TOOLBOX A Publication of the Newton County Home Builders Association

April 2009

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HBA Leadership Bob Goucher—President

Jared Rutberg—Vice President

Kim McNary—Secretary/Treasurer

Brian Burgoyne-Associate Vice President

Susan Clark—Director

Mike Dawkins—Director

Steve DuBois—Past President

Alan Freeman—Past President

Teri Harris Joiner–Director

Faith Hill–Director

Michael Penland—Director

Lewis Stephenson–Director

Randy Vinson—Builder Director

Andrea Hammond-Executive Officer

"Every man owes part of his time and money to

the business or industry in which he is engaged.

No man has a moral right to withhold his

support from an organization that is

striving to improve conditions within his

sphere."

Theodore Roosevelt

WHY BE A MEMBER? • Protection of your business interests on Capitol

Hill (Washington, D.C.), at the Capitol in Atlanta and in

the communities you do business.

• Membership gives you fast, free, and reliable consultation from technical, regulatory and building industry specialists.

• Affordable education and professional development offerings help you better serve your customers, your business and yourself.

• As a member, you have networking and business connections you won’t find anywhere else.

• News, product roundups, consumer preference information and business trends 24-7.

• The professional distinction of membership enhances your credibility and marketability.

• Cut costs with discounts resulting from the buying power of 235,000 members.

• The best is yet to come. As your membership grows, so do the rewards.

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JIMMY HARRIS TRUCKING 

Old Atlanta Hwy Covington, GA

Roll Off Containers C & D Transfer Station

(770)786-3585 (866) 405-4669

Sand & Gravel Hourly Truck Rental

(770) 786-0061 (888)485-4669

NAHB Construction Contract and Laws Class Thursday, April 23, 2009

Hosted By: Lake Oconee Area Builders Association 1041 Village Park Drive, Suite 103 ~ Greensboro, GA 30642

$50.00

TOPICS: Contracts Overview

Contracts Between Builders and Buyers Contracts Between Remodelers and Owners

Warranties and Disclaimers Subcontracts

Additional Contracts, Clauses and Liability Issue Green Building Contracts

Liability and Contract Enforcement

For more information or to register contact

www.lakeoconeebuildersassociation.com

Phone: 706-999-1591

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Marketing pros know that person-alized messages carry a lot more weight with prospects than generic mass mailings. That’s way many builders require sales associates to send handwritten thank you notes to every visitor and why so many companies send birthday greetings . New-home sales associates have the perfect date to commemorate: the day their buyers moved into their brand-new homes. As always, include a business card and ask for referrals.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!

Recent studies suggest that women influence more than 90 % of home purchasing decisions. For women, it’s the little things that mat-ter: relaxation, organization, flexibility and entertainment. Builders are starting to give them what they want: smaller homes with serious style and serious storage. Some of the features women prefer include a walk-in kitchen pantry with built in shelving; a drop zone near the ga-rage entry, complete with mail cubbies and an electronic recharging station; and a laundry room on the second floor (close to bedrooms) with additional shelving, storage cabinets and a designated area for ironing. Additional touches include: stone driveway pavers, metal roof ac-cents, wide porches, mahogany decking, a floral motif doorbell sur-round and curved landscape lighting fixtures, arched doorways, win-dow seats, wide plank oak floors and custom cabinet pulls. Remember, women talk to each other—your best salesperson may very well be the woman who purchased the last home you built!

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TAX BOOST Homes with geothermal heating and cooling systems (GHPs), which lever-age the Earth’s constant tempera-ture at certain depths as a thermal exchanger to lower operating costs

and fossil fuel use, can earn their owners a tax credit under the

Energy Improvement and Extension Act passed by Congress last fall as

part of the economic recovery package. The one-time allowance

permits a write-down on 30% of the total investment for residential

ground loop or groundwater GHP up to $2,000 for a single residence. The

system must meet Energy Star requirements and be installed after December 31, 2007 to qualify for the

tax credit. Visit

www.thomas.loc.gov

East Metro Board of REALTORS held their Annual Awards Ceremony at Eastside High School on March 6th. Forty eight REALTORS where honored in the Million Dollar Club. Also, awarded was EMBOR Special Awards:

REALTOR of the Year - Butch Morton, Butch Morton #1 Realty Rising Star - Kathy Taylor, RE/Max Affiliate of the Year - Barry Stanley, Bank of America Home Mortgage Rookie Affiliate of the Year - Brigette Adams, American Pest Control Humanitar-ian Award - Roger Pflug, Butch Morton #1 Realty Spirit Award - Tony Wilson, Butch Morton #1 Realty Top Producer - Tricia Dorn, Colony Properties Presidents Award - LaTrina Clark, MetroBrokers GMAC & Sue Springer, Keller Williams.

CONGRATUALTIONS !

2101 Clark Street

Covington, GA 30014

P O Box 309

Covington, GA 30015

Phone: 770-787-3763

Erica Milligan

Association Executive

Brenda Clegg

Administrative Assistant

Gretchen Pruett

President

www.embor.com

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What is 811? A federally-mandated national “Call Before You Dig” number, 811, was created to help protect your from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects. If you plan to dig or do any type of excavation, be sure to dial 9811 at least 72 hours before you begin. Calling 811 before every digging job gets your underground utility lines marked for free.

Are YOU taking advantage of the discounts offered by GM, Dell, UPS, Omaha Steaks, and

many others? Call the HBA for more details!

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The NAHB Spike Club is an organization composed of

all the individual members in local associations who have attained Spike status. It is a vehicle to recognize these

members for their outstanding achievements in

member recruitment and retention in their local builders association.

Roger Boyd 25.5

Ray Cheek 138.5

Mike Dawkins 44.5

Steve DuBois 202.5

Russell Foskey 34.5

Alan Freeman 142

Marilyn Goucher 42

Lucius Malcolm 4.5

Joan McDonald 117

Mac Perkins 16.5

Jared Rutberg 6

Scott Sims 35.5

Roger Singleton 19.5

Cher Voyles 37

Numbers provided by NAHB as of 2/28/09

If you purchased OSB between 2002 and 2008, you may be eligible to recover funds as a result of the settlement of a class action lawsuit against OSB manufacturers. The lawsuit claimed that cer-tain OSB manufacturers unlawfully raised prices

on OSB sold to end-user indirect purchasers—those who purchased OSB for their “own use , and not for resale, from a store or reseller and not di-

rectly from the manufacturer.” To qualify as a member of the settlement class, you must meet

certain requirements identified on the claim form; for more information visit

www.osbnotice.com

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10:00 am—Registration 11:00 AM—Lunch

12:00 Noon– Shotgun Start Awards and Prizes Immediately After Tournament

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Beverage Cart Sponsor $450*

Putting Contest $400*

Tee Tent Sponsor $300* Set up a tent and table and greet golfers

Lunch Sponsor $250

Awards Ceremony Sponsor $150

Snack Sponsor $150

Green Sponsor $100 Sign placed on the green

*Limited availability. Payment secures sponsorship.

Team of Four

$480.00

Individual Player

$120.00 Each golfer gets two Mulligans

Company Name_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Contact______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Phone______________________________________________Email____________________________________________________________

SPONSORSHIP

____Beverage Cart ($450)

____Putting Contest ($400)

____Tee Tent ($300)

____Lunch ($250)

____Awards Ceremony ($150)

____Snack Sponsor ($150)

____Green Sponsor ($100)

GOLF

Golfer____________________________________________________________________________

Golfer____________________________________________________________________________

Golfer____________________________________________________________________________

Golfer____________________________________________________________________________

FMI—770-786-3333

The Newton County HBA has a “no pay, no play” policy. Payment must be received PRIOR to tournament day.

Payment Enclosed___ Charge my VISA/MasterCard ___Bill Me

Account Number_______________________________________________________________________

Name on Card__________________________________________________________________________

Mail registration/payment to: NCHBA, P O Box 2055, Covington, GA 30015

Newton County HBA Golf Tournament June 4, 2009

The Oaks Course

Everything Considered, the Recovery Tunnel Is Coming Into View There have been some glimmers of light in the darkening economic picture, including retail sales for January and February and sales of both new and existing homes in February. It’s clear that ongoing market adjustments in key sectors are essential to eventual economic recovery and expansion.

The policy blitz coming from the Administration, Congress, the Federal Re-serve and foreign policymakers certainly are helping to move the train down

the track toward the recovery tunnel — and the light at the other end should be in view soon. NAHB’s baseline (most probable) forecast shows resumption of real GDP growth during the second half of this year, topping-out of the unemployment rate in the first quarter of 2010, resumption of payroll employ-ment growth by the second quarter of next year and inflation rates that approach zero in 2010 but do not slip into the deflationary zone. This economic recovery pattern cannot materialize without near-term stabilization of the housing sector, and we’re counting on support from recent policy initiatives to help housing turn that corner. Our forecast shows a bottom for home sales in the first quarter of this year, a bottom for total and single-family housing starts in the second quarter, and a bottom for the residential fixed investment component of GDP in the final quarter of 2009. National average house prices should stabilize within a few quarters, and the majority of the decline may now be behind us.

News From National...

Even Dr. Joyce Brothers Worries About the Housing Market…

When the housing bubble of the past several years burst, so did the hopes and dreams of homeowners everywhere—particularly those who have ended up out on the street instead of in steadily appreciating homes. This quiz explores the psychology of housing and how our expectations and emotions can add fuel to the fire.

T F It usually is the case in a bad market that a developer will drop his price before a homeowner will, due to emotional reasons.

T F Sellers tend to hold unrealistic hopes in the housing market due to loss aversion.

T F Our culture’s view of saving money has changed dramatically in the past 50 years.

T F If a buyer makes a low ball offer, he should not be surprised if the seller is insulted and rejects it outright.

T F “Curb appeal” is nice but not really an important factor in selling a home when it gets down to it.

T F Depersonalizing the house helps to sell it.

T F Moving to your dream house can be one of life’s most stressful events.

ANSWERS ON PAGE 11.

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Comment from Senator John Douglas (District 17)

Restoring the housing market is a vital step to fixing the economy. In an effort to stimulate that area of Georgia’s economy, the Senate overwhelm-ingly passed legislation to provide a home purchase income tax credit. Home buyers will receive a one-time tax credit of $3,600 with the purchase of a single-family home that will be available for only July 1-Dec 31 2009, providing an incentive for home buyers to act now. I firmly believe that stimulating the housing market will have long-reaching effects across every community in Georgia.

HBA MEMBER RENEWALS T h e H B A t h a n k s t h e f o l l o w i n g f o r

r e n e w i n g t h e i r m e m b e r s h i p .

B B & T

Flooring Solutions by Candace

Lake Arthur Investments

Newton Electric Supply

Residential Warranty Corp.

Truss Specialties

COMPUTER GLITCH Many members of the Newton County HBA

received a letter from Builders Insurance Group (BIG) stating that their insurance was in jeop-ardy of being terminated if they did not provide proof of membership with the HBA. This was a

state-wide occurrence and many locals have had discussions with the representatives of BIG. In the future, Builders Insurance will provide the

local HBA’s a list before they mail letters. Please let us know if you have any questions.

WELCOME TO THE HBA

Service Complete Mike Smith/Allen Kenknight/Ray Sikes

BUILDER 404-274-2817

Sponsored By: Steve DuBois

DuBois Construction

Page 11

Spotlight on...

ANSWERS FROM DR JOYCE BROTHERS QUIZ…

TRUE—The market price of new construction usually is the first to be dropped, for practical and emotional reasons.

TRUE—”Loss aversion” is just a fancy term that means that human beings are must more un happy with losses then they are ecstatic about gains. So, they are much more likely to hang on to their unrealistic expectations in the housing market-hoping things will magi cally turn around-rather than admit defeat and take their medicine of a loss.

TRUE– Beginning after WWII, when single-family homes started becoming available to many people, our goal was to save enough money to put a down payment on a house, and then 30 years later or so, have a mortgage burning party when the place was paid off.

TRUE– This is how the game is played. If the agent can educate the buyer ahead of time on what percentage of the asking price similar homes are selling for, and “insulting” bid can be avoided.

FALSE– Curb appeal-the first impression of how the home appears as the customer pulls up the curb-figures highly in whether or not the buyer will like to the house.

TRUE– Most buyers have trouble focusing on the bones of a house if they are distracted by other’s photos, collections and knick-knacks.

TRUE—Regardless of the type of market, moving is always near the top of the stress meter.

Lucius J. Malcolm, is the sole owner and president of Wisevest, Inc and is a registered repre-sentative and investment advisor representative of InterSecurities, Inc., his broker/dealer. His office is located in Athens, Georgia and currently serves the states of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, Wyoming, Florida and Virginia. Mainly working with closely held private companies, he assist owners who want to maximize their benefits, retain their company for their heirs, and reward their key employees. He also handles all types of 401(k)plans, profit sharing plans, Simple IRA’s, SEP/IRA’s, Roth IRA’s Tra-ditional IRA’s and 529 college savings plans.

Currently he is finishing years of study to complete the requirements for the designation, “Chartered Financial Consultant” or ChFC. This will give him better understanding and tools when advising his clients during the accumulation stage, the conservation stage, and the in-come stage of their financial lives.

Lucius and his wife, Jennifer, live in the east part of Clarke County, have 3 children and 3 grandchildren and 2 cats. Lucius collects guitars, plays in a band he lovingly calls, “The Bug Band” and is the pianist at his local church.

To contact him you may reach him at 706.549.8555 ext6, or email at lmalcolm@isimail.com or visit his website at www.wisevest.net.

Mailing Address P O Box 2055

Covington, GA 30015

Office Address 4159 Mill Street

Lower Level Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-786-3333

Fax: 770-786-2710 www.newtoncountyhba.com

Email: andrea@newtoncountyhba.com

Wednesday, April 1st 10:00 AM—Board of Directors Meeting at the HBA office

Thursday, April 2nd 10:00 AM– Golf Committee Meeting at the HBA office

Friday, April 10th GOOD FRIDAY—OFFICE CLOSED

Tuesday, April 14th 11:30 AM—Membership Meeting at Henderson’s

April 2009

APRIL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Tuesday, April 14, 2009

11:30 AM

Henderson’s Banquet Room

Reservations are required by noon on April 10th

Join us as representatives from

Southface discuss GREEN BUILDING and EARTH CRAFT HOMES.