Your Chance to Meet Politicians

The annual Home Builders Association of South Carolina's Bird Supper is being held on Tuesday, March 28th. The Bird Supper will be the catalyst toward promoting a change to the business license fees, a S.C. Building Code, and many more issues for the housing industry, and the process to moving these issues forward has already begun. The annual Bird Supper provides the best chance to sit with our elected officials, as an industry, and drive home the need for these reforms. The more members that attend the deeper the impression is on the elected officials.

You can purchase tickets to this annual event by emailing Michael Dey.

The HBA of SC Will Host a Spec Financing Workshop

The Home Builders Association of South Carolina will host a Spec Financing Workshop at 4:00 p.m. before their 46th Bird Supper at 6:30 p.m., both taking place at Seawells.

Need financing to build a spec house? Curious if there are other options to your local lender that could meet your demands? Join Mike Maxwell with 1st Financial Bank USA and Dan Wallach with Shepherd's Finance as they help you determine if their debt financing is the right fit for you. The workshop is complimentary and will last an hour, but is limited to the first 20 members who reserve a space. Attendees will receive a free Bird Supper ticket. Reserve your spot for the workshop by emailing Mark Nix.

45th Annual Bird Supper- April 14th

The Bird Supper is April 14th, don't miss out on your opportunity to speak with our elected officials about what is most important to you and our industry. 

 Since 1970, HBASC members and South Carolina’s legislators have been attending the Bird Supper. It’s the longest standing event on the South Carolina legislative calendar. Join us on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 as we gather with our legislators over a delicious dinner of fried quail, grits, green beans, biscuits, and other fine Southern cuisine. 

Tuesday, April 14 2015 6:30 p.m. Seawells Columbia, S.C. Builder’s PAC Cocktail reception prior to Bird Supper for Hammer donors. 

Tickets available through your local HBA office. 

Tickets are $35.00 per person.

The Bird Supper is considered the best attended legislative event year after year, so don't miss out make sure that you have registered by Tuesday, April 7th.

45th Annual Bird Supper Announced: April 15, 2015

Mark your calendar now to attend the 45th Annual Bird Supper:

• Tuesday, April 14, 2015
• Seawells, Columbia, SC

Tickets are $35.  Members who donate to the PAC at the $250 level or above receive a complimentary ticket to the Bird Supper as well as an exclusive invitation to the Hammer and Trowel reception immediately preceding the Bird Supper.

44th Annual HBASC Bird Supper is March 25

Are you attending the Bird Supper?  You should if you want to be a part of solving excessive regulation instead of just being a victim of it.

Since 1970, Home Builders Association members and South Carolina’s legislators have been attending the Bird Supper. It is the longest standing event on the South Carolina legislative calendar.

• When: Tuesday, March 25, 2014, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Seawells in Columbia, SC (1125 Rosewood Drive)

The S.C. Builders PAC Reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. for Silver Hammer donors and higher.

Join us as we gather with our legislators over a delicious supper of fried quail, grits, green beans, biscuits and other fine southern cuisine.

Tickets are $35 per person. Contact the Home Builders Association of Greenville at (864) 254-0133.

UPDATE:
The Bird Supper Day agenda is as follows:

• 3:30 p.m. - Board of Directors Meeting
• 4:30 p.m. Governor and Lt. Governor Candidates Round Table
• 5:30 p.m. - SC Builders PAC Reception Honoring Hammer & Trowel Award Winners
• Invitation Only - SC Builders PAC $250 + Contributors
• 6:30 p.m. The Bird Supper and Hammer and Trowel Ceremony 

Below are talking points for your discussions with your legislators:







TALKING POINTS:
While the General Assembly will deal with a variety of subjects, there are several issues of importance to home builders and that our industry are likely to receive consideration this session and the next.

Local Business Licenses:
H.3986 - Rep. Samuel Rivers
CALL TO ACTION
The HBASC has long been working to improve the business license environment in South Carolina. A number of our members have expressed significant concerns with the current process that makes compliance extremely difficult and places a heavy burden on small businesses. Rep. Samuel Rivers has filed H.3986 to freeze business license fees charged by municipalities to existing levels as of January 1, 2013 and allow counties to become the centralized collection point for those fees.
MESSAGE
Share with your Representatives and Senators how
your company is negatively impacted by the business
license process and this issue needs to be addressed
as soon as possible.
CO-SPONOSORS
House: Rivers, Bowen, Simrill, Atwater, Toole, Huggins, Ballentine, Delleney, Finlay, Hixon, Lowe, D.C. Moss, Norman, Pope, Putnam, Sandifer, Thayer, Loftis, Burns and Goldfinch

Local Lobbying Requirements:
H.3945 – Rep. G.M. Smith
CALL TO ACTION
During debate on the Senate floor, an amendment to the Ethics Reform bill was proposed to require any individual who is retained for the expressed purpose of testifying before a county council, city council, or other political subdivision – regardless of whether or not the individual is compensated – to register as a lobbyist with the State Ethics Commission. This would mean any builder or contractor who goes before a local governing body for any action (i.e. permits, variances, zoning changes, etc.)
would be required to register as a lobbyist. This would create a hindrance not only for our local HBAs, but also for any HBA member by placing them under the same provisions (fees, personal financial declarations, and detailed issue reports) as a state level lobbyist.
MESSAGE
Ask your Representative to support ethics reform, but oppose any attempts to require builders and contractors to be required to register as a lobbyist at the local level.
CO-SPONSORS
House: Harrell, Lucas, Bannister, Toole, Stringer, Hamilton, Sottile, Barfield, Bingham, Spires, Hardwick, Owens, Hiott, Long, Erickson, Murphy, Horne, Willis, Gagnon, Simrill, Funderburk and Henderson

Patent Trolling: 
H.4629 – Rep. Finlay & S.1121 – Sen. Campbell
CALL TO ACTION
This legislation addresses the demand letter issue that builders across the country are beginning to face. In these situations, a builder receives a letter claiming that a particular building method they are using is patented by the “patent troll” and thus the builder is guilty of patent infringement. The letter will threaten legal action unless the builder pays a license fee to the supposed patent holder. This issue surfaced in Oregon when a supposed patent holder sent a letter to builders claiming to hold a patent covering all aspects of moister remediation during construction. The letter claimed all moisture remediation procedures other than natural drying or use of the home’s furnace was a patent infringement. The “patent troll” offered to license the procedure to the builder for $150/house in lieu of legal action. According to a Boston University study, patent trolls cost US companies more than $29 billion in legal fees and settlements in 2011 alone.
MESSAGE
Ask your Representative to co-sponsor and support H.4629, and your Senators to co-sponsor and support S.1121, to prevent patent trolls from threatening baseless lawsuits against builders and contractors.
CO-SPONOSORS
House: Ballentine, Cole, Delleney and Huggins
Senate: Setzler, McElveen and L. Martin

Property Tax Discount for Active Duty Military:
H.3027 – Rep. G.M. Smith
CALL TO ACTION
In light of current action being taken by the Federal government as part of the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process, H.3027 provides a property tax credit for active duty military personnel in South Carolina. The bill will allow for active duty members of the military who are relocated or reassigned for at least one year to qualify for the 4% special assessment ratio. This bill is expected to provide addition help to members of the military stationed in South Carolina, and to help the state
avoid potential closures as part of BRAC by creating a better environment for military personnel.
MESSAGE
Thank your Representatives and Senators for supporting this legislation to protect South Carolina’s military installations. Special thanks goes to Jimmy Derrick for spearheading the effort to make this bill a reality.
CO-SPONOSORS
House: Pitts, Ballentine, J.E. Smith, Bernstein, Harrell, Cobb-Hunter, Whipper and R.L. Brown

South Carolina Building Code
CALL TO ACTION
The HBASC is working with a number of interested groups to create the South Carolina Building Code. This state-specific code would allow for a more efficient and effective code adoption process. The code would be tailored to South Carolina and take into consideration the specific needs of the building and development industry in our state. The SC Building Code would also change to a five year code adoption cycle to mirror other building published building codes and recent legislation in other states.
MESSAGE
Tell your Representatives and Senators how burdensome the current code adoptions process and how a South Carolina-specific building code would benefit our industry and affordable housing. This bill is expected to be filed in the next legislative session.

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF HOUSING IN S.C.
Home building generates substantial economic benefits for S.C., including income and jobs for
residents of the state, and revenue for the state government and local governments within the
state. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has developed a model to estimate these
economic benefits.

The model captures the effect of the construction activity itself, the ripple impact that occurs when
income earned from construction activity is spent and recycles in the state’s economy, and the ongoing impact that results from new homes becoming occupied by residents who pay taxes and buy goods and services produced within the state. In order to fully capture the positive impact residential construction has on a state’s economy, it’s important to include the ripple effects and the ongoing benefits.

S.C. is projected to build 20,000 single family homes in 2014. The estimated economic impact is at least:

• $3.2 billion in income for South Carolina residents,
• $690.2 million in taxes and other revenue for the state and local governments in the state, and
• 57,120 new jobs in South Carolina.

The additional, annually recurring impacts of building 20,000 single-family homes in South Carolina include:

• $554.2 million in income for South Carolina residents,
• $203.2 million in taxes and other revenue for the state and local governments in the state, and
• 11,284 new jobs in South Carolina.

These are ongoing, annual local impacts that result from the new homes being occupied and the occupants paying taxes and otherwise participating in the state economy year after year.

Annual Bird Supper is April 9

Since 1970 HBASC Members and South Carolina's legislators have been attending the Bird Supper. It is the longest standing event on the S.C. legislative calendar.

• When: April 9, 2013, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Seawell's, Columbia, SC

Other events are planned throughout the day. Key events include:

• HBASC Board of Directors meeting, 3:30 p.m.
• S.C. Builders PAC Reception, 5:30 p.m.

Join us as we gather with our legislators over a delicious supper of fried quail, grits, green beans, biscuits and other fine southern cuisine.

Tickets are $35 per person. Contact the Home Builders Association of Greenville at (864) 254-0133 or click here to register online.

HBASC Bird Supper is March 28

Since 1970 HBASC Members and South Carolina's legislators have been attending the Bird Supper. It is the longest standing event on the S.C. legislative calendar.

When: March 28, 2011, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Marriott Columbia Hotel, Columbia, SC

Other events are planned throughout the day.  Key events include:

• Luncheon government affairs briefing, 11:30 a.m.
• State House visits, 1:30 p.m.
• HBASC Board of Directors meeting, 3:30 p.m.
• S.C. Builders PAC Reception, 5:30 p.m.

Join us as we gather with our legislators over a delicious supper of fried quail, grits, green beans, biscuits and other fine southern cuisine.

Tickets are $35 per person. Contact the Home Builders Association of Greenville at (864) 254-0133 or click here to register online.

HBA of SC Bird Supper is March 30

Since 1970 HBASC Members and South Carolina's legislators have been attending the Bird Supper. It is the longest standing event on the S.C. legislative calendar.

When: March 30, 2011, 6 p.m.
Where: Marriott Downtown, Columbia, SC

Join us as we gather with our legislators over a delicious supper of fried quail, grits, green beans, biscuits and other fine southern cuisine.

Tickets are $35 per person. Contact the Home Builders Association of Greenville at (864) 254-0133.

HBA Legislative Agenda to focus on taxes and fees paid by Home Builders

The HBA of South Carolina announced its legislative agenda for 2011. Click here to read the entire agenda.

Central to the agenda are four issues where your Home Builders Association has set out to directly save home builders money.

Multi-Lot Discount
The Multi-Lot Discount benefits builders and developers who hold at least 10 finished lots that have not yet been improved with a house. The program discounts the value of the lots to its pre-development value until a house is constructed on the lot.

When this program was implemented in the late 90s, the result of the legislative efforts of your Home Builders Association, the maximum time a lot could benefit from the discount was five years. At that time no one could imagine a housing downturn like we have recently experienced.

As a result, the HBA of South Carolina will lobby to extend to seven years the amount of time a builder or developer can qualify for the discount.

Impact Fees
Continue to defend this crucial statute, which your Home Builders Association lobbied for passage in the late 90s. This law insures that impact fees are proportionate to the impact that development has on government infrastructure and also insures that impact fees are not collected for a purpose for which development does not have an impact.

Each year government work to chip away at this important law. Efforts are underway in several jurisdictions, primarily along the coast, to water down this law. Your Home Builders Association will take steps to protect the law and strengthen where appropriate.

Multiple Business Licenses
Your Home Builders Association of Greenville, along with other HBAs around the state, have called on the HBA of South Carolina to address a trend in local government of taxing businesses multiple times on the same volume of business. The HBA of South Carolina will work to pass a simple, more predictable method of assessing and collecting business license fees in South Carolina.

Local Government Regulatory Reform
Local governments have increasingly raised fees and permit charges on the construction industry to increase funding generated. The increases can be found in tap fees, sewer connection charges, and road maintenance and expansion fees. Your Home Builders Association will work to curb this growth in fees and apply the same principals to government regulatory fees that were applied to development impact fees.

You can click here to read the entire Home Builders Legislative Agenda.

Bird Supper
A key way that you can participate in this legislative program is to attend the Bird Supper. This event is where Home Builders from around the state come together to talk to their legislators about this legislative agenda.

When: Wednesday, March 23
Where: Columbia, SC