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 More than 25 years ago, the housing industry was facing a crisis similar to the one facing it today: people weren’t buying houses. One builder, Barnette Crabtree of Sun River Builders Signature Homes, decided to get creative and built a home in the parking lot of Northgate Mall.
“The market was real bad then too,” he said. “People weren’t coming out to look at houses then, so we decided to bring the house to them.”
It turned out to be a success, so Barnette and his son Matt are employing the same strategy now at the Streets at Southpoint Mall in Durham, where around 15 million visitors come each year. Right outside the mall entrance, in the path of thousands of mall visitors each day, is a 1 ½ story, 1,206 square foot bungalow-style home with two bedrooms, one bath and a loft. The Go Green Cottage features the latest in energy efficiency, meeting NAHB/Green Home Builders of the Triangle standards as well as ENERGY STAR standards.
 And perhaps the best part? The house is selling for $89,900 and can be moved to a lot the buyer owns.
The home includes a long list of green features, including low-flow faucets, covered entrance, a sealed crawlspace to control moisture, high-quality insulation, Energy-Star appliances, sealed duct-work, carpet made of recycled plastic, low-e insulated vinyl windows and James Hardie Color Plus siding .
Built in just seven days, Sun River Builders hosted a grand opening ceremony March 28 with a steady stream of visitors. The model will be open until May 22.
For more information, including specifications and green details, visit www.gogreencottage.com.
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.jpg) The Home Builders Association of Alamance-Caswell County hosted its sixth annual Carpenters Cup Challenge - an annual carpentry competition that helped raise much-needed funds for high school carpentry programs - Saturday, March 21.
Five local high schools had a team of students, a local builder and carpentry teacher to build five storage buildings. Participating schools were: Graham High School, Eastern High School, Sellars Gunn, Southern High School and Western High School. They used the same plans and were judged on their skill, time and craftsmanship. A local builder, school official and local inspector served as judges and a trophy was awarded to the winning team that afternoon.
The winner of this year’s competition was the Eastern High School Team. About $7,000 was raised and donated to the programs, thanks to monetary donations and donations of materials. A few buildings are still available for $1,600, which includes free delivery in
Alamance
County
.
Special thanks to several members who have donated materials and monetary donations for the event:
| Ace Portable Restrooms |
Adams Towing and Recovery |
| Beaver Construction |
Biscuitville |
| Bowell Construction |
Brown Construction |
| Builders Mutual Ins. Co. |
Castle Rock Enterprises |
| Concept Builders |
Davis Roofing |
| DeBoer & Gabriel Builds Inc. |
Doggett Realty & Construction |
| GCF Inc. |
Hunter Custom Builders |
| LP Corporation |
Let's Talk Trash |
| Lowe's of Burlington |
Lowe's of Mebane |
| Mebco, Inc. |
Modern Builders |
| Overman Building Supply |
Pella Windows |
| Ray Whitesell Construction |
Robert Smith GC |
| Scott Stone |
Shoffner Construction & Dev. |
| Universal Forest Products |
Zack's Hotdogs |
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 Homeowners Trish Holder and Mark Raines of Greensboro will be showcasing their GREENSPRIRATION Home, a showcase home for modern green building practices that do not undermine the comfort, beauty or budget of a traditional upper middle-class home, during March and April.
Since breaking ground in July 2008, the Holder-Raines have documented their entire green building experience via the http://www.greenspirationhome.com/ Web site. Their goal has been to educate and increase awareness among homeowners regarding the latest green building technologies. By providing candid information about their experiences (good and bad), the couple hopes to provide a "cheat sheet" of sorts for homeowners who want to build (or renovate). In addition, they have sought to use and promote as many locally-sourced materials - from brick to furniture - as they possibly could.
"We want to show that ‘being green' also goes hand-in-hand with supporting the local economy because it keeps transport emissions down. Plus, we really wanted to show our loyalty to some important N.C. industries like textiles, furniture and lumber," said Trish Holder, a writer and marketing consultant for the Heating Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) industry.
Greensboro Builders Association members Don and Megan Cohan of Signature Homes by D. Cohan Inc. built the GREENSPIRATION Home. “We saw this as an opportunity to learn and work as a team with Mark and Trish,” said Megan. “We also realize this is where the industry is going, and what we learn will enable us to build better houses in the future.”
The Greenspiration Home will be open for tours on Saturdays (11am - 5pm) and Sundays (1pm - 5pm) on the following dates: March 28-29, April 4-5, April 18-19 and April 25-26. All proceeds of the "Nature Nurture Days" go to benefit the Greensboro Chapter of the American Red Cross, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, Autism Society of North Carolina, and the United Way of Greater Greensboro. For more information, visit www.greenspirationhome.com.
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 The Carteret County HBA held its Past Presidents Dinner Feb. 26 in Atlantic Beach. NCHBA President Frank Wiesner joined the group and invited two high school students who are officers of the Skills USA program in North Carolina. They had attended a press conference at the Legislature earlier in the day announcing plans for vocational education legislation.
Photo from left: Bill Boulia, President CCHBA, Justin Parnin, student at West Carteret High School Jr. and Eastern Regional VP of North Carolina Skills USA , NCHBA President Frank Wiesner, Stephen Lupton, student at West Carteret High School Jr. and State President of Skills USA North Carolina, and Ray Rhodes, NCHBA Immediate Past President. |
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The North Carolina Home Builders Association invites you to join us at the annual Builders Classic Golf Tournament April 17 at Whispering Pines Country Club. All proceeds go to the North Carolina Home Builders Educational & Charitable Foundation Inc., a program that awards scholarships to college students majoring in a construction-related field at a two-year or four-year college.
The tournament promises to be an exciting event, with players having the opportunity to network with other industry professionals as they contribute to a worthy cause. The 18-hole course offers large greens and rolling fairways lined with pines and strategically-placed bunkers. Check-in is at 8 a.m., with a 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament is Captain's Choice format. The cost is $85 per person or $340 per team, and includes green fees, cart fee, beverages, Thursday evening dinner and lunch Friday. To register or for more information view, the Builders Classic Golf Tournament Flyer.
In 2007, a challenge was issued to all current or former presidents of a local, state or national association to put together a foursome and compete in the "President's Challenge." We plan to continue the competition this year, and once this year’s winner is announced after the tournament, the actual President’s Cup will be monogrammed and delivered to the winning president at his/her local association where it will reside (with full bragging rights) until next year when it will come back out and be competed for once again. Congratulations again to the 2008 winner, Buddy Hughes of the HBA of Davidson County.
To add to the competitive spirit of this year’s NCHBECF Golf Tournament, Bonded Builders Home Warranty is offering an incentive to those who recruit new members through the Spirit of Membership program. If any member at the tournament brings a new member paid application to the tournament, the recruiting member will receive a $35 gas card. If the applicant plays in the tournament, both get a $35 gas card. The new member may be a builder, associate or affiliate member. Click here for more information on the Spirit of Membership program offered by Bonded Builders.
For more information on the scholarship eligibility and to receive a packet of information, visit the NCHBA Web site at www.nchba.com.
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HBADOC member Zinn Design Build was featured in BUILDER Magazine's "SuccessStories" column for their Claremont neighborhood.
The Women's Council honored individual and state and local council achievement for 2008 during the International Builder's Show in Las Vegas last month. The winners from North Carolina:
Ann Crenella of the Cabarrus County HBA and the Professional Women in Building Council was named Executive Officer of the Year. Crenella was honored for her efforts in attending meeting, helping coordinate the Council and HBA efforts, assisting in recruitment, and other efforts on behalf of her members. She also was honored for involvement in state and national activities and the respect she receives from her peers.
Professional Women in Building of the HBA of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties won Council of the Year in the smaller size category. This council not only provides members a newsletter, networking events and educational programs, it also was judged to have an outstanding community service activity. Council members volunteered for a Habitat for Humanity Blitz building in three counties, resulting in 10 homes in 10 days.
Professional Women in Building of the HBA of Durham, Orange, and Chatham Counties, Emilee Collins, President won first place, a $500 scholarship and certificate for Outstanding Membership Recruitment and Retention Program for a Council of 4-35 members.
Second Place, $300 Scholarship & Certificate for Outstanding Community Outreach Program went to Professional Women in Building of the HBA of Durham, Orange and Chatham Counties, Emilee Collins, President.
Becky Petree of the Iradell County HBA Professional Women in Building received a Merillat “Women of the Future” Grant, presented to Women’s Council members who are pursuing careers in the building industry and are committed to both the industry and education.
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Your NHCBA senior officers - Frank Wiesner, Lyle Gardner, Bill Daleure, Rick Shields and Ray Rhodes - often visit local HBAs to talk about NCHBA, recognize special events or present awards. In this column, we will tell you where some of them are going and where they've been.
Frank Wiesner
April 7 - Construction Careers Day, Winston-Salem
April 13 - Moore Co. HBA Meeting
April 20 - Albemarle-Stanly HBA Meeting
April 21 - Roxboro-Person HBA Meeting
April 23 - Skills USA Breakfast - Greensboro
May 5 - Onslow Co. HBA Meeting
May 21 - Wilkes Co. HBA Meeting
Frank Wiesner visits the Lincoln County HBA.
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Anytime you take a Builders University class at your local HBA, you can earn North Carolina Builder Institute (NCBI) credit, too. Credit applies toward AA and AB designations.
Builders Mutual Insurance Company's risk management experts bring the latest safety solutions and risk management programs to you through Builders University classes. You may even qualify for a Builders Mutual insurance discount by attending and becoming Fall Protection Certified. View the Builders University schedule, and reserve your spot. Seating is limited, so register today!
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The Lake Norman HBA University now offers the NCBI Accreditation Program as part of their program of classes! No longer will you have to drive to Raleigh for your NCBI designation courses. Classes are being held at Mitchell Community College in Mooresville, N.C., on a monthly basis. The cost for HBA members is $180 per 8 hours and $95 per 4 hours. Upon completion, builders receive this prestigious designation not only with NCBI, but also with the North Carolina Licensing Board for General Contractors. Click here for the brochure.
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Jan. 1–Oct. 31, 2009
NCHBA Membership Drive
April 17
NCHBECF, Inc. “Builder Classic” Scholarship Golf Tournament
Whispering Pines, N.C.
May 19
NAHB National Membership Day
May 26–31
NAHB Spring Board
Washington, D.C.
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