President's Message

Fall is here. Our builders are planning their projects to get their new builds closed up before winter weather hits. Everybody is taking inventory and working to get geared up for the 2008 construction season. It’s a busy time of year for all of us.

Your NCBA is busy planning our 2008 schedule of meetings and activities, and preparing for a Home & Garden Show in late winter or early spring. Th e nominating committee is looking for people to serve in key positions on our board of directors and executive committee. Remember, this is YOUR trade association. We do a lot to help promote the homebuilding industry in Niagara County, but we can’t do it with one or two people. It is critical that we get more members involved with doing the work of the association. Serving on the board, working on committees and volunteering to help with specifi c projects are all ways that you can help. Don’t just be a name on a list – come out and work to make your Niagara County Builders Association bigger, better and more eff ective.

At the September board meeting a new Program Committee was established, under the leadership of Bill Burg. Bill and his committee are responsible for bringing first-rate programs to our membership
meetings. Several suggestions have already been made for future meetings. If you have heard an outstanding speaker, or know of somebody who would bring a quality program to the NCBA, please let Bill or Cathy know about it. Be sure to attend our October meeting at J.T. Wheatfi eld’s. Our speaker will be attorney Melanie Tisdale helping us with contractual issues and concerns. She will have a lot of great advice for all of us – don’t miss it! Future programs we are looking at including marketing strategies, energy conservation in our homes, and investment/retirement advice. In early 2008 we will be having a “Meet the Local Politicians” night where we will invite a representative from each of the municipalities we serve, and we will present the program of the NCBA to them, so they know what we are doing to improve the quality of life in Niagara County. It will be a great opportunity for us to help local offi cials know who we are and what we do.

Enjoy what’s left of our warm weather, and we will see you at J.T. Wheatfield’s on the 10th.

Next Meeting

IMPORTANT! PLEASE RSVP to the NCBA office by Friday, October 5th to let us know if you will attend. THANKS!

Graci, Prestige Featured in Builder/Architect Magazine

Congratulations to NCBA member Rick Graci of Prestige Designs for being featured in the latest issue of Builder/Architect magazine. Rick and his wife Joan, who is the design member of the team, expanded into Erie County by taking over the Floss Estates subdivision in Clarence. Th e magazine article spotlights a couple of their new homes, with outstanding photos and a glowing review of Rick’s construction. Adjectives such as “awestruck”, “incredible” and “luxurious” were used frequently to describe the new Prestige homes. Great job, Rick and Joan!

Builders Need to Sharpen Skills in Slow Market

An article titled "Trade Secrets: Crunch Time” in the August issue of Builder magazine highlights the need for builders to sharpen their skills during a market downturn. The article outlines four areas you need to focus on to stay healthy as a builder:

• Recruit and keep good talent
• Manage the sales process
• Control your jobsite
• Build customer satisfaction through warranty service

Hiring people with the skills to do the job the way you want it done, the attitude to do it well, and the people skills to help sell your business are critical to your overall success. The article highlights areas such as how to find good workers, training, off ering quality benefi ts, team-building, promoting from within and off ering incentives. The sales process includes everything from the day you first meet your customer right through to the day they move into their new home – and beyond. Putting your best foot forward from start to finish will make you stand out as a quality builder. Connecting customers with quality lenders, providing them with a guide book, showing them how to get the most out of their new home and making move-in day a special event are all ways to increase customer satisfaction and loyalty. Remember that a happy customer can easily bring you more sales through referrals. Controlling your jobsite entails being sure that your superintendent (you?) know how to follow each step of the construction process, eff ectively listen to his people (employees and subs) on the job and are creative in looking for ways to consolidate or combine job activities. Warranty service is a key component of customer satisfaction. Helping your customer understand what to expect from their new home, extending your warranty, following up after the customer has been in the house for a few weeks, making the service request process easy and providing maintenance tips are just some of the after-closing activities recommended in the article.

The authors relate the building process to a football team preparing to do battle. Individual job assignments and the way each person’s role in the team eff ect the end product are practiced over and over again. Like that football team, you need to focus on the details to ensure that your team is operating to maximum efficiency.

Check out the August Builder magazine to see the entire article. Our builder members have certainly had lots of practice working in a slow market. Th is article lays out a plan to help you work through a downturn, and come out on top.

New Member Benefits Reminder

All new members who joined during the Direct Drive membership campaign in March received a full package of benefits as incentive to join the NCBA. Those members are entitled to attend their first regular meeting for free, and were invited to insert a full-page ad into our newsletter for free. Both of these offers expire in March, 2008. So far only a few have used these incentive. We have seen a few of our new members at meetings and would hope to see many more. If you have not yet attended a regular meeting of the NCBA, please join us soon. Our next two meetings are on October 10 at J.T. Wheatfield’s at Ward Road and Niagara Falls Blvd., and November 14 at the Hideaway on Division Street in North Tonawanda. Mark your calendars, and plan to attend. We are working to ensure that every meeting has a quality program with valuable information that will help you in your business or home, or both.

All members can take advantage of inserting a full-page ad in the newsletter. The normal cost is $50 for each month of an insert. Our new members were offered the free month as part of their incentive package. Only two new members have done so. If you have a full-page ad that you want us to insert, all you have to do is bring 100 copies to the office, and we will put it into the next newsletter. If you want help developing an ad, call Jerry O’Neill at 693-5736.

Newest NY Assemblyman Also A Homebuilder

The homebuilding industry has a new expert advocate in state government. On July31, homebuilder
and civic leader George Amedore of the Capital Region Builders & Remodelers Association was elected to the New York State Assembly. He beat his opponent by 2,800 votes in his first run for public office. Amedore gained local fame when he built a home for the ABC television program “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.” However, it takes more than celebrity to secure a vote and Amedore worked hard during the special election to bring attention to his proven business skills and political platform.

At his victory celebration, the 38-year-old Amedore was quoted in the Albany Times Union saying, “What I plan on doing is to roll up my sleeves, get my hands dirty and serve the people.” As a home builder, Amedore will take his work ethic and practical knowledge to Albany and as an assemblyman he has promised to work for increased job creation, real property tax relief, safe neighborhoods and lower health care costs. For more information on the campaign and George Amedore, visit www.georgeamedore.com.

NCBA Member Survey

A Member Survey is included as an insert with this newsletter. We are looking to make the NCBA as responsive as it can be to the needs of our members. Your suggestions are welcome on ways to improve our meetings and services, locations and programs for our meetings, special events (home shows, picnic, golf outing, Christmas dinner meeting), etc. Please take just a couple of minutes
to review it, reply and fax it back to us at 693-5738. All replies are confidential.

NAHB Seeks Mortgage Reformation

As you are acutely aware, the nation’s mortgage markets are facing a liquidity crisis of a force and magnitude not seen in decades. As part of its efforts to restore the health and stability of the nation’s mortgage markets, the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Board of Directors has identified a number of legislative solutions to the crisis, including modernization of the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to consider H.R. 1852, the Expanding American Homeownership Act of 2007. This legislation will give the FHA greater flexibility to respond to the needs of borrowers, enable more working families to become home owners, and provide a viable
alternative to the volatility of the current sub-prime market.

Please take a moment to call 1-866-924-NAHB (6242) and get connected, free-of charge, to your member of Congress. Tell your representative to VOTE YES on H.R. 1852, the Expanding the American Homeownership Act of 2007.

• When you call, you will hear a short message about the credit crisis and this bill.
• You will then be asked to enter your zip code then connected to your member of Congress.
• Upon being connected, simply state who you are, the town in which you live and ask for support of H.R. 1852, the Expanding the American Homeownership Act of 2007

Last Chance For New York State Builders Show

he New York State Builders Show is only two weeks away. After a slow start, the show has built some real momentum, and looks like it will be well worthwhile to visit. They are now up to about 150 registered attendees, and over 70 exhibitors. Mike Cocca from NYSBA was at our September meeting and gave us an introduction to the show, which is in its second year. It will be at Turning Stone Resort and Casino on October 18 & 19. Events include the annual NYS awards dinner, excellent training opportunities, the trade show, state board meeting as well as the usual social activities and a golf tournament on their PGA style course. Go to www.nysba.com to see the entire schedule and to register.