Entries categorized as ‘Press Release’
For the first time ever, the NW Natural Street of Dreams is going urban. In honor of its 34th year, the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland (HBA) is bringing America’s longest running luxury home show to the heart of the city.
Click here to see KGW story
The 2009 show will take place Aug. 1st-30th in Portland’s Pearl District and will highlight approximately 10 high-rise condos priced between $1 and $4 million. HBA had been working on sites in more suburban locations, but also had plans under way for adding an urban component to this year’s show. Changing market dynamics, combined with strong industry and consumer interest in the urban component, created an opportunity to focus exclusively on an all-urban show featuring some of Portland’s finest luxury downtown living.
“Dream homes come in different shapes, sizes and styles,” said 2009 HBA President Tom Skaar. “This year’s Street of Dreams focuses on the height of urban living in one of Portland’s residential jewels. It will bring tens of thousands of people to the area’s galleries, breweries, unique restaurants and shops. In essence, the Street of Dreams in The Pearl will give showgoers an authentically Portland lifestyle experience and invite them to see all the wonderful things the city has to offer.”
The 2009 Street of Dreams will also feature a significant increase in its emphasis on sustainability. Most of the homes will meet LEED standards and have other sustainable site development and construction practices that exceed current code. Eco-friendly materials and furnishings and energy efficiency will also be showcased in the condos interiors. Sustainable practices also will be incorporated into the show’s production, marketing and operations. This emphasis demonstrates the HBA’s commitment to being earth-friendly in all its shows and events.
Attendees will be encouraged to take advantage of the region’s public transportation systems, including the MAX, light rail and Portland street car to reduce driving and traffic, to stroll around the highly walkable Pearl, and to pop into local businesses, which will offer special promotions in coordination with the show.
“The 2009 show will offer the public the things they’ve come to love and expect from the Street of Dreams with a new focus and feel,” said Roger LeClair, this year’s Street of Dreams Chairman. “It will still feature innovative homes, showcase the latest, greatest and finest the building industry has to offer and inspire people with the beauty and unique features of the sensational homes it highlights. The show focuses on dreams and will continue to do so for many years to come.”
Categories: Press Release · Special Events
Tagged: Street of Dreams
Congratulations to the Home Comfort Zones Team!!!
MyTemp temperature control and energy management system, by Home Comfort Zones has been named one of the top 100 technological innovations of the year by Popular Science Magazine. MyTemp received a 2008 Best of What’s New Award in the Home Technology category and is featured in the magazine’s December issue.
MyTemp delivers both improved comfort and energy savings capability by providing room-by room temperature control for residential forced-air HVAC systems. It saves energy by conditioning occupied rooms only as much as needed and by reducing conditioning in unoccupied rooms. The system is unique because it monitors the temperature in every room and individually controls the airflow to every vent. MyTemp can be easily installed into most existing homes without changing the HVAC system. The energy savings features of the MyTemp System provides the controls needed for homeowners to reduce their heating and cooling energy consumption by up to 40 percent.
“Everyone at Home Comfort Zones is very excited to be recognized by Popular Science as a company that is revolutionizing residential temperature control,” said Hal Alles, Founder and Chief Technology Officer. “We appreciate the editors’ recognition of MyTemp’s significant advancements in comfort and energy management. This award reaffirms the hard work of our employees, partners and investors and signifies that room-by-room temperature control is ready for widespread adoption.”
“For 21 years, Popular Science’s Best of What’s New awards honor the innovations that make a positive impact on life today and change our views of the future,” says Mark Jannot, Editor-in- Chief of Popular Science. “PopSci’s editors evaluate thousands of products each year to develop this thoughtful list, there’s no higher accolade Popular Science can give.”
Categories: Member Highlights · National News · Press Release
Tagged: Home Comfort Zones, MyTemp, Popular Science Magazine
November 13, 2008 · 1 Comment
The Tour of Remodeled Homes Executive Committee is proud to announce that it has officially selected the featured remodelers for the 2009 10th Anniversary Tour of Remodeled Homes. The remodeling companies were chosen based on their ability to create unique remodeling solutions at all price levels; as well as support the positive image of the industry through education and participation in the Council as a whole.
This annual home show is the Remodelers Council’s premiere event to highlight the talents of our members and promote our group’s overall commitment to professionalism to the public. It is just one of the many vehicles the Council utilizes to educate the public that there is a serious, highly qualified membership firm that they can go to for their remodeling needs.
The 2009 Tour of Remodeled Homes sponsors include Contract Furnishings Mart, Milgard Windows, Red’s Electric, PARR Lumber, Fixture Gallery at Consolidated Supply and Chelsea Audio Video. We cannot thank them enough for their support and we encourage all of our members to think of our sponsors when they are doing their day to day business.
2009 Featured Remodelers:
Categories: Press Release
Tagged: Arciform, Chelsea Audio Video, Contract Furnishings Mart, COOPER Designbuilders, Craftsman Design & Renovation, Crown Construction of Oregon, Dual Purpose Construction, Fixture Gallery at Consolidated Supply, JB Construction Services, Metke Remodeling and Woodworking, Milgard Windows, Mosaik Design, Neil Kelly Design/Build Remodeling, Oregon Home Renovations, PARR Lumber, Progressive Builders Northwest, Red’s Electric, SLS Custom Homes, Stanley Home Renovation & Design, Steven Heiteen Construction, Tim Leitner Construction, Tour of Remodeled Homes
The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s Political Action Committee recently voted to oppose a measure on this year’s ballot that would put Oregon homeowners at risk.
Measure 63 would allow homeowners to perform up to $35,000 in remodeling in a single calendar year without a permit.
“There simply are innumerable ways in which this proposal puts homeowners at risk,” said Steve Heiteen, president of Steven Heiteen Construction and a long-time leader of the HBA’s Remodeler’s Council. “This level of renovation to a home could very likely include work on the home’s plumbing and electrical systems, or even its structural integrity. The idea of removing oversight at that scale is a huge mistake.”
Heiteen said Measure 63 would create an enormous liability risk for homeowners, because it makes the homeowner directly responsible for all changes they make during renovation. Even if the home was sold, any future problems connected to the remodeling work would be the responsibility of the owner who commissioned the work. Worse, the measure would present health and safety risks from problems like electrical fires, burst plumbing, or even structural collapse.
Other home builders associations around the state are anticipated to join in opposing the measure as the election nears.
“As an organization, the HBA and its members fight battles regularly with government to reduce the red tape and unnecessary costs associated with home construction or improvement,” Heiteen said. “But we’ve never questioned the need for all builders to adhere to the state’s building code, and building permits represent the system to make sure everyone is doing their work in accordance with the code. Opposing this ballot measure is a no brainer.”
To learn more about Oregon Ballot Measure 63 see previous post.
Categories: Business Matters · Goverment Affairs · Press Release
Tagged: Oregon Ballot Measure 63, Remodeling
Portland’s leading association for remodeling professionals recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, noting continued membership growth and an industry that is flourishing despite a national slowdown in new construction.
The Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Portland’s Remodelers Council consists of the area’s top remodelers, subcontractors and suppliers who work together to promote quality and professionalism in the home remodeling industry. In the past 10 years, the council has grown to 260 members and currently is the third largest in the United States.
Last year in the Portland Metro area, more than $308 million was spent on residential remodels– up 34 percent from 2006. And that is not just a lot of retiled kitchen floors – the average amount spent on a residential remodel in 2007 was $71,836. The number of permits issued in the Portland Metro area for residential remodeling projects rose 19 percent last year.
“Our members take pride in their craft, have years of experience in the field and are knowledgeable about the newest and most innovative products on the market,” said Steve Heiteen, owner of Heiteen Construction and 2008 Remodelers Council chairman. “One of the big reasons our group continues growing fast is that we are committed to ethical business conduct and we encourage our membership to invest in training and education.”
The National Home Builders Association estimates that Americans spent $235 billion in home remodeling in 2007, up from $233 billion in 2006. Remodeling accounts for 2 percent of the US economy and 40 percent of all residential construction.
Each spring, Portland’s Remodelers Council produces the Tour of Remodeled Homes, which showcases the top remodeling projects in the area. They also are active participants in the Home Builder Association’s Spring and Fall Home and Garden Shows, and RC members are involved in several fundraising events throughout the year to support local charities. In the last two years, the group has raised more than $10,000 for the Home Builders Foundation, which creates shelter opportunities for the disadvantaged and provides educational opportunities for future generations of industry professionals.
The Council has been recognized nationally for its energy, commitment to the industry, dedication to the community and government affairs efforts. To date, the Council has won 10 prestigious Council Awards for Demonstrating Remodeling Excellence, the highest national honor any council can receive. Category wins include Outstanding Community Service Project, Outstanding Member Services and Education and Outstanding Public Relations and Promotion Program.
To find out more about the HBA’s Remodelers Council, visit www.homebuildersportland.org.
Categories: Press Release
