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Welcome to the Athens Area Home Builders Association

The Athens Area Home Builders Association is a non-profit professional trade association made up of member companies, representing residential and light commercial builders, subcontractors, suppliers, and many other service providers to the building industry throughout Athens-Clarke, Elbert, Franklin, Hart, Madison, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Stephens, and Walton Counties. Together we are the foundation for the local home-building industry - building pride in our community through interaction, commitment, professionalism, education, community service, and environmental responsibility.

RSS NAHB Now

  • Indiana Students Explore Career Paths Beyond a Four-Year Degree
    The Builders Association of Elkhart County (Ind.) connects local students with hands‑on construction experiences that open their eyes to career paths beyond a four‑year degree.
  • Home Building Shows Signs of Stabilization with Monthly Gain in Starts
    Overall housing starts increased 10.8% in March to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5 million units, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Census Bureau.
  • NAHB Applauds HUD and USDA Action to Roll Back Costly Energy Mandate
    NAHB Chairman Bill Owens issued the following statement after the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) announcement today to rescind the rule that would impose the 2021 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and ASHRAE 90.1-2019 as the minimum energy-efficiency standards for certain single-family and multifamily housing programs.
  • Shrinking Share of Tradesmen in the Construction Workforce
    The American construction labor force is continuing its momentum away from construction trades and towards management, business and technical roles, according to NAHB’s analysis of the latest 2024 data from the American Community Survey (ACS).
  • U.S. Customs Announces First Phase to Apply for Tariff Refunds
    The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a new landing page for “International Emergency Economic Powers (IEEPA) Duty Refunds,” rolling out a process for seeking recoupment of IEEPA tariffs. Only importers of record and authorized customs brokers can apply for tariff refunds, and many questions regarding refunds remain unanswered.

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New Members

RSS Eye On Housing

  • Powell’s Chair Ends but He Keeps His Board Seat
    The April meeting of the Fed’s monetary policy committee featured a lot of institutional news for a month in which the Fed kept monetary policy unchanged. The outlook for the economy and monetary policy remains unclear due to geopolitical turbulence and domestic policy uncertainty. This headline risk is delaying additional Fed monetary policy easing, likely […]
  • Home Building Shows Signs of Stabilization with Monthly Gain in Starts
    Housing construction activity strengthened in March, with a notable rebound in both single-family and multifamily starts, signaling improved builder activity despite ongoing headwinds from financing costs and affordability constraints. While the monthly gain points to renewed momentum, year-to-date trends remain mixed, particularly in the single-family sector, and permit activity suggests some caution moving forward. Overall […]
  • Homeownership Rate Edges Down to 65.3% 
    The latest homeownership rate declined to 65.3% in the first quarter of 2026, according to the Census’s Housing Vacancy Survey (HVS). While this was a modest quarterly decrease, the broader picture continues to reflect significant affordability challenges. With mortgage interest rates remaining elevated, and housing supply still tight, housing affordability is at a multidecade low. […]
  • The Silver Tsunami Isn’t Landing Where It’s Needed Most
    The “silver tsunami” refers to the wave of housing inventory expected as older homeowners downsize or transition out of their homes. According to the latest American Community Survey, there are an estimated 61.2 million people in the U.S. aged 65 years or older, representing about 18% of the population. This cohort, which includes the Boomer […]
  • State-Level Employment Situation: February 2026
    February’s labor market data point to a notable pullback in employment, with job losses concentrated across a majority of states and only modest gains elsewhere. While January showed solid momentum, February’s decline reflects emerging softness in hiring conditions, alongside uneven performance across the country. In February, nonfarm payroll employment increased in 14 states compared to […]