HBA Honors Late Builder by Creating Grants for Young Professionals
Derek Weiss was an ambitious business owner whose work brought bespoke and handcrafted millworks, cabinetry and furniture pieces to Detroit. The third-generation carpenter who worked at Home Dimensions Custom Carpentry in Holly, Mich., tragically passed away at the age of 39 in 2021.
In his honor, the Home Builders Association of Southeastern Michigan announced four $1,000 grants for HBA members to attend the 2025 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS), an event Weiss greatly benefited from in growing his business.
The grants were made by the 3 Rivers Community Foundation to four individuals aged 40 or younger, who are licensed remodelers or builders in Michigan and current members of the HBA.
The awardees are:
- Jacob Morris Beer of Nosan Signature Homes in Farmington Hills
- Hussein Mokahal of The LED Lion, Inc. in Dearborn Heights
- Gordon Russell III of Russell Building Company in St. Clair Shores
- Maxwell Zervos of Zervos Construction in Farmington
Latest from NAHBNow
As the housing industry faces a severe labor shortage, NAHB members report that increased immigration enforcement and jobsite raids are heightening worker fears and further straining the construction labor pool.
NAHB Chairman Bill Owens was on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., yesterday to help open the 2026 Innovative Housing Showcase, an annual event presented by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Latest Economic News
Total tax revenue collected by state and local governments was up 5.8% from a year ago in the second quarter, according to the Quarterly Summary of State and Local Government Tax Revenue published by the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the highest year-over-year growth since the third quarter of 2024 (7.2%).
New home sales improved in August, but the monthly gain masked continued weakness in the broader new-home market. Elevated mortgage rates and ongoing affordability challenges continue to constrain demand, with new home sales remaining below last year’s pace and year-to-date sales lower than in 2025.
Adults ages 55 and older make up a large and growing share of the U.S. population and play an important role in the U.S. housing market. In 2024, around 103 million Americans were ages 55 or older, ranging from adults still in the labor force to retirees.