I am happy to report that our Parade of Homes was a wonderful success. A big THANK YOU to committee chair Jason Carothers and his dedicated committee that included Robbie Johnson, Rachel White, Lauren Patterson and Gary Garner, as well as our TABA staff. 

Given the challenges of our economy and the downturn in the housing market, our association boldly decided to move forward with the Parade of Homes while other associations across the state have canceled or delayed theirs.  We budgeted conservatively and are pleased to report that everyone stepped up to make this event not only a financial success, but also a success with our builders, subcontractors, suppliers, sponsors and our attendees.  

Although the number of homes entered was down from previous years, the quality, amenities showcased and presentation of the homes was superior.  We sincerely appreciate the commitment from our parade builders who agreed to open their homes to the public for additional days and extended hours.  The best news is that several of the homes SOLD during the parade! 

Thanks to Gary Garner and his Temple Telegram staff, the parade magazine was first class.  The Friday evening viewing hours seemed to be a success with our attendees and our builders. In addition, the Parade Party at Dead Fish Grill was well attended and a huge success.  I am proud of the way our members have continued to support our association and go the extra mile to insure that our TABA events are successful.

Our TABA Golf Tournament is set for May 15 at Sammons Golf Course.  This event is always great fun so get your teams together and sign up to play.  It does not matter what your handicap is…serious golfer or novice… it is more about enjoying the day off.  We invite you to sign-up, show-up, turn your cell phones off and enjoy a beautiful day with your friends and business associates.  If you haven’t signed up to be a $100 hole sponsor, it is not too late.  Contact Cheryl for more information.

We are pleased to welcome three new members to our association:  Billy Martone of AM Construction, Chris Kauffman of Silver Creek Cast Stone and Rob Warren of Eco-Tex Insulation.  We invite and encourage these new members to join us in upcoming events and ask our TABA members to welcome the newest members of our organization.

As I was wrapping up this message for our newsletter, I read a report on CNNMoney.com by Les Christie which asked the question, “Is the housing meltdown ending?”  The article reports that the Pending Home Sales Index from the National Realtors Association showed a 3.2% gain in home sales (contracts written) for March across the US.  It went on to say that the Southern region of the US saw pending sales 7.7% higher than a year ago. This may indicate that buyers realize that this is a great time to buy.  In addition, the increase in sales may be related to the $8,000 tax credit for first- time buyers. 

I look for every opportunity I can to find positive signs that our economy may be coming out of the storm.  If you want to feel even better about the growth of our Texas economy, google Texaplex and watch the video.  It was done by David Winans and is entitled, “TEXAS… A perfect storm of opportunity and growth.”   The best news is that we live and do business in this triangular region where 4 out of 5 of the 24 million Texans reside.  Winans cited forecasts that by 2030 an additional 14 million people will reside in this triangular region known as the Texaplex. 

I'll close with a note to our builder members:   On Thursday, May 21st at 11:30 am Boise Cascade will host a free builder lunch at TABA to discuss code and environmental issues as they relate to some of their products.  Not only will our builder members receive a free lunch, they'll also get a free hour of training credit from the TRCC from attending this event.  Please join us for a free lunch and some valuable information.

Chris Alexander

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