2015 ‘Home and Living Show’ to promote life in the Fort Smith area

The annual Home Show presented by the Greater Fort Smith Association of Homebuilders will run from Friday, Feb. 20, through Sunday, Feb. 22, and this year, the community can expect a more active schedule to go along with increased building activities.

Stephanie Stipins, executive director for the association, said one of the biggest changes in store for 2015 is a name change to greater reflect the purpose of the three-day event. Instead of “Home Show,” it’s now “Home and Living Show,” because the association is “trying to get the community as involved as we can, and in addition to promoting residential construction, we’re trying to promote life in Fort Smith.”

The organization has picked a good year for the added emphasis as homebuilding activities have been up significantly over the same period last year. According to The City Wire’s latest building permit report, Fort Smith issued 129 residential construction permits in January valued at $6.344 million, up 37% compared to the $4.63 million in January 2013. For all of 2014, the city issued $40.73 million in permits for residential construction.

Stipins said factors like lower gas prices and an improving economy have people more comfortable with the commitment of owning a home.

“I feel like I can spend a little more money not putting so much in my gas tank, but I think people are feeling more comfortable being able to invest in a large purchase like a home, and many factors play into that,” she said. “It’s a plan — it’s a long-term plan — and I think that it’s indication that people are feeling more comfortable making a plan right now.”

Another indication that “people are ready to buy,” Stipins said, can be seen in the association’s annual Showcase Home, which is unveiled in the fall of each year.

“This house in 2014 was sold before it was finished,” Stipins explained. “Historically they sell within the first six months. This one sold before we even started telling anyone it was available. It sold in August, and it wasn’t open to the public until October, but the agreement with the buyer was they had to allow the public to view it as if it was never sold. So that is another good indication that people are looking to buy.”

The association plans to begin promoting 2015’s Showcase Home at this year’s Home and Living Show.

“It’s going to be located at the Burrows at Middleton at Howard Hill,” Stipins said of the next Showcase Home. “It will be our 27th home. We have a different builder every year. We go within our membership and request proposals from our members to be the one to provide us with that because it is a big deal. Other members provide product either at a discounted rate or comped, and so they begin promoting those products and in doing so they promote that house.”

Vendors are an important part of making the Showcase Home and the Home and Living Show successful, Stipins noted, adding that this year’s Home and Living will feature more than in year’s past with 145 booths, up from 117 in 2014, and 96 in 2013. “Less than 10” of these vendors will be banks or mortgage companies, in keeping with the theme of promoting life in Fort Smith as well as new home construction, she said.

Some of the activities at the Home and Living Show will include the following:
• LEGO contest for three age groups: 8 and under, 9-12, and 13-18;
• Find the Flamingo contest for gift cards to Pink Flamingo BBQ;
• Lowe’s Kids Build;
• Fingerprinting and carseat checks by the Fort Smith Police Department; and
• Educational seminars.

The full schedule of events as well as a listing of seminar topics and presenters for the Home and Living Show are available at this link.