VOLUME LXVI No. 4 May 2019 Dallas BA’s Industry Investors for 2019 McSAM Award winners announced The Dallas Builders Association of homebuyers, asking for feedback on has announced winners of its 40th An- everything from home design, sales nual McSAM Awards, presented April experience, customer service, com- 13 in partnership with StrucSure Home munity lifestyle and overall satisfac- Warranty. The McSAM Awards are held tion. Respondents were also asked to each spring to recognize “maximum cre- rate – on a scale from zero to 10 – how ativity in sales and marketing.” Almost likely they would be to recommend 400 entries were received this year, and a particular builder or community to winners were named in 67 categories. a friend or family member, which is Dale Hansen, WFAA’s award- considered the gold standard in cus- winning sports anchor, was the master tomer satisfaction surveying. This is of ceremonies for the awards gala at the the seventh time that Highland Homes Sheraton Dallas Hotel. has received this honor. In the industry-judged awards, Other winners in the industry- David Weekley Homes was awarded the judged categories were: McSAM Builder of the Year; Johnson • Home of the Year – Grand Whit- Development was named Developer estone by Grand Homes, designed by of the Year and Twin Creeks by Green Mary Dewalt Design Group and John Brick Partners was named Neighbor- Lively & Associates; BRIEFLY hood of the Year. Industry experts from • Luxury Home of the Year – The around the country including builders, Lilac by Ron Davis Custom Homes, Registrations are now being architects, interior designers and new designed by Covert and Associates Highland Homes is the People’s Choice Builder of the Year. accepted for the Home of the home marketing professionals judged Architectural Firm; Week, with featured homes the awards. • Builder Project Manager of the spotlighted in The Dallas Morn- Highland Homes won the presti- Year – (tie) Jeff Eberle of Trendmaker ing News, DallasBuilders.com gious People’s Choice Builder of the Homes and Travis Peebles of Drees and on social media. The Home Year honors. The Tribute by Matthews Custom Homes; and of the Week program includes Southwest was named People’s Choice homes in all stages of comple- • Marketing Professional of the tion. From conceptualization to Community of the Year. Year – (tie) Shalott Cecchini of Green on the market homes, it’s never The People’s Choice competition Brick Partners and Mary Day of Mat- been easier to promote your rewards builders and developers based thews Southwest. project for free. To enter, call on consumer voting. To identify the A complete list of winners is on Holly Pemberton at 214-624- People’s Choice winners, the Dallas page 3 of this issues. McSAM Awards 3176. BA enlists the help of a third party firm photos can be found at DallasBuilders. n n n that sends an online survey to hundreds org. The Dallas BA has teamed up with Candy’s Dirt, one of the area’s premier real estate publications, Step up to the plate to offer a new builder feature. The Association will build off of its longstanding Home of the Week article in The Dallas Morning News for Membership Drive to give builder members outstand- Building on the success of last what the Association can do for them.” ing visibility. year, the Dallas Builders Association is, Crone also points out that retaining If selected, the editorial team once again, holding a baseball-themed existing members is just as important at Candy’s Dirt will turn the re- May membership drive. for growth as recruiting new ones. “To sponses into a featured article that Thank you to Yearlong Member- make sure we lock in the gains from The Matthews Southwest team accepts the People’s Choice Community of the Year will also appear on DallasBuilders. ship Partner StrucSure Home Warranty. last year’s drive, credit will be given Award for The Tribute. com. Selected builders will also Members who recruit during the for retaining members who joined in submit five high resolution images drive will earn TRIPLE Spike credits, 2018,” he said. of recent projects. and prizes will be awarded. Help us knock it out of the park “We are thrilled to work with “This is an important time for our and sign up today by calling the As- Candy and her team,” said Dallas Association to grow,” stresses Executive sociation at 972-931-4840. Teams will BA Executive Officer Phil Crone. Officer Phil Crone. “In order to do so, meet at the Dallas BA during two-hour This a wonderful partnership for we need you to reach out to your con- segments May 15 and 16. Credit for both of us.” tacts who are not yet a part of the Dallas members recruited and retained will be Builders interested in submit- BA. Let them know why you belong and given throughout the month. ting an entry should email Holly Pemberton at Holly.Pemberton@ DallasBuilders.com. Periodicals Postage Paid at Plano, TX, and Additional Offices TX, and Periodicals Postage Paid at Plano, Earn your CGA with just four courses Are you looking to set yourself You can obtain a CGA certifica- apart from your competitors? Learn the tion with four courses, two of which builders’ language to become a better are required and two of which are your asset for them and for your employer. choice. Required courses are “Basics of Builder members often seek out asso- Building” and “Business Management ciate members who hold the Certified for Building Professionals.” Graduate Associate (CGA) certification Classes can be taken in any order. because of their knowledge level and The Association’s next two certifica- commitment to the industry. tion classes offer credit toward the Associate members who wish to CGA. They are “Marketing and Sales set themselves apart from their peers for Building Professionals” on May 23 often acquire the CGA. The CGA cur- and the two-day “Certified New Home riculum helps these professionals gain Sales Professional” course June 4 and a better understanding of the industry 5. Details on both classes can be found they serve from the best source possible: on page 4 of this issue. builders and remodelers with years of Classes are presented in partner- field experience. The CGA designation ship with StrucSure Home Warranty. affirms your level of industry knowl- Information is available from edge and your commitment to your Sheena Beaver at 972-931-4840 or professionalism in the building industry. [email protected]. Page Two THE HOME BUILDER May 2019 Spring’s Typical Regulatory Storm ... David Lehde Director of Mitigation Government Affairs It’s April and per the norm for related to tree removal, on the neighbor- this part of the calendar, the winds of hood as a whole. And the overlay would regulatory change have been swirling. mean that property owners would face home/foundation when they produce an If you have not heard by now, the requirements that were not imposed arborist’s letter. 86th Texas Legislature has been in full on them by, what was then, the very In Denton, the City Council on swing for some time. This being the recently passed revisions to the city’s April 23 adopted an updated develop- latter half of the session, the legislative landscaping and tree preservation and ment code. During the process, Dallas process is picking up pace. mitigation ordinance. BA reached out to development and A priority bill of the Dallas BA Basically, when the owners of builder members for input and sent a and Texas Association of Builders is 10 properties decide they want to put collection of comments to the city. The now past the half way mark. HB 852, further deed like restrictions on other overall view from residential develop- by Representative Justin Holland, found property owners’ trees, they can form ment sector is that the code, at least approval from the full House of Repre- a “neighborhood committee.” Then in draft form, should provide better sentatives on April 16. they go through a process of draft and predictability. The process for the de- The bill, intended to ensure that community meetings. If they get 60% velopment code ran parallel to the city’s permit and inspection fees are collected of the 50 lot, or greater, contiguous area amending of their landscaping and tree properly as prescribed by the Texas of neighborhood properties’ owners to code which was approved on March 19. Constitution, prohibits municipalities sign a petition, they get the City Plan As reported here last month, what from using the valuation or construc- Commission to hold a public hearing started as a very problematic draft tion cost of a residential dwelling to and move it forward to the City Council evolved to an ordinance that is more determine the amount. to vote for the neighborhood forest over- feasible for development to apply. Dal- The legislation also prevents the lay. The problem here is perception. las BA worked to ensure language repre- requiring of disclosure of information When someone shows up at a senting property owner protections and related to the valuation of construction homeowner’s doorstep and asks them to tree planting credits, required by state cost as a condition for obtaining a build- sign a petition to preserve the neighbor- statute (Loc. Gov. Code, Sec. 212.905) ing permit, unless required for FEMA hood’s trees, it sounds like a good idea as a result of Association advocacy in National Flood Insurance Program when the possible negative impacts of the 85th Texas Legislature (HB 7), was participation. the overlay are not brought up in the dis- included in the ordinance.