Building Permit Trend Report is Positive for Greenville County

Building permits are trending up in 2010 for Greenville County according to a report of building permit trends just released.

The Market Edge, a Knoxville, TN, firm, published the report.

The report found that building permit activity in the first three quarters of 2010 were up in Greenville County 11.2 percent compared to the same period in 2009. By comparison, Pickens County is down 25 percent, Laurens County is down 2 percent, Oconee County is down 18 percent, Spartanburg County is down 8 percent, Greenwood County is down 6 percent, and Anderson County is down 15 percent.

While permit activity in Greenville County in 2010 is on track to exceed 2009, most of the increase can be attributed to the New Home Buyer Tax Credit. Since the tax credit expired earlier this year, building permits have dropped 36 percent from the first quarter to the third quarter.

You can read the permit report by clicking here.

Burdensome 1099 Reporting Requirements Expanded to Independent Landlords

In addition to providing tax breaks that will benefit small businesses this year and next, the recently enacted Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 expands Form 1099 information reporting requirements for independent landlords as of Jan. 1, 2011.

This is the most recent change to the 1099 reporting requirements, which were expanded by the health care reform law to require businesses to provide information on corporations they paid $600 or more in a given year. It has been estimated that this could increase the number of 1099s small businesses must file from approximately 10 to almost 100 per year.

NAHB has submitted comments to the Treasury Department opposing the new rule, and is working within a large coalition of business groups to seek congressional repeal. Unlike the independent landlord provision, the health care reform legislation's requirement does not take effect until Jan. 1, 2012.

The new 1099 requirement in the small business legislation expands 1099 reporting to independent landlords. Under prior law, taxpayers whose primary trade or business was rental real estate — such as owners of multifamily apartment buildings — were subject to standard reporting requirements. However, taxpayers whose primary trade or business was not rental real estate — such as owners of a second home used for rental purposes — were not subject to 1099 reporting requirements.

The small business legislation changes the law so that independent landlords must now submit 1099s to businesses with which they have more than $600 of annual business.

NAHB will continue to oppose all the expansions of the 1099 requirements because they are administratively burdensome for small businesses.

For more information, e-mail Robert Dietz at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8285.

Southern Home and Garden Show

Michael Weishan, gardening and landscape expert and former host of the Victory Garden on PBS, answers questions from the audience during the 2010 Fall Southern Home and Garden Show.

Mark you calendar now for the 50th Southern Home and Garden Show March 4-6, 2011, at the Carolina First Center.

Michael Weishan of the Victory Garden Speaks at the Southern Home and Garden Show

Michael Weishan of the Victory Garden on PBS and the Cultivated Gardener on National Public Radio spoke today at the Southern Home and Garden Show. He speaks again at:

4 p.m. Saturday (Greening the Victory Garden)
2 p.m. Sunday (The Seven Deadly Sins of the Modern American Landscape-and how to avoid them!)
3 p.m. Sunday (Greening the Victory Garden)

Don't miss Michael Weishan. His presentations are included with your ticket into the Southern Home and Garden Show.

Southern Home and Garden Show on Your Carolina

Michael Dey, HBA Executive Vice President, and Wayne Moore, HBA President Elect, appeared on Your Carolina promoting the Fall Southern Home and Garden Show.

Click here to watch the video.

Fall Southern Home and Garden Show this Weekend

The Fall Southern Home and Garden Show is coming this weekend at the Carolina First Center. Sponsored by Lowe's, this is the second year for the Fall show.

Mark these dates:

Friday, October 15: 12 noon until 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 16: 10 a.m. until 8 p.m.
Sunday, October 17: 1 p.m. until 6 p.m.

Parking is free, admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and children, children under 12 are free.

The Fall Southern Home and Garden Show features Michael Weishan, former host of NPR's The Cultivated Gardner and PBS's The Victory Garden. Weishan will speak four times during the weekend about gardening projects for the Fall.

Visit www.HBAofGreenville.com for details about the Fall Southern Home and Garden Show.

"America's Favorite TV Gardener" to speak at Second Annual Fall Southern Home and Garden Show

(Greenville, SC) - Michael Weishan, "America's Favorite TV Gardener" will take the stage at the Home Builders Association of Greenville's Second Annual Fall Southern Home and Garden Show. Weishan is a featured speaker on Saturday and Sunday of the show, which runs October 15th - 17th at the Carolina First Center.

Weishan spent five years as the host of "The Victory Garden" on PBS and of the radio program "The Cultivated Gardener" on NPR. He has also shared his gardening expertise on programs such as The Today Show and CBS Early Show.

In addition to television, Weishan is the author of numerous books including "The New Traditional Garden" and is the former Gardening Editor of both Country Living and New Old House magazines. Weishan will share his sense of humor and his over 35 years of horticulture experience at two different seminars the weekend of the show.

His first seminar "The Seven Deadly Sins of the Modern American Landscape - And How to Avoid Them" will run on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. and Sunday at 3:00 p.m. This presentation takes a light-hearted look at the seven common errors we all tend to make in our gardens.

Weishan's second seminar is entitled "Greening the Victory Garden" and will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. This seminar explains how to get started growing your own fruits and vegetables in an environmentally friendly and budget conscience way.

Landscaping products and gardening tools featured by Weishan will be available at area Lowe's stores and in one of their displays at the show.

The Fall Southern Home and Garden Show brings together remodeling exhibits, plans for Fall fix-ups, and displays on seasonal décor. The show is sponsored by Lowe's and $1 off discount coupons are available at area Lowe's stores. Lowe's will also be giving away $20 gift cards every hour of the show.

For more information visit the Home Builders Association of Greenville website at www.hbaofgreenville.com or call 864-254-0135.