Please contact Bin Wilcenski at (803) 256-6238 or bin@columbiabuilders.com if you are willing and able to help.
The Home Builders Association of Greenville are your neighbors and community leaders providing education and support for building industry professionals. We create jobs, encourage homeownership, and promote responsible growth throughout the upstate of South Carolina.
Thursday, March 24, 2016
Judges Needed for Columbia Remodeling Awards
Please contact Bin Wilcenski at (803) 256-6238 or bin@columbiabuilders.com if you are willing and able to help.
Office Closed 3/25
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Hear from Representative Jeff Duncan at Our Builder Breakfast
Builder Breakfast
Monday, March 28
7:30-9:00 a.m.
Carolina Fine Foods
Simpsonville, SC 29681
Join us on March 28 for a Builder Breakfast, sponsored by Clark's Termite & Pest Control, with featured speaker Representative Jeff Duncan who will be giving a Congressional update. This is also a great opportunity to have a discussion with your South Carolina District 3 Congressman to bring housing home. This event is for Builder members, Builder Affiliate members, or any builder member employee. RSVP by Thursday, March 24 to info@hbaofgreenville.com or by calling the HBA office at (864) 254-0133.
You Are Invited to Guy Murphy's Retirement Drop-In
After being with the City of Greenville for over 16-years, Guy Murphy has decided to retire his position as electrical inspector. He has been a huge asset to the City’s Building Codes Department and will be truly missed. Please join the City of Greenville for his retirement drop-in on March 31 from 2-4 p.m. in the1st Floor Conference Room at City Hall.
Age Clearly Impacts Preferences in Home Size
Findings from the latest NAHB study on housing preferences, Housing Preferences of the Boomer Generation: How They Compare to Other Home Buyers, shows there are some similarities and differences in what home buyers of different generations want in terms of square footage and number of bedrooms in a new home.
When asked how much finished space they would like to have, home buyers in general reported wanting a median of 2,020 square feet, about 9% more space than they currently have (1,859 sq. ft.). Age plays a key role in desired home size, however. Buyers in the Millennial and Gen X generations both want homes over 2,300 square feet, whereas Boomers and Seniors would like homes under 1,900 square feet. As the figure below shows, there is a large gap between current and desired home size among the younger cohorts, while Boomers and Seniors either live in their ideal home size already or would like to downsize a bit.
When it comes to the number of bedrooms, about half of all home buyers would like to have three in a new home, while a nontrivial 30 percent would rather have four or more. The two youngest generations have strikingly different preferences when compared to the oldest two: whereas 48 percent of Millennials and 43 percent of Gen X’ers would like to see at least four bedrooms in a new home, that share is only 20 percent among Boomers and Seniors. For these generations, three bedrooms is the way to go, as half or more report that as their first preference.
This blog post is part of a series exploring findings from Housing Preferences of the Boomer Generation: How They Compare to Other Home Buyers, the first of which can be found here. A more complete article on the findings is also available here.
When asked how much finished space they would like to have, home buyers in general reported wanting a median of 2,020 square feet, about 9% more space than they currently have (1,859 sq. ft.). Age plays a key role in desired home size, however. Buyers in the Millennial and Gen X generations both want homes over 2,300 square feet, whereas Boomers and Seniors would like homes under 1,900 square feet. As the figure below shows, there is a large gap between current and desired home size among the younger cohorts, while Boomers and Seniors either live in their ideal home size already or would like to downsize a bit.
When it comes to the number of bedrooms, about half of all home buyers would like to have three in a new home, while a nontrivial 30 percent would rather have four or more. The two youngest generations have strikingly different preferences when compared to the oldest two: whereas 48 percent of Millennials and 43 percent of Gen X’ers would like to see at least four bedrooms in a new home, that share is only 20 percent among Boomers and Seniors. For these generations, three bedrooms is the way to go, as half or more report that as their first preference.
This blog post is part of a series exploring findings from Housing Preferences of the Boomer Generation: How They Compare to Other Home Buyers, the first of which can be found here. A more complete article on the findings is also available here.
Single-Family Housing Starts Reach Highest Level Since November 2007
Nationwide housing starts rose 5.2% to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.178 million units in February, according to newly released data from Housing and Urban Development and the Commerce Department. Single-family production increased 7.2% to 822,000 units, its highest level since November 2007, while multifamily starts edged up 0.8% to 356,000 units.
“This month’s report is consistent with positive builder sentiment and other economic indicators showing that the housing market continues to recover at a gradual pace,” said National Association of Home Builders Chairman Ed Brady.
“February’s single-family gains indicate that this sector is strengthening in line with our forecast,” said National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe. “As the U.S. economy firms, job creation continues and mortgage interest rates remain low, we should see further growth in housing production moving forward.”
Combined single- and multifamily starts rose in three of the four regions in February, with the West, Midwest and South posting respective gains of 26.1%, 19.9% and 7.1%. The Northeast registered a 51.3% loss.
A decline in the volatile multifamily sector pushed overall permit issuance down 3.1% in February. Multifamily permits fell 8.4% to a rate of 436,000 while single-family permits ticked up 0.4% to 731,000.
Regionally, permits increased in the Northeast by 40.4 %. The Midwest, West and South registered respective permit losses of 11.4%, 7.2% and 4.4%.
“This month’s report is consistent with positive builder sentiment and other economic indicators showing that the housing market continues to recover at a gradual pace,” said National Association of Home Builders Chairman Ed Brady.
“February’s single-family gains indicate that this sector is strengthening in line with our forecast,” said National Association of Home Builders Chief Economist David Crowe. “As the U.S. economy firms, job creation continues and mortgage interest rates remain low, we should see further growth in housing production moving forward.”
Combined single- and multifamily starts rose in three of the four regions in February, with the West, Midwest and South posting respective gains of 26.1%, 19.9% and 7.1%. The Northeast registered a 51.3% loss.
A decline in the volatile multifamily sector pushed overall permit issuance down 3.1% in February. Multifamily permits fell 8.4% to a rate of 436,000 while single-family permits ticked up 0.4% to 731,000.
Regionally, permits increased in the Northeast by 40.4 %. The Midwest, West and South registered respective permit losses of 11.4%, 7.2% and 4.4%.
Home Ownership Warranty Corporation Companies Payments to be Disbursed
At the International Builders' Show it came out that many members invested in a company called Home Ownership Warranty Corporation back in the 80s & 90s. It was a home warranty company that went out business and into receivership some time ago. To make a long story short, the company is going through the liquidation process and many of the original investors are entitled to a return of their capital contributions. The problem is that since so much time has passed, some of the contact information for builders is outdated.
NAHB has created a website to help our builders contact the administrator for HOW Corp and to update their address. There are essentially two links. The background page is available here.
There is another link embedded in the page above which takes you to another page that lays out how to update contact information. There is an April 15 deadline to submit information.
For more details, read the article below:
Twenty-two years after it went into receivership, builders who made capital contributions to the Home Ownership Warranty Corporation companies may be eligible to get some of their money back.
Home Ownership Warranty Insurance Company (HOWIC) was a risk-retention group under the Home Warranty Corporation (HWC). As the parent company, HWC owned all the shares of stock in its operating subsidiaries: HOWIC and the Home Owners Warranty Corporation (HOW), which managed the insurance operations. The three companies are collectively referred to as the HOW Companies.
In 1994, the HOW Companies were placed into receivership. The receiver has now moved forward with plans to liquidate the company and is preparing to distribute payments to former HOW builders with previously approved claims for capital contributions (in legal terms known as eligible Builders).
As part of the liquidation process, the receiver set a deadline of Jan. 12, 2009 by which all claims against the HOW Companies needed to be filed. Any eligible builder seeking return of capital contributions made to the HOW Companies was required to file a claim by that deadline, and many National Association of Home Builders members did so.
After the receiver returns capital contributions to eligible builders, the receiver, as a final step, will distribute residual assets to builders who were insured under unexpired HOWIC insurance policies as of Oct. 14, 1994 (in legal terms known as builder distributees). However, builder distributees do not need to submit claims for their share of the residual assets of the companies.
As a service to the Home Builders Association membership, staff is looking at ways to ensure that the receiver has the up-to-date contact information for all eligible builders and builder distributees, and has posted the relevant contact information on file with receivership staff.
If you are an eligible builder or builder distributee, please read the directions and additional information on this web page.
NAHB has created a website to help our builders contact the administrator for HOW Corp and to update their address. There are essentially two links. The background page is available here.
There is another link embedded in the page above which takes you to another page that lays out how to update contact information. There is an April 15 deadline to submit information.
For more details, read the article below:
Twenty-two years after it went into receivership, builders who made capital contributions to the Home Ownership Warranty Corporation companies may be eligible to get some of their money back.
Home Ownership Warranty Insurance Company (HOWIC) was a risk-retention group under the Home Warranty Corporation (HWC). As the parent company, HWC owned all the shares of stock in its operating subsidiaries: HOWIC and the Home Owners Warranty Corporation (HOW), which managed the insurance operations. The three companies are collectively referred to as the HOW Companies.
In 1994, the HOW Companies were placed into receivership. The receiver has now moved forward with plans to liquidate the company and is preparing to distribute payments to former HOW builders with previously approved claims for capital contributions (in legal terms known as eligible Builders).
As part of the liquidation process, the receiver set a deadline of Jan. 12, 2009 by which all claims against the HOW Companies needed to be filed. Any eligible builder seeking return of capital contributions made to the HOW Companies was required to file a claim by that deadline, and many National Association of Home Builders members did so.
After the receiver returns capital contributions to eligible builders, the receiver, as a final step, will distribute residual assets to builders who were insured under unexpired HOWIC insurance policies as of Oct. 14, 1994 (in legal terms known as builder distributees). However, builder distributees do not need to submit claims for their share of the residual assets of the companies.
As a service to the Home Builders Association membership, staff is looking at ways to ensure that the receiver has the up-to-date contact information for all eligible builders and builder distributees, and has posted the relevant contact information on file with receivership staff.
If you are an eligible builder or builder distributee, please read the directions and additional information on this web page.
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