By mid-year, over 5,000 vehicles have been purchased by members using the NAHB GM Special Offer—saving $2.5 million!  That translates to $250,000 in revenue to be shared among participating HBAs. And we have almost three months remaining in this year's program. 

Qualifying NAHB members are eligible for a $500 exclusive offer on most GM passenger cars, light-duty trucks, vans and SUVs.

• All eight GM nameplates are included in the offer — Chevrolet, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac, GMC, Saturn, Saab and HUMMER.
  
• Vehicles excluded from this offer are Cadillac XLR and XLR-V, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and SSR, HUMMER H1 Alpha, and Pontiac Solstice. Medium duty trucks are also excluded.
  
• The $500 exclusive offer can be combined with most retail national and regional incentives in effect at the time of delivery.

For complete details, visit www.gmfleet.com/nahb.

The program runs through Jan. 3. 2007.

GM NAHB Affinity Cards and details on this offer were mailed directly to NAHB members from GM, and members should use the affinity card when purchasing a qualifying vehicle.

New members who do not have a GM NAHB Affinity Card or those who have misplaced their cards may print out their own replacement cards in order to show member verification to a GM dealer. Note: Members must be logged in to www.nahb.org in order to print their replacement card.

Members with a www.nahb.org login should go to www.nahb.org/MA and click on the “GM Exclusive Offer.” This will take members to a Web page with program details and instructions for printing a replacement card. 

There are also instructions for members who do not have a login (they will be sent to www.nahb.com/loginGM and returned to the page to get a replacement card).

For more information, e-mail Tiffany Smith at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8273.

Every month, Dell will be sending NAHB member customers and local builder associations the "Business Solutions for Small and Medium Business" catalog. 

Make sure you check out the inside front spread, with Dell technology recommended for the home building professional.  You'll also find some great Dell solutions for your association.

Get details on Dell service plans and components--Dell Client Services and Dell Enterprise Support Service.

And  there are deals on select Dell TVs, printers and other accessories.

Or visit www.nahb.org/MA for quick online links and recommendations to maximize your NAHB member or HBA discount.

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Seminars include topics such as Payroll Taxes for New Business Start-ups, Business Entities and Employee Benefits; Workers’ Compensation; Employee versus Independent Contractor; and Managing Human Resource Issues.

Seminars are available wherever there is a Paychex office, and CPE seminars and associated credits are free of charge to accounting professionals. Each seminar is updated on an annual basis. Accounting professionals are required to obtain CPE credits in order to renew their CPA licenses.

For more information, contact your local Paychex office or our national representative, John J. Powers at jpowers@paychex.com .

Paychex is part of the Member Advantage HBA Revenue Sharing Program.

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UPS, the world’s largest package delivery company,  offers NAHB members--AND BUILDER ASSOCIATIONS--discounts of up to 30% on shipping.

The NAHB shipping discounts include domestic air and ground, international export and international import.  Association members can also take advantage of hassle-free on-line shipping, 24/7 access and the peace of mind that comes from advanced package tracking at your fingertips.  NAHB members are eligible for discounts up to 30% to help manage costs with no catch, and no minimums.

The shipping discounts, which increase with the more packages or letters the user sends, will be applied once enrollment is complete. The enrollment process is fast and easy and is available to NAHB members through the Web site www.savewithups.com/nahb.  

For more information on the UPS savings program, visit the National Association of Home Builder’s Web Site at www.nahb.org/MA  or http://www.ups.com/nahb, or contact Tiffany Smith, Director of Affinity Programs.

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Are your members prepared? Another 2 million Latino families will enter the housing market by 2010.

Casa Y Comunidad: Latino Home and Neighborhood Design  takes the first-ever look at the growing and increasingly prosperous Latino community and their housing needs. This ground-breaking publication from BuilderBooks helps prepare all segments of the housing industry to truly understand and work with Latinos.

Henry G. Cisneros, former HUD secretary and champion of affordable workforce housing, brings together a dozen contributors—builders, developers, planners, designers, and financiers—who share their expertise and experiences on the challenges and solutions for serving the millions of Latinos who want to own a home.

Full of practical guidelines on Latino culture and family values related to the home and their consumer preferences, Casa Y Comunidad: Latino Home and Neighborhood Design helps readers:

• Understand the implications and impact of the swelling U.S. Latino population
• Recognize and overcome the barriers keeping Latino homeownership the lowest of all ethnic groups
• Design homes and plan communities that attract and support the lifestyles of Latinos
• Develop mortgage products and financial services that make sense for Latino home buyers
• Create effective sales and marketing approaches that win loyal customers and repeat business

A well-balanced and comprehensive resource, Casa Y Comunidad: Latino Home and Neighborhood Design is packed with colorful photos, data, and success stories and provides strategies for reaching and doing business with Latino home buyers.

Sponsored in part by Freddie Mac.

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A new campaign of full-page color BuilderBooks ads is now available for association use.

For "Books that Build Your Business," your members have only one word to remember: BuilderBooks — the official bookstore of the National Association of Home Builders.

Keep your members aware of the wide variety of publications by industry experts that provide them with industry know-how, best practices, and latest techniques to save time and money.

Put these ads to work in your association newsletters, flyers and other printed communication pieces. 

ASSOCIATIONS WHO ARE BUILDERBOOKS.COM RETAIL AFFILIATES: Make sure you add your source code to the red bar at the bottom of the ads. 

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With Bill’s guidance, your members can

• Take a hard look at  business processes and modify them to meet financial goals
• Create profits unendangered by carelessness or short vision
• Defend each estimate line so that the system of planned profit is consistent and bankable

Asdal takes the magic and science of estimating and turns it into an art.

Recommend this "must-read for anyone involved with managing a construction business. Bill Asdal promotes not only the understanding of costs, but the foresight to predict construction expenses while considering the full realm of cost as a function of profit. "--Dennis Dixon, Dixon Ventures, Inc., Flagstaff, Arizona

Defensive Estimating: Protecting Your Profits is available at http://www.builderbooks.com/ or by calling 800-223-2665.

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• Manitowoc County HBA, Manitowoc, WI
• HBA of Warner Robins, Warner Robins, GA
• Central Wisconsin HBA,  Wisconsin Rapids, WI
• Cold Climate Housing Research Center,  Fairbanks, AK
• HBA of Greater Kinsport, Kingsport, TN