Learn How Green Building Offers Growth Market For Remodelers

On April 28 HBA Remodelers can learn more about "Selling to the Green Client" at the Remodelers Forum at the HBA of Greenville office, sponsored by Advanced Renovations. The speaker is Kathy Vass of Vass Markets Inc.

• What: HBA Remodelers Forum
• Topic: Selling to the Green Client
  
• When: Thursday, April 28, 8:30 a.m.
• Where: HBA of Greenville Office
• Speaker: Kathy Vass, Vass Markets
• Sponsor: Advanced Renovations
  

Click here to register for the HBA of Greenville Remodelers Forum.

The U.S. home remodeling industry is poised for growth in 2011, with NAHB predicting as much as a 20 percent increase in spending for home improvement projects. Studies show that in the next five years, the focus of remodeling spending will shift from upper-end discretionary projects to replacements and systems upgrades. With energy costs on the rise and consumers becoming increasingly aware of the need to conserve resources, green remodeling is providing remodeling business opportunities ranging from insulation upgrades to whole-house renovation projects.

Most of the nation’s 125 million homes were built before today’s high efficiency materials, appliances and construction techniques were incorporated into new homes. As homeowners look toward remodeling, they are considering and asking for products such as low-e windows, Energy Star® rated appliances, upgraded insulation and other green products.

Click here to register for the HBA of Greenville Remodelers Forum.

2011 HBA of Greenville Golf Tournament Sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas

Please see a list of the rest of our generous sponsors at the end of this article.

Join us as we put down the hammers and house plans for the day and pick up your favorite club.

The Home Builders Association of Greenville is excited to announce its annual Golf Tournament will be held on Thursday, June 9th at Verdae Greens Golf Club.

The HBA Golf Tournament is a great chance for Associate members to mix and mingle with Builder members—and of course, to just enjoy a day of friendly competition out on the golf course.

• Shotgun start: 1:30p.m.
• Captain’s Choice Format

Awards and cookout dinner at the Embassy Suites Terrace to follow.



Click here to register for the 2011 Home Builders Association Golf Tournament, Sponsored by Piedmont Natural Gas.

Heirloom Stair and Iron Receives Three National Awards

Heirloom Stair & Iron Inc. has won three awards for outstanding craftsmanship in an international competition sponsored by the National Ornamental & Miscellaneous Metals Association (NOMMA). The event was open to more than 700 member firms throughout the United States and in 12 foreign countries.

Heirloom Stair & Iron Inc. received the following awards:

• GOLD- Exterior Railings & Fences
• BRONZE- Interior Railings - Forged
• BRONZE- Furniture & Accessory Fabrication – Forged

The presentation was made at a banquet in New Orleans, LA, on March 19 during NOMMA's 53rd annual conference. The Ernest Wiemann Top Job Awards Competition is an annual contest that recognizes outstanding work in the ornamental and miscellaneous metals industry.

To learn more about Heirloom Stair & Iron, Inc., click here.

Call for Nominations for Board of Directors of HBA of Greenville

To: Members of the HBA of Greenville

The Nominating Committee of the HBA of Greenville has begun work on nominations to the HBA of Greenville Board of Directors for 2012. In addition, there is currently a vacancy on the Board of Directors for a Builder member. The following are the positions for which nominations are being sought:

• Builder Member (currently vacant), term expires December 31, 2013 (must be a Builder member or an Affiliate member of a Builder member company)
• Builder Member (2), term expires December 31, 2014 (must be a Builder member or an Affiliate member of a Builder member company)
• Associate Member (2), term expires December 31, 2014 (must be an Associate member or an Affiliate member of an Associate member company)
• Vice President (1), term expries December 31, 2012 (must be a Builder member or an Affiliate member of a Builder member company; must be willing to rise to the position of President in 2014)
• Associate Vice President (1), term expires December 31, 2012 (must be an Associate member or an Affiliate member of an Associate member company)

Election of the Builder member of the Board of Directors, which position is currently vacant, is planned for the Board of Directors meeting on May 17 and will take office immediately. The person elected to this position will stand for reelection by the full membership for the remainder of his or her term at the association's annual meeting in November.

The remainder of the positions will stand for election by the full membership at the association's annual meeting in November and take office on January 1, 2012.

If you are interested in serving in any of the positions above, please indicate your interest by sending an email to Michael Dey, Executive Vice President.

The 2011 Nominating Committee is as follows:

• Tom Dillard, CGP, Chair
• Wayne Moore, Vice Chair
• Hal Dillard
• Robert Markel, CGR
• Eric Hedrick
• Michael Cox
• Tom Ward

SCHBSIF Announces New Name

South Carolina Home Builders Self Insurance Fund has announced the name of the insurance company that will succeed the fund when it converts to a mutual insurance company this summer: South Carolina Home Builders Insurance Group.

The SIF is planning to convert to a mutual insurance company on July 1, 2011, for all new policies. Existing policy holders will have their insurance written by the new company beginning in 2012.

The conversion to a mutual insurance company is intended to make the Home Builders Association's workers compensation insurance program more competitive.

EPA Issues Fines for Lead Violations

Two window replacement contractors recently agreed to pay civil penalties totaling over $50,000 in administrative actions taken by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for failing to provide the agency’s "Renovate Right" brochure to “at least 37” residents and property owners prior to the completion of services rendered.

In both cases, the companies were cited for failing to distribute the brochure as required rather than for ignoring specific steps and measures for containment and clean-up mandated by the EPA. Both cases involved a paperwork audit.

Eleven states are now administering their own audits. According to a source at the EPA, the agency has yet to take legal action against contractors for specifically violating the Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) containment and clean-up rules.

A press release regarding the mentioned legal actions, posted to the EPA's website, fueled speculation that the agency may be stepping up audits and possibly even on-site inspections in connection with RRP enforcement.

Check for Lead, a Florida-based online supplier of materials for contractors involved with lead-safe renovation, launched a website in which contractors seeking information about EPA audits in their area may view a map that flags locations where EPA audits can be verified as having taken place and gain insight from those who have already gone through the audit process themselves. To see Check for Lead's map, click here. To date no enforcement actions have been verified in South Carolina by the website.

Foreclosures are falling in Greenville; News is mixed in the rest of South Carolina

According to RealtyTrac, foreclosures are down in Greenville County 21 percent in the first quarter over the fourth quarter of 2010 and 33 percent when compared to one year ago.

The news is more mixed in the rest of the state. Statewide foreclosures are down 12 percent since the fourth quarter and 14 percent since the first quarter of last year. However, foreclosures are up in both Anderson and Spartanburg when compared to the same quarter last year.

Click here to read the entire report a GSABusiness.com.