Downtown Alive Presented by Piedmont Natural Gas, TONIGHT starting at 5:30.

Drop by the Piedmont Natural Gas VIP area between 5:30 and 8:00 located on N. Main St. across from the Hyatt for complimentary snacks and refreshments.  Be our guest!  Come out and enjoy the sounds of the live band and socialize with members of the Home Building Industry.
This is a Free event for HBA of Greenville members.

Government Affairs Committee Meets with Congressman Jeff Duncan

Congressman Jeff Duncan addresses members of the Home Builders Association

This last week the Government Affairs Committee and Board of Directors met with Congressman Jeff Duncan (Representative of the S.C. 3^rd District) to discuss GSE reform, immigration reform and labor shortages, the mortgage interest deduction in tax reform, a proposed time extension to review the EPA’s expansion of the Clear Water Act, and refining patent laws concerning patents on common construction techniques.

HBA members met with the Congressman over coffee at a new model home at West Farms, a new development in Fountain Inn by Mungo Homes.

"We appreciate the opportunity to meet with Congressman Duncan and for the valuable discussion he engaged in with everyone concerning these issues that affect home building, construction, and home buying," Mike Freeman, Home Builders Association President, said.

The HBA will meet with Congressman Trey Gowdy May 13.

HBA of Greenville 2014 Golf Classic is next week! Don't Miss Out!

The HBA of Greenville will host its annual Golf Classic on Thursday, May 8 th at The Preserve at Verdae Golf Course. The event is sponsored by  Stock Building Supply with Piedmont Natural Gas as presenting sponsor. The Golf Classic is Captain's Choice Format and will have a Shotgun Start at 11:30 am with lunch provided by Builders First Source. There will also be a chance to win a NEW GM vehicle provided by Kevin Whitaker at the Hole in One.

The Golf Classic will conclude with the Awards Dinner. 

There are still team and sponsorship opportunities available, please call the HBA office if you would like to participate.

Volunteers NEEDED: We also have a need for volunteers if you would like to help please contact the HBA office at 864-254-0133 or email Crystal Yanes at cyanes@hbaofgreenville.com.

Past President Dee Smith

Past President Dee Smith

It is with sadness that we report to you that Past President Dee Smith died Friday.  Dee Smith was President of your Home Builders Association in 1986 and also Builder of the Year.  He also served as Vice Chairman of the S.C. Housing Finance and Development Authority.

Smith is survived by his wife of 26 years, Betty, and four sons, Stacy, Randall, John, and Craig, as well as their spouses and three grandchildren.  He also is survived by his brother, Bill, and sisters Helen and Karen.

Visitation is scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, 11 a.m, at Woodlawn Memorial Park.  The funeral service is planned for 1:30 p.m., also at Woodlawn Memorial Park.

Memorials may be made to Rock Springs Baptist Church, 201 Rock Springs Road, Easly, SC 29642 and Brookwood Church, 580 Brookwood Pt. Pl., Simpsonville, SC 29681.

Sign the guest book by clicking here.

HBA member Jimmy Dias of Dias Renovations and his wife Christy host annual charity event.

Create the Cure – A Unique Charity Event

What is a pancreas?  And what can make it cranky?  Christy Dias, wife of Jimmy Dias, has had to find out first hand.  She has endured years of severe illness due to a very sick pancreas, and ultimately had the entire organ removed.  In January, 2011 she was the 49^th patient at MUSC to have what is called a total pancreatectomy with an islet cell transplant.  The islet cells were transplanted into her liver, in hopes she would not become an immediate brittle diabetic. 

Through this long battle, she became well-informed of medical terms, especially those pertaining to pancreas diseases.  She found that educating herself, then sharing it with others, made the suffering have some sort of meaning.  She found out how little research is done on the crucial organ, and very little is understood even within the medical community.  There are extremely limited treatments for her kind of illness, and no cure.  The treatments that do exist are drastic, such as removing the entire organ as she has had done.  Many medical professionals still do not understand that anyone can live without the organ.  But as Christy is living proof, it can be done.  It is just never easy, and far from ideal!

 She continues to undergo many procedures and tests to keep on top of complications.  She deals daily with difficult-to-control diabetes.  But it hasn’t kept her down.  She created a website www.crankypanky.com, and formed a full non-profit organization through it all.  She raises funds for the research that desperately needs to be done.  She fights for education and awareness of diseases of the pancreas – which are rare but very life-altering or deadly. 

Her fundraiser, Create the Cure, is a unique event that combines a beautiful supper, music, auctions, and art at Twigs Tempietto in Greenville, SC.  The setting is amazing, and local artists linger throughout the venue displaying their work.  Christy is an artist herself, and art is what has also gotten her through the tough times. 

You can read a lot more about the pancreas, its diseases, and more importantly, purchase tickets to the Create the Cure at www.crankypanky.com.  It is just a few weeks away, May 1, 2014 at 6pm.  Tickets are $30/piece and must be purchased in advance.  Jimmy and Christy would greatly appreciate your support of this worthy cause, and would love to see you there.

You can also read more from the feature in Greenville Online.

Judges needed for the HBA of Greater Columbia Remodeling Awards

The HBA of Columbia is looking for judges for their Remodeling Awards. They are looking for builders, remodelers, or designers to help judge, though any member is welcome. The judging will be Tuesday, May 20th. starting at 9 a.m. and conclude around 2 or 3 p.m. and lunch will be provided.

For more information or to help out please contact Bin Wilcenski at the HBA of Greater Columbia
bin@columbiabuilders.com

(803) 256-6238

www.columbiabuilders.com

Flood Insurance Legislation Will Produce More Than $1 Billion in Housing Activity

We told you previously about the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act of 2014, recently enacted legislation championed by your Home Builders Association that will provide a significant boost to home building and remodeling as well as certainty and financial stability to the National Flood Insurance Program.

The numbers are in on the legislation, and NAHB's experts estimate that in 2014, the new law will result in a total of more than $1 billion of housing market activity, including:

• $755 million in new home construction because the new law makes it easier for prospective new home buyers to sell their existing home and trade up.
• $361 million in additional remodeling activity because the legislation eliminates insurance costs that some home owners would have been required to pay on certain remodeling jobs.

The recently enacted legislation provides a more affordable rate structure for policyholders and repeals the requirement that flood insurance premiums increase immediately to full actuarial rates when homes are sold. It also restores "grandfathering" for properties that were paying premiums applicable to their initial flood risk rating, allowing owners to pay premiums based on the original risk zone rather than updated flood risk zones.

In addition, the legislation requires the Federal Emergency Management Agency to take local flood control structures into account during the remapping process and provides reimbursement for successful consumer map appeals. It also restores the "substantial improvement threshold" that triggers a higher flood insurance rate to the historic 50 percent of a structure's fair market value, which is important for many remodelers.