FEBRUARY 2009 The official magazine of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County
Neighborhood
Builder
The official magazine of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County
Inside
This Issue
February 2009, Vol. 33, No. 2
The mission of the Home Builders Association of RaleighWake County is to advocate, educate and promote the building industry.
Features
OFFICERS: Richard Gaylord, president; Warren Smith, first vice president; Wes Carroll, second vice president; Shelley Mitchiner, vice president-associates; A.J. Critelli, secretary/ treasurer; Zach Schabot, TSMC representative/chair; Tom Anhut, appointee to the Executive Committee; and Mark Massengill immediate past president. HBA DIRECTORS: Rusty Ammons, Sharon Andrews, Douglas Ball, Dave Baron, Rick Barrett, Jay Beaman, Chip Bishop, Rex Bost, Tom Brantley, Eddie Casanave, Michael Dean Chadwick, Debbie Combos, Mark Davis, Dene Dawson, Mike Debnam, Jim Derrickson, Steve Eastman, Jeff Fike, Don Fraley, Lyle Gardner, Jack Gallagher, Mike Gerber, Tom Gipson, Harold Glazer, Mike Golder, Brooks Gulledge, Trish Hanchette, Rick Harris, Johnny Hayes, Bruce Herbert, Wayne Holt, Mike Houseman, John Houston, Mike Hunter, Van Isley, Sheri Jackson, Phil Jawny, Vanessa Jenkins, Stuart Jones, Mike Jordan, Steve Leach, Jack Lichtner, Jenny Martin, Blake Massengill, Greg Messer, John Miller, Kenny Murphy, Rebecca Newsome, Gaye Orr, Ryan Perry, Kevin Poythress, Avon Privette, Mike Reiser, Jon Rufty, Steve Schlageter, John Schlichenmaier, Bob Schultz, Dave Servoss, Cindy Sheldon, Geoff Shiley, Kathy Simpson, Jule Smith, Ray Sparrow, Terry Stephens, Richard Stockett, Marty Tart, Woody Teague, Connie Tench, Cliff Thomas, Dan Tingen, Barry Tutor, C.B. Tyson, Rich Van Tassel, Van Vreeland, Scott Warren, Rob Weintraub, Mason Williams, Larry Witek, Wayne Witt, Dale Wooten, Lance Youngquist. HBA STAFF Tim Minton, Executive Vice President Lin Barrow, Vice President of Finance Suzanne Harris, Vice President of Governmental Affairs Andy Ladner, Vice President of Marketing and Councils Judy Richardson, Vice President, Education & Parade of Homes Ken Kirby, Director of Political Affairs Lara Papi Wilson, Director of Membership Angela Thompson, Financial Coordinator Leigh Ann Teague, Director of Public Relations
Happy 50th anniversary
Pickles, cigars? What would you miss? HBA associate member P.J. Jones lifts spirits for troops in the war zone with Back Home Box, an organization that sends them American treats rarely found on foreign soil.
Copyright 2009; all rights reserved. No material in this publication may be reproduced for further publication without the express consent of the association and the publisher. Acceptance of advertising in Neighborhood Builder does not imply endorsement of the product or service by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County. Opinions expressed in articles are those of the authors and people quoted, and not necessarily those of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County. Mention of specific products or services in editorial content does not imply endorsement by Neighborhood Builder or the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County.
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What a kick! Local sports figures fueled the fire of resilience for those who attended the HBA’s annual kickoff event with insight into the power of positive thinking.
Neighborhood Builder is published monthly for the members of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County, 5580 Centerview Drive, Suite 115, Raleigh, NC 27606; (919) 233-2033; www.hbawake.com. Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Heidi Ketler, APR hketler@verizon.net Graphic Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cammi Mosiman cammi@picodesign.net Advertising Sales Executive . . . . . . . . . Jenny Johnson jenny.jmj@cox.net (888) 364-5269 Publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Association Publishing Inc. www.associationpublishinginc.com Sandra Amidon and Joyce Hearn, APR (757) 420-2434
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This year the HBA of Raleigh-Wake County marks its 50th year of working together to build better homes and lives.
About the cover:
Departments President’s Pen 2 Governmental Affairs Focus Green Building 5 Marketing Insights 8 Remodelers Standpoint 8 Wake Watch 12 Calendar of Events 12 Permits 12
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5
A contingent from the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County converged on Capitol Hill to urge immediate action to stimulate home buying.
The mailing list used by Neighborhood Builder is compiled according to membership records. Address corrections should be directed to HBA of Raleigh-Wake County. Nonmember subscriptions are available from the publisher for $24 per year.
FEBRUARY 2009 1
President’s Pen
Fix housing crisis first! By Richard Gaylord 2009 President, Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County
N Fix Housing First recommendations for ramping up economic stimulus package include: • A tax credit for all home buyers (not just first-time home buyers) of 10 percent of the price of the home, up to $22,000, and no repayment required. • Mortgage interest rate buydowns ranging from 3.99 to 2.99 percent for homes purchased by Dec. 31, 2009.
National statistics paint a bleak employment picture. According to the National Association of Home Builders, more than half a million jobs were lost in November, with nearly 1.9 million jobs lost year-to-date. One of the hardest-hit segments is the housing industry and related businesses, where it is estimated that three million Americans have lost their jobs in the past few years. It cannot be stressed enough that Congress needs to act quickly to stem the tide of the housing crisis across America. The housing market accounts for 15 cents of every dollar spent in our country during a typical year. So when the housing market suffers, billions of dollars in wages and purchases are lost, negatively affecting almost every sector of the U.S. economy. At the time of this writing, an economic stimulus package was being proposed to Congress that could help reverse the downward economic trend and restore our country to financial stability. The centerpiece of the package rightly focuses on the housing market.
urge Congress to ramp up ways to stimulate the housing market, and take quick and decisive action to stop the decline in home values. According to the coalition, a significant tax credit and an interest-rate buydown for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages is needed to help get buyers back into the market and further stimulate the economy.
The tax credit The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 – authorizing a $7,500 tax credit for qualified first-time home buyers purchasing homes on or after April 9, 2008 and before July 1, 2009 – was not enough. Due to a wave of financial disruptions in September and October, the economy has worsened, credit has tightened further and the spillover to the general economy has been much deeper than previously anticipated. In the Fix Housing First plan, the credit amount would be substantially increased to 10 percent of the price of the home, up to $22,000. Unlike the current credit, it would not be limited to first-time buyers and the homeowner would not be required to repay the credit.
The mortgage interest buydown Fix Housing First NAHB is leading Fix Housing First, a coalition of more than 600 organizations created to
Mortgage interest rate buydowns recommended by the coalition range from 3.99 to 2.99 Continued on page 12
1959-2009
Celebrating 50 years of home building
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Mark your calendars for the 50th anniversary celebration of the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County Thursday, June 11. Throughout the year, highlights from the past five decades will be revisited in Neighborhood Builder. Vintage photos, remembrances and little-known facts will help tell the story. So save each issue and at the end of the year, you will have a special Raleigh-Wake County HBA keepsake. HBARWC began in 1959, when 25 builders saw the need to organ-
2 Neighborhood Builder
ize. They realized that by working together they could better represent the interests of home builders on issues that affect their ability to provide affordable housing for all citizens of Wake County. Since then, the HBA has grown to more than 3,200 members and is the second-largest in the country. Today, membership represents approximately 90 percent of all housing starts in Wake County. If you have HBA historical information or memorabilia to share, please contact Leigh Ann Teague at lteague04@hbawake.com or (919) NB 233-2033. ■
Associate Spotlight
2008 HBA of Raleigh-Wake County
FOUNDATION CLUB
Jones spearheads Back Home Box for U.S. troops
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Phillip “P.J.” Jones of Phillip R. Jones Inc. is the Home Builders Association of RaleighWake County Associate of the Quarter for creating the Back Home Box Foundation. Selected by the HBA Associates Committee, this award recognizes associate members who have distinguished themselves by their outstanding contributions to the HBA, the local home building industry or within their community. In the spring of 2005, Jones “adopted” a United States soldier. After receiving his first thank-you e-mail from this soldier, he was hooked. With the help and growing interest from family, friends and business clients, the Back Home Box Foundation was soon established. “The members of America’s armed forces are our heroes. The Back Home Box Foundation supports the brave young people serving in Iraq and Afghanistan by giving them a boost,” says Jones. “The goal is to give soldiers serving overseas the simple pleasure of opening a big ol‘ box of things they miss.” A typical “back home box” contains cookies, peanuts, pretzels, pickles, salsa, Cheetos, fresh socks, body powder, playing cards, board games, magazines and cigars. The boxes are shipped weekly overseas and given to the chaplains in Iraq and Afghanistan to distribute among the troops. The foundation will also send boxes directly to individuals if an address is provided by a family member or friend. Back Home Box Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and 100 percent of contributions goes into the boxes. Jones’ entire company volunteers its time to help with this foundation. In 2008, the foundation sent Continued on page 11
Your financial support in 2008 contributed to the success of an array of events and educational programs that made membership in the HBA such a valuable and rewarding experience. To renew your commitment to the Foundation Club in 2009 or to join this distinguished group of sponsors, contact Tim Minton at (919) 233-2033.
Thank you 2008 Foundation Club sponsors!
ASSOCIATION PARTNER ($25,000+)
CORPORATE SPONSOR ($10,000)
DIAMOND SPONSOR ($5,000)
GOLD SPONSOR ($3,000) 1st Choice Cabinetry A B Stone Boutique
Countrywide Home Loans Crescent Communities of Greater Raleigh
DR Horton Pro-Build (The Contractor Yard)
SILVER SPONSOR ($2,000) BB&T First South Bank
M/I Homes R.E.A.L. Elevator Solutions
Sherwin-Williams/ Duron Paints Standard Pacific Homes
BRONZE SPONSOR ($1,000) Accounting, Etc. A.J. Young Architectural Illustrations Apex Marble & Granite Bank of America Bonded Builders Home Warranty Builders Mutual Insurance Co. Cecil Holcomb Demolition Comfort Master Inc. Genesis Marketing partners
Glass Depots USA J.W. Distributors The John R. McAdams Co. Inc. Majestic Marble & Glass Co. Metro Heating & Air Conditioning, An ARS Company Parksite Plunkett-Webster Peak Steel Progress Energy RBC Centura
Residential Warranty Co. Rugworks Floorcoverings Steve Sypher Designs Triangle Tile & Stone of North Carolina L.L.C. Truoptions Business Consultants L.L.C. Versatex Wachovia Bank, N.A. Yellow Dot Heating & Air Conditioning
FEBRUARY 3
Governmental Affairs Focus
Taking Washington D.C. by storm! By Suzanne Harris HBA Governmental Affairs Vice President
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It’s no big surprise that with the current state of the economy, the housing industry is suffering – tremendously. In an effort to be proactive, the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County set its sights high. On Jan. 14, more than 80 members of the HBA of Raleigh-Wake County boarded buses at the wee hour of 5 a.m. and headed to Washington, D.C., to talk with lawmakers. The day was filled with visits with Senators Richard Burr and Kay Hagan and Congressmen Brad Miller, Bob Etheridge and David Price. We brought the message from the
National Association of Home Builders and the Fix Housing First campaign and added to it the personal touch of real people and real situations. Our message was simple: A housing stimulus is urgently needed to restore demand for housing and to revive the economy. Fix Housing First calls for Congress to support enhancements to the home buyer tax credit and provide below-market 30-year fixed-rate mortgages for home purchases in 2009. HBA President Richard Gaylord outlines the recommendations in his column on page 2. We were sure to clarify that the problems not only lie in slowing home sales, but also in the mortgage-credit crunch. Members of the HBARWC group told their personal stories so the congressional members could better grasp the reality of this housing and credit crisis. They explained that it
is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain loans for land acquisition, land development and home construction. They effectively painted the picture of performing loans being called in, which has created a situation so bad that many builders who were worried about sagging sales just a few months ago are now worried about survival. The congressmen walked away with a better understanding that if they don’t act quickly, scores of builders and developers will be pushed into bankruptcy. We are optimistic that our visit was fruitful and will result in swift action to provide some relief to the housing industry. However, we are still urging everyone to be realistic and remain NB in survival mode! ■ For more information, contact Suzanne Harris at (919) 233-2033 or sharris04@hba wake.com.
Green Building
GHBT is now an NAHB Green affiliate By Leigh Scott Green Building Programs Director
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Green Home Builders of the Triangle has achieved a milestone as one of 42 official affiliates of NAHB Green. “Being accepted as an affiliate of NAHB Green was one of our main goals for the Green Home Builders of the Triangle in 2008 and we are very happy that we succeeded,” said Chad Ray, incoming GHBT chair. “It will give our program increased credibility and will also help potential home buyers find us if they visit the NAHB Green Web site.” With great fanfare, the National Association of Home Builders launched its nationwide green building program at last year’s International Builders’ Show in Orlando. Feb. 14, 2008 was declared “Green Day,” and numerous educational sessions, press confer-
ences and other green-building events were conducted. IBS attendees were encouraged to wear green that day to show their support of the burgeoning green movement in the home building industry. Today, NAHB Green (as the national green
To assure high and parallel standards, the NAHB Research Center scrutinized local green building programs that applied for affiliation. Among other things, research center staff members examined GHBT’s score sheet used as the basis for certification, as
“(NAHB Green affiliation) will give our program increased credibility and will also help potential home buyers find us if they visit the NAHB Green Web site.” – Chad Ray, 2009 GHBT chair building program is called) has begun to gain traction among home builders association members across the country. Yet questions remained about how the program would interface with the existing programs that were previously developed by local HBAs, like GHBT. That question was answered for the Triangle HBAs this past December when our joint program was officially accepted as an affiliate of NAHB Green.
well as the procedures employed by the program to determine when a certificate could be awarded. To learn more about the national program NB and its affiliates, visit www.nahbgreen.org. ■ Leigh Scott can be reached at (919) 493-8899 or at leigh@hbadoc.com. Green Builders of the Triangle membership applications are available online at www.greenhomebuildersofthetriangle.com.
FEBRUARY 5
The spotlight is on hockey great Glen Wesley (right) and Wolfpack sportscaster Johnny Evans during the HBA Kickoff Event.
Pep talk!
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NHL great Glen Wesley (left) shares HBA President Richard Gaylordʼs positive attitude.
HBA President Richard Gaylord (left) visits with Lewis and Patti Sadler of Sadler Construction.
Former Stanley cup champ Glen Wesley (left) signs his autograph for Bob Schultz of First South Bank.
Glen Wesley (right), director of Hurricanes defensemen development, chats with Mike Howington of Apex First Development (left) and Lanny Caldwell with ExperienceOne Homes.
hen the going gets tough, a pep talk from sports greats helps the tough get going. And so it went during the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County 2009 Kickoff Event Jan. 13 at Embassy Suites. There, former Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Glen E. Wesley gave a live, onstage interview to former quarterback Johnny Evans before an attentive HBA audience of more than 200. The motivational conversation focused on keeping a positive attitude even in tough times. Though Evans and Wesley are retired from illustrious sports careers, their lessons of victory and defeat on the field and on the ice, respectively, are put to task daily. When Wesley won his first Stanley Cup June 19, 2006 with the Carolina Hurricanes, defeating the Edmonton Oilers, he ended one of the longest streaks for active players who had not yet won a Stanley Cup. Throughout his National Hockey League career, Wesley played in 1,311 career games with the Bruins, Whalers/Hurricanes and Maple Leafs, scoring 126 goals and 390 assists for 516 points. After his 20th season in the NHL – 13th with the Carolina Hurricanes – Wesley announced his retirement last June. He remains in the Hurricanes organization as director of defensemen development. Evans played his college career for North Carolina State University, where he led the team to an 8-4 record his senior season, and was named most valuable player in the 1977 Peach Bowl. He completed three years in the National Football League for the Cleveland Browns and three years in the Canadian Football League for the Montreal Alouettes. Since 1996, Evans has become well known as the radio color commentator for NC State football. The father of quadruplets has two sons who play football for NC State. Evans also is the eastern North Carolina director for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The 2009 kickoff was sponsored by: Apex First Development, Stock Building Supply, American HomeKey, 1st American Builders and New York Life. ■ NB FEBRUARY 2009 7
Marketing Insights
Can you give me directions back to the basics, please? By Zach Schabot, MIRM 2009 Chair, Triangle Sales and Marketing Council
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Lately we can’t seem to have a conversation about home sales without hearing, “The market just isn’t what it was a few years ago. Time to get back to basics isn’t it?” Then the rest of the conversation sounds more like an episode of King of the Hill than an intelligent discussion, with verbal agreements like, “yup,” “yip,” and “mmm hmm.” But underneath the tank tops and trucker hats, have we really committed to learning those basics? Okay, so agents aren’t really like Hank Hill and his “do-nothing” gang, but how much time do we as sales people dedicate to learning things like construction techniques and strategic pricing – some of the basics that drive our industry? Realistically, if you joined the real estate
industry in the past eight years, you may not have had to learn “the basics.” Or, maybe you learned the basics for selling in a seller’s market, which were more about administrative work than selling. A few years ago, half the battle was building homes fast enough to keep up with demand. Now that our market has shifted to a buyer’s market, those who have not invested in proper training and education – sales agents, managers and even builders – find themselves asking, “Now what?!” Take some classes and learn the basics. I know I seem to harp on education, but without it, how can any of us survive a volatile market, new technologies and changing consumer expectations? The National Association of Home Builders named February National Designation Month, so make a commitment to attend a class offered at the local home builders association and work toward earning a designation. It is an outward sign of your commitment to your profession.
Along with your formal education, here are a few more ideas: • Attend webinars and audio conferences being offered by the HBA. Many are offered at a minimal cost, if not free. • Go to your local library and check out a book or trade magazine. • Download free podcasts. • Subscribe to blogs posted by industry professionals like Myers Barnes. • Apply for one of the many scholarships offered by the HBA. For those of you who spend time going to classes, reading sales training books or working with coaches, I applaud you. Frankly, it’s a difficult thing to spend time away from work to further your education during the hottest markets, and it is tough to spend your money on education during a down market. But the time you invest in furthering your education now will NB most certainly pay off. Yup. Yip. Mmm hmm. ■ Zach Schabot with The Wood Team at RE/MAX United can be reached at (919) 7965891 or zachschabot@remax.net.
Remodelers Standpoint
Reach for STAR Awards in a tough market By Harold Glazer 2009 Chair, Remodelers Council
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As I speak to many of our Remodelers Council members, the reports seem to vary as to the climate of business for each. Some members have seen no slowdown in their workload, but most are reporting a downturn in business.
casing Triangle Achievements in Remodeling) Awards is a competition of the best work remodelers have to offer. There is a multitude of categories, so there’s an opportunity for most remodeling projects to enter. Please note in your calendars these 2009 STAR dates to remember: Feb. 11 – Early Bird Entry deadline Feb. 25 – Regular Entry deadline March 11 – Late Bird Entry deadline May 7 – STAR Awards Gala
Community projects STAR power I encourage you to take advantage of the STAR Awards competition, a fabulous marketing tool that can give winners – remodelers and associates, alike – the edge in a tough economic climate. The Remodelers Council’s STAR (Show-
8 Neighborhood Builder
Thanks go to Community Project Chairs Angela Sutton of Byrd Tile Distributors and Kerry Celestini of Habitat for Humanity ReStore for overseeing our annual community project. This year, various remodeling companies and product suppliers contributed to Neighbor
2 Neighbor Outreach, which provides afterschool services for at-risk children. N2N had purchased a community center at 1200 S. Blount St. in Raleigh, and various remodeling projects needed to be finished. Our council provided approximately $20,000 in labor and materials and completed the project in a few days. Bravo to all involved!
Welcome The Remodelers Council welcomes these new members: • Johnnie Brooks – Apex Marble & Granite • Roderick Chase Frye – New York Life Insurance Co. • Steve McAdams – Ardent Enterprises NB • Lori Russell – Capital Tile & Flooring ■ Contact Harold Glazer of H. Glazer Builder Inc. at (919) 571-7798 or hglazer@nc.rr.com.
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10 Neighborhood Builder
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Strength in Numbers Please welcome these new members into the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County with a call or personal introduction. Visit www.hbawake.com for company contact information. Thanks to the sponsors (name in parenthesis), because there is strength in numbers.
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Builders Barton Construction Inc. — Kevin Coyne (Terry Stephens) Southern Heritage Custom Homes Inc. — Kenneth Womble (Van Vreeland)
Associates Antonio Cortez — Antonio Cortez (Angelique Soto—Avila) Atlantic Disbursement Group — Tracy Latvala (Angelique Soto-Avila) Design Surfaces of North Carolina L.L.C. — Kenneth Fiorini (Angelique Soto—Avila) G&L Marble — Glenn Blastow (Mark Massengill) Honor Electric Inc. — Emerson Privette (Van Vreeland) Ignacio Collazo — Ignacio Collazo (Angelique Soto—Avila) New York Life Insurance Co. — Roderic Frye (Mike Golder) Talbert Building Supply — Jan Whitt (Lisa Baldwin) US3 — Sean Holt (Ward Russell) “V” Carpentry — Victor Leach (Van Vreeland)
Affiliates The Adcock Agency Inc. — Christal Ham (John Miller) Apex Marble & Granite Inc. — Johnnie Brooks (Nathan McLeod)
Apex Marble & Granite Inc. — Pamela Bonham (Nathan McLeod) Apex Marble & Granite Inc. — Amie Woods (Nathan McLeod) Budget Blinds of Durham/Chapel Hill — Wesley Dunn (Phillip Jones) Downing & Gayle Insurance Services Inc. — Pamela Gayle (J. Allen Gayle) Downing & Gayle Insurance Services Inc. — Nancy Kontio (J. Allen Gayle) Guardian Home Technologies — Kevin Popko (Tom Gipson) Interior Design Society, Triangle NC Chapter — Yvonne Hanks (Lynn Nacewicz) Interior Design Society, Triangle NC Chapter — James Brandt (Lynn Nacewicz) Interior Design Society, Triangle NC Chapter — Tina Verdi (Lynn Nacewicz) James Hardie Building Products — Wes Newton (Kris Cuddy) Legacy Custom Homes — Matt Gilliam (Ward Russell) Original Space Inc. — Frank Wendrock (Robert Whitley) Powell Mechanical Contracting Inc. — Rebecca Powell (Geoff Shiley) Terramor Homes Inc. — Wendy Corbitt (Michelle Simms)
Associate Spotlight Continued from page 3
more than 1,200 boxes of supplies. Recently the company received monetary donations from R.J. Reynolds and the Wolfpack Club, and a special donation was collected during the Armed Forces Bowl college football game in Ft. Worth, Texas. An HBA member for more than 10 years, Jones specializes in assisting builders with framing takeoffs, budgets, scopes and specs. For more information about the Back Home Box Foundation, visit www.backhomebox.com. For more information about the Associate of the Quarter Award, visit www.hbawake.com, click on “Membership” and “Member Involvement” and “Member NB Spotlight.” ■
FEBRUARY 2009 11
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Some of you may have Wake County building permits that have not been started yet. Either you’ve had no inspections at all or your permit has been idle for some time. You may have even received official-sounding correspondence from our office telling you about the consequences. First let’s look at what the law says. North Carolina General Statute 153-358, time limitation on validity of permits. A permit issued pursuant to G.S. 153A357 expires six months or any lesser time fixed by ordinance of the county, after the date of issuance, if the work authorized by the permit has not commenced. If after com-
mencement, the work is discontinued for a period of 12 months, the permit immediately expires. No work authorized by a permit that has expired may thereafter be performed until a new permit has been secured. Now that you’ve seen how the statute sets time limits, you can understand why this office sends notifications on old and idle permits. If you do not intend to proceed with construction and you do nothing, the permit will expire. If you are nearing one of these milestones, but you don’t want your permit to expire, there are options open to you. Because of the uniqueness of every situation I cannot list those options here. Call Jim Roberson, Wake County Plans/Permitting, at (919) 856-6086 NB and he will discuss them with you. ■ Don Boelter is the Wake County building inspections supervisor. He can be reached at (919) 856-6080 or by e-mail at dboelter@co.wake.nc.us.
Nov.
2008 Jurisdiction
Apex 7 9 1 Cary 40 71 8 Fuquay-Varina 13 24 — Garner — 7 — Raleigh 42 138 10 Wake Forest 7 15 1 Wake County 16 85 1 Holly Springs 8 16 5 Morrisville 7 9 — Knightdale 5 6 1 Rolesville 2 3 — Wendell — 1 1 Zebulon — 1 — Angier — — — November Totals 147 385 28 2008 Totals 5,033 6,198 444
2008 Total
By Don Boelter Wake County Inspections, Development Plans, Permits Division
November Total
Below is the most current report from the Wake County Assessor’s Office (www.co.wake.nc.us). New Commercial/ Industrial
Options available for aging permits
Residential additions/ remodeling
Permit Report New residential
Wake Watch
17 119 37 7 190 23 102 29 16 12 5 2 1 —
528 2,412 638 211 4,036 552 1,869 565 360 245 141 76 34 8
560 —
— 11,675
President’s Pen Continued from page 2
Calendar of Events Committee Meeting, 3 p.m.
February Main Events 10
Lunch n’ Learn: So You Want to Be a Remodeler, noon to 1:30 p.m.
18
HBA Executive Committee, 3 p.m.
HBA Networking Night
Remodelers Council Networking Night, 4 p.m.
11
Lunch n’ Learn: Healthy Home Insulation, noon to 1:30 p.m.
TSMC breakfast, 8:15 a.m., Brier Creek Country Club
18
TSMC breakfast, 8:15 a.m., Brier Creek Country Club.
19
Parade of Homes Committee, noon
March 4-6
CSP-I
4
HBA Governmental Affairs Committee, 3 p.m.
Parade of Homes Executive Committee, 11 a.m.
21-22 & 28-29 Spring New Homes Showcase
5
Green Home Builders of the Triangle, 12:30 p.m.
30
10
Associates Showcase, Kerr-Scott Building
12
Remodelers Council Executive
All meetings and events are conducted at the HBA, unless otherwise indicated. To register, call (919) 233-2033.
12 Neighborhood Builder
HBA Board of Directors, 3 p.m.
percent for homes purchased by Dec. 31, 2009. Additionally, the coalition supports continued intensive efforts to prevent foreclosures and keep people in their homes. The combination of these stimulus actions would increase demand for housing, help stabilize home values, reduce foreclosures, restore and save tens of thousands of jobs, and turn the housing market and economy back in the right direction.
HBA demonstrates conviction Mark Twain once said, “Whatever you say, say it with conviction.” I am proud to say that the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County is a model of conviction and quick action. The HBA demonstrated this by leading a recent entourage to Washington, D.C. Participants spoke one-on-one with D.C. lawmakers, urging them to support the Fix Housing First plan and to act fast. Turn to page 5 to read more about the trip. All of us in the home building industry need to voice with conviction the stress housing is under and Congress members need to act with conviction…and speed. Visit www.fixhousingfirst.com for more information about the NAHB coalition and embrace NB this vital initiative. ■
Richard Gaylord