The Economic Outlook for Housing & Construction with Economist Brian Beaulieu of ITR Economics

Are you a business owner looking to grow your company’s value and profitability in the years ahead? Tune in to this insightful episode of the R-Value podcast, hosted by IDI’s Ken Allison with guest economist Brian Beaulieu to get an expert forecast on the housing and construction markets. They dive into projections for housing permits, sales, interest rates, and remodeling through 2026.

Brian Beaulieu has been an economist with the Institute for Trend Research since 1982, serving as its Chief Executive Officer since 1987. At the Institute, he has been engaged in applied research regarding business cycle trend analysis. Brian was also an economist for the US Department of Labor where he worked on the health care component of the Consumer Price Index. Brian is co-author with Alan Beaulieu of the books, Prosperity in the Age of Decline, Make Your Move, and children’s book But I Want It.

Brian provides his candid take on the Federal Reserve’s impact, regional trends to watch, and factors like the labor shortage, material costs, and consumer savings rates. You’ll come away with an honest outlook on risks ahead and wise counsel on investments, real estate, hiring, and steps to increase your personal net worth. If you want to position your business to not just survive, but thrive, in fluctuating economic times, don’t miss this practical, forward-looking discussion.

In this episode…

2:26 – Forecasting the 2024 housing market and future rate hikes

6:11 – Is the Fed’s target of retrofitting 110 million homes by 2050 realistic?

10:20 – Regional trends in home building. Where will the housing hot spots be?

14:39 – When will materials pricing come down?

18:00 – Building a business that can weather turbulent economic conditions

For more information on ITR Economics, click here or visit one of their below social channels:

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A Conversation on Compliance: W2 Employees vs. Independent Contractors

In this episode of the R-Value podcast, IDI’s Marketing Manager Blake Moreau, IDI’s HR Operations Manager Brenda Mattson and special guest Maddie Hollis dive into the essential aspects of running a compliant and profitable business. They explore the intricacies of employee state laws, overtime requirements, hiring practices, and the importance of transparent communication within the workplace.

Whether you’re a small business owner or part of an HR team, the insights shared on wage and hour violations, proper documentation, and the potential fines for non-compliance will be invaluable to you.

Join the conversation as Maddie Hollis, author of the HR blog “HR Department Of One,” shares her expertise on providing advice to small business owners, while Brenda offers her perspective on employment records and company culture. From the complexities of exempt positions to the significance of workers’ compensation insurance, this episode is packed with practical advice and tools to help you navigate the ever-changing landscape of employment law. Tune in to find your true value with R-Value and become an industry leader in your market!

1:39 – Why should you care about being compliant?

4:04 – Why Maddie calls her blog HR Department of One

5:24 – Top 5 things a business owner should do when hiring employees.

7:49 – The importance of transparent, factual communication

12:51 – When do you need to start withholding taxes for employees?

14:54 – Adhering to minimum wage and overtime laws.

19:39 – The difference between salary exempt and non exempt.

21:39 – Comp time vs. Overtime.

26:20 – Transparency and expectations for new hires

28:40 – When will you follow up with the employee?

Get to Know Your HERS rater

Building standards and regulations have changed A LOT recently. It can be difficult to keep up with and communicate all of the changes, leading to failed inspections and lost revenue. The pace and volume of change is a major challenge for builders across the country and non-profit organizers are stepping into the maze to help solve the problem.

People like Cardice Howard, Deputy Director of RESNET. RESNET is a not-for-profit, membership corporation that created and maintains the HERS® Index to allow for easy comparison of energy performance of homes. Their mission is to make the energy use of all homes transparent, thereby driving residential sector energy use toward net zero.

Cardice has 27 years of operations management experience as an insulation contractor in the Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas market along with her passion as an insulation Industry advocate for the RESNET team. Cardice has developed and maintained cohesive relationships with builders, code officials, sales and operations staff over that time. She also has built teams to support over $2 million in sales per month in the Dallas/Fort Worth market, focusing on business development and strategic planning.

Ken and Cardice discuss how the HERS rating can be used as a standalone compliance pathway to meet state energy codes, helping builders to qualify for significant tax credits and making green building practices more economically viable. They also talk about software solutions that help achieve energy efficiency requirements in construction projects, prescriptive vs. performance building processes and the importance of unity and collaborative efforts among builders, insulators, code officials, and third-party raters in achieving overall project success.

In this podcast…

1:00 – How Cardice’s wide range of contracting experience and outside-the-box approach helps her help builders dealing with a number of on-site challenges.
8:40 – How RESNET is working to simplify compliance for builders in the United States
12:00 – The dynamics of the HERS Index and a discussion about new regulations and ratings, including how HERS raters can act as code officials in some jurisdictions
17:45 – How RESNET is working closely with distributors and manufacturers in the construction industry to educate them on the latest standards and regulations.
26:38 – What if I’m working on a project that doesn’t have a HERS rater?
31:56 – BONUS: Cardice shares her experiences with projects that she knew would be improved by a HERS rater