OSHBA President Brandon Perkins addresses the spring board meeting in Oklahoma City.

Here are a few informational items tossed around here and there over the last month or so, much of it from the spring board meeting in Oklahoma City.

OSHBA President Brandon Perkins reported membership numbers are on the uptick for the first time in a long time. Retention numbers have leveled out, and at the national level. “We believe we’ve seen the bottom and we are turning the ship.”

Heard from around the state

COHBA: Building permits are up – Oklahoma City up 54 percent to date in 2012 over the previous year. The Oklahoma City Council approved the 2009 IRC codes changes, setting aside the provision for mandatory sprinkler systems. Thanks to the efforts of the COHBA governmental affairs committee in lobbying City Council members in ensuring it go eliminated.

Shawnee: Permits up a little and existing home sales have remained strong, with the largest increase in construction of new rental property and an assisted-living development.

Builder Association of South Central Oklahoma: BASCO is ‘holding their own, not seeing a real increase or decrease. They are plagued by expensive building fees. For example, while a home in Oklahoma City would see $350 in fees, in Norman, it may be as much as $3,700. The association is growing slowly, with a retention rate of 84 percent.

Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa: At the recent board meeting, Tulsa reported building permits were up 22 percent, and the Tulsa City Council approved the “no-sprinkler mandate.” At that time, their Parade of Home was seeing at least 140 homes sign up, with more than a dozen more budgeted. The Home Builders GreenBlitz benefiting Habitat for Humanity is scheduled for October, with the home built to green building certification standards and entirely of Made in America products.

Stillwater Home Builders Association: A few more permits over last year, while remodeling has picked up some and multi-family housing construction is going strong, all from private enterprise, not from the university. Five retirement communities proposed as well.

Rogers County Homebuilders Association: The home show in March drew 3,000 attendees.

Enid: Construction has really slowed down. Only 13 permits pulled last year when they normally have 120-140. In the midst of this, they have donated approximately $6,000 to many worthy causes, particularly the Youth Build program where students as an incentive to finish their GED or get back to school get hands-on training on how to build and basic construction knowledge.

Bartlesville Home Builders Association: “There just isn’t much going on up here.”

Moore: Biggest issue is lack of confidence. If they don’t’ have to buy, they won’t.

Southern Oklahoma Homebuilders Association: The number of building permits is holding steady to slightly up from last year, with the first spec business the president has seen in recent memory.

Certified Builder program

Committee chair Tony Foust reported the Certified Professional Builder numbers are
134 “strong” and an ad campaign is being launched to promote the certification, and recognition of a CPB of the month, with the CPB of the Year recognized at the summer meeting.

Thank you very much……..

– Thank you to BASCO’s Curtis McCarty for again representing the OSHBA on the Uniform Building Codes Commission, reappointed by the governor.

– Thanks go out to U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe who is leading the charge on lead paint legislation, with co-sponsor Sen. Tom Coburn. The legislation involves the Lead Renovation, Repair & Painting Rule (LRRP) with Inhofe’s an amendments act to make it less restrictive to use it. It reduces the regulatory burden of homebuilders and remodelers facing costly penalties for first-time violations like misfiled paperwork and allows homeowners to make the final decision about renovations in their homes.

– Thanks to U.S. Rep. Frank Lucas for addressing the spring board meeting. Look to the OSHBA website and blog page for his comments.

– Thanks to all who have been keeping tabs on our social-media presence. Our numbers are up to 1,200 unique visitors to the OSHBA website, compared to the campaign-start of 490 in August. March was the best month yet for blog traffic, which saw the largest gains. Thanks again, and keep following us!

– And thanks to the 53 who showed up at the Capitol in “walking the halls.” It goes noticed.

Save this date:

July 19-21—2012 State Convention, Chateau on the Lake, Branson, Mo.

Nov. 7 – Homebuilders PAC Sporting Clay Tourney

Jan 10 — The OSHBA annual installation and awards banquet is scheduled for Jan. 10 in the COHBA Events Center.

Dues increase to be considered in July

And finally, the executive board is recommending a $25 annual increase in dues, starting in 2013. The vote to take the measure to the general membership was unanimous at the spring board meeting. It’s been nine years since the last dues increase. The issue will go to a vote of the general membership at the state convention in July. The measure requires a two-thirds vote. As Vice President/Treasurer Jeff Click stated, “This is a curve we need to get ahead of.” The board considered a $50 increase in October, but reconsidered and went with the $25.

There will be much more discussion coming out on this, but we wanted to give you a heads up on this.

In the meantime, there’s good work to be done at the Capitol and your dollars are making this happen.