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as early 2016 but six points lower than in the third quarter. Among its four compo- nents, calls for bids and appointments for proposals fell to 49 and 54, respectively; the backlog of remodeling jobs dropped three points to 55; and the amount of work committed declined five points to 50. Stable growth predicted for home improvement The coming year is expected to see sustained momentum in home remodel- ing and repair spending, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA) released by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University. The LIRA projects that annual growth in home improvement and repair expendi- tures will remain elevated throughout 2017 with spending levels ending the year up 6.7 percent at $317 billion, on par with the 6.9 percent growth estimated for 2016. "Growth in home prices is continuing at a healthy pace and encouraging home- owners to make remodeling investments," says Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center for Housing Studies. "Home sales are remaining on an upward trajectory as well and this, coupled with continued growth in remodeling permit activity, suggests another strong year for home improvements." "Although above-average growth is expected this year, we've lowered our projection for market size somewhat with the recent release of new benchmark data from the American Housing Survey," says Abbe Will, research analyst in the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center. "Spending in 2014 and 2015 was not quite as robust as our LIRA model estimated, growing 11.3 percent over these two years compared to 14.3 percent as estimated." Texas remodeler named NAHB Remodelers chair Remodeler Dan Bawden, CAPS, GMB, CGR, CGP, of Houston, was installed as the 2017 chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Remodelers on Jan. 10 during the International Builders' Show in Orlando, Fla. As chairman of NAHB Remodelers, Bawden represents the more than 53,000 members of NAHB who are involved in the remodeling industry. "The forecasted gradual growth in res- idential remodeling activity in 2017 pres- ents many opportunities for remodelers," says Bawden, president and CEO of Legal Eagle Contractors, Co. "I look forward to helping our members' businesses thrive while protecting their interests as our industry faces the ongoing labor shortage and the unknowns of a new administration in the White House." Bawden has over 35 years in the re- modeling business and is also a licensed attorney. He was instrumental in the cre- ation of NAHB's Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation program—a partnership with the NAHB Research Center and AARP—in 2002. He is a past president of the Greater Houston Builders Association and was the first remodeling specialist named to the position. During his tenure as the Houston president, Bawden worked with NAHB to start the the Certified Graduate Remodeling (CGR) College in Houston. In addition to his educational efforts, Bawden has sat on the NAHB Board of Directors since 1995. He was named Texas Remodeler of the Year four times, Houston Remodeler of the Year twice, was the 2005 Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) of the Year and the 2011 CAPS Educator of the Year. He continues to teach classes to builders and remodelers across the country. Resources for complying with lead paint rule The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has developed two FAQs to help members comply with the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule. The first document address- es inspections and the second tackles recertification. RRP Inspections – What to Expect is based on a guidance document released in May 2016 for inspectors who conduct inspections or audits to monitor compli- ance with the RRP rule. RRP Certification/Recertification Q&A; is an updated resource compiling infor- mation on firm and individual renovator certification and training requirements, including recent EPA action that modified the requirements of the refresher training which certified renovators must take to maintain their certifications. Fourteen states have received autho- rization from the EPA to manage their own lead renovation, repair and painting programs. Individuals and firms who plan to work in Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Washington or Wisconsin need to apply to and follow state guide- lines including those for certification, recertification and training. Certain requirements, such as the length of certification, may vary amongst state-authorized programs, so it is im- portant to know the requirements for your state. Not all changes to the program or provisions as applied by EPA will apply to renovators operating in states that have an authorized program. Individuals and firms who plan to work in multiple states where one or more of those states is authorized to run its own program will need to ensure they comply with the requirements of both the state-authorized program(s) and the federal RRP program run by EPA. For more information, contact Tamra Spielvogel at tspielvogel@nahb.org or (800) 368-5242 x8327. Final formaldehyde rule effective in February Four months after being announced, the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) final Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Products rule (also called the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) Title VI final rule) was published Dec. 12, 2016, in the Federal Register . The final rule is significantly changed from the draft initially released by EPA, including clarification of language that makes it clear that remodelers are not subject to compliance under the definition of "fabricators." The final rule is effective Feb. 10, 2017, and compliance with a majority of the requirements will go into effect one year after publication, which is Dec. 12, 2017. While the extensive delay in publication raised concerns, there appear to be few changes beyond those expected when a rule goes from its prepublication format to final publication in the Federal Register . EPA is hosting several webinars that will cover requirements of the final rule, | 10 February 2017 QR QualifiedRemodeler.com IN BRIEF