It`s what W Homes is all about.

acadiana builder
W Homes
Loving Their Work and Giving Back to the Community...
It’s what W Homes is all about
2 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 3
acadiana builder
For the Acadiana Builder’s Market
September/October 2012
acadiana builder
Acadiana Builder
114 Gentry Circle
Lafayette, La 70508
337-371-7894
Acadiana Builder is published
bi-monthly at 114 Gentry Circle
Lafayette, La 70508. Subscription rates: $24 per year; $36
for 2 years; $5.00 single copy.
Advertising rates on request.
Publisher
April Becquet
Writer
Judy Deshotels
Photographer
Kerry Naquin
Graphic Design
Graham Goodyear
Printed in the USA by
Seaway Printing
Although every precaution
is taken to ensure accuracy of
published materials, Acadiana
Builder cannot be held responsible
for opinions expressed or facts
supplied by its authors. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part
without written permission is
prohibited.
W Homes
Loving Their Work and Giving Back to the Community...
It’s what W Homes is all about
7
W HOMES-Loving Their Work and Giving Back to
the Community….It’s what W Homes is all about.
8
There’s Just Something About a New Home
15
Washington Update- House Bill Would
Permanently Extend 25C Tax Credit
16
AHBA 19th Annual Doug Ashy Sr. Golf
Tournament
Professional Women in Building
Published
In
Acadiana
For information (337) 371-7894 fax: (337) 800-447-1851
or write: Acadiana Builder
114 Gentry Circle, Lafayette, LA 70508
email: [email protected]
www.acadianabuilder.com
4 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
Publisher’s Note
Do you know what makes Acadiana
Builder different from other magazines
in our area? It’s is a trade journal. It
is the only publication that reaches
the construction industry. It is mailed
directly to businesses in the industry
throughout Acadiana at no cost to
them, so we know who is receiving
it. Local builders are on the cover,
so it’s read. People not only read
it, they keep the journal and use it
as a resource. Partners of Acadiana
Builder put this magazine in your
hands and are smart enough to target
their market. Trade journals are the
best way to target your customers and
with the four-color high gloss imagery,
people are compelled to look through
it. It is the construction industry that
chooses the builders on the cover.
Through nominations, referrals and
recommendations we depend on you,
the industry, to let us know who is
worthy of the cover.
I am delighted to feature the
incoming President of AHBA, Pam
Weaver along with her husband Lee
Weaver and W Homes. Pam has been
a good friend and business associate
since 2004 when I joined AHBA. She
introduced me to Professional Women
in Building here in Lafayette and also
nationally, where we attended several
NAHB Board of Director’s meetings.
I met many of her friends from across
this great nation in our travels. Her
knowledge of the industry and her
friendship has been an inspiration!
Visit Acadiana Builder at
www.acadianabuilder.com
Enjoy,
April Becquet
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 5
Photo
Photoby
byKerry
KerryNaquin
Naquin
6 Acadiana Builder September/October 2012
Photo by Kerry Naquin
W Homes
Loving Their Work and Giving Back to the Community….
It’s what W Homes is all about.
By Judy Deshotels
W Homes, Inc., a family owned
and operated business, was
established in 2005. Lee and
Pam Weaver turned their love of
building and the knowledge they
had acquired in their previous air
conditioning business into a career
that they both love and excel at.
As owner of Lee’s Air
Conditioning for twenty –seven
years, Lee was familiar with the
ins and outs of construction. He
had seen projects in many stages
of completion, and had firsthandknowledge of the way things
should be done. He took this
knowledge plus his desire to build,
and together with Pam started W
Homes, Inc.
At the present time, W Homes
focuses on spec homes for the
first time buyer and for the empty
nester looking to downsize. They
also do remodeling work. No
matter what the job is, Lee and
Pam believe that honesty and
integrity are the foundation of
their business. They do not cut
corners and they treat people with
respect, doing the very best job
possible.
W Homes, Inc. concentrates
on building only a few houses
at a time, believing that quality
is much more important than
quantity. Lee insists on quality in
“the things you can see and the
things you can’t see.” He pays
extra attention to all of the details,
and oversees each job from start
to finish. He is on the site each
day, and is there to follow up after
the construction is complete. One
of Lee’s favorite quotes is from
Benjamin Franklin. A framed
needlework copy hangs in his
office and reads, “The bitterness
of poor quality remains long
See Page 12
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 7
There’s Just Something About
a New Home By Steven P. Hebert
Lafayette Parish has its biggest
new homebuilding year since
2007.
As previously reported, our
local real estate market has staged
a dramatic turnaround in 2012.
The new construction segment has
certainly been a part of that and
is showing even more substantial
growth.
Through August, the overall
market is up 19 percent in number
of homes sold, compared to
the same period last year. New
construction is up 28 percent for
the same period. Impressed yet?
But that’s nothing. The overall
market is up 22 percent and new
construction up 35 percent in
terms of total volume sold. Now,
that’s impressive.
New homebuyers are turning
out in droves and buying larger,
more expensive homes in big num-
bers. The average price of new
homes has risen by 6 percent this
year alone – $219,000 compared
to $207,000 last year. New homes
account for a full 32 percent of
all homes sold in Lafayette Parish
this year, and local builders are on
pace to start 1,100 new homes this
year, compared to only 912 last
year. This will easily be the biggest
new homebuilding year in Lafayette Parish since 2007. Bigger even
than 2010 – the Homebuyer Tax
Credit year that disproportionately
assisted new home sales in big
numbers.
New homes grab appeal from
a large segment of buyers in our
market today. Primarily young
buyers opt for smaller but newer
homes that are well designed with
a ton of features. As the new construction market has picked up, a
flurry of new builder competition
has set up. Looking for a way to
differentiate themselves, builders
8 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
Steven P. Hebert, COO
Coldwell Banker Pelican Real
Estate
are piling on the features to attract
buyers from the competition.
It is not uncommon to find features you would expect in $300K
to $350K homes in a $225,000
home. Granite countertops have
become the minimum standard,
and peaked ceilings, compound
crown moldings, wood floors,
dramatic lighting and plumbing
fixtures are all commonplace in
very affordable homes today. It is
also not a surprise to see outdoor
kitchens and fireplaces on rear patios as you get into the mid-$200K
range.
New homebuyers are the ones
winning this “Feature War,” and
it explains part of why new homes
are so popular. Other reasons?
That’s easy. Ever been in a brand
new home, just completed, and
finished impeccably? Depending
on your preferences, a new home
is hard to beat. Add in the fact
that everything works, is under
warranty and energy efficient, and
you can’t help but move in.
While there is a great deal of
new construction taking place in
North Lafayette (and there are
some neat infill projects and of
course River Ranch in the middle
of the city), Youngsville and
Broussard are still the location
for the majority of new home
developments. With Ambassador
Caffery Parkway being completed,
improved traffic flow and new
shopping and entertainment
venues opening up, don’t expect
this trend to stop anytime soon.
Get out and take a look at some
new construction. You may think
newer homes are smaller and sell
at a higher price per square foot,
but you’ll be surprised at how big
a 1,700-square-foot home can look
and feel with high ceilings and a
smart floor plan. It won’t take you
long to figure out why new homes
are where it’s at this year.
Steven P. Hebert, COO
Coldwell Banker Pelican
Real Estate
[email protected]
337-233-9540
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 9
10 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 11
Photos by Kerry Naquin
Continued from Page 7
after the sweetness of low price is
forgotten.”
Pam states, “Customer service
is a top priority. We are there
before, during, and after the
sale. We strive to put out the
best quality product at the most
reasonable price, and then we
stand behind all of our work.”
Lee and Pam share the work
load at “W Homes”. Pam runs
the office, and handles the interior
design and marketing. Lee
handles the contracting aspect and
is on the job site daily. He designs
the trim and the detail work,
often adding his special signature
touches – a unique mantle
design made of solid cypress and
specially designed etched glass
on the transom windows over the
patio doors. Although they view
the housing industry differently,
with Lee concentrating on the
construction and Pam on the
finishing touches, they both do
hands on work, such as painting,
ceramic tile and trim work. They
are a team, each contributing
where needed to insure the best
finished product.
When asked about specific
challenges to the industry, Pam
stated that getting houses to
appraise and finding affordable
properties were among their
concerns. They desire to
provide the very best at the most
reasonable cost to their clients.
12 Acadiana Builder September/October 2012
In addition to running the office,
being responsible for the interior
designs, and taking care of the
marketing, Pam Weaver brings
a special touch to W Homes and
to the building industry as she
represents women in building.
She has been a member of the
National Association of Home
Builders Women’s Council since
1990, as well as the state LHBA
and the Acadian Home Builders
organization. Some of her
accomplishments include: AHBA
Women’s Council Vice President
from 1993-1996 and President
from 1996-1998. She has been
the local Women’s Council
“Woman of the Year” twice. On
the National level, Pam served as
Regional Trustee for Region D
Photo by Kerry Naquin
from 2003-2007 and then NAHB
Chair in 2008.
Photo by Kerry Naquin
During the years of her
involvement Pam has been
privileged to meet women in
the industry from all over the
country. This fuels her passion
to encourage and educate those
who have chosen a career path
in building. Pam emphasizes
that women have a huge input
in the decision to buy a home.
Women in the industry have
the advantage of being able
to bring a unique perspective
to the table. She desires that
they be recognized and get the
respect that they deserve. The
construction industry is a hard
business for women to break into.
But, Pam says, “It is worth the
struggle. Women make over 90%
of the decisions when buying a
home. So, who better to know
what women want than another
woman!”
As AHBA incoming President,
Pam’s goals are to:
1) Increase membership in the
organization,
2)Promote doing business with
local vendors and suppliers
who are members of Acadian
Home Builders and
3) Educate members to promote personal growth as well as
knowledge in the construction
industry.
Pam also believes that it is vital
to give back to the community.
She has been a supporter of
“Home for the Holidays” which
is a local fundraiser that Acadian
Home Builders and KATC
sponsor that helps our community.
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 13
Photo by Kerry Naquin
It is money raised in Lafayette
that helps five different local
charities. Pam has also been
involved with “Habitat for
Humanity” and participated in a
NAHB program called “Homes
of Our Own,” in which she
presented lessons to third graders
in the Acadiana area about
building houses. Volunteering
is an important part of her life.
God has been good to her family
and so giving back is just the right
thing to do. She says, “It’s just
part of who I am.”
Recent houses by W Homes
can be seen in Southfield
Subdivision in Broussard, St.
Benedict’s in Carencro, and
Westfield Subdivision in Scott.
To contact Lee or Pam Weaver
at W Homes, Inc.
896-3468 home
962-7127 cell
Photos by Kerry Naquin
14 Acadiana Builder September/October 2012
Photos by Kerry Naquin
Washington UpdateHouse Bill Would
Permanently Extend 25C Tax Credit
NAHB-supported legislation
that would permanently renew
and improve the Existing Home
Retrofit Tax Credit (25C), which
provides consumers a tax credit
of up to $500 for the purchase
of qualifying energy-efficient
products, was introduced last week
by Reps. Jim Gerlach (R-Pa.) and
Richard Neal (D-Mass.).
Since the tax credit expired at
the end of last year, NAHB and its
coalition allies have been working
with Congress to reinstate the tax
credit and increase the $500 cap
to $1,000.
The Home Energy Savings Act
of 2012 (H.R. 6398), the bipartisan
bill introduced by House Ways
and Means Committee members
Gerlach and Neal, would
ultimately achieve this aim.
Specifically, the legislation would
extend the credit at its 2011 levels
of 10% of the installed costs with
a maximum credit for all qualified
retrofits of $500. Beginning in
2014, consumers would receive
a tax credit of up to $1,000 for
all qualifying products as well as
installation costs.
Since this tax credit provides
home owners with fixed tax
incentives for performing energy
efficiency upgrades, remodelers
often leverage 25C tax incentives
when working with clients.
Consumers know exactly how
much money they will get back,
which makes it possible for them
to weigh the costs and benefits of
purchasing a more energy efficient
product.
According to an NAHB analysis,
the 25C tax credit supported
nearly 280,000 jobs in 2009,
with nearly half of them in the
remodeling sector.
NAHB will continue to work
to extend the 25C tax credit and
other housing-related short-term
tax provisions that expired last
year.
For more information, email J.P.
Delmore at NAHB or call him at
800-368-5242 x8412.
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 15
AHBA 19 th Annual Doug Ashy Sr. Golf Tournament
Held Oct. 8, 2012 Farm d’Allie Golf Club
16 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 17
Index of Advertisers
Broker’s Givens Insurance................... 5
Design Center of Acadiana.................. 2
Doug Ashy......................................... 15
Dwight Andrus................................... 16
Eagle Pest Control.............................. 18
Maxtec.................................................. 5
Precision Stone and Granite, Inc........ 20
Sherwin Williams/TLC Painting........ 17
Teche Electric....................................... 3
Virtual Showcase............................... 19
18 Acadiana Builder September/October2012
September/October 2012 Acadiana Builder 19