Energy Efficiency Certificate Now Available for Download

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville, in cooperation with the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, has developed a model certificate for members to download and use to comply with the new Energy Efficiency Conservation Code (IECC).

The IECC, which was effective July 1, 2009, requires that the home builder place a label in the electrical service panel of all new homes stating the efficiency details of the new home. The label can be downloaded in the Library area of the Members-Only section of www.hbaofgreenville.com. The label is set up to use Avery Label 6876, which can be purchased from any office supply store.

This is an exclusive benefit of membership of the Home Builders Association of South Carolina and the Home Builders Association of Greenville.

Download the label by clicking here.

Model New Construction Sales Contract Now Available

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville, in cooperation with the Home Builders Association of South Carolina, has made available exclusively to members a model sales contract for new homes.

The new contract addresses many deficiencies in the previous contract which has been in use for nearly 10 years. The contract was developed by a committee led by Attorney Ken Ormand. HBA of Greenville Director Brian Lazarus, CMB, of Lazarus-Shouse Communities was a member of the committee that developed the contract.

Members can download the contract at the Library Section of www.hbaofgreenville.com, a section viewable only in the the Member-Only area of the website.

To download the new contract, click here.

Greenville County Sees Nearly 50 Percent Drop in Foreclosures

Greenville County saw foreclosures decline 45 percent from October to November, and 50 percent from November 2008 to November 2009. Read More.

NAHB To Assist Members With Borrowing Needs

NAHB has announced a new service that will be available at the International Builders Show in Las Vegas, NV, in January. NAHB will offer a Partnership Pavilion where association members can discuss their funding needs with representatives from a variety of capital sources and financing advisors. Read more.

More than 2,400 proposed building code changes

More than 2,400 proposals for building code changes were debated over the course of 16 grueling days of International Code Committee (ICC) hearings in Baltimore last month.

NAHB's codes experts were on the job fighting for the best possible outcomes for our members. In all, NAHB took a position on more than 900 of the proposed code changes, including 54 proposals submitted by NAHB. In addition, NAHB was represented on 10 of the 14 ICC Code Committees during the hearings, and thanks to this representation, as well as the hard work of our staff and member volunteers, the association was fairly successful in this round of decisions.

Key issues included energy conservation, structural requirements, carbon monoxide detectors, accessibility and visitability, whole-house ventilation.

Unfortunately NAHB did not prevail on all of our issues. The "Home Builders 30% Solution" for energy efficiency was disapproved for inclusion in the International Energy Conservation Code in this round, along with five similar proposals by other groups. Also disapproved were two NAHB proposals that would have removed the mandatory requirements for sprinkler systems in one- and two-family homes.

NAHB staff is assessing the outcome of the hearings and preparing comments that are due in early February for the next round of codes hearings.

Forbes Ranks Greenville 20th in Best Bang for the Buck Cities

Forbes magazine ranked Greenville in the top 20 cities in the country of best places to live. Forbes cited a stable housing, low taxes, stable employment, and short commutes. Read more

SIF Announces New Program to Improve Contractor Cash Flow

The S.C. Home Builders Self Insurers Fund announced that is can now accept a surety bond in lieu of the 25% cash deposit currently required. This new program is available to both new and current members of the Fund.

Bond approval is subject to applicant’s credit score and/or financial position. For example: assuming you qualify for the bond, and your 25 percent deposit is $5000, your annual bond premium will be $250. As a result, the cash demanded of the contractor for his or her workers comp insurance will be reduced by $4750.

Contact your SCHBSIF insurance agent for more detail on your specific situation. Search for member insurance agents at www.hbaofgreenville.com.