By Jonathan Sweet. As editor in chief of Professional Remodeler, a lot of information crosses my desk. This blog will be a chance to share some of that with you, with an immediacy not possible with a monthly magazine. It's also your chance to tell me what you think about what I have to say. Whether you agree or disagree, I hope you won't be shy. Post here, write me at jonathan.sweet@reedbusiness.com or you can also follow me on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sweetedit. en-us http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335.html?nid=3648 Copyright 2009 Reed Business Information. Subject to its Terms of Use Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:35:56 PST http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1480050748.html?nid=3648 Don't forget, you've got only one week left to get your comments into the EPA on the proposed changes to the lead paint rules. More on this from... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/980050698.html?nid=3648 The New York Times today has more on the so-called "Cash for Caulkers" program (more officially known as Homestar). It's a program tha... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/910050491.html?nid=3648 The comment period is now open for the EPA's proposal to eliminate the opt-out provision from the new lead paint rule set to take effect next ... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/710050471.html?nid=3648 While the new home buyer tax credit helped boost sales in the third quarter of the year, its impact was mostly psychological and it stole from... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/500050450.html?nid=3648 A round-up of the news and views around the Web today affecting the housing industry: Online referral service ServiceMagic says its qua... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1520050352.html?nid=3648 A remodeler I talked to last week at the Remodeling Show said, "Things are slowly getting less worse." That sentiment seems to be echo... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/650050265.html?nid=3648 The headline says it all folks. That was the general feeling I got from talking to remodelers and exhibitors there. We all had such low expectation... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1120050112.html?nid=3648 Consumer confidence dropped this month for the second month in a row, according to The Conference Board. The nearly six-point drop fro... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/900050090.html?nid=3648 I'll be tweeting live from the Remodeling Show in Indianapolis starting Wednesday, so be sure to head over to www.twitter.com/SweetEdit, where I'll... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1840049984.html?nid=3648 There's some good news coming out of Washington today about the Home Valuation Code of Conduct, which regulates who can perform appraisals and has ... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1770049977.html?nid=3648 Sens. Jay Rockefeller, D-W.V., and Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, recently introduced a bill (S. 1792)that would make it easier for windows to qualify for... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1620049962.html?nid=3648 Remodelers may be unintentionally promising more than they can deliver when advertising energy-efficient remodels, according to a recent study from... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1290049929.html?nid=3648 Sounds like the Obama administration is not sold on extending the first-time homebuyer tax credit, if today's comments by HUD Secretary Shaun Donov... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1200049920.html?nid=3648 No surprise this was going to happen: the IRS is apparently investigating more than 100,000 claims of the new homebuyer tax credit for potential fr... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1050049905.html?nid=3648 A roundup of some of the news and views affecting the housing industry around the Web today: The 2009 Drop in Construction Materials Prices ... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/260049826.html?nid=3648 In case you missed it, the Market Leaders list is now online at www.HousingZone.com/marketleaders. The Market Leaders is our annual list of the ... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1820049782.html?nid=3648 Theremodeling market will continue to slow through the end of this year before starting to turnaround in 2010, according to the latest Leading Indi... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1680049768.html?nid=3648 A majority of GuildQuality members think the housing market gotten just as about as good as it's going to get in the near future, accordi... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1040049704.html?nid=3648 After one year of caring about the environment, consumers are back to putting a higher value on beauty. That's according to the latest Energy ... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1180049718.html?nid=3648 A roundup of some of the news and views affecting the housing industry around the Web today: Gotta admit this was a bit of a surprise: New J... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/320049632.html?nid=3648 Trulia, a real estate data company, is out with a new report that predicts further home price declines through at least the end of the year because... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1820049382.html?nid=3648 I'll be at the NAHB Fall Board meetings tomorrow and Friday and I'll be "tweeting" any news through my Twitter account (@SweetEdit). I ex... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/450049245.html?nid=3648 You can now apply to be an EPA-certified lead renovation firm. Starting April 22, any company that remodels pre-1978 homes or other child-... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/1700049170.html?nid=3648 Now I realize it can be frustrating when clients won't pay their bill ... but tearing down the addition and getting involved in a six-hour standoff... http://www.housingzone.com/proremodeler/blog/1350000335/post/430049043.html?nid=3648 The latest Home Remodeling & Repair Index from ServiceMagic.com highlights growth in smaller projects like kitchens and baths, but continued de...