View the 2013 TBA
Membership Directory
 

BUILDER OF YEAR

ALAN WEEKLEY Alan Weekley Homes

ASSOCIATE OF YEAR

ALAN ROBISON Capelouto Termite & Pest Control

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

BILL KIMBERL, IV, CIP Kimberl Construction, Inc.

HALL OF FAME

MARK WORLEY, CIP, GMB Worley Construction

The TBA Weekly Report is sponsored by Roberts Sand Company, serving the sand and gravel needs of TBA members. For immediate service, call 576-1414.

TBA members who want to learn first-hand how their businesses were impacted by the bills that passed in the 2013 session of the Florida Legislature need to be at Thursday’s General Membership Meeting at 11:30 am at Killearn Country Club. Issues related to the Florida Building Code, unlicensed contracting, septic tanks, mortgage foreclosures, workers compensation, and “sick leave” ordinances will be among those covered by Rep. Halsey Beshears (R-Monticello) and Florida Home Builders Association Governmental Affairs Director Doug Buck. The cost for the lunch is $15, payable at the door by cash, check, or credit card. TBA members…RSVP to Lori Baird at . 
 

TBA Members Contribute
To Boys/Girls Club Project

The Tallahassee Builders Association came up big in the community service department last week when our members played lead roles in creating a new pavilion at the Greg McCray Boys & Girls Club on the south side of the city. Leading the way was TBA member David Thomas of Chief Cornerstone Construction who donated his time to build the pavilion, and TBA members Pro-Build, Lowe’s and A Materials Group (Jimmy Maples), who provided key building materials. Funding for the pavilion was also provided by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Home Builders Institute (HBI). The pavilion will be used for various outdoor activities and protect children from the elements. More than 200 boys and girls use the club each day. Executive Officer Paul Thompson represented TBA at the ground-breaking, which was covered by WCTV. 
 

In its promotion of “Home Remodeling Month” in June, the Tallahassee Builders Association highlights one of its members, Frank Skubel of Kitchen Tune-Up, which is a locally-owned, national franchise that offers minor kitchen remodels.  The company specializes in three services to update kitchens, including a wood reconditioning process, redooring, and refacing. Kitchen Tune-Up also offers cabinetry upgrades such as glass doors, tip-out trays and full-extension rollouts, as well as countertops.
  

Remember to friend and follow TBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tallahasseebuildersasociation

   -- Paul M. Thompson, Executive Officer
 

View the 2013 TBA
Membership Directory
 

BUILDER OF YEAR

ALAN WEEKLEY Alan Weekley Homes

ASSOCIATE OF YEAR

ALAN ROBISON Capelouto Termite & Pest Control

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

BILL KIMBERL, IV, CIP Kimberl Construction, Inc.

HALL OF FAME

MARK WORLEY, CIP, GMB Worley Construction

The TBA Weekly Report is sponsored by Roberts Sand Company, serving the sand and gravel needs of TBA members. For immediate service, call 576-1414.

The talking is over… it’s time to fish! If you haven’t already signed up for a boat, or as For the second straight year, Sam Pickenpaugh of Florida Rock Industries, Inc. won major prize money for his success in TBA’s annual Saltwater Fishing Tournament at the Carrabelle Boat Club. Pickenpaugh followed last year’s $1,100 winnings with a check for $2,400 this year, including $1,500 for the In-Shore Grand Slam and $300 each for the biggest Spanish mackerel, trout, and red fish. In all, over $6,000 in prize money was distributed to anglers on 17 boats… up from 10 boats a year ago. The tournament, chaired by Garth Easton of Pro-Build, featured an Anglers’ Social on the evening of June 7 sponsored by James Hardie Building Products and a hot-dog dinner sponsored by Hancock Bank at the June 8 weigh-in. 
 

Tallahassee Makes List
Of Improving Markets

Tallahassee’s housing market is now one of 263 nationwide and 18 in Florida to be classified as “improving” according to the National Association of Home Builders/First American Improving Markets Index (IMI). Markets are considered improving when they have six consecutive months of growth in jobs, housing permits, and home values.
 
The news was welcomed and confirmed by Tallahassee builders and real estate-related professionals. Shane Lambert, CIP, President of the 250-corporate-member Tallahassee Builders Association (TBA) said he believes growing consumer confidence underlies the rebound in the Tallahassee housing market.
 
“Mortgage interest rates at an all-time low and home values are stabilizing and in many areas increasing, which gives consumers the confidence boost they need to make a decision to purchase a new home or remodel an existing home,” said Lambert, president of Shane Y. Lambert Construction, Inc., which specializes in high-end remodeling. Lambert added that he felt the improving market would encourage lenders to feel more confident in making loans to credit-worthy home buyers. 
  
Masoud Karimipour, owner of Persica Homes and First Vice President of the Tallahassee Builders Association (TBA), agrees with the assessment, also citing historically low mortgage interest rates plus shrinking home and lot inventories, and consumer excitement over new-home features like beautiful kitchens and alluring master suites.
 
“Consumer interest in the Parade of Homes™ this year was the best I’ve seen in years and I think people understand that now is a great time to buy a new home,” said Karimpour, whose Parade entry sold during the mid-May event. “Even though mortgage rates are very low, they are rising, which should create a sense of urgency for those looking to buy.”
 
For some builders, like Alan Weekley of Alan Weekley Homes, Inc., the change in consumer attitude came after last fall’s presidential election, when people decided it was time to move on with life and major purchase decisions. “I’ve had a lot of prospects (for remodeling and new homes) who were on the fence for a long time,” said Weekley. “Now, they are moving forward. During the downturn, my business was mostly remodeling, now I’m very excited to have a number of new custom homes on the drawing boards as well as some large remodeling projects.”
 
Greg Lane of Timberlane Appraisal is one of the area’s leading real estate experts and he echoes the positive sentiment expressed by the builders. “Most segments of the Leon County market have recovered or are seeing increasing demand and activity,” aid Lane. “New Construction is booming, relative to even a year ago, and builders are much more in tune with their target markets.   Builders are now scrambling to find affordable, construction-ready lots at affordable prices, to meet the demand of end users.”
 
Suzanne Cook, CAE, executive director of the Tallahassee-based Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), has watched the rebound in the Tallahassee market from a different perspective. “Since 2009, we’ve seen slow, steady growth in new homes being FGBC-certified but just recently, we’re seeing more entire communities commit to FGBC standards, which means developers and builders are experiencing and anticipating consumer demand for Green homes." 
 

During “Home Remodeling Month” in Leon County, the Tallahassee Builders Association is alerting consumers to the benefits of hiring a professional remodeler for their home improvement or renovation. Experienced remodelers bring a multitude of skills and qualities to successfully execute a home remodeling project and under the leadership of Chairman Bill Kimberl, CIP, of Kimberl Construction, TBA’s Remodelers Council is continually educating remodelers on advanced construction skills, customer service and business management to improve the remodeling experience for home owners. Qualities that professional remodelers provide to consumers are customer service, business management/integrity, experience, longevity, and creativity.
  

Remember to friend and follow TBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tallahasseebuildersasociation

   -- Paul M. Thompson, Executive Officer
 

View the 2013 TBA
Membership Directory
 

BUILDER OF YEAR

ALAN WEEKLEY Alan Weekley Homes

ASSOCIATE OF YEAR

ALAN ROBISON Capelouto Termite & Pest Control

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

BILL KIMBERL, IV, CIP Kimberl Construction, Inc.

HALL OF FAME

MARK WORLEY, CIP, GMB Worley Construction

The TBA Weekly Report is sponsored by Roberts Sand Company, serving the sand and gravel needs of TBA members. For immediate service, call 576-1414.

The talking is over… it’s time to fish! If you haven’t already signed up for a boat, or as an individual, to fish in the TBA Saltwater Tournament this Saturday (June 8), act now! Click here for details and a registration form and get ready to hit the water. In addition to the fun, there’s big money at stake, including $3,000 in Grand Slam cash. The Inshore Grand Slam pays $1,500 and is sponsored by Pro-Build and Bobby Dollar’s Appliance Consultants/GE. The Offshore Grand Slam also pays $1,500 and is sponsored by Lowe's. In addition to the tournament, you’ll enjoy the Anglers’ Social set for Friday night, June 7. All the action takes place at the Carrabelle Boat Club. Chairman Garth Easton (Pro-Build) of the Fishing Tournament Committee urges TBA members to support these tournament sponsors:

Pro-Build • Lowe's/Northeast Tallahassee
James Hardie Building Products
Bobby Dollar's Appliance Consultants/GE

Capelouto Termite & Pest Control • Univar
Perkins Electric • Valspar • Kobalt Tools
Roberts Sand Company • Supe-Lube Auto Care
Kevin's Guns/Sporting Goods • Grizzly Coolers
BEC & Company • Po'Boys Restaurant
Talquin Portables • Seminole Blueprint
Florida Rock • Kimberl Construction 
 

TBA Promotes June
As Remodeling Month

It’s official now… June is “Home Remodeling Month” in Leon County, thanks to a proclamation presented to the Tallahassee Builders Association (TBA) last week by the Commissioner Kristin Dozier and the Leon County Commission. During June, TBA will be educating consumers on their remodeling possibilities… and offering the services of TBA’s professional remodelers to make it happen. Last week, TBA used its TBA Today article in the Tallahassee Democrat to highlight a national study on the five most popular home remodeling projects, which are: bathrooms, kitchens, window/door replacement, repair of property damage and whole-house remodeling. 
 

Twenty TBA members are poised to earn the Certified-Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) designation after completing last week’s Business Management for Building Professionals course taught by TBA builder member Mark Worley, CIP, GMB, of Worley Construction… Chairman Stan Derzypolski, CIP, welcomes TBA members to Monday’s (June 3) Member and Consumer Education Committee (MCEC) meeting, 11:30 am at the TBA office (lunch provided) where the agenda includes planning a health-care seminar for all TBA members… the June and July TBA general membership meetings are set: June 20 with Rep. Halsey Beshears speaking on the 2013 legislative session and July 18 with City Commissioner Gil Ziffer speaking on economic development issues; both meetings begin at 11:30 am at Killearn Country Club… congratulations to TBA members Larry Wayne Strickland, CIP, of Capital City Builders and Sonny Phillips of H.R. Phillips, Inc. for earning their “Life Spike” status achieved by recruiting 25 new members into TBA… Blue-Star Homes and Premier Fine Homes will be honored for winning Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Green Home Awards during the recent Parade of Homes™ at the TBA Green Building Council meeting on June 13, starting at 11:30 am at the Myers Park Community Room… TBA Past President Karen Koelemij of Orange State Construction will be in Washington this week representing TBA and the Florida HBA at the NAHB Spring Legislative Conference, where her appointments include meetings with Florida’s U.S. Senators Bill Nelson and Marco Rubio… the TBA family expresses its condolences to Tec Thomas of Roof-N-Ready LLC on the passing of his father. 
 
 

Remember to friend and follow TBA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tallahasseebuildersasociation

   -- Paul M. Thompson, Executive Officer
 

View the 2013 TBA
Membership Directory
 

BUILDER OF YEAR

ALAN WEEKLEY Alan Weekley Homes

ASSOCIATE OF YEAR

ALAN ROBISON Capelouto Termite & Pest Control

PRESIDENT'S AWARD

BILL KIMBERL, IV, CIP Kimberl Construction, Inc.

HALL OF FAME

MARK WORLEY, CIP, GMB Worley Construction