Letter from Executive Director Jim Hilz

The tents are down, the grass is starting to grow back in the parking lot, and the portable-potties have been hauled away. Oh, and some new homeowners are moving in to their Parade homes at the Village at Hannah Farms. That’s right, the 2008 BIA Parade of Homes has officially wound down.

But if you’re like me, your brain may still be ticking through the thousands of ideas you saw in the homes. “Which house had that great tile backsplash?” “I know there was a really nice water feature in one of the yards.” “I loved the mural in the nursery; maybe we could add something like that? I wonder which house it was in?”

Don’t worry. We’ve added a new feature to the www.BIAparade.com Web site that will keep the ideas alive. We’ve gathered a couple dozen photos from each and every one of the homes. In these photos you’ll hopefully be reminded of the ideas you found during your visit to the Parade. Who knows, you might even see some things you missed. You can view the photos by visiting the site and clicking on the “pictures” tab.

In addition to the photos, we’re working with the builders to provide details about the products used throughout each home. From paint colors to appliance manufacturers, tile names and colors to building materials, we’re working to provide information that will help you take your favorite ideas and add them to your own home.

While you’re on the www.BIAparade.com site, you might notice that we’ve announced the location of the 2009 BIA Parade of Homes. We’re looking forward to a great event at Tartan Ridge, developed by Edwards Land Company. The site is located in the City of Dublin near Glacier Ridge Metro Park off of Hyland-Croy Road and will include more than 40 percent of dedicated parkland.

We’ll be updating the Parade blog and Web site frequently, so while you’re sifting through the photos for the 2008 Parade, don’t forget to check in with the progress on the 2009 Parade at Tartan Ridge.