The Maryland home building industry and home buyers are facing an economic and social crisis.  More than 10,000 households are forced to live outside the region in which they work.  Maryland ranks as the 4^th least affordable state nationwide, with the average cost of $375,615.00 for a new home in the Baltimore region.  High market demand coupled with a very limited supply of buildable land is the root of the crisis.  Compounding the demographic and financial challenges are local government actions, including moratoria, down zoning, under utilization of facilities, and increased fees and taxes directed at new construction.  If economic and local regulations are not challenge enough - influential state legislators are moving to add an additional layer of state land use controls and fees to be reckoned with.

The stakes are too high for the home building industry to accept a passive role in any election.    The good news is that HBAM has 1,200 member companies representing more than 100,000 employees which translates into votes.  United, the homebuilding industry can have a much greater and more visible impact on the election process.   By supporting the right candidates, we are ultimately helping shape legislation and regulations that affect the homebuilding industry on a daily basis. 

Individuals or corporations are permitted by law to contribute up to $4,000 per election cycle to any one campaign finance entity including PACs.  Individuals or corporations are also permitted to contribute a total of $10,000 per election cycle to all campaign finance entities including PACs.  The current cycle is January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2010.  If each person or company contributes, the HBAM PAC will quickly become one of the largest, most influential in the state.  By pooling our contributions with other members of the home building industry in the HBAM PAC we can leverage our political contributions.  By creating a strong HBAM PAC we stregnthen HBAM's ability to form coalitions with other building industry groups which share our goals and objectives.  By gathering enough money and friends we will become a constituency which cannot be ignored.

Please join me and become a contributor to HBAM’s PAC.  

Frank Hertsch

Morris & Ritchie Associates, Inc.

All meetings will be held at 8:30 am at the offices of

Morris & Ritchie Associates, Inc.

1220C E. Joppa Road, Suite 505

Towson, MD  21286

• Wednesday, May 7, 2008
• Wednesday, September 17, 2008
• Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Chairman - Frank Hertsch, Morris & Richie Assoc., Inc.

Treasurer -  Tim Nichols, Slavie Federal Savings Bank

HBAM Immediate Past President - Chris Rachuba, The Rachuba Group

HBAM 1st Vice President - Eliot Powell, Whitehall Development

HBAM Treasurer - Robert Lacey, Lacey Consulting

Member-At-Large - Ron Schaffel, Southern Land Co.

Member-At-Large - Linda Veach, Bob Ward Companies

Member-At-Large - Cindy McAuliffe, Grayson Homes

Member-At-Large - Steve Breeden, Security Development Corp.

Advisory Committee

Anne Arundel County PAC Chairman - Bernie Schultz, Bernie Schultz Realty

Baltimore City PAC Chairman - Richard Rubin, Neuberger, Quinn, Gielen & Rubin

Baltimore County PAC Chairman - Evan Morville, Southern Land Company

Carroll County PAC Chairman - Jim Mathias, DeMario Design Consultants

Cecil County PAC Chairman - Bill Luther, Gemcraft Homes

Harford County PAC Chairman - Tim Hopkins, Hopkins Builders

Howard County PAC Chairman - John Startt, JST Builders