Home Builders Plea to Congress to Save the Housing Market

[numbers663]

A very poignant presentation which certainly accentuates the problems connected with recharging the housing industry, not only in the Kansas City area, but nationwide. Congress needs to act since housing is a prime component of moving the economy forward.

[sabrinawoodson]

We are an insulation company 50 miles north of Kansas City, MO. we service contractors within a 100 mile radius and have for several years. We are down to two employees and myself. We offer health care and vacation benefits. Since December of 2008 my men are only working 14 hours a week and had to drop their health care. They have families to feed and keep a roof over their head. Housing is the Heart beat of this economy and we need help.

[HEFFYDOODLEBUG]

What an eye opening video. As a Realtor for 10 years in Kansas City, I can attest to the far-reaching horrible effects of this recession. The consequences are disastrous if the self employed folks continue to file bankruptcy---who will pay taxes to fund all this government bailout if all the entrepreneurs are gone?

[MasonryArt]

As a Masonry Contractor in Kansas City with 15 employees last year. I am the only one working now. Many of my crew volunteered to work for 50% of their previous wages. Good Bricklayers working for 28 to 32 dollars per hour now working for 10 or 15 dollars per hour. Its going to get worse. I have been audited 2 years in a row now, with my employees laid off, I now have more time to focus my anger on the crooked politicians, and you will be seeing more pissed off bricklayers at the next Tea Party.

[headrushmag]

There are a lot of small businesses starving to death but the government is not helping any of them. They can't even get unemployment and they aren't counted in the unemployment numbers.

[headrushmag]

I am so happy to see this video. I hope it doesn' t fall on deaf ears. My husband is a subcontractor and has laid off all of his employees. I am working overtime whenever I can to support our family. The little bit of work my husband has is going to pay his overhead, he hasn't drawn a salary for a year and half.

[zoom1234567]

they will be lucky to keep their business.

[woman4president]

This video is good but should have included footage of subdivisions that are ghost towns - they are everywhere. Also, would like to point out that many workers in the housing industry are Independent Contractors who are ineligible for unemployment compensation and whose numbers are not figured in with the national unemployment statistics.

[1961jk1]

I am a Builder out of Lawrence Kansas area and lenders that we have used for twenty years stopped construction lending all together. I agree something has to or needs to be done quickley, I have wrote my congressman to plead my case but here we set. Good luck with your video it is well needed, maybe it will not fall on deaf ears. Thank you alot. JK

[realtorkansascity]

I'm in! What's next step?

[jjjjjhok]

Talk to any realtor in the city and they'll tell you home sales are really recovering and business is good. Talk to a builder and they'll say it's NEVER BEEN WORSE!

A loan officer at a formerly LARGE construction lender actually laughed when I asked him if anyone was building specs right now. He said, "NO! But they keep asking for loans ...can you believe that?"

Yeah pal, I can believe that. It's time to get back in the game!

[KCBuilder]

You said it. Most of the builders aren't even asking for specs, they're asking for model home loans to sell build jobs off of because they had to sell their existing model homes due to bank note calls or renegotiations of loan notes became too expensive to carry them. However banks consider model homes as specs today also, which they don't loan on. Tell me, if you can't build specs, and you can't build model homes to sell build jobs, where does that leave us? Please pass the word on...

[Malibu427AB]

Those who have anything to do with home building and/or development should watch this video from the KC HBA