From this letter it is important to note that the IRC portion of the hearings will start no sooner than 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 20 and should end by late evening on Sunday, September 21.  Please tell anyone planning to attend and vote to keep this information in mind and to make their accommodations accordingly.

Additionally, after looking at the rising cost of airfares to Minneapolis , it has been decided to increase the travel assistance grant being offered by NAHB to $1,000.  It is hoped that this higher grant will be adequate to cover the airfare and a two-night hotel stay in Minneapolis , with some money left over for meals and other incidental expenses.  There is no need for anyone who has already submitted an application to reapply, as everyone approved will receive the higher grant.

For anyone needing assistance finding a hotel, the following is the link to the ICC site where a hotel reservation can be made: http://abm.iccsafe.org/2008/lodging_and_transporation.cfm

If additional assistance or clarification is needed regarding any of the above, please contact Steve Orlowski of NAHB staff at sorlowski@nahb.com or 800-368-5242 x8303.

If you have received correspondence or contact from the “National Home Builders” or the “National Directory of Home Builders,” recognize that these organizations have no relationship with NAHB and are not part of, connected with or related to NAHB in any way.

Any and all correspondence from NAHB will always include the full name "National Association of Home Builders” and/or the genuine NAHB logo. 

For questions or concerns about any correspondence or contacts you may have received, e-mail William Deiss at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8231.
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This event is designed to bring EOs with at least 9 months of experience to the National Housing Center  to learn about all the different resources and departments at NAHB. These include, but are not limited to, the NAHB Research Center , NAHB Advocacy, NAHB Membership and NAHB Public Affairs.

Check out this great video that Kelley St. Germaine, EO from Ashe County , North Carolina , made about his visit to DC.

Registration is free and all attendees will get a scholarship to attend. The scholarship is a reimbursement; please see the conference page for more information.

For more information, please contact Ariel Moyer at 800-368-5242 x8595.
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Learn from the experiences of your fellow local and state HBA leadership teams and participate in an open dialogue with the NAHB Senior Officers.  Discuss relevant HBA topics of interest to you and learn more about how NAHB can help.  Be sure to take part in this unique opportunity to refuel your association’s operations and yourself with information from the industry’s finest.

Fall Board is a great time to get upcoming leadership prepared for their terms.  Be sure to invite your HBA’s incoming president to participate in this morning of learning, networking, and discussion. 

The Spring Board meeting of Presidents’ Council had a record number of attendees, so be sure to reserve your spot for the Fall Board session today!  You can register for the event by faxing back an RSVP form or by completing the form online.  If you have any questions, please contact Mary Alice Hewitt in the Affiliate Services Department at 800-368-5242 x8176 or mhewitt@nahb.com.
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Have you ever needed to quickly find out advice on working with reporters, how to hold a successful promotional event, or where to locate the PR resources that NAHB has available to help HBAs? NAHB has updated its PR Toolkit resource and moved it online, so you can now easily get the answers to these questions — and many more — right away!

The online format lets you access information the way it is most convenient for you. You can browse for specific topics online, then read or print only what you are interested in, or choose to print the entire document.

Get the answers to questions such as:

             -- How can I work with the media to get my message across to consumers?  

-- Is my Web site a good resource for HBA members and home buyers? 

-- What are some suggestions on how to get my HBA more involved with our local   community?

-- How do I know if my public relations plan worked?

Also, don’t forget to check out the Myth Buster Home Buyer Tax Credit Materials to help you promote the $7,500 first-time home buyer tax credit to your community. During the past two weeks, more than 100,000 consumers have visited NAHB’s tax credit information Web site www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com!

You must be logged into the nahb.org Web site in order to view the members-only Myth Buster materials.

For more information, e-mail NAHB Public Affairs or call 800-368-5242, x8447.
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The Home Builders Association selected as the recipient of the 2008 NAHB/NOD Disability Initiative Award will receive $1,000, made possible through a grant from the National Housing Endowment. The Award will be presented at the NAHB Board Meeting at the International Builders Show in January 2009.  For more information, please see the award application.  All application submissions are due September 2, 2008.
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Successful full-service builders in today’s market must offer more than just a well-built home.  Customers need to be given the opportunity to design a home that suits their individual tastes and lifestyles. By offering a range of options and upgrades, the design phase provides the best opportunity to make a lasting impression and ensure that buyers will favorably remember the entire buying experience.

In Option Selling for Profit: The Builder’s Guide to Generating Design Center Revenue and Profit, authors Gina Gullo and Angela Rinaldi share their hands-on understanding of high-powered selling in the ever-expanding market of options for new homes. This book shows readers how to

• create an option sales program that motivates customers to buy
• capitalize on options and upgrades programs to increase bottom line
• empower the sales team with the tools they need to succeed
• cultivate loyal customers
• deliver outstanding customer service
• implement a profitable design program no matter the size of the company

Option Selling for Profit also provides access to a Web page with 19 downloadable tools that can be customized to suit specific needs.

This is the definitive guide for builders to generate Design Center revenue and profit.

“From pricing to sales presentation, this book will help you learn how to sell options and increase your bottom line.”  

S. Robert August, President, S. Robert August & Company, Inc., and President, Institute of Residential Marketing

To view or purchase this publication online, click here, or call 800-223-2665.
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Sales consultants are available to review current credit card processing rates and other payment costs for members and HBAs. They will save you money—or simply tell you if you have good existing rates.

It’s fast, easy and free.  Call 1-800-613-0148  or email at  info.1@solveras.com

Learn more about Solveras’ Complete Payment Processing and Virtual Terminal Pro at www.solveras.com/nahb.

Other Member Advantage Discounts

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to www.nahb.org/MA.
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The one-time $10 off is in addition to the everyday NAHB 10% discount.

To register, call 800.274.2753 and mention coupon code 35235365 to receive the additional $10 off a $100 order. 

The new customer sign-up period runs from now through September 30, 2008 and the $10 discount will be applied to purchases made during the entire month of September 2008.

Savings begin once members call 800.274.2753 to register for the first time and mention coupon code 35235365.

For complete information about Office Depot and other Member Advantage Savings, visit www.nahb.org/ma.                                                                                                                            

$10 Off Order of $100 or More:. Mention Coupon Code 35235365 when ordering. Limit 1 coupon per customer / business.  Coupon not valid in-store. For phone orders, please call 800.274.2753 and mention the 8-digit coupon code listed above. To redeem online, visit www.officedepot.com/offers/esave.do, and enter the 8-digit coupon code; savings will appear at checkout. Coupon cannot be used as a credit card payment and offer is not valid for: contract customers with Store Purchasing or Procurement Cards; purchases from www.techdepot.com; purchases of Gift Cards; Technology items (including but not limited to all computers, fax machines, monitors/lcd projectors, printers/all-in-ones, usb/wireless/input devices, pda, digital cameras, drivers/cards/memory and copiers/scanners); or wireless, satellite, internet, or mailing/shipping services. Photocopies and mechanical reproductions not valid. We reserve the right to limit quantities sold to each customer. Coupon is good for one-time use only -- not combinable with other promotions offering “dollars off” or “percent off” the entire order, but is combinable with other sale items. Offer expires: 09/30/08.
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Save the Date – Save the Whole Month Long!

Other Member Advantage Discounts

For the most up-to-date details on the Member Advantage discount program and all of the participating companies, go to www.nahb.org/MA.

Preparation was key for the Home Builders Association of Greater Kalamazoo (HBAGK) in Michigan .  When President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 on Wednesday, July 30, the association already had the tools to get the word out to its local market on the financial benefits of the home buyer tax credit.  

“We put a lot of effort and time into the planning and execution of our public relations efforts in regards to the housing stimulus bill,” said Dale Shugars, executive vice president of the HBAGK. “We wanted to be ready to hit the ground running as soon as it was signed.”

Multiple press releases were sent to the local media in the days before the signing urging the Administration to act quickly on the legislation, and a final release lauded the legislation when it became law.

Because association staff members had spent a lot of time and effort on preparations to promote the tax credit to their local market, they were already prepared to hold a press conference the day after the bill was signed. Television, radio and print press attended, resulting in extensive coverage in the local media market.

Examples of the media coverage included the Kalamazoo Gazette article, and WKZO AM 980’s report, “Housing Stimulus Package Headed for Domino Effect?”

The local CBS-affiliate WWMT, Channel 3 featured information on the bill in “Housing Help,” which also promoted the press conference HBAGK was holding.

"We received a great number of calls from the community after the press conference," said Faith Cervin, marketing director for the HBAGK. "We knew we had to educate potential home buyers on the credit, so we decided to hold a Home Buyer Workshop."

A panel of local housing industry experts was convened on the afternoon of Aug. 6 to discuss the tax credit and answer attendees’ questions. The panel included Shugars, HBAGK President Jeffrey Smith, Greater Kalamazoo Association of Realtors® President Gary Brown, two mortgage lenders and a tax professional.

The event was a success and the association is planning to do another one during evening hours to provide more opportunity for public participation.

To help with their public relations effort on the stimulus bill, the HBA took advantage of the tax credit resources available in the Myth Buster section of NAHB’s Web site.

“The resources were amazing and helped us get the word out about the tax credit to our local community,” said Shugars. “With these resources we can quickly address questions and demystify the tax credit for people in our community. We have become the go-to organization locally for people to get the information they need on the new tax-credit. This is a prime example on why it pays to be a member of NAHB.”

NAHB members can use the tax credit resources — talking points, print ads, a consumer handout, an op-ed column, radio spots and banner ads — to promote consumer awareness of the credit in their own markets.

A new consumer Web site, www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com, outlines the details of the tax credit and includes a set of comprehensive questions and answers about how the credit works and how consumers can take advantage of it.

For more information on the Myth Buster tax credit resources, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
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