Remodelers and builders who do renovation or remodeling projects in homes built before 1978 must soon comply with new lead paint safety requirements set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Any company doing work in these homes must be certified, follow specific work practices and keep detailed records.  Additionally, at least one employee in these companies must be trained in these new requirements by April 22, 2010. Visit www.nahb.org/leadpaint for complete details and deadlines. ...More

SUHBA is now accepting applications for scholarships. Preference is given to families and employees of SUHBA Members seeking further education in a field related to the building industry. The deadline for applying is April 15. Funds for these scholarships are made possible from proceeds received from the annual Golf Tournament and from the Parade of Homes Builders. Click here for an application.

SUHBA Member Orientation will be sponsored and held at the Holiday Inn Express, at 2450 N. Town Center Drive in Washington, on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. ALL members are encouraged to come and learn more about SUHBA. A light lunch will be served. To RSVP for this FREE event, please email toni@suhba.com or call the SUHBA office at 435-674-1400. 

If you would like to donate promotional items from your company for the goodie bags, please contact Kathy at 435-674-1400.

Builders may receive credit for the 2011 Parade Point criteria by having sponsored members attend.

The New York Times
Federal and state officials, many facing record budget deficits, are starting to aggressively pursue companies that try to pass off regular employees as independent contractors. President Obama’s 2010 budget assumes that the federal crackdown will yield at least $7 billion over 10 years. More than two dozen states also have stepped up enforcement, often by enacting stricter penalties for misclassifying workers. Click here to read the full article.

NAHB
Despite various forces impeding a full recovery for housing, residential construction has clearly improved over the last year. 

The bottom for single-family construction was reached in January/February 2009 when starts hit a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 357,000, their slowest pace since reliable records started being kept in 1959. Spurred on by the first-time home buyer tax credit and low mortgage rates, single-family production climbed to an average of 498,000 starts in the third quarter. ...More

NAHB
Builders and other industry professionals can help spur home sales by referring prospective home buyers to www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com. The NAHB Web site provides detailed information on both the extended $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit and the new $6,500 repeat buyer tax credit signed into law by President Obama.  

Consumers can use the Web site to find information on both tax credits — including frequently asked questions and links to social media sites that provide updated information as it becomes available. It also includes a number of home-buying resources for consumers.

Industry professionals are encouraged to highlight the tax credit web site when marketing to their potential home buyer market.

Mark your calendars for the Utah Builders Conference which will be held on Thursday, March 25 - Saturday, March 27, 2010 at the Dixie Center. Click here for more information or to download a registration form.

Builders can receive 2011 Parade Points for attending this conference. ...More

The Utah State Energy Program will be offering a new rebate for home and business owners that install solar energy.  That means if you install solar energy on your home or business you may get a check in the mail for thousands of dollars back! This is a brand new program funded through the Federal Stimulus bill and everyone will have questions about how it works. To help answer those questions, the Utah Solar Energy Association is hosting the Utah Renewable Energy Conference 2010. This event will be held on Saturday, March 27th from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and it will be located at the Salt Lake Community College Miller Campus off I-15 at 9750 South in Sandy.  Admission is $5 for an individual or $10 for a family. For more information and to register for the event visit www.utsolar.org.

The city of St. George building department is getting a lot of email returns from their email lists. If you would like to continue getting building updates from the city please send an email to sonja.dodenbier@sgcity.org. They will delete you off of the list if they don't hear from you by the end of March.

State Bank of Southern Utah's Board of Directors has named Eric Jon Schmutz to replace Ronald W. Heaton as president and chief executive officer. He is a graduate of Cedar High School and Southern Utah University where he received a degree in business administration with a minor in accounting. He is also a graduate of the Pacific Coast School of Banking. ...More

Fighting Back Foreclosure class is presented by Kristin Johnson, Director of Housing for Cornerstone Financial Education. This class is being held on Wednesday, March 17, 2010 from 9:30 am to 12:00 pm, at the Holiday Inn, 850 S Bluff St, in St. George. This is a free class and continuing education credits are available. Seating is limited so please RSVP by calling 801-364-0077. Click here for more information.

Don't miss the Free help with credit, budgeting, and foreclosure prevention at the Utah Cash Expo. This class is being held on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 from 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm at the Holiday Inn, 850 S. Bluff St, in St. George. Space is limited, so please register on line at www.211ut.org. Click here for more information.

The Southwest Utah Community Health Center (SUCHC)has two clinics to serve you: 168 North 100 East and at Millcreek High School, 2410 East Riverside Drive. They are available to everyone for medical, mental health and dental care. The Community Health Center is a private non-profit corporation with two full time physicians, three full time physician assistants, a mental health counselor and part time dentist. ...More

The IRS is providing the latest IRS News Releases and Headliners. Jody Stamback, Sr. Stakeholder Liaison for IRS Communications has asked SUHBA to distribute the following helpful information. Jody Stamback may be contacted at 801-799-6852 or Jody.K.Stamback@irs.gov with any questions.

Click on the "...more" to read about the following topics:

• IRS on YouTube.
  
• Free File: Spread the Word with Widgets.
  
• Additional Information Regarding Signature Requirements for First-Time Homebuyer Credit Documentation.
  
• Reminder: Haiti Relief Donations Made Before March 1 Qualify for 2009 Deduction.

...More

The Parade of Homes drawing was held at Boulevard Home Furnishings on February 24th and two lucky winners were awarded great prizes.  We received an overwhelming response of Parade ticket entries.  Thank you to Boulevard Home Furnishings, IRP Incorporated/Thompson Mansion, and SunRiver for providing the following prizes.  Congratulations to the following winners:

• Cathy Brereton of Provo, Utah won the LG LCD HDTV 42" Flat Screen Television from Boulevard Home Furnishings.
• Lindi Garrett of Washington, Utah won a week stay at the Thompson Mansion, movie passes to Coral Cliffs, SunRiver golf passes, and dinner for two at the Riverwalk Grill.  Prizes provided by IRP Incorporated and SunRiver. 

Click here to see if we have your interior and exterior signs that were collected from the 2010 Parade of Homes. Signs must be picked-up at SUHBA before Wednesday, March  31, 2010 or they will be placed in storage. If you do not pick up your sign, there will be a $10 per sign storage fee. Please call the SUHBA office at 674-1400 if you have any questions.

Receive outstanding marketing exposure by making plans to participate in the 2011 Parade of Homes. The last day to accrue Parade points towards the 2011 St. George Area Parade of Homes is Thursday, April 29th at 5:00 pm.  Click here for the 2011 Parade of Homes Builder Participation Policy and Point Criteria.

Please contact Shawna Applegate by emailing shawna@suhba.com or by calling the SUHBA office at 674-1400 if you would like an update on your Parade Points.

Using OSHA standards as a guide, this 10 hour course will provide safety information on topics directly impacting most construction companies. Two-day attendance is necessary to receive an OSHA completion card, which is a requirement on many bid submissions and job sites. It will be held on Wednesday, March 10, 2010, from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm and Thursday, March 11th from 8:30 am to 12:00 pm,, at the WCF Building at 1453 S. Dixie Dr, Ste 100, St. George. This course is $50 for WCF policyholders and $175 for Non-WCF policyholders. Please register by calling 801-288-8103 or 800-466-2667 ext. 8103 or online at www.wcfgroup.com.

The Utah Land Use Institute will be teaching a 6 hour Utah Land Use course in St. George on March 16th from 8:30 am to 4:15 pm. This course will be taught by some of Utah's most influential land use attorneys and the new book "Utah Land Use Regulation Guidebook" will be provided at the seminar. It is designed to assist everyone in the land use arena with a clear understanding of basic land use rules and procedures. Click here for more information, or to register for this class. SUHBA members may receive a $46 SUHBA scholarship reimbursement.

The American Welding Society (AWS) Utah Section - 59 will be holding a Welding Inspection Seminar - Welding Procedures, on Thursday, April 22, 2010 at 5:30 pm. This is a two hour class and it will meet the requirement for professional development hours of AWS QC-1, section 16.5.2. Everyone is welcome to attend, this seminar is free for AWS members, the fee for non-members is $125. This is a technical seminar and it will be held at St. George Social Hall at 47 E 200 N, in St. George. Call Bill Komlos at 801-560-2353 or email bkoz@ArcTechllc.com to register or for more information.

DXATC is offering OSHA 10 Hour and 30 Hour classes as listed bellow: 

CLASS	DATE	COST
10 HR (Spanish) OSHA	March 22nd, 7am - 6pm	$239.00
10 HR (English) OSHA	March 23rd, 7am - 6pm	$239.00
30 HR (English) OSHA	March 23rd - 25th, 7am - 6pm	$480.00

All of the classes will be taught at the new DXATC  Building at University Plaza at 1071 E 100 S, Building C, Suite C7, in St. George. Call 435-652-7741 to register or for more information.

With research indicating that women influence more than 80% of final decisions in all home purchases, builders need to identify and focus their green marketing efforts on new technologies that women want and need, according to panelists at an educational seminar during last month’s International Builders’ Show.

“Why is the ‘green goddess’ important?” asked Linda Hebert of Diversified Marketing and Communications in Pleasanton, Calif. “In the new ‘she-conomy,’ women spend $5 trillion annually. More than 50% say they want more green choices and women represent two-thirds of the voters who cast their ballots on environmental issues.” ...More

Habitat for Humanity of Southwest Utah just dedicated the latest home to the Hinstroza Family on Thursday, Feb. 25th. Thank you to Pride Homes for being the General Building Contractor. This home was sponsored by the Washington County Board of Realtors. A special thanks to the many volunteers and donors for making this project possible. SUHBA members are listed in bold. Thank you to everyone for helping to make the American dream a reality for the Hinstroza Family!

 

Accent Surfaces	AGEC	Ahern Rentals
Allied Waste Services	AT Asphalt Paving	Ayala Concrete
Bella Vista Storage	Better Roofing Systems Inc.	Big City Insulation
Burton Lumber	Beck Industries Drywall, Inc.	Codale Electric Supply
Closet Creations	CS Concrete LLC	DEGelectric Inc.
Desert Door Inc.	Desert Star Glass Interiors	Dixie Lumber & Hardware
Ferguson	Gibson's Flooring	Graff Plumbing Inc.
Hirschi Roofing & Insulation	Hometeck Services	Interstate Rock Products, Inc.
Jones Paint & Glass	Keepsafe Storage	Kendrick Rogers
Mike's Custom Finishes	Pacific Supply	Van Der Eslt Painting
Pride Homes Inc.	Pro Landscape Solutions, LLC	Putnam Plumbing Inc.
Quality Truss Systems, LLC	Quick Cut	RB Tile Inc.
Red Canyon Contractors	Regulators Construction LLC	Sherwin Williams
Sipco Stucco Co.	Sunroc Corp.	The Drawing Room
Top Gun Air Systems	Vector Engineering Inc.	Winnelson Co.

As a rule, I don't give out my business card unless someone asks for it. Of course, there are rare exceptions, but normally, if someone doesn't ask for my card, I don't give it out. Let me explain why.

What happens when we give out our business card before someone asks? We announce: This is what I am doing. And maybe even: I want you to buy from me.

By giving out our business card when people don't ask for it, we put ourselves and our businesses in the spotlight. This might be gratifying for our ego, but it's not good for our positioning. "Get in touch with me when you need me" is a weak attempt to get someone interested in our product or service. Although most people will politely accept the card, they will seldom, if ever, call. ...More

Conveniently located off I-15 in Washington, the Coral Canyon Town Center has office space available for lease by SUHBA.  Three spaces are available and range in size from 1,086 to 1,227 square feet.  For more information, please contact Mari Smith at 674-1400.

SUHBA members are encouraged to submit company event announcements, open house announcements, job announcements, education announcements and press releases for inclusion in the next News You Can Use by Monday, March 29, 2010. Please email the information to news@suhba.com.