Lowe's: Membership Leads to an Additional 2% Savings

As a member of your Home Builders Association, you are eligible for an additional 2 percent discount on your purchases at any Lowe's store, in addition to the 5 percent discount you receive with your Lowe's Accounts Receivables account.  That means HBA members receive a total of 7 percent off of all of their purchases at Lowe's.

To set up a Lowe's Accounts Receivable account or register your existing Lowe's Accounts Receivable Account for a total of 7 percent off, visit LowesForPros.com/NAHB, or call 877-435-2440, or visit your local Lowe's store in the Greater Greenville area.  Each store has a representative who is a member of your Home Builders Association of Greenville.  You will need your HBA PIN, which you will find on your HBA Membership Card.  Can not find your Membership Card?  Call 864-254-0133 and we will look up your PIN for you.

HBA Endorses BuildPerks

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville has added a new program to its Affinity Endorsements menu. BuildPerks is the nation’s premier customer rewards program exclusively for the home building industry. Although relatively new to the Southeast, BuildPerks has been operating the industry’s most successful rewards program for more than 25 years. As a loyalty marketing/incentive program, BuildPerks is a frequent buyer program in which builders and remodelers (“Members”) earn PerkPoints by purchasing products & services from participating Suppliers (“Sponsors”) and paying their invoices within the Sponsor’s terms.

The BuildPerks model is proven to increase profitability. Participating suppliers will:

• Retain Most Desirable Builder/Remodeler Customers
• Improve Outstanding Accounts Receivables
• Expand Product Line Sales
• Acquire new Builder/Remodeler Business

BuildPerks Sponsor Testimonial:
"The uniqueness of this program cultivates a strong tie to all of our customers. While any company can reward their customers with incentives, our points are coming from many complementary Suppliers throughout the industry, giving our customers not only a critical mass of points, but a strong loyalty to all of their Suppliers. This value creates a strength in our relationship that cannot be broken by cheap pricing & ultimately drives more business through our doors."

Mark Scherer, Scherer Bros. Lumber
Brooklyn Park, MN

To participate, suppliers are encouraged to contact BuilderPerks about the program.  Builders, you need to do nothing.  Your suppliers will establish your profile with BuildPerks and begin awarding points to your company in the coming months.

BuildPerks Benefits:

• Free BuildPerks Membership
• Participation does not affect pricing
• Earn PerkPoints for purchases paid ontime
• Redeem PerkPoints for airline tickets, hotel stays, and other merchandise
• Travel to Grand Desinations
• PerkPoints never expire

For more information about BuildPerks, visit BuildPerks.com.








BuildPerks Contacts:
Barry Cassell (216) 346-3001 barryc@buildperks.com
Connie Burney (678) 776-1459 connie@buildperks.com

Already in the Greater Greenville area, GBS Building Supply, Clark's Pest Control and Atlanta Glass and Mirror have become participating suppliers.

Multiple Lot Discount Tax Abatement Deadline is May 1

If you are a Home Builder or Developer owning 10 or more vacant lots, you may be eligible for a discount on the property taxes on those lots, but you must act by May 1.  To apply, visit the Tax Assessor's office in each county where where you own at least 10 vacant lots.

Help Wanted: Bookkeeper/Office Manager

Your Home Builders Association has an opening for the position of Office Manager.  The candidate will have three- to five-years of experience in a small-office setting managing all aspects of the administrative operations of a professional office.  Bookkeeping experience is a must.

Our office is face-paced and sometimes demanding, but we enjoy our work with our members and the opportunity to work together as a team.

Competitive salary and benefits are offered to the right professional.  Please submit your resume and cover letter to eo@HBAofGreenville.com.

Lead Paint Recertification Rule Change Aids 380,000 Remodelers Nationwide

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator has signed a final rule extending certain renovator certifications under the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) program.

EPA estimates that the rule, which went into effect the same day it was published in the Federal Register (April 16), will affect up to 380,000 certified renovators.

Under the final rule:

• Remodelers and other contractors who got their EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator certifications on or before March 31, 2010, now have until March 31, 2016, to get recertified.
• Remodelers who got their certifications between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, will have one year added to their five-year certification.
• Once they get re-certified, remodelers will have another five years before they have to re-up.

At your HBA’s urging, EPA extended these certifications because they would otherwise have expired before planned improvements to the RRP rule could be made. EPA proposed anamendment to remove the hands-on training requirement for the RRP refresher training course in January, but is unlikely to be finalized before November.

Without the certainty provided by the extension, almost half of all certified renovators would have been shut out of the opportunity to take advantage of the savings offered by this proposal.

• The EPA extension of certifications will not affect all certified renovators:
• The 5-year certification remains in effect for renovators who received their original certification after March 31, 2011.
• The extension does not apply to renovators operating under one of the 14 state authorized programs regardless of when they originally received certification. (See map)

Also, the rule only applies to individual, not firm certifications.

For more information, visit A Remodeler’s Guide to EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator Recertification. Learn more about the EPA Lead Paint rule at nahb.org/leadpaint

FHFA Index Shows Mortgage Interest Rates Increased in March

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from February to March, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts.

The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders index was 3.80 percent for loans closed in late March, up 3 basis points from 3.77 percent in February.

The average interest rate on all mortgage loans was 3.80 percent, up 3 basis points from 3.77 in February.

The average interest rate on conventional, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages of $417,000 or less was 3.95 percent, an increase of 4 basis points from 3.91 in February.

The effective interest rate on all mortgage loans was 3.95 percent in March, up 3 basis points from 3.92 percent in February. The effective interest rate accounts for the addition of initial fees and charges over the life of the mortgage.

The average loan amount for all loans was $310,800 in March, up $16,600 from $294,200 in February.

Rally Planned at State House in Support of Business License Reform

Your Home Builders Association will participate in a rally in support of Business License Reform at the South Carolina State House on May 6.  The rally is scheduled to coincide with a public hearing on business license reform legislation that was recently introduced.  The rally will feature the release of results of an in-depth study of business license practices of municipalities and counties in South Carolina.

The rally will begin at 1 p.m. at the State House.  The public hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in the Blatt Building.  The House Ways and Means Committee will hold the hearing.

Please contact Michael Dey if you are able to travel to Columbia for the rally and hearing.