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PLEASE NOTE: This e-newsletter will be taking a short break next week and will return the week of April 6, 2009.
"We can not direct the wind, but we can adjust our sails" |
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CALENDAR AND
EVENT LINKS |
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Everything DiSC Sales - learn how to connect better with customers
April 13, 2009
General Membership Meeting - Watefront Conference Center
NAHB Green Build Program Launched
April 30, 2009
NAHB Course - Land Development, Site Planning and Zoning
May 1, 2009
NAHB Course - Diversification: Capitalizing on new Business Opportunities
May 8 - 10, 2008
May 19, 2009
National Membership Day - "Each One Get One!"
May 11, 2009
General Membership Meeting - Gio Trattoria in Kalkaska
June 20 - 28, 2009
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EACH ONE-REACH ONE
MEMBERSHIP DEFENDERS UNITE! |
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With extraordinary powers and an outstanding network, there's nothing a superhero can't do!
MARK THE DATE!
MAY 19, 2009 |
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NAHB MEMBER ADVANTAGE
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Members can now save up to 29% on select FedEx® shipping services.
For the most up-to-date information on Member Advantage discounts, please visit www.nahb.org/ma. |
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MEIJER CARD
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Meijer Discounts - The Michigan Association of Home Builders is partnering with Meijer to present twelve months of exclusive saving offers to association members beginning July 1, 2008.
Twelve Months of Exclusive Offers through the MAHB
July, October, January, April
Use Savings Card & Meijer Credit Card, get 10% off total General Merchandise purchase. August, November, February, May
Use Savings Card, spend $25 or more on General Merchandise, get $5 off purchase. September, December, March, June
Use Savings Card, spend $25 or more on General Merchandise, get cut-tape coupon for $5 off your next Meijer fuel purchase. Offer good at all Meijer Stores. Offer Good 07/01/08 - 06/30/09. You must present the savings card to your cashier at each time of purchase.
Excludes: Grocery, Alcohol, Tobacco, Prescriptions, Gift Cards, Lottery, Postage, Park & Entertainment Tickets, Meijer Pre-Paid MasterCard, Instore Businesses, Gas Stations & C-Stops, Online Purchases, Licenses, Taxes and Meijer Productivity BusinessCard. |
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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSOR!
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Sponsor Link
CONTACT THE HBAGTA TO BECOME A TUESDAY TOOLBOX SPONSOR!
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Greetings! ,
 The winds have shifted and Spring is in the air. We hope you have the opportunity to take some time for yourself and take a breath. The change of seasons can help us all refocus our energy.
The HBAGTA staff, Board of Directors and volunteers are looking forward to working on our next premier event, the 2009 Parade of Homes and Developments. Please read the article below to find out what changes have been made to make this event a successful one. If you are a builder or developer, we are offering you this opportunity to showcase your home to tens of thousands of prospective buyers. Looking for the most "bang for your buck" in marketing and advertising? This is it! Call the HBAGTA office to find out more about how you can participate.
Advertising opportunities are now available in the 2009 Parade of Homes Plan Book. Take advantage of the new discounted rates! Contact Kerry for more information.
Together, we are building a stronger association!
Kathy
Kathleen Maisonville
Executive Officer
p: 231.946.2305
f: 231.946.1051
toll free: 800.422.5166
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2009 PARADE OF HOMES AND DEVELOPMENTS
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 2009 PARADE OF HOMES AND DEVELOPMENTS
JUNE 20-28, 2009
To encourage builder participation and to make it more affordable:
- we have reduced the builder and developer application fee to a flat rate of $1500.
- The deadline for Parade applications and advertising has also been extended until April 17th.
- Advertising costs for the Parade Plan Book have been reduced considerably in order to ensure the broadest representation of our members in the publication.
- In addition, those who place full page ads will also be entitled to additional logo sponsor advertising once a month for six months in the Tuesday Toolbox.
- The plan book pages will also turn gracefully one by one on our new website. This electronic version will be posted for a year so the advertising value for our builders and associates extends beyond the event itself.
We hope you will consider participating this year in some way - as a builder, supplier or advertiser. Lots of folks do have the resources and are interested in buying or remodeling.
We're not going to let any pessimist "Rain on Our Parade!"
For more information on the 2009 Parade, contact Kerry at the HBAGTA Office. |
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NOW AVAILAB
HBAGTA SCHOLARSHIPS NOW AVAILABLE
Our HBA is pleased to announce that we will be again offering scholarships to area students. While the return on our investments is down, we still have some money to share! The HBA Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation Scholarship has $1900 worth of grant money available this year. Those interested should apply on line at www.gtrcf.org/scholarships. This is for anyone interested in pursing a career in the home building industry. The second scholarship, the NMC Foundation HBA Home-in-a-Day Scholarship will award one $500 scholarship this year. These monies are available only to HBA members, members' children and employees or employees' children who plan to attend NMC in the fall of 2009. It may be used for academic classes or a certificate program. Applications will be available on the HBAGTA Website under "Education".
The scholarship award winners will be honored at the General Membership Meeting held on Monday, May 11.
All applications are due by Friday, April 3, 2009.
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TAX BENEFITS INCREASED ON ENERGY EFFICIENT HOME IMPROVEMENTS
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 Home owners looking to save money on heating and cooling costs with energy-efficient improvements to their home can also benefit from a newly expanded federal tax credit.
In the recent stimulus legislation signed by President Obama, previous energy-efficiency credits were not only renewed, but were significantly improved. Before, home owners were able to recoup 10 percent of the cost of each approved energy upgrade with the lifetime cap of $500. The new credit has tripled those amounts to 30 percent and $1,500, respectively.
According to Energy Star, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, a typical household spends about $2,000 a year on energy bills. By incorporating Energy Star appliances and other energy-efficient components to your home, they estimate a home owner can save about a third on his or her energy bill. The expanded tax credit money available to home owners on top of these savings is icing on the cake!
What is included?
Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, up to $1,500, in 2009 and 2010 (for existing homes only) for:
- Windows and doors
- Insulation
- Roofs (metal and asphalt)
- HVAC (heating, ventilating and air-conditioning)
- Water heaters (non-solar)
- Biomass stoves
Tax credits are available at 30 percent of the cost, with no upper limit through 2016 (for existing homes & new construction) for:
- Geothermal heat pumps
- Solar panels
- Solar water heaters
- Small wind energy systems
- Fuel cells
Details on qualifying improvements are available on the Energy Star Web site at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits.
How to Claim the Credits
Home owners can claim the 25C and 25D credits on IRS Form 5695 when they prepare their income tax returns. Be sure to retain records that include:
- Name and address of the manufacturer
- Identification of the component
- Make, model or other appropriate identifiers
- Statement that the component meets the 25C standards
- Climate zones for which the criteria are satisfied
- Additional information for storm windows, if applicable
- Manufacturer's certification - a signed statement from the manufacturer certifying that the product or component qualifies for the tax credit
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