Welcome 2017 Board of Directors

Your Home Builders Association of Greenville is proud to welcome our 2017 Board of Directors as they officially took office on January 1, 2017.

President

Bob Barreto, GBS Building Supply

President Elect

James Speer, APB, Carson Speer Builders

Vice President

Matt Shouse, APB, LS Homes

Associate Vice-President

Alan Wilson, Clark's Termite and Pest Control

Secretary-Treasurer

Bill Kane, APB, Ryan Homes

Immediate Past President

Joe Hoover, APB, Hoover Custom Construction

Directors

Jarrett Smith, APB, Smith and Webb

Renata Caldwell, Progress Lighting

Holly May, Blackstream, LLC

James Anderson, Park Sterling Bank

Ben Moseley, The Heirloom Companies

Matt Ruth, APB, Mobius Construction

Thomas Dillard, APB, Dillard-Jones Builders

BIA of Central SC Seeks Judges for REGAL Awards

The Sales & Marketing Council of the BIA of Central SC is looking for judges to assist us in identifying their 2016 REGAL (Real Estate’s Greatest Achievers & Leaders) Winners! Judging will take place strictly online again this year and will be held January 24 – January 29. Online judging is easy because you have 6 days to complete the process and will allow you to work at your own pace from your own computer.

There will be a few video conferencing calls for Individual Award Winners but those will be scheduled accordingly – every judge will NOT participate in every online conference call.

Categories that you would be Judging include: Best Website, Best Mobile Website, Best Special Promotion, Best Use of Social Media, and more.

Deadline to sign-up as a judge will be January 18. Judging opportunities are limited. Should you have any interest or know someone who may be interested, please let me know as soon as possible and I will send you additional info about the process and an online password link.

Your support and expertise would be greatly appreciated! Please contact Heather McDonald at the BIA of Central SC at (803) 256-6238 or heather@columbiabuilders.com if you are interested in participating.

U.S. House Price Index - October 2016

From the Federal Housing Finance Agency:

The Federal Housing Finance Agency House Price Index reported a 0.4 percent increase in U.S. house prices in October from the previous month. From October 2015 to October 2016, house prices were up 6.1 percent. For the nine census divisions, seasonally adjusted monthly price changes from September 2016 to October 2016 ranged from -0.6 percent in the East South Central division to +1.2 percent in the Mountain division. The 12-month changes were all positive, ranging from +3.6 percent in the Middle Atlantic division to +8.3 percent in the Mountain division.​

Monthly index values and appreciation rate estimates for recent periods are provided in the table and graphs in the attachment.

Lot Leads - Get the Dirt on Available Lots

Your HBA has been alerted to a lot for sale in Greenville. See below for details:
Location: 6.42 Acres Woodland Drive Greenville, SC 29617, just 3 miles from Downtown Greenville, in area of homes off Poinsett Hwy between Cherrydale Point shopping center and Furman University.
Directions: From downtown Greenville, take Poinsett Highway 2.8 miles past Cherrydale Point shopping center. Take left onto Woodland Drive. Entrance to property is between two white houses on the right approximately 0.4 miles
Lot Details: Suitable for single family or rezone for multi-family development. Pre-approved preliminary subdivision plan available for consideration or develop as desired. County has pre-approved access drive, road location and cluster development. Currently zoned R10 but adjacent to RM20. Ample city water with access to new 6" main. Sewer main easement on property with pre-approved capacity. Property is wooded with very tall hardwood for timber. 
Contact: Tax Map Number 0438000101001. Priced to sell quickly at $35/acre - $224,700 total. 
For additional information, please call 864-616-8888.

Rising Interest Rates, House Prices Push Thousands Out of the Market

One thousand dollars might sound insignificant when compared to the overall price of a new home. But that relatively small amount of money has a surprisingly big impact on affordability.

The National Association of Home Builders economists recently determined that for every $1,000 increase in the cost of today’s median-priced home, nearly 153,000 American households are priced out and would no longer be able to afford it.

Many builders and developers are finding it increasingly difficult to avoid these price jumps in the face of mounting regulations and government-imposed fees, which can add up quickly and shut the door on a growing number of prospective buyers.

Those numbers become even more eye-opening when looking at potential interest rate increases. With just a quarter-point rise in the rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage, approximately 1.2 million people would be priced out of that segment of the market and forced to set their sights lower than a median-priced home—or delay their home purchase altogether.

But the impact varies widely across the country. The effects are more significant in areas where new homes are more affordable.

Eye On Housing recently revealed which states and metro areas have the highest percentage of priced-out households.

Tips for Maintaining a Safe Job Site

Following these eight rules can help workers steer clear of the most common jobsite hazards and keep construction sites looking neat, professional, and well cared for.

• Hold mandatory safety meetings at the start of each day so that everyone knows the rules.
• Keep walkways and stairways clear of trash, debris and materials like tools and supplies to prevent tripping and falls.
• Pick up boxes, scrap lumber and other materials and put them in a dumpster or trash/debris area to prevent fire and tripping hazards.
• Provide enough light so workers can see any hazards and prevent accidents.
• Provide an adequate supply of drinking water and restrooms.
• Always wear personal protective equipment (e.g., hard hats, goggles, gloves, non-skid work boots).
• Always maintain three points of contact while ascending or descending a ladder.
• Take regular breaks to reduce the chance of an accident happening due to exhaustion.

PWB Happy Hour Social

Join the Professional Women in Building Council for their Happy Hour Social at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill on January 17th, from 4-6 p.m. This event will include drinks, appetizers, and networking with other top professionals.