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!
If you are planning to attend NAHB Spring Board in Washington, D.C., don't miss out on the exciting luncheon seminar, "Strength in Numbers - Exploring United Fronts with Friends in Housing," offered by the NAHB Women's Council and General Electric. The luncheon will feature an exciting panel of influential organization leaders discussing their unique and popular strategies for building successful legislative advocacy programs.
The luncheon is scheduled for Friday, May 29 from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Marriott Wardman Park McKinley Room. Registration is $20 if you register before May 25. Check out the luncheon flyer for more information and registration details.
The National Association of Home Builders’ upcoming annual membership drive - National Membership Day - is shaping up to be a tremendous effort to defend membership in these challenging times. North Carolina Home Builders Association members are gearing up to do their utmost to recruit and retain members during this year’s effort.
The call-in portion of the effort is Tuesday, May 19. This year, the focus has expanded to include retention in National Membership Day efforts and rewards. NAHB’s own team of superheroes has developed several new things to give life to this year’s campaign – extended double Spike credits, the City of Superheroes game, Vanity and her evil apathy powder attacks – so much to take in!
The 2009 campaign is on a 3-month schedule, awarding double Spike credits for participating associations for March, April and May, and awarding recruiters and local associations for their performance for this same 3-month time period.
By mid-June, when the May membership numbers have been finalized, the National Membership Day prize ordering site will be made available online at www.nahb.org/membershipdefenders and HBAs will be able to place orders for recruiter prize.
During last year’s event focused on recruitment, 100 percent of NCHBA’s local associations called in their new member pledges. NCHBA ranked first among state associations in the nation with 780 members pledged. The Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County came in third among the nation’s locals with 205 members pledged. In total, associations across the country recruited 6,930 new member pledges.
Mark your calendar now to become a Membership Defender!
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, 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.
NAHB is still in need of stories from builders about AD&C lending. To date, more than 100 builders across the nation have shared their ongoing AD&C financing problems, but to make the case as compelling as possible, we need even more examples.
NAHB will use these examples to create case studies that will bolster our arguments with federal regulators, legislators and others to illustrate the degree of the crisis our industry is facing.
If you are having problems with AD&C lending, please fill out the online questionnaire at www.nahb.org/adccasestudy. And if you know another member who is experiencing difficulties, please ask them to complete the questionnaire. Thanks for your help in this matter.
Registration for the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference (21CBEC) in Charlotte Sept. 16-18 is officially open. 21CBEC is one of the fastest growing regional builder shows in the nation, with attendance projected to surpass 5,000.
If you are a builder, remodeler, realtor, subcontractor or anyone else involved in the home building industry, you don’t want to miss this chance to see a large array of products and services by the industry’s leading manufacturers and suppliers. In addition, a three-day educational conference includes a line-up of more than 50 general session seminars, North Carolina Builder Institute courses and NAHB University of Housing classes ranging from “Green Building” to “Thriving in Times of Uncertainty.”
It is free to attend the Expo floor only. Simply register before Sept. 15, and you can visit the exhibit hall filled with more than 350 exhibits showcasing products and services.
In order to take advantage of general session seminars, you must purchase a full delegate badge at $75 ($100 after Sept. 15), which includes conference lunches, Expo floor access and unlimited general session courses. Continuing education fees vary. These fees include the course, full delegate registration, conference lunches and the Expo floor. Visit the Web site for details.
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 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.
NAHB: Big Wins for Move-Up Buyers in a Down Market
Potential home buyers who aren’t eligible for the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit because they currently own a home actually have what could be an even bigger advantage — the opportunity to buy a new home that is bigger and better than they could have just a year or two before.
“Now may be an ideal time for any family looking to upgrade from their starter home to one more suited to their current or future needs,” said Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder from Tulsa, Okla. “Buyers are able to get more home for their money by taking advantage of current prices and interest rates, along with the bargaining power that comes from the large number of homes on the market.” Click here for the entire article.
Most Baby Boomers Prefer to Age in Place, But Growing Numbers Head to Age-Restricted Communities Most Baby Boomers, like their parents, are choosing to “age in place,” but a large and growing number – more than 1.2 million households – are choosing to move to communities designed to meet their needs, according to a study released today by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and the MetLife Mature Market Institute (MMI). The data is significant because by 2010 the Boomers will represent one quarter of the U.S. population – a group that will greatly impact the choices available in the housing market.
“The Baby Boomers’ influence on housing choices has been profound, and will have a huge impact on trends in housing for the mature market as that age group continues to move toward retirement,” said Sandra Timmerman, director of the MetLife Mature Market Institute. “Some findings, such as the tendency for buyers in 55+ communities to continue to work in greater numbers and for longer periods of time, show us that this group is redefining the traditional notion of retirement to suit their lifestyle choices.” Click here for the entire article.
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.
The National Association of Home Builders’ upcoming annual membership drive - National Membership Day - is shaping up to be a tremendous effort to defend membership in these challenging times. North Carolina Home Builders Association members are gearing up to do their utmost to recruit and retain members during this year’s effort.
Registration for the 21st Century Building Expo & Conference (21CBEC) in Charlotte Sept. 16-18 is officially open. 21CBEC is one of the fastest growing regional builder shows in the nation, with attendance projected to surpass 5,000. 
