June 15, 2010

The 8^th Annual SUHBA Scholarship Golf Tournament sponsored by SunFirst Bank was held Friday, June 11th at the Sunbrook Golf Course. It was a beautiful day to have a tournament and all the teams had a great time. Tons of prizes were given away! SUHBA thanks all the players, sponsors and volunteers that made the event a success! Continental breakfast and lunch were sponsored by Interstate Rock Products, Inc. The putting green sponsor was Pro Glass & Paint and Milgard Windows. The drink sponsor was Rainbow Sign & Banner. We thank all our sponsors for their great support of this community event. Please consider their services and products for your related needs. Preliminary numbers show approximately $8,000 was raised and will go towards the SUHBA Scholarship Fund. Thank you to all the generous golfers who donated $460 at the Scholarship Hole and $460 at the Pay the Pro Hole.

Congratulations to the top teams:
1st Place Team – Interstate Rock Products
Jeff Madsen, Evan Thomas, Jason Madsen, & Chad Shipp
2nd Place Team – SunFirst Bank
David Watson, Michael Beckstrand, Brent Wade, & Steve Hansen
3rd Place Team – Canyon Media Group
Ben Lindquist, Chris Nelson, Todd Ashton, & Trevor Johnson
4th Place Team – Rosenberg Associates & Henriksen/Butler
Kent Nobis, Brandon Anderson, Jason Smith, & Mark Hendrickson
5th Place Team – Ivory Homes
Tyler Meyers, Matt Curtis, Brian Virgin, & Jeff Johansen

The Southern Utah Home Builders Association (SUHBA) recently announced its 2010 SUHBA Scholarship recipients at its membership luncheon held at Dixie State College on June 1, 2010. SUHBA awarded $500 scholarships to twenty recipients totaling $10,000. Below is the list of Scholarship Recipients:

Ty Anderson	Aaron Bolli	Karley Butler
Jessica Chyinski	Jason Henderson	Dustin Holt
Shellee Hoopes	Ruston Jenson	Anna Lindsey
Leland Michel	Brayden Morris	Skyler Nelson
Lindsey Esplin Robinson	Travis Sanders	Natalie Spilker
Nick Spilker	Laric Tolleson	Whitney Waters

The 8th Annual Ultimate Home Expo to be held September 10 & 11 at the Dixie Center is perfect timing for your company to gain market share and grow your business. Exhibiting gives corporate stability during a struggling business environment. Reach both business professionals, including many contractors and the general public. Look for event information coming soon or call Shawna Applegate at 435-674-1400 or Shawna@suhba.com. If you would like to serve on the committee, please send an email to shawna@suhba.com.

Become an event sponsor and benefit even more! Sponsor the Ultimate Home Expo and receive unique benefits. Prime choice of best exhibition area, logo included in marketing materials, large signs at event, announcements, newsletter recognition, and many other benefits. Your company will definitely be front and center with this unique opportunity. Contact Mari Smith at 435-674-1400 or Mari@suhba.com for more sponsor benefits and availability. Sponsors are limited.

Since the credit crisis began, NAHB has been working non-stop to improve the availability of credit for home builders. Resolving this crisis is a monumental task that requires the participation of our entire federation and we want to thank everyone from around the country who is contributing to this just cause. As a member-driven organization, we need the feedback, ideas and expertise of the builders in the trenches. We can’t be successful unless you are engaged.

One of the great strengths of our federation is its grassroots – you, the member. We need your practical, market-driven thoughts on this very complex problem. The AD&C case studies you have already provided have been enormously beneficial in reinforcing our message to regulators, policymakers and the media. We appreciate the resolutions circulating to help our industry address this challenge, and it is clear that they reflect the passion of NAHB’s members in finding answers to these problems. To this end, we are seeking your input and strongly encourage you to take part in the process as the Executive Board begins next month to discuss the resolutions that have been submitted. ...More

A new YouTube video from NAHB's Production Group features our very own Chief Economist, David Crowe, answering specific questions about the current home buying environment. Now that the recently successful home buyer tax credit program has ended, he explains, there are still plenty of good reasons to consider homeownership — including mortgage rates that are near historic lows, attractive home prices that appear to have stabilized in many markets, and an excellent selection of new and existing homes on the market. ...More

As many as 91% of all home buying decisions are made primarily by women, and helpful new research from the National Association of Realtors can help builders understand exactly what this overwhelmingly important consumer segment cares about most, writes Tara -Nicholle Nelson in the latest Nation's Building News. The specialist from REThink Real Estate notes that, while couples typically make up the majority of home buyers, fully 21% of all homes sold in 2008 were purchased by single women, according to the NAR's 2009 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers. ...More

The City of St. George, the Washington County Water Conservancy District, the USU Extension and the Healthy Dixie Council have been working together to develop a community garden program for residents of Washington County. The project is adjacent to an existing water conservation demonstration garden at 1851 S Dixie Drive in St. George. The objective of this garden is to promote healthful, nutritious food; sustainable land use and conservation of natural resources. The objectives will be reached through teaching participants and volunteers in this outdoor, hands-on classroom how to nurture, maintain and protect a healthy, sustainable landscape.

The committee is asking for labor to lay about 1300 – 8 ft landscape timbers, build a parking area using an all natural porous hard material, build a 6 ft rod iron fence with rabbit proof mesh, and construct a 25 x 25 ft tool storage shed with an adjacent chemical storage shed and several other small frame items. For more information, see the plan drawings and call Julie Breckenridge at 435-673-3617.

SUHBA's Education Committee is working hard to line up some of the best classes for this year's Southern Utah Building Industry Conference. You won't want to miss out so be sure to mark your calendars for Friday, Sept. 10, 2010.

What’s in it for you? "Sharpen Your Skills" Survival Training for Professionals

Continuing Education: Contractors get a jump and complete all your continuing education requirements in one day! Real Estate, Mortgage and Title can obtain up to 8 continuing education credits.

Timely topics include: Health Care Insurance; Economic Outlook for Utah; Social Media and Online Marketing; Deadly Mistakes Contractors Make; Green Code and Code Updates, and so much more!

Networking Opportunity: Get acquainted with your peers in the industry at breakfast, lunch, during classes, and at the popular Ultimate Home Expo. All of this is included with the conference fee!

40% Discount with Custom Fit! Washington County residents may receive 40% off the registration fee. One discount per company.

SUHBA Scholarships Available! The first 50 SUHBA member companies to register and pay for the conference will receive a $50 reimbursement check after attending the conference! This will be done on a first-come, first-serve basis. One scholarship per company. Don’t wait to register or you may miss out on this scholarship!

For more information, please contact Kathy Tolleson at (435) 674-1400 or kathy@suhba.com.

Learn how green homes provide buyers with lower energy costs and higher value. This 2-day course for building professionals, including real estate professionals, discusses strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. You will learn how green homes provide buyers lower maintenance, better indoor air quality and better long-term value.

This class is being offered on September 7 & 8, 2010, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the University Plaza at 1071 E 100 S, Blgd C, St. George.
A 50% Custom Fit Discount and SUHBA Scholarship Reimbursement is available for this course. Southwest Green Build Council members receive an additional discount. Contact Kathy Tolleson at (435) 674-1400 or Kathy@suhba.com for more information.

Become a Certified Green Professional! This course and Green Building for the Building Professional is required to apply for the Certified Green Professional designation.

Learn the management skills that give industry leaders the edge. This course will give you a solid foundation in those best business practices so valuable to smaller businesses: planning, organizing, staffing/directing and controlling. By using case studies and sample forms, your instructor gives you practical and applicable tools for management success.

This class is being offered on Thursday, September 9, 2010, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the University Plaza at 1071 E 100 S, Blgd C, St. George. A 50% Custom Fit Discount and SUHBA Scholarship Reimbursement is available for this course. Southwest Green Build Council members receive an additional discount. Contact Kathy Tolleson at (435) 674-1400 or Kathy@suhba.com for more information.

Builders who volunteer to help at the Southern Utah Boy Scouts Centennial Celebration can earn Builder Points good toward the 2012 Parade of Homes. This event will be happening on Saturday, September 18th beginning at 3:00 pm at the Washington County Fairgrounds. For more information, please contact Mari Smith at 435-674-1400.

Builders can earn Parade Points for the 2012 Parade by donating supplies or contributing labor with the upcoming addition to the Doctors Volunteer Clinic. For more information, please contact Richard Downer at 435-632-1307.

The Dept. of Energy has ordered three manufacturers to stop distributing 61 models of heat pumps and one air conditioner model that do not comply with federal energy conservation standards. On June 3, DOE ordered Aspen Manufacturing, Inc.; Summit Manufacturing; and Advanced Distributor Products to halt the distribution of the noncompliant models and to notify all previous buyers of the noncompliant models. If the companies fail to respond or to notify their customers, DOE will seek a judicial order to prevent the sale of the noncompliant models.

Under federal law, manufacturers of certain products covered by the Energy Policy and Conservation Act must certify with DOE that their models meet the applicable minimum energy conservation standards. Based on certification information submitted to DOE, the agency discovered that Aspen Manufacturing had certified 58 heat pumps models and one air conditioner model that failed to meet federal energy efficiency standards by up to 7%. DOE also found one heat pump model manufactured by Summit Manufacturing that failed the energy use standards by about 16%, as well as two heat pump models manufactured by Advanced Distributor Products that missed the standard by 1%-2%. See the DOE press release and the Web site for DOE's Appliances and Commercial Equipment Standards Program

Highly rated for its success in recognizing and offering timely topics of interest in the building industry, you will find this year’s program to be even more robust. If you want to be recognized as a leader or would like to gain marketing exposure, then please consider this as an integral part of your marketing program.

The program is built to give maximum exposure for several months at the two highest levels, as well as at specific seminars for targeting your niche market in the building industry.

Click here to read through the program brochure, then decide on your preferred sponsorship package.

Mountain Alarm wants you to be aware that summer alarm sales door knockers are in full force and are targeting residential customers. Mountain Alarm wants you to be protected and they suggest that you ask:

About local service information after they leave for the summer.
Solicitor's permit and State of Utah Alarm Agent license.
Mountain Alarm offers the same or better technology than they are offering you.

These door knockers are not GE Security employees. Before you consider purchasing an alarm system from a door to door salesman please consider using of of SUHBA's reputable members.

Town & Country Bank ended its quarter ending May 18^th ahead of growth projections. The 27 month old bank reports it has increased assets to 63.1 million, or 5 percent ahead of plan. ...More

Top Realtors fro ERA Brokers Consolidated have been recognized for their outstanding sales performance during May 2010. With the ever changing market conditions, these Agents have proven that the combination of putting the needs of the client foremost in the transaction and being knowledgeable about the market, are the keys to creating a positive Real Estate experience. ...More

In 2009, EPA announced that 1 million ENERGY STAR qualified homes have been built in the United States, a significant milestone since the program began offering the label for homes in 1995. More than 100,000 new homes were constructed to meet ENERGY STAR guidelines in 2009. Learn what's different about valuing homes that have earned the ENERGY STAR label, and hear from three different appraisers as they explain how they've been able to appraise ENERGY STAR homes in their local markets. ...More

This fall, the Energy Star program will increase the minimum Energy Factor (EF) for gas storage water heaters from 0.62 to 0.67. The increase in criteria, which will go into effect on September 1, will bring additional 0.67 EF models to the marketplace, offering homeowners even greater water heating efficiency.

“Energy Star seeks to keep its product criteria relevant by keeping pace with changing technologies in the marketplace,” says Steve Ryan, with the Energy Star program at the Environmental Protection Agency. “In a recent poll, 77% of people are aware of the Energy Star label and see the value in it. We work to keep the brand meaningful by making sure it continues to indicate cost effective savings with no loss of amenity. Storage water heaters are becoming more efficient, and this change recognizes that fact.” ...More

ETIQUETTE. The word may bring to mind images of the Victorian Era. But fast-forward into contemporary times, and you’ll find that basic etiquette helps you project a positive image to clients and peers. “The skills required to project a relaxed and competent image now receive attention from all types of professionals, including small business owners who want to successfully present themselves with style and aplomb,” explains Jane Wilger, president of Wilger Image Development in Minneapolis. Wilger provides common sense guidelines for situations business people frequently experience -- dressing for success, body language, business meals, introductions, and even using cell phones. Here she shares a few of her favorite tips on modern day manners. ...More