BIA Advocate

Remodelers and other contractors have until September 30 to get their companies certified and to sign up for the training required to comply with the  US EPA’s Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule.

Under this rule, which went into effect on April 22, remodelers, window installers and other contractors who work in housing and child-occupied facilities built before 1978 are required to use lead-safe work practices unless those homes are tested and found to be free of any lead paint. They also must conduct consumer education and verify the clean-up of projects that disturb lead paint in such buildings. In addition, the EPA requires remodelers and contractors to complete six hours of classroom or online training and two hours of hands-on training to comply with the rule.

EPA agreed to delay enforcement of the certification requirement only. Remodelers now have until December 30 to complete the training, but they may be required to demonstrate that they have scheduled their training before this date.

The Oregon HBA’s training partner, the Home Builders University, and CEDIA have developed online training in partnership with the National Center for Healthy Housing that is approved by EPA and qualifies for the classroom portion of the training requirements.

On Wednesday, September 29, the BIA will host our annual Profit By Association General Meeting at the Bridgewater Banquet & Conference Center in Powell. Our guest speaker will be Bob Schottenstein, CEO of M/I Homes.

Bob will discuss the future of suburban residential housing as well as Columbus2020!, the new regional economic development initiative lead by the Columbus Partnership.

For more information about the General Meeting and to register, please click HERE.

After having no August meeting due to the Parade, I invite BIA members back to the monthly Builders and Developers Council, which will be held on Wednesday, September 1 at 3:30 pm at the BIA.

Here are a few of the items we will discuss from communities all around central Ohio:

• Pickerington: New city leadership is re-organizing staff that work with our members.
• Dublin and Delaware County: Updates on status of city manager and county administrator positions.
• Delaware County: Impacts of new roadway planning east of City for Rte 36/37 area.
• State of Ohio: Transfer of Development Rights potential legislation that might be beneficial to our industry.
• Delaware and Franklin County: Updates on stream set-back regulations and “sustainable development plans.”
• Columbus: Checklist for developers from the Division of Fire.
• USEPA: New ruling on parameters for construction permit.

Any member is welcome to contact me if you have items for this Council to discuss at our meetings.

Click HERE to watch a short video from Builders & Developers Council Co-Chair Craig Bohning. He talks briefly about what you missed at the last council meeting. We hope to see you on September 1st!

Thank you to everyone who made the BIA Parade of Homes at Ackerly Park in New Albany such a success!

Special thanks to the Parade developer, The New Albany Company, as well as our eight builders: Bob Webb Group, Dani Homes, Kevin Knight & Company, M/I Homes, New England Homes & Garth’s Auctions, The Tuckerman Home Group, Weaver Custom Homes and Zeppernick Custom Homes.

Thank you to the sponsors: Union Savings Bank, gridSMART from AEP Ohio, Time Warner Cable, Whirlpool Corporation, JENN-AIR, Subaru and Scioto Valley.

Thank you to all of the exhibitors, volunteers, subcontractors, suppliers and service professionals who participated in the Parade.

We’ll be announcing information about next summer’s BIA Parade of Homes very soon. Please check back.

This is the last week you can tour the 8 incredible homes at the BIA Parade of Homes at Ackerly Park in New Albany. The Parade ends this Sunday, August 8.

BIA Members and Realtors can purchase half-price “VIP” tickets for only $6 each. If you haven’t had the chance to get out to the Parade yet, we encourage you to do so.

Click HERE for more detailed information about the Parade. We hope to see you out there!

Thank you to everyone who came out to Ackerly Park in New Albany the evening of July 23 for the annual BIA/Fifth Third Bank Preview Party.

Attendees had the chance to tour the eight Parade homes – featuring the latest in architecture, interior design, technology, outdoor living spaces and landscaping – while enjoying food and drinks catered by Cameron Mitchell. The highlight of the evening was the annual Parade of Homes Awards Ceremony.

Among the honorees were the Parade site developer, The New Albany Company, and the eight Parade builders: Bob Webb Group, Dani Homes, Kevin Knight & Company, M/I Homes, New England Homes & Garth’s Auctions, The Tuckerman Home Group, Weaver Custom Homes and Zeppernick Custom Homes. M/I Homes was recognized as both the 2010 Parade Honoree and the Foundation House Builder.

Tracy Townsend from 10-TV announced the winners of the pre-show judging. Click HERE to view a list of winners.

Congratulations to everyone who was honored during the awards ceremony. Special thanks to Fifth Third Bank who sponsored the Preview Party for a record 10th time.

Proceeds from the ticket sales benefited Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation and BIA Foundation Charities.

There will be several special events during the Parade of Homes at Ackerly Park in New Albany this year. You’ll have the chance to meet HGTV’s Frank Fontana on Sunday, July 25 and Genevieve Gorder on Saturday, July 31.

You’ll also be able to enjoy family-friendly entertainment during Time Warner Cable Days (July 24-25) and meet landscape designers, interior decorators and architects from the Parade homes on Design Professionals Days (July 26, August 2). Click HERE for an up-to-date listing of all the special Parade events.

New this year, children ages 2-12 have the chance to play at Kids Village at the Parade for only $10. Open noon - 9:00 pm daily (noon - 6:00 pm Sunday), Kids Village features an arts and crafts area, mobile game trailer, movie tent and special play area for toddlers.

Be sure not to miss our Preview Party at the Parade this Friday, July 23 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm. For $75, you can tour eight incredible homes while enjoying food and drinks from Cameron Mitchell Catering. Click HERE for more information or call the BIA at (614) 891-0575.

Join us at Ackerly Park in New Albany next Friday, July 23 from 6:00 - 10:00 pm for the BIA/Fifth Third Bank Preview Party.

You’ll have the chance to tour eight incredible homes while enjoying food and drinks from Cameron Mitchell Catering. The highlight of the evening will be the annual BIA Parade Awards Ceremony, recognizing everything from architecture and interior design to outdoor living spaces and landscaping in the Parade homes.

Tickets are $75 per person. All proceeds benefit Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation and BIA Foundation charities. Order your tickets online or by filling out this form.

For more information about the BIA Parade of Homes, visit the official Parade website.

On Monday, August 2, the BIA Board of Trustees is hosting the first BIA Member Appreciation Night at the Parade of Homes at Ackerly Park in New Albany. The reception will take place from 5:30 - 7:30 pm. BIA members will have the opprtunity to enjoy appetizers and drinks while networking with fellow members. 

The cost to attend is the price of a VIP ticket: $6 per person. Please RSVP to Jana Waltman by July 26 if you are able to join us, (614) 891-0575. We hope to see you there!

The U.S. Census Bureau data on characteristics of new homes completed in 2009 provides an interesting snapshot of emerging housing preferences and trends.

• The recently released data shows that, after increasing almost continuously for three decades, the average size of single-family homes completed in this country last year was 2,438 square feet – down from 2,519 square feet in 2008 and from a peak of  2,521 square feet in 2007. 
• In keeping with their slightly smaller size, new single-family homes completed in 2009 had fewer bedrooms than previously. In fact, after increasing for almost 20 years, the proportion of single-family homes with four bedrooms or more topped out at 39% in 2005, but has since declined to 34% as of 2009. 
• The proportion of single-family homes with three bedrooms increased from 49% to 53% between 2005 and 2009. Not surprisingly, new single-family homes completed last year also had fewer bathrooms than previously. The proportion of homes with three or more bathrooms fell to 24% last year from a peak of 28% in 2007 and 2008.

Here are a few other interesting data points about new homes completed or sold in 2009:

• 17% of new single-family homes sold in the U.S. had a 3-or-more-car garage.
• 53% of single-family homes completed in the U.S. had 2 or more stories.
• 49% of new single-family homes sold had 1 fireplace and 5% had 2 or more fireplaces.
• The average new single-family home sold was built on a lot of 17,462 square feet. 
• 62% of all new single-family homes sold used gas as the primary source of heating fuel. 37% used electricity. In the South, 43% of the new homes sold used gas.
• 50,000 new single-family homes sold were designed as attached units, accounting for 13% of total new single-family home sales.
• 24% of all new single-family homes sold were financed by an FHA-insured loan. This compares to 16% in 2008 and 4% in 2007.
• The average sales price of new single-family homes sold was $270,900. This compares to $292,600 in 2008 and $313,600 in 2007.
• The average price per square foot for new single-family homes sold was $83.89.
• 274,000 units were completed in multifamily buildings. Of these, 24% were built for sale. 
•  The average square footage of multifamily units completed and built for sale was 1,592.