In many industries, it's easy to lose sight of the main purpose (besides monetary gain) that they are in business. Homebuilders throughout the nation have the opportunity to be part of the force of "greater good" when taking stock of the real reason behind their quest for the highest quality and best value.

The American Dream has always viewed as the ownership of an affordable, clean, safe dwelling in which our families can grow and flourish. With this year's celebration of the National Housing Act of 1949, it's only appropriate to look at one of the major organizations behind the Act's implementation, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Founded in 1942, NAHB is organized as a federation of more than 850 state and local home builders associations nationwide who actively promote policies that help provide and expand opportunities for all Americans to have safe, decent and affordable housing. They work hard to enact pro-housing legislation and pursue regulatory and judicial changes that have a positive impact on our nation's building industry.

What is unfortunate these days, is that, due to a "hot" new home market, many builders do not see the need for membership in this honorable institution, primarily because of the lack of knowledge of the NAHB's benefits and history. As with any "grass roots" tradition, membership in the NAHB is something new homebuyers may want to look for in their new homebuilder's priority list. Knowing that they are members and participants in this venerable institution may give them the confidence that their builder is one that cares about the basic principles of shelter and quality home ownership.

The NAHB is a not-for-profit trade association whose primary goal is to keep housing a top national priority. In this endeavor, they are recognized as "the voice of America's home building industry." It is comprised of 200,000 members, who together employ over eight million Americans. Representing a wide diversity of industry-related professions, including builders, remodelers, subcontractors, manufacturers, suppliers, and much more, NAHB's members contribute five percent of the economic activity in the country.

The organization is a nationally-recognized source of quality education that is affordable, accessible, timely, and relevant, offering hundreds of educational opportunities in a variety of formats to meet the needs of builders nationwide. Year-round national and regional workshops, seminars, and conferences covering everything from building codes and standards and OSHA (safety) regulations to critical state and local issues and new construction techniques.

One of the main reasons builders benefit from membership in the NAHB is not something they can touch and feel, however; it is an intangible that helps the future of the homebuilding industry. How can builders collectively be heard when local, state, or federal agencies unwittingly shut down their efforts to provide housing through burdensome regulatory practices or special interest groups? As a part of NAHB, however, their voices becomes a powerful instrument of change and influence. The fact is, the opinion of 200,000 members matters. Lobbying efforts on behalf of builders nationwide that support pro-housing initiatives are only a small part of what the NAHB provides its constituents.

Add to that their influence with media, government agencies, and industry coalitions to enhance the image and conditions of the building industry, and you have a recipe for power with those in political circles on the issues that matter to homebuilders everywhere. This may translate into the continuing ability for Americans to participate in that Dream of which we speak so nobly, a Dream that carries us into the new millenium with promise, hope and prosperity.

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Published: November 24, 1999

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A veteran of the real estate and homebuilding industries since 1986, Dena Kouremetis first joined Realty Times as a new homes writer in 1998. Since then, she has authored four books, written consumer columns on new homes issues for websites and newspapers all across the country, contributed to builder trade magazines, appeared as a guest expert on several radio shows and even created a ten-chapter podcast for LendingTree.com’s homebuilder website, iNest.com, now available on iTunes, entitled Uncharted Waters; Navigating the Purchase of a New Production Home. Kouremetis recently joined her local Folsom, CA Coldwell Banker office as a broker associate while continuing to write for the real estate industry. For the past three years, she has been training real estate agents for both the resale and new homes industries, putting her experience, research expertise and gift of expression to work to help others entering the business.