Greenville in the top 100 markets for remodeling

Greenville South Carolina is ranked 82 in the Top 100 Markets list for remodeling, according to Remodeling magazine. The Top 100 Markets list is based on the Residential Remodeling Index, a metric developed by Hanley Wood Market Intelligence. The index measures the overall level of remodeling activity in 366 metropolitan statistical areas nationwide.

Also making the top 100 are Charlotte (8), Columbia (39), Atlanta (40), Augusta (62), and Charleston (76).

To read the Top 100 Markets article in Remodeling, click here.

Rasmussen: Just 44 Percent Expect Their Homes to be Worth More in Five Years

Homeowners are more pessimistic about the short-term housing market, but now fewer than half the nation's homeowners expect the value of their homes to go up in the next five years.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey of 720 Homeowners shows that just 19 percent of homeowners believe their home's value will go up over the next year, down slightly from last month. But 30 percent expect its value to go down in that time, tying the highest level of pessimism in two years of surveying. Roughly half (49 percent) think their home's value will remain about the same over the next 12 months as it is now.

Feelings about further down the road are getting gloomier, too. Only 44 percent believe their home's value will go up in the next five years. That's down six points from last month and is just three points above the lowest level measured in almost two years. In 2010, the number of homeowners who expected values to increase in five years ranged from a low of 41 percent in August to a high of 55 percent in April.

Sixteen percent now expect the value of their home to go down in the next five years, the second-highest finding in two years. Thirty-three percent predict their home's value will remain about the same.

The survey of 720 Homeowners was conducted on March 15-16, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95 percent level of confidence.

To read the entire report, click here.

Builders Support Five-Year Extension of National Flood Insurance Program

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) today voiced strong support for congressional efforts to extend the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) for an additional five years to provide ongoing flood insurance protection for property owners and ensure the nation's real estate markets operate smoothly and without delay.

Testifying before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Community Opportunity, NAHB First Vice Chairman Barry Rutenberg, a home builder from Gainesville, Fla., said that the home building industry depends upon the NFIP to remain available, affordable and financially sound.

"A strong, viable national flood insurance program helps ensure the members of the housing industry can continue to provide safe, decent and affordable housing to consumers," said Rutenberg. "We are pleased to see the subcommittee propose a five-year extension of this important program."

The federally-backed flood insurance program suffered unprecedented losses stemming from the devastating 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons, with combined claims from these two years exceeding the total amount paid during the previous 37-year existence of the NFIP program.

As Congress moves to reform the NFIP to ensure its financial stability, Rutenberg urged lawmakers to proceed with care, noting that it is not simply about flood insurance premiums and payouts, but also a comprehensive program that guides future development and mitigates against future loss.

"While a financially-stable NFIP is in all of our interests, the steps that Congress takes to ensure financial stability have the potential to greatly impact housing affordability and the ability of local communities to exercise control over their growth and development options," he said.

During the past several years, the NFIP experienced several short-term lapses in authorization, forcing many home buyers to delay or cancel closings due to the inability to obtain flood insurance for a mortgage. In other instances, builders were forced to stop or delay construction on new homes due to the lack of flood insurance approval, adding unneeded delays and job losses.

To improve the solvency of the program and its attractiveness to potential policyholders, NAHB supports a number of reforms designed to allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the NFIP to better adapt to changes in risk, inflation and the marketplace:

• Increasing coverage limits to better reflect replacement costs would provide more assurances that the legitimate losses will be covered and benefit program solvency by generating increased premiums.
• Creating a more expansive "deluxe" flood insurance option, or a menu of insurance options from which policyholders could pick and choose, could provide additional home owner benefits while aiding program solvency.
• Raising the minimum deductible for paid claims would provide a strong incentive for home owners to mitigate and protect their homes, thereby reducing potential future losses to the NFIP.
  

Established in 1968, the NFIP offers affordable flood insurance to home owners and businesses in flood plains and other low-lying areas that otherwise might not be able to obtain coverage.

More than 20,000 communities nationwide participate in the insurance program, which currently covers about 5.5 million policyholders.

Upstate sees 6,600 new jobs and $1.85 Billion in Capital Investments in 2010

The Upstate SC Alliance has released its year-end results for 2010, including more than $1.85 billion dollars in planned capital investments and the addition of more than 6,600 new jobs for the Upstate region. In 2010, the S.C. Department of Commerce reported 20,453 new jobs recruited along with $4.1 billion in capital investment.

"We've forged a compelling strategy that has generated substantial benefits for our 10-county area," said Upstate SC Alliance President/CEO Hal Johnson. "This performance demonstrates the success of teamwork among our private and public partners in marketing the Upstate to a global audience."

In 2010, Upstate SC Alliance was part of the team, led by the Greenville-Spartanburg International Airport, that successfully recruited Southwest Airlines - a decision considered a "game changer" for the Upstate economy. With the first flights scheduled to arrive later this month, airport officials say the impact of Southwest could be over $150 million to the Upstate area.

You can read the complete Upstate SC Alliance 2010 report by clicking here.

Home Show Seminars Offer Expert Advice On A Wide Range Of Homeowner Topics

By Wayne Moore
2011 HBA President

A full lineup of free educational seminars will be a part of the 50th annual Southern Home & Garden Show, giving attendees the opportunity to learn more about a wide range of topics. Consumer education is an important part of our mission at the Home Builders Association of Greenville and the Southern Home & Garden Show is the perfect forum to offer homeowners and potential homeowners expert advice on kitchen and bath design, interior design, green building and remodeling, gardens and ponds, and a lot more.

For example, the seminar schedule includes a panel discussion on Trends in the Kitchen & Bath Industry featuring members of the National Kitchen & Bath Association. NKBA professionals will cover cabinets, countertops, appliances, interior color trends, construction, installation and organization tips, as well as Aging-in-Place and accessibility issues.

We hope to see you at the March 4-6 Southern Home & Garden Show at Carolina First Center and encourage you to take advantage of this free seminar series:

FRIDAY, MARCH 4
1 p.m. InSinkErator: The Environmental Benefits of Food Disposers
Presenter: Wes Ingram, CSA Inc.
2 p.m. Eternal Tankless Water Heaters - A Green Product
Presenter: Robert Pelkey, RK Sales LLC
3 p.m. Flower Power: The Art of Design
Presenter: BI-LO Floral Designer
4 p.m. Something Old, Something New: Mixing Traditional & Contemporary Interiors
Presenters: Ivet Ivanona, BOGARI European Contemporary Desgin & Valia Warren, The Galleries of Brian Brigham
5 p.m. A Yard For All Seasons: Seasonal Growing Tips
Presenter: Mills Grant, Carolina Fresh Farms
6 p.m. Fire Science, Fire Safety
Presenter: Steve Kruzner, NitroStrike™
7 p.m. Build Green, Save Green: Green Building & Remodeling
Presenter: Todd Usher, GMB, Addison Homes LLC

SATURDAY, MARCH 5
11 a.m. Panel Discussion: Trends In The Kitchen & Bath Industry
Presenters: National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA) Professionals
12 p.m. So You're Thinking About A Pond?
Presenter: Joe Zawistowski, Green Hill Landscaping LLC
1 p.m. A Yard For All Seasons: Seasonal Growing Tips
Presenters: Mills Grant, Carolina Fresh Farms
2 p.m. Lettuce Create Great Kitchens
Presenter: Marc Yops, CKD, IIDA, National Kitchen & Bath Association
3 p.m. Flower Power: The Art of Design
Presenter: BI-LO Floral Designer
4 p.m. Going Green With Repurposed Interiors
Presenter: Valia Warren, The Galleries of Brian Brigham
5 p.m. Build Green, Save Green: Green Building & Remodeling
Presenter: Todd Usher, GMB, Addison Homes LLC
6 p.m. Fire Science, Fire Safety
Presenter: Steve Kruzner, NitroStrike™
7 p.m. Water Gardening 101
Presenter: Joe Zawistowski, Green Hill Landscaping LLC

SUNDAY, MARCH 6
2 p.m. Pond Myths Destroyed
Presenter: Joe Zawistowski, Green Hill Landscaping LLC
3 p.m. Build Green, Save Green: Green Building & Remodeling
Presenter: Todd Usher, GMB, Addison Homes LLC
4 p.m. Going Green With Repurposed Interiors
Presenter: Valia Warren, The Galleries of Brian Brigham

For more information on the Southern Home & Garden Show, visit www.HBAofGreenville.com.

HBA Seeks Construction Veterans for New Mentoring Program--Find Out More

With its new Construction-Coaching Opportunities to Reach Employment Opportunities (C-CORE) program, the Home Builders Institute (HBI) is putting a twist on an age-old tradition of passing trade skills down from one generation to the next.

HBI C-CORE — a three-year program funded by the U.S. Department of Justice — matches teens aged 16-18 with adult mentors who encourage them to consider careers in the home building industry and coach them toward success.

Anyone involved in the home building industry is eligible to be a C-CORE mentor. Your HBA of Greenville is hosting an informational forum about the C-CORE program:

What: C-CORE Mentoring Program Informational Forum
Where: HBA of Greenville Office
When: March 24, 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m.

To register for the C-CORE Mentoring Program Informational Forum, click here.

HBI currently is recruiting mentors for the program, which was launched in October with the goal of matching 5,000 youths with 1,600 mentors in the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida, South Carolina and Florida.

So far, 45 coaches and 127 youths have signed up for the C-CORE program at 16 sites, including partnerships with the Home Builders Association of Greater Columbia, the Home Builders Association of Greenville, and the Builders Association of Northern Nevada.

The South Carolina program is centered on Greenville and Columbia and is being administered by Cory Lorick, on staff at the Greater Columbia Home Builders Association. You can reach Cory at 803-256-6238 or cory@columbiabuilders.com.

The program will be expanded by 11 more sites in 2011.

“I encourage my fellow NAHB members to become coaches for the C-CORE program,” said NAHB Chairman-elect Robert Nielsen, president of Shelter Properties Inc. in Reno, Nev. “The commitment requires a time investment of only a few hours a month for such a great impact on a young person’s life. You’ll not only help tap their potential, you will gain a sense of personal and professional satisfaction from the experience.”

How it works:
Mentors are matched with a group of three youths with whom they spend as little as two hours per week helping and advising them in a supportive team environment with other HBI C-C-CORE mentors and youth.

HBI provides volunteer mentors with training that explains their roles and responsibilities, gives them insight into how to build their mentoring relationships, and builds their skills in effective communication and problem-solving. Continued advice and resources are available after the initial training.

Because building a trusting relationship between a mentor and a young person takes time, HBI C-CORE asks mentors to commit a minimum of one year to the program.

Earl McLeod, executive director of the HBA of Greater Columbia and a member of the HBI Board of Trustees, has signed up to become a mentor, and he looks forward to what he calls a “feel-good, do-good opportunity” to engage young people in the residential construction trades and make a positive difference in their lives.

“I encourage my colleagues to become mentors for the HBI C-CORE program,” McLeod said. “You will influence these young people with your caring and guidance, and you will be helping to develop the next generation of trades people for the residential construction industry. ”

Franqee Higgins, Texas/Northern Louisiana regional coordinator for C-CORE, was 19 and ready to change his life when he met his mentor, Philip Orr, an HBI electrical instructor at Guthrie (Okla.) Job Corps Center. Higgins studied the electrical and plumbing trades at Guthrie, winning the NAHB Chairman’s Award at the 2007 International Builders’ Show. He eventually became an HBI Job Corps electrical instructor at the Clearfield Job Corps Center in Utah, where he was named “Rookie Instructor of the Year.”

“Phil told me that if I would do what he said, my life would change,” Higgins said. “I kept up with him — whenever I took a college course or won an award. When I became a Job Corps instructor, it was the culmination of what Phil means to me because I knew then that I could make a difference in a young person’s life too.”

Higgins now matches young people interested in the home building industry with C-CORE mentors from his Dallas office. “Many of our youths do not come from the most positive of situations,” he said. “C-CORE mentors not only guide them on the path to success by showing them the ropes of the home building industry, they help them shape a positive outlook on life.”

For more information about how you can become an HBI C-CORE mentor, contact Cory Lorick at 803-256-6238 or cory@columbiabuilders.com.

Dillard-Jones Builders Named 2011 Southern Living Builder Of The Year

Dillard-Jones Builders LLC has been named the 2011 Southern Living Builder of the Year by the magazine’s Custom Builder Program – the only company in the program’s 18-year history to receive the award twice. Dillard-Jones was the 2009 Southern Living Custom Builder of the Year, which marked the first time a South Carolina home builder had won the prestigious national award.

The Southern Living Custom Builder Program is an invitation-only network of more than 100 custom home builders throughout the South. Members are selected based on: their reputation among local businesses and consumers; strength of presence in their respective markets; superior quality and attention to detail; and innovative style. Builders are required to re-apply each year and are evaluated by Southern Living to assure they have met the standards.

A member of the Southern Living Custom Builder Program since 2007, Dillard-Jones Builders received the 2011 Builder of the Year award for its successful presentation of the 2010 Southern Living Showcase held November 5 through December 19 in Greenville’s Claremont community. The award was presented during the Southern Living Builder Conference held February 25-26 at Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston.

“Not only does Dillard-Jones build beautiful homes, but they have great customer service and a great approach to the way they do business,” said Kristen Payne, Executive Director of the Southern Living Homes Group. “They typify the quality of craftsmanship, and Southern design and architecture that you see when you open the pages of Southern Living.”

Southern Living, a premier lifestyle and entertainment magazine of the South, is among the largest monthly consumer magazine in the United States, reaching nearly 16 million readers each month with a circulation of about 2.8 million.

Dillard-Jones Builders, LLC specializes in custom residential construction ranging from the $500,000’s to more than $2 million. The Greer, SC-based company presently is building in several Upstate communities including The Cliffs Valley, The Cliffs at Mountain Park, Gary Players Estates, The Cliffs at Falls South, Claremont, and Rockwood At Augusta.