builders outlook 2014 issue 8
DESCRIPTION
The official publication of the El Paso Association of BuildersTRANSCRIPT
Anjli Raval Financial Times
The income gap between America'srichest and poorest metropolitanregions has reached its widest onrecord, shaping an uneven housingrecovery that threatens to hold backthe broader revival of the world'slargest economy.
The gap has narrowed and widenedin past cycles, but the rebound fromthe most recent financial crisis hasseen the ratio hit its most unequalsince data collection began 45 yearsago, fueling policy makers' concerns.
Read MoreBuying a new home?What a difference $1,000 makes
U.S. Commerce and Labor
Department data for the 100 largestmetropolitan areas by population,analyzed for the Financial Times byproperty website Trulia, found theincome disparity between the 10thmost expensive region and the 90th byhome prices in 2013 hit its widestsince records began in 1969.
The research shows Boston –ranked at 10 – reporting a per-capitaincome 1.61 times that of Cincinnatiranked at 90. At its low point in 1976,the gap was 1.36 times, between SanFrancisco and El Paso.
A patchy labor market recovery hasmeant significant variations in job andincome growth between regions acrossthe U.S., which in turn has intensifiedthe divergences across the country'shousing markets.
"Housing markets are playing out atvery different speeds partly as a resultof the lack of geographical breadth inthe labor market. Certain sectors of theeconomy are performing better thanothers, propelling some housingmarkets over others," said Fannie Maeeconomist Mark Palim.
While some areas are experiencing
bubble-like conditions, others areflailing. In Austin, Texas, a surge intechnology jobs has driven demand.But in Akron, Ohio, which is strugglingto boost employment through a newmanufacturing base, house purchaseshave been more muted. In thegovernment town of Sacramento,California, anxious homebuyers arewaiting on the sidelines after beingpriced out by investors.
Stanley Fischer, Janet Yellen'sdeputy chairman at the FederalReserve, highlighted the central bank'sconcern about housing in a speechthis week. "The housing sector was atthe epicenter of the U.S. financial crisisand recession and it continues toweigh on the recovery," he said.
In contrast to previous recoveries, henoted "residential construction [hasbeen] held back by a large inventory offoreclosed and distressed propertiesand by tight credit conditions forconstruction loans and mortgages."
How cities fared through the boomand bust, and the extent of state andlocal government control overforeclosures, have dictated housing
market performance. But job and income growth are
playing an outsized role, Mr Palimadded, particularly as mortgageinterest rate rises and home priceincreases affect affordability.
The number of Americans in workhas surpassed the pre-recession peak.But there has been little lower andmiddle wage growth, constrainingdemand for houses across much of thecountry.
The rebound in construction, led byapartments, has been concentrated inpockets of the country where incomesare among the greatest. Six of Trulia's10 highest-income areas – includingSan Jose, Boston and New York – alsohad the strongest residentialconstruction performance by permits in2013 compared with past norms.
Economists see construction activityas a better gauge of an improvinghousing market than prices, whichhave been skewed by an influx ofinvestor buyers since 2012.
Builders utlookwww.elpasobuilders.com 2014: issue 8
Nationwide housing affordabilitydipped in the second quarter of 2014as several markets saw a firming ofhome prices, according to the NationalAssociation of Home Builders/WellsFargo Housing Opportunity Index(HOI), released today.
In all, 62.6 percent of new andexisting homes sold between thebeginning of April and the end of Junewere affordable to families earning theU.S. median income of $63,900. Thisis down from the 65.5 percent ofhomes sold that were affordable tomedian-income earners in the firstquarter.
The national median home priceincreased from $195,000 in the firstquarter to $214,000 in the secondquarter. Meanwhile, average mortgageinterest rates decreased from 4.57percent to 4.44 percent in the sameperiod.
“With interest rates near historicallylow levels and strengthening jobgrowth, now continues to be a greatopportunity to buy a home,” saidNAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a homebuilder and developer fromWilmington, Del.
“The second quarter HOI reflects theslow but steady march toward thehistoric levels of price appreciation and
interest rates that result in affordabilitylevels we experienced before the mid-2000s boom,” said NAHB ChiefEconomist David Crowe. “While we areseeing a slight decrease inaffordability, it is still fairly high byhistorical standards.”
Youngstown-Warren-Boardman,Ohio-Pa. claimed the title of thenation’s most affordable major housingmarket, as 90.4 percent of all new andexisting homes sold in this year’ssecond quarter were affordable tofamilies earning the area’s medianincome of $52,700. Meanwhile,Cumberland, Md.-W.Va. was the mostaffordable smaller market, with 97.2percent of homes sold in the secondquarter being affordable to thoseearning the median income of $54,100.
Other major U.S. housing markets atthe top of the affordability chart in thesecond quarter included Indianapolis-Carmel, Ind.; Syracuse, N.Y.;Harrisburg-Carlisle, Pa.; and Scranton-Wilkes-Barre, Pa; in descending order.
Meanwhile, smaller markets joiningCumberland at the top of theaffordability chart included Kokomo,Ind.; Davenport-Moline-Rock Island,Iowa-Ill.; Battle Creek, Mich.; andLima, Ohio; in descending order.
For a seventh consecutive quarter,
San Francisco-San Mateo-RedwoodCity, Calif. was the nation’s leastaffordable major housing market.There, just 11.1 percent of homes soldin the second quarter were affordableto families earning the area’s medianincome of $100,400.
Other major metros at the bottom ofthe affordability chart were Santa Ana-Anaheim-Irvine, Calif.; Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, Calif.; SanJose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.;and New York-White Plains-Wayne,
N.Y.-N.J.; in descending order.All five least affordable small housing
markets were in California. At the verybottom was Santa Cruz-Watsonville,where 16.6 percent of all new andexisting homes sold were affordable tofamilies earning the area’s medianincome of $77,900. Other smallmarkets included Napa, Salinas, SantaRosa-Petaluma, and San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles; in descending order.
-NAHB
Increasing Home Values Affect Housing Affordability
Record incomegap fuels UShousingweakness
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I got back from vacation and right away Ray told me about the issues with
Fort Bliss. Here we go again but this time we’re preparing for the fight. I call it
a fight because it’s going to be and we have to be united as we get in the ring
with the Department of Defense and the administration in Washington. I
remember how bad it was when back in the mid 90’s one day Fort Bliss lost
almost all the soldiers. They went to Colorado, which made no sense to me
and just about everybody else in El Paso. Then back in 2005 we were fighting
to keep Fort Bliss open, this time it was about not having enough water. After
a very long and hopeful time our Congressman and the community really
worked well to show Washington and the Pentagon that we had water and we
had land. Together with White Sands Missile Range we were about as large as
Rhode Island, and the Defense Department owned it from the ground to space.
We won that battle and found ourselves getting a whole new Fort Bliss built,
new roads from TexDot and lots of promises about housing. Two out of three
were true, housing was sort of left out because we just didn’t boom like we
thought we would. As Ray say’s we were given some less than truthful
promises and our boom was only a little bit of a snap. For some it was a great
thing, and some of our members became very good at working with the Federal
government. Others left to do work for them, and then contracts ran out and so
did the money. Some of them never recovered.
This time the Greater Chamber of Commerce has an early start to try to
protect Fort Bliss. Right now is the time to get our offense going. We cannot
afford to lose what we have, and I would tell the Pentagon we have a lot of room
to grow. So stay tuned as the Association works to keep Fort Bliss. We’ll
present a really good picture for them to have and easy time confirming that
Fort Bliss is the future and El Paso is truly a good neighbor.
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32014 issue 8 Builders Outlook
Frank
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El Paso Association
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Showroom: 2131 Missouri
915 • 533 • 6045 fax • 533• 6096
Thomas R. Brown, Owner
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The month of July has become thetraditional time to take a break fromassociation business and this July wasno exception. We were able to use thelast two weeks of July to go to a nieceswedding in Los Angeles; visitDisneyland with the grandkids; andenjoy a week of family stuff. We followedthat up with a return through Las Vegasbut Margaret and I took along our oldestgrandkids, Gaby and Matt, so that theycould do some fancy eating and get alook at the hype they only heard about.I’ll be honest, driving isn’t as much funfor me as it once was, but with theairfares and security checks and theneed to rent a car once we got to L.A. Ijust decided it would be a scenic tripthrough the southwest. Even with goodplanning the results sometimes aredissatisfactory and I have to tell you thatI’m pretty good at planning, gettingdeals, and looking for unusual places toeat or enjoy. My past presidents haveexperienced my “concierge” style,knowing what to do and where to do it. Ifind places to eat so that the experienceis special and I like doing that. LatelyI’ve also begun to be a regularcontributor to Trip Advisor, the online
website that helps with travel. I’ve doneenough reviews to earn the title “seniorcontributor”. That and a dollar fifty getsme a cup of coffee, the only thing is thatthe coffee shop gets reviewed with myopinion.
Suffice it to say that we got toCalifornia in one piece after a littleweirdness in Phoenix. We stayed at a“resort” in Indian Wells, just outside ofPalm Springs. Note to Trip Advisor: skipthe resort, move on up the freeway tothe new Native American hotel/casino.Entering Southern California youimmediately get the traffic and brother isthere traffic. Even on a Sunday morningour drive was nearly bumper to bumperas we headed to meet our Austin kids atManhattan Beach, a public beach nearthe airport. More crowds, only with verylittle clothing on except for the guyssurfing who traditionally wear thosewetsuits. Finally a two hour drivethrough more L. A. traffic to our home fora week, Anaheim. We shared awonderful five bedroom house for theweek with our girls and their spousesand kids, an exercise in adjustment,poolside relaxing, and more driving. Wehad Disney fever and so we
experienced Disney all over again. Bythe way the price of admission is $100day for one park, $139 for two parks.One day. That’s right seeing Tinker Bellis not cheap. Downtown Disney is still“free”, if you call buying overpricedeverything free. We enjoyed our L.A.stay and capped if off with the reasonwe had gone, the wedding. I don’t knowhow my niece Gina and sister in lawMary Alice Contreras did it but it was awow! I will tell you I don’t think I’ve everbeen to a more beautiful church in mylife as the non-denominational cathedralin downtown Los Angeles. We had funwith the family, something I don’t sayoften enough, and we had a good time.All in all things for me get better whenwe hit Vegas, and so it was.
We’re back in the saddle and I alreadyhad to deal with another couple ofimportant things. Fort Bliss is beingattacked again, not by a foreign enemybut by the administration hell bent oncutting our Army staffing. We cannotafford to let this happen and you’ll behearing more. I did a piece for you toread in this edition and you’ll get moreas we continue to fight to keep Bliss veryactive.
My good friend Joe Pickett is prettyupset about the $96 million going to beused for the old trolleys. I don’t blamehim as I would think we have morepriorities that spending that much forsomething I think would be betterutilized. Joe Muench (pronouncedMinch), the El Paso Times columnistand also a friend said it best about thecity’s spending on stuff: Bike lanemoney should be used to repavestreets, something everyone uses, notbike lanes that no one uses. Go get ‘emJoe. City manager Tommy Gonzalezhas also endeared himself to me bysaying that we as a community need toknow that what we want has to be paidfor. In other words figure out how to payfor it before you buy it. Maybe thatnotion will reach the local politiciansnext time someone has a specialrequest for something they want.
My time off was appreciated butfrankly I think I’m more tired now thanbefore we left. Isn’t that just the way ithappens?
Perspective
Ray Adauto,
Executive Vice PresidentEPAB
4 Builders Outlook 2014 issue 8
Fort Bliss, trolley’s and time off. I’m tired, aren’t you?
52014 issue 8 Builders Outlook
Builder Confidence
Rises Two Points
Builder confidence in the market for
newly built, single-family homes rose two
points to 55 on the National Association of
Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing
Market Index (HMI) for August, released
today. This third consecutive monthly gain
brings the index to its highest level since
January.
“As the employment picture brightens,
builders are seeing a noticeable increase
in the number of serious buyers entering
the market,” said NAHB Chairman Kevin
Kelly, a home builder and developer from
Wilmington, Del. “However, builders still
face a number of challenges, including
tight credit conditions for borrowers and
shortages of finished lots and labor.”
Derived from a monthly survey that
NAHB has been conducting for 30 years,
the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market
Index gauges builder perceptions of
current single-family home sales and sales
expectations for the next six months as
“good,” “fair” or “poor.” The survey also
asks builders to rate traffic of prospective
buyers as “high to very high,” “average” or
“low to very low.” Scores from each
component are then used to calculate a
seasonally adjusted index where any
number over 50 indicates that more
builders view conditions as good than
poor.
All three HMI components posted gains
in August. The indices gauging current
sales conditions and expectations for
future sales each rose two points to 58
and 65, respectively. The index gauging
traffic of prospective buyers increased
three points to 42.
“Each of the three components of the
HMI registered consecutive gains for the
past three months, which is a positive sign
that builder confidence appears to be
firming following an uneven spring,” said
NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe.
“Factors contributing to this rise include
sustained job growth, historically low
mortgage rates and affordable home
prices, which are helping to unleash pent-
up demand.”
Every region saw a gain in its three-
month moving average HMI score in
August. The Midwest posted a seven-point
increase to 55 and the West registered a
four-point gain to 56. The Northeast
posted a two-point gain to 38 and the
South was up one point to 52.
Housing Recovery
Continues at Slow
Pace
Markets in 56 of the approximately 350
metro areas nationwide returned to or
exceeded their last normal levels of
economic and housing activity, according
to the National Association of Home
Builders/First American Leading Markets
Index (LMI), released today. This
represents a year-over-year net gain of
seven markets.
The index’s nationwide score moved up
slightly to .89, meaning that based on
current permit, price and employment
data, the nationwide average is running at
89 percent of normal economic and
housing activity. Meanwhile, 78 percent of
markets have shown an improvement
year-over-year.
“Things are gradually improving,” said
NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, a home
builder and developer from Wilmington,
Del. “As the job market grows, we expect
to see a steady release of pent up demand
of home buyers.”
Baton Rouge, La., continues to top the
list of major metros on the LMI, with a
score of 1.39 – or 39 percent better than
its last normal market level. Other major
metros leading the list include Honolulu;
Oklahoma City; Houston and Austin,
Texas. Rounding out the top 10 are Los
Angeles; San Jose, Calif.; Salt Lake City;
Des Moines; and New Orleans.
“With the national tally only reaching 43
percent of normal, single-family housing
permits continue to be the lagging
component of the index,” said NAHB Chief
Economist David Crowe. “The big bright
spot is employment, where the number of
metro areas having reached or exceeded
their norms grew from 26 to 46 in a year.”
“In the 22 metros where permits are at
or above normal, the overall index
indicates that these markets have fully
recovered,” said Kurt Pfotenhauer, vice
chairman of First American Title Insurance
Co., which co-sponsors the LMI report.
“This finding shows the impact that an
uptick in permits can have on the overall
health of markets.”
Looking at smaller metros, both Odessa
and Midland, Texas, boast LMI scores of
2.0 or better, meaning their markets are
now at double their strength prior to the
recession. Also leading the list of smaller
metros are Bismarck, N.D.; Grand Forks,
N.D; and Casper, Wyo., respectively.
The LMI shifts the focus from identifying
markets that have recently begun to
recover, which was the aim of a previous
gauge known as the Improving Markets
Index, to identifying those areas that are
now approaching and exceeding their
previous normal levels of economic and
housing activity. More than 350 metro
areas are scored by taking their average
permit, price and employment levels for
the past 12 months and dividing each by
their annual average over the last period
of normal growth. For single-family permits
and home prices, 2000-2003 is used as
the last normal period, and for
employment, 2007 is the base
comparison. The three components are
then averaged to provide an overall score
for each market; a national score is
calculated based on national measures of
the three metrics. An index value above
one indicates that a market has advanced
beyond its previous normal level of
economic activity.
TEXAS BUILDER OF THE YEAR
2013
A W A R D E D
We build so you can GROW
Industry News
By Ray Adauto, EPAB
Recent actions by the Department of
Defense following orders from Congress and
the White House have caused concern about
the future of military bases and in particular
Fort Bliss. The Greater El Paso Chamber of
Commerce held a series of meetings and
hosted a group of Texas legislators to
discuss Fort Bliss with them. The
Committee on Defense and Veterans’
Affairs, chaired by Representative Jose
Menendez met in El Paso August 12 -13 to
take testimony on how the impact of a
proposed reduction at Bliss would affect El
Paso. Its mission is also to monitor the
newly created BRAC task force, SB 1200
and review methodologies to enhance
relationships between military installation
and state and local government to positively
impact decisions of BRAC. It is also
charged with seeking to identify, when
possible, new missions that would
complement or support exiting ones in
Texas.
The El Paso Association of Builders was
invited to present testimony and offer the
committee information with regard to the
impact it would have on construction,
particularly new home construction. Ray
Adauto, Executive Vice President, offered
written testimony to the committee and met
with the committee members. “We are
preparing for the potential for Fort Bliss,
whether that means a reduction in military
and civilian work force, or better yet the
opportunity the Post offers the Army,”
Adauto told the Outlook. “I think that as a
business community it’s our job is to show
the Army that we can handle more soldiers
and more jobs at Fort Bliss,” he said.
It was a sad day in 1993 when the city of
El Paso awoke to news that the 3rd
Armored Division would be moving to Fort
Collins, Colorado on a move that wasn’t
anticipated or known about. It was a rude
awakening to the community, and that led
to the formation of Team Bliss, a concerted
effort to ensure nothing like that would
ever occur again to El Paso. It came at an
opportune time because the Pentagon had
plans to close Fort Bliss because of
perceived water shortages. Team Bliss and
then Congressman Silvestre Reyes began
the work to save Fort Bliss and show the
Army that El Paso had water and resource
commitment to ensure a civilian military
partnership could be ongoing. BRAC
turned out good for the Post as
improvements were made and growth
happened on Fort Bliss.
The White House ordered a reduction in
the current active duty military as it wound
down the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Since the reduction in those countries new
unrest has revived the hope that the cuts to
the military would be taken off the books.
However, the Congress created the BRAC
2020 law and it is in effect, looking for ways
to reduce DOD spending. The El Paso Team
Bliss members wasted no time in taking
action, beginning with a writing campaign to
the Pentagon and by inviting the Texas
delegation to hold hearings in El Paso. State
Representative Joe Moody echoed the
concerns of Team Bliss in his opening
remarks stating that El Paso is concerned
about the potential for cuts, but thinks that
we have to highlight all that is good about
Bliss. “I want to make sure that the Army
doesn’t forget it invested $8 Billion at Fort
Bliss over the last five years, and that the
state, the city and the private sector have
invested millions to make El Paso the most
friendly and safe home to the military,”.
Team Bliss will continue to meet and
monitor the actions of the DOD and hopes
to send delegations to important state and
federal meetings as they occur. The El Paso
Association of Builders has a commitment
to Team Bliss as an Association and through
the private businesses associated with us.
Stay tuned for more on this subject as it
arises.
6 Builders Outlook 2014 issue 8
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Fort Bliss and the future: Are we facing another BRAC?
By Ray Adauto, Builders Outlook
The general meeting held at the
Marriott Hotel on August 13 featured the
new El Paso City Manager Tommy
Gonzalez addressing the Association for
the first time. Gonzalez, a native of
Lubbock, and former city manager of
Irving, Texas took to the podium to
present himself and his viewpoints on
the challenges of being El Paso’s second
city manager.
“I am very pleased to have the
opportunity to introduce myself to this
group and to bring to you my vision and
commitment to the public that I’ve been
entrusted with,” Gonzalez said. “I want
to make sure that I give you my ideas on
how I’ll run the city for you and assure
you that I will be as much a student as a
teacher in the process,” he continued.
Tommy Gonzalez is a retired Colonel
and successful businessman who
happen to enjoy the challenges of
government work. He has been the only
recipient of the Malcom Baldrige National
Quality award for outstanding work while
at Irving, a city constrained by geography
and smaller in population than El Paso.
It is also a much more conservative city
than El Paso and Mr. Gonzalez was
quick to point out in his remarks.
“I have never met a community that
wants this much and that considers
wants as necessities more than this
community of El Paso,” he told the
audience. “I come from very
conservative communities like Lubbock,
Harlingen and Irving where wants like
libraries and parks are just that…
want’s,” he continued. “Here those
things are considered necessities, almost
a demand, without regard of how we will
pay for them,” Gonzalez said. Gonzalez
began to tell the audience that the
projects authorized by the voters a few
years back will be completed despite the
fact that how those projects will be paid
for are still unknowns. “I will work to
complete the wants of the vote, but we
will have to figure creative ways to pay
for them because there wasn’t a plan in
place for doing so as part of the vote,
and that probably starts with increasing
taxes,” he said. He said that the city
would see increased revenues because
the city continues to grow, spreading the
increase over a larger base. The issue
of taxes was a key point to the
presentation he made to the association.
“I want to remind you that the school
districts take about 48 cents of every tax
dollar, while the city is at about 24 cents”
Gonzalez said as the screen showed a
chart showing those figures. His point
was to make sure the audience identified
the larger taxing entity and to show how
much needs to get done with the smaller
amount.
Gonzalez shared his goals for the job
at hand: address the challenges he
found; improve quality; implement
strategic goals and priorities; improve
communication; oversee capital
improvement programs; and get results
based budgets. He went on to give his
parents credit for his work ethic, showing
pictures of them in the fields picking
cotton and highlighting his family’s
history of challenges and
accomplishment. He is the proud father
of two boys and a loving husband,
showing us his personal life.
Tommy, as he likes to be called, told
the 132 guests that he sees stabilizing
revenues at the City while meeting the
demand for increased service levels,
including rising health care and fuel
costs as his key challenge. He has a
plan to create a realistic strategic plan
and align it and work it with all
departments. He plans to incentivize
success with employees while listening
to the voice of the customer. His military
background will bring some changes to
city hall as he will establish expectations
while fostering a team culture. He
strongly believes in being a Servant
leader.
Gonzalez is a Six Sigma black belt.
Wikipedia offers as a definition: Six
Sigma is a set of techniques and tools
for process improvement. It was
developed by Motorola in 1986]
coinciding with the Japanese asset price
bubble which is reflected in its
terminology. Jack Welch made it central
to his business strategy at General
Electric in 1995. Today, it is used in
many industrial sectors. Six Sigma
seeks to improve the quality of process
outputs by identifying and removing the
causes of defects (errors) and minimizing
variability in manufacturing and business
processes. It is clear that the city
employees will soon be getting trained in
Six Sigma in order to keep up with the
rigorous demands Mr. Gonzalez will
institute for change.
The new city manager is also getting to
know the politicians he has to work for
and try to decipher their wants to meet
the ability of the city to
pay for them. “It is clear that if you want
something you must pay for it, and I am
seeing a culture of wanting without
regard to paying for it,” he told the group.
“I found his talk refreshing and to the
point, because he didn’t mince words,
that’s for sure,” said Sam Shallenberger.
Many of the members echoed the same.
“It seems like we have someone who
isn’t going to rubber stamp everything,”
said Edmundo Dena. Shallenberger also
asked the city manager if he was going
to open on Friday’s which elicited this
response: “I want to make sure that we
meet the customer needs but I also have
to consider the employees who have
worked under the four day work week for
a while,”. When asked if the police and
fire contracts would be worked on he told
the audience that the police contract only
needs ratification by the union because
it’s done, and that the fire union contract
had not yet been agreed to. “I think we’ll
have the fire contract soon, especially
since the police already have theirs.”
Mr. Gonzalez was grateful for the
opportunity to come before the group
and he has pledged to work with the
association leadership for the benefit of
all. His construction background will
serve the association well so far as he
understands what it takes to be in this
business in the private sector. “I
understand the lingo, the struggles and
the wants,” he told us. “Be patient with
us and we’ll be good partners,”
Ray Adauto is Executive Vice Presidentof the El Paso Association of Builders,and editor of the Association’snewsmagazine, The Builders Outlook.He can be reached via email [email protected]
72014 ISSUE 8 Builders Outlook
Builders utlook on the scene |
City manager Tommy Gonzalez: ‘We have to pay for what you want’
el paso development news
FA vacant property in a long-standing
Northeast El Paso neighborhood will see
new life as a mixed-use development,
according to a current rezoning applica-
tion with the City. The owner is proposing
the project for a 0.23-acre property at
5101 Fairbanks Drive.
According to the project’s site plan,
there will be six commercial spaces and
two one-bedroom apartments created.
The commercial buildings will be easily
distinguishable as they will have zero
setbacks along Fairbanks Drive, which
means the structures will be built along
the sidewalk, with parking in the back.
The total area for the retail spaces
will be 4,781 square feet. Some of the
proposed uses include an art gallery,
book store, and flower shop, though no
tenants are named in the rezoning appli-
cation.
The two residential apartment units
will be located above the retail spaces
and will split a total of 1,509 square feet
of housing space. A 190 square foot
courtyard is also proposed.
The project will be built in two phas-
es, with the retail spaces constructed
first and the residential areas coming in
the “medium term.”
Cavallion Developers, the company
developing the project, is applying for
rezoning from residential to General
Mixed Use to allow for the unique center.
Mixed use designation allows for ele-
ments such as zero setbacks and
reduced parking requirements if
approved by the City.
No timeline is available for the proj-
ect which will be built at the corner of
Fairbanks Drive and Shenandoah Street,
west of Rushing Road. The City Plan
Commission will review the rezoning
application at its July 17, 2014 meeting.
Mixed-Use Infill Development Planned for Northeast El PasoProposed Project Includes Residential & Commercial Spaces with Zero Setbacks
The Northeast El Paso mixed use project will include retail buildings with zero set-
backs. Street trees are included in the zoning plan. (www.elpasotexas.gov)
The developer of a Far East El Paso
property formerly slated for a smart
growth development has submitted a
rezoning application showing the planned
layout for 113.7 acres of the site. The
property was part of the larger ‘El
Cruzero’ development that was cancelled
in 2013 when the owner sold the involved
parcels to River Oaks Properties.
Now referred to as ‘Desert Sands’ in
the master zoning plan, River Oaks pro-
poses to develop the property under
Residential Mixed Use (RMU) zoning that
includes single-family, duplex, triplex, and
quadruplex units. It is currently zoned C-4
Commercial.
The RMU designation means neighbor-
hoods will be constructed in a more com-
pact manner with a focus on promoting
walkability. This includes shorter block
lengths and recreational facilities within
one-eighth of a mile walking distance.
Providing a “range of housing types
and price levels” is also a focus of the
development, according to the master
zoning plan. Residential areas will abut
“neighborhood commercial” uses.
The perspective of buildings and land-
scaping will contribute to pedestrian
friendly streets, with a focus on neighbor-
hood parks. Buildings will have zero set-
backs, according to the plan, meaning
facades will be at or nearly at the side-
walk.
The proposed layout differs significantly
from El Cruzero’s ambitious illustrative
plan. Desert Sands will have a standard
grid design, with all streets meeting at
right angles. A main thoroughfare is pro-
posed that will travel north and south
through the development, with a linear
park occupying the median area. There
are two smaller neighborhood parks
towards the middle of the site plan.
Culdesacs are located on the northern
and southern portions of the site. Single
family parcels will occupy the vast majori-
ty of the development, with two-, three-,
and four-unit buildings slated for a narrow
strip of the development jutting up from
the northwestern corner of the property.
El Cruzero, cancelled in March of 2013,
had a somewhat different vision for the
same site. The illustrative site plan includ-
ed a mix of residential, civic, and flex
space, properties that could include
office, residential, or retail activities.
Multiple parks and open space areas
were planned.
The 113.7-acre portion of the former El
Cruzero property now being called Desert
Sands encompasses the northeastern
portion of the 220 acres sold to River
Oaks Properties last year. River Oaks
has not disclosed its final plans for the
southern portions of the property, which
included a hotel block, higher density res-
idential, and a town center in El Cruzero’s
plans.
River Oaks told El Paso Inc. last year
that it intends to bring a development
called Town Center on the Loop to 50
acres at the site, but mentioned no time-
line nor whether it intends to incorporate
smart growth into its design.
River Oaks is one of the largest com-
mercial real estate developers in El Paso,
making Desert Sands stand out as a resi-
dential development for the company.
According to the master zoning plan, the
project will be constructed in one phase
and should take two years to complete,
though no starting date is mentioned.
The City Plan Commission will consider
the rezoning request at its July 17, 2014
meeting.
Plans Revealed forFormer ‘El Cruzero’LandRiver Oaks Seeks MixedUse Zoning for 113 Acresin East El Paso
Single-family homes (in yellow) will make up the majority of the 113-acre
Desert Sands development proposed by River Oaks Properties. A linear
park will occupy the median of a north-south street. (City of El Paso)
Sun Metro AddsArticulated Busesto East Side Route
The newest additions to Sun Metro’s
bus fleet aren’t only reserved for the
Rapid Transit System (RTS) debuting
later this year. El Paso’s mass transit
system has added three 60-foot articu-
lated buses to serve its most popular
route, Route 59.
The 2014 New Flyer Xcelsior units look
much different from the Sun Metro units
to which most residents are accus-
tomed, mostly due to the extended
length and the accordion-style joint sec-
tion in the middle of the bus.
Other amenities include low floors, a
smoother braking system, better fuel
economy, and LED interior lighting. The
larger size allows for 48 passengers
seats with additional room for 24 stand-
ing passengers.
Though nearly identical to the Brio RTS
units that will be in use later this year,
these regular route buses will not offer
free WiFi service.
Three Xcelsior buses were added to
Route 59 beginning last week, which
runs from Downtown El Paso to the
Eastside Terminal near Cielo Vista Mall,
mainly via Interstate 10.
The location for a new Corner Bakeryrestaurant in East El Paso has beenselected, according to an item on the CityPlan Commission’s (CPC) agenda. Thenew eatery will be built at 1311 AirwayBoulevard, at the intersection withEdgemere Boulevard.
The restaurant will be built at the siteof a former golf shop in front of a relative-ly new TownePlace Suites by Marriott.The GECU headquarters building islocated across Edgemere. It will be thefourth Corner Bakery location in El Paso,with two also located on the East Sideand another located on the West Side.
In the Northeast part of town, a CVScould be coming to a property near the
corner of Dyer Street and Diana Drive.An item also set for consideration by theCPC has a label titled “CVS Subdivision,”though the site plan does not show theactual store.
The application includes two commer-cial lots totalling 1.97 acres, across DianaStreet from the future Northgate TransitOriented Development being advancedby the City of El Paso. Officials haveremained mum on that project since thebidding period closed last year.
CVS has been steadily expanding inthe city after opening its first store inDowntown El Paso in early 2013. Sincethen, it has opened a store on ZaragozaRoad in the Lower Valley and has plansfor a store on Mesa Street near UTEPand another on the East Side at McRaeBoulevard and Wedgewood Drive.
No word on the timeline for either proj-ect. The CPC will consider both items atits July 31, 2014 meeting.
Builders Outlook Issue 8.2014
Content provided byEl Paso Development News visit: elpasodevnews.com
Retail Buzz: Corner Bakery Coming toAirway, CVS to Northeast
A detailed site development plan is offAnew hotel/retail complex for a propertynear El Paso International Airport isexpected to break ground this year, andnow a video is offering a fresh look atwhat the center may look like once com-pleted.
The design of the complex in the ren-derings included in the video shows acontemporary design for the buildings,which create retail blocks on the propertywith parking in the middle. Bright colors,curving lines, and fountains can be foundthroughout the expected 80,000 squarefeet of retail space.
A “main street” divides the propertydown the middle, called Acequia ParkCourt. It will have retail buildings liningboth sides, with zero setbacks and streetparking. Other retail buildings will lineBoeing Drive on the northern side of theproperty, including the highly visible inter-section with Airway Boulevard.
Acequia Park Court will lead up to the
new high rise Westin Hotel, ending at aproposed drive called High Street. Thehotel shape has changed from triangularin initial site plans to a more traditionalrectangular footprint. And the height looksto be a bit shorter, with between nine andten floors included in the new conceptimagery.
The hotel may also have a contempo-rary look, according to the video. Fourhuge circular cutouts run down the middleof the building along a wide decorativecolumn, the base of which contains alarge waterfall feature. This columns linesup with Acequia Park Court.
Neon-colored rectangles can be seeninterspersed along the facade of the hotel,surrounding multiple hotel windows each.These are lit up at night in the video,matching neon arcs on some of the retailstructures.
The video was posted to Vimeo in Julyby Ronkot Design of Fort Worth(www.ronkot.com).
The layout of the buildings matches arecently unveiled updated site plan fea-tured by Construction Reporter News (con-structionreporternews.com). Aside from themajor change in shape of the hotel, thelayout of the complex remains largely simi-lar to previous versions, with the biggestchange being the removal of a roundaboutin front of the hotel. Retail buildings in thatsection have been changed accordingly.
The site plan features parking areas inthe middle of the retail blocks, plus hotelparking located on the western side of theproperty. A ponding area on the northwest-ern corner will be used as open space.
Last year, the City of El Paso awarded
an incentives package to EP Vida, LLC, todevelop the nine-acre property into a four-star hotel and retail complex. As part ofthe agreement, the hotel will have at least220 rooms. In all, the project is expectedto be at $64 million, according to thepackage.
The timeline for the project has shifted,with groundbreaking originally scheduledfor earlier this year. In February, thedeveloper announced that Jordan FosterConstruction would perform “predevelop-ment services” for the project and likelyserve as general contractor.
That same month, EP Vida told the ElPaso Times that construction would begin
in June. Then in July, the developer toldthe Times that revisions to the property’splat has delayed the project and that theyweren’t sure when construction will begin.The developer also suggested the projectwill be built in two phases, with construc-tion of the hotel happening first.
The hotel/retail complex was originallyslated for completion in fall of 2015,though it is unclear if that deadline canstill be met.
WestinHotel/RetailComplex Teased
in New Video
Updated Renderings Showa Changed Footprint forHigh Rise Airport Hotel
Walmart Plans to Add Another West Side StoreRetail Giant Submits Site Development Plan for Sunland Area Location
A Walmart store may soon be headedto a property near the intersection ofSunland Park Drive and Doniphan Drivein West El Paso, according to a DetailedSite Development Plan recently submittedto the City.
The retailer has plans to construct a41,980 square foot WalmartNeighborhood Market at 1110 SunlandPark Drive, just east of the State LineRestaurant. The property on which theWalmart will be constructed is located in
Texas but nearly crosses the New Mexicostate line.
According to the site plan, the store willsit at the back of the property with parkinglocated in front of the store. A separate lotoccupies the front of the property, alongSunland Park Drive, though there is nomention of what may be constructed therein the future..
Vehicle access to the Walmart will bevia a driveway connected to Emory Driveon the western side of the store. Anotherdriveway will be located off of the right-turn-only lane along eastbound SunlandPark Drive. BNSF Railway railroad tracksrun on the eastern side of the property.
A different Walmart location openedrecently along Doniphan Drive, at its inter-section with Redd Road. The new storewill be about four miles to the south.Other planned Walmart locations for thecity include one at the Aldea developmentnear Executive Center Boulevard on theWest Side and another at North HillsCrossing in Northeast El Paso.
The City Plan Commission will considerthe Detailed Site Development Plan forthe latest Walmart at its July 31, 2014meeting.
Acequia Park Court will have restaurants and retailerslining both sides of the “main” street. (Ronkot DesignVimeo Channel)
2015 is getting close and the Employer
Shared Responsibility Mandate (“Play or Pay”)
under the Affordable Care Act is almost here. So
what does this mean for your organization? Play
or Pay requires certain employers to offer
affordable and adequate health insurance to
full-time employees and their dependents, or
they may be liable for a penalty for any month
coverage is not offered.
Play or Pay goes into effect in the calendar
year of 2015 for large employers only. However,
mid-size employers aren’t entirely off the hook.
They’ll have to report on insurance coverage
even though they won’t be liable for penalties in
2015. By January 1, 2015, businesses with 100
or more full-time or full-time-equivalent
employees must ensure they are offering health
benefits to all of those working an average of 30
hours per week, or 130 hours per month. If an
employer has a non-calendar year plan and can
meet certain transitional rules, they can delay
offering employee health benefits until the start
date of their non-calendar year plan in 2015.
Mid-sized employers will have to comply
beginning in 2016.
Here are important questions that
employers need to answer today:
• Do you know which category your business fits
into?
• How do you classify who is a full-time
employee?
• What do you need to do to comply with Play or
Pay requirements?
Let’s take an in-depth look at each of these
questions.
Which category do you fit into?
Whether you are a small, mid-sized, or large
employer is determined by the number of full-
time and full-time equivalent employees (FTEs).
It sounds simple on the surface:
• Small employers have 1-49 full-time or FTE
employees
• Mid-sized employers have 50-99 full-time or
FTE employees
• Large employers have 100+ full-time or FTE
employees
However, it’s important to remember that
these numbers can be affected by several
factors, including whether the employer is a part
of a control group, seasonal employees and
variable-hour employees. That brings us to our
next question:
Who is a full-time employee?
The law defines a “full-time employee” for
penalty purposes as an employee who, for any
month, works an average of at least 30 hours
per week, or 130 hours. This includes any of the
following paid hours: vacation, holiday, sick
time, paid layoff, jury duty, military duty and paid
leave of absence under the Family and Medical
Leave Act.
Employees who aren’t considered full-time
include non W-2 leased workers, sole
proprietors, partners in partnerships, real estate
agents, and direct sellers.
Variable-hour employees—those who don’t
work a set amount of hours each week—fall into
a gray area. That is, they don’t need to be
counted as full-time employees until and unless
it becomes an established practice for them to
work more than 30 hours per week.
To assist employers in determining whether
variable hour workers will meet the definition of
full-time employees (and therefore need to be
offered health insurance), employers may use
various “look back” and “look forward” periods.
Here is a summary of terms used for measuring
variable-hour employees:
• Measurement Period: A period from three to
12 months in which the employer would track
hours to determine whether the employee
worked an average of more than 30 hours per
week.
• Stability Period: A period from six to 12
consecutive months in which the employer
must provide health insurance coverage to
employees who worked more than 30 hours
per week in the Measurement Period. Note:
must be at least six months and cannot be
shorter than the Measurement Period.
• Administrative Period: A period not to exceed
90 days, which falls between the
Measurement Period and Stability Period,
and/or a short period after a new employee’s
date of hire. Using this waiting period allows
employers to analyze eligibility of full-time
employees and provide enrollment information
to enroll them in a plan before penalties could
be assessed.
Does your plan meet the Play or Pay
requirements?
To avoid penalties, you’ll need to make sure
your plan meets certain requirements. First,
coverage must be offered to full-time employees
and their dependents. Under the ACA,
dependents are defined as children under age
26. Spouses are not considered dependents.
For more information contact
Joe Bernal
915-542-0900
(c) Copyright 2009 Employee Benefit News.
All rights Reserved.
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10 Builders Outlook 2014 issue 8
Joe Bernal
Employees
Benefits of
El Paso
Play or Pay under
the Affordable
Care Act is almost
hereFor All Your Electrical Needs
Residential Specialists
Tract Homes • Custom Homes
915-629-8196
800-853-3996
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By Dina ElBoghdady, Washington Post
The head of the
Federal Housing
Administration
announced recently
that she’s leaving
her post toward the
end of the year to
return home to
California, where she
will teach at the
University of California, Berkeley starting in
January.
FHA Commissioner Carol Galante joined
the Department of Housing and Urban
Development more than five years ago as
a deputy assistant secretary for multi-family
housing programs before she was
confirmed to lead HUD’s FHA in December
2012.
Galante took the FHA post as the agency
was struggling to beef up its cash reserves.
In the wake of the housing bust, the
agency had propped up the housing
market by insuring qualified lenders against
losses. But its default rate shot up as its
loan volume expanded, depleting its
reserves to levels below what is required
by law. In September, FHA tapped taxpayer
money to cover its losses for the first time
in its history. The White House has since
projecteted that FHA would not need
taxpayer help in fiscal 2015.
Galante’s departure comes just as HUD
Secretary Julian Castro is gearing up at his
new post.
In her goodbye memo to staff, Galante
said Biniam Gebre, general deputy
assistant secretary for housing, will take
over as acting FHA commissioner once
she’s gone. She also discussed her tenure
at FHA and her plans in California, where
she was once chief executive of Bridge
Housing Corp., a nonprofit developer of
affordable, mixed-income and mixed-use
developments in the state.
Here is the full memo:
After serving alongside you for over 5years and after careful consideration, Ihave decided to leave HUD and my role asthe Assistant Secretary Housing /FHACommissioner toward the end of this year.In January, I will assume the I. Don TernerDistinguished Professorship in AffordableHousing at the University of California,Berkeley, where I will also serve as theDirector of the Berkeley Program inHousing and Urban Policy and co-chair theFisher Center on Real Estate PolicyAdvisory Board. This is a compellingopportunity for me to continue with work Iam passionate about and also return hometo California.
While I am excited about Californiaweather and tossing out my ice scraper, Iwill miss working with all of you to continuethe important work we have been doingover the past several years. When I startedas the Deputy Assistant Secretary forMultifamily Housing we were stillrecovering from the economic crisis andthe market was far from stable. Nowbecause of your efforts, we have helped
our housing market come back.Homeowners’ equity is now over $10trillion, foreclosure starts are at their lowestlevels since 2005, and American familiesare on pace to purchase over 5 millionhomes this year alone. Every area of theOffice of Housing stepped up to thechallenges of meeting the extraordinaryneeds during this critical time.
I stepped into the role of AssistantSecretary of Housing and FHACommissioner just as the toll the legacyportfolio was taking on the MMI Fundbecame apparent. By working hard toestablish the right pricing, increaserecoveries on distressed assets and bettermanage risk, we have turned the corner onthose losses and significantly improved thefinancial health of the Fund.
There are so many other ways in which,we have a much stronger Office ofHousing. With the Risk Office, we haveimplemented a holistic approach to riskassessment for every business line. Wehave stabilized the HECM Program andpartnered with Public and Indian Housing(PIH) to find ways to invest in public andaffordable housing. We managed a fivefoldincrease in multifamily and healthcare workand we have begun the process ofclarifying FHA policy so lenders have clear,consistent guidelines to follow. I could goon and on, but it is not necessary as youknow better than anyone what has beendone.
The point I want to make is how veryproud I am of what we have accomplished
and what a privilege it has been to be partof your team. Any success I’ve had hasonly been because of your efforts, yourcommitment and your ability to go aboveand beyond for the millions of families thatdepend on the work that we do.
I will miss the enthusiasm andcommitment of this amazing housing team.And though I am leaving, I am confidentthat Biniam Gebre, General DeputyAssistant Secretary for Housing, willprovide the leadership and continuityneeded to continue progressing toward ourshared goals. In fact, it is because of thestrong leadership team in both the field andheadquarters that I can leave at this timewith great confidence, knowing our workwill continue unabated.
However, now is not quite yet time forgoodbyes! Over the next few months as wetransition, I will be relentless in focusing onour most recent initiative the “Blueprint forAccess” and other high priorities such asthe Rental Assistance DemonstrationProgram.
I remain passionate about the work wedo to make housing more available andaffordable for American families and assistcommunities to thrive. It is why I joinedHUD and why having the opportunity towork with you has been so rewarding.Thank you for making the past five yearsso successful and inspiring.
Thank you,Carol
Top housing official stepping down by year’s end
Carol Galante
12 Builders Outlook 2014 issue 8
Membership News
Thanks to our AUGUST
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SEPTEMBER 3-5NAHB FALL EOC MEETING
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SEPTEMBER 10BOARD MEETING
12 NOONEPAB OFFICE
OCTOBER 8BOARD MEETING
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The El Paso Association of Builders proudly present the 2014 Holiday Parade of Homes
December 5-21, 2014 at Rio Valley Subdivision by Winton.
This year, the Parade of Homes will feature a holiday theme and embrace the spirit of giv-
ing by sharing proceeds with local not-for profit organizations.
There are many creative and fun sponsorship opportunities. The 2014
Parade of Homes is a perfect place to showcase your business!
SODA SPONSOR
CONDOLENCES
Condolences to Javier Ruizon the loss of his mother.
Condolences to DavidBombach past president
and Nick Bombach Casas
de Leon on their loss.
14 Builders Outlook 2014 issue 8
We are starting to gear up for the finalleg of 2014 and that means we’re busy asan association. First I’d like to thank all ofyou that attended the General Membershipmeeting where Tommy Gonzalez spoke at.He was something wasn’t he? I had theopportunity to ask if the city would start toopen on Friday’s? Mr. Gonzalez said hewas studying that and it would depend ona number of factors including how thestaffs could adjust. Thought I’d ask sincemost of us are open. It’s times like this onethat gets you in front of the leadership of
the City that is part of your membershiphere. We have had a really good group ofspeakers once again and this was one ofthe best. As for what’s coming up nextwe’re still looking at doing a surplus sale ofsome sort, if there’s interest. It would thenbe followed by our bowling tournament,and then more. We set up the date for thePro Am golf at Painted Dunes, November5, shotgun at 9 am, only 18 teams. Rayhas five already sold so again it probablywill be sold out long before the date.Teams are $600; sponsorships are
available and also selling fast. Our yearwill end with the Holiday Parade of Homes,and the installation. Somewhere inbetween we’d like to do a three day Vegastrip, to unwind and celebrate our work.September is also the only month thatmembers will have to get free admission tothe International Builders Show in January.Don’t wait because you can save a bunchof money. Stay tuned for otherannouncements and thanks again forbelonging.
Sam
Sam ShallenbergerWestern Wholesale Supply
Associates Council
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Widely distributed throughout the city and available to readers online, the Builders Outlook isan important advertising medium for any business that want to reach this valuable market.
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� execuTive oFFicerS
Frank Torres – President
GMF Custom Homes
edgar montiel – vice President
Palo Verde Homes
carlos villalobos – Secretary Treasurer
Palo Verde Homes
Sam Shallenberger – Associates chair
Western Wholesale
edmundo Dena - immediate Past President
Accent Homes
ray Adauto – executive vice President
El Paso Association of Builders
Jay Kerr -Attorney of record
� couNciL/commiTTee cHAirS
Associates council
Sam Shallenberger
Build PAc
Randy Bowling
Desert Green Building council
Javier Ruiz
Land use council
Sal Masoud
Young Designer Award
John Chaney
remodelers council
Rudy Guel
membership retention
Mike Santamaria, Greg Bowling
Finance committee
Carlos Villalobos
Women’s council
Lorraine Huit
� ADviSorY To THe BoArD
J. Crawford Kerr, Attorney, Firth, Johnston
& Martinez
� BoArD oF DirecTorS
Beverly Clevenger, Automated Division 6 Builders, Inc.
Leti Navarette, Custom Dream Homes
Kathy Parry, Hunt Communities
Edgar Garcia, Bella Vista Custom Homes, Inc..
Bud Foster, Southwest Land Development Services
Juanita Garcia, ICON Custom Home Builder, LLC
Walter Lujan, DAWCO Home Builders
Joey Najera, Joseph Custom Homes
Rigo Mendez, Mission Homes
Nick Bombach, Casas de Leon, LLC
Lydia Mhouli, Crown Heritage Homes
JJ Vasquez, Pacifica Homes
Dan Ruth, Millenium Homes
Ken Wade, El Paso Building Materials
Ruben Orquiz, MTI Ready Mix
Kathy Carrillo, Pioneer Bank El Paso
Henry Tinajero, WestStar Bank
Chuck Gabriel, Carpets West
Ted Escobedo, Snappy Publishing
John Chaney, Passage Supply
Joe Bernal, Employee Benefits of El Paso
Linda Troncoso, TRE & Associates
Orlando Rodriguez, Mass Media Advertising, Inc.
Bret Thompson, Foxworth Galbraith Lumber
Chris Worm, City Bank Texas
Sal Masoud, Del Rio Engineering
2013 Builder member of The Year
Edmundo Dena
Accent Homes
2013 Pat cox AwardSam Shallenberger
Western Wholesale Supply
2013 Associate of The YearWestStar Bank
Larry Patton, Burt Blacksher
and Henry Tinajero
Honorary Life members
Wayne Grinnell
Don Henderson
Chester Lovelady
Cliff C. Anthes
Anna Gill
Brad Roe
Rudy Guel
E H Baeza
Past Presidents
committed to Serve
ePAB mission Statement:
The El Paso Association of Builders is a
federated professional organization representing
the home building industry, committed to
enhancing the quality of life in our community by
providing affordable homes of excellence and
value.
The El Paso Association of Builders is a
501C(6) trade organization.
© 2014 Builder’s Outlook
is published and distributed for the
El Paso Association of Builders
by Ted Escobedo, Snappy Publishing
El Paso • Texas • 79912 915-820-2800
6046 Surety Dr. El Paso, TX 79905
915-778-5387 • Fax: 915-772-3038
Greg Bowling
Kelly Sorenson
Mark Dyer
Mike Santamaria
John Cullers
Randy Bowling
Doug Schwartz
Robert Baeza
Bobby Bowling, IV
Rudy Guel
Anna Gil
Bradley Roe
Bob Bowling, III
E. H. Baeza
Hershel Stringfield
Pat Woods
� TAB STATe DirecTorS
Randy Bowling
Greg Bowling
� NATioNAL DirecTorS
Bobby Bowling IV.
Demetrio Jimenez
NATioNAL ASSociATioN oF
Home BuiLDerS
(800) 368-5242
TexAS ASSociATioN oF
BuiLDerS
(800)252-3625
www.elpasobuilders.com www.epbuilders.org
Builders utlook