Concerns about drywall imported from China during the residential construction boom are spreading to North Carolina. Media outlets in the Triangle have reported that homeowners in Holly Springs filed what appears to be the first lawsuit in N.C. regarding Chinese drywall. The drywall is alleged to contain high levels of sulfur and/or other contaminants. Homes with affected drywall are alleged to have a rotten egg smell, and air conditioning coils, copper components, and certain electrical and plumbing components have a blackened appearance. Visit News 14 and the News & Observerto read the articles.
NAHB has developed a Q&A sheet for builders to use regarding Chinese drywall. Builders with legal questions or questions about customer relations issues about Chinese drywall should contact David Jaffe at 800-368-5242 ext. 8317. Consumers with legal questions should contact their own legal counsel.
Builders CoPilot and NAHB's Business Management & Information Technology Committee are offering the Webinar "Negotiating with YOUR Lender" April 29 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. There is no charge to take part in the program.
SESSION OVERVIEW
Home Builders and developers are caught in a debacle with the credit crisis that plagues our nation’s financial institutions. Traditional lending sources are increasingly pressured to be both profitable and to create stability by regulators, which affecting the building industry. Financial institutions that have been traditional business partners are now doing business under vastly different circumstances and new regulations. These changes challenge even the most robust builders who are searching for ways to keep negotiation options open with their lenders for mutually beneficial arrangements. Hear from those on both sides of the table about options that are proving to work by tuning in to a 60-minute online conference being sponsored by Builders CoPilot (www.builderscopilot.com). This conference is being hosted by a panel of experts including three veteran builders, a leading banking industry attorney, and a seasoned lender.
PANEL DISCUSSION TOPICS: Practices that other builders have found to work in negotiating with lenders; Understanding the pressure that lenders are facing in the credit crisis; Alternative and creative solutions that are being employed by lenders and builders; and Practices of negotiating that will create demise for the builder.
In this 60-minute session, each panelist will discuss techniques and suggestions of practice for attaining successful negotiating solutions between builders and lenders. The discussion will be followed with an open opportunity for questions and answers from all attendees.
PANEL EXPERTS
Moderator: Greg Isenhour, Guts, Inc.
Banking Industry Attorney: Steve S. Camp, Partner, Gardere Wynn Sewell LLP
Banker: Perry Hedrick, Vice President, Regions Financial Services
Builders: Chris Valentine, Hearthside Homes, Kansas City; Joe Lemel, Lemel Homes, Glendale WI; Curt Blomstrand, Focus Realty, Lafayette CA
To register, go to: http://webinar.builderscopilot.com/webinar/. Note that space is limited to the first 1,000 registrants. To obtain additional information about this session, please contact .
The NCHBA BUILD-PAC Trustees have again designated May as BUILD-PAC month. This is a critical year for BUILD-PAC as more than ever, we need to stand together and show our strength. We cannot afford to allow housing opponents take advantage of the current market conditions. This year we are focused on broadening participation and have developed a new category to bring in new BUILD-PAC contributors to expand our base. By simply asking for just $10 from each member, we will reach our goal of 100% participation. We are encouraging all associations to go the extra mile during May and if you have ever thought about supporting BUILD-PAC by holding a fundraiser, this is the month and the time to do it!
Contest Guidelines
Four groups have been established, based on the 2009 BUILD-PAC goal for the association. As you may remember, BUILD-PAC goals were established by a formula of $10 per member, so competition will be among associations with similar membership size. Look to see which associations you are competing against for first place in your category.
To encourage greater participation between associations, prizes will be awarded to the winner of each category in each group – for a total of 12 prizes. Prizes will be awarded in the following categories during BUILD-PAC month:
• Highest percentage of member participation between May 1 – May 31
• Highest percentage of goal raised May 1 – May 31
• Most new contributors* (as a percentage of overall membership) between May 1 – May 31
The prizes for each group are:
• Group One – the winner in each category will win $100
• Group Two – the winner in each category will win $200
• Group Three – the winner in each category will win $300
• Group Four – the winner in each category will win $400
The winning associations will have the option of depositing the prize money into their local BUILD-PAC reserve or their general fund. Please use your new BUILD-PAC toolkits to help you raise money - contribution forms, PowerPoint presentations and other educational materials are valuable tools to use in your fundraising efforts. Be creative! If you would like a list of past contributors or additional copies of forms, please contact
. Remember that any personal contribution postmarked by May 31 will qualify towards your association’s total for this contest. ** Please do not send cash in the mail - instead get a money order or cashiers check from a bank to send with your list of contributors.
Thank you for making BUILD-PAC a priority!
* New contributors are individuals who have not given to NCHBA BUILD-PAC in the previous five years (May 1, 2004 – April 30, 2009).
** We only count actual contributions given in the month of May, not pledges.
More than 1,500 students from across North Carolina gathered in Greensboro April 21-23 for the 44th annual SkillsUSA Leadership & Skills Conference. Students competed in more than 85 competitions, including carpentry, TeamWorks, cabinet making, masonry and residential wiring.
A special thanks to all of the NCHBA members who helped volunteer at SkillsUSA and judge the carpentry competition, including Danny Adams, Erik Anderson, Kevin Annas, Dan Betsworth, Eddie Boswell, Jerry Cowan, Greg Fitchly, Mike Gurley, Darrel Hamilton, Buddy Hughes, Kaye Leonard, Kep Paylor, Paul Mullican, Hershel Redding, Brian Robinette, Richard Soderquist and Kelley St. Germain. NCHBA would also like to thank Builders Mutual Insurance Co. for their generous donation of hard hats for contestants.
The STARS awards program honors builders, associates, realtors, advertising professionals and many others who make major contributions to the residential home building industry. Enter your favorite projects, and then join us for an evening of excitement on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at the Hilton Charlotte Center City Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Please note that category numbering has changed slightly this year, with the addition of a brand new category - Best Internet Marketing/Advertising Project - to the marketing and advertising section of the program. Also, pricing has been reworked for the Single Family Detached Home and Attached Home Plan categories.
Entries will be accepted now through July 31, 2009. Don’t be left out of this exciting event! Enter today!
Are you introducing a new product in the Southeast? Thinking of ways to increase company name and brand recognition? Sign up to be a sponsor at the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference, the fastest growing home building trade show in the Southeast. Opportunities available include lanyards, bags, dessert bar, conference lunch, educational conference and break services. Prices range, depending on your needs. Don't miss the opportunity. Visit the Sponsorship page at www.21buildingexpo.com or call Heather Crews at 1-800-662-7129. The faster you sign up, the more marketing exposure you will get!
Congratulations to Zac Koenig, Region 10 Vice President, and his wife Jama on the birth of their daughter, Emma Leni on April 22. Emma weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.
The North Carolina Home Builders Educational & Charitable Foundation, Inc. is now accepting nominations and applications for its college scholarships. The foundation awards scholarships based on a combination of need and merit to four-year college students entering their junior or senior year and technical school students entering their second year who have declared their major in a construction related field.
To be eligible a student must meet the following criteria:
Applicants must be nominated by a NCHBA member firm.
Nominees shall be immediate family members (i.e. children, step-children or grandchildren). Students related by marriage, (i.e. son-in-law, daughter-in-law, etc.) shall not be eligible.
Immediate family members of any current trustee of the NCHB Educational & Charitable Foundation, Inc. shall not be eligible.
Awards are for one year, but scholarship winners may submit a renewal application and be considered for renewal if they make satisfactory progress in their studies.
Only full-time students will be considered. NCHBA defines a full-time student as one taking a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester.
The deadline for entries is April 30, 2009. For a nomination form or an application packet, contact NCHBA at (800) 662-7129; (919) 676-9090 or e-mail: . Mail completed applications to: North Carolina Home Builders Association (NCHBA), P. O. Box 99090, Raleigh, NC 27624.
Join the Associates Committee June 9 at Bonefish Grill at the Lassister for the Lunch & Learn Seminar, "Where is the ROI for Social Media?".Carol M. Flammer, MIRM, CAPS, CSP, will be the featured speaker. Carol is Managing Partner of mRELEVANCE, LLC, a firm that combines the power of Internet marketing, social media and public relations.
The seminar is scheduled in conjunction with the NCHBA 2nd Quarter Board Meeting being held across the street at the Renaissance Hotel. Tickets are $23 if you pre-register and will include lunch. The seminar will be from 12:15 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Registration is required. Tickets purchased on-site will be $28.
The Asheville Home Builders Association will be offering the Green Building for Building Professionals Course on May 13-14 and the Business Management for Building Professionals Course on May 15. Please click here for course details and sign up info. Deadline to register is April 29. Please contact the AHBA at (828) 299-7001 or e-mail at
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The Lake Norman HBA is offering the Green Building for Building Professionals class May 19-20 and Business Management for Building Professionals class May 21. Go to http://www.lakenormanhba.com/certifiedgreenprofessional.html for more information and registration. The deadline to register is May 13.
Code Update Seminar Scheduled
The Moore County HBA BUILD-PAC Committee is hosting a N.C. Building Code Update Seminar on May 14. Robert Privott, Director of Codes and Construction, will be the guest speaker and will highlight the changes between the 2006 and 2009 North Carolina residential code. Some of the code changes he will be addressing become effective July 1, 2009.
If you have a question about building codes, this is your chance to ask! The seminar will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the MCHBA Office located at 10022 Highway 211 East in Aberdeen. The fee is $20 and lunch will be provided. Proceeds go to BUILD-PAC. Contact the MCHBA at 910-944-2992 or .
**NEW**The Triad Green Building Council is offering both NAHB courses required to achieve the NAHB Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation. Green Building for Building Professionals will be offered June 2-3 at the Greensboro Builders Association office. Danny Gough, CGP, Energy Solutions, will be the instructor. Registration deadline is May 22.
Business Management for Building Professionals will be offered June 17 at the Greensboro Builders Association office. Steve Monroe, CGP, SME & Associates, will be the instructor. Registration deadline is June 5.
Congress Should Encourage Home Energy Efficiency With Tax Cuts And Incentives, NAHB Says The National Association of Home Builders called on Congress today to ensure that legislation intended to make homes more energy efficient focuses on measures that provide the greatest environmental benefit without putting housing affordability at risk.
NAHB Construction, Codes and Standards Committee Chair Dwight “Sonny” Richardson, a home builder in Tuscaloosa, Ala., made several recommendations to the House Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment when he testified at a hearing today on the American Clean Energy Security Act.
First, legislation must be flexible and include not just the savings achieved from insulated doors, windows and wall cavities, but also energy-efficient heating and air conditioning systems – or a combination of insulation and appliance requirements depending on the home’s location or market preference. “Don’t modify codes and standards so that they can’t accommodate every state’s climate demands simultaneously or equally,” Richardson said. Click here for the entire article.
Statement From NAHB Chairman Joe Robson On The Net Operating Loss Carryback Issue
Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Tulsa, Okla., last week issued the following statement on the need to expand the current net operating loss carryback law:
“Since February 2006, residential construction has lost nearly 1 million jobs and this figure continues to grow on a monthly basis. In order to put builders back to work and help to revive housing and the economy, we continue to call on Congress and the Obama Administration to do everything possible to expand the net operating loss (NOL) carryback provision that was contained in the recently enacted economic stimulus legislation. NAHB supports the fullest and most robust NOL carryback provision possible in order to avert more costly layoffs in construction and other industries that would take an even worse toll on the nation’s economy. As part of this expanded NOL carryback, NAHB also supports measures to ensure that an enhanced NOL rule would not create any undue advantages in the marketplace.” Click here for the entire article.
More than 1,500 students from across North Carolina gathered in Greensboro April 21-23 for the 44th annual SkillsUSA Leadership & Skills Conference. Students competed in more than 85 competitions, including carpentry, TeamWorks, cabinet making, masonry and residential wiring. 
The STARS awards program honors builders, associates, realtors, advertising professionals and many others who make major contributions to the residential home building industry. Enter your favorite projects, and then join us for an evening of excitement on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at the Hilton Charlotte Center City Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina.
