• Get out and vote August 12th in Minnesota's Primary Election. Keep reading to learn more about the candidates.
   
• The BATC Open golf tournament is almost history (dinner at 6pm). If you couldn't attend, consider supporting our BATC Foundation at their annual golf open on September 23rd.
   
• New code courses are coming to BATC-U this fall. Thanks for your interest; we've been getting lots of calls and emails. Our BATCUniversity.org website will be updated regularly, with more information coming soon!
   
• You've probably heard by now that Governor Dayton ignored the advice of experts and the majority of Minnesota residents when he signed a bill that will mandate sprinklers in new homes. Keep reading for updates.

This election matters! The primary is just one week from today. With many serious issues facing our industry in 2015, we need a governor and legislators that care about housing. We plan to continue our work to elevate the housing industry and the issues facing it as we move toward the elections. You can help us by looking into where your candidates stand and by voting next Tuesday!

• Why Should I Vote?
• Where Do I vote? 
• See My Sample Ballot

BATC met with all four GOP gubernatorial hopefuls over the last severel months to discuss the industry and to better understand each candidate's position on housing. Learn more about these candidates (in their own words) here:

Scott Honour  |  Jeff Johnson  |  Marty Seifert  |  Kurt Zellers

The city of Minneapolis is moving towards code changes that will limit the structure height of new homes. BATC successfully lobbied the city after they placed a 12-month moratorium on teardown projects back in April.  We’ve been working closely with the city since then on the proposed changes and currently support the newest draft. Click here to learn more about the proposed code changes. The city council is expected to take up the issue later in August, starting with the zoning and planning committee.

BATC is not done fighting the costly and unnecessary home sprinkler mandate. With the code released last week the issue gained the attention of several media outlets in the twin cities. WCCO TV and radio spoke with our BATC President Shawn Nelson and Executive Director David Siegel. Our message was straight-forward, if this is not repealed it will cost home owners and buyers thousands for an unnecessary mandate.

What Can You Do to Help? We need Legislators to help us repeal this mandate. Contact your legislator and tell them to support the repeal of the sprinkler mandate. Your House member is running for office – ask them where they stand on this issue and direct them to nosprinklermandatemn.org to get the facts on this unnecessary government mandate.

Recovering from the Recession:
While the recession officially ended five years ago, some cities are recovering faster than others. The chart above showcases the most recovered cities in green. Minneapolis ranks seventh. Read more >>

Millennials Buying Homes:
Of the 10 best cities for millennials to buy a home, we're #6! The share of millennial movers was 26.7% between 2010 and 2012. Read more >>

Being Delinquent on Debt:
More than a third of the country is in trouble when it comes to paying debts in time. Minnesota is no exception with a household average debt of $67,652. However, when it comes to percentage share with debt in collections, Minnesota is below the national share  by over 15 percent. Read more >>

Everyone wants to weigh in on what's keeping millennials in they're parents' basements and how long their going to stay there! The simplest solution that will end the housing standstill of 18-34 year-olds continues to point back to a lousy job market. "Jobs are the secret to getting millennials to move out of the basement," says the Washington Post.

The Star Tribune headlines that "Millennials could hold the key to the housing recovery." Since millennials represent the largest demographic group in the country, they will undoubtedly have a huge impact on housing.

When it comes to "living the dream," personal freedom is the highest priority among Americans.

Over 75% of small businesses donate to charities each year with contributions averaging about six percent of profits, according to a survey by American Express.

That's not bad, especially when the percentage of engaged customers is even higher. You see, the more you give, the more you give customers a reason to take interest in your company. Case in point:

• 85% of customers think more positively about a company when it gives to charity
• 90% of consumers want to hear about the kinds of charities a business is actually supporting

If you're looking to partner with a local charity, our BATC Foundation is a great place to start. The Foundation's latest venture, a dream bedroom make-over for five-year-old "Kate the Great" will touch your heart. This sweet little girl has already caught the attention of local media too. Read her story at swcbulletin.com >>

KARE 11 News covered the hiring crisis of the construction industry last week citing a big need for workers in the commercial building business, though the problem is widespread across residential construction too. The average age for an worker in our industry is 47 years-old, so reaching out to student groups and trade schools is more important than ever before.

If you know any young people who might be interested in the industry, let them know about Dunwoody's upcoming Fall Career Fair on September 11th from 9am-12noon.

The two largest online real estate sites are merging in a $3.5 billion stock-for-stock merge. So what do you think? Will real estate brokers flock to this new online colossus? RealtyTrac answers this question; read it here >>

If you're taking the time to blog, post, tweet or share, use these five tips to ensure that people are reading what you're sharing! Brandpoint offers five strategies that will improve your social sharing:

1. Tailor posts to match the media
   Every social network works a little differently. Tailor your message to match the social platform you're using.
2. Share at optimal times
   Find out the specific times that your users are most likely to engage with trial and error.
3. Post content more than once
   You can boost traffic and reach more people when you post well-performing content more than once.
4. Perform A/B testing
   Craft your message differently to see if certain language or strategies work better with your audience.
5. Ask your audience for feedback
   Engage your audience. Ask them questions, get their feedback and encourage comments.

August 12
Primary Election
August 14
Member Orientation [Contact Deb]
September 9
Sponsorship Luncheon [register]
September 23
BATC Foundation Golf Open [Register]
October 2014-June 2015
BATC-U Lead Recertification [register]
October 7
BATC Clay Shoot [Register]
October 11
Builders' Warehouse Sale [Contact Perri]
October 23
BIG Night [more info]
November 4
Election Day - VOTE
November 13
Member Orientation
November 13
Give to the Max Day
November 18
BATC BE Fast Forward Showroom Mixer [register]
December 4
BATC Buck Auction & Holiday Food Drive [more info]

For a complete list of events, visit our website at WWW.BATC.ORG.