The Building Industry Association of Lancaster County (BIA) has announced the annual Lancaster Parade of Homes, taking place June 15-23 from 5 – 8 pm (weekdays) and from 12 – 6 pm (weekends).

Sponsored by Fulton Bank and UGI Utilities, this year’s Parade features 43 new single-family homes and townhomes from 22 different builders, ranging in price from $180,895 to nearly $800,000.

Detailed information on the Parade and all of the home entries is available at the official Lancaster Parade of Homes  website. Parade of Homes Guidebooks with the same information are available at Fulton Bank locations throughout Lancaster and Lebanon Counties, and at the BIA office at 204 Butler Avenue, Lancaster. Guidebooks will also be mailed to over 100,000 Lancaster and Lebanon County households in June. The event is free and open to the public. 

Karen Watkins to lead the association staff

 LANCASTER – The Building Industry Association of  Lancaster County recently promoted Karen Watkins to  the position of Executive Officer.

In this role, Watkins will coordinate the BIA staff,  recommend and participate in the formulation of  policies and strategies, promote programs and events,  and advocate to ensure that the association’s goals and objectives – established by the Board of Directors – are met.

“We are pleased to have Karen Watkins as our new Executive Officer,” states Chris Labs, 2013 BIA President. “After a careful review of our organization’s priorities and goals for the future, we believe Karen is the best person to lead the BIA into its next chapter.” 

New Building Industry Association president wants to protect the consumer and the environment

By PAULA WOLF

Staff Writer
pwolf@lnpnews.com

The Great Recession “changed the landscape of our industry,” said Chris Labs, owner of Kitchen Design Specialties.
As the homebuilding boom dried up, builders were required to adapt — or go out of business.

But a lot of companies here successfully made the transition, by starting remodeling divisions or focusing more of their work in that area, said Labs, 2013 president of the Building Industry Association of Lancaster County.

While some closed their doors, “many survived or even thrived,” he said. “That’s a testimony to their resilience.”

Labs said his presidency comes at a time when the local BIA is on a strong financial footing — stronger, in fact, than a number of its counterparts. One of the major goals he has for 2013 is advocacy of government regulations that balance the need for new housing with the need to protect the consumer and the environment.

LANCASTER INCLUDED ON LIST OF IMPROVING HOUSING MARKETS IN FEBRUARY; 

ALL 50 STATES REPRESENTED

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6 – The number of improving housing markets continued to expand for a sixth consecutive month to a total of 259 metropolitan areas on the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI) for February, released today. This is up from 242 markets listed as improving in January, and includes entrants from all 50 states and the District of the Columbia.

The IMI identifies metro areas that have shown improvement from their respective troughs in housing permits, employment and house prices for at least six consecutive months. A total of 20 new metros were added to the list and three were dropped from it this month. Newly added metros include such geographically diverse locations as Rome, Ga.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Myrtle Beach, S.C.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Racine, Wis. 

2012 Builder of the Year – Scott Provanzo, Heartland Builders, Inc.

2012 Associate of the Year – Mark Stanley, Hartman Underhill & Brubaker

2012 Ambassador of the Year – Rick Jackson, ELA Group, Inc.

2012 Lifetime Achievement Award – Rich Hurst, Hurst Bros Development Co.

Officers:
President – W. Christopher Labs, Kitchen Design Specialists
Vice President – Philip Eby, Eby Exteriors, Inc.
Associate Vice President – Ted Risser, Lezzer Lumber
Secretary – Rick Jackson, ELA Group Inc.
Treasurer – Scott Frick, Bertz, Hess, & Co., LLP
Immediate Past President – Scott Provanzo, Heartland Builders

The fiscal cliff, an economically damaging set of tax hikes and spending reductions scheduled to begin in 2013, has been avoided (for now) and that is good news for housing  in the short-run.

LANCASTER, PA – The Building Industry Association (BIA) of Lancaster County Remodelers Council honored 12 local building and remodeling contractors with Remodelers Awards of Excellence (RAE) on November 15. The awards were presented as part of the BIA’s Annual General Membership Meeting and dinner at the Inn at Leola Village.

The Remodelers Awards of Excellence program recognizes excellence in design and construction of both residential and non-residential remodeling and rehabilitation projects by members of the BIA’s Remodelers Council. Entries are judged on workmanship/quality of construction, creativity, design, value and cost effectiveness, and sensitivity to existing structure, using a numeric scoring system.

27 winning projects, ranging in price and scope from a custom interior door and artwork for $4,585 to a whole house transformation for over $1 million, display a cornucopia of tastes and styles. The public can view details of the winning projects – including dazzling before and after photos – online at www.LancasterBuilders.org/excellence-winners.

As one of the top remodeling markets in the nation,LancasterCountyboasts a vast array of options for homeowners looking to upgrade their residences. Even in the midst of a challenging housing market, remodeling has remained a bright spot in our local economy, with many people choosing to invest in their current home rather than put it up for sale and look for a new one. The Remodelers Awards of Excellence allows county residents to gather inspiration for their own homes from these stunning local projects.

Each RAE project was entered and judged in one of 10 categories: Addition, Bathroom, Basement, Commercial, Exterior, Garage, Interior Specialty Item, Kitchen, Outdoor Living, and Whole House Remodel. Categories were further broken down into divisions according to price, allowing projects similar in scale to be judged together.

The 2012 Remodelers Awards of Excellence Winners are:

Addition, Division 1: Eby Exteriors, Inc.

The clients wanted a place where they could spend more time and feel like they were outside. They currently have a small vacation cottage in another county but as they age they realize that they will not be able to maintain that place and may have to stay home. Budget was a significant factor as the homeowners pre-determined the amount and held fast to it. Eby delivered on what their clients desired – from the patio door placement to the tile – and the owners were thrilled with their new space.

On September 16, about 50 members met together in the Eden Resort & Suites’ Presidential Ballroom for breakfast and dialogue with nine elected officials and leaders from the Pennsylvania Builders Association.

Legislators in attendance included Rep. Mike Sturla, Rep. Gordon Denlinger, Rep. Scott Boyd, Rep. David Hickernell, Rep. Bryan Cutler, Senator Mike Brubaker, Rep. John Bear, Senator Lloyd Smucker, and Rep. Ryan Aument.

Flood Damage?
Consumers Beware of Unscrupulous Contractors

September 14, 2011 – Unscrupulous contractors often take advantage of homeowners affected by severe weather and natural disasters. Consumers who have flood damage should consider some important advice before hiring a contractor.

 Below is a list of warning signs that should indicate a contractor is not on the level:

•  A contractor approaches you about storm damage to your property or uses scare tactics.
• You’re told you’ve been chosen as a demonstration project at a special price.
• You’re told a contract “won’t be necessary.”
• You’re asked to pay for the entire job upfront.
• You’re told the price is only good for today.

June 6, 2011 – Steven Edris was elected a Senior Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders at the association’s recent Spring Board of Directors’ Meeting in Washington, D.C. Kevin Kelly, NAHB Third Vice Chairman, thanked Steve for his loyalty to NAHB. “I know the commitment it requires to attain and participate at NAHB Board Meetings for the ten years required to achieve the Life Director status,” said Kelly. “Then to attain Senior Life status through an additional ten consecutive years of service is a great testimony to your dedication to NAHB and the Building industry.” As a Senior Life Director, Steve has attained a permanent seat on the NAHB Board with no continuing attendance requirement.