TOOLBOX A Publication of the Newton County Home Builders Association

January 2009

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HBA Leadership Bob Goucher—President

Jared Rutberg—Vice President

Kim McNary—Secretary/Treasurer

Brian Burgoyne-Associate Vice President

Susan Clark—Director

Mike Dawkins—Director

Steve DuBois—Past President

Alan Freeman—Past President

Teri Harris Joiner–Director

Faith Hill–Director

Michael Penland—Director

Lewis Stephenson–Director

George Wallace—Director

Andrea Hammond-Executive Officer

"Every man owes part of his time and money

to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization

that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere."

Theodore Roosevelt

MEMBERSHIP DEFENDERS,

UNITE!

IS THERE A HERO IN YOU? With extraordinary powers and an outstanding network, there’s nothing a superhero can’t do!

Your local HBA, the Newton County Home Builders Asso-ciation is participating in a

statewide membership campaign and is offering our

current members the opportunity to earn YOUR

membership FREE OF CHARGE! If you think you

possess the super skills to ward off the evil “Vanity”

call and let us know!

RIGHT: Vanity is a wicked creature who is engaged in a never ending battle against our Membership Defenders to spread apathy and isolation throughout the membership.

Page 2

2009 Membership Meetings 1/13/09 11:30 AM WSCC

2/10/09 7:30 AM WSCC

3/10/09 11:30 AM NCL

4/14/09 11:30 AM WSCC

5/5/09 11:30 AM NCL

8/11/09 11:30 AM NCL

9/15/09 7:30 AM WSCC

10/13/09 6:00 PM Awards Banquet

11/10/09 11:30 AM NCL NCL—Newton County Library WSCC-Washington Street Community Center

Meeting Sponsors Needed

Being a Membership Meeting Sponsor is more affordable

than you think!

Call the office to find out how to be a monthly meeting sponsor!

I hope each of you had an enjoyable holiday season, that you were able to be with fam-ily and friends and that you were able to take some time to be thankful for your blessings. Even though the home building business is really slow, there are many things in all our lives for which we should give thanks. As my lovely wife often reminds me, “ If you see the glass as half full vs. half empty, life will be much more enjoyable.” I’m going to keep that saying in mind as I look for a little more water to put into the glass next year.

This past December your Board of Directors had an off-site meeting to discuss our focus for 2009. Areas of concentration for next year are:

1. Membership and our budget for 2009. An on going concern given the current state of the industry.

2. Encouraging more of our general members to become involved in the organization.

3. Initiate a public education program to:

A. Inform potential customers about the laws surrounding State Builder Licensing.

B. Inform the general public as to the purpose and direction of the Newton County Home Builders Association.

4. Revitalize the very positive working relationship we have enjoyed in the past with our local governments.

There was a consensus among the board that these were achievable a worthy goals for the upcoming year, however, we will need help from many of you if we are to really excel at meeting each goal.

Last year one of our goals was to establishing an Industry Impact Group. A grass roots effort aimed at getting everyone in the building industry involved in local government and voting for sustainable quality growth in Newton County. I would like to thank all of our members who worked so hard to accomplish this goal during the 2008 county elections. Now we must work with the new County Commission to improve on Newton County as “A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE”.

As always, we will strive to keep you apprised of where we are heading and what is im-pacting our industry. Hoping you have a Happy New Year.

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Page 3

HBA Completes First Community Service Project

On December 15th several volunteers of the HBA hosted a work day to assist a Newton County resident get his home in compliance with local code. His annual permit was denied by the county and the HBA was asked by District 2 Commissioner, Ernest Simmons, to see what we could do to keep the man in his home. The group as-sembled at 9:00 am on the job site and went to work. The project was completed by mid-afternoon and the final inspection was signed off by Otis Ellington of the county on Tuesday.

Bob Goucher (left) and Lewis Stephenson (right) confer with

county inspector, Otis Ellington to make sure their work meets code.

Mike Dawkins heads to his truck

for more tools.

LEFT: Teri Harris Joiner helped keep the job-site neat and free of debris and raked leaves.

RIGHT: Steve DuBois cuts out the new steps.

Chris with K & B Electric installs the new meter box.

VOLUNTEERS Lewis Stephenson Top Notch Homes

Bob Goucher BoMar

Mike Dawkins The Dawkins Group

Teri Harris Joiner Harris Containers

Steve DuBois DuBois Construction

Jared Rutberg JRJ Construction George Wallace Wallace Builders

Andrea Hammond Newton County HBA

THANKS to the following for their generous contributions

to this project: Socal Circle ACE

lumber The Clark Law Firm

legal services & lunch K & B Electric

electrical overhaul Newton Federal Bank monetary donation

Pinnacle Bank monetary donation

A special thanks to Michael Penland for making a “guest appearance.”

News from National... 

Page 4

Ever wonder what the money you pay to NAHB goes towards? Here are just a few things NAHB has done for their members

(YOU) the last part of 2008.

• NAHB is helping lead a coalition effort called “Fix Housing First” that is drawing lawmaker and public attention to the need for a significant addi-tional housing stimulus.

With an Internet presence at www.fixhousingfirst.com, it is generating a significant industry push to have substantial home buyer incentives included in a new economic stimulus package that will be the first order of business for the 111th Congress. • NAHB put builder concerns on buyer demand and AD&C financing issues

in the national spotlight. On the eve of a hearing on the Troubled Asset Relief Program and the related inita- tives, NAHB called on House Financial Services Committee members to “examine the need for regulators and lenders to give leeway to residential construction bor- rowers who have loans in good standing by providing flexibility on re-appraisals and forbearance on loans to give builders time to complete their projects.” • NAHB has filed an appeal with the International Code Council (ICC) ask-

ing it to set aside the vote at September’s Final Action Hearings approv-ing code changes to mandate fire sprinklers in all new one and two fam-ily homes constructed under the 2009 International Residential Code.

Citing a failure to provide a fair and open voting process at the Final Action Hear- ings, NAHB’s appeal asks the ICC to “take immediate action to eliminate the influ- ence of third-party funding in the voting process” and “undertake corrective action...by restoring the principle of balance if interest in the selection of Govern- mental Member Voting Representatives.”

Page 5

A & A Vinyl Siding

A & R Builders

Affordable Insulation and Contracting Services

American Grading and Cellular

Anderson Building Erectors

Any Volt Electric

Ashler Constructors

Atlanta Glass and Mirror

Atlas Electrical Services

BB & T

BB & T Insurance

B & D Tile

B & G Plumbing

B & S Electric

B S Concrete

BVM Construction

Bank of Monticello

Bank of North Georgia

Best Septic Tank

Bizzy Bee Exterminators

B R Lester Painting

BoMar

Bonded Builders Home Warranty

Bray Custom Builders

Brick Customs

Bridges and Son

Brown and Cox

C & T Plumbing

C-H Heating and Air

Cabinets and Countertops

Care for Your Castle

City of Covington

Clark’s Grove

Coastal Buildings

Cool Pools

Countrywide

Cowan and Cowan Appliances

Cross Construction Company

Crown Communities

CTM Cabinets

Custom Ventures

D Barr Homes

D C Carpentry

D & D Masonry

D & W Airflow

Don Almand

Dorriety Construction

Doug’s Cornice and Siding

Drywall Concepts

DuBois Construction

Earnest, Inc

Elegant Custom Homes

Ernst Concrete

Farmers and Merchants Bank

Fast Tap

FireAway

Flooring Solutions by Candace

Floors and More

Flower’s Grading & Excavating

Foskey Builders

Freeman Builders

G & R Construction

Grainger Construction

Harris Trucking

Holcombe Remodeling

Home Automation & Alarm Systems

Home Buyers Warranty

Hubert White Construction

Hudson Cabinet Company

J & J Vinyl Siding

J A Gordy Tile and Marble

J A Smith Construction

JRJ Construction

Jerry Babb Builders

Joel E Williams Law Offices

John Hamby Jr, Construction

Johnny L Capes Construction

JoJa Paint Contracting

Jose Reynaldo Gonzalez

K & B Electric

K & W Heating and Air

Kitchens Harwood Floors

Lake Arthur Investment Co.

Lance White Heating and Air

Lanier Internet Services

Little River Construction

McIntosh Commercial Bank

Matt Davis Plumbing

Matthews Heating and Air

Marc Smith Custom Builders

Maxwell Piping and Grading

Mike’s Floor Covering

Monticello Contracting

Morris|Hardwick|Schndier

Newton Electric Supply

Newton Federal Bank

Nyloboard

On-Site Lubrication

Opteum Financial Services

Passarella Construction

P D Solutions

People’s Bank

Perimeter Painting & Decorating

Pinnacle Bank

Prestige Mortgage

ProBuild

Property Engineering Services

Ragan Drywall

Randy’s Carpet Plus

RDR Enterprises

Redwood Homes

RE/MAX Agents Realty

Roger Bell Framing Contractor

Ronnie Kendall

Ronnie Moulder

Rockcastle

Residential Warranty Corp.

Richport Properties

Rodriguez Stone Mason

Scheaffer Construction Services

Schell Heating and Air

Service Master by Lovejoy

SignatureScapes

Simmons Construction Staking Services

Singleton Construction

Skyline Pest Solutions

Snapping Shoals EMC

Social Circle ACE

Southeast Stucco

Southern Comfort Mechanical

Southern Countertops

SRB Builders

Staples Insulation

STB Electric

Stock Building Supply

Stone and Fireplace of Georgia

Storefront Systems

T & J Holmes

T & J Vinyl Exteriors

T & S Concrete

Talley French and Kendall

Taylor Built Construction

Team Precision

The Dawkins Group

The Clark Law Firm

The Heritage Agency

The Potts Company

Tim Reynolds Construction

Todd Young Plumbing

Top Notch Homes

Tucco Concrete

United Bank

Vest Properties

W L Reid Construction

Whitaker Building Supply

Willis Contracting

Wisevest-Lucius Malcolm

Wizard Pest Control

Members paid between 1/1 and 12/30

THANKS FOR SUPPORTING THE HBA IN 2008...

2101 Clark Street

Covington, GA 30014

P O Box 309

Covington, GA 30015

Phone: 770-787-3763

Erica Milligan

Association Executive

Brenda Clegg

Administrative Assistant

Gretchen Pruett

President

www.embor.com

Page 6

Welcome BaBEE

Mack Branton Collins December 14, 2008

8 lbs 14 ozs 21 inches

His proud parents are Brook and Katie Collins and grandparents

are Bill and Cathy Collins of Bizzy Bee Exterminators.

EMBOR Staff Change Effective December 22nd, Erica Milligan became the

new Association Executive for EMBOR. Debbie Junkin

has accepted a position at the state (GAR) and will work

with all the local boards throughout Georgia.

Congratulations Ladies! Community Service Bowling Tournament AMF Bowling Lanes

Conyers

February 24, 2009 Breakfast—8:00 AM

Bowling—8:30 AM

Get your team registered!

THANKS BUILDING BLOCKS SPONSORS! The following businesses were Building Blocks

sponsors in 2008:

Page 7

The NAHB Spike Club is an organization composed of

all the individual members in local associations who have attained Spike status. It is a vehicle to recognize these

members for their outstanding achievements in

member recruitment and retention in their local builders association.

Roger Boyd 25.5

Ray Cheek 137

Mike Dawkins 44.5

Steve DuBois 202.5

Russell Foskey 34.5

Alan Freeman 141

Marilyn Goucher 42

Lucius Malcolm 4.5

Joan McDonald 116

John Penland 37.5

Mac Perkins 16

Jared Rutberg 5

Scott Sims 35

Roger Singleton 19.5

Cher Voyles 36.5

After nearly ten (10) years as the Association Executive (AE) for the East Metro Board of REALTORS® (EMBOR), Debbie Junkin has accepted a position at the Georgia Association of REALTORS® (GAR) as their Director of Administration. The Newton County HBA congratulates Deb on her career move and knows that she’ll do a fantastic job for all the REALTOR® boards across the state. Debbie with her husband Chip.

Erica Milligan has been named the new        Association Executive for the East Metro Board of REALTORS® after serving as their Director 

of Membership.  Erica served as the              Secretary/Treasurer of the HBA for two years and we welcome her to her new position.  

CONGRATULATIONS! 

Erica with her husband Joseph. 

Numbers provided by NAHB as of 11/30/08

Page 8

It’s Time to Remind Potential Buyers of the Many Benefits of Homeownership.

With the unprecedented pounding the housing market has taken, it’s easy to lose sight of the important fundamental about housing and homeownership that we should be sharing with the public and potential home buyers. Most important: It’s a darn good time to buy

a home. In fact, this is probably the best buyer’s market the na-tion will ever see, and it provides an extraordi-nary window of opportu-nity for home buyers. One reason it’s a good time to buy is that mort-gage interest rates are still at near-record lows. Another reason it’s a good time to buy is that inventory of new and ex-isting homes is excel-lent, and buyers will find they have many choices. Also, owners of

existing homes who are looking to trade up or relocate are ready to bargain. If there’s a silver lining to the housing downturn, it’s that homes are more affordable. With high en-ergy costs and the need to conserve resources, it’s also important to remind prospective buyers that new homes today are more energy-efficient than ever before. Through the use of new materials and construction techniques, today’s homes are built to be twice as energy-efficient as new homes a generation ago. It’s also important to remind people about the unique tax benefits that apply only to housing and help lower the cost of homeownership. Both mortgage interest and property taxes are deductible. For most households, homeownership is a primary source of net worth and an important step in accumulating personal wealth and assuring financial secu-rity. For most Americans, home equity represents the largest share of their net worth. Despite the positive financial aspects of homeownership, a home purchase cannot be valued in monetary terms only. Not only can homeownership be a stepping-stone to greater financial security, it also provides a permanent place to call home and great per-sonal satisfaction. Academic research shows that homeownership results in a wide range on social benefits, and those benefits aren't limited to individual households: Homeowner-ship strengthens communities and is truly a cornerstone of the American way of life.

Sandy Dunn, Chairman of the Board of NAHB

Page 9

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH BANKS

Many builders are facing an uphill battle to stay in business amid plummeting land values and banks looking to protect their own investments by reappraising developments and ask-ing for cash payments to make up lost equity. In such a world, with some banks coming af-ter personal guarantees signed by builders to secure loans during the housing boom, home builders need all the help they can get.

Seek out specialized attorneys with local expertise. This needs to be done before builders actually find themselves in trouble with their loans. A coordinated rescue effort can be launched if the plan is put together wisely; this includes outlining how a project can return to profitability and presenting it to the banks proactively.

Know the rules. In California, one of the nation’s hotbeds of builder bankruptcies, banks can go only after assets held in the state, or held by a bank the has branches in California. It may be wise to keep money in a number of different banks.

Keep in mind that banks are obligated to minimize damages. Builders should present banks with an alternative to selling properties at auction, such as selling the assets to a third party. If a builder can demonstrate that will mean a greater return for the bank, it may be amenable to such a deal. Nothing precludes builders from being part of that third party. If a bank declines the offer, the financial details of that offer could be used against the bank in foreclosure court.

Play defense. You could bemoan the state of the economy, blame the media for scaring away would-be buyers, and let the bank take all your assets...OR you could hire a team of specialist attorneys and fight them tooth and nail. Insist on being allowed to build out a pro-ject or pay a bank back rather than handing them the property. Take as much time in re-sponding to them as you reasonably can. The harder a builder works to stay involved, the better the chances that the builder retains its assets and property.

Don’t tip you hand. When a bank requests financial information, give them only what is requested and nothing more. It is not necessary to disclose information that is not relevant to the case at hand.

Protect yourself with a mortgage. A loan guarantor in California may not have to give the bank is own home if it has a mortgage on it. If a guarantor owns a home outright and signed personal guarantees to get bank loans, the bank may be able to take the house.

Remember, banks make mistakes too. If a builder or its attorney finds and error, it can be used in court against the bank. Was an appraisal initially inflated by a bank appraiser? Do the loan documents contain erroneous language? Did the bank appoint a receiver to the loan who has a bond amount less than the loan value? Perhaps the bank violated the loan agreement by loaning more than stipulated in the loan documents and never adjusted the wording? Any small bank error can be used to give the builder more time to work out its problems or as a bargaining chip in a settlement.

Page 10

THE BRITISH ARE COMING! Better brush up on your British accent, put on some tea, and start following Manchester United...British citizens are taking advantage of a weak U.S. dollar, falling home prices in desirable markets and comparably low closing costs to purchase housing here as either second homes, own-to-rent properties, or investments. The heightened

interest and activity (and sales) have made the U.S. the third most popular country for Britons buying international real estate, behind France and Spain.

“I have always said that the decline in the housing market is at the root of the economic downturn and our financial market stress.”

Henry Paulson, Secretary of the Treasury

Go to

www.fixhousingfirst.com and complete the online letter to your Congressmen

The HBA will host several meetings in 2009 at the Washington Street Com-munity Center.

From the Covington square: turn onto Washington Street/Hwy 81 and pro-ceed south (towards Porterdale). Go straight at the intersection of West Street (tragic light). Take the next im-mediate LEFT onto School Street and the Community Center is on the right.

Washington Street Community Center 4138 School Street

Covington, GA 30014

Page 11

In the Spotlight COOL POOLS

Cool Pools, Inc. is a family owned business that specializes in custom built in ground pools. The company builds gunite, vinyl liner, and fiberglass pools. They use the most up to date and innovative products on the market to ensure that you have an attractive and functional pool that you will enjoy year after year. They currently offer a “green pool” which consists of an energy efficient pump, heater, and a filter that conserves wa-ter. These new technologies and smarter product designs allows them to offer products that will reduce your lifetime costs. These products will save you money year after year. Many special options can also be added to the pool. These include water features, spas, pavers, lights, grills and much more. John Koutsantanou, the owner has been in the pool business for the past 17 years. The retail store is located in Covington, Georgia and specializes in service, repairs, chemical and part sales. A full line of spas is also offered. They will gladly provide contractors with quotes on any type of pool or backyard pro-ject. A complete backyard package is available to create a unique outdoor space. This can in-clude outdoor portable spa packages, grills, and fireplaces. Stop by their showroom or call and they will be happy to assist you.

2467 Access Road ~ Covington, GA 30016 770-784-0753

www.coolpools4u.com

Find out

“WHAT BROWN CAN DO FOR YOU.” Join the Newton County HBA for our first Membership Meeting of 2009 and help us

welcome our new Sheriff, Ezell Brown.

He will address jobsite theft, vehicle signage and the Fleet Watch program.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

11:30 AM

Washington Street Community Center

Mailing Address P O Box 2055

Covington, GA 30015

Office Address 4159 Mill Street

Lower Level Covington, GA 30014 Phone: 770-786-3333

Fax: 770-786-2710 www.newtoncountyhba.com

Email: andrea@newtoncountyhba.com

Monday, January 1st

OFFICE CLOSED

Wednesday, January 7th

10:00 AM—Board of Directors Meeting at the HBA office

Tuesday, January 13th

11:30 AM—Membership Meeting at the Washington Street Community Center

Guest Speaker: Sheriff-Elect Ezell Brown

January Calendar

May all your troubles last as long as your New Year’s resolutions!

Joey Adams