FREDERICKSBURG - STAFFORD - SPOTSYLVANIA - CAROLINE - KING GEORGE - ORANGE - CULPEPER
August 2025
BUILDERS FRAMEWORK
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FREDERICKSBURG AREA BUILDERS ASSOCIATION
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Volume 8: Issue 08 August 2025
Challenging affordability conditions, elevated interest rates and economic uncertainty continue to act as headwinds on the housing sector as many potential buyers continue to stay on the sidelines. Sales of newly built single-family homes edged 0.6% higher in June, rising to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 627,000, according to newly released data from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau. The past two months have seen the slowest sales pace since October of last year, as mortgage rates averaged above 6.8% in June. A new home sale occurs when a sales contract is signed, or a deposit is accepted. The home can be in any stage of construction: not yet started, under construction or completed. In addition to adjusting for seasonal effects, the June reading of 627,000 units is the number of homes that would sell if this pace continued for the next 12 months. New single-family home inventory continued to rise with 511,000 residences marketed for sale as of June. This is 1.2% higher than the previous month, and 8.5% higher than a year ago. At the current sales pace, the months’ supply for new homes remained elevated at 9.8 compared to 8.4 a year ago. Completed, ready-to-occupy inventory stood at 114,000 homes in June, up 21.3% from a year ago. The median new home sale price edged down 4.9% in June to $401,800. This is down 2.9% compared to a year ago. Regionally, on a year-to-date basis, new home sales are down in all four regions, falling 25.6% in the Northeast, 8.5% in the Midwest, 1.6% in the South and 4% in the West.
June New Home Sales Hold Steady, Remain Tepid
Duties on Lumber Rise Again The U.S. Commerce Department has announced it is nearly tripling its anti-dumping duties on Canadian lumber imports from 7.66% to 20.56% following its annual review of existing tariffs. The anti-dumping duties are in addition to current countervailing duties set at 6.74%, which would bring the total lumber duties above 27%. And the countervailing duty is expected to move higher soon, with the Commerce Department scheduled to announce its final administrative review of the countervailing order on Aug. 8.
Revisiting Nationwide Permits The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps”) has proposed reissuing and updating its Nationwide Permits (NWPs) for impacts to wetlands and streams, which are set to expire in March 2026. In response, NAHB submitted comments urging swift reauthorization and sensible reforms to support housing development. NAHB requested that the Corps prioritize finalization of the proposed rule to prevent a lapse in coverage.
Federal Court Upholds NY Gas Ban The federal court for the Northern District of New York on July 23 upheld New York State’s “gas ban” legislation. New York’s legislation is the first statewide law that restricts natural gas use in new buildings, effectively banning gas stoves and other fossil fuel appliances in most new construction starting in 2026. The plaintiff coalition, including NAHB, is deciding how to respond to the court’s request.
Applications Are Open for NAHB's Prestigious Awards Applications for NAHB’s Awards are now open. The award programs include: The Best in American Living™ Awards, sponsored by SMEG; the Associates of Excellence Awards; the Custom Home Builder of the Year Award; the Leading Suppliers Council Spark Award; the Professional Women in Building (PWB) Awards; the NAHB/Builders Mutual Safety Award for Excellence (SAFE) Awards; the Nationals℠ Awards, NAHB’s largest awards competition; and the Young Professional Awards. The deadline for entries is Oct. 6. What to Know about “No Tax on Overtime” The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) delivered a win for President Trump on his campaign promise regarding no taxes on overtime. Retroactive to the beginning of 2025, no tax on overtime establishes a new above-the-line tax deduction for qualified employees. This deduction is temporary, expiring after 2028. Eligible employees may deduct up to $12,500 in qualified overtime pay as a single filer or $25,000 as a joint filer. The deduction phases out for taxpayers with income exceeding $150,000 ($300,000 in the case of a joint return). The deduction only applies to wages paid in excess of the employee’s normal wage rate.
California Tackles Housing Costs with Building Code Freeze
Push for Type II Safety Helmets A study recently published by researchers at George Mason University and North Carolina State University found that education and exposure to Type II safety helmets could increase adoption, especially in smaller construction firms. Job site injury data show that many head injuries are being caused by falls and trauma to the side and back of the head, which traditional hard hats do not protect. In recent years, there has been a push to adopt the Type II helmet as the primary safety hat in construction. Its chin strap keeps the helmet on in falls, and the shape provides protection to the sides and back of the head.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law a budget bill with many pro-housing provisions, including a six-year pause on adopting or amending new home building codes. The provisions are meant to address the state’s housing affordability crisis, the worst in the U.S. The measure, AB 130, contains provisions that California home builders have been fighting for all year. It prevents the state of California from considering, approving, or adopting any changes to residential building codes until June 1, 2031, except in emergency situations or in the case of wildfire mitigation. Further, the bill prevents local municipalities from amending their code during the same period. The bill also places new restrictions on changes the state can make to building codes during the “Intervening Cycle,” an 18-month period after the publication of a code when amendments are added to the code before adoption. The intervening cycles have been successfully targeted for years to get onerous changes through, especially to the state’s Green Building Code.
IBS Sustainability Scholarship The NAHB IBS Sustainability and Green Building Scholarship is available to young professionals and/or emerging green builders between the ages of 25 and 35 to attend the 2026 International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando, Fla., held Feb. 17-19, 2026. Scholarship recipients will receive $1,800 for travel expenses and full registration to maximize their experience, with access to numerous networking events, education sessions and opportunities to see the latest products in the industry. Interested applicants can apply online. A resume and cover letter are also required. Applications are due Oct. 20.
Top Architectural Movements to Watch in 2025
Each month, the NAHB Design Bites series presents on a new trend. The June installment was all about the top 10 architectural movements to watch in 2025. Hosted by Erin Hurley, Business Development Director at KGA Studio Architects, this episode explores the year’s home design trends, including right-sizing, housing diversity and resilience. Hurley also discusses how thoughtful design drives buyer decisions in a changing housing market. Here are the top five architectural design trends this year: 1) Timeless and Traditional 2) Right-sizing and Personalizing; 3) Housing Diversity; 4) Universal Design; and 5) Resilient Design. Click here to read the full article with all the top 10 and an expanded summary of each. NAHB members can subscribe to Design Bites for free to access the replay and more monthly tips and information.
Upcoming Meetings & Events
September 3rd Young Professionals meeting 3:30 - FABA Office September 9th Stafford County Spotlight 11:30- 1:00 Septemebr 10th Associates Committee Meeting 12:00 - FABA Office September 10th Membership Committee Meeting 4:30 - FABA Office September 24th Community Service Committee Meeting 2:00 - FABA Office September 26th Fall Golf - Pendleton Golf Course
Calendar at a Glance
Membership Committee
The Membership Committee brings builder and associate members together to focus on recruitment of new members and retention of current members. This committee hold a meeting every 2nd Wednesday at 4:30 at the FABA office. Check the FABA calendar for all updates
Chair - Luke Moss. Ryan Homes
Gear up for the Fall Membership Drive
Join in on the fun of our October membership drive! Help grow our association by recruiting and retaining FABA members. Make connections and help grow our industry footprint. Kick off starts October 1! For more questions about joining reach out to our membership drive task leader - Sherrie Shaw with Fairway Mortgage
Team Captain: Nathan Dobbins Team Captain: Shawn Callahan Team Captain: Scott Rabe Team Captain: James Roberson
The Associates Committee plans member events to promote doing business with members. These volunteers coordinate networking and social events for business connections. Stay tuned for new and exciting changes coming to this committee. This committee has a meeting every 2nd Wednesday at Noon.
Chair- Teressa Taylor- Griffs . teressa@ttgva.com
Thank you to our sponsors, guests and volunteers who helped bring this event to life. Special thank you to our task leader - Sheli Schneider with R House Realty! Congratulations to Tony from Shore Bank who won the FAB Foundation Fundraiser!
Associates Committee
Summer Fest was TIKI-riffic
Associates Committee Meeting Second Wednesday of each month at Noon
James Roberson 516 Project
Giving back to our community through servicing basic needs including food, housing and local charities related to the industry.
Tammy Reid | treid@uhm.com
Education Opportunity! Join us for Money 101 on 2nd Interested in learning more about money management? Register for Money 101 with Union Home Mortgage. Enjoy refreshing beverages and some of your charcuterie board favorites while networking with other FABA Young Professionals. This event is FREE for FABA members. Please RSVP by September 26th to treid@uhm.com Address: 606 William Street, Fredericksburg, VA 22401 Off street parking in UHM parking lot next to 608 Willilam Street
Community Service Committee
Young Professionals Committee
Click here to register
To join the FABA Young Professionals committee email Meghan@fabava.com
Thank you so much to everyone who donated to support the Caroline's Promise, Community of Promise Day. FABA's Community Service Committee successfully collected OVER 1000 bottles of body wash to help the kids of Caroline County High School start the year off fresh. Thank you to all of the Community Service Committee members who helped bring this project to life!
Young Professionals committee is for individuals in the 21-45 age group to connect, and provides opportunities for professional development, social networking, mentoring, and personal growth for our members.
Talking Points is HBAV’s quarterly update for Virginia’s regional home building associations. We provide key statistics, along with state and national information of interest, to share with your members. STAT: Virginia labor pressures put damper on growth gains The South Atlantic led all U.S. regions in new single-family home starts in 2024, according to the most recent data, with Virginia contributing to the more than344,000 total starts across the division. In the region, two-story homes are becoming more common, with one-story builds dropping to theirlowest share since 2019.Yet, Virginia lost 1,900 construction jobs in May, even as most states saw gains.Read more from NAHB. EVENTS: Builders Summit, Economic Forecast, GolfTournament ●The one-dayVirginia Builders Summitis right around the corner (September 30). Education sessions and 75+ exhibitors highlight this annual event at the Richmond Marriott Downtown.Register today. ●On August 12 HBAV will hold the2025 Member-wide Economic Forecast Webinarwith NAHB's Chief Economist Robert Dietz, Ph.D. Hear insights from Dietz on the current housing economy and his forecast for the remainder of 2025 and beyond.Register here. ●The‘'Stay the Course” Annual Golf Tournamentis set for August 25 at the Country Club of Virginia's James River Course.Register now. For a full list of upcoming HBAV events, visithbav.com. 2025 Annual Conference & Housing Excellence Awards coverage is now available From ourHousing Excellence Awards winnersand auction thatgenerated $45,350 for HBAV Education Foundationto the in-depth,expert panel discussion, check out the recaps at thenews section of the website.Also available: ●George Mason University economist Keith Waters, Ph.D., painted a picture of “doom and gloom” at the NVBIA’s Governor’s Breakfast.See his recap and data. ●At NVBIA’s meeting, Gov. Glenn Youngkin touched on what is a bipartisan effort to build more houses in Virginia.See his comments and additional insight from panelists at the NVBIA meeting, which included HBAV VP of Government Affairs Andrew Clark. ●This spring, we hosted NAHB CEO Jim Tobin, who outlined the challenges facing builders.Watch or listen to his comments on our YouTube channel. ●Our Multifamily Housing update, which featured HBAV’s Clark and the Virginia REALTORS’ legislative affairs director Erin Kormann, is availableonline, too. HBAV’s Legislative Recap We’ve created a one-page overview of our legislative successes in 2025 —get it here. Many of these new laws went into effect on July 1. M. Craig Toalson, CAE Chief Executive Officer Home Builders Association of Virginia ctoalson@hbav.com
HBAV Builder Talking Points - Summer 2025
Click here to learn more
FABA has been working with our exclusive, private partner, Small Business Growth Partners (SBGP) to help our members reach maximum growth and potential through their one of a kind BPA Process. This has been refined for over 10 years of working exclusively with Builders, Remodelers & HBA Associate Members. As an exclusive FABA member benefit, we are offering you the chance to register for and redeem your 2021 Business Diagnostic & Plan of Actions. An annual BPA is included 100% with your FABA Member Benefits (A $2,200 value).
Learn More Here
2025 FABA Board of Directors
President Jeh Hicks Jarrell Properties 1st Vice President Mike King Ray's Siding 2nd Vice President Luke Moss Ryan Homes Secretary Tim Hall Tricord Homes Treasurer Jeremiah Horstick CORELOT Immediate Past President Marc Simes Tricord Homes Associate Vice President Teressa Taylor-Griffs TTG and Associates Executive Officer Maria Moore FABA Legal Counsel Charlie Payne Hirschler NAHB State Representative Dan Sandoval Republic Home Builders HBAV State Representative Jeh Hicks Jerrell Properties Builder Director James Roberson 516 Project Builder Director Krista Layman Spartan Homes Builder Director Dan Sandoval Republic Home Builders Builder Director Jimmy Whitman Axis Properties LLC. Associate Director Sara Fila Legacy Engineering Associate Director Shawn Callahan Metwood Building Supply Associate Director Nathan Dobbins The Riphean Group Associate Director Rick Furnival Sullivan, Donahoe & Ingalls Associate Director Daniel Hudson Holt For Homes Associate Director Kathy Roscoe Topdside FCU Associate Director Scott Hine Fairway Independent Mortgage Life Builder Director Sean Halsey Halsey Homes Life Builder Director Dan Sandoval Republic Home Builders Life Director Tammy Reid Union Home Mortgage - Team Reid