Members take a break from OSHBA leadership training
recently.
We heard about the state of the industry' from all areas of the state last week at the OSHBAmembership meeting in Tulsa.
In the Norman area, association membership numbers are up from 171 last year to 182 this year.Construction permits are down slightly, from 290 last year to 279 this year, according to BuildersAssociation of South Central Oklahoma president David Caddell.
The annual Festival of Homes in July was a huge success. The show house, built by Muirfield Homes/AlanCheshier, closed in August surpassing the anticipated budget.
The Tulsa area is seeing a 30 percent increase in housing starts over last year, according to Jeff Smith,vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater Tulsa. The membership roster grew with 99new members thus far this year. Attendance was reported as good with solid leads in Owasso chapter'sHarvest of Homes and Tulsa area's Remodeled Tulsa Tour.
The annual GreenBlitz project home was built to green building certification standards and wasconstructed 100 percent with Made in America products.
The Oklahoma City area is showing a building-permit uptick by 24 percent in the Oklahoma City proper,to 30 percent in OKC metro area, said COHBA president Kurt Dinnes. Builders report it's the best they'veseen in three years. "We seem to be bouncing back quite well."
Rogers County Builder Association is working on plans for the Rogers County Home Garden Farm andRanch Show next March.
Stillwater Home Builders Association is looking to change up the 2013 home and Garden Show and theannual Christmas party will feature a casino night.
Enid's economic picture remains slow with only 12 permits for the year to date, as the HBA preparesfor the Fall Home Show Nov. 17-18. The Spring Show was the best yet, with $5,000 donated to variouscharities since summer.
Lawton's Tour of Homes displayed 19 homes with the project home sold before the tour was over. TheHome and Garden Show is set for March 22-24.
Meanwhile, other council reports included:
-- The number of Certified Professional Builders stands at 150-members plus with the newly institutedCPB of the Month designation drawing new interest.
-- A newly formed State Developers Council is pulling information and pooling resources to helpstatewide hottest discussions, such as issues around water in Stillwater and in Lawton, impact fees inCity of Oklahoma City, and mandatory sprinklers in Mustang, to name a few.
-- On Nov. 1, the state-approved amendments formulated by the UniformBuilding Code Commission go into effect Nov. 1. Commercial builders take notice, said OSHBA's Curtis
McCarty, industry liaison to the UBCC. McCarty said residential building codes will not get another lookuntil 2014.
-- A Contracts and Warranties Task Force continues its efforts in revising the contracts and warranties incoordination with the HBA of Greater Tulsa to establish a web-based application for online access.
