2009 Call for Entries
The NAHB Women's Council is now accepting applications for its 2009 Council & Individual Leadership Awards, recognizing women in the building industry. Categories include Outstanding Council of the Year, Women's Council Outstanding EO of the Year Award, 2009 At-Large Member of the Year, and 2009 Woman of the Year.
Travel Scholarships to IBS
The NAHB Women’s Council will award $500 “Travel to a National Meeting” stipends to at least four Women’s Council members. Any member in good standing of the NAHB Women’s Council is eligible to become a candidate for the Member Travel Award. Awards (each in the amount of $500) will be granted to a local president or local president-elect and to a general member. The total amount will depend on the budget allotted.
2010 Women of the Future Grant Application
Merillat endows the NAHB Women’s Council “Women of the Future” grant. Any member in good standing of the NAHB Women’s Council who is attending any NAHB-approved certification course, a 2- or 4-year college or university course in an industry related program, courses related to certification or licensing maintenance, or other courses described by the applicant and accepted by the grant judges is eligible.
Four $500 grants will be awarded at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas in January, 2010.
Application Form - Applications must be postmarked Dec. 1, 2009.
If you sell homes up to $220,000, a combination of tax credits for first-time buyers can widen your consumer pool. These credits offer up to $2,000 a year in tax savings in addition to the one-time $8,000 federal home buyer credit in the 2009 Economic Stimulus plan.
The Mortgage Credit Certificate (MCC), offered by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, enables eligible buyers to take a tax credit of 20 percent of the interest paid – up to $2,000 – every year they occupy their home. This is in addition to the itemized mortgage interest deduction that all homeowners can claim. Eligible buyers can also combine the MCC with the $8,000 federal tax credit until that credit expires on November 30, 2009.
“The powerful combination of having both tax credits available for potential home buyers is a true stimulus for the housing industry, which should provide a boost to home builders who are trying to attract new consumers,” said N.C. Housing Finance Agency Executive Director Bob Kucab. “Both tax credits help home buyers get into their first home. The MCC has the added benefit of keeping the home affordable through the life of the mortgage because it can enable borrowers to increase their monthly take-home pay.”
For example, a buyer who borrows $183,000 at 5.5 percent interest would pay $10,033 in interest in the first 12 months. The 20 percent tax credit offered by the MCC reduces the tax liability by $2,000 for that year and allows borrowers to reduce their monthly tax withholding accordingly. Over the first 10 years of ownership, the borrower would save $18,547 in taxes paid to the IRS.
Borrowers can receive an immediate benefit from the MCC tax credit by filing a revised W-4 (Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate) with their employers. In this example, the federal tax withholding would be reduced by $166 a month ($2,000 ÷ 12), increasing the borrower’s take-home pay and making the house payment more affordable.
To qualify for an MCC, the buyer’s income cannot exceed certain maximums, which range, for a family of three, from $86,000 in urban areas such as Raleigh down to $64,000 in rural areas. An MCC can be used with almost any type of mortgage, including some adjustable rate mortgages. However, it cannot be used with the Agency’s FirstHome Mortgage. Borrowers can apply through the Agency’s more than 700 participating lenders and their branches. To find a participating lender, go to www.nchfa.com.
Article courtesy of the The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, a self-supporting public agency. It has financed 191,000 homes and apartments in the last three decades, including nearly 81,000 homes for first-time home buyers. To learn more, go to www.nchfa.com or call 919-877-5700 or 800-393-0988.
Last week, the Monday Briefing reported on some some exciting changes to the 2009 SPIKE Club, NAHB's recognition and incentive program for individuals working in membership recruitment and retention.
Today is June 22, so you have only 9 days left to take advantage of TRIPLE RETENTION CREDITS in June. Don't miss out on this opportunity. Make sure you contact all of your recruits from last year's Membership Day, as they are up for renewal now.
Other changes to the 2009 Spike Club:
1) Double Credits for New Council Members Beginning in June and running until December 31, 2009, NAHB will double all new council member recruitment credits. If you are a member of a council, reach out to others to join.
2) 2009 Amnesty for Spike Credit Losers According to the rules of the Spike Club program to become a Spike member, an individual must earn 6 Spike Credits within two consecutive years and to retain that Spike status a minimum of 1 credit (new or retention) must be earned each year until a total of 25 credits have been earned, which triggers Life Spike status. For individuals that do not earn 6 credits by December of their second year of recruiting, all credits from the first year are forfeited.
However, the NAHB Membership Committee has recently approved a temporary amnesty for all Spikes in this situation and will allow them to keep their credits and maintain their Spike status providing these individuals participate in one or more of the "Credit Savers" put forth by the Committee – these “credit savers” are activities that will allow the individual to maintain their credits. The Spikes in question will receive a letter directly from NAHB notifying them of their status and outlining this program.
Credit Savers are ...
Recruit at least 1 new member by October 31, 2009
Collaborate with local EO on a retention-based outreach program targeting current members
Collaborate with local EO on lapsed member reinstatement outreach program
Provide NAHB with a testimonial appropriate for use in membership marketing materials
3) Spike Club Spot Awards This NEW spot award program recognizes two high performing individuals each quarter with highly customized prizes. One of the two second quarter Spot Awards will be earmarked for the individual making the greatest impact on retention this June. (See #1 above) 4) Spike Hero Ribbons
Is there are hero in your membership? You’ll know there is when you receive the NEW very special Spike Hero Ribbon denoting your special recruiter’s outstanding year to date achievements for rapid recruitment in 2009. These new campaign-themed ribbons will be sent quarterly to locals for distribution to the individuals within their membership who have earned 6, 10 and 20 Spike Credits since January 1, 2009. Heroes wanted!
5) Fall Double Credit Recruitment Campaign This fall NAHB will be hosting yet another 3-month credit-doubling super drive during September, October and November on an OPT-IN BASIS. You must sign up to receive double credits. Stay tuned for details on how to opt in and the finer points of this campaign which will include a) assigned competitors, b) prizes, and c) 3 month end call bank dates with a detailed Web tracking page denoting the achievements of every participating local HBA.
The Raleigh-Wake County HBA celebrated its 50th anniversary last Wednesday with a cookout at the new office building. Many of the HBA's past presidents, pictured below, were able to attend the celebration.
National Membership Day 2009 was another great achievement for North Carolina even in the midst of challenging economic times.
Throughout the nation, nearly 400 local associations phoned into NAHB on May 19 with a total of 5,161 new member pledges, according to preliminary results from the annual drive. North Carolina played a large role in the success of this year’s nationwide effort and for the sixth consecutive year had 100% participation (one of only nine states to achieve that distinction) in NAHB’s Commit to Call and National Membership Day call-in efforts. North Carolina called in 343 new member pledges for May and also led the nation in new members recruited for the campaign period of March, April and May.
A special thank you to all North Carolina local associations for their tremendous efforts and commitment to make the 2009 National Membership Day campaign a success!
National New Member Recruitment Breakdown for May 2009
4,450 builder and associate members
223 affiliate members
119 National Sales and Marketing Council members
180 NAHB Remodeler members
57 Women’s Council members
6 Commercial Council members
36 Multi-Family Council members
90 50+ Housing Council members
North Carolina New Member Recruitment Breakdown for May 2009
291 builder and associate members
16 affiliate members
5 National Sales and Marketing Council members
24 NAHB Remodeler members
7 Women’s Council members
Top Performing State Associations (in terms of new members pledged for March, April and May 2009)
Helping NAHB members understand the Chinese drywall issue is the point of NAHB's newly created Web page at www.nahb.org/chinesedrywall. Developed by NAHB's Legal Affairs Department in cooperation with the Building Product Issues Committee, a set of Chinese drywall resources is available at this location free of charge to NAHB members. The site also provides links to information on current legislation, federal government and state agency resources, and other related organizations and research. In addition, NAHB has created its own materials to help builders and associations understand the issue and communicate this knowledge to home owners and HBA members. The newest resource on this updated page is an insurance coverage analysis entitled, "Which Contractors Will be Covered by Their CGL Insurance Policies for Liability Arising Out of Chinese Drywall?" Additional updates to the list of available resources will be made as more information and research comes in.
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!
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.”
Why should you sign up now?
Get free admittance to the Expo floor. Simply register before Sept. 15, and you can visit the exhibit hall filled with more than 350 exhibits showcasing products and services for FREE!
Have your pick of the more than 50 general session seminars, NCBI courses and NAHB courses. Act now ... courses such as those needed to fulfill the Certified Green Professional designation fill up quickly!
Get a discount on a full delegate badge, which includes conference lunches, Expo floor access and unlimited general session courses.
Be registered to win a 4-day, 3-night stay at the Amelia Island Plantation in Amelia Island, Florida.
NAHB is hosing an audio seminar “Making Lemonade with Lenders: Positive Responses to the AD&C Loan Crisis,” June 25, 2:00 – 3:00 PM EDT, that will discuss North Carolina bank Citizens South's efforts to work with builders and AD&C loans, provide further examples and recommend strategies and messaging that participants can use to discuss AD&C lending with lenders, government officials at the local, state and national level, and local media.
The registration fee for “Making Lemonade with Lenders” is $79. One registration fee per phone site enables as many people as can fit in a room to participate. To register, visit www.nahb.org/ADCLoanAudio. Registrants also will receive free online access to the archived seminar after June 25. Educational Credit: 1.0 hour continuing education credit toward NAHB's professional designations. For more information, please contact Karl Eckhart at
or 800-368-5242 x8126.
The Green Home Builders of the Triangle is offering the Green Building for Building Professionals class Aug. 31 & Sept. 1 in Chapel Hill. The class is one of two courses that is required for the Certified Green Professional designation and will be taught by Michael Chandler of Chandler Design-Build. Fees are $325 for members of the Green Home Builders of the Triangle; $350 for HBA members; and $425 for nonmembers. Click here for the registration form. About the instructor:Michael Chandler has been building solar and green homes for over 30 years. His company’s projects have been seen in Fine Homebuilding Magazine and Natural Home Magazine. Michael also has a blog on GreenBuildingAdvisor.com.
Housing Starts And Permits Post Gains In May
Nationwide housing starts rebounded in May from record lows in the previous month, posting a 17.2 percent gain to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 532,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department figures released today. While driven largely by a double-digit gain in the volatile multifamily sector, the uptick also reflected a substantial gain on the single-family side and applied consistently to all regions of the country.
“Having drawn down standing inventories to very thin levels over the past year, some home builders are now carefully replenishing their supplies in response to demand from smart buyers who are taking advantage of low interest rates and prices,” said Joe Robson, chairman of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and a home builder from Tulsa, Okla. 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.
