational.com www.builderagentnetwork.com
Past Presidents
■ BOARD OF DIRECTORS Committed to Serve
Builders: Don Rassette
Jaime Gonzalez, Blue Sage Homes Edmundo Dena
Lee Gillett, Classic American Homes Edgar Montiel
Frank Torres
Lydia Mlouhi, Crown Heritage Homes
Frank Arroyos
Dan Berry, D B Innovations,LLC
Greg Bowling
Delton Deal, Deal-2-Deal
Randy Bowling
Eder Gallardo, Edwards Homes Bobby Bowling IV
Leti Navarrete, EPT Bella Custom Dream Homes Doug Schwartz
Kathy Parry, Hunt Companies John Cullers
Samira Gonzalez, Icon Custom Home Builders Robert Baeza
Laura Loy, Loyalty Homes Mark Dyer
JJ Vasquez Pacifica Homes Kelly Sorenson
Trevor Turner, Rassette Homes Rudy Guel
Fernie Santana, Santana Homes Brad Roe
Jacob Barde, Tropicana Homes Herschel Stringfield
Bob Bowling III
Associates: Carlos Villalobos
Sandra Lucero, Builders Source
John Chaney, Hercules Industries EPAB Mission Statement:
Luis Rosas, HUB International The El Paso Association of Builders is a federated professional
Jorge Herrera, J & H Post Concrete & Tension organization representing the home building industry, committed
Joe Bernal, Joe Bernal Insurance to enhancing the quality of life in our community by providing
Patrick Tuttle, Legacy Real Estate Service affordable homes of excellence and value.
Aaron Rich, Lone Star Title The El Paso Association of Builders is a 501C(6) trade
organization.