Biz Forms and Checks is offering NAHB Members:

• A 30% DISCOUNT ON EVERY ORDER
• 100 FREE Proposal Forms (item #SNP-11) with your first order
• The chance to win a $500 Home Depot® Gift Card. Every NAHB member who places an order is automatically entered in the contest. Three $500 Gift Cards will be awarded on June 15, 2007
• Free printing of logos on the forms and checks

Biz Forms and Checks has commonly used forms, including standard and remodeling proposal forms, weekly time records, non-computerized forms, and other forms and checks that work with the most popular accounting programs, such as QuickBooks®, Quicken®, Peachtree™, or MYOB®.

Go to www.bizformsandchecks.com to place an order and see the complete line of compatible products, or call 866-849-4374 to speak to a customer care specialist.

One of the most popular benefits of NAHB membership, Member Advantage gives you an easy way to reduce expenses, maximize profits and increase efficiency. Through agreements with 15 national companies, NAHB members can receive discounts on a variety of products and services that can benefit your business, employees and family.

For the latest updates, visit www.nahb.org/MA. [return to top]

To help NAHB members understand the requirements, the NAHB University of Housing is offering a free audio conference, 60 Minutes to Storm Water Permit Compliance. Four expert speakers will participate in the hour-long conference. NAHB members can listen to the speakers’ presentations and call in with specific questions. In addition, members may send in questions in advance and the speakers will use those to guide their remarks.

Marolyn Parson, director of NAHB’s Water and Wetlands Policy Department, will introduce and moderate the program. Thomas Ward, assistant staff vice president of litigation at NAHB will discuss legal implications and strategies. Johnny Combs, president of Paradigm Engineering — a leader in storm water management for businesses nationwide — will discuss actions that builders can take to improve their compliance and reduce their risk of unscheduled inspections.

In addition, Everett Spencer, EPA Inspector from Region 6, will join the panel to describe the inspection process from the agency’s perspective and participate in a discussion of strategies builders can follow when an inspector arrives.

The audio conference will take place on May 23 and is provided at no charge to all NAHB members. Members must register by May 18 to participate.

For more information about the storm water audio conference, or to submit questions to the panel, contact Marolyn Parson at 800-368-5242 x8157, or e-mail mparson@nahb.com.

Register today for the 60 Minutes to Storm Water Compliance Audio Conference. Registration is free to all NAHB members.

Join NAHB Today

Not an NAHB member? Contact your local home builders association and join today. For a list of associations in your area, click here. [return to top]

NAHB member companies are invited to use non-bylined content in NAHB HouseKeys to repurpose and customize for their consumer outreach projects, including Web sites, newsletters, or magazines. NAHB provides a graphic that can be posted on your own Web site or in print products to promote NAHB HouseKeys as a free benefit for consumers.

This month’s issue includes advice from Kenneth R. Harney, an award-winning, nationally syndicated real estate columnist, on searching for a new home.

"Leverage is one of the key differences between buying a house and buying stocks or bonds," says Harney. "Flat or down markets, in fact, may well be the best times for buying a first house. Prices tend to be lower and more affordable. Home builders and sellers tend to be more willing to negotiate, and mortgage rates—like today’s—often are lower than during high-inflation periods."

Also in this issue, learn which simple household products can bring green to a home, and check out the latest and greatest in our green photo gallery.

In addition, the issue explores steps for finding the perfect builder; an insider's look at the International Builders’ Show; reducing heating and cooling costs while getting tax credits; avoiding household headaches; and the organic and eco-friendly architecture of the Southwest.

To view the complete issue, click here.

Members are encouraged to submit general, consumer-focused feature stories for consideration for this new publication and share NAHB HouseKeys with their e-mail list of consumers. The e-newsletter is an opt-in only product, meaning the public has to subscribe to receive it. To subscribe or view back issues, visit www.nahb.org/housekeys. For more information on leveraging this free resource with your consumers, contact Niki Clark at nclark@nahb.com. [return to top]

Why consider Affiliate membership for your employees?

• While benefits at each local association vary, the membership category provides a formal recognition of employees of members’ companies who already may be participating in many association events.
  
  
• At the national level, there is a similar benefit. Affiliate members can serve on NAHB committees, task forces, and working groups. Plus an Affiliate member is recognized as an official member at each level of our association!
  
  
• Each member increases NAHB's voice for the housing industry. When our membership grows, so does our strength at the local, state and national level in advocating issues that matter to you.

NAHB has established a Web page with additional information about the category. Visit www.nahb.org/affiliateinfo. [return to top]

The honorees are: Scott Mosby, 2006 Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) of the Year; Michael Choucalas, 2006 Certified Graduate Associate (CGA) of the Year; Jeff Hunt, 2006 Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) of the Year; Thomas DiBenedetto, 2006 Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) of the Year; and Scott Sevon, 2006 Graduate Master Builder (GMB) of the Year.

 "These designees not only use innovative practices and techniques to encourage continued education in our industry, they make their day-to-day careers a real world example," said Antonio Giordano Jr. of Mast Construction, Inc. in Providence, R.I. Giordano also serves as the 2007 Chair of the CGB Board of Governors and is a GMB designee.

"Each and every building professional who earns a designation comes out with a high level of expertise that can benefit their clients. The difference with these honorees is that not only do they take pride in advancing awareness of professional designations by leveraging them with consumers, but they all firmly believe that continuing education is one of the surest ways to advance our industry."

To learn more about how to earn a designation, click here. [return to top]

The New Homes Month Kit provides consumer articles, print advertisements, a New Homes Month Proclamation and other resources to help you and your association or company maximize New Homes Month. Consider using these materials to promote your spring home shows or parades of homes and other special events you may be planning in April and beyond.

Please contact NAHB Public Affairs if you have any questions about the 2007 New Homes Month Kit or for other ideas about how to bring positive attention to the home building industry in your communities. Call 800-368-5242 x8061 or e-mail nclark@nahb.com. [return to top]

NAHB's Board of Directors in February approved a total of $3 million for the grant program aimed at helping local home builders associations boost home sales in markets hit hard by the current housing downturn and to help offset the cost of local ad campaigns.

NAHB will evaluate the effectiveness of the program after the first $1 million in grants is put to work by local associations. If it is determined that the local ad campaigns have been successful, then the remaining $2 million will be made available in grants to qualifying HBAs.

The NAHB “buy now” ad assistance program provides grants to qualifying HBAs in three different categories:

• HBAs conducting ad campaigns in the top 10 media markets can receive assistance for up to one-third of the total cost of the campaign, with a maximum NAHB contribution of $75,000. In other words, an HBA conducting a campaign costing $225,000 could receive a $75,000 contribution from NAHB and cover the remaining $150,000.
  
• HBAs with more than 250 members operating in areas outside of the top 10 major media markets would qualify for matching grants up to a maximum of $40,000 and be required to pay for at least half the cost of the campaign.
  
• HBAs with 250 or fewer members would qualify for grants of up to $5,000.

To qualify for grants, the ads must deliver a “buy now” message and be placed in 2007. Funding is for campaigns in markets that have experienced a major decline in home sales and housing production.

To learn more about the program, eligibility considerations, and requirements, click here (www.nahb.org/buynowapplication), or contact Niki Clark at 800-368-5242 x806l. [return to top]

"Remodeling retained strength across most of the country compared to late last year," said NAHB Remodelers Chairman Mike Nagel, CGR, CAPS, a remodeler from Chicago, Ill. "Certainly regional economies and housing markets play an important role, but overall we see maintenance of high levels of remodeling activity and solid future prospects."

In other remodeling news, the NAHB Remodelors™ Council is no more—the name that is. The council in February officially changed its name to the NAHB Remodelers to broaden industry and consumer recognition of the services its membership provides. [return to top]

If fire sprinklers are mandated, consumers will be forced to pay installation and maintenance costs for a product that is unlikely to ever be used. The costs of these products greatly outweigh the potential reduction in property loss. Keeping in mind that every $1,000 added to the cost of a home prices thousands of buyers out of the market—and that a credible NAHB consumer survey finds that most buyers do not want to pay for fire sprinklers—it's obvious that mandates are not the way to go.

NAHB wants to ensure that enough ICC voting officials who will vote against the mandates attend the Final Action hearings in May. Therefore, the federation kicked off a major grassroots campaign at the International Builders' Show aimed at getting HBAs and members to contact their local building officials, register their opposition, and encourage them to go to Rochester and vote with us and against mandatory fire sprinkler systems. For more information on how to be part of this grassroots effort, go online to www.nahb.org/sprinklers or contact Brian Sause at 800-368-5242 x8444. [return to top]

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