The NCHBA 2nd Quarter Committee Meetings, Legislative Conference and Board Meeting will be held at the Renaissance Raleigh Hotel at North Hills in Raleigh June 9-10.
Regular committee meetings are scheduled for Tuesday. The Legislative Reception will be held at the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh Tuesday evening from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. This is a great chance to meet your House and Senate members and begin a dialog on our most pressing issues. On Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to noon, we will visit the General Assembly and meet with our legislators and ask members to vote favorably on our issues.
Hotel Reservations The deadline for hotel reservations is May 18. Be sure to mention the North Carolina Home Builders Association to receive the group rate of $159 single/double. Call 1-888-236-2427 or (919) 571-8773 to reserve your room.
Social Networking Seminar 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.
Note: if you plan to attend the seminar AND the Legislative Conference you must fill out both registration forms.
Home building industry leaders honored the best in green residential design and outstanding advocacy efforts at the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) National Green Building Awards.
The awards dinner on May 8 kicked off the 11th annual NAHB National Green Building Conference, which was held in Dallas last weekend. Don Ferrier of Ferrier Custom Homes in Fort Worth, honored as the 2007 Green Builder Advocate of the Year, served as master of ceremonies.
Congratulations to Red-B Construction, whose Durham home remodel won Single-family Remodeling Project of the Year. The home has a striking design and extensive use of deconstruction techniques that improve resource efficiency.
Seminar to discuss getting members involved in legislative issues
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!
Don't forget about Bonded Builders "Spirit of Membership" award
As we celebrate Membership Day on May 19, don't miss out on the Bonded Builders Warranty Group "Spirit of Membership Award", which will award a $35 gas gift card to local association members who bring in their first ever new member that is approved by your association. Along with the $35 gas card Bonded Builders will provide a framed certificate of recognition printed on fine parchment paper.
Any member of your association is eligible to receive this award when they bring in their first ever new member to your association. Others can also receive the award by bringing a paid new member application to a local golf tournament. Their recruit may also receive this award should they play in the same tournament. Bonded Builders is doing this to help stimulate membership at a time when members are not thinking about asking. An association does not need to have participated in the Spirit of Membership programs in the past in order to participate now.
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 Erin Jones. 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.
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!
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 .
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 To Host Media Teleconference On Claiming Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits Newly expanded federal tax credits for energy efficiency are providing consumers with added incentives for upgrading their homes. Homeowners now can claim up to $1,500 in tax credits for remodeling their principal residence to reduce energy consumption through the enhanced Existing Home Retrofit (25C) tax credit. During a media teleconference next week, NAHB’s Director of tax issues will discuss how to take advantage of the credit, while three professional remodelers from around the country will provide examples of the types of projects that may qualify, such as adding insulation, replacing doors and windows, and updating heating and cooling systems. The panelists will also provide guidance on selecting a qualified remodeler and certifying home remodelers under the National Green Building Standard, which is the only national standard to certify green home remodeling and renovation projects. Click here for information on how to participate.
Spring Thaw In Prices and Rates, Plus Incentives Draw Home Buyers The frozen housing market appears to be thawing as more buyers are finding the current historically low interest rates, stabilizing prices and tax credit refund incentives irresistible.
“Today’s market offers an incredible opportunity with the unprecedented combination of a 40-year low in interest rates, prices returning to normal levels in many markets, and limited-time tax incentives,” said Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders and a home builder from Tulsa, Okla.
The number of homes under contract increased in March, according to the National Association of Realtors’ Pending Home Sales Index, which increased 3.2 percent from February to March. Click here for the entire article.
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 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.
