Take a short survey and give your opinion on Greenville County's roads

Late last year Greenville County Council started a process of evaluating the county's needs for improvement of roads in the county. The process began in the context of a potential increase in the sales tax to fund road improvements. Greenville County Council, however, decided to first determine the county's road needs first, before committing itself to a process that would have led to a question being added to the ballot to raise the sales tax.

Greenville County Council instead formed a Citizens Advisory Committee to research road needs and receive community input. The commission is made up of 20 citizens from around the county. The commission will hold a series of meetings throughout the county to receive public input. Click here to view the schedule of meetings.

The commission also has published a survey so that you can provide you input as well. Please consider participating in the survey. It takes just five minutes to complete. Click here to participate in the Greenville Roads Survey.

Finally, you can click here to see a report on the commission report on by WYFF.

Please make sure your voice, and that of the Home Building Industry, is heard on Greenville County's roads by participating in this discussion.

UPS Savings Program is now available to NAHB Members

NAHB is pleased to announce that our members can now participate in the UPS Savings Program and save up to 36%. Whether you need your documents or packages to arrive the next day or are looking for the most affordable shipping option, UPS understands the importance of reliability, speed and cost.

The UPS Savings Program offers NAHB members some of the most competitive rates available on shipping services along with more service options, superior ground-delivery coverage and overnight delivery by 10:30 a.m. to more ZIP Codes than any other carrier. Plus, with the convenience of more drop-off locations and innovative UPS technology to help streamline shipment processing, members can receive value that goes beyond cost and on-time delivery.

Through the program NAHB members can now save up to 36% on a broad portfolio of UPS shipping services, including:

• Up to 36% on UPS Air letters*
• Up to 32% on UPS Air packages (1 lb.+)*
• Up to 34% on UPS International imports and exports
• Up to 24% on UPS Ground shipments
• Savings begin at 70% on UPS Freight® shipments over 150 lbs.

You can receive these discounts even if you already have a UPS account. Plus, the more you ship, the more you can save with UPS. To enroll and start saving, visit savewithups.com/nahb or call 1-800-
MEMBERS (1-800-636-2377), Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. – 6 p.m.

*Discounts exclude UPS Express Critical and UPS Next Day Air Early A.M. 

CarsonSpeer Builders of Greenville, SC Receives Best Of Houzz 2014 Award

Annual Survey and Analysis of 16 Million Monthly Users Reveals Top-Rated Building, Remodeling and Design Professionals

Greenville, SC, February 6, 2014 – CarsonSpeer Builders of Greenville, SC has been awarded “Best Of Houzz” by Houzz, the leading platform for home remodeling and design. This innovative custom home builder was chosen by the more than 16 million monthly users that comprise the Houzz community.

The Best Of Houzz award is given in two categories: Customer Satisfaction and Design. Customer Satisfaction honors are determined by a variety of factors, including the number and quality of client reviews a professional received in 2013. Design award winners’ work was the most popular among the more than 16 million monthly users on Houzz, known as “Houzzers,” who saved more than 230 million professional images of home interiors and exteriors to their personal ideabooks via the Houzz site. Winners will receive a “Best Of Houzz 2014” badge on their profiles, showing the Houzz community their commitment to excellence. These badges help homeowners identify popular and top-rated home professionals in every metro area on Houzz.

"We are honored to receive this award." said James Speer of CarsonSpeer. "The Houzz community has not only recognized our commitment to the highest standards of excellence in the home building industry, but specifically our dedication to building client relationships based on clear communication and trust."

“Houzz provides homeowners with the most comprehensive view of home building, remodeling and design professionals, empowering them to find and hire the right professional to execute their vision,” said Liza Hausman, vice president of community for Houzz. “We’re delighted to recognize CarsonSpeer among our “Best Of” professionals for customer satisfaction as judged by our community of homeowners and design enthusiasts who are actively remodeling and decorating their homes.”

With Houzz, homeowners can identify not only the top-rated professionals like CarsonSpeer Builders, but also those whose work matches their own aspirations for their home. Homeowners can also evaluate professionals by contacting them directly on the Houzz platform, asking questions about their work and reviewing their responses to questions from others in the Houzz community.

Follow CarsonSpeer Builders on Houzz: http://www.houzz.com/pro/webuser_221666

About CarsonSpeer Builders

CarsonSpeer is a Greenville, South Carolina-based custom home builder specializing in new home construction and remodeling. It is the culmination of two companies created by Steve Carson and James Speer, like-minded artisan builders with the shared desire to utilize their gifts in the construction and remodeling of the finest homes imaginable. For more information, visit http://carsonspeerbuilders.com

FHFA Index Shows Mortgage Interest Rates Increase Slightly in December

National data show interest rates on mortgages increased in December. Contract mortgage interest rates increased 0.03 percent from November to December, according to an index of new mortgage contracts.

According to the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), the National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders index was 4.25 percent for loans closed in late December. The index is calculated using FHFA’s Monthly Interest Rate Survey. The contract rate on the composite of all mortgage loans was 4.25 percent, up 3 basis points from 4.22 in November.

Interest rates are typically locked in 30-45 days before a loan is closed. Consequently, December data reflect market rates from mid-to-late November. The effective interest rate was 4.40 percent, up 2 basis points from 4.38 percent in November. The effective interest rate accounts for the addition of initial fees and charges over the life of the mortgage.

FHFA’s interest rate survey shows the average interest rate on conventional, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages of $417,000 or less was 4.54 in December, an increase of 6 basis points. The average loan amount for all loans was $277,600 in December up $12,700 from $264,900 in November.

FHFA will release January index values Thursday, February 27th, 2014.

Todd Roy of Progress Lighting Elected to Board of Trustees of NAHB Leading Supplier Council

Todd Roy, Director of Builder Sales and Marketing at Progress Lighting, was elected to the Board of Trustees of the NAHB Leading Supplier Council for 2014.

The Leading Suppliers Council is a group of the leading building manufacturers and suppliers nationally. They support the International Builders Show as well as The New American Home. Progress Lighting is a member of the Leading Suppliers Council.

Todd entered the lighting industry in 1994 as an independent agent, representing multiple residential and commercial Brands. In 1999, Todd joined Progress Lighting as an Account Manager in Palm Beach, FL, covering the Florida East Coast region. In 2001 and 2002, he was awarded Salesman of the Year for the development, growth, and retainment of the retail, commercial and residential channels. Todd has held several challenging positions with increasing levels of responsibility during his tenure at Progress: Regional National Accounts Manager in 2003, National Builder Marketing Manager in 2006, and has been the Director of Builder Sales and Marketing since 2010.

Todd is active with the NAHB. He has held board positions with the home builders associations and served in multiple capacities with industry Partnerships, Alliances and Memberships. His responsibilities include: The management, retainment and growth of all Residential, Multi-family and Commercial National Accounts, Buying Groups, Strategic Alliances, National Contracts, National and Regional trade shows, Incentive Management, Marketing initiatives, P&L for strategic partners, SIOP, Product placement, national assortments and pricing. Todd resides in Simpsonville, SC after relocating there with his wife and three boys in 2006.

2013 Bridge Awards Winners Announced

And the Winners Are...

The Southern Home and Garden Bridge Awards Gala, presented by GBS Building Supply, was held January 30th and it was a great event. Here is a breakdown of the winners.

New Home Under 500K
JMC Homes of SC, Thomas Green Blvd: Best Overall 

New Home 500k-1M

Goodwin Foust, Treetops Court: Best Overall, Best Bath
Goodwin Foust, Chamblee Blvd: Best Exterior, Best Kitchen 

New Home 1M-5M

Gabriel Builders, Hickory Springs Way: Best Overall, Best Bath
Fairview Builders, Cedar Waxwing Way: Best Exterior, Best Kitchen 

New Home 5M+

Gabriel Builders, Majesty Ct: Best Overall and Best Exterior
Gabriel Builders, Piney Woods: Best Kitchen and Best Bath

Green Building Award
 Addison Homes, Punctatum Place

Full Home Remodel
 Hadrian Construction, McDaniel Ave: Best Overall

Partial Remodel
Howard Custom Builders, Fox Run: Best Kitchen
Howard Custom Builders, Riverwalk Blvd: Best Innovation of Space
Howard Custom Builders, Riverwalk Dr: Best Outdoor Space

Sales and MarketingMatt Vaughn, Brand Mortgage: Lender of the Year
John Wolfrom, Providence Realty: Best Community Promotion

Also presented with awards

Presidential Citation Award
Jon Statom of Palmetto Exterminators
Ron Tate of Gallivan, White, & Boyd P.A.

 Community Service Award

Mark Nyblom, with Rosewood Communities

Committee Chairman Award
Eric Hedrick, Cornerstone Contractors, Government Affairs Committee Chair

Membership AwardMike Freeman of ACA/ Freewood Contractors.

ABCD Award (Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Award)
(This award was presented to 3 members for their unselfish devotion to the Martha Childress renovations)
Scott Lynch of Hollison Custom Homes
Tom Dillard with Dillard Jones Builders
Jimmy Dias of Dias Home Repair and Renovations.

Champion of Housing Award 
(presented by the HBA of South Carolina)
Frank Halter (accepted posthumously by Brad Halter of Coldwell Banker Caine)

Distinguished Service Award
(granted to a community of a political leader who has made an outstanding contribution to the housing industry yet is not a member of the Home Builders Association of Greenville)
Charles Albin Warth (accepted posthumously by his wife, Becky)

Builder and Associate of the Year:

The BB&T Builder Member of the Year and the Richard A. Ashmore, Sr. Associate Member of the Year award were presented to:

  Robert Markel of Hadrian Construction - 2013 Builder of the Year Award

Bob Barreto of GBS Building Supply - 2013 Associate of the Year Award

The winners were also honored in EZ Home Search, on stands over the weekend. In addition, winners were in this weekend editions of the Greenville News.

A BIG Thank You goes out to the event sponsors:
GBS Building Supply, Presenting Sponsor
Progress Lighting, Dessert Sponsor
2-10 Home Buyers Warranty, Bar Sponsor

Healthcare Myths, Realities, and Consequences

By Jason Freeman, J. Freeman and Associates

Myths
There is a lot of information and discussion “out there” about the new health care law. Some of it is good. Some of it is very confusing. Conflicting messages, inaccuracies, negativity and hearsay have led to many misconceptions. We regularly hear things like:

• Health insurance plans must be purchased through the Marketplace. This is false. Individuals and business owners can still purchase health care coverage through private brokers or directly from insurance carriers. Just be sure that it is a qualified plan that meets the new federal requirements. You can also have a private insurance broker help you sign up through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
• If you already have a health plan, you can keep it. This is generally true. However, the health care law requires all plans to include a broader set of benefits. As a result, many insurers are leaving the market, or discontinuing some plans because they do not include the required benefits, and doing so is cost prohibitive. Millions of Americans have already received these cancellation notices, forcing them to shop for new coverage.
• My premium will be less under Obamacare. This is a maybe. All plans are required to cover essential services that may not have been covered by your previous plan. It is also possible that you may qualify for a subsidy.
• My premium will be more under Obamacare. This one is also a maybe, but more than likely, true. If your current provider is abandoning the market and you need to find a new plan, you will most likely see an increase. If your current plan does not meet the new federal requirements, your new plan premium or total out-of-pocket cost will no doubt be higher.

Realities
In South Carolina, lawmakers are working to pass legislation that would eliminate the ACA in this state. The bill outlaws state health care exchanges and prohibits state agencies, officers and employees from implementing any part of the federal health care reform. The state would issue tax deductions to any South Carolina residents that pay the federal penalty for not complying with the ACA.

Be aware—ultimately medical insurance will be nothing more than a tax. So, when your insurance agent delivers the bad news, don't shoot the messenger. It’s actually already happening, to some extent, under the current version of the ACA. Your premiums (taxpayer dollars) are spent on insurance subsidies to offset the cost of health insurance for low income individuals and families. And since everyone is required to have some form of policy or pay a fine, it kind of sounds like a tax—doesn’t it?

Consequences
The full effect of the ACA on the overall economy is yet to be seen. Corporate profits will remain as companies find ways to survive. Jobs will be eliminated to keep the number of employees below 50 (the minimum requirement to offer health insurance) or just cover the increased cost of health insurance. Full time workers will be reduced to part time, other positions will be subcontracted out, and some job functions will be farmed out overseas. Ultimately we will find ourselves facing a much more complex dilemma than a non-functioning government website.

In the future, top medical care may very well be harder to come by. Quality care will become quantity care. Will the liability of our medical professionals become more controlled when they are being forced to treat a number versus an individual?

But who’s really behind these changes to our health care system? How many pharmacies were in a 5 mile radius of you 10 years ago? How many today? Are the pharmaceutical companies striving for and profiting from posturing of our new world of medical insurance for all?

We have always been told to “be careful for what you wish for.” Did we really wish for every American to be insured? This country was built on having the God-given right to choose, not the right to be covered.