Your membership saved you $26,600 so far in 2014*

* estimated savings per licensed builder

The 2014 session of the South Carolina General Assembly has come to an end and once again your Home Builders Association was hard at work protecting your interests.  Your Home Builders Association worked on 150 different pieces of legislation to promote and protect the vital work of home builders and residential developers in South Carolina.

Here is what we accomplished:

1. Successfully opposed mandated residential fire sprinklers (again): $181 million in annual savings to home builders and their customers
2. Passed a one-year extension to the Multiple Lot Property Tax Discount: $1.9 million in annual savings
3. Successfully defeated a proposal to sunset the residential solar tax credit: $780,000 in annual savings

In addition, your Home Builders Association engaged in several other legislation initiatives including health insurance, unemployment insurance, tax credits, septic tank regulations, stormwater regulations, and building codes, resulting in a total annual savings to our members of $320 million--just in 2014!

Your Home Builders Association influences government at all levels.  Our goal is to protect affordable housing and to stop needless regulation that adds costs to new housing.  If you know of an individual or business in the home building industry who is not a member of the Home Builders Association, make sure they know what the Home Builders Association is doing for them every day, and ask them to become a member.

UPDATE: City of Greenville Residential Infill Standards

Planning Director Michael Kerski Speaks to HBA Members

The Planning Commission of the City of Greenville has recommended to City Council adoption of an ordinance imposing certain new requirements on residential infill construction.  The ordinance is the result of a months-long review of issues created by construction activity in the city as well as the city's ordinances that govern them.  The 15-member task force included four members from the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

On June 17 about 30 members of the Home Builders Association participated in a briefing on the new ordinance, as well as other ordinances and policies, in a General Membership meeting called "How to Successfully Remodel, Build, and Develop in the City of Greenville.

About the Infill Ordinance
The ordinance's purpose is to achieve neighborhood compatibility, maintain the harmony and character of existing neighborhoods, and guide residential infill development.  The ordinance has four key provisions:

1. Limit the construction of garages and driveways in the front yard of homes in existing neighborhoods.
2. Limit the visual impact of stormwater detention in existing neighborhoods.
3. When the combination of a house and other impervious surfaces exceed 60 percent of the total lot, impose additional stormwater management requirements for that project if it is not a part of a larger common plan.
4. Require a minimum planing of trees in R6 and R9 neighborhoods.

The ordinance still requires the approval of City Council.  Click here to view the Residential Infill Ordinance approved by the Planning Commission.
In addition to the infill ordinance, members learned more about the city's existing stormwater ordinance, zoning and subdivision ordinances, building code enforcement procedures, and the city's Community Development program.

Home Builders Association of Greenville Receives 2014 Best of Greenville Award

For the second consecutive year the Home Builders Association of Greenville has been selected for the 2014 Best of Greenville Award in the Association or Organization category by the Greenville Award Program.

Each year, the Greenville Award Program identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and our community. These exceptional companies help make the Greenville area a great place to live, work and play.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2014 Greenville Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the Greenville Award Program and data provided by third parties.

About Greenville Award Program

The Greenville Award Program is an annual awards program honoring the achievements and accomplishments of local businesses throughout the Greenville area. Recognition is given to those companies that have shown the ability to use their best practices and implemented programs to generate competitive advantages and long-term value.

The Greenville Award Program was established to recognize the best of local businesses in our community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to recognize the small business community's contributions to the U.S. economy.

South Carolina Community Loan Fund Announces $5 million in Funding for New Projects

The South Carolina Community Loan Fund has launched its 2014 Funding Round to help finance community development projects throughout South Carolina. $5,000,000 in flexible, low rate capital is available to finance community development projects throughout the state that:

1. provide affordable housing
2. create access to food and essential services
3. increase the quality and availability of neighborhood facilities
4. create employment opportunities
5. attract additional investment
6. strengthen the social and economic fabric of the community

Community Loan Fund will hold a mandatory application workshop on Thursday, July 10, 2014, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. in Columbia, South Carolina. To register, click here.

2014 Funding Round Notice

Sales+Marketing: 10 mistakes Home Builders Should Avoid

In a recovering market, most builders find themselves with too little time and too many tasks that need to be completed. Normally you can get a great return on investment when you focus on the best way to implement the strategy and tactics of running a great homebuilding company.

Noelle Tarabulski, CEO of Builder Consulting Group, Inc., outlined the top practices of successful builders in Sales+Marketing Ideas magazine.

1. Have a clear understanding of strategy and tactics and the importance of timing their implementation in the current cycle as well as your current fiscal year.
2. Understand the important metrics of your housing market and submarkets.
3. Watch and understand trends at the global, national, regional, state, and county level.
4. Three-month, six-month, one-year and up to three-year trends of supply and demand must be monitored.
5. Primary research requires driving of all neighborhoods that are in your local submarket.
6. Design trends matter and can be an opportunity to win a competitive advantage.
7. Develop and perfect the process of new product development.
8. Perfect process flows, so they are done well and are repeatable.
9. The use of an operational summary, or dashboard, to understand the key metrics of a firm are very helpful and worthy of the effort to understand your weekly and daily operating results.
10. Be thoughtful of what suggestions can be implemented quickly, easily and will give you operating improvements immediately.

Try these practices, and maximize your bottom line. Read more here.

Home Builders Association Builder Ballot

UPDATE:

A primary run off election will be held Tuesday, June 24, for races a candidate did not receive 50 percent or more of the vote.  The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m.

South Carolina Builders PAC has contributed to the following candidate, who will be on the ballot for the runoff on June 24:

• Lt. Governor: Henry McMaster (R)

Voters who voted in a party's primary on June 10 may vote only in the runoff of that party. Voters who did not vote in the June 10 may vote in either party's runoff on June 24.  Find your polling location location by clicking http://www.scvotes.org/find_your_precinct.


Originally posted May 10, 2014:
It is the election season. Have you noticed? The Primary Election is Tuesday, June 10. Polls open in South Carolina at 7 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m.

Please vote on June 10 in the party primary of your choice.

NAHB BuildPAC has contributed to the following candidates:

• U.S. Senator: Senator Lindsay Graham (R)
• U.S. Senator: Senator Tim Scott (R)
• U.S. House District 3: Congressman Jeff Duncan (R)
• U.S. House District 4: Congressman Trey Gowdy (R)

South Carolina Builders PAC has contributed to the following candidates, who have contested primaries where the primary will decide the race:

• S.C. House District 3: Ed Harris (R)
• S.C. House District 4: Rep. David Hiott (R)
• S.C. House District 18: Rep. Tommy Stringer (R)
• S.C. House District 20: Rep. Dan Hamilton (R)
• S.C. House District 21: Rep. Phyllis Henderson (R)
• S.C. House District 24: Majority Leader Bruce Bannister (R)

Your Home Builders Association also is supporting candidates in races that will not be determined until the General Election.  That Builder Ballot will be published in October.

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville cooperates with the Home Builders of South Carolina to raise and contribute funds to candidates for elected offices in South Carolina through the South Carolina Builders PAC. Eighty percent of the funds we raise in Greenville, Pickens, and Laurens counties for S.C. Builders PAC are directed by the HBA of Greenville for local and legislative races in our area. The remaining 20 percent is used for statewide races like Governor and Attorney General and directed by a board of trustees.  Immediate Past President Rick Quinn serves as the Chairman of the SC Builders PAC Board of Trustees and represents your Home Builders Association on the board of trustees.

In addition, your HBA of Greenville assists NAHB in raising funds for BuildPAC. All of the funds raised for BuildPAC are used for Federal races.

The Government Affairs Committee surveys and interviews candidates and makes recommendations for supporting those candidates to the Home Builders Association of Greenville Board of Directors, which makes the final decision on local and legislative races. The S.C. Builders PAC Trustees determines contributions for statewide races, and the BuildPAC Trustees determines the contributions for national races.

As a matter of Policy, NAHB's BuildPAC does not contribute to candidates for President or Vice President.

HBA Member Discount on GM Vehicles Just Got Better

Members of the Home Builders Association have long enjoyed $500 off of the purchase of any General Motors Vehicle except Corvette.  Thanks for the efforts of the National Association of Home Builders, that program just got better.

Effective immediately, the discount on the purchase or lease of fleet vehicles has been increased to $1,000.  In addition, that discount can be combined with incentives from the National Fleet Purchase Program and Business Choice.

To take advantage of this program:

1. Get your proof of membership form at nahb.org/gm
2. Bring the form with you to your GM dealer, like member Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet, and mention this private offer
3. Select your GM vehicle
4. Present your proof of membership at the time of the sale of your new GM vehicle

View the terms of this program at nahb.org/gm.

Explore other great discounts through the Member Advantage program by visiting nahb.org/ma.