Do you know your Account Executive? Are you aware of everything that your Account Executive (A.E.) can do for you? If you answered no to either of these questions, it is time to get acquainted!

Each state is assigned a specific A.E. who is more than just a product salesperson. You may have only interacted with one another when you initially signed up to become a member. Since you may have discussed your initial enrollment process with them over the phone, it is not always easy to recall with whom you spoke. To find your specific representative, you can call into our main office at 800-247-1812 (Texas: 800-445-8173) to inquire or visit our website and click the "Find Your Account Executive" link within the Builder tab's drop-down menu.

Your A.E. serves as more than an initial contact to guide you through the process, they are also your liaison and program concierge. Their role is to help you develop a suitable program for your business. As a member, you have access to a full array of programs and options. For example, if you desire to obtain a quote for liability insurance, wish to offer appliances coverage, or need additional training set up for your team, your A.E. can make these arrangements.

As the end of the fiscal year approaches, common practice dictates that a performance evaluation analyzing the prior year will be completed. Ultimately, it is a time in which new methods or ideas may be slated for implementation with the intention of improving the overall corporate health. Setting aside time to review your warranty coverages and comparing how your business has developed or changed can be a vital part of this process, the purpose of which is to aid in ensuring that a thorough evaluation has been considered. Since businesses can fluctuate from year to year, RWC/HOME recognizes that your initial warranty options may no longer work as a ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution. This is where your Account Executive can work with you to develop the best plan which complements these fluctuations.

If the timing for this sort of evaluation is currently not quite appropriate, keep in mind that your A.E. will periodically be reaching out to you via phone, email, or mailings. However, you do not have to wait for them to contact you to initiate the line of communication. When something from RWC/HOME passes over your desk, let it serve as a reminder to get in touch. Once it is time to think through all the ways in which your business may have developed or changed after your initial enrollment, your A.E. is your best resource. Setting a meeting with your RWC/HOME Account Executive will allow you the opportunity to review each of the servicing options at your disposal. Of the tools in your arsenal, the relationship you develop with your representative is a key component. Remember that they are your partners, meant to serve as a support system for your company, now and into the future.

Key Estates Warranty is a new affiliate of Residential Warranty Company, LLC,  HOME of Texas and MHWC is now offering extended warranties for homes involved in real estate transactions across the country. Offered exclusively through a network of approved Real Estate Professionals, the Key Estates Warranty program provides extended warranty protection on a variety of appliances, systems and even structural components in existing homes.

Homeowners understand that eventually, most things break down. Extended warranties are a cost-effective way to deal with expensive and unexpected repair bills after moving into a newly purchased home. The package approach of Key Estates provides the homebuyer with the security of more comprehensive coverage but at a substantially lower rate than if they were to buy individual extended warranties on each item of equipment. Through Key Estates, homeowners are protected against potential financial burdens for one or two-year terms on covered items. Without an extended warranty, homeowners may have to pay hundreds – or even thousands - of dollars for repairs. With Key Estates, homeowners are responsible for only a small service fee.

Key Estates personnel will conduct a remote visual inspection of the appliances and mechanical systems that are eligible for coverage. We will visually inspect photos /videos of the appliances for “trouble spots” that could indicate an imminent failure and search for recall notices. When the appliances pass the inspection, Key Estates certifies the home as warrantable and an insurance backed warranty is issued. This certification should add an additional layer of peace of mind for everyone involved in the transaction.

Major Structural Defect Coverage

With the average cost of major structural defect repairs in this country exceeding $35,000, Key Estates offers valuable protection from financial disaster should a structural defect develop in their existing home. Under Key Estates, a homebuyer may opt for major structural defect coverage – similar to the coverage provided to new home builders under our 10-year warranty plans – to be added to their plan for 1 or 2 years. No other resale warranty plan in the country offers this type of tried and true structural protection on existing homes! In addition, a structural home inspection conducted by a professional, licensed engineer, is part of the requirement to verify the structural ‘health’ of the home. This optional structural coverage is available everywhere except for Colorado and certain areas in Texas that have been designated as active soils areas.

 Flexibility & Control

In addition to the never before offered structural coverage on existing homes, setting this program apart from others is the level of flexibility built into our system. Homeowners have the freedom to choose their own repair provider when a covered appliance or system breaks down. Additionally, they can select optional coverage for many of the ‘extras’ such as swimming pools, spas, freezers, etc. to further customize their plan.

Benefits

Real Estate Professionals benefit from Key Estates in a variety of ways. Exposure to customer service issues is dramatically reduced since the Key Estates’ administrator takes over complaint handling for problems with covered appliances, systems, and structural components. An administrative fee may be paid to the real estate professional for every warranty sold, generating extra revenue to make the program profitable and benefit that important bottom line. Ultimately, Key Estates provides a unique marketing tool that will set the Real Estate Professional apart from the competition.

Contact Us

For availability and more information about Key Estates or any of the other plans RWC and Affiliates have to offer, go to www.KeyEstatesWarranty.com, call 866-394-5135 ext. 2149 or email us at Sales@KeyEstatesWarranty.com.

The Building Systems Council (BSC) Specialty Awards recognize one BSC builder, manufacturer, associate, and young professional for their contributions to the council, NAHB and the housing industry along with their involvement with civic or charitable organizations. Award winners demonstrate excellent business practices while providing outstanding service to his/her customers.

This year, one associate council member has stood tall amongst the rest. The winner of the 2018 Building Systems Councils Associate of the Year is Tifanee McCall of RWC/MHWC. Daniel Mitchell, Owner Eagle CDI, Inc. and Vice Chairman of NAHB's Custom Home Builders Committee presented Tifanee (pictured right) with her award at the recent NAHB Building Systems Summit in Knoxville, TN. Tifanee has been a BSC member for over a decade and currently serves as the council's second vice chairman and chairman of the membership and communications subcommittee. Kudos, Tifanee!

Warranties come in all shapes and sizes and if you are looking for something besides the "traditional" new home warranty, RWC's Customized State Warranty (CSW)* is the answer! This warranty is the most unique and specialized new home warranty program in the industry. Each customized warranty is crafted specifically to meet each state’s statutes regarding new home warranties. The Builder’s liability is limited and individual state requirements for coverage are included, as applicable. RWC’s insurer covers warranted structural failures from day 1 throughout the entire warranty term.

For more information visit rwclive.wpengine.com and click "Warranties - State by State" under the Builder tab. You may also email sales@rwcwarranty.com or call 800-247-1812 x2149.

*Not available in AK, CO, HI, NJ & TX

Why do bad things seem to happen most on Monday mornings? We even call it “Blue Monday.” Take the builder, for example, who wasn’t named Additional Insured on his exterior painter’s general liability policy.

Our builder came to work one fine Monday morning to discover a voice-mail. His painter had over-sprayed a dozen parked cars in a lot across the street from his three-story townhouse project that was nearing completion. It happened on Saturday, which was windy. Too windy for spray painting three floors up. The cars belong to a pre-owned Corvette dealership. Each Corvette is worth an average $40,000. The estimated cost to re-paint all twelve is over $104,000. The painter admitted he’d messed up big time and lamely explained rain was forecast for the next four days, so he decided to “make hay while the sun shined.”

Our builder’s subcontractor was obviously at fault. Our builder had no part in this loss. When he hired the painter he expected he was dealing with a professional who knew his job. Yet our builder’s general liability policy, not the painter’s, is going to pay the claim. Our builder’s insurance company, not the painter’s, is going to defend him in the lawsuit soon to be filed by the Corvette dealership. They are claiming loss of market value now that they have to disclose to customers that their inventory had been damaged. This is going to get ugly and consume large amounts of our builder’s time. His insurance company may not renew his policy. Why? Simply because our builder was not named Additional Insured on the painter’s policy. So, what’s so important about being named Additional Insured anyway?

When you require your subcontractors to list you as Additional Insured on their general liability policies, you become entitled to insurance coverage benefits under their policies. Additional Insured status is most often used in connection with an indemnification agreement, also known as a hold-harmless clause. Hold harmless clauses are common in properly executed contracts between you and your subcontractors.* Under a hold-harmless, your subcontractors agree not to hold you responsible for their negligent acts which may happen while they are working for you. Without you being Additional Insured on your subcontractors’ policies, you can be brought into any suit resulting from your subcontractors’ negligent acts. Without a contract clearly holding you harmless, your general liability insurance company may have to cover the loss and defend you if you are sued. They may seek reimbursement from your subcontractors’ insurance companies, or the subcontractors themselves. Your insurance premium could increase due to the greater exposure, or your insurance company may even decide to not renew your coverage.

Additional Insureds! Hold-harmless clauses! Contracts! Maybe every day is Blue Monday when you have to deal with such things. Consider this, however; why jeopardize your insurance coverage because an incompetent painter decided to use a spray gun on a windy day?

The RWC Insurance Advantage is committed to providing you with the best possible general liability insurance protection. But, we need your help. Here’s a checklist:
(1) Review your contracts with all your subcontractors.*
(2) Are you named Additional Insured on all their general liability policies?
(3) Do they all hold you harmless for all claims while working for you?
(4) Do you obtain up-to-date certificates of insurance every year from each one?

If you have questions about this article or would like us to review your general liability insurance needs, we’d like to hear from you. Contact us by email or call us at: info@rwcinsuranceadvantage.com or 866-454-2155

Make Blue Monday a little less blue.

*Please consider consulting an attorney if you need assistance in drafting contract language. This article is intended to help you better understand general liability insurance terms and coverages. It is not to be construed as legal advice. Terms and conditions of various insurance company policy forms may vary.

RWC Insurance Advantage (RIA) recently launched a new website and if you haven't checked it out yet, we encourage you to do so! RWC Insurance Advantage is exclusive to members of the RWC and HOME of Texas warranty programs. Members can now request a quote, apply for coverage or request certificates all from their computer or mobile devices. Here's what RIA offers:

General Liability Insurance* - General Liability is insurance that protects you from a variety of claims including bodily injury to members of the public and damage to property belonging to others that arise out of your business activities. RIA can offer options in the form of an Occurrence Policy or a Claims Made policy. Please visit our website for FAQ’s on these coverage forms.

Umbrella and Excess Insurance* – In conjunction with McGowen Excess and Casualty, these policies provide you with additional limits (usually $1mm to $5mm) of liability above your General Liability policy. Since a General Liability policy protects your business from bodily injury and property damage claims that you become legally obligated to pay, it is essential that you have proper limits in place to protect your business. In today’s litigious society, a $1,000,000 of General Liability insurance may not be enough. Check out FAQ’s on our website. Look under products.

Builders Risk Insurance – We are an authorized agent for one of the worlds largest insurers…Zurich. Builders Risk insurance protects your financial interest in the materials, fixtures and/or equipment being used in the construction, or renovation of a building, or structure in the event they are damaged or destroyed by a covered cause of loss like fire, windstorm, vandalism or theft.

Contractors Equipment Insurance – With Zurich, Contractors Equipment coverage is property insurance that covers the loss of, or damage to covered equipment owned by you, or in your possession resulting from such hazards as fire, theft or vandalism.

As a leader in the residential home building industry we are committed to providing general liability insurance and select other coverages to members of Residential Warranty Company, LLC, throughout the United States*.

Before you renew coverage elsewhere, consider getting a quote with RIA. Just visit our website and click on the Get A Quote button and answer a few easy questions. We will reply via e-mail with a price indication.

*Insurance products may not be available in all states & are subject to underwriting requirements.

A home is one of the biggest investments a person will ever make and in order to keep that home glowing and increasing in value, a well-maintained property should be the goal for years to come. Of course, a warranty will provide protection, but seasonal maintenance by the homeowner is also key to long-lasting digs. As a professional in the industry, you’ve seen first-hand what irresponsibility will do to a residence. It’s imperative to remind your buyers that even though a home may be brand spanking new, regular maintenance is absolutely necessary to ensure safety, comfort, and retain resale value.

It’s easy to preach to a homebuyer about keeping up with seasonal tasks and send them on their merry way, but why not arm them with a comprehensive list of things they should be aware of? Steer them toward RWC's "season maintenance checklist" under the Homeowner's tab. This is a great tool for homeowners to stay on top of things. Furthermore, you as the builder must have gathered hundreds of maintenance tips during your career. Offer up those tips and hints as you meet with your clients throughout the home building journey.

Just for fun, here is a home maintenance quiz that will test your know-how. While this quiz does not address every conventional home maintenance project, it does provide helpful tips that may have been overlooked.

1. How often do forced-air furnace filters need to be changed?
At least every three months during the heating season.
2. What part of the faucet usually needs to be replaced when you have a water leak?
The washer.
3. Should you run hot or cold water through your garbage disposal?
Cold water.
4. How often should the moving parts of garage doors be oiled?
Every three months.
5. What tools can you use to unclog your drains?
A plunger and a plumber’s snake.
6. What tool can be used to unclog a toilet?
Coil spring-steel auger.
7. What faucet part needs to be cleaned every three to four months?
Aerator — the screen inside the end of the faucet.
8. What can you use for traction on icy sidewalks, steps, and driveways?
Cat litter or sand — never use salt because it damages the pavement.
9. Where should the fire in your fireplace be built?
On the irons or grate, never on the fireplace floor.
10. What will prevent soot and add color to the fire in your fireplace?
Throw in a handful of salt.
11. Where should your firewood be stored?
Outside, away from your house and not directly on the ground.
12. What helps keep unpainted concrete floors easy to keep clean?
Concrete Sealer.
13. What should you use to clean unpainted concrete floors?
A solution of 4 to 6 tablespoons of washing soda in a gallon of hot water. Mix scouring powder to the solution for tough jobs.
14. Why should frozen pipes be thawed slowly?
Frozen pipes should be thawed slowly to prevent the formation of steam, which could cause the pipe to burst.
15. How often should your roof be inspected?
A qualified roofer should inspect your roof every three years.
16. What should be regularly checked on your security system?
The alarms and circuit breakers should be checked to make sure they are in working order and the sensors should be inspected one by one.
17. At what temperature should your water heater be set?
120 degrees Fahrenheit
18. How often do skylights need to be inspected?
Skylights should be inspected each time your roof is inspected so leaks don’t develop from cracks and interruptions around its seals, caulking and flashings.
19. What can you use to help a window slide easily?
Rub the channel with a piece of paraffin.
20. What should you look for when you inspect your siding yearly?
Determine if wood-sided homes need to be repainted; check to see if the caulking around the windows and doors has split and cracked, and replace the caulk; clean the mildew; trim shrubbery away so it does not touch the siding.

(Quiz provided by NAHB.org)

“Limited inventory”. “Rising interest rates”. “Barbell of imbalance”. Many homebuyers and real estate professionals alike are finding themselves challenged by the law of scarcity in today’s market. Simply put, there are more buyers than there are homes to fill. Anyone in the home building and buying world is intimately aware of the impact presented to us with this unique situation. There are several factors creating this imbalance.

First-time homebuyers who are starting families and move down buyers who are looking to downsize have put a strain on the inventory availability. The need for each group is similar, the wants may differ, but the need can be met with access to more inventory of affordable homes. With the average sales price of homes increasing exponentially, the opportunities for these buyers is continually diminished. Add in the threat that homes will now cost more because of rising interest rates, and a crisis is created. Interest rates are not currently creating a deferral impact upon buying trends, however, as the prices continue to rise, it prices many families out of the market entirely.

What does this all mean? To put it bluntly, the market needs more homes for the fixed income and average income buyers. Meeting these buyers needs starts at a price point and includes flexible options. Fixed income buyers who are downsizing tend to fall into the group of sellers that are cashing in on the equity increases in their current homes. They may be retiring or reducing their workload, pushing them toward fixed income levels. However, first-time homebuyers have a different hurdle. These apartment and rental home buyers need better programs in place to help them get out of the rental trap. With the increased need for rentals came the increased cost of renting. Many of the options available for renters taps out their income which reduces the chances that they can save money for a down payment. A good rental history shows they can afford the home, but they don’t have the income set aside for a 20% down payment. Does your company offer incentives to first-time homebuyers? What can your trusted lenders do to help them?

Although it is a challenge for the buyers, it is a positive for sellers and builders who are looking to gain a profit after a long stretch of being at a standstill. This opportunity for growth for builders is understandably a cautious undertaking. Willingness to work with these buyers can be rewarding to builders but it is wise to take precautions to avoid the pitfalls of the past. Ensuring that you work with other professionals who are licensed properly and that you are providing a high quality, warranted homes will set you as a builder apart from the crowd. Many lenders are now requesting that a 10-year structural warranty is in place when the buyer is using FHA/VA and USDA financing. As a member in good standing with RWC, you are in a position to meet this requirement and can meet the buyers lending needs.

In conclusion, home buying needs and demands are at the crossroads between availability and affordability. Somewhere in the middle is exactly where builders should strive to be to reap the rewards. As a tradeoff, qualified buyers are willing to settle for higher interest rates if given the opportunity to achieve the long-term goal of homeownership. Scarcity is real, but buyers are abundant.

This weekend marked the 48th anniversary of Earth Day. On April 22, 1970, millions of Americans came together to fight for a clean, sustainable environment and that fight still continues today. Consumer-awareness has increased over the years, and so has the demand for Earth-friendly products and procedures. According to the NAHB, and in conjunction with a series of studies conducted by Dodge Data & Analytics, “at least one-third of surveyed single-family and multifamily builders said that green building is a significant portion of their overall activity. And by 2022, this number should increase to nearly one-half in both sectors.”

You, as a builder, can have a big impact from the get-go; essentially starting with a clean slate for every home you build. How can you contribute to the home’s carbon footprint? Simply look around a typical house. There are opportunities everywhere to make improvements or conserve. Do you incorporate environmentally-friendly features such as water saving faucets and toilets, low VOC paints and adhesives, and energy-efficient appliances and systems? Not only is saving money for the long haul important to buyers, but the way the home itself impacts the future (and present) environment is also significant.

House hunters today have a lot of choices when it comes to choosing a builder. Will you measure up? Do you have special certifications such as LEED or Energy-Star? Have you won awards for your ecological principals? If green building is in your wheelhouse, then show off -- highlight these practices on your website, social media, on promotional materials, and by word of mouth! Those are exactly the types of things that consumers today are attracted to.

More and more builders are joining the green home movement with sensitivity to nature preservation and homeowner requests. Slowly but surely, eco-friendly elements are becoming the ‘standard’. If you haven’t done so already, incorporating just a few of these building practices will be beneficial for your business. With this buying preference in mind, there is much opportunity and value in this market. Prospects will certainly do their research when planning for their dream home and you may just win them over when Mother Nature is in your corner.

It is perennially important that builders focus on keeping whatever profits they can generate by managing their risks and limiting their potential liability. Homeowner claims for defective construction can eat away profit in the form of repeated customer service and punch list work, prolonged disputes with customers, payments to disgruntled homeowners, and attorney fees.  Here are some suggestions for limiting that exposure.

Employ proper construction practices. This may seem like an elementary point, but contractors who are building new designs in unfamiliar locations or who are desperate for sales are more likely to fall short in this regard. Proper education for workers, regular inspection by builder representatives, and professional oversight from engineers and attorneys, for example, as needed, can limit builders’ exposure to homeowner claims and to other risks like OSHA fines and penalties.

Watch for and avoid subcontractor problems. Your contract is with your customer. If a subcontractor’s work harms your customer, that customer will look to you to make it right. Use capable subcontractors and inspect their work so that you know you are getting what you pay for. Make certain your subcontractors are insured and consider being named as an additional insured on their liability insurance policies.

Service your customer. As we so often hear in lending and home building advertisements, the purchase of a newly built home is almost always the largest transaction your customer will make in his life, and he will likely spend ten or twenty or thirty years paying for it. Consequently, your customer will expect you to address any reasonable post-settlement concerns he has about your product. Prompt and courteous communication with home buyers after the sale and faithful attention to those concerns that are properly your responsibility will not only create a positive buzz about you as a builder but will also reduce the chances that a homeowner will sue you.

Avoid the problematic customer. Some customers are simply not worth the trouble. They will often demonstrate this early in the relationship, before the contract is signed, by making impossible demands on your time, asking for incredible reductions in price, or complaining about other builders they have seen or other businesses with whom they have had disputes. While some such demands and complaints may be legitimate, it is important to recognize the customer who will never be happy. That kind of customer limits your ability to make a profit on a house, often retains a lawyer to sue you and should be avoided whenever possible.

Shift the risk. Make sure you have adequate insurance to protect you against liability risks and take full advantage of your associates’ insurance policies by being named an additional insured whenever appropriate. Purchase a warranty product to provide to your home buyers to shift some of the risk for construction defects onto a third party.

Don’t be afraid to settle homeowner cases. If sued or threatened with suit immediately ask your attorney for an assessment of the chances of success and an estimate of what it will cost to get to that result. Too often clients complain that fighting a lawsuit has cost them more than settling it earlier would have. Some battles must be fought, but not all of them. Pick the ones you want to fight and have at it.  For each of the others, make a good business decision and solve the problem on the most cost-effective basis possible.

Manage your attorney fees.  Lawyers are struggling with the same economy you are.  If a lawyer has quoted you a certain rate, you should not hesitate to negotiate with her to see if she will take the case for less.  Insist that a fee agreement is prepared in writing for signature by you and your lawyer.  Encourage the lawyer to assign less complicated work to less expensive members of the firm like associates, paralegals, and clerks.  Finally, obtain an estimate of the cost of defending the case up front.  This provides you with information necessary to determine whether you should settle the case, helps with budgeting, and serves as a cap on fees by at least requiring a persuasive explanation from your attorney if the cost of defending the case exceeds what was estimated.

Consider alternative and early dispute resolution options.  Arbitration is often less expensive than a full-blown jury trial.  Mediations offer opportunities for adversaries to sit down together and work with a neutral third party to resolve disputes.  These alternative dispute resolution options are less combative and less expensive, and when employed early, can result in significant savings in attorney fees and costs for all parties involved in the dispute.

For a builder to succeed in any economic conditions, he must accept some risk of loss and exposure to liability.  It is good business sense to implement strategies to limit those risks and exposures, especially when money is tight and so many builders are conducting business in new ways.

In addition to the strategies listed here to help reduce risk and exposure, builders who include a warranty on their homes are making a smart decision. A warranty not only eases the buyer’s mind should a defect arise in the future, but it also limits the builder’s liability, thus helping them keep as much of their hard earned profit as possible.