Home prices are continuing to rise in the United States with the median value for a single family home reaching more than $1 million in a metro location for the first time. The record prices was reached in San Jose, California, while the vast majority of metro areas seeing prices
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Mon, Jul 18th 2016 Natural slate manufacturer Welsh Slate is supporting roofing apprentices at Leeds College of Building. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Welsh Slate has taken its commitment to training and apprenticeships one
August sees 5% rise in purchase approvals The latest analysis from e.surv has revealed the first signs of post-referendum recovery for the UK mortgage market as approvals gained 5% on during August. According to the data, during August there were 63,972 house purchase mortgage approvals – suggesting the market is
Huseyin Bozdogan, a 28-year-old Dry Lining Apprentice for construction company The Berkeley Group has been given the prestigious Best Apprentice Award at the Group’s annual Apprentice Awards ceremony. The event, which took place at Pennington Street Warehouse London Dock on the 10th October is an opportunity for the business to
The world’s first implementation of new flood modelling technology has taken place at the Wisbech Garden Town Project. On the 26th October, it was announced that the Royal HaskoningDHV’s TRICO approach has been chosen for a pilot scheme that will investigate the flood management the 10,000 home Garden Town that
Maber, the Midlands-based Architectural practice has announced that they will be celebrating their tenth anniversary with a VIP tour of one of their latest projects. Architects practice will be giving a tour of the restoration and refurbishment work that has been worked on by the company at the Great Hall
The reason that many environmentalists favor looking for alternative forms of energy to oil is not just the disruption that drilling has on the atmosphere but also the danger that it poses for those who work in the oilfield industry every day when they go to work. Due to the
Home prices are continuing to rise in the United States with the median value for a single family home reaching more than $1 million in a metro location for the first time. The record prices was reached in San Jose, California, while the vast majority of metro areas seeing prices rise in the second quarter of 2016, the data from the National Association of Realtors shows. Overall the median existing single family home price increased in 83% of measured markets, with 148 out of 178 metropolitan statistical areas showing gains based on closed sales in the second quarter compared with the second quarter of 2015. Just 29 metros recorded lower median prices from a year earlier and 25 saw double digit increases. According to Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, a faster pace of home sales amidst languishing inventory levels has pushed home prices higher in most metro areas during the second quarter. ‘Steadily improving local job markets and mortgage rates teetering close to all-time lows brought buyers out in force in many large and middle tier cities,’ he said. ‘However, with homebuilding activity still failing to keep up with demand and not enough current homeowners putting their home up for sale, prices continued their strong ascent and in many markets at a rate well above income growth,’ he added. The national median existing single family home price in the second quarter was $240,700, up 4.9% from the second quarter of 2015, which was previously the peak quarterly median sales price. The median price during the first quarter of this year increased 6.1% from the first quarter of 2015. Total existing home sales, including single family and condos, rose 3.8% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.5 million in the second quarter from 5.3 million in the first quarter of this year and are 4.2% higher than the 5.28 million pace during the second quarter of 2015. ‘Primarily from repeat buyers moving up or trading down, existing sales increased each month last quarter and could’ve been even higher if not for a few speedbumps. Closings were slowed a bit by meagre supply levels and home prices in many areas that are still rising too fast,’ Yun explained. At the end of the second quarter, there were 2.12 million existing homes available for sale, which was below the 2.25 million homes for sale at the end of the second quarter in 2015. The average supply during the second quarter was 4.7 months, down from 5.1 months a year ago. According to Yun, without enough new construction being built, existing inventory seriously failed to keep up with the growing demand for buying. As a result, homes typically stayed on the market for around a month throughout the second quarter and over 40% of listings sold at or above list price, with June being the highest share since NAR began tracking in December 2012.Yun pointed out that many listings in a majority of market, and especially those in lower price ranges, had multiple offers and went under contract quickly because of severely inadequate supply. ‘This in turn dented affordability and without a doubt priced out a segment of buyers attempting to seek relief from fast-growing rents,’ he said. Despite falling mortgage rates and a small increase in the national family median income, swiftly rising home prices caused affordability to decline in the second quarter compared to a year ago, the data also shows. To purchase a single family home at the national median price, a buyer making a 5% down payment would need an income of $52,255, a 10% down payment would require an income of $49,504, and $44,004 would be needed for a 20% down payment. The five most expensive housing markets in the second quarter were the San Jose, California, metro area, where the median existing single family price was $1,085,000, San Francisco at $885,600, Anaheim-Santa Ana in California at $742,200, urban Honolulu at $725,200 and San Diego at $589,900. The five lowest-cost metro areas in the second quarter were Youngstown-Warren-Boardman in Ohio at $85,400, Cumberland in Maryland at $94,900, Decatur in Illinois at $95,600, Binghamton in New York at $105,500, and Rockford in Illinois at $109,000. The national median existing condo price was $227,200 in the second quarter, up 4.8% from the second quarter of 2015 and 44, or 75%, showed gains in their median condo price from a year ago while 14 areas had declines. According to NAR President Tom Salomone, the further decline in mortgage rates in recent months is bringing new buyers into the mix on top of the pool of those who have yet to close on a home because of insufficient supply. A breakdown of the figures shows that total existing home sales in the Northeast jumped 7.6% in the second quarter and are 11.3% above the second quarter of 2015. The median existing single family home price was $273,600 in the second quarter, up 1.6% from a year ago. In the Midwest, existing home sales leaped 10.4% in the second quarter and are 6.6% higher than a year ago. The median existing single family home price increased 5.1% to $191,300 in the second quarter from the same quarter a year ago. Existing home sales in the South inched forward 0.3% and are 4.2% higher than the second quarter of 2015. The median existing single family home price was $214,900, some 5.9% above a year earlier. In the West existing home sales were up 1.4% but are 2.2% below a year ago. The median existing single family home price increased 6.5% to $346,500 year on year. Source link
Category: Construction Industry Today | Subscribe to Construction Industry Today Feed Published Mon, Jul 18th 2016 Natural slate manufacturer Welsh Slate is supporting roofing apprentices at Leeds College of Building. Posted via Industry Today. Follow us on Twitter @IndustryToday Welsh Slate has taken its commitment to training and apprenticeships one step further by supporting a second college with materials and mentoring. The North Wales-based manufacturer, part of the Lagan Group, had already donated more than eight pallets of roofing slates to South Lanarkshire College, sponsored a regional apprentice “craft” award there, and presented two CPD seminars to block release students on the four-year roof slating and tiling course to SCQF Level 7. Now 10 apprentices and lecturers Chris Messenger and Tim Donegon from the roof training division of Leeds College of Building (and Andrew Rowlands and Paul Jenkins from the Wales National Roofing Training Group) have toured the company’s largest quarry and production facilities at Penrhyn in Bethesda. Some of the apprentices even tried their hand at splitting slates under the watchful eye of production supervisor Martin Beattie. The visit hosted by Welsh Slate north-west sales representative Colin Falconer and commercial director (roofing) Michael Halle follows the donation of two crates of roofing slates (as at South Lanarkshire College), with Colin also presenting a CPD seminar to 70 Level 3 students. The day after the site tour the group visited the Welsh Slate Museum, with their overnight accommodation paid for by the Yorkshire Independent Roof Training Group. Colin said: “It’s important to Welsh Slate that we contribute to ensuring the supply of the next generation of roofing apprentices and that we maintain traditional roofing skills for the roofing industry. We are delighted to support Leeds College of Building’s roof training division.” The 10 apprentices from Leeds College of Building were Luke Bann, Will Emerson, Andrew Emerson, Michael Bermingham, Dan Norfolk, Gary McGowan, Liam Stewart, Harry Hillam-Thompson, Babar Kahn and George Wood. ENDS Caption : Leeds College of Building lecturer Chris Messenger (centre) with some of his apprentices in Welsh Slate’s Penrhyn Quarry. Source link
August sees 5% rise in purchase approvals The latest analysis from e.surv has revealed the first signs of post-referendum recovery for the UK mortgage market as approvals gained 5% on during August. According to the data, during August there were 63,972 house purchase mortgage approvals – suggesting the market is quickly growing following the post-referendum lull. Despite the rise, this figure remains 10.3% lower when compared to the same period last year. The number of house purchase approvals was also down on the levels seen earlier this year, however e.surv notes that February’s peak of 72,512 was artificially boosted by buyers making purchases ahead of the stamp duty tax changes in April. e.surv added that the recent “flux in the market” has actually benefited borrowers with smaller deposits. 18.6% of all loans were made to borrowers with an LTV of 85% or higher which is “significantly above” the 17.3% seen in August 2015. Richard Sexton, director of e.surv chartered surveyors, commented: “Despite the number of approvals being lower than a year ago, positive signs are already emerging in this post-referendum mortgage market. The policy announcements made in the aftermath of the vote look to have calmed the nerves of borrowers and lenders alike. Thanks to this, we have seen the market grow by 5% between July and August. The decision made by the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee to lower the base rate to 0.25% has also boosted the prospects of mortgage borrowers. This survey has caught the initial impact of the rate cut, however the full effect of the decision will be seen in the coming months.” Join our mailing list: Source link
Huseyin Bozdogan, a 28-year-old Dry Lining Apprentice for construction company The Berkeley Group has been given the prestigious Best Apprentice Award at the Group’s annual Apprentice Awards ceremony. The event, which took place at Pennington Street Warehouse London Dock on the 10th October is an opportunity for the business to celebrate and show their appreciation to all of their apprentices. The winner of this year’s Best Apprentice award has been given to Huseyin, who is taking part in a construction apprentice at the College of Haringey, Enfield and North East London, or CONEL. Huseyin was working with his uncle on extensions and roof work before and during looking for an apprenticeship. While training with the Berkeley Group, Huseyin has been able to learn new skills and make the most of the support and advice that is offered by his supervisors and mentors. The training has been great for him and the award and feedback are additional accolades to be proud of. Huseyin was presented with his award by Alison Dowsett, the Managing Director of St William, which is a regeneration project that is being carried out between Berkeley and the National Grid. Huseyin has said that this award means a lot to him and it is great to see a company actively celebrating the hard work and commitment being displayed by their apprentices. CONEL works with a range of big name employers in order to offer their students a wide range of construction apprenticeships, from brickwork and carpentry to electrical installations, property maintenance and painting and decoration. Berkeley has had 783 apprentices working on its site over the course of the last 18 months alone and is a company that is committed to having 1,500 more people in apprenticeships and training by 2018. The construction company has shown that they are focused on working closer with their colleagues in order to increase the level of skilled labour available. There is already a demand for skilled labour in the construction industry, and it is thought that over the next decade, 400,00 workers will retire, making it even more vital that more young people are encouraged in to careers in the construction industry.
The world’s first implementation of new flood modelling technology has taken place at the Wisbech Garden Town Project. On the 26th October, it was announced that the Royal HaskoningDHV’s TRICO approach has been chosen for a pilot scheme that will investigate the flood management the 10,000 home Garden Town that has been planned for the area of Wisbech. This pilot flood management project has received the backing of the Dutch Government, who have awarded a €55,000 grant from the Partners for Water programme. This Partners for Water programme has been set up in order to offer support and funding for a number of innovative projects around the world. TRICO, or the Toolset for Rapid Interactive Collaborative Optioneering was developed through a partnership with Nelen & Schuurmans, Deltares and TU Delft. The Toolset has been awarded the innovation award in 2016’s Defra flood management and modelling competition. TRICO uses the innovative and revolutionary hydraulic modelling tool 3Di as well as the interactive Map Table in order to offer the opportunity for full stakeholder collaboration when developing flood management options. The new town planned as a part of Wisbech 2020 offers an exciting but challenging opportunity for the area. The new town’s agreed location on the floodplain means that there are a range of exceptional and innovative approaches needed in order to make sure that the development is kept safe, is sustainable and manages to gain planning consent. It is great news for the partnership that TRICO can be put to good use on a nationally significant project. The contribution from the Dutch government from their partners for Water fund will be vital to making a difference to the pilot project. The scale of the flood management challenge that is faced by those who are involved in the design of Wisbech has been illustrated in the close attention that has been given to the pilot by people on a regional and national scale.
Maber, the Midlands-based Architectural practice has announced that they will be celebrating their tenth anniversary with a VIP tour of one of their latest projects. Architects practice will be giving a tour of the restoration and refurbishment work that has been worked on by the company at the Great Hall of Leicester Castle. This VIP tour will celebrate the latest work of Maber’s Leicester office, which has been open for ten years. The Architectural firm has roots that extend back over 30 years. The company employs 70 people across a number of offices in the Midlands and London. Since the Leicester office was first opened in 2007, it has managed to expand, and now employs ten people in the city. The Leicester office of Maber has been responsible for the design of some of Leicester’s best known buildings as and architectural work. One of the Directors of Maber, Ian Harris, is the head of the Leicester office and is proud of the success that has been achieved by the branch over the course of the last ten years. The hard work that has led to this milestone, and the work and reputation that has been developed has been attributed to the long-term relationships that have been formed with their clients as well as the amazing talent shown by the team working at the practice. The Guests at Maber’s anniversary celebrations will have the opportunity to take a tour of the newly-refurbished Great Hall, which is thought to be the largest medieval hall of its kind in Europe. The space has been converted into a new Business School to be used by De Montfort University and utilised many different skills from Maber’s team, including architecture, interior design, landscape design and conservation. As well as having the opportunity to tour the Great Hall, the birthday celebrations will have the chance to experience some of the latest technology used by Maber, including Virtual reality, 3D design and 3D printing.
The reason that many environmentalists favor looking for alternative forms of energy to oil is not just the disruption that drilling has on the atmosphere but also the danger that it poses for those who work in the oilfield industry every day when they go to work. Due to the extreme danger of working in the oil fields themselves, it is one of the few industries left where employees are allowed to sue their employers. Not covered by workers’ compensation insurance in the same manner, if you are injured in a gas industry accident, then you and your family are entitled to specific rights that other business workers are not. Those who suffer an injury in an oil field or offshore accident are allowed to sue for personal injury. The compensation that they are entitled to covers both economic damages like medical bills and expenses and lost wages for work. They are also entitled to have non-economic damages, like pain and suffering, covered. There are several different types of offshore and oil-field accidents These are the most common types of accidents that an offshore or oil field employee can be compensated for. Collisions – If a worker is involved in a traffic accident that leads to a job-related death or injury, OSHA, or the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, states that workers are entitled to have their damages paid for. There are a lot of processes in offshore and oilfield operations that require the workers to transport materials that are both hazardous and have to be transported through roads that might not be constructed well. If someone working in the field suffers from an injury, they can sue for their damages, which can be extremely dangerous. Struck by or caught between something – In the offshore industry and oil fields, there are often times when workers operate heavy machinery and equipment. Things that they use are machines like derricks, cranes, forklifts, pipes, catheads, rotating wellhead equipment, high-pressure lines, and cables, which pose high risks to the employee. Fires and explosions – When working in the offshore industry and oil fields, flammable gasses and vapors can easily ignite, leading to burn injuries and explosion deaths. The high-pressure nature of the oilfield lines can easily burst, which can also lead to explosions and fires that endanger everyone on the site. Falls – The nature of the rigs makes it necessary for workers to be elevated frequently, which can predispose them to falls. Many falls that happen in the oilfield and offshore industry are not minor, resulting in serious injury and deaths. Additionally, working with oil makes surfaces slick and slippery, which can predispose workers to slips and fall injuries. Ergonomic dangers – Working in the offshore and oil field industry requires a lot of strength. When pushing, pulling, twisting, and reaching over the boat, workers are exposed to extreme conditions that can put them at increased risk of a severe injury. Why are offshore workers’ injuries different? A worker who is injured in an offshore accident is entitled to be compensated according to Maritime Law. The Jones Act, an act created over a century ago, is still in effect and allows those who work offshore to file a claim using it, instead of going through an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. Those who are eligible are any “seamen.” This involves not just those who work at sea, but those who work in the drilling and oil industry. Maintenance and cure is a component of Maritime Law that makes those who work in the offshore industry eligible for having their daily bills and living expenses maintained through their employer until they reach the maximum medical advancement possible. For offshore rig workers, the Longshoreman and Harbor Workers Compensation Act applies and provides similar benefits including medical expenses and workers’ lost wages. The Death On The High Seas Act is a law that helps to provide aid to those families who have lost someone in an offshore oil rig accident. It provides death benefits to anyone who was injured within three miles from the shore. The Jones Act also applies to those who are aboard Mobile Offshore Drilling Units and provides compensation for those injuries that happen as a consequence of working on a vessel. The compensation not only includes medical bills but also noneconomic recovery for damages like pain and suffering. Many dangers come from working in the offshore and oilfield industry. If you are injured while on the job, then you do have recourse to recover for your damages, including those which are noneconomic, through the Jones Act. Different from workers’ compensation, it is important that you have personal injury Houston lawyer on your side to navigate the complexity of your injuries so that you are awarded what is rightly yours.
