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Green Building Saves Money and Supports Lofty U.S. Goals
The estimated 81 million commercial and residential buildings in the United States account for two-fifths of all the energy used in the country and are major contributors to carbon dioxide emissions, acid rain and smog, according to the Progressive Policy Institute. One way to cut back on national energy use and pollution is to adopt "green building" practices, such as including solar power sources, using recycled materials and generally employing more environmentally friendly building techniques. While the popular conception is that green buildings are more costly and take longer to build, a study conducted by the California State and Consumer Services Agency reveals that the long-term savings in terms of energy, water and waste disposal outweigh the 2% more it costs to build green. LPA Inc., a California architectural firm, recently designed a new Toyota Motor Sales facility near Los Angeles that received a gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. President of LPA Dan Heinfeld maintains that "projects can be sustainable and constructed on standard, cost-efficient budgets." Therefore, by becoming knowledgeable about new construction techniques, architects and builders can save both money and energy by building green. (www.duluthnews.com)
Duluth News-Tribune (07/14/04) Peirce, Neal
Tract Builders Push Financial Incentives to Move Homes
Now that interest rates are on the rise, builders are expanding the incentives they extend to new-home buyers. Some offer closing-cost assistance through in-house mortgage firms or preferred lenders, which usually means that the lender covers the cost of the title insurance policy. Often, a builder will provide such benefits as prepaid taxes and insurance to help defray closing costs. Others are working with first-time buyers to establish budgets or offering upgraded countertops, flooring and other items. Builders might even shave as much as $10,000 off the sales price, but many frown upon this practice because it hurts the value of nearby resale properties. However, these incentives are not available for all new homes. Builders generally limit them to spec or inventory units that have been languishing on the market for 60 days or more. (www.sanantonio.bcentral.com)
San Antonio Business Journal (07/12/04) Sanchez, Sandra Lowe
Renovating by Moonlight
Home owners are expected to spend 5% more on remodeling projects than they did in 2003, hitting $224 billion by the end of this year. Skyrocketing property prices have made remodeling even more popular as a growing number of home owners choose to stay put. As a result, contractors are in such high demand that many clients are willing to pay double to have work done after normal business hours — either starting before dawn or lasting well into the night. However, off-hours construction could violate city and town noise ordinances or home owners association rules — although the latter sometimes allow early-morning or late-night projects if permission from nearby residents is obtained. Violations could come with fines or prison time, but lax enforcement in many locales has allowed the practice to continue. While neighbors in some areas file noise complaints, contractors say most keep to themselves because of their own plans to remodel. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (07/16/04) P. W8; Jeffrey, Nancy Ann; Fletcher, June
Condos Unfurl Red Carpet for Pets
The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that pet owners will fork out $34.3 billion this year on their furry friends, and some residential developers in South Florida are taking note. A handful of local condominium developers are appealing to pet owners by including such animal-oriented amenities as pet walks and grooming areas. "It was a niche in the marketplace that was currently being ignored," notes David Reich of Triad Housing Partners LLC, which developed the pet-friendly Duo condo project in Hallandale Beach. "It has clearly helped in our sales effort." Newer condo projects catering to buyers with animal companions include The Symphony, which is now being built in Fort Lauderdale. (www.sun-sentinel.com)
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel (07/12/04) P. 3; Friedman, Robyn A.
The Roof Overhead
According to roof installer David Kidd, Kansas City is one of the largest wood shingle markets in the United States. But in recent years, area cities have enacted ordinances to prevent home owners associations from forcing residents to replace roofs with wood shingles, largely due to the fact that such structures present a fire hazard. Thanks to technological advances, alternative fiberglass-reinforced asphalt shingles now come in a variety of styles and colors and offer durability and fire-retardation. Whereas the typical wood roof needs replacing at least every 20 years and requires regular maintenance due to bug infestation and weather-related erosion, asphalt shingles come with warranties that last up to 50 years and have the top Class A rating in fire resistance from the American Society for Testing and Materials, compared to stand-alone wood's typical Class C that offers only slight protection against fires. Other alternatives include tiles made from concrete, clay and even steel. (www.kansascity.com)
Kansas City Star (07/11/04) P. D1; Pepitone, Mary G.
Builders Curb Home Buyers' Quick-Sell Plans
The Related Group of Florida, KB Home, Standard Pacific and Shea Homes are among the residential builders instituting polices to stop speculative buying — primarily in Arizona, California, Virginia and other red-hot markets. Real-estate investors have been reaping substantial profits through the practice known as flipping, which involves the rapid purchase and resale of new dwellings before construction is completed. Speculative buying in the late 1980s left many builders with a glut of unsold units, forcing some to fold. "When you're selling a lot of homes to investors, it gives you a false view of the market," notes Shea Homes sales and marketing executive JoAnne Anderson. Builders are exercising more caution during this building cycle, hoping to ward off rapid price declines sparked by investors who quickly unload properties when the market weakens. Both KB Home and Standard Pacific now require buyers to commit to living in the home they purchase for at least one year. Miami-based Related, meanwhile, forces buyers to disclose contracts for units in other projects built by the company before approving the sale. Between October 2003 and April 2004, the number of homes purchased and sold within six months in Fort Worth, TX; Harrisburg, PA; and Chicago surged 83%, 66% and 54%, respectively, compared to the previous six-month period. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (07/14/04) P. B1; Kim, Queena Sook
Care and Patience Make Old House New
Home owners today spend about $176 billion a year on renovations to make older dwellings meet their needs. Experts urge them to proceed slowly and do a lot of research before undertaking a remodeling project. That means making a list of areas that need minor tweaking or substantial repair and researching the home and its architectural style to ensure that the changes will complement the original design. Some even suggest that home owners hold off on renovations until they have lived in the property and know how the spaces will be used. Home owners also should take care when selecting an architect and contractor, keeping in mind that they will have to work together for a period of many months or even a year or more. Making sure the changes comply with local building codes is another necessity. Experts underscore the importance of staying within a budget, noting that home owners often can spruce up their dwellings with minor, low-cost alterations rather than a full-blown renovation. Given that homes can be bulldozed for about $10,000-$15,000, some builders recommend starting from scratch if the renovations will prove to be cost-prohibitive. (www.washtimes.com)
Washington Times (07/09/04) P. F1; Rauschart, Lisa
Great Big Green Monster Mansions
Green building involves the use of environmentally friendly materials; the reduction of construction waste; and the implementation of technologies that aim to conserve energy, water and other resources. Despite the popularity of green construction, experts say home buyers continue to demand larger living spaces. In fact, the average home size has climbed from 1,100 square feet five decades ago to 2,150 sq. ft. today — even as household size has shrunk. Many super-sized dwellings are touted as green structures because they boast solar power systems, radiant floor heating, harvested wood and other eco-friendly features. Some experts view this as a contradiction, however, considering that larger homes consume more materials, more energy and more hot water than smaller abodes. To the contrary, a number of green builders contend that home owners can use more energy and water as long as their homes are equipped with energy- and water-saving systems. Though smaller green homes are popular among young families and others in need of low-cost housing, some are hesitant to make the purchase because buyer preferences for larger houses could hinder resale value. Lending rules requiring the value of a property to exceed land value to a certain extent and zoning regulations that dictate lot size also play a role in the American hunger for monster homes. (www.salon.com)
Salon.com (07/07/04) Baker, Linda
Homes That Make House Calls
According to Massachusetts Institute of Technology researcher Kent Larson, smart homes that employ sensors to monitor the health of their occupants could become a reality over the next few years. These dwellings could include large numbers on appliances for sight-impaired home owners, easy-to-turn knobs and handles for those with arthritis, accessible storage spaces and sensors that measure the home owner's pulse and other vital signs. Larson says researchers are even working on devices that monitor television use, among other things, and urge home owners to exercise instead. Before smart homes can take off, Larson believes builders must be willing to design homes to meet the specific needs of their owners; already, some builders are shifting toward customized house designs. The concept of the smart home is gaining even more popularity as electronics manufacturers look to build innovative products and the health-care industry grapples with escalating costs. The technologies should be affordable to home owners. They will likely pay low monthly fees for some services; and some devices could feed off the processing power of cell phones, microwaves and computers. (www.businessweek.com)
Business Week (07/08/04) Kharif, Olga
The Greener the Better
While NAHB formulates its voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines, some developers already have introduced green construction into their upscale projects. WCI Communities, for instance, has included energy-saving features, non-toxic carpeting and paints, and devices to improve air quality in residential developments in Palm Beach Gardens and Venice, FL. The company also completed its second green model home in April. "People don't realize that they have a choice [about what goes into their home], and we are beginning to make these choices a basic," remarks WCI's stewardship director Karen Childress. More than 40% of the respondents to a recent poll by the Florida Energy Extension Service, the University of Florida and WCI said they would shell out an additional 10% for environmentally friendly features. (www.uniquehomes.com)
Unique Homes (07/04) Vol. 33, No. 4, P. 14; Giegerich, Arielle Egan
Verizon Wireless Courts Businesses With PDA Phone
Verizon Wireless is courting business customers by offering palmOne's Treo 600 PDA for $450-$500 after rebates. The device features a built-in keyboard, cell phone and e-mail functions. Sprint also sells hand-held devices, and Motorola will soon provide flip phones with built-in keyboards. Research In Motion's Blackberry PDA remains the most popular hand-held; and while it offers phone capabilities, some users prefer more compact devices. (www.wsj.com)
Wall Street Journal (07/13/04) P. D5; Drucker, Jesse
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