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Home Builders reminisce about 25 years of building

Members of the Home Builders Association of Midwest

Georgia celebrated the organization's 25th annversary at a recent

meeting at Whitewater Country Club.

The association's past presidents were saluted. Past

association presidents Jerry Tedder, Bob Dixon, Gene Barber and

Randy Hayes participated in a discussion about how the home building

industry and the association have changed over 25 years.

Tedder remembered the association held its first meetings

at the Holiday Inn in Newnan and that the Metro South

association sponsored the group. Pointing out that "many of the same faces

I saw then are still here," he noted, "We wanted fulltime,

active builders as our members, and we anted quality members."

Tedder said the association has een valuable in promoting

the building industry and in keeping members updated on such

matters as legislation, legal issues and zoning, while providing

educational opportunities and aids to personal and professional

development.

"The association still works on the same issues now as it

did then," he said. "However, now there are some new issues,

including the environment and traffic."

Dixon, another charter member of the organization,

discussed how home prices had increased over the years.

"The first house I sold was in 965, and it was a 1,600 sq.ft,

split level with a price of $19,500, including the lot. It was

financed with a 25-year loan with an intetest of 4.25 percent."In

1971, the price in Dix-Leeon subdivision for a 2,400 sq.ft. home

with a full basement on an acre lt was in the $70,000-$80.000

range. Today, I paid over $100,000 for just a lot in Peachtree City."

Randy Hayes, talked about the organization's present and future.

"Locally, we have to become smarter business people,

build better products and be more sensitive to the community."

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