Multiple Lot Discount Tax Abatement Deadline is May 1

If you are a Home Builder or Developer owning 10 or more vacant lots, you may be eligible for a discount on the property taxes on those lots, but you must act by May 1.  To apply, visit the Tax Assessor's office in each county where where you own at least 10 vacant lots.

Help Wanted: Bookkeeper/Office Manager

Your Home Builders Association has an opening for the position of Office Manager.  The candidate will have three- to five-years of experience in a small-office setting managing all aspects of the administrative operations of a professional office.  Bookkeeping experience is a must.

Our office is face-paced and sometimes demanding, but we enjoy our work with our members and the opportunity to work together as a team.

Competitive salary and benefits are offered to the right professional.  Please submit your resume and cover letter to eo@HBAofGreenville.com.

Lead Paint Recertification Rule Change Aids 380,000 Remodelers Nationwide

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator has signed a final rule extending certain renovator certifications under the Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) program.

EPA estimates that the rule, which went into effect the same day it was published in the Federal Register (April 16), will affect up to 380,000 certified renovators.

Under the final rule:

• Remodelers and other contractors who got their EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator certifications on or before March 31, 2010, now have until March 31, 2016, to get recertified.
• Remodelers who got their certifications between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011, will have one year added to their five-year certification.
• Once they get re-certified, remodelers will have another five years before they have to re-up.

At your HBA’s urging, EPA extended these certifications because they would otherwise have expired before planned improvements to the RRP rule could be made. EPA proposed anamendment to remove the hands-on training requirement for the RRP refresher training course in January, but is unlikely to be finalized before November.

Without the certainty provided by the extension, almost half of all certified renovators would have been shut out of the opportunity to take advantage of the savings offered by this proposal.

• The EPA extension of certifications will not affect all certified renovators:
• The 5-year certification remains in effect for renovators who received their original certification after March 31, 2011.
• The extension does not apply to renovators operating under one of the 14 state authorized programs regardless of when they originally received certification. (See map)

Also, the rule only applies to individual, not firm certifications.

For more information, visit A Remodeler’s Guide to EPA Lead-Safe Certified Renovator Recertification. Learn more about the EPA Lead Paint rule at nahb.org/leadpaint

FHFA Index Shows Mortgage Interest Rates Increased in March

Nationally, interest rates on conventional purchase-money mortgages increased from February to March, according to several indices of new mortgage contracts.

The National Average Contract Mortgage Rate for the Purchase of Previously Occupied Homes by Combined Lenders index was 3.80 percent for loans closed in late March, up 3 basis points from 3.77 percent in February.

The average interest rate on all mortgage loans was 3.80 percent, up 3 basis points from 3.77 in February.

The average interest rate on conventional, 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages of $417,000 or less was 3.95 percent, an increase of 4 basis points from 3.91 in February.

The effective interest rate on all mortgage loans was 3.95 percent in March, up 3 basis points from 3.92 percent in February. The effective interest rate accounts for the addition of initial fees and charges over the life of the mortgage.

The average loan amount for all loans was $310,800 in March, up $16,600 from $294,200 in February.

Rally Planned at State House in Support of Business License Reform

Your Home Builders Association will participate in a rally in support of Business License Reform at the South Carolina State House on May 6.  The rally is scheduled to coincide with a public hearing on business license reform legislation that was recently introduced.  The rally will feature the release of results of an in-depth study of business license practices of municipalities and counties in South Carolina.

The rally will begin at 1 p.m. at the State House.  The public hearing is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. in the Blatt Building.  The House Ways and Means Committee will hold the hearing.

Please contact Michael Dey if you are able to travel to Columbia for the rally and hearing.

Threatened Bat Species Could Endanger Building Permits

The listing of the Northern Long-Eared Bat as threatened under the Endangered Species Act becomes effective May 4 – and that’s a change that will affect more than 1,750 counties in the Eastern and North Central United States, including Greenville and Pickens counties.

The action restricts the removal of trees of certain sizes and diameters between mid-April and mid-September, which is the bats’ migration season.

The 1,750 counties accounted for 53% of the building permits pulled in 2014.

Your Home Builders Association believes that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has underestimated the degree of the impact of this listing. Specifically, FWS does not understand the time-sensitive nature of home building and assumes proposed projects that may affect the bats’ summer habitat can simply wait until they start hibernating in October.

Once the listing is effective, any property with or near known hibernation or maternity roost sites will need to consult with regulators and get a permit to proceed – a process likely to delay work for several months or even years, depending on the kind of permit needed.

While NAHB will seek an exemption for our members under the 4(d) rule, projects undertaken after May 4 must comply with the ESA rulings. Learn more by reading this FAQ.

The State Convention is Changing Seasons

October 23-25 in Asheville, NC

The Home Builders Association of South Carolina is pleased to announce the return of the HBASC State Convention to Asheville, NC! The convention will deliver a valuable benefit to our members and to provide a distinct advantage to anyone in the home building industry and also allow you and your family time to socialize, compete and have some fun.

The convention will provide you the perfect platform to acquire new business strategies, while increasing your knowledge of current building industry practices. It will offer an ideal and fun environment for establishing relationships and a means for increasing business profitability. Education sessions presented by the industry's most prominent experts, coupled with relaxing social events and the possibility for personal downtime, makes the convention a unique opportunity your entire family will enjoy.

Click here for more information and to register.