Bulletin Board Magazine [Volume 4-2025]

I would like to congratulate our next President, Kevin Kernahan, as well as the new Officers and Board members. Kevin has the good fortune of having an incredible slate of officers and great members that will support his efforts over the next two years. I’d like to wish Kevin and our newly installed officers and Board, a productive and prosperous period in leading our Association. I’m sure they will have the same support and help in moving forward Kevin’s initiatives. All the Best!

Incoming President's Message

As a kid, I grew up in a new neighborhood in Shark River Hills where the building competitors were Oliver Brothers and Pittenger Builders. I used to sneak into the houses being built. I loved the smell of the freshly cut Douglas Fir in the newly framed homes and knew then I wanted to be a builder. I went to school for architecture and then went into carpentry and learned how to hang doors, cut rafters and install crown molding. I started a remodeling company at the Jersey Shore when I was 28. Things went south in the late 80s and I went to work as a construction manager for a big public homebuilding

Kevin Kernahan, American Properties SBACNJ Incoming President

company where I built several hundred homes, then decided I wanted to develop building lots because I felt I could do a better job than the guys that were doing it at the time. I ended up building thousands of lots for companies like K Hovnanian and Toll Brothers. Now I get to do it all at American Properties with some of the best in the business. We compete with the big boys to build award winning communities and believe me when I tell you: nobody does it better. I joined the Shore Builders association years back in part because this is where I grew up, but also because it’s a valuable trade organization where we can network, be exposed to new products, trends and resources, and support the common cause of home building through advocacy and promotion of our industry. This I consider my primary charge in this role. The truth is, that Builders are an underappreciated and constantly changing group. The political class makes it incredibly hard to get land approvals, and with financialization of homebuilding we’ve seen a consolidation that has virtually eliminated small builders. When I was a young super working for a big national builder, I struggled to get used to the fact that we didn’t seem to be very well liked by the general population. Neighbors, Inspectors, public officials always seemed to be uncooperative or even hostile to us, simply because we were building homes in their neighborhood. One dreary winter day, a senior project manager came in to give us a pep talk. He told us that one of the most important jobs in the world is providing housing. It’s one of society’s greatest needs, yet it’s one of the most difficult things to do, and that we should be proud of our craft. His message rekindled that fire to be a builder, and I’ve carried it with me ever since.

Continued

Bulletin Board | 4 | www.shorebuilders.org

Should housing be part of the plan for any successful society? You would think so. But planning is about the last thing on the list in this state. To be honest, as massive a win for our community the 4 round legislation is, this program feels rushed. Imagine ramming 10 years of planning into 6 months? Who suffers the most as a result? Homebuyers, as administrative costs balloon towards 30 or 40% of a new home. Can you imagine? Your million-dollar mortgage paying 300k in soft costs. Additionally, now that we have created a hole in the skilled labor pool, we can expect wages for skilled workers to continue to rise, so we will see how affordability works out for the next generation of buyer in NJ. Our efforts at the grass roots level to make housing affordable matters, and I am committed to supporting all ideas that truly help lower the cost of housing, by creating value as well as supporting vocational programs that address the shortage of skilled labor in our field. th The builders association is a safe space where we can come together and share the stories, secrets, resources but also, to share our successes, and give back. I look forward to continuing to support the great work of organizations like The Collier House Youth Services, The Boys and Girls Clubs, as well as vocational programs like Ocean County Vocational Technical School. I realized that winter day long ago, that we really have an important job. But it’s not easy, and most people don’t understand how difficult it is. The truth is that few people have the talent, grit and determination to take it on. Local trade organizations like the Shore builders are tremendous options to support one another, and address the need for promotion at the grassroots level. Membership growth in this organization will be a focus for me during these next two years. Growing the ranks of remodeling companies and the trade businesses are an area I think we can add meaningful new members. There was a marketing program at one time put out by a local realtor, and the merch tag line said, “ If you’re going home tonight, thank a builder” What a great message. It amplifies the fact that home builders need to promote themselves. We have tremendous representation at the State level but we need strong locals as well. I commit to promoting camaraderie and support for all the locals in NJ in addition to the NJBA. Thank you to my wife Deb, and to Gina and Christine, whose tireless efforts for this association make the idea of the job manageable. Thank you to the officers and board members for dedicating your time and energy to leading our Association. Thanks to the team at American Properties for supporting me in this endeavor, but most importantly thank you to the Builders and Associates who support this organization with your time talent and treasures for entrusting me with this task, I look forward to working with you. Congratulations to Our Newly Installed Officers, & Board of Directors!

Bulletin Board | 4 | www.shorebuilders.org