THE PLUMB BOB
DECEMBER 2008
HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY
P.O. BOX 507
CROSSVILLE, TN 38557 931.484.9097
homebuilders@volfirst.net
www.cumberlandcountyhomebuilders.com
Chartered 1-16-1999
CALENDAR
December
BOD: Tuesday December 2
in the HBACC office
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
President: Gay Stewart
Primeway Management, Inc.
931-456-9478
Vice-President: Lisa de Araujo Jorge
HBACC ELECTION RESULTS
J & S Construction
931-261-7011
Secretary/Treasurer: Gordon Wheeler
President
Sarah Derrick, Creative Compassion
Christmas Lumber
865-719-8106
Vice-President
Tracy Melton, Melton Enterprises
BOARD MEMBERS
Secretary
James Wattenbarger, J & M Insulation
Harry McCulley
McCulley Siding & Windows
931-484-6601
Bob Marengo
Custom Fireplaces & More
931-526-8181
EO: Andrea Yager
931-707-1034
Thank you for renewing
Acme Block & Brick
McCulley Siding & Windows
Phil Perry Construction
KMS Construction
Treasurer
Gordon Wheeler, Christmas Lumber
Board Members
K. Gay Reeves-Stewart
Primeway Management, Inc
Harry McCulley
McCulley Siding & Windows
Frank Whitehead
Counter Tops, Inc.
Welcome
Mr. Rooter—Tracy Melton
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From the President’s Pen….
I attended the HBAT fall board meeting in Knoxville October 30 thru November 2. Rick Judson, NAHB Public Affairs Chair and Housing Finance Task Force
member, held a round table discussion. Myself and about 30 builders and associates from across Tennessee shared ideas for surviving during the current
construction downtrend. Some suggestions were: lease or rent a house, or
consider moving into it if your current house would be more saleable due to
location or lower in price; meet EVERY potential customer when showings occur; stage the house complete with magazines, towels and highlight the best
features; landscaping upgrades; closet shelving upgrades; including a washer
and dryer or some other items not normally included. Be realistic about
pricing. If the same house sold last year for $100,000, consider reducing the
price by 5-6%. Offer owner financing with a balloon payment in 3-5 years,
renegotiating your construction loan through modification agreements, to delay interest payments, make yearly or quarterly payments, pay lump sum payments when a closing occurs. Mr. Judson also reported on continuing efforts
by NAHB to encourage "The Feds" to enact legislation to stimulate construction lending and the reduction of home mortgage rates.
I spent several hours talking with Sandy Dunn, Chairman of the Board of NAHB.
She is a contractor from West Virginia. She is working diligently to provide
guidance and pertinent information to our members Nationwide.
Our Association's annual election was held at the November meeting. The following persons were elected: Sarah Derrick - President, Tracy Melton - Vice
President, James Wattenbarger - Secretary, Gordon Wheeler - Treasurer, Harry
McCulley - Board member, Gay Stewart - Board Member, Frank Whitehead - Board
member. Their bios are included in this newsletter.
I want to thank all of you for your support during my two years as President
of the Association. I have enjoyed the challenges of the office, getting to
know you better and acquiring valuable experience and learning more about the
industry I have chosen as my profession. I would like to thank Andrea Yager,
Executive Director, Lisa de Araujo Jorge, Vice President, Gordon Wheeler,
Board Member and acting Treasurer, Gina Knight past Treasurer, Harry McCulley, Board member and Bob Marengo, past Secretary and Board member for your
continued support of the Association and your help during my tenure. Thank
you.
I am also looking for bail money!! I was volunteered to participate in the
Muscular Dystrophy Association's "Lock Up. My bail was set at $1275.00. I
will be arrested and confined at Ryan's Steakhouse on December 10, 2008
starting at 10:00 a.m. until 11:00 I will be calling everyone I know to bring
bail money. If you can spare $5.00 or $50.00 or any amount, please come by
Ryan's to help bail me out! All donations are tax deductible and are used
for clinics, assistance with wheelchair purchases/repairs, braces and area
support groups. You can go on-line @ klittlemom@joinmda.org to donate and
track my status. You can make a difference. Thank you.
Gay Stewart,
President HBACC
klittlemom@frontiernet.net
931-456-9478
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Sarah Derrick
I have a B.S. Degree in Organizational Management with over five years experience in the affordable housing industry and over 15 years of experience
in non-profit management.
I am certified as a Housing Counselor and Homebuyer Educator. I have been
the Associate Director of Creative Compassion, Inc. for three years. In the
past five years I have received several certifications such as: Public Housing Manager, Public Housing Eligibility and Rent Calculations, Grant Writing, and most recently completed the course for post-purchase counseling
certification.
Tracy Melton
of Melton Enterprises and Mr. Rooter, was born in Crossville, TN. He graduated from Clark Range High School in 1988. He and his wife Candis married in
1992 and have two children, Levi, age 13 and Matraca age 11. Tracy earned
his machinist certification from Tennessee Technology in 1991. He started
Melton Enterprises, a general contracting firm in 2002. They perform all
phases of residential construction both custom and speculative. He has just
acquired his plumbing license and started Mr. Rooter, a plumbing contracting
business. He serves as the Treasurer of the local chapter of the Plateau
Long-beards of the National Wild Turkey Federation and attends Bethlehem Baptist Church.
Gordon Wheeler
I am a Native of Central Florida. I lived most of my life in rural Southwest
Michigan. I raised my family there and moved to Cumberland County in 1998.
Family: I am proud to say that I have three wonderful children, seven grandkids, & two great grand kids. Two of my children live in Michigan, and one
in Texas.
History: I began in the building trades in the early 60’s. In 1963, I took
employment working for a local lumber company in Michigan. Soon I began
learning the building trades, via; remodeling old farm homesteads. Soon I became interested in custom millwork, which I did for over twenty years. That
experience soon expanded to future employment.
I became acquainted with Cumberland County in 1985, doing mission work with
the senior youth group of my former church in Michigan. I began re-hab housing projects through the Good Samaritans of Crossville, projects for Creative
Compassions, and CORA. In 1998 I design built my home in Pleasant Hill.
Employment: Currently I am employed by Christmas Lumber Co. Harriman TN. My
position is Outside Sales. Area of Coverage is all of Cumberland County, and
skirting White, Putnam, Fentress, and Rhea Counties.
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James Wattenbarger
of J & M Construction, Born in Crossville, Tennessee in 1967. James met his
wife Kim on his 16th birthday during a hayride. They married in June of
1989. They have 2 children, Nathan, age 11 and Kennetha, age 15. James
started J & M in 1987 doing guttering, siding and insulation. He has been a
volunteer firefighter for over 20 years and served as a Lieutenant for the
past 10 years. He is a church elder at Grace Community Center, the PTO
president for 2 years at North Cumberland Elementary School. James is also
the Secretary for the Cumberland County Rescue Squad, the Vice President of
the local Plateau Long-beards of the National Wild Turkey Federation and has
been a member of our Association at least since 1987.
K. Gay Reeves-Stewart
Past President and Board Member: K. Gay was born in Detroit Michigan and
raised in Knoxville, TN. She began her construction career in 1974 working
with Crafter House Construction as office manager/material coordinator. Gay
worked on home site layout, material ordering, sub-contractor scheduling and
interior finish selections. She also obtained her Affiliate Broker Real Estate License in 1976. From 1978 to 1988 worked with several real estate
firms in sales, as a relocation director, rental property management and personnel supervision of 12 branch offices. In 1988 she married Bob Stewart,
and worked with Starr Designs, an interior design firm, then with an architectural firm to set up their interior design department. In 1990 Gay began
working with Bob to build their residential construction firm, Primeway Management, Inc. Their firm specialized in contemporary spec homes and upper
bracket multifamily projects.
They owned 112 acres here in Crossville from 1989 and decided to build their
own home in 2003. They have four children between them, Stacy, Beth, Becky
and Jason and two grandsons, Zak, age seven and Hunter age 8 months.
Harry McCulley
of McCulley Siding and Windows, which he started in 1984 in Rockwood,TN. As
selling and installing vinyl products boomed in the upper cumberlands, Harry
moved the business to Crossville, TN. where he has continued to grow the company, with the addition of A & M Vinyl Supply. Harry has coordinated our Associations Home Show for several years. He is active in his church and enjoys cooking and singing. He is married to Arlene and they live in Basses
Creek Development.
Frank Whitehead
Frank was born in Cookeville, TN and was raised in Plant City, Florida. He
married in 1967 and joined the Army in 1967. He served in Vietnam from 1968
to 1969. He began working for GTE in 1969, which later became Frontier Communications. He retired from Frontier Communications in 2002. Frank joined
Counter Tops Inc. in 2006. He has two daughters and one grand-daughter.
Frank enjoys wood carving and traveling.
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Energy efficiency drives home building
By Bob Keefe
Cox Washington Bureau
Sunday, November 09, 2008
First came the push for fuel-efficient cars. Are fuel-efficient houses next?
As builders look for ways to move homes in a lousy market, they’re increasingly taking their
cue from automakers and turning toward energy efficiency as a selling tool.
In Atlanta, builders are pushing what the head of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association calls “high-performance homes” that sip water and electricity like a Toyota Prius might
sip gas.
Just like with car buyers, home buyers “don’t want to feel like they’re getting a house that’s
like yesterday’s SUV,” said Rick Andreen, president of Shea Homes’ Trilogy division, which
sells homes in Deland, Fla., as well as Arizona, California and Washington. “They want to
feel like they’re getting a leading-edge, efficient product.”
Some builders are teaming up with energy companies for marketing help and added credibility.
In Florida, for instance, Florida Power & Light Co.’s “BuildSmart” program certifies builders
whose homes are constructed with a higher standard of energy efficiency. “BuildSmart”
homes that come with features such as sealed air ducts, high-efficiency air conditioners and
upgraded insulation can save up to 30 percent on monthly energy bills, FPL estimates.
It only makes sense that in this time of high fuel prices home builders and home buyers are
looking harder at what it costs to keep the lights and furnace on.
According to the U.S. Energy Department, the average U.S. family spends about $1,500 a
year on energy costs.
The department’s Energy Information Administration predicts home heating costs will rise by
15 percent nationally this winter. Parts of the South that rely on natural gas could see heating
bills rise by 26 percent, it said.
In a survey released in October by building supplies manufacturer Johns Manville, about 92
percent of respondents said they were interested in increasing their homes’ efficiency to meet
higher energy costs. More than two-thirds said they were more interested in home energy efficiency than they were a year earlier.
In the Atlanta area, where rising energy prices and a drought have heightened homeowners’
awareness, “high-performance homes” are what’s selling, said David Ellis, executive vice
president of the Greater Atlanta Homebuilders Association.
“Consumers are really starting to understand and consider high-performance homes —- ones
that save water and energy,” Ellis said. “It’s come to the forefront of the consumer’s perspective, and the builder’s perspective, too.”
In a survey of 400 builders, developers and remodelers released in May by researcher
McGraw-Hill Construction, 40 percent said they thought it was easier to market “green” and
energy-efficient homes in the current poor housing market. About 36 percent of respondents
said they expected to be heavily involved in green building in 2009, up from about 18 percent
in 2007.
“When you’re talking to a family about putting them in a healthier home with lower utility
bills, that’s a pretty easy sell,” said Emily Zimmerman, manager of the green building program at the National Association of Home Builders.
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More than 1,300 builders have gone through a NAHB program launched in February designed
to teach environmentally sensitive and energy efficient building techniques.
New types of supplies —- everything from insulation and sheathing to government-sanctioned
“Energy Star” appliances and solar panels that are much less obtrusive —- are making building
energy-efficient homes a lot easier.
How much more efficient can homes get? According to the Energy Department and McGrawHill, a household can reduce energy expenditures by 50 percent just by using equipment such as
more efficient heaters, air conditioners, water heaters, appliances and electronics, and by using
compact fluorescent lighting.
Chemical and building supplies company BASF recently opened a concept home in New Jersey
that it claims is 80 percent more efficient than similar-size homes.
BASF uses solar heating and hot-water systems, high-efficiency heating and air conditioning
systems, new types of sealants and windows, and a design that takes advantage of natural
sunlight and weather patterns to reach its goals.
Shea Homes’ Andreen said he thinks someday builders might post the energy usage of their
homes on the window or front door, just like carmakers post the gas mileage of their vehicles
and appliance makers post the energy usage of their dishwashers or clothes dryers.
“Then we can let the industry work it out,” he said. “The guys who build the [housing equivalent of a] 45 mile-per-gallon car will get all the business, and then everybody else will follow.”
WHERE THE SAVINGS ARE
Where builders are putting energy efficiency into their houses
> Solar: Adding solar panels can cut a typical home’s power bill by 60 percent or more.
> Heating and cooling: Furnaces and air conditioners are the single-biggest energy users in a
home. New energy-efficient models, coupled with programmable thermostats and tightly sealed
ductwork, can dramatically reduce costs.
> Insulation and sealants: Extra insulation blown into walls and above ceilings are a big advantage. So are new types of caulks, windows and whole-house wraps that keep cold air out in the
winter and cooled air in during the summer.
> Water: Tankless instant water heaters cut down on heating costs. Water-saving plumbing fixtures reduce water usage.
> Building materials: New types of insulated concrete forms, wall panels and flooring help seal
a house.
> Appliances and lighting: Government-approved “Energy Star” appliances, reduced lighting
and compact fluorescent and LED light bulbs go a long way toward cutting electricity costs.
Source: U.S. Energy Department, McGraw-Hill Construction, builders
WHERE YOUR ENERGY DOLLAR GOES
Homes consume about one-fifth of all energy used in the United States each year, and the typical U.S. family spends about $1,500 a year on utility bills. Here’s where it goes:
> Heating and cooling: 42 percent
> Lighting and appliances: 36 percent
> Water heating: 14 percent
> Refrigeration: 9 percent
Note: Does not add up to 100 percent due to rounding.
Source: Department of Energy
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