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HERE for our full University of Housing Brochure! Builder Assessment Review
(BAR)
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SIGN UP NOW! ----- Builder Assessment Review (BAR) – The BAR exam is the required first step in obtaining your Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) designation. This three hour, 120 question multiple-choice assessment measures your knowledge in the four core areas of building business management: Building Technology; Business and Finance; Project Management, and Sales and Marketing. BAR is mandatory for anyone working towards the CGB designation*. The BAR results determine the course of study for CGB candidates and are available approximately three weeks after completing the exam. Once the specified courses are complete, candidates are qualified to graduate. *Candidates who completed their first course prior to Jan. 1, 2003 are not required to complete the BAR and must complete nine CGB approved courses to obtain the designation. Building Technology: Systems & Interior Finishes - This course will help you identify the codes and requirements affecting the design and installation of mechanical and interior finish systems. Special emphasis is given to the terms and elements used, as well as the factors that determine selection and installation techniques. Business Management for Building Professionals – Whether you are starting a new business or want to improve your current business, this course can provide you with a variety of essential “tools” for your business management toolbox. This course discusses the components of a business plan; defining and staffing your business; performance tools for managing and monitoring administration, sales, and production, and strategies for managing common challenges experienced in startup businesses. Certified New Home Sales Professional – Master the craft of successful selling. This professional-level course is designed for specialists in new home sales. You will gain a broad understanding of the home building business, discuss consumer psychology and learn the advanced techniques used by real estate veterans for greeting, closing and overcoming objections. Customer Service – Make your business grow by keeping your clients happy during and after the sale. This course teaches you how to manage every phase of customer interaction from the initial contact through construction, the warranty period, and beyond. Success in home building requires more than skill with sticks and bricks, It requires people skills as well. Keep your customers satisfied with planning, execution, and follow-up of your projects and they’ll be spreading good news about you and your building company for a long time to come. Design/Build - If you’ve ever considered running a design/build operation, this is your opportunity to assess the challenges and pitfalls ahead. When well managed, a full-service building or remodeling business can pocket more profits while maximizing customer satisfaction. Learn how the few and the bold have benefited from implementing a design/build strategy. Design/Build Solutions for Aging & Accessibility - Formerly Home Modifications. The rapid growth of the older adult population of the United States is a huge opportunity for remodelers. As this consumer group expands, more and more are interested in remodeling their home to fit their new lifestyle and abilities. This Certified Aging-in-Place (CAPS) course will help you understand the guidelines and requirements of accessibility, the importance of doing an assessment with input from occupational and physical therapists as well as qualified health care professionals, and the significance of good design in making modifications that can transform a house into a safe, attractive, and comfortable home for life. As a graduate of this course, you will: Describe the home ownership market as it relates to the three segments of the Aging in Place market Consider contractual and legal concerns for building professionals providing design solutions to the Aging in Place client Perform a needs assessment to identify and prioritize the needs, wants, and wishes of the Aging in Place client Recommend specific design solutions for the Aging in Place client Estimate and schedule the Aging in Place project while regarding special considerations Identify considerations for executing the job while the client is in residence. Diversification: Capitalizing on New Business Opportunities – Are you interested in diversifying your business to explore new, profitable opportunities? This one-day course for building professionals examines over twenty-five different opportunities to expand a business into new areas of the construction industry. Students will complete a Diversification Profile to explore their own diversification potential and identify the opportunities that are most desirable for them. They will learn about: the pros and cons of different opportunities, factors that can affect one’s success in diversification, and due diligence steps to take when preparing to diversify. Estimating for Builders and Remodelers – Estimating is one of the most important tasks for any builder or remodeler. This course will help participants understand how to use the estimate as a powerful management tool. Topics include: quantity takeoff of various materials found in residential construction; labor and equipment productivity; and subcontractor bids. Participants will learn how to develop a bid that includes insurance, labor burden and profit. Financial Management – In this course, students will learn how to use strategic planning, budgeting, cash flow forecasts, ratio analysis, income statements, break-even analysis, variance analysis, and reporting systems to improve operations and to increase profits. Green Building for Building Professionals - This course for building professionals discusses strategies for incorporating green-building principles into homes without driving up the cost of construction. Students will learn how green homes provide buyers with better value, lower energy costs, lower maintenance, better indoor air quality and better long-term value. Techniques are also discussed for competitively differentiating your home products with increased indoor environmental quality as well as energy and resource efficiency. Land Acquisition and Development Finance – No development can succeed without the right match of site, plan, and market. Finance is the invisible infrastructure without which no earth is ever turned, no concrete ever poured, no frame ever hammered. This course demonstrates how developers assess markets, acquire land, and devise site plans that are most likely to attract financing on optimal terms. Marketing & Communications Strategies for Aging & Accessibility - Millions of Americans are living longer and more active lives. And with their changing lifestyles, older Americans are also looking to revitalize their home environments. Identifying these opportunities and developing the skills to interact with 50+ customers can help you grow your business dramatically. Learn best practices in communicating and interacting with this exciting and evolving population, and take advantage of one of the fastest growing market segments in remodeling and related industries. As a graduate of this course, you will be able to: • Explain the three segments within the Aging-in-Place market that present business opportunities for building professionals. • Implement a process for promoting new opportunities for products and services in the Aging-in-Place market. • Enhance your sales process with effective techniques for the Aging-in-Place market. Negotiating Skills – What can help you improve your relationships with customers, resolve problems in less time with less effort, and keep conflicts out of the hands of costly attorneys? Negotiating skills! This course is designed to give you negotiating techniques for reaching mutually acceptable agreements with customers and others. You can use these negotiating techniques to improve your business’s profitability through more cost-effective problem resolution and better management of your customer relationships, resulting in increased customer satisfaction, return business and referrals. Professional Remodelers Experience Profile (PREP) - The PREP exam is the required first step in obtaining your Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) designation. This three hour, 130 question multiple-choice assessment measures your knowledge in the five core areas of remodeling business management: Marketing and Sales; Business Administration; Design, Estimating & Job Costing; Contracts, Liability & Risk Management, and Project Management. PREP is mandatory for anyone working towards the CGR designation. The PREP results determine the course of study for CGR candidates and are available approximately three weeks after completing the exam. Once the specified courses are complete, candidates are qualified to graduate. Profitable Business through Quality Practices – Do your customers feel that they are getting their money’s worth? Get ahead of the competition by understanding what “quality” means to your customers in order to better meet their expectations and increase repeat business. In this one-day course, you will learn key strategies for creating value and providing a quality building/remodeling experience for your homeowners. Topics include meeting the quality challenge with customers, with competitors, and within your company. This is a “must” for the builder or remodeler who is ready to take his/her company to the next level. Project Management - (formerly On-Site Project Management and Off-Site Project Management) Develop the skills you need for successful on or off-site production operations management. This hands-on course covers the three phases of a successful venture: planning, implementation and evaluation. Owners, project managers, superintendents, sales managers and anyone involved in the pre-construction and construction process will benefit from this introductory course. As a graduate of this course, you will be able to: • Explain the basics of successful project management. • Execute the pre-construction project management functions and responsibilities. • Implement the tools available for efficient project management. • Manage trade contractors effectively. • Perform project management duties during the project. • Complete the duties and responsibilities of post-project management. Recognizing the Big-Four Safety Hazards for the Home Building Industry - Four common hazards cause 90% of the injuries and fatalities on residential construction jobsites. This course will show you how to comply with OSHA regulations and to recognize and minimize those hazards most likely to cause accidents. You’ll protect your workers from harm and yourself from liability. Also available in Spanish. Risk Management & Insurance for Building Professionals – Has your liability coverage become more challenging to obtain, more expensive and restrictive? In the current liability insurance crisis, residential and commercial builders, developers, and remodelers can use risk management strategies to reduce construction risks and other exposures. This course is designed to give you an overview of strategies you can implement in your business for avoiding risks, minimizing risks, transferring risks and where possible, buying insurance and making claims. Sections on applying and shopping for liability insurance, managing risk in contracts with subcontractors, and first-party property insurance are also included. This course is not intended to take the place of legal counsel. Sales and Marketing – In this course, builders learn how to analyze a market for the purpose of promoting building projects. The primary sources of market information are identified, as well as how to effectively obtain and interpret data from these sources for use in developing effective marketing plans. Cost-of-doing-business ratios are explained in detail. Scheduling – Ever miss a deadline? What did it cost your bottom line? Don’t let it happen again. Keep your projects running smoothly by learning how to set workable schedules. Get comfortable with the latest tools for information and time management. Discover the most effective responses to unexpected problems. This course will help builders, remodelers, and site managers deal with those days when nothing goes according to plan. |
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