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HBAGTA LOOKING FOR "EXPERTS" IN THE FIELD
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The HBAGTA publication that will be distributed during the upcoming Showcase of Remodeled Homes will also be an opportunity for our members to showcase their special niche or knowledge in the Home Building Industry. Our mission with the Showcase guide is to educate our community on the diverse resources and experts available to them through our Association. Instead of using "canned" articles from national sources, we would like to focus on our local membership and services that they offer our community.
We would like YOU, our members to submit your articles for publication. There will not be a charge for this opportunity (There are other advertising opportunities available), however, the HBAGTA reserves the right of editorial priviledges. The articles will be reviewed by an editorial committee and will be chosen on content, validity as well as special interest and space available.
The articles are not intended to promote a specific product or business, however, it should educate and inform consumers on a topic that would be of interest in the Home Building Industry.
Contact Kerry regarding advertising opportunities in the "Showcase of Remodeled Homes" publication.
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CALENDAR AND
EVENT LINKS |
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August 26, 2009
Board of Directors Meeting
August 28 & 29, 2009
Business Management for Building Professionals
September 11, 2009
Negotiating Skills
September 14, 2009
General Membership Meeting
September 23, 2009
Construction Contracts and Law
October 3 & 4, 2009
Showcase of Remodeled Homes
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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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5 BEST PLACE FOR YOUTHFUL RETIREES |
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Coldwell Banker surveyed its practitioners to compile a list of the top cities for young retirees, ages 55 to 59. The cities were chosen based on recreational opportunities, weather, health resources, crime, and cost of living.
Here are the top five small cities they selected:
Helena, Mont.
Pensacola, Fla.
Creve Coeur, Mo.
Traverse City, Mich.
Butte-Silver Bow, Mont.
Source: USA Weekend, Reyhaneh Fathieh (07/26/2009)
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NEW MEMBER BENEFIT COMING TO THE HBAGTA
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The HBAGTA is proud to announce a new member benefit coming this fall!
BuilderHelper.com is an Internet-based construction management software that will allow our builders to post their plans online for bids. This is normally a $1,200 product, but will be offered free of charge to our Builder Members!
We'll keep you posted as we get ready to launch this new benefit.
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NEW HOME SALES RISE 11% IN JUNE |
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WASHINGTON, July 27 - Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department numbers released today. Coming on the heels of an upwardly revised number for May, the gain marks a third consecutive month of improved sales activity.
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REGISTRATION FOR INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS SHOW OPENS ON AUGUST 3
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Registration and Housing open August 3rd for the building industry's biggest event, the 2010 International Builders' Show, January 19-22 in Las Vegas, NV! Sign up for special offers and get all the latest information at www.buildersshow.com.
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| Greetings! ,
 The final month of summer is at our doorstep. Many of us wonder where it went or perhaps whether it actually ever came at all! The weather for the most part has been unseasonably cool, not indicative of the lazy days of summer that many of us recall. However, the moderate temperatures have been a bit of a reprieve for those laboring in the typically tortuous July days. For this we are grateful. But things have been heating up at the HBA office. There has been a flurry of activity that has kept your association staff and leadership busy. Many weeks of preparation resulted in a successful outcome at the Building Code Review Committee meeting in Lansing last week. Earlier press releases noted that on Tuesday, July 14th, the committee voted 10 to 2 in favor of adopting language that would keep sprinkler mandates out of the 2009 MRC. We are indebted to our Legislative Chairperson, Nick Agostinelli, for spearheading this successful campaign and delivering a committed delegation of HBA leaders to Lansing. The contingency included HBA president, Victor Lisabeth; Patty Williams, Brown Lumber Company; and Carrie Smith from Habitat for Humanity. As August approaches we are working to finalize details of our upcoming Showcase of Remodeled Homes to be held Saturday and Sunday, October 3rd and 4th from noon to 6 p.m. We are seeking to showcase remodeling projects of all sorts: innovative kitchens, comfy master suites, cozy dens and fabulous functional spaces. If you have a project that commenced after January 1, 2006 that you would like to feature, please contact our office immediately. We will be reviewing potential projects for inclusion during the month of August. Also, the Showcase Guide affords all members an opportunity to advertise and promote their business. If you are interested in being part of this fabulous new opportunity to market your business, please let us know. As always, 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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SHOWCASE OF REMODELED HOMES |
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SATURDAY & SUNDAY
OCTOBER 3 & 4
12pm to 6pm each day |
The Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area announced they are planning a new event this year showcasing Remodeling Projects. The event is scheduled for October 3 & 4, 2009 in the Greater Grand Traverse Region and is open to all types of remodel projects including kitchens, bathrooms, home additions and more. Residential remodel projects completed after January 1, 2006 and before September 4, 2009 are eligible to participate. Builders and Remodelers are encouraged to include "Before" and "After" pictures of the remodel project for publication. For more information, contact the HBAGTA at 231-946-2305.
Think this event is "Just for Builders"? ABSOLUTELY NOT! This event is open to all of our members, including our Associates! Are you a Landscape Architect, Kitchen Design Company, Designer, OR...(your business here)....If you have worked on a project that fits the requirements of the contract, indoors or outdoors, you should be showcasing your work in this event!
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Call the HBAGTA Office to find out how you can be involved. -
Plan for an opportunity to have your business and work showcased in this exciting premier event!
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EARN YOUR CERTIFIED GREEN PROFESSIONAL DESIGNATION (CGP) |
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2-Day Course Instructor: Bruce Frost Time: 9:00 am to 5:00 pm each day Location: Roger Papineau Professional Development Center - Lower level of the HBAGTA Office Cost: $325 Members / $375 Non-Members Early Bird Discount: Register and pay on or before August 14, 2009 and save $30  Learn how green homes provide buyers with lower energy costs and higher value. This 2-day course for building professionals discusses strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. You will learn how green homes provide buyers lower maintenance, better indoor air quality and better long-term value. Techniques are also discussed for competitively differentiating your home products with increased indoor environmental quality as well as energy and resource efficiency. CLICK HERE For More Information |
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CGP CERTIFICATION NOT JUST FOR BUILDERS |
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Whirlpool Corporation Account Manager Achieves Certified Green Professional Designation From NAHB
BENTON HARBOR, Mich., July 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation recently announced that its Florida Contract division account manager John Whiteley has earned a Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). The CGP distinction recognizes Whiteley as a building industry professional with knowledge of the best strategies for incorporating green building principles into home building.
Whiteley has worked in Whirlpool Corporation appliance sales for the building industry for more than 18 years. In his market, he works on numerous sustainable single- and multi-family building projects. Recent projects include the "Zero Energy Home," Gainesville, Fla.; the Sandpearl Hotel and Condominiums, Clearwater Beach, Fla.; Madera community, Gainesville, Fla. and even a major green renovation of his own home. His personal goal is to be known in his market as the "the green appliance rep." READ MORE >> |
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FREE JULY 29 WEBINAR TO DISCUSS STORM WATER COMPLIANCE
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With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency tightening the screws on job-site storm water permitting compliance, NAHB is holding a free webinar on July 29 to give builders and land developers the information they need to cut through the maze of overlapping, confusing and cumbersome regulations so they can increase compliance and reduce their risk of enforcement action and high-dollar fines resulting from unscheduled inspections.
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ARE YOU GETTING ALL THE TRAFFIC YOU CAN?
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If you're reading this, you recognize the power of email as a communication tool. But, if you're using email to keep in touch with buyers, you want to make sure your message arrives, gets opened and is read.
On Wednesday, July 29, at 2:00p ET BuilderRadio will present the webinar "11 Keys to Effective Email Marketing," featuring noted expert Sundeep Kapur. This 1-hr seminar will cover how to use the power of email marketing to acquire new leads, learn more about your existing customers, and maintain a front of mind presence with buyers that they look forward to receiving.
You'll learn how to set up an effective email campaign, how frequently to send updates, and how to use social outlets - Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube - to win more business.
Register today to attend 11 Keys to Effective Email Marketing. The seminar will be recorded and all registrants will receive a link to view the recorded video online or to download it to your computer. Registration is $37. Click here to register.
Email is the Internet's dominant application. Virtually everyone is using it, but few are using it correctly to keep in touch with buyers and win more business. Don't miss this special presentation on how you can create effective email campaigns that promote your business and bring in more sales. Register here.
Wednesday, July 29 2:00p EDT
11 Keys to Effective Email Marketing
Program will be recorded for viewing and/or download at your leisure.
Register here. |
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HOUSING STARTS AND PERMITS UP STRONGLY IN JUNE
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 Home builders responded to improved market conditions and the impending expiration of the first-time home buyer tax credit in June by posting substantial gains in nationwide housing starts and permits, according to figures released by the U.S. Commerce Department last week.
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SPRINKLER MANDATE ALL WET
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 In a recent flurry of activity, the HBAGTA has been in the news, on the airways and on the screen quite a bit lately. The association's Legislative Committee, headed by veteran builder Nick Agostinelli, sponsored a letter-writing campaign supplemented several letters to the editor regarding support for Habitat for Humanity's proposal to delete IRC Section 313 that would mandate the installation of sprinklers in all one- and two-family new home construction. The State's Building Code Review Committee met on July 14th in Lansing to hear testimony regarding this contentious issue. After the grueling five-hour session, the Committee voted 10 to 2 in favor of eliminating that language from the 2009 MRC (Michigan Residential Code). In the coming weeks, the Director of DLEG will prepare Administrative Rules that are expected to include proposed amendments. It is widely anticipated that because of the broad base of support from several prominent groups, including Habitat for Humanity, Michigan Municipal League and the Michigan Counties Association, among others that the sprinkler mandate will not be adopted. Public hearings on the issue may be held later this fall with a final review of the Rules left to JCAR (Joint Commission on Administrative Rules).
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ASSOCIATION HEAD KEEPS POPPING UP
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Maybe it's because of increased exposure through networking - social or otherwise, or perhaps because our members are doing such a fabulous job telling our story, the association appears to be gaining some well-deserved recognition. Increasingly, the community is tapping our staff for news and information regarding the building industry. Now the news media appears to have also discovered our value and increasingly has come to us to procure a quote or grab a sound bite on topics of relevance.
Many of you may have probably seen the short clip featuring our Executive Officer, Kathy Maisonville, talking about the value of association membership on a recent TV 9 & 10 business promo. Not long afterwards, TV 7 & 4 interviewed her on the state of the home building industry in our region. Then only a week later, a 9 & 10 news reporter showed up at the HBA's door asking for a scoop on the upcoming sprinkler hearing in Lansing.
Our association is increasingly placed in a position to influence and inform and with that comes a great deal of satisfaction. On July 27th, Kathy was one of only seven regional community and business leaders asked to testify at the Republican Job Tasks Force meeting held at the Hagerty Center. On August 4th, she has been invited to sit down with a small group of community leaders to discuss concerns and needs of the state with Congressman Hoekstra, R-Holland who has announced his intention to run for Governor. |
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HBAGTA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR |
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 SAVE THE DATES! The following courses have been scheduled for this fall in the Roger Papineau Professional Development Center:
- Green Building for Building Professionals* - August 28 & 29
- Business Management for Building Professionals*^ - August 30
- Negotiating Skills - September 11
- Construction Contracts and Law - September 23
- Scheduling - October 16
- Estimating for Builders and Remodelers - October 17
- Project Management - October 30
- Land Acquisition and Development - October 31
- Marketing and Communications Strategies for Aging & Accessibility (CAPS I)^ - November 3
- Design/Build Solutions for Aging and Accessibility (CAPS II)^ - November 4
- Business Management for Building Professionals*^ - November 5
- Green Building for Building Professionals* - November 6
*Required courses for CGP (Certified Green Professionals Designation).
^Required courses for CAPS (Certified Aging In Place Specialist Designation). |
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Thank you for your membership and support of the Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area, Inc.
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Copyright 2009 Home Builders Association of the Grand Traverse Area, Inc. All rights reserved.
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