By Dave Ongie, News Editor
According to an old English proverb, “Necessity is the mother of invention.”
That is certainly the case for Builders’ Brand, a new publication from the Johnson City Area Home Builders Association. Will Crumley said an increase in the volume of phone calls to the JCAHBA, the Chamber of Commerce and the individual members of the JCAHBA seeking recommendations on reliable professionals to complete a litany of home-related construction and renovation projects led to the creation of Builders’ Brand magazine.
In the past, the JCAHBA has done a print product that has traditionally served as a companion to the association’s Showcase of Homes event. This year, the decision was made to retool the magazine to serve as a one-stop shop for folks looking for reputable professionals to complete home-related projects. and home construction.
“We said, ‘What if we took that magazine and made it not just for this Showcase of Homes, but made it a guidebook for people interested in building a new home, remodeling their home or looking for a place to build a home – a community or development,” Crumley said. “It’s supposed to be a guidebook that provides a resource for people to find somebody to do that work, somebody reputable.”
In much the same way, the Showcase of Homes has also changed form this year out of necessity. Obviously the COVID-19 pandemic altered the traditional format of the showcase, but a booming housing market also played a role.
“We’re not even promoting it as the Showcase because builders were so busy and selling houses so quickly that we had trouble getting enough houses lined up to do a traditional Showcase of Homes,” Crumley said. “Throw COVID in the mix, and all of a sudden, we were only looking at having a few houses.”
Instead, the Showcase is taking on more of an open-house format with two custom houses featured. The two homes will be open to the public with contractors on hand to answer questions about the houses.
“It should be fun and give folks a glimpse into the latest housing trends and what’s on the market and what could be built for you,” Crumley said. “It should be a neat experience.”
The event will take place from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Oct. 25. The addresses of the two homes and other up-to-date information can be found at www.jcahba.org. Preregistration is not necessary, but Crumley said those who do attend will need to take the necessary precautions to avoid the spread of COVID-19.
“They’ll definitely need to abide by the rules established by the governor, the county mayor and the city as far as COVID protection,” Crumley said.
You can download the 2020 Builders’ Brand magazine here.
