Timberline Forum

The number of people in danger of losing their homes continues to rise at an all too staggering rate. As the number of people losing their jobs continues to rise, the danger of them losing their homes also rises.

So far, 1.5 million homes have been foreclosed on in the first half of this year according to Realty Trac Inc, a company that lists foreclosures.

Foreclosures were up 33 percent this June compared to last year and up 5 percent from just last month. Number-wise 336,000 households received at least one foreclosure notice last month – that is 1 out of every 380 homes in this country. Last month alone, banks repossessed 79,000 homes.

On a state-by-state basis, Nevada had the nation’s highest foreclosure rate in the first half of the year, with more than 6 percent of all households receiving a filing.

Right now, Arizona is the second in the state when it comes to the highest foreclosures. Nevada is number 1.

Of course all of this leads to the question of its affect on the construction industry. There is no doubt going to be glut on the market of available homes – VASTLY reducing the number of homes that will need to be built. Not the kind of news anyone here wants to see.

For more on the amount of foreclosures go here.

In the coming weeks you can expect the Arizona Department of Transportation, ADOT, to put up for bid the last seven American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus projects. At this time there are 13 available to bid on – you can find them here. ADOT has already awarded half of the 41stimulus projects. It will receive an estimated $350 million in ARRA funds for highway projects around the state. Here’s the money trail…

~ Maricopa County will receive $130 million for five projects
~ Pima County will receive $46 million for eight projects
~ 13 other counties in Greater Arizona will receive $175 million for 28 projects.

The state estimates more than 6,000 construction jobs will be created or sustained through these ARRA projects. In Maricopa County, 2,180 jobs have been created as a result of five awarded projects. ADOT is also reaping some rewards. The sagging economy is actually benefitting ADOT’s purse book. Lower-than-expected bids for the 21 already-awarded projects have added up to nearly $15 million dollars in savings. That could, in turn, mean more jobs to bid on.

The economy has been especially brutal to Arizona’s construction workers. Between 2007 and 2009, Arizona’s construction industry lost 77,000 jobs. One-third of Arizona’s construction workers are unemployed. That rate is higher than any other state and dramatically higher than the national average of 21 percent construction unemployment rate.

Not an approved ADOT contractor? Click here to apply!

Sage Timberline Office users have enjoyed Pay-Per-Minute support services for years now but the times, they are a changing.

So if you are used to paying by the minute for phone support please take note that Sage Timberline Support will soon end that service. 

As of April 10, 2009 Sage will NO longer offer Pay-Per-Minute support calls. After April 10, if you need to make support calls you will need to upgrade your current support plan to either Essential Care or Premier Care phone support plans.

Moving to the next level, EssentialCare, means you will receive unlimited phone support. If you do not wish to upgrade then feel free as always, to give me or Daren a call. We are always glad to help!

One Final Note…
There is a change of address you will also want to jot down. 
As of April 1, 2009 Support Renewal Payments MUST be sent to…

SAGE
14855 Collections Center Dr.
Chicago, IL 60693

Monday, the Treasury Department released a rather lengthy and highly technical explanation of how it plans to go about freeing up credit. It’s called the Public-Private Investment Program, PPIP.  Credit is this country’s lifeblood. We see now what it’s like to live without it.  It’s not pretty.

General Contractors in Phoenix and across the country can’t get the credit they need.  That means they are highly restricted as to what jobs they can bid.   Subcontractors get caught up in that web because without the GC’s there isn’t a lot of work.  Few are working.  Even fewer are happy about it. 

 On Monday, the Treasury Department rolled out its plan of economic attack.  Here’s the short version according to me, Business Developer, Myrna Membrila.

1. The Treasury Department and Federal Reserve will work together in full cooperation to lubricate the credit markets and foster financial stability.
2. The Federal Reserve will not take any unnecessary risks when handing out credit.
3. Both MUST preserve monetary stability
4. An all-encompassing plan for shoring up critical financial institutions will be implemented

While legal analysts hyper analyze the fine points of this plan and debate its merits, here’s what we need to take away from this latest move.   According to the government, The PPIP we just talked about coupled with the Public-Private Investment Funds (PPIF) program, unveiled in February will be the catalyst for banks to loosen up credit and begin lending once again.

These two programs will begin the process of repairing balance sheets, and eventually lead to increased lending.  More so than without it anyway.  The only question left to ask is just how quick will those purse strings be let go of?

The American Concrete Institute has just kicked off its 2009 Spring Convention in San Antonio.  Many convention-goers are talking about, that’s right, you guessed it, the economy. Like the rest of us they worry about their own economic futures. That’s why President Barak Obama’s plans to spend heavily on renewing Amerca’s infrastructure has their full attention.

The plan dedicates billions of dollars (that’s billions with a “b”) to building new bridges and roads throughout the United States. Government spending on this scale will certainly drive up demand for materials such as cement, crushed rock and gravel.  Arizona alone is slated to receive $522 million for highway funding .  That is a LOT of concrete, cement and asphalt.  It will also offset the huge drops in commercial and residential construction. To put it into perspective – President Obama’s project would be one of the largest of its kind since the 1950s, when the interstate highway system was created.

This news comes on the heals of the latest forecast from the Portland Cement Association  It also foresees a rebound in 2010.   More good news…exports of cement and concrete from the U.S. increased 4.5 percent in 2008. And overall, U.S. cement and concrete exports have increased since 2001.

Couple that with the Obama Stimulus Package, and the industry’s future is looking strong. A fact the National Concrete Masonry Association wants to capitalize on.  In a letter sent to Congressional leaders, NCMA cited $18 billion in approved highway and bridge projects that could be put to contract in 90 days, creating 35,000 for every $1 billion of investment. That in turn would put laborers to work, put money in their pockets giving traction to those who are at the very core of the American economy.

All indicators tell us that the Cement and Concrete Industries will weather this economic storm. When the economy gains traction and steamrolls forward, will you be ready for it? If you’d like to explore just how well your current way of tracking financing is working for you, we’d love to help. We know Sage Timberline Office continues to consistently out do the competition! Let us help you maximize your money with the finest tracking avilable.  We’d love to talk with you!

Less complicated is always good!
So here’s something to look forward to this April!
Sage Timberline is streamlining its website to give you…

~ Better access to information
~ Easy access to online support
~ An expanded knowledge base that includes training

It’s a lengthy list of benefits!!  To read more or learn how to access the new&improved site click right here!

Forget the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue…Sage Timberline’s Brand-Spanking-New Estimating Databases are the stimulus package you’ve really been wanting!

Many times, our new Estimating customers decide to spend money on the software but decide to take on the task of building their own databases. More often than not, that decision means Estimating isn’t fully used. It’s like having a Porsche that’s  just sitting in the garage and when you do take it out, it’s to the grocery store and back. *YAWN*

We want to encourage you to take Estimating on a full-throttle, pedal-to-the-medal, high-speed thrill ride! Here’s how we can make that happen for you!   Sage Timberline just unveiled a series of new databases that run the gamut,  from Columns&Chases to Commercial Room Finishes. 

Did we get your attention? Wanna know more? Of course you do!  Click here for complete details or as always feel free to give us a call!

It’s every Estimator’s nightmare.  Getting it SO wrong it bankrupts the company.  It doesn’t happen often but we’ve all heard stories about Contractors who are forced to rebuild from their garage after an estimating disaster.   The truth is Estimators, like the rest of us, take pride in their jobs and no one likes making mistakes.

Did you know Estimating Software from Sage Timberline not only integrates beautifully with Sage Timberline Office, it also has a really nice feature.  One YOU can use to sniff out any gaps in your Estimate.

Timberline Estimating comes with a very handy scan feature.   It gives you a faster, easier way to search through thousands of lines in your estimates to find the holes.  Those deep black little abysses that can do a company in.  Simply use the scan feature in Estimating Standard or Extended to search for missing dollars in your estimates.

To scan for missing numbers…

Access the scan feature with its icon, the menu option on the Pricing pull down, or press the F7 key.
Scan looks through the estimate for places where there should be dollars or quantities and stops at each blank item.
You can then enter a value and start scan again.  

If you have cells you have intentionally left blank and want scan to skip them, enter either an asterisk (*) or a dash (-) in the cell and scan will skip it. For example, you may want to skip a cell if an item had both material and sub, but the sub bid already includes material.

Put the scan feature to work today and enjoy your extra free time and error-free estimates.  Don’t have Timberline Estimating?  Feel free to call me or Daren at anytime!

“Run a tight ship” is one of the oldest sayings out there – yet it has never been more appropriate. In today’s economic climate the leaner&meaner  you are, the better your chances of surviving the economic threat that has tightly grasped so many businesses by the throat.

Running your business efficiently and intelligently is mission critical. Sage Timberline gets it. To prove it they will soon release version 9.6. Mid- March is what they’re shooting for.

The new version helps…
• Propel you to profitability faster
• Maximize Timberline’s effectiveness
• Make your life easier
• By offering an expanded General Ledger

A couple of cool features…
• 64-Bit Compatibility
• Estimating now supports multicurrency

It also gives you seamless integration between Estimating and Project Management by letting you use Estimating for pricing out Change Requests from within the Project Management Change Request window. This means when your Estimator or Project Manager is faced with a potential change in the scope of work and needs to provide the owner with a quote, they can easily estimate the change using Estimating and automatically populate the item grid in the Change Request screen.

Read much more about the new features by clicking here…
Any questions? Please feel free to call me or Daren at any time!

No more leaving early on payday to cash a check! Sage Paycard allows you to load up their money hassle free. It works just like a debit card.  Your employees have complete access to their money at all times, whether through a bank or an ATM.

They can buy anything from diapers to tires with it and still pay their bills online. No more paper checks, leaving early to get to the bank on time or having to replace lost or stolen checks. Best of all if lost or stolen, it  can be replaced in less than 24 hours and their money is protected against theft!

Learn more about the Sage Paycard by clicking here, sign up for a free webinar offered every Thursday or as always you can just give us a call!