The good news is: The dream is back. After four years, Home Expo is back in Southern Indiana this summer.
The bad news? There really isn’t any.
That’s the estimation of Charlie Smith, CEO of the Building and Development Association of Southern Indiana (BDASI).
“The recession was a tough time for the housing industry,” Smith said. “People stopped buying. Builders stopped building. Lenders stopped lending. It was a standstill.”
In 2013, after years of putting on the annual Home Expo – a building and housing showcase of what builders could do and what was available on the market – BDASI put the event on hiatus. But, said Smith, the time is exactly right to start exhibiting homes again.
And not just homes, he said, “but what we feel are the best of the best. The crown jewels of the building industry. It’s time to dream again.”
The site of this year’s expo, which begins June 17, will be Champions Pointe, a luxury resort-style community in Memphis, Ind. The expo will feature a selection of new homes in various styles. The homes are all fully furnished and decorated. No two houses are alike. However, said Smith, they represent the very best of what today’s builders are capable of, at price points starting at $550,000.
“This,” he said, “represents what the building industry can do – and what we do best.”
Besides, he said, Champions Pointe is a glorious setting to serve as a showcase.
Representatives of these companies will be on hand to discuss how they are able to work for interested buyers. It may be buying a particular house. It may be building the same home on another plot in Champions Pointe or a similar home somewhere else.
Various suppliers – of materials, furnishings, kitchens, countertops and the like – will be on hand, as well, to explain their work on display in the show homes and all the various things they have to offer. Everything from a fully furnished kitchen to a paint color that an attendee might like.
Smith said the homes on display represent a brand-new section of Champions Pointe, a premier development situated on the beautiful backdrop of one of the resort-style golf courses designed and built by Southern Indiana’s own Fuzzy Zoeller, Masters and U.S. Open champion who won 10 PGA tour events and was the USGA golfer of the year in 1985.
The development also features amenities that include a swimming pool, best-in-class clubhouse and the area’s only private splash park. Tennis courts are coming, too.
The presenting sponsor of the event is River City Bank, which will have representatives on site to discuss today’s lending and mortgage opportunities.
Platinum sponsors include Signature Countertops and Coronado Stone.
For a full list of the sponsors involved, please visit BDASIHomeExpo.com.
“There are a lot of other home events out there, and a lot of fluff,” said Smith. “Our event has substance. That’s why we’ve waited since 2013. That’s why we feel now is the time.”
Champions Pointe is located at 1820 Champions Club Lane in Henryville, three miles west of I-65, off Exit 16 – 15 minutes from downtown Louisville.
The eight-day event begins June 17, and runs through June 25. Hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays; 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. weekdays. Admission is $10 per person.
More information is available on the association’s website, bdasihomeexpo.com.
“This is the Home Expo the way it’s intended to be,” Smith said. “The types of houses people dream about.”
The Building & Development Association of Southern Indiana is a local non-profit membership association dedicated to serving the housing industry by advancing professional growth and providing quality, affordable housing for the community. While a large portion of its membership is builders, about two-thirds of its membership is in closely related fields such as mortgage financing, building products and design. Associate memberships are available to providers of products or services to home builders. They might sell lumber, windows or appliances, or offer services such as land development or financing expertise.
There’s also a Builder Level Membership for any person whose business is the construction, remodeling or renovation of housing. In addition to Home Expo, BDASI also puts on the Parade of Homes, this year scheduled for the fall.
BDASI HOME EXPO
WHEN: June 17-25
WHERE: Champions Pointe, 1820 Champions Club Lane in Henryville
COST: $10 per person
MORE INFO: bdasihomeexpo.com