SPIN for September 26, 2016
Posted by Kelly Updike on Sep 21, 2016
DON'T MISS THESE PROGRAMS!
September 26Matt Bell, President of Indiana Casino Association
.JPG)
October 3
Member Forum
Be Sure to Attend!
October 10
Andrew Bourne
IVY Tech: The Causes and Consequences of High School Dropouts
From the Meeting of September 19, 2016
Home building on the rise
It hit hard times during the recession but new residential construction is growing again, says Jeff Thomas, president of the Fort Wayne Allen County Home Builders Association. And that’s a good sign for the local economy.
A Fort Wayne native and president of Mike Thomas Associates, which was formed 40 years ago, Jeff Thomas said Fort Wayne averaged 1,700 new home permits in 2005 but that level dropped sharply in 2009 to 600. In 2015, the number of permits rose to 880 and Thomas said there will be around 900 new permits issued by the end of 2016. He added that a healthy average is 1,000.The recession also caused a reduction in the number of contractors. “We’ve gone through a tough period, particularly with labor,” Thomas said. “We lost a lot of good contractors, so the Home Builders Association is working on this.” Thomas said he is encouraging schools to provide information to students about going into a construction trade.
Over the past four years, growth in new housing has shifted from southwest Allen County to northwest. Thomas said the areas around Huntertown and Leo have seen more new houses.
“This is the lowest inventory we’ve ever had,” Thomas said, meaning there are more people seeking to buy a home than homes available for sale. “There is a big need for homes to list.”
Several factors are encouraging home buyers, Thomas said. For example, a low interest rate encourages home-buying. “One of the biggest real estate years for Allen County was 1986,” Thomas said, “and while new homes were built around the new GM plant opening that year, interest rates fell to under 12 percent.” Currently the average interest rate is 4 percent, he added.
Downtown growth also has helped the area, Thomas said, with new facilities such as Parkview Field and more housing units available. “It’s nice for the entire county to have a strong downtown.”
When asked about trends in housing, Thomas offered these home-building facts:
- Subdivisions with golf courses are a thing of the past. “The way people live today has completely changed,” Thomas said, “so developers are not using up land with a golf course.”
- Stick building in Fort Wayne will continue, as costs of stick-built houses (wooden house built entirely on-site) are low and a strong Amish workforce makes it difficult for other types of construction to compete.
- It’s not as much about the size of your house as it is about the outdoor living areas. Thomas said the trend is for patios, porches and back yards, as home owners want to spend more time outdoors. And no more fiberglass tubs, homes now feature tiled showers. And don’t forget built-in technology, for turning on/off lights and HVAC and appliances with your cell phone.
- Millennials, which Thomas said are now the largest generation in the U.S., are slow to purchase a home; many still live with their parents. And when they do purchase a home, they want information instantly and via their cell phones.
- The home building industry is looking at immigrants as an important part of the construction trades workforce.
3X a philanthropist
Congratulations to Ron VerLee, who was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow for the third time. This recognition, in the name of Rotary’s founder, is given when a significant gift is given to the Rotary Foundation. According to Randy Rider, who presented the award, Ron says he intends to keep on giving!Go, go, go to the Foundation Dinner
Lisa Waterman encouraged everyone to see the amazing work of Rotary – we are THIS close to eliminating polio – and to hear a terrific keynote address by Rick King at the Sept. 30 District Foundation Dinner in Elkhart. The evening is a celebration of the foundation’s 100th anniversary. Contact Randy Rider at rjrider@outlook.com to take the bus!
Service Above Self, at any age
Members of the Rotaract club packed meals for children in the Philippines. Help keep this club strong by recommending it to good people ages 18-30.
SPIN September 26 2016
CASHIER: Judy Fehlhaber (Community Volunteer)
INVOCATION: John Alexander (Retired)
SONG LEADER: Lynne Gilmore (AWS Foundation)
SERGEANT: TBD
SOCIAL MEDIA: Allie Braun
HOUSE: John Gliot (Anthony Wayne Area Boy Scout Council)
SPIN EDITOR: Kelly Updike (Embassy Theatre)
PROGRAM: Matt Bell, President of Indiana Casino Association
MENU: Soup and Salad, Ham & Au Gratin Potatoes & Assorted pies
UPCOMING PROGRAMS: Invite a guest to hear:
October 3: Member Forum -- Riverfront Development Update and Possible Rotary projects
October 10: Andrew Bourne, IVY Tech: The Causes and Consequences of High School Dropouts
October 17: Kristina Johnson & Marcia Haaff: The Lutheran Foundation Look Up and the Regional Mental Health Coalition
October 24: Andrew Downs, IPFW: Local Politics in Fort Wayne
October 31: Win Moses -- Reflections on a Lifetime of Political Stories
COMMITTEE MEETINGS
September 27: Board Meeting, 8 am
October 10: Membership Committee, 11 am
October 10: RYE, 11 am
October 10: Program Committee, 11:15 am
ANNOUNCEMENTS … Mark Your Calendar
September 29: Summit City South Rotary Club Charter Party
September 30: District 6540 Foundation Dinner, Lerner Ballroom, Elkhart IN
November 10: World Affairs Conference, ACPL