Members Urged to Help Defeat Costly Insulation Code Changes
NAHB members are urged to participate in a grassroots campaign to roll back onerous and costly insulation code requirements that can add as much as $4,000 to the cost of an average new home ― while saving home owners only about $15 a year in energy costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

NAHB is urging members to tell their code officials why the code provision should be restored to a more sensible level, and to support EC-16, a proposal to roll back the requirements to more reasonable, cost-effective levels.

The hearings to rollback the requirements will be held Sept. 28-Oct. 2 in Detroit.

The Department of Energy Supports the Rollback

The NAHB rollback is supported by the Department of Energy, the sprayed-foam and cellulose insulation manufacturers, APA (The Engineered Wood Association) and the glass-block industry.

 What Members Should Do

• NAHB members and representatives of local and state home builders associations should meet with code officials who will be participating in the hearings to educate them and make our case about this issue.
  
  
• NAHB members can visit www.nahb.org/EC16 (available to members only on the NAHB Web site) for resources that will enable them to participate in the current rollback campaign. Materials include detailed background information, a sample letter to send to code officials and state-by-state lists of more than 1,100 of the officials who are likely to be voting on this issue in September.

NAHB already has received extremely positive feedback from code officials, however a two-thirds majority vote is needed in Detroit and member support is essential.

For more information, e-mail John Loyer at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8303.

Women's Council Fall Board Grows Near
By now you've already marked your calendar and made your reservations. Be sure to clear your schedule for an exciting array of events scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 7 through Friday, Sept. 9, and Sunday, Sept. 11. Of special note are the much anticipated 50th Anniversary Reception and Celebration, scheduled for Thursday evening, and the Professional Women's Forum, scheduled for Friday afternoon.  

If you need any assistance during your stay, Women's Council Headquarters will be open on Friday, all day Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. until noon in Conference Parlor 534 on the 5th Floor. For questions about the Women's Council portion of the program posted below, please contact Carmel Nayman at 800-368-5242 x8410.

Note: NAHB  programs (other than Women's Council) appear in italics.

Recognizing Women in the Building Industry — Women's Council 2005 Outstanding Council Awards
Every year, the NAHB's Women's Council awards more than $15,000 to councils and members with the Council and Individual Leadership Awards. The awards provide scholarships that can benefit students in your community, funds for your council projects, as well as recoginition for individual and local and state council achievement. Nov. 1 is the deadline for submitting entries.

This year’s Outstanding Council Program Awards are designed to recognize the achievements and efforts of the state and local Women’s Councils in each of four different categories:

• Member Benefits and Services
• Membership Retention
• Legislative and Political Action
• Community Outreach Programs

In addition, a special award recognizes  participation in the NAHB Congressional Contacts program.

Each category recognizes programs that Women’s Councils do every day, and you will be competing against councils similar in size. This year, there’s also a new Member of the Year Award, which will recognize a member who may not be involved in national programs, but excels as a state or local council member. Many of our members never get to national meetings, and we know they’ve accomplished a great deal in their state and local areas. 

Councils are eligible to win in each program category. Scholarships will be awarded to the first- and second-place winners of councils in each of the two size groups, in each of the four program categories: $400 first-place scholarship in each council size; $200 second-place scholarship in each council size.

Outstanding Council of the Year Award

This year’s Outstanding Council Program Awards are designed to recognize the achievements and efforts of the state and local Women’s Councils in each of four different categories: Member Benefits and Services; Membership Retention; Legislative and Political Action; and Community Outreach Programs. In addition, a special award recognizes participation in the NAHB Congressional Contacts program. Councils are eligible to win in each program category.

Congressional Contacts Participation Award

Three $150 scholarships will be awarded to councils and members who recruit the most new NAHB Congressional Contacts in the award period: awards will go to a small council, large or state council and individual member. Entry is automatic. Records of Congressional Contacts forms submitted to NAHB will determine the winners.

Women's Council Outstanding EO of the Year Award

Three $150 scholarships will be awarded to councils and members who recruit the most new NAHB Congressional Contacts in the award period: awards will go to a small council, large or state council and individual member. Entry is automatic. Records of Congressional Contacts forms submitted to NAHB will determine the winners.

2005 Member of the Year Award

2005 Woman of the Year Award

'HousingEconomics Online' Provides In-Depth Analysis of Housing Market
"HousingEconomics Online" is NAHB's new online publication from the NAHB Economics Group that provides the latest housing economic data, trends and key events that shape the economy. NAHB’s leading economists analyze and synthesize the housing and economic information to provide in-depth analyses of the niches and nuances of the home building market.

"HousingEconomics Online" combines unique scientific research with practical applications providing insights that are original, useful and written in terms that builders, manufacturers and housing finance professionals can understand and apply to their own businesses. To order, visit the "HousingEconomics Online" details page.

This interactive Web site at the executive level provides critical data and information quickly, easily and frequently and includes the following features:

• Home Builders Forecast
• Access to NAHB’s Staff of Economists
• Seiders' Report
• NAHB Economic and Housing Forecast 
• Housing Activity
• Housing Policy Focus
• Multifamily Housing Quarterly
• State and Metro Focus 
• Housing Market Statistics

For more details, go to www.housingeconomics.com. [return to top]

NABWO, Financial Planning Association To Provide Women Business Owners Educational Resources
The National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) and The Financial Planning Association (FPA) announced their joint efforts to educate women entrepreneurs by incorporating financial literacy into educational programs for NAWBO's 8,000 members across the country.

As part of this agreement, FPA will provide guest speakers for NAWBO conferences and events and NAWBO will distribute various brochures on the financial planning process to use at their events.

Endowment to Fund Minority Workforce Outreach
The National Housing Endowment, the philanthropic arm of NAHB, has awarded a $10,000 grant to fund an outreach program to establish and strengthen NAHB Student Chapters at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and universities and colleges with traditionally large Hispanic populations.

The program will target minority students in support of the Home Builders Institute’s (HBI) charge of providing NAHB members with a talented and diverse workforce. A challenge to the industry at large, as well as for the student chapters program, is to overcome the lack of minority participation at the university and community college level.

Through the program, student leaders will be targeted and encouraged to start student chapters at their schools. HBI will provide them with information on scholarship and awards programs and encourage representatives from local home builders associations and member companies to visit their schools.

Information on best practices of successful student chapters will be made available to the new chapters. The student chapters will also be encouraged to attend the International Builders’ Show and participate in the student competitions that are held there.

This outreach to minority campuses nationwide will help NAHB diversify the housing industry workforce as well as its membership by starting with the industry’s future leaders — at the NAHB Student Chapter level.

For more information on the outreach program, e-mail Page Browning, director of academic services at HBI, the workforce development arm of NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8918.

National Housing Endowment/Home Builders Care Project of the Year Award
Associations donate thousands of volunteer hours to Home Builders Care projects each year. Make sure that your efforts are recognized by entering your project for this national award. This year and moving forward, only state and local associations and councils are eligible for the National Housing Endowment/Home Builders Care Project of the Year Award.

To enter, submit an official entry form accompanied by a two-page detailed project description. You may include supporting material such as press clippings, programs, or other project documents with your entry form. Please refer to the entry form and description for more details.

Projects must have been completed between Oct. 16, 2004 and Nov. 4, 2005 to be considered; entries must be received at NAHB no later than Nov. 4, 2005.

Entries should be mailed or faxed to:

NAHB Public Affairs, Attn: Kym Kilbourne
1201 15th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20005
Fax: 202-266-8131

The winner will be recognized at the 2006 International Builders' Show where the association will receive  a plaque and a $5,000 donation to a charity of choice.

For more information, including submission guidelines and an entry form, visit www.nahb.org/prresources or contact Kym Kilbourne at 800-368-5242 x8447 or kkilbourne@nahb.com. [return to top]

Design, Marketing Entries Sought for Best of Seniors Housing Awards
The 50+ housing market is one of the fastest-growing segments of the building industry, and this rapid growth is fueled by the entrance of the baby boomers into the hot active adult segment. Boomers are changing the entire senior housing market, and the industry is searching for new products and services to attract them. The 2006 Best of Seniors Housing Awards rewards those who adapt to the changing market with innovative product and marketing.

The 2006 Best of Seniors Housing Awards program includes more than 50 categories covering all aspects of the seniors housing industry. Active adult categories include overall community, clubhouse, clubhouse and common area interior design, condominium unit design, and model home merchandising. Other design categories will cover aging in place, assisted living residences, congregate living community, continuing care retirement communities, mixed-use, multifamily housing, renovated seniors housing, and special needs housing.

Call for Entries and contest rules are available online at the NAHB Seniors Housing Council Web site at www.nahb.org/seniorshousingawards. Or call 800-368-5242 x8220 to have a copy of the Call for Entries mailed to you. Deadline for entries is Sept. 30.

Winners will be announced at the Best of Seniors Housing awards ceremony during the 2006 International Builders’ Show in January in Orlando, Fla. They also will be displayed on the Seniors Housing Council’s Web site as well as in upcoming issues of Seniors’ Housing News magazine. [return to top]

How to Use Press Releases
A press release is one of the easiest ways to reach media, but it is often used incorrectly.  One of the biggest mistakes is sending out irrelevant press releases for the sake of sending something out.

Don’t do it. If you bombard the media with insubstantial press releases, they won’t listen when you have something newsworthy to share. 

Keep a list of local media and industry publication contacts in a database for distributing your press releases. If possible, establish rapport with your local press. If local media calls you for quotes and information, get their contact information so you can call them when you have an important story to tell.

When writing a press release, keep these 10 tips in mind:

1. Ensure that the information is newsworthy. Wait until you have something of substance to issue a release. Grand openings, community service events, new products, and winning awards are examples of relevant new housing news that you will want to share.
   
   
2. Decide how and when to send it out. You can send the press release by mail, fax, e-mail, or HTML news. Electronic communication is the quickest but can be blocked by junk mail filters. Ask your media contacts which medium they prefer. Send out the press release the day of the event, or earlier to give a reporter time to cover your story. If you send it out early, clearly note the date the release can be made public.
   
   
3. Start strong. Your headline and first paragraph should tell the story. The rest of your press release should provide the detail. You only have a few seconds to grab your reader's attention.
   
   
4. Avoid excessive use of adjectives and redundant expressions. Keep the text concise and make each word count.
   
   
5. Deal with the facts. Include research and statistics when possible.
   
   
6. Include a quote or quotes in your release. Attributed the quote to an appropriate senior manager who can be reached by a journalist for further comment.
   
   
7. Provide details. Include the date and location of your news in the first paragraph. Include contact information: who to contact, phone, fax, e-mail, and Web site address.
   
   
8. Craft a boilerplate. Include a boilerplate, which provides brief information about your company and its mission, at the end of every press release.
   
   
9. Use a consistent style throughout the press release. Many newspapers follow the AP style so familiarize yourself with AP rules and keep a style guide for reference.
   
   
10. Formatting. Include “For Immediate Release” at the top of the release for immediate publication or “For Release After ___” to embargo the press release until a later date. Center the word “more” between two dashes (– more –) at the bottom of the page to let reporters know that another page follows.  Use three centered numbers symbols (# # #) immediately following the last paragraph to indicate the end of the press release.

  [return to top]

Summertime...and the Revenue's Easy
The same goes for fall, winter, and springtime.  Just go through your HBA Revenue Checklist every month:

• Have I signed up for every available revenue-sharing opportunity at www.nahb.org/matoolkit?
• Do I have a link and graphic on my assocation's home page to www.nahb.org/ma?
• Have I joined the BuilderBooks Retail Affiliate program at http://store.builderbooks.com/affiliates.html?
• Do I have a BuilderBooks logo on my association's home page, linked to www.builderbooks.com?
• Am I taking advantage of special revenue-sharing and money savings programs with BuilderBooks (contact jbarnes@nahb.com for ideas and opportunities).
• Am I distributing copies of The Member Advantage Brochure to my members — new and long-time — at every opportunitiy? 

Once you sign up, promote the Member Advantage program to YOUR members. That's why it's called the "Home Builder Assocation Member Advantage." And it couldn't be easier to participate.

Hint:  Remember to search past issues for ideas and information. Go to the “Search Past Issues” link above left or click here.  You don’t want to miss any money making and money saving ideas.  Remember:  some promotions and campaigns are time sensitive.  Pay close attention to limited time offers and expiration dates. [return to top] [return to top]