Don't forget National Membership Day is tomorrow - May 19. The annual membership drive 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.
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.
Hotel reservation deadline for NCHBA Legislative Conference is today, May 18
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.
The May is BUILD-PAC month contest is almost over! There are only two weeks left in this special competition where local associations can directly benefit from your contribution. We are encouraging all members 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!
Thank you to the local associations who have worked hard to get contributions early this month. To date, we have raised over $9,000 in the month of May alone! However, we still have many local associations that need to get involved. Remember, the more members that give, the better chance you have at winning!
As of May 18, the overall leaders are: Highest Percentage of Member Participation: Franklin County HBA (15%) Highest Percentage of Goal Raised: Craven-Pamlico Counties HBA (115%) Most New Contributors: Franklin County HBA (8%)
If you would like a list of past contributors to assist in your efforts, please contact Erin Jones at (919) 676-9090 or . Remember that any personal contribution postmarked by May 31 will qualify towards your association’s total for this contest.
Keep up the hard work and thank you making NCHBA BUILD-PAC a priority this year!
HUD Action Allows Home Buyers To Use $8,000 Tax Credit For Downpayments On FHA-Insured Loans
Helping first-time buyers use their $8,000 tax credit at closing is the goal of new guidance anticipated to come from HUD in the near future. HUD is looking at allowing FHA-approved lenders, federal, state and local government agencies, and FHA-approved non-profit organizations to supply home buyers with short-term "bridge loans" for up to the full amount of the credit. The guidance is also expected to address longer-term, second lien programs that a number of state housing finance agencies have tied to the home buyer tax credit.
NAHB publicly commended HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan for his willingness to consider such actions this week, which would go a long way toward helping potential buyers over the single biggest hurdle most of them face – lack of a sufficient downpayment. Currently, first-time buyers who are eligible for the new tax credit are unable to put it to work until after they have filed their next annual tax return or an amended 2008 tax return and received their refund from the IRS. NAHB leaders recently discussed the need for such guidance in a meeting with the HUD Secretary.
Stay tuned to the NAHB Monday Morning Briefing and NBN Online for the latest news on this potentially very significant government action. In the meantime, for more information about the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, please visit www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com.
The withdrawal of a proposed RESPA rule by the Department of Housing and Urban Development last week marks a significant victory for NAHB members. The rule in question, which was proposed in the waning days of the Bush Administration, would have prohibited builders from offering incentives for buyers to use the builder’s affiliated title and mortgage services.
This would have eliminated an extremely valuable selling tool for many home builders. NAHB and a coalition of our members therefore initiated court action against the proposal in December 2008, and that action forced HUD to delay implementation of the new rule and sparked a public process in which the agency received over 1,200 comments.
At the end of the comment period last week, HUD decided it should withdraw the proposed rule, thereby allowing builders to continue to provide incentives for use of affiliated services. One important note: HUD may still come back in the future and conduct a new rulemaking on the "required use" definition that was at the heart of this issue.
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!
ABC 11's Larry Stogner recently profiled the "Habitat Geezers," a group of retirees who helps the Durham Habitat for Humanity build homes for those in need. Watch the video
The Wilmington-Cape Fear HBA is offering an EPA Renovation, Repair and Painting Regulation Seminar for builders, remodelers or contractors who may come in contact with lead-based paint while working on residential and commercial projects. The seminar is scheduled for May 27 at Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Realty from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. with lunch included. Cost is $35 for WCFHBA members and $45 for nonmembers. Contact Lindsay Fletcher at (910) 799-2611 for more information.
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.
The Charleston Trident Home Builders Association and the Sustainability Institute are joining together to bring the first Green Educational Conference and Tradeshow to the Charleston region. Atlantic Green will be held June 19-20 at 10 StoreHouse Row in the Navy Yard at Noisette.
For more information on Atlantic Green, please visit www.hbacharleston.com or call the Charleston Trident Home Builders Association at (843) 572-1414.
The Wilmington-Cape Fear Home Builders Association is offering both NAHB courses required to achieve the NAHB Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation. Green Building for Building Professionals will be offered June 22-23. Cost for members is $395 and $445 for nonmembers. Business Management for Building Professionals will be offered June 24. Cost is $195 for members and $245 for nonmembers. Both classes will be taught by Tom Gotschall and will be held at the UNCW Madeline Suite. For more information contact Tyler Newman at (910) 779-2611 or
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NAHB Media Teleconference: Experts To Address Key Housing Indicators, Outlook Housing experts will discuss the significance of two major NAHB economic reports being released today that track builder optimism and housing affordability at a teleconference at 2 p.m. Monday, May 18. After surging from 8 to 14 in March, the biggest jump in five years, the May Housing Market Index scheduled for release at 1:00 p.m. on Monday will indicate whether builders optimism is on an upward trend. The Housing Opportunity Index, a quarterly measure of how interest rates, home prices and income levels affect consumer buying power, will tell whether homes in 222 metro markets are affordable enough to motivate potential buyers sitting on the fence.
Will the early signs of a bottom for housing and the economy be borne out by these latest readings? NAHB Chief Economist David Crowe will provide an in-depth analysis of the latest HMI and HOI reports and year-to-date trends along with NAHB’s forecast for 2009 and beyond. ICI Homes CEO Mori Hosseini will offer a view from the trenches on current conditions in a market hard-hit by the housing downturn. NAHB CEO Jerry Howard will address the uphill challenges still confronting the housing industry and discuss the association’s policy priorities, from incentivizing home sales to improving credit conditions.
Remodeling Market Shows Signs Of Recovery The residential remodeling market showed signs of improvement during the first quarter of 2009 with significant growth in all indicators, according to the latest National Association of Home Builders’ (NAHB) Remodeling Market Index (RMI). The current market conditions measure rose to 34.5 from 25.5 in the fourth quarter of 2008. Future expectations jumped to 30 from a historic low of 18.6 the previous quarter.
The RMI measures remodeler perceptions of market demand for current and future residential remodeling projects. Any number over 50 indicates that the majority of remodelers view market conditions as improving. The RMI has been running below 50 since the final quarter of 2005, following decreasing remodeling expenditures since that time. 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.
