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NKBA Columbia River Chapter NewsOregon Amends Construction Lien Law On Residential Properties Oregon has just passed a law which removes the ability of purchasers of residential property to waive lien claims by contractors and provides that unlicensed contractors may not file or perfect a lien against an owner's property. In addition, the law prohibits a person who provided materials, equipment or supplies from filing or perfecting a lien against an owner's property if the person provided materials, equipment or supplies to an unlicensed contractor. Under the prior law, in order to protect the purchaser of residential property from lien claims incurred by the seller prior to the sale but perfected after the sale was complete, the seller was required to assure the purchaser that no liens would be incurred by either purchasing title insurance against a claim, retaining an escrow of at least 25% of the sales price, or obtaining a written waiver from the purchaser waiving the protections of the law. The ability of a purchaser to waive any lien claim against the seller has now been removed. In addition, the amendment provides that unlicensed contractors may not file or perfect a lien against a homeowner's property. It also prohibits others from filing or perfecting a construction lien if they provide materials, equipment or labor to an unlicensed contractor performing work on the property. To assist suppliers with checking the license status of a contractor, the measure authorizes the Construction Contractors Board to notify them upon request of the license status of the contractor. This amendment applies to any new single family residence or a single family residence where the sales price is $50,000 or more or where the contract price for improvements to the residence is $50,000 or more. Please welcome our new 2010 NKBA Columbia River Chapters Officers: President: Jennifer Crawford Reprinted from Medford Mail Tribune 2-12-10 , HBA Spring Home Show Tabloid By NKBA Member Tamara Reichenhammer of Reichenshammer Bulding and Design of Ashland, Oregon Are you dreaming about an “Island”? Is your Kitchen “outdated”? ...”Tired”? ...Just not “Functioning” like it should? Is your microwave oven sitting on the counter? –or on a barstool? Do you have to unplug the blender to use your electric can opener? Oh My !! You need a Kitchen Make-Over...it’s time to revive and enliven the hardest working room in your home with freshness, beauty and function! Decorating options are plentiful at all price points. Lately, we all spend more time enjoying simple pleasures at home instead of taking part in solo leisure activities and eating out. Is your home a nurturing environment that brings relaxation and respite for your busy family and friends? Or, are your counters cluttered with small appliances that didn’t exist when your kitchen was built? A professional kitchen designer can help you organize and re-vitalize even the smallest space with innovative storage solutions and creative design elements. A great kitchen is much more than just cabinets so hiring a professional designer to coordinate all the elements of an effective design, including task and ambient lighting, adequate electrical placements, flooring, ceiling treatments (do you still love that plastic fluorescent look?!), counter tops, back splashes and hardware choices will simplify the decision process and save money on costly mistakes Today semi-custom cabinets, moderately priced, can be ordered in a wide array of wood species with a variety of stains, glazes and new colors with many fashion and speciality finish options such as hand sanded edges or hand-rubbed styles that combine several shades for a unique style. The current shift to a more casual feel, lighter in coloration indicative of traditional Cottage or Old World themes has been refreshed with colors such as biscotti, Irish creme, taupe, or a pale willow instead of plain white. Another new trend is to create an island in a complementary color to harmonize with furnishings in the kitchen or adjacent family room for design impact. Onlays and carved corner posts or corbels complete and complement any design, but a little goes a long way and adds a touch of personality to your project. Your kitchen design professional can show you how to incorporate design elements that will add excitement to your project through the use of mullion doors, moldings and a mix of textures to create an enhanced, harmonious environment. Innovative storage solutions inside the cabinets are another area where professional advice can help utilize every bit of space available. A “ zone” design strategy using pull out and roll out units, specialized drawer inserts and full extension drawer glides brings increased utility and ease for every kitchen task, be it storage, preparation, serving or clean up. The myriad of product choices in today’s marketplace can be confusing, but working with your ideas, an NKBA trained kitchen design professional can make the planning process enjoyable and enable your dream kitchen make-over to become a showcase for you and your culinary creations. Written by Tamara Reichenshammer, Chief Designer Note: At my seminar on kitchen design at the Spring Home Show one woman raised her hand and asked if her husband could do the installation. I said, he could if he had several years of finish carpentry experience. Then I asked if he had a pair of scissors. She replied that he did. I asked if she would allow him to give her a haircut with his scissors–she gasped and said “Absolutely not!”. Some things are best left to a professional. Legislative News National Association of Homebuilders Joins Opposition To Interior Design Licensing At its annual Board of Directors Meeting in Chicago, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) voted to assist in opposing efforts by the interior design lobby to enact restrictive interior design licensing throughout the country. By a unanimous vote, the Board accepted the recommendations of ten other NAHB councils and committees to assist their state chapters in opposing interior design licensing. In issuing its recommendation, the Association voted to "support and assist state and local home builders associations in their efforts to oppose legislation that restricts the ability of NAHB members to practice interior design in the normal pursuit of their residential construction and remodeling business". The passage of the recommendation by the full Board is the culmination of many discussions and a presentation before the NAHB Remodelers Council last May by Edward S. Nagorsky, the General Counsel and Director of Legislative Affairs for the National Kitchen & Bath Association. While the NAHB expressed its support and recognition of the value of special titles, professional designations and certification, it stated that did not support legislation that would limit, prohibit or restrict the practice of interior design by individuals who were not certified or licensed as interior designers. "Interior Designer title and practice acts do not provide a necessary form of consumer protection." NAHB further found that interior design regulation was not necessary to protect the health and safety of the public, and that the passage of such laws would increase the cost of construction and make housing and remodeling less affordable. "We are thrilled that NAHB has recognized the need to join the ever-growing numbers of trade organizations and public interest groups that are opposing the anti-competitive efforts of the American Society of Interior Designers, the International Interior Design Association and their supported coalitions to enact laws which would only serve to benefit the economic self-interest of the few designers who would qualify for licensing." Nagorsky said. "There are now well over 30 groups that are working at the state and national level to oppose these restrictive design laws which add nothing to the protection of the public."
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