the man in mirror - microsoft · november 2011 • 1 the man in mirror taze murphy reflects on his...

November 2011 • www.westfloridabuilders.com 1

The ManIn MirrorTaze Murphy Reflects On His Family, Business & Beating Cancer

Home Builders Association of West Florida • November 20112 Home Builders Association of West Florida2

November 2011 • www.westfloridabuilders.com 3www.westfloridabuilders.com 3

2011 Leadership

Board

2011 Home Builders Association of West Florida

Board of Directors

Builder MembersPam Caddell, Gulf+Atlantic ConstructorsMiller Caldwell, III, CCG Design Builders

Jeff Godfrey, Paragon Custom HomesDarrell Gooden, Gooden Homes

Robert Harris, Adams HomesDoug Henry, Thomas Home Corporation

Doug Herrick, Coastal ICF Concrete Wall SystemsShelby Johnson, Johnson Construction Co.

of PensacolaRon Mangum, Residential Renovation Company

Scott McCartney, 1st Choice Home ImprovementsBryan Moore, BRM Residential Homes

Jennifer Rigby, Gleaton & DeMaria Commercial Development

Kevin Russell, Russell Home BuildersSteve Sessions, Sessions Contractors Group

Keith Smith, Keith Smith ConstructionTodd Stafford, Heaton Brothers Construction

Ron Tuttle, Bennat, Inc.Chris Vail, Urban Infill Corporation

Thomas Westerheim, Westerheim Properties

Associate MembersAngela Carter, Gulf Power Company

Bret Cornett, ProBuildRick Endsley, Builders Specialty SupplyJill Grove, Energy Services of PensacolaJohn Hattaway, Hattaway Home Design Tom Hammond, Hammond Engineering

Ron Harper, GCS Building SolutionsTowana Henry, Surety Land Title

Blake Jochum, All Pro SoundPat Kozma, Jenkins Brick & Tile Company, LLC

William Merrill, Merrill, Parker, ShawChristopher Moorhead, Coastal Bank & Trust

Bernie Mostoller, The Mostoller GroupRic Nickelsen, Whitney National Bank

David Redmond, PrimeLendingGary Sluder, Gene’s Floor Covering

Doug Whitfield, Doug Whitfield Residential DesignerJayer Williamson, Williamson Electrical Company

Brent Woody, Advanced Roofing and Waterproofing

John Carrell, Gulf Power Co., Remodelors Council ChairAngie Cooper, Gulf Power Co., Auxiliary Council ChairJim Harris, Coastal Bank and Trust, Membership ChairNatasha Reynolds, ESP, Green Building Council ChairNewman Rodgers, Custom Builders Council Chair

Ex-Officio Members:Keith Furrow, Pensacola Association of Realtors

Billy MooreImmediate Past President

Southern Home & Construction

Eric WittTreasurer

Kenneth E, Witt Carpentry

Luke Shows1st Vice President

Shows Construction

Judy GundFinancial Officer

Saltmarsh, Cleaveland & Gund

Steve Geci2nd Vice President

Geci & Associates Engineers

Newman RodgersSecretary

Newman Rodgers Construction

Rod Hurston3rd Vice President

Fisher-Brown Insurance

Stephen MoorheadLegal Counsel

McDonald, Fleming, Moorhead

CornerstoneThe official magazine of the

Home Builders Association of West Florida

4400 Bayou Blvd., Suite 45, Pensacola, Florida 32503

(850) 476-0318www.westfloridabuilders.com

Cornerstone is published for the Home Builders Association of West Florida by Nicholson Publishing and distributed to its members. Reproduction in whole or part is prohibited without written authorization. Articles in Cornerstone do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the HBA of West Florida. Articles are accepted from various individuals in the industry to provide a forum for our readers.

Tina MonieImmediate 2nd Vice President

KJM Surveying

Russ ParrisPresident

Frameworks, LLC

Home Builders Association of West Florida • November 20114

Cornerstone, the monthly publication of the Home Builders Association of West Florida serving Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, is published monthly, twelve (12x) per year. Send address changes to HBA of West Florida, 4400 Bayou Boulevard, Suite 45, Pensacola, Florida 32503-1910. Cornerstone, is published in the interests of all segments of the home building industry and is distributed to its members and others associated with the HBA of West Florida. HBA of West Florida and Richard K. Nicholson Pub., Inc. does not accept responsibility for, or endorse any statement or claims made by advertisers or authors of any articles. Every effort has been made to assure accuracy of information, but authenticity cannot be guaranteed. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the written consent of Home Builders Association of West Florida, Copyright ©, 4400 Bayou Boulevard, Suite 45, Pensacola, Florida 32503-1910, 850.476.0318. Advertisers and advertorials in Cornerstone do not constitute an offer for sale in states where prohibited by law.

In ThisIssue

Cover Story“The Man in Mirror” Taze Murphy Reflects On His Family, Business, & Beating Cancer .................................................. 6

CORNERSTONE COLUMNS

President’s Message: Middle Class Would Suffer With Mortgage Interest Deduction Rates ........................................... 5

FEATURED STORY

NAHB News ............................................................................................. 8

Gaining Fair Green Home Appraisals Sees Major Headwayin New Appraisal Form ........................................................................ 13

NAHB News: Small Builders May be Eligible for Small Business Health Care Tax Credit .......................................................... 14

“New EPA Paint Chip Guide “Essential” for Determing if Lead is in Homes ........................................................... 16

ASSOCIATION NEWS

2011 HBA of West Florida Leadership .................................................... 3

HBA Calendar of Events .......................................................................... 5

HBA General Membership Meeting: October General Membership Meeting, Auction Held at Gene’s Floor Coverings .............................. 8, 9

HBA Council News: Thanks to Our Sponsor Gene’s Flooring ............ 10

HBA Remodelers Council News: Oldest HBA Council & Only NAHB Chapter ......................................................................... 11

HBA Custom & Green Building Councils: Hold Joint Membership Meeting, Sponsored by Terry Dittenber of STO Corporation ............... 11

HBA Membership Committee and HBA Gets a “Facelift”, Thanks to Ron Castner .......................................................................... 12

HBA News: Important Announcements: “Get Involved With Your HBA Committees!”, “Save the Date!” and “Calling All Angels” ................... 15

HBA Membership News, Welcome New Members, Thanks for Renewing, Time to Renew, & Don’t Lose Your Membership ................ 17

Spike Club Update .................................................................................. 18

DEPARTMENTS INDEX

Next Issue Deadlines ……………..............................……. 4, 10, 14 & 17

Advertisers Index, Web, & Email Addresses ………….....…………… 18

Magazine Design & Layout by warren wight creative services

www.ww-cs.com

Cornerstone

David Peaden IIExecutive Director

[email protected]

Alecia OvermanAccounting [email protected]

Amy LordMembership/Marketing Director

[email protected]

Next Issue: December 2011Edit: November 4, 2011

Space: November 15, 2011Materials: November 21, 2011


President’sMessage

Russ Parris

Middle Class Would Suffer With Mortgage Interest

Deduction Changes

Mark Your Calendar!

Auxiliary CouncilMeet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Custom Builders CouncilMeet Quarterly starting in January.

Green Building CouncilMeet on the last Wednesday of each month.

Membership CommitteeMeet on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

Remodelor’s CouncilMeet on the 1st Thursday of each month.

Board of DirectorsMeet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

November 15 General Membership Meeting at Sandy Sansing Chevrolet

November 17 HBA Fall Golf Classic at Stonebrook

December 13 Auxiliary Council Ornament Exchange and Luncheon

December 15 Installation Banquet at New World Landing

Interested in sponsoring a General Membership Meeting?Contact Amy Lord at 850-476-0318 for more information!

For further event details, please visit our website:

www.westfloridabuilders.com Please note that dates and locations are subject to change.

Owning a home for most Americans is not only a place to raise a family and build a sense of stability and pride, it is also their single best long-term in-vestment and a primary source of wealth and financial security. As the foundation of the American dream, homeownership has long been a milestone that middle-class families strive to achieve and maintain. For more than a century, Americans have counted on their homes for their children’s education, for their retirement, and for their financial security. Accord-ing to the 2007 Federal Reserve Survey of Consumer Finances, the median net worth of a home owner is $234,600, compared to $5,100 for renters. But as policymakers seeking to reduce the federal deficit consider eliminating or decreasing the mortgage interest deduc-tion, it is younger, middle-class families who would see their longer term financial prospects significantly and negatively affected. Tam-pering with the mortgage interest deduction would place more downward pressure on home prices, which would cause more home owners to have mortgage balances that are higher than their homes are worth, spur more foreclosures,

and act as a further drag on the housing and economic recovery. Millions of existing home owners who are struggling to make ends meet, but still manage to stay current with their mort-gage payments, would face a big tax increase they cannot afford. And claims that the deduction benefits only wealthy taxpayers and that only a small number of home owners utilize the de-duction are misleading. In reality, 70 percent of homeownership tax benefits go to middle-class home owners who earn less than $200,000. And out of 75 million home owners, 35 million claimed the mortgage interest deduction in

2009. This doesn’t even take into ac-count the millions of taxpayers who are renters and one day aspire to own a home of their own,

and the roughly 25 million who now own their homes free and clear, but used the deduction in the past. Policymakers looking to create jobs and boost economic growth need look no fur-ther than housing. According to data recently shared by economic experts at the National Association of Home Builders in testimony to Congress, building 100 single-family homes creates more than 300 full-time jobs. Learn more about the threat to the mortgage interest tax deduction and find out how you can take action to protect it at www.SaveMyMortgageInterestDeduction.com.

“Policymakers looking to create

jobs and boost economic growth

need look no further than housing.”

Congratulations to

Jack McCombs for his induction into the

Florida Housing Hall of Fame. The December issue will

recognize Jack and his service to the home building industry.


CoverStory

The Man In MirrorTaze Murphy Reflects On His Family,

Business and Beating Cancer

By Katy Ferguson

There’s an old saying that states that the course of life is unpredictable... no one can write his autobiography in advance. This rings true for longtime Home Builders Association Member Taze Murphy, owner of Southern Mirror Company, who has seen his share of unpredictable life changes over the past few years to last a lifetime. In December 2009, Murphy lost his father, who he describes as his best friend, to lung cancer. Not fully emotionally strong after the pain of losing a loved one, Murphy was diagnosed with kidney cancer in May of 2010. “When the doctor told me, all I heard was cancer, and immediately my thoughts went to remembering the suffering my dad went through at the end of his life,” said Murphy. “Needless to say, this diagnosis was a life changing moment for me. I was in the hospital three times over the last half of 2010. As with many cancers, the first year is a real danger zone to make it through. During this long year, I found it very difficult to focus on my business as the thoughts of how my wife, Yvonne, and three children, Chase (10), Pryce (8) and Allie Marie (6) would carry on if God had deter-mined that my time was up on this earth.” Illnesses or other life changing events never come at the best time in one’s life. Dur-ing his illness, the home building industry was already in a three year slump and business was hard to come by. Murphy worked to keep the business running with the help of Yvonne and dedicated employees. “In some respects, I did not want my customers to know what I was going through,” said Murphy. “My fear was that my custom-ers would think that they would be helping me by not ordering products and services because they knew that I had a lot on my plate. In reality, I needed my customers, like any other business, to keep going.” When the economic slump began affecting his business he wondered, “Is it just me?” But the depression was slowing down other businesses as well. “When you have a business, it takes a lot to keep it going,” said Murphy. “But in this economy, you somewhat lose the ability to evaluate exactly how you’re doing. The doors are open, you’re moving forward, and some weeks you’re up and other weeks you’re down.

In the past few years he has watched as businesses have merged together, downsized and even disappeared. Be-fore, Murphy struggled to keep up with demands of his business; he had difficulty finding well qualified people to work with him. “Looking back, I know we had challenges before the depression, but they were good challenges. I would love to go back to that again!” Just when things couldn’t get any worse, in September 2010, Murphy was diagnosed with Adrenal cancer, which is a very rare cancer, just four short months from his prior bout with cancer. He beat the kidney cancer the first time, and he would do everything in his power to beat it again. As Murphy faced this new obstacle, the economic conditions didn’t seem as daunting. “I realized that just waking up and being able to get out of bed is a blessing,” said Murphy. "We work in very dif-ficult industry and environment. You might feel you are alone, but many are facing the same challenges every single day.” Murphy is now cancer free and has a new perspective on life. He sets his priorities and constantly evaluates where he’s heading in terms of his family and business. He appreci-ates the health and life that he has been given. He says that most of all, appreciate that if you have your health, you can and will fight another day. Working on various jobs, Murphy is enjoying getting back to the basics of helping clients achieve their goals. He recently com-pleted a project for Russ Parris of Frameworks, LLC at the home of Bobby Likis, of Car Clinic fame. “Taze was absolute great to work with for my master bathroom,” said Likis. “He was able to take the vision that I

had, and turn it into a reality.” Likis continued, “There are so many details that go into a re-modeling project, and Taze was right there with my wife and I every step of the way.” Parris echoes Likis’ comments, “I’ve known Taze for a long time and he’s one of the best in our industry,” said Parris. “To know what he’s been through and the demands that have been placed on him, his wife, and family, it’s just unbelievable. I can tell that Taze is re-juvenated and looks at everyday as a blessing.” Through it all, Murphy wants to convey to the Home Builders Association members that in this home building industry, everyone is facing the same battles in making ends meet. Murphy said, “Take solace that if your business has survived to this point, maybe time is on our side.” He says to remain focused, positive and enjoy the opportunity we have to enjoy our families and work. “We must constantly be evaluating our priorities with business and family,” says Murphy. “As a small business owner, these two will often collide. How we manage it makes all the difference.”

Homeowner Bobby Likis discusses the newly renovated master bathroom that Taze Murphy brought to fruition.


FeatureStory

House Price Estimator Shows Value of Physical Features, Neighborhood

Characteristics A newly updated econom-ic model developed by NAHB enables builders, developers, prospective home buyers and home owners to see the impact that various physical features and neighborhood characteris-tics might have on the price of a home. Looking broadly at the four principal Census regions of the country and the urban status of areas — central city, suburb or non-metro — NAHB’s online house price estimator finds a general tendency for house prices to be higher in the Northeast and West, as well as in central cities and suburbs. The price tends to be lowest for homes built outside of a metro area, although some regional variation exists regard-less of urban status. The model estimates that the standard new home will cost more than $500,000 if it’s built in a suburb of one of the large metro areas in California, but only about $155,000 if it is located outside of a metropolitan area in the Midwest Census region. The standard new single-family detached home is definied by these features, which are based primarily on averages or medians from the Census Bureau’s Survey of Construction: •2,150squarefeetoflivingspace •Twofullbathroomsandonehalfbath •Threebedrooms •Constructiononaslabfoundation •Agarage,foundin70%ofthesingle- family homes built since the mid-1980s •Centralairconditioning,foundin90% of single-family homes •Afireplace,whichwasinmorethan

50%ofthehomessince1974upuntil 2010, when homes with a fireplace were slightlybelow50%

•Aseparatediningroom,whichthe2009 American Housing Survey found in 2.2 million out of 3.8 million new owner- occupied housing units

•Threemiscellaneousrooms •Satisfactoryshopping(groceryordrug

stores) within 15 minutes of the community or neighborhood, which the AHS

found reported by 3.4 million out of 3.8 million—ornearly90%—ofnew home owners

In general, the estimator finds that suburbs show higher prices than their com-panion central cities, which include the areas inside the city limits and not just a central busi-ness district or downtown area. “Because the model uses data from the American Housing Survey (AHS), which contains somewhat limited geographical detail, the results show averages across a broad region rather than estimates for a particular house in a specific location,” said Paul Emrath, NAHB’s vice president for survey and housing policy research. The price estimator, which can be accessed on computers with Microsoft Excel, can be useful in a variety of settings, he said. “Home builders might use the estimator to help determine if the cost of providing a particular amenity will be valued by consumers,” said Emrath. Households considering purchasing a new home “can use it as a preliminary search tool, to get a rough idea of likely price differ-ences for different sizes and amenity pack-ages,” he said. Existing home owners can use it for an idea of how much it would cost to trade up to a home that is newer, larger or with more amenities. Home owners can also use it to ap-proximate how much particular remodeling jobs would add to the value of their homes, he said, which is also useful information that remodelers can provide to their prospective customers. And developers can use the estima-tor to help price neighborhood characteristics, which can help them evaluate the desirability of potential building sites. For example, the estimator shows that a location on a body of water — such as a lake, a river or the ocean — is the neighborhood amenity with the largest positive impact on the price of a home. Moving the standard Southern suburban new home to an otherwise similar neighborhood on the waterfront increases its estimated price by nearly $90,000.Proximity to adequate public transportation comes in a distant second, raising the estimated price by about $26,000. Other neighborhood features, the

model finds, can reduce the price of the home.The presence of an abandoned building within half a block, for instance, reduces the estimated price of the standard new home in a Southern suburb by about $28,000. Bad roads, odors, lack of adequate shopping, buildings with metal bars on their windows and litter each reduced the estimated price by more than $6,000. "This information," Emrath said, "can help community associations and local governments estimate how certain public poli-cies — such as providing public transportation or finding uses for abandoned buildings — are likely to affect home values in their neighbor-hoods." Looking at the physical features of the home, the model shows that with no modification, the estimated average price of the standard new home in a Southern subur-ban is $203,874. Adding 500 square feet of living space with no other changes increases the estimated price of that home by roughly $13,000. Adding another bedroom or miscel-laneous room increases the estimated price by less than $10,000, and the addition of other types of rooms has more impact. The greatest impact on the home’s value comes from adding a third full bathroom, which increases the esti-mated price by about $43,000. Eliminating the fireplace reduces the estimated price by about $24,000. The Single-Family Detached House Price Estimator can be found on NAHB’s web-site at: www.nahb.org/housepriceestimator. To run the estimator, Microsoft Ex-cel’s security setting must be adjusted to allow macros to run. For those who encounter trouble getting the estimator to run initially, NAHB suggests that they try accessing it from a differ-ent computer with a different browser. To read a special study from NAHB Housing Economics — “NAHB House Price Estimator Updated” — go to: www.nahb.org/updatedestimator. For more information, email Paul Emrath, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8449.


HBA CouncilNews

October General Membership MeetingAnnual Auxiliary Council Auction at

Gene’s Floor Covering

The October General Membership Meeting was held on Tuesday, October 18th at Gene’s Floor Covering. Over 100 guests attended and enjoyed the Sluder Family cooking. Over 50 items were up for the high-est bidder in the Annual Auxiliary Council Silent Auction. In addition, live auction items included a Wind Creek Casino Package from Sherry Toler and Cort Furniture. A three night stay at Henderson Park Inn in Destin from Mi-chelle Bean and Home Team Pest Defense. A two night Destin stay compliments of Towana Henry and Keller Williams Realty. A gas tankless water heater from Janice Terrell and ESP, and a heat pump water heater donated by Angie Cooper and Gulf Power. Thanks to our fantastic auctioneer, Marty Stanovich, and the Auxiliary ladies the entire auction was a huge success! The proceeds from the event enable the Auxiliary to support various causes in our local community throughout the year including; Lakeview Group Foster Homes, Gulf Coast Kids House, and Workman Middle School.

The HBA Women’s Auxiliary Council would like to thank all of those that participated in their annual Auction and Angel Tree. Without your support this event would not be possible.

Raffle Winner Mario Routh of Adams Homes. Spend it wisely Mario!

October GMM Auction

Walter Pierce of Resort Realty; Pam Henry of Beach Title; Betty Berling and Cindy Sluder of Gene’s Floor Covering


HBA CouncilNews

Above: October GMM Auxiliary Ladies Janice Terrell of ESP; Linda Salter of Surety Land Title; Debbie Sanspree of Keller Williams Realty; Brenda Caulkins of Surety Land Title; and Auxiliary Council Chair Angie Cooper of Gulf Power. Great Job!

Keith Swilley of Gulf Power with Eric Gleaton of Gleaton DeMaria Commercial Development

Lizzy Molchan (8) is excited about her basket full of candy that had the winning bid for the silent auction. Word has it that her father, John, wants her to share with him!

Adams Homes. From left, Herman Williams, HBA Board member Robert Harris, and Mario Routh enjoy the festivities.

Right: HBA Board member Bryan Moore of BRM Residential Homes with Mike Heller of Gulf Coast Community Bank.


HBA CouncilNews

Special thanks to the Sluder Family for their hard work on the membership

meeting. They spent the entire day cooking and preparing for the evening.

We certainly do appreciate their efforts!

Special thanks to James Labbie and the team of professionals at Florida Insurance Agency who put on a spectacular mem-bership meeting in September that in-cluded, great food, drinks, live entertain-ment, and door prizes. If your business is interested in hosting an HBA GMM please contact Amy Lord at 476-0318.

To advertise, call Richard Nicholson

[email protected]

NEXT CORNERSTONE

ISSUE: December

2011

Interested in Sponsoring a General Membership

Meeting?

Help support our organizationand get great

exposure for business!

Contact Amy Lord at 850-476-0318 for more info!

from left: Kevin, Gary, Cindy and Kyle Sluder


The Remodelor’s Council is the oldest HBA council and is the only council with an NAHB chapter. When HBA Executive Officer David Peaden was forced to look at ending the HBA chapter due to low participation, he put a call out to our members and received an overwhelming response. Fifteen members showed up to voice their con-cerns about the ending of the council and their ideas to revive it. We are excited to say that there are great things to come out of this council in 2012!

From left to right, “Little” Benny Baxley of McCombs Electric; HBA 1991 Past Presi-dent John Harold of JM Harold Construc-tion; Amy Schnupp, of KW Cowles; Heather

DeLorme and Tanya Underwood of Emerald Coast Granite; Kevin Trusler of Emerald Coast Builders; Florida Housing Hall of Famer Jack McCombs of McCombs Electric; Austin Tenpenny of Rebuild NWFL; HBA President Russ Parris of Frameworks, LLC; William Mer-rill of Rebuild NWFL; Lisa Parris of Frameworks; Ron Castner of Castner Construction; Beth Shoe-maker of Advanced Insulation; Larry Hunter of ESP; and Tabitha Comis of Castner Construction.

September Custom Builders Council and Green Building Council Meeting Held Jointly In September the Green Building Council and Custom Build-ers Council held a joint meeting sponsored by Terry Dittenber with Sto Corp. The topic of the meeting was fluid applied air and moisture barriers; their benefits and cost and code requirements. Attendees received one hour of continuing education credit from AIA, lunch, and a great presentation. For information on joining the Green Building Council or Custom Builders’ Council please contact Amy Lord at 476-0318 or [email protected]

Sitting L to r: Duane Nise-wonger of Gateway Lighting; Jeff Hatch of Gulf Power; Natasha Reynolds of ESP; John Hattaway of Hattaway Home Design; Standing L to R: David Weekly and Scott Wagner of Emerald Coast Building Materials; Terry Dittenber of Sto Corp; Doug Whitfield of Doug Whitfield Residential Designer; Newman Rodgers of Newman Rodgers Construction; Keith Swilley of Gulf Power; Shelby Johnson of Johnson Construction; Larry Hunter of ESP; Jim Bozeman of Today’s Homes.

HBA CouncilNews


HBANews

Membership Committee

The HBA membership committee under the direction of Chair Jim Harris of Coastal Bank and Trust, is a vital resource for the HBA in retaining membership. The committee meets monthly to plan ways to increase and retain membership. The members also make phone calls to HBA members that are soon to renew to receive feedback on their HBA membership. If you are interested in joining the membership committee please contact Amy Lord at 476-0318 or [email protected].

Johnny Fayard of the Pensacola News Journal; Bill Daniel, of Mobile Lumber; and Membership Chair Jim Harris of Coastal Bank and Trust.

HBA Gets a FaceliftIf you visited the HBA office during October, you probably noticed some construction work. Castner Construction replaced rotten wood and gave the outside of the building a facelift. The job could not be complete without assistance and supervision from the top dog of Castner

Construction. No, not Ron Castner! His beloved dog, Sergeant Duke (above) to help with the project. Ser-geant Duke is an official mascot of the United States Marine Corps.


FeatureStory

Gaining Fair Green Home Appraisals Sees Major Headway

in New Appraisal Form

Representing major head-way in gaining fair appraisals for green homes, the Appraisal Institute has introduced a new form to help analyze values of energy-efficient home features. The first of its kind, the three-page Residential Green and Energy Efficient Ap-praisal Addendum is intended to be used by appraisers and is designed to be attached as an optional addendum to Fannie Mae Form 1004, the appraisal industry’s most widely used form for lending purposes. “This addendum is another example of how the Appraisal Institute is at the forefront of real estate valua-tion,” said Appraisal Institute President Joseph C. Magdz-iarz. “It will help the industry standardize the way residential energy-efficient fea-tures are analyzed and reported.” NAHB has long advocated a better system for taking into account green home features during the home appraisal pro-cess. Historically, there has not been a con-sistent process in place for the lending commu-nity to differentiate between homes that feature energy- and water-saving techniques, greater durability and other green aspects from homes that do not. These features contribute to the value of a home because they can dramatically reduce monthly utility costs, which represent a significant expense for home owners. The new addendum was designed to enable appraisers to better identify and classify green features, with a goal of establishing the most accurate assess-ment of the value of the homes that have them. Over time and as it becomes broadly used, the addendum is also expected to help establish the incremental value of specific features on a comparative basis. “We hope this new form will be a

big step toward establishing more accurate home valuations that recognize all of the key features of a home,” said Kevin Morrow, senior program manager of green building programs at NAHB. “Green homes can offer significant cost savings to home owners over a comparable home built to code, so we are pleased that this new form will finally provide a vehicle to demonstrate some of these key differentiators,” he said.

The form allows users to report on energy-efficient items such as windows, ap-pliances and insulation; to list any applicable energy ratings; and to note the home’s average utility costs — demonstrating any savings to the home owner. Green features are also among the items included in the new form, most notably, in a section that allows users to indicate if the home has been certified to the National Green Building Standard. Solar panels and site details such as house orientation and landscaping are also evaluated, in addition to the property’s walk-ability and proximity to public transportation. The form also provides space to in-dicate if the home has qualified for any federal, state or local incentives. “We are thrilled that certification to the National Green Building Standard is finally getting the recognition it deserves in the ap-

praisal process,” said Michael Luzier, president of the NAHB Research Center. “For a long time we’ve known that our third-party green certification conveys tangible, financial benefits to a home and its occupants,” Luzier said. “Specifically referenc-ing this type of national certification in the valuation process finally provides a way for ap-praisers to recognize and benchmark that value. “We also appreciate the fact that en-ergy efficiency upgrades and certifications are

captured separately from whole-house green certifications. Energy efficiency is only one portion of the green equation, so to get the true value of a green home ne-cessitates it being appraised beyond just its energy attributes.” Home own-ers, sellers, buyers, refinancers and realty agents don't have to wait for an appraiser to use the new form. They can download it at no cost and ask that it be made part of the appraisal submitted to the lender. This will also help ensure that the appraiser uses the

best and most accurate comps available that include similar green features. “We hope lenders, home builders, real estate agents and home owners will take advantage of this new tool,” Magdziarz said. “Mortgage lenders who want to see energy features analyzed should request the green ad-dendum to be included with Form 1004. “We also encourage lenders to provide the green addendum to home owners so they can fill it out and provide it to their appraiser. “If a new home is being appraised, home builders can use the addendum to provide data to appraisers. Real estate agents also can use the data to help populate the MLS.” NAHB is currently evaluating the form for improvements and fine-tuning that may increase its usefulness for association members. For more information, email Kevin Morrow, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8375.


NAHBNews


[email protected]

Small Builders May Be Eligible for Small Business

Health Care Tax Credit Small businesses and tax-exempt organizations that primarily employ 25 or fewer workers with an average income of $50,000 or less may be able to claim the small business health care tax credit. To be eligible for the credit, employ-ers must pay at least half of the premiums for the health care insurance of their employees under a “qualifying arrangement.” In Special Edition Tax Tip 2011-06, which was issued by the Internal Revenue Service on Sept. 30, the agency lays out several ways in which eligible small businesses can still use the credit for tax year 2010. For instance, small businesses that have already filed for that year but later deter-mine that they are eligible for the credit can file

an amended 2010 tax return. Small employers can claim the credit for 2010 through 2013 and for two additional years beginning in 2014. For tax years 2010 to 2013, the maximum credit for eligible small business employersis35%ofthepremiumspaid.Foreligible tax-exempt employers, the maximum is 25%ofthepremiums. Beginning in 2014, the maximum tax creditwillgoupto50%ofpremiumspaidbyeligiblesmallbusinessemployersand35%fortax-exempt organizations. Additional information on the eligi-bility requirements and calculating the credit can be found on the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit for Small Employers page at IRS.gov. For further information, email Rob Dietz at NAHB, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8285.

NEXT CORNERSTONE

ISSUE: December 2011

To be eligible for the credit, employers must

pay at least half of the premiums for the health care insurance

of their employees under a “qualifying

arrangement.”


HBANews

For future upcoming events, please call the HBA office at

850.476.0318 and view the calendar on

page 5.

Thank You!

Auxiliary Council - Meet on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.

Custom Builders Council - Meet Quarterly starting in January.

Green Building Council - Meet on the last Wednesday of each month.

Membership Committee - Meet on the 2nd Thursday of each month.

Remodelor’s Council - Meet on the 1st Thursday of each month.

Board of Directors - Meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month.

Get Involved in HBA Councils & Committees!


FeatureStory

New EPA Paint Chip Guide 'Essential' for Determing

If Lead Is in Homes In the absence of an inex-pensive, reliable lead paint test kit, the Environmental Protection Agency is allowing remodelers to send paint chips to certified testing labs to determine whether lead-safe work practices are necessary in the client’s home or any other residential building in accordance with the Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting (LRRP) rule. A detailed description of how to properly take a paint chip sample is provided in the EPA’s new "Paint Chip Sample Collection Guide." Without the paint chip test or a nega-tive result from a test kit, in homes built before 1978 the remodeler must assume that lead paint is present and work accordingly. “EPA-certified renovators who choose to take paint chip samples to determine if lead-based paint is present in a work area will find this guide essential,” said NAHB environmental policy analyst Matt Watkins. The EPA has listed all its recent amendments to the LRRP regulation that are now in effect. In addition to allowing the contractor to collect paint samples, the agency has: •Published"StepstoLeadSafeRenova-

tion, Repair and Painting." While the document discusses working in a home using lead-safe work practices, it does not give the remodeler the information needed for proper recordkeeping.

•Afewsuggestionsonrecordkeepingcanbe found in the "Small Business Compli-ance Guide to Renovate Right."

•Madeadditionaleditstothe"RenovateRight" brochure, which EPA-certified renovators are required to give to custom-ers no more than 60 days and at least seven days before the actual remodeling work begins.

•Arevisiononpage10discusseslead-

dust testing. If remodelers insert that page into copies of the earlier brochure, they are still considered to be compliant with the pre-renovation education provision of the RRP.

•Madechangestoverticalcontainmentrequirements. For exterior renovations within 10 feet of the property line, the EPA is requiring vertical containment, but has given remodelers the flexibility “to design effective containment systems based on the renovation activity and the work site.”

•Forbothexteriorandinteriorwork,the

impervious sheeting on the ground/floor is now required to extend to the “edge of the vertical barrier.”

•ChangeditsrequirementsforHEPAvac-

uums, allowing the use of those purchased to meet 2008 requirements. The EPA’s revised language requires that “HEPA vacuums must be operated and maintained in accordance with manufacturer’s instruc-tions.”

•Relatedtosurfacecoating,theEPAhasrefined its definition of “painted surface” to include varnishes and other coatings; however, it does not include enameled surfaces like bathtubs or sinks.

For more information, questions visit the NAHB LRRP Web pages; or email Matt Watkins, or call him at 800-368-5242 x8327.


Builder & Developer MembersAcorn Construction, Inc.

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D. R. Horton, Inc.

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Kenneth E. Witt Carpentry, Inc.

Mack Custom Homes, LLC

Residential Renovation Co., Inc.

Southern Home & Construction, Inc.

Westerheim Properties, Inc.

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Emerald Coast Building Materials

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Regions Mortgage / Regions Bank

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Triune Homes Corporation

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Builder & Developer MembersPatterson Structural Moving & Shoring

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Tonya Patterson

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New Orleans, LA 70128

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Advertiser’sIndex Alpha Closets and Company 2

[email protected] www.AlphaCloset.com

Anchor Pest Control 19850.435.7696dana@anchorpestcontrol.comwww.AnchorPestControl.com

Bonded Builders Home Warranty 12800.749.0381, ext.800www.bondedbuilders.com

Energy Services of Pensacola 19850.436.5050www.espnnaturalgas.com

FHBI 14888.513.1222www.fhbi.com

Gulf Power Back Cover850.505.5338www.GulfPower.com

Norbord/Solarbord 2www.SolarbordOSB.com

warren wight creative services [email protected]

Advertiser’s IndexOliver Gore 111.5William “Billy” Moore 102

Green Spike 50 CreditsRicky Wiggins 90 Doug Sprague 79.5John Harold 76Ron Tuttle 76David Holcomb 71.5Kenneth Ellzey, Sr. 60.5 Wayne Underwood 58.5Millie Carpenter 56.5Chris Pate 55.5Kevin L. Ward 55.5 Paul Stanley 54Tina Monie 50

Life Spike 25 CreditsWest Calhoun 48.5Bob Price, Jr. 48.5Wilma Shortall 43.5Eddie Zarahn 38Thomas Westerheim 37Darrell Gooden 35Garrett Walton 28.5Russ Parris 26

Blue Spike 6 CreditsJames Dillaha 21.5Doug Herrick 18.5John Hattaway 18.5Ed Wonders 18 Newman Rodgers IV 18Keith Swilley 17.5Jim Harris 17Doug Whitfield 16 Steve Moorehead 15Todd Stafford 14 Michelle Bean 12Dean Williams 10.5Towana (Rudd) Henry 10 Brent Woody 8 Beth Shoemaker 7Bernie Mostoller 7Bret Cornett 7

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In construction, a spike is a steel object that is essen-tial to making a building strong. As in construction, the HBA of West Florida sees a Spike as someone that works to keep our association strong. Spikes work on the recruitment and retention of members in addition to keeping members active with the association. Anyone is eligible for Spike status. On Spike credit is awarded for each new member recruited and an additional credit is awarded for that new member’s renewal on or before their anniversary date. If you help to retain a member, you are eligible to receive a half point for each member.

Spike Club LevelsSpike Candidate 1-5 creditsBlue Spike 6-24Life Spike 25-49Green Spike 50-99Red Spike 100-149Royal Spike 150-249Super Spike 250-499Statesman Spike 500-999Grand Spike 1000-1499All-Time Big Spike 1500+

Spike Club Members and their credits as of 10/01/2011

Super Spike 250 CreditsHarold Logan 499.5Rod Hurston 400.5Jack McCombs 272.5

Royal Spike 150 CreditsMike Blanton 203.5Ron Anderson 198.5Edwin Henry 193Rick Sprague 188Carlton Bowers 160.5Bob Boccanfuso 159Betty Evans 153.5

Red Spike 100 CreditsThomas Kennedy 145Collier Merrill 129Alan Brock 127Lee Magaha 124.5Don Suarez 117Dan Gilmore 113.5

the man in mirror - microsoft · november 2011 • 1 the man in mirror taze murphy reflects on his...

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