To view the photos, click here.

Here are the winners!

This year our Board of Directors has adopted a new procedure to select the coveted Butch Alfieri Associate Member of the Year Award winner.

As you probably know, in the past, nominations were culled together later in the year, as the winner is announced at our Annual Ball each December.

In order to not lose sight of the accomplishments and achievements our Associates contribute to the Association during the entire year, member of the Board name noteworthy Associates and their achievements at each month’s Board meeting. All of these named Associates will then become the pool of candidates which the Builder members will vote on near the end of the year. Besides providing recognition of these candidates at general membership meetings and soon on our website, we’ll spread the word here monthly in Sticks and Bricks.

Associate Members Nominated so far by the HBADE Board of Directors in 2013:

John Johnson, Karins and Associates Engineering - http://www.karinsengineering.com/

Mike Riemann, Becker Morgan Group (nominated twice)  http://www.beckermorgan.com/

Scott Wilcox, Esq., WhitefordTaylorPreston (nominated twice) www.wtplaw.com

Debra Young, EmpowerAbility LLC  www.empowerability.com

Joe Gordon, Joe Gordon LLC  http://greenjoegreen.com/

Jim McCulley, Watershed Eco LLC  www.WatershedEco.com

Jeff Haggerty, Grubb Lumber Company

Look here for additional Associate members nominated for service to our Association and to better our industry. Congratulations to all of our candidates!

NEW HOMES OFFER COMFORT, CONVENIENCE and COST SAVINGS

Home buyers often look for a place to better suit their family’s changing needs and modern lifestyle in the spring, and it doesn’t get any better than a newly-constructed home. During New Homes Month in April, the home building industry is sharing just some of the advantages of newly-constructed homes.

“Newly-constructed homes today can’t be beat for convenience, safety, energy-efficiency and comfort,” said Fred Fortunato, President of the Home Builders Association of Delaware. “They provide outstanding value and an investment in your family’s future.”

One very important feature of brand new homes is peace of mind for a family’s safety. A new home was constructed with the proper permits, has passed recent and thorough inspections and conforms to current building codes. There’s no worry that renovations or repairs were done by an unskilled do-it-yourselfer, wiring is old or connected incorrectly, or outdated techniques or materials were used.

New home owners won’t be surprised with repair bills for issues such as structural defects, hidden water damage, faulty appliances or more that may not have been discovered during the home inspection of an existing home. A new home is under warranty and any issues that arise or appliances that fail during the warranty term will be fixed at no cost to the home owner.

Today’s appliances, entertainment resources and home automation systems require state-of-the-art technology capabilities. New homes are outfitted with the electronic and wiring components that can accommodate high-definition televisions, full-house sound systems, hard-wired fire and security alarms and more.

New homes are always move-in ready. Home buyers can work with the builder before construction begins to select the appliances, cabinets, countertops, floor coverings, paint colors, custom features and other design elements that meet their family’s needs and tastes. There’s no need to spend time painting, tearing out unwanted features or having daily life disrupted while a contractor makes changes.

Existing homes often don’t have features that cater to modern lifestyles, such as open space floor plans, walk-in closets and pantries, creative storage solutions and conveniently-located laundry facilities—but newly-built homes do.

Finally, new homes are highly energy-efficient, which can save the home owner significant money over time and also helps the environment. New windows, doors and insulation better control the home’s interior climate, and ENERGY STAR-rated appliances and other modern components such as tankless water heaters and new HVAC systems help save costs on utility bills.

HBADE is proud to once again partner with the Delaware Sustainable Energy Utility  to provide new home buyer rebates for certified green and energy efficient homes. Builders, Realtors, Consumers, Verifiers, Raters, here is the link to our powerpoint workshop presentation in February:

2013 workshop Feb 2013 website

It’s the Builders vs the Associates in the high stakes game of bowling! Come out for a night of fun an networking while showing off your bowling skills. Cost is $35 per person.

Register now!