Russia’s Attack On Ukraine Felt By Builders In U.S.

By CHUCK GREEN Builders in the United States are feeling the effects of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, leading some experts to say there will be ramifications in the home and commercial markets. “Already, retail gasoline and diesel prices have jumped by record amounts and reached record levels. Construction firms use large amounts of fuel for their own trucks and offroad equipment,” said Ken Simonson, Chief Economist of The Associated General Contractors of America. Doubling down on the notion that the conflict is putting builders in a sticky situation, Simonson said they pay directly through fuel surcharges. Costs are embedded in the thousands of deliveries of equipment and materials to job sites as well as the hauling away of dirt, debris,…

REPORT: 941,392 Homes Threatened By Ida Storm Surge

A trifecta of damaging winds between 130-156 mph, dangerous storm surge, and extremely heavy and widespread rainfall between 10-15 inches is expected to put 941,392 homes in the Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi coastal areas at risk for storm surge damage, according to data analysis for single-family and multifamily homes released by CoreLogic®.  The reconstruction cost value of all at-risk homes totals more than $200 billion. Storm surge is the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, measured as the height of the water above the normal predicted astronomical tide. The surge is caused primarily by a storm’s winds pushing water onshore and can cause significant property damage. “Atmospheric conditions are highly favorable for rapid intensification after Ida emerges from…