by Mike Rezac, HBAL President
August 2010
 
As a representative on the LPlan 2040 group, I’ve been very interested in hearing projections of how we will be living and working in the future. As builders, we need to learn to think outside the box as times and technology change. Families will always need homes to live in, but they aren’t necessarily going to look like what we have been building in the past. Smaller homes and smarter homes will be options they consider.
 
According to many national experts, green is moving to the forefront of what consumers will want in their homes. We need to gear ourselves to provide ecofriendly, yet affordable housing. In Texas, the state’s largest energy provider is running a program that installs “iThermostats” into customers’ homes. A similar program has been going on in Nevada. The smart thermostats allow more control over electricity consumption. Being able to monitor and change the temperature in your home from your phone or computer seems futuristic, but the technology is here and in use. Homeowners will come to expect the new technology.
 
People move to a new home to improve the quality of their life. Whether moving down the street or across the country, prospective buyers want to know they are moving to something better. It’s our job to provide it.
 
Why does HBAL need your membership? There’s the old saying “There’s strength in numbers,” but it’s really a lot more than that. We need the expertise of folks from all walks of life to help make sure Lincoln gets and stays on track with positive growth. We are a diverse group of more than 520 businesses who support the association through dues, time and experience. As a group, we are dealing with issues such as permit fees, impact fees, stormwater, residential sprinklers and lead paint as well as monitoring various other governmental bodies. As Lincoln recovers from the recession, we need to be a strong voice for our industry.
 
I’d personally like to thank Jerry Boyce who volunteered to help build awards stands for the Special Olympics. The other members who helped with this project are listed on page 9 of this publication. They were all part of one of the biggest events to hit Lincoln in a long time. We can’t thank them enough for donating time for this cause. Their reward will be in knowing you were a part of an event with far-reaching consequences for the participants and for our city.
 
Thanks,
 
Mike