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SAVE THE DATE!
Registration is now open for the 2013 HBAG Fall Board Meeting.
Where: Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort- The Grand Sandestin
When: September 24-26, 2013
Cost: $200 for members, $100 for guests
Call 800-320-8115 to reserve a room and be sure to mention the group code- 22J34J
Room Rate: $189/night- studio or $211/night- 1 bedroom
Hotel reservation cut-off is August 23, 2013
Register for the meeting here!
Any HBAG member interested in serving on an HBAG Committee please notify EVP Kelly Lass at klass@hbag.org or call 404-763-2453.
HBAG Member Rebate Program
No one likes to leave money on the table. So, what would you think if you could get a rebate for your loyalty to many of the nation's leading product suppliers? Well, now you can! HBAG's Member Rebate Program increases your bottom line. For the minimal effort of informing us about the home construction products you use and when you close on a home or project, you'll be putting money back in your pocket. Both Builder and Remodeler companies, no matter how large or small, qualify for the program, and you are not required to use products from every manufacturer. For more information and to register click here.
Good News - EPD Announcement - NPDES Permit
Today EPD Director Jud Turner issued a directive allowing construction projects that begin on or after August 1, 2013 to file for coverage under the current 2008 NPDES Permit, even though that Permit is expiring on July 31, 2013. Coverage will be allowed until the new 2013 NPDES Permit is finalized, issued and effective. (see attached memo) EPD's No Action Assurance is conditioned upon compliance at the construction site with all requirements and conditions of the applicable NPDES State General Permit issued on August 1, 2008.
This decision assures the construction industry that there will be no gaps in coverage while the final administrative procedures needed to issue the new 2013 NPDES Permit are completed. Many members have already taken HBAG's advice and filed for coverage for their upcoming projects under the current Permit. However, HBAG remained concerned about potential projects that could be identified by July 31. HBAG has been working diligently with our industry partners and EPD to come up with a workable solution during this unforeseen delay.
EPD has received approval from US EPA but the 2013 NPDES Permit still has to go through the public notice process even though EPD established a stakeholders advisory group to review the new Permit. HBAG was an active participant in the stakeholder group. EPD must address any concerns raised during the 30-day public comment period which will begin on July 30, 2013. EPD will then issue the new NPDES Permit as expeditiously as possible after all the administrative procedures requirements are met.
HBAG applauds Director Turner and EPD staff for this directive and for all their efforts to resolve this issue on a timely basis. If you have any questions, contact Bettie Sleeth at bsleeth@hbag.org or 678-468-9900 or Kelly Lass at klass@hbag.org or 404-763-2453.
EPD Announcement - No Action Assurance
2014 NAHB International Builders' Show
Register beginning September 3, 2013 for the 2014 International Builders' Show in Las Vegas, Nevada February 4-6, 2014! A block of rooms has been reserved at Caesars Palace for Georgia Delegation to make reservations beginning September 3, 2013.
Visit www.buildersshow.com to register, reserve a room, and for more information regarding IBS 2014.
We hope to see you in Vegas!
Blower Door and Duct Envelope Tightness (DET) Equipment
HBAG and DCA have partnered to bring DET equipment rental units to your local HBA or an association close to you. The rental fee is $100.00 per day. Please visit www.hbag.org and click on the DET Equipment Rental box for more information. If you would like to become a DET verifier or would like more information on the rental program you can contact HBAG at 404-763-2453.
Quick Links Online Advertising Read NAHB's Eye on Housing Read NAHB's Eye on the Economy Become a Sponsor of HBAG
Home Builders Association of Georgia
3015 Camp Creek Parkway Atlanta, Georgia 30344 Phone: (404) 763-2453 Fax: (404) 559-1531
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"Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder"
For so long the scales of the appraisal process tipped heavily in the favor of the seller. Appraisers would give their "opinion" based on where the market was going, not current value. Today? Let's just say that "hitting the brakes" and "backing up" is an understatement. The exact opposite has taken place where the appraiser is not giving, in most cases, fair market value. The time has been long overdue for an evaluation on the evaluator and fix the appraisal process.
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) has provided the below two letters so that members can submit them for publication in local media and raise awareness of appraisal problems that affect everyone involved with selling a home, both new construction and resale.
First letter to the editor:
With job growth at a low ebb, it's hard enough to sell new homes these days, but the appraisal process is making it even more difficult. Faulty appraisals are harming new home values and killing sales in many markets because they do not accurately reflect the value of the home. The process has gone seriously wrong because some appraisers are improperly using distressed properties - many of which have been neglected and are in poor physical condition - as comparables in assessing the value of brand new homes without accounting for major differences in condition and quality.
This is not only unfair, and unreasonable, but it perpetuates the cycle of declining home values, drives more home owners underwater, harms local economic activity and acts as an obstacle to the recovery of the housing market.
To address shortfalls in the appraisal process, appraisers must develop realistic valuations based on sales that are truly comparable and lenders need to use appraisers who are knowledgeable and experienced in appraising specific property types located in a given market.
Building 100 single-family homes generates more than 300 full-time jobs and $8.9 million in taxes and revenue for federal, state and local governments to support schools, police and firefighters. Working to restore the full health of the housing industry is one of the best things that Congress can do to ensure a robust recovery. This is the one sector of the economy that can be counted on to create the jobs we desperately need and lead the country back to higher ground. Second letter to the editor: Faced with an appraisal process that has gone seriously awry, builders face an uphill battle in trying to establish values for new homes in their marketplace. Too many new home sales are being derailed because of inaccurate appraisals. The low numbers are the result of appraisers using foreclosed or short-sale properties that have been poorly maintained as comparables for new homes that are in market-ready condition. Appraisers don't typically enter these fixer-up homes; if they did, they would likely recognize the substantial difference between a home, for a start, that lacks working appliances compared to a home in which the appliances are new and state-of-the-art. The inappropriate use of distressed properties as comparables, confusion over the ability of builders to convey relevant information to appraisers, a shortage of local appraisers with the experience and knowledge needed to recognize the value of green and other home features to arrive at good evaluations, and the complexity and fragmentation of the appraisal system have all contributed to the faulty process. These appraisal practices are a major contributing factor to the current housing production credit crisis that has choked off credit for home builders and hindered the nascent housing recovery. Regulators, appraisers, lenders and all of the stakeholders in this debate must come together to establish regulatory guidelines for appraisers that acknowledge the realities of today's marketplace. This must be a top priority. Even as signs grow that home prices are stabilizing, faulty appraisals continue to hamper the pace of the housing recovery that is needed to put the economy back on track.
For more articles from Association Maximization click here.
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DCA Welcomes Commissioner
Gretchen Corbin
Courtesy of DCA
Commissioner Gretchen Corbin, was sworn in by Governor Nathan Deal
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Commissioner Gretchen Corbin and Governor Nathan Deal
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and officially joined the Department of Community Affairs on August 1, 2013. Her phone number is 404-679-0585 (answered by new team member Darlene Smith), and her email address is gcorbin@dca.ga.gov.
Commissioner Mike Beatty left DCA after ten years of leadership. His new contact email is mike@gppartnership.org He looks forward to his continued association with many, many Georgia communities as he continues to lead The Great Promise Partnership.
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Lewis Cenker Scholarship Fund Helps Student
Pictured to the right is Errin Barnett, a recent graduate from Southern  Polytechnic State University (SPSU). She received the HBA of Midwest Georgia scholarship several times as well as the Atlanta Homebuilders scholarship. Errin graduated on August 3, 2013 cum laude from SPSU in Marietta with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management and minor in Business. She was one of two women who graduated and one of two who graduated cum laude with a 3.59 GPA. Receiving scholarships made obtaining a college degree much easier financially for Errin and her family. They are very appreciative of the aid from the Home Builders. She was able to complete her time at SPSU without having the burden of starting life after college with debt from college loans. She starts her job with the Southern Company on August 12, 2013 as a Construction Engineering Specialist at Plant Bowen in Cartersville.
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Effective July 1, 2013. Georgia companies with more than 10 workers, but fewer than 100, must also use E-Verify, an online Federal program, to check the status of workers they are hiring. Larger companies are already mandated to comply. Companies with less than 10 employees are exempt from the E-Verify requirements. These changes are the result of HB 87, Illegal Immigration Reform and Enforcement Act of 2011.
The workers fill out a Federal form, and the employers run the E-Verify check using those forms. E-Verify is a free internet-based system that gives employers the ability to confirm the legal working status of a new hire in seconds. E-Verify is a partnership between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA). E-Verify works by allowing participating employers to electronically compare employee information taken from the Form I-9 (the paper-based employee eligibility verification form used for all new hires) against more than 425 million records in SSA's database and more than 60 million records in DHS immigration databases. Go to US Citizen & Immigration Services at www.uscis.gov for more information on using the system.
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DRBC Workshops
The state has developed and is conducting a comprehensive training
program for building officials and the construction industry on the importance, implementation and enforcement of the Disaster Resilient Construction Appendices. The training will focus on the provisions within the appendices and aid in helping a community to determine which options may apply to provide increased requirements beyond what may be currently enforced. The one day workshops consist of (2) three hour sessions with a lunch break. The appendices workshops are provided free of charge and registration is required:
Contact DCA to register:
Dee Leclair, DRBC Project Manager
Phone: 404-327-7909
Upcoming Workshops:
August 14, 2013 DeKalb County (HBAG Tucker Facility)
If you have any questions, please contact the Construction Codes Program at 404-679-3118 or constructioncodes@dca.ga.gov. More information about the workshops is available on the DCA webpage.
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ALL- A Liveable Lifestyle Home Program
HBAG is very excited to announce the launch of the new ALL program. ALL stands for:
A Liveable Lifestyle Home
ALL is a voluntary certification program presenting design features built into a new home or within a remodeled home that promote a liveable and accessible lifestyle. It is a home for all people - young or old, and of all abilities.
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Founding ALL Home Program members, Bettie Sleeth and Bonnie Bonham at Windsong Properties in Woodstock, GA.
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ALL is a state-wide program. It works for builders and consumers in all price points and home types.
To learn more about this exciting opportunity, please contact Bettie Sleeth at bsleeth@hbag.org. Greater Atlanta HBA member and ALL founding partner, Betsy Sheppard, betsy@gilbertsheppard.com has created the website and marketing materials. Bettie Sleeth and Betsy Sheppard are available to make presentations on the ALL Home program to your local association or other groups.
Be sure to like the ALL- A Liveable Lifestyle Home Program Facebook page by clicking here!
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