Page 4 / Sunday, June 17, 2012
Tallahassee Democrat / Real estate
Charron finds success as local home builder
With interiors that enable potential buyers to visualize their lifestyle options, the Powerhouse entry in the recent Parade of Homes produced enough sales to keep the company busy well into the future.
By Paul M. Thompson Special to HomeFinder.com weekly
The College World Series now under way in Omaha brings back some fond memories for Tallahassee Builders Association member Joey Charron of Powerhouse Construction Inc., who pitched for Tulane University on college baseball’s biggest stage in 2001. Today, he stars as one of Tallahassee’s best young home builders. For Charron, who played high school baseball in
special to HomeFinder. com Weekly
Tallahassee for legendary Maclay coach Tim Ashcroft, his freshman year at Tulane was a magical ride. The 5-foot-8, 158-pound lefthander posted a 9-2 record, won all three games in the Green Wave’s NCAA regional tournament championship run to earn tourney Most Valuable Player honors. He performed before more than 26,000 fans in Omaha, where Tulane beat Nebraska, but lost to perennial powers Stanford and Cal State Fullerton to end the season with a spectacular
Capital City Apartment Association Serving the Industries Serving You
Carly Grubbs
CCAA President
WHEN A SPECIAL IS NOT SO SPECIAL…. by Cathy L. Lucrezi, Attorney at Law
The Competitive Edge In any competition it’s good to have an edge – something that makes you stand out from the rest of the landlords. Often, that edge takes the shape of a special move-in deal or a concession. Be sure that it does not take the shape of a fair housing violation.
Married Couples If you have a move-in special for newly married couples, you are discouraging single people (which violates fair housing ordinances in several localities). For this same reason, you should charge each applicant the same application fee. There should be no “2-for-1” or reduced application fee for married couples. Innocent Looking Specials
Targeted Move-in Specials Move-in specials can violate the fair housing laws if they are targeted to limited groups. Such targeting indicates a preference for one group over another. Thus, what you think is a “deal” for one group can act as a discouragement to another.
The situation may not seem logical. For instance, a movein special aimed at families with school-age children would seem benign. After all, it certainly does not exclude families with children. However, since it shows a preference for a protected group, it could be considered a violation of the law.
Specials for Seniors
Our Recommendations
A move-in special that offers the first month free to senior citizens has the effect of discouraging families with children. That violates the federal and state Fair Housing Act’s prohibitions against familial status discrimination.
Review your specials to make sure they are fairly available to all groups. Get legal advice immediately. Give attorney Cathy Lucrezi a call at 1 800 253 8428. If you think the special might discourage someone from applying, your special won’t be so special in the long run.
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56-13 record. “The College World Series was an experience of a lifetime,” said Charron, who went on to become one of Tulane’s career leaders in pitching appearances (125), strikeouts (9.4 per nine innings), saves (28), and opponents’ batting average (.255). Today, Charron is creating beautiful experiences for Tallahassee’s homeowners. Building custom and semi-custom homes in such communities as Adrion Woods, Buckhead, Park Charleston, and Sycamore Ridge, Charron has earned him a reputation for creative designs and quality construction. He was a big winner in the TBA’s recent Parade of Homes, with a Gold Award in the $174,900-$255,000 price category for a home in Adrion Woods and a coveted Realtors Choice Award from the Tallahassee Board of Realtors. In addition, the home received a silver-level Florida Green Home certification from the Florida Green Building Coalition. “This was my fourth year in the Parade,” Charron said. “Each year, we’ve tried to improve our product and impress the judges. The awards are great, but even more important to us has been the response of the home-buying public. We sold three homes during the Parade and have contracts and prospects for some additional homes. We’re going to work hard to deliver on what we promised our customers.” Hard work may in fact be the key to Charron’s success both as a baseball player and a builder. His parents, entrepreneurs Mike and Alice Charron, were sterling role models for Joey’s solid work ethic and strong study habSee CHARRON, Page 5