B. Sheppard Consulting » Useful Info

Atlanta Green Building Council June Event A Great Success

betsy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:10:24 +0000

The Atlanta Green Building Council’s June event was a terrific success. The event held at Villa Christina welcomed nationally aclaimed speaker Sarah Susanka, author of a series of books including “The Not So Big House” and “The Not So Big Life”. Over 100 guests enjoyed the event and a book signing. The Atlanta Green Building Council of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Assocation brings together those in the housing industry who participate in the planning, building, remodeling, marketing and selling of high performance green homes and related products and services.

If you are interested in joining the council, please visit the council’s website at http://www.atlantahomebuilders.com/councils/greencouncilmain.cfm.

If you are interested in learning more about Sarah Susanka, please visit www.notsobig.com and www.notsobighouse.com.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Atlanta Green Building Council June Event A Great Success

House OKs extension of tax credit closing deadline

betsy — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:08:03 +0000

In a 409-5 vote, House lawmakers have passed a standalone bill that would extend for three month Wednesday’s deadline for closing on a home purchase in order to claim the federal homebuyer tax credit. The Senate could vote on the bill, HR 5623 as soon as tomorrow.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

House OKs extension of tax credit closing deadline

Keeping a Positive Attitude

betsy — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 20:14:36 +0000

One habit I found to be very effective in keeping a positive attitude is to continue to learn and educate yourself on things related to your career and things of interest to you. I use my time while driving to t or on business trips to listen to CD’s that inform, enlighten and entertain. My car has become a library on wheels.

Try it! Some great folks to follow are Jim Rohn www.jimrohn.com; John Maxwell - www.johnmaxwell.com; www.Successmagazine.com;, Zig Ziglar – www.ziglar.com; and Brian Tracy -http://briantracyintl.com

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Keeping a Positive Attitude

Welcome 2010!

betsy — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 19:57:24 +0000

B. Sheppard Consulting is proud to celebrate the coming of 2010 and our 11^th year of serving our clients, our industry, our vendors and our supporters. We apprecitate our talented team of strategic thinkers, graphic designers, creative writers and awesome web specialists who help us help our clients. We are grateful for everyone who has contributed to BSC’s success and our clients’ sucesses. We look forward to a wonderful 2010 of helping our clients meet and exceed their goals.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Welcome 2010!

New Year, New Pricing at The Landings

admin — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:03:14 +0000

The Landings at Night Harbor is ringing in the New Year with New Pricing and New Construction near Lake Murray’s beautiful shore.

Check out the Fairfield for $235,500; the Lexington for $218,000; the Saluda for $223,000; and the Saluda with 3 baths for $225,500. Also look for three additional homes to be ready for move-in by the Tax Credit deadline…details coming soon.

Known as the area’s water playground, Lake Murray presents The Landings at Night Harbor residents with endless possibilities such as boating, swimming, camping, fishing and numerous other outdoor activities. Visit the website for more information.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

New Year, New Pricing at The Landings

Congress Approved Extension of Tax Credit

betsy — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:56:57 +0000

Next step, President Obama’s signature!

The NAHB (National Association of Home Builders) released the following announcement today . . .

In a major victory for NAHB that will boost the fledgling housing recovery and help struggling business owners nationwide, Congress today approved legislation that will extend the first-time home buyer tax credit beyond its Nov. 30 deadline and expand it to a wider group of home buyers.

The legislation, which will be signed into law shortly by President Obama, will extend the $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers for sales contracts entered into by April 30, 2010 and closed by June 30. Further, it has been expanded to include a new $6,500 credit for owners of existing homes who are purchasing a new primary residence. An existing home owner can claim the $6,500 tax credit if they have been residing in their primary residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight.

In more good news, the income eligibility limits to claim the full credit amount for both groups of home buyers have been raised from $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

NAHB’s consumer oriented web site, federalhousingtaxcredit.com will provide complete details on the enhanced home buyer tax credit after the bill is signed into law by the President.

More details on the passing of the legislation can be found on the Washington Business Journal website. It’s a great time to buy a home!

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Congress Approved Extension of Tax Credit

BSC Launches New Website for Moore Station Village

admin — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:17:17 +0000

B. Sheppard Consulting is proud to announce the launching of a new website for Moore Station Village – Dublin, Georgia’s first multi-generational new home community. Designed to compliment the community’s carefully crafted sales materials, the new website provides a beautiful introduction to how the neighborhood lives. According to Betsy Sheppard: “We wanted to showcase the outstanding collection of on-site photographs that the client provided of both the community and the available homes. Our web specialists created user-friendly photo galleries and virtual tours for viewers to enjoy as well as a rotating series of images on the home page. Each section of the site speaks to the unique qualities of Southern hospitality and quality craftsmanship.”

Moore Station Village provides an array of amenities for residents of all ages. Not only does Moore Station Village boast an outstanding collection of Certified Energy Star homes, smart homeowners will also love the Easy Living Home features that meet certification standards set by AARP and the Georgia Home Builders Association.

Moore Station Village is proud to be located in the heart of an award-winning city. The American Association of Retirement Communities has awarded Dublin, GA with the state’s first AARC Seal of Approval award. The AARC Seal of Approval (SOA) program was established to recognize communities that possess the resources and amenities to attract today’s relocating retiree. Towns, municipalities and master-planned developments are assessed based on criteria such as: community support, quality of life, available healthcare, transportation, housing, educational opportunities, recreational amenities, cultural, civic and economic vitality and much more.

To learn more about AARC and this prestigious award, visit the AARC website.

To learn more about Moore Station Village visit www.moorestationvillage.com

To request a website review and assessment by the BSC team contact betsy@bsheppardconsutling.com

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

BSC Launches New Website for Moore Station Village

Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Launches Green Building Council

betsy — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:56:19 +0000

Acknowledging the importance of environmental stewardship in the built environment, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (HBA) has created a Green Building Council, which will hold its first meeting on Sept. 24 in conjunction with the HBA’s Fall General Membership Meeting. The group will serve as a forum for discussion and as a resource for education and information. “Our goal is to take the lead on issues such as the promotion of certified green building and mastering the art of best practices,” says Green Building Council Chair Lawson Calhoun, owner of Calhoun Properties. “We plan to boost knowledge and awareness within the homebuilding, home buying and home selling communities then leverage those into action.” The council will promote practices and standards with proven environmental benefits and will help make the business case for greener home building.

Visit Atlanta HBA’s website for details.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association Launches Green Building Council

A little Good News goes a long way…

admin — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:14:12 +0000

Sometimes all it takes is a little positive encouragement. When stories of gloom and doom dominate the headlines, stories of good news are often overlooked. Recently, B. Sheppard Consulting was asked to write a success story highlighting the achievements of one of their clients in the housing industry. The National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) asked B. Sheppard Consulting to draft a success story for their 50+ online newsletter. Thrilled to share some words of encouragement, B. Sheppard Consulting President, Betsy Sheppard and Copywriter, Karla Zientowski collaborated on a piece highlighting the unparalleled sales success of Saluda River Club, an innovative mixed-development community located in Lexington, SC. According to Ann Marie Moriarty, Director of Communications for Multifamily and 50+ Housing at the NAHB, “The story was the most fun to work with….the photos were great, the copy was clean – your folks were so responsive to my last minute request for more photos – a good experience all around. Thank you!”

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

A little Good News goes a long way…

More Help for First-Time Homebuyers

admin — Fri, 15 May 2009 19:37:12 +0000

First-time homebuyers now have even more incentive to buy, as HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan announced Tuesday a plan that allows first-time buyers using FHA loans to apply the $8,000 federal first-time buyer tax credit to their down payment.

The plan would allow homebuyers to monetize the tax credit as they would be able to apply the funds toward making their down payment.

The exact details have yet to be publicly announced, but the new policy seems to provide benefits to the housing market.

First, the announcement solidifies HUD’s position regarding state finance agencies that are currently practicing this policy. While a few states had already initiated this practice, there are other states that had been waiting for more information and clarification before instituting such a policy.

Second, the new policy should act as a catalyst for housing sales by allowing first-time buyers with FHA loans to use the federal credit to cover part of their closing costs, rather than waiting several months for a tax return.

More information can be found on the National Council of State Housing Agencies’ website: www.ncsha.org/section.cfm/3/34/2920.

Post from: B. Sheppard Consulting

More Help for First-Time Homebuyers