Home Builders Can Expect Higher Demand, Study States
South Carolina’s home builders are riding out the housing industry collapse better than the rest of the nation, according to a new report from a University of South Carolina economist.

New Home Sales Rise 11 Percent In June
Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 11 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 384,000 units, according to U.S. Commerce Department numbers released recently. Coming on the heels of an upwardly revised number for May, the gain marks a third consecutive month of improved sales activity.

HBA Members Endure Amazing Race for Charity
The Home Builders Association of South Carolina donated ten children’s’ bicycles recently to Zest Quest, an Upstate-based organization dedicated to educating and inspiring children and their families to live healthier lives.

Local HBAs Win Awards of Excellence
The Third Annual Association Excellence Awards were presented before the keynote session at the state convention on Friday, July 24. The ACE Awards recognizes the best of the best South Carolina’s local HBAs. And the winners are …

New Master Builders Accepted Into Program
The Certified Master Builders of South Carolina recently accepted six new builders into the designation program.

HBASC Health Plan: Saving Members Money
The HBASC Health Plan offers plans designed to save you money. Recently an HBASC member was looking to save money and considered moving to non-HBASC health plans.

Welding Job Offers Bright Future for Project HOPE Grad
A recent graduate of the Home Builders Institute's (HBI) Project HOPE (Homebuilding Opportunities for Positive Employment), Shanda Averill said the program was “a stabilizing force in her life” after its staff members “went beyond the call of duty” and helped her find steady employment at a wage that would enable her to support herself and her son Daniel.

What the Heck is a Tweet?: Part Four in a Series of Five Articles on the Impact and Use of Social Media
I’ve heard Twitter described in many ways. Many users call it micro-blogging—sharing brief, blog-like messages (text and multimedia) with an online community. Others think of it as a kind of online cocktail party that allows users to drop in and out of conversations freely. Still more users compare it to instant messaging—without the pressure of responding immediately since no one knows when you’re online.

Boise Cascade Distributing LiteSteel™ Beam
LiteSteel Technologies America LLC has entered into a distribution agreement with Boise Cascade Building Materials Distribution. The agreement establishes Boise Cascade as a preferred distribution partner for the revolutionary LiteSteel™ beam (LSB®), and is now supplying LSB to pro-dealers and lumberyards in the eastern United States.