SPECIAL REPORT TO LOCAL HBA's

DATE: August 8, 2006
CONTACT: Edie Ousley, 850-224-4316 or eousley@fhba.com

Home Building Professionals Use
SEBC to Meet Industry Challenges

Equipping themselves to meet the challenges of a declining home building market, 16,000 construction and housing professionals converged on Orlando in early August to experience the 28th annual Southeast Building Conference (SEBC), the South’s largest regional building industry trade show and educational event.

Presented by the Florida Home Builders Association, the SEBC featured a record-setting 1,039 exhibits, 65 educational programs, presentation of the Aurora and Excel Awards, the unveiling of the innovative New Southern Home, and a keynote address by popular ESPN basketball color analyst Dick Vitale.

The SEBC kicked off with a special program for high-volume builders called “Leaders Advantage” at which respected economists Dave Berson of Fannie Mae and Dave Seiders of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) predicted that housing starts will decline 8-10 percent this year and another 8 percent in 2007.

They blamed the downturn on rising interest rates, increasing energy prices, and low levels of housing affordability while forecasting that the growth and vitality of the housing market would return in 2008.

SEBC delegates were also confronted with dire news on the insurance front with a severe lack of capacity for builders’ risk and property insurance coverage. FHBA leaders pushed for solutions to the crisis at an “Insurance Summit” in mid-August and continue to promote creation of federal and regional catastrophic loss funds.

FHBA used the SEBC to educate industry professionals and the media about the pitfalls of inclusionary zoning ordinances, which require builders to make 10 percent of the homes in a community affordable to lower-income families. NAHB economist Elliott Eisenberg assailed inclusionary zoning, pointing out that it forces builders to charge higher prices for its market-rate homes to subsidize the affordable homes.

“Our industry is committed to providing workforce housing,” said FHBA President Len Tylka during an SEBC press conference. “There are a positive, effective ways to achieve that goal… but inclusionary zoning is actually counter-productive to the process.” FHBA is waging a legal battle against the state’s first inclusionary zoning ordinance, which was imposed in the city of Tallahassee.

SEBC’s exposition show featured two special sections of exhibits: Hurricane Alley, sponsored by the Florida Department of Community Affairs, to highlight hurricane mitigation products and services; and eZone, which spotlighted products which are environmentally friendly and energy efficient.

The Aurora Awards honored over 100 builders, architects and interior merchandisers for the designs of distinction and the Excel Awards saluted the efforts of top sales and marketing professionals, including Daniel Levitan, who won the John P. Hall Award for career contributions to the profession.

Custom home building creativity and innovation were on vivid display at the 2006 New Southern Home, created by builder Mark Allen of MWA Builders, architect Don Evans and residential designer Jim LaPiana of The Evans Group, and Kristin Stape of SoCo Interiors. Located in Stevens Plantation in St. Cloud, the 6,700 square foot home wowed visitors with an incredible upstairs entertainment center and kids lounge.

Vitale jump-started the SEBC with a stirring opening ceremonies presentation entitled “Living the Dream.” Vitale was a sixth-grade teacher when he decided to pursue the goals of coaching college and professional basketball. He reached those goals but went far beyond to become a sports icon and a member of seven Halls of Fame. Vitale shared the opening ceremonies spotlight with kids from the FHBA Foundation’s Future Builders of America program and a tribute to FHBA Past Second Vice President Al Singer, who passed away June 1, 2006 after a 40-year career devoted to the Florida home building industry.

FHBA’s Board of Directors selected Sarasota builder John Wiseman as its President-elect, putting him in line to succeed Tylka during the Association’s Annual Fall Conference on October 12-14, 2006 in Naples and welcomed Orlando interior merchandiser Betsy Godfrey and Bonded Builders Warranty founder Howard Head to the Florida Housing Hall of Fame for their lasting and significant contributions to the Florida home building industry.

During SEBC, FHBA’s political action leaders endorsed Charlie Crist for Governor, Tom Lee for Chief Financial Officer, Walter “Skip” Campbell for Attorney General, and Charles Bronson for Agriculture Commissioner.

Next year’s SEBC will be held July 12-14 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando.