When it comes to new houses, “sustainable” and “energy efficient” are the latest terms for style and luxury.
Less is the new more; small the new big, according to local home builders. They will show how it all comes together at the 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes, which starts Friday in Ridgefield.
o What: The 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes.
o When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, Friday through July 25.
o Where: Green Gables West/Pioneer Canyon development at Pioneer and 45th streets in Ridgefield.
o Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for children 12 and older; free to children 12 and younger.
o Tickets and information here
Sponsored by the 800-member Clark County Building Industry Association, this year’s annual event will highlight homes that are energy efficient with lower price points and smaller footprints than were shown in the past. The event is set to run through July 25 at the Green Gables West/Pioneer Canyon development, showcasing four homes that use less electricity and water than houses built to standard building codes.
o What: The 2010 Clark County Parade of Homes.
o When: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, Friday through July 25.
o Where: Green Gables West/Pioneer Canyon development at Pioneer and 45th streets in Ridgefield.
o Cost: $15 for adults; $10 for children 12 and older; free to children 12 and younger.
o Tickets and information here
All four models feature low-flow faucets, along with appliances and fixtures that save energy, said Ryan Zygar, president of Vancouver-based Tamerack Homes, which will showcase three houses at this year’s event.
Equipped with top-of-the-line Mitsubishi ductless heat pumps, “All of these houses will probably cost less than $300 a year for heating and cooling,” Zygar said.
That alone could save the homeowner thousands of dollars a year in utility costs, said Mike Selig, program coordinator for the energy efficiency services program at the Clark County building department.
However, green-living features can also keep the homes’ inhabitants healthier, Selig said.
“The ventilators control the type of air that gets in,” keeping out noxious gases such as carbon monoxide and radon, Selig said.
That could spark new ideas among Parade of Homes visitors who attend just to pick up remodeling ideas, he said.
“There are a lot of things you can do to make a home more energy efficient and healthy to live in,” Selig said.
Mainstream green
Green-building concepts and products are becoming mainstream, following a two-year period of stagnant home sales that pushed down the cost of raw land and materials.
“It’s not as expensive as when it was first adopted,” said Jim Beriault, of Beriault Entertainment Marketing, the Parade of Homes promoter.
Savvy new-home buyers also have done their research. They know what they want, said Laura Bellcoff, marketing supervisor for New Tradition Homes. The Vancouver-based company’s answer this year will be its 1,811-square-foot parade showcase home called The Winlock.
The house features a heat pump and insulation that make it at least 55 percent more efficient than homes built to standard code specifications, Bellcoff said.
“The goal is to incorporate features that push the envelope toward net-zero energy use,” she said.
At the same time, the Winlock incorporates sustainable materials, such as flooring made from bamboo, which grows more quickly than hardwood materials. Its carpeting is made from corn silk. The Winlock also includes such bonus comforts as:
• An en suite master bedroom and bath with a pedestal tub.
• A great-room floor plan that centers spacious living and dining room space with a gourmet kitchen.
• A soaring, 15-foot-tall window-lit dormer that floods the home’s main living space with natural light, cutting back the need for electric fixture lighting.
“We wanted to show that you can be practical and still have luxurious amenities,” Bellcoff said.
Beriault said this year’s Parade of Homes models are all sized between 1,800 and 2,100 square feet and priced from $300,000 to $350,000. That’s a big difference from last year’s 3,000- to 4,000-square-foot homes in the $1 million- to $2 million price range.
“The market has changed,” Beriault said.
He acknowledged that most builders can no longer secure the financing to build the higher-priced “speculative” homes without pre-approved buyers.
“The banks are just not going to take on that kind of risk,” Beriault said.
The sense of conservation appears to be spreading among builders and buyers, now more interested than ever in the operational costs of the home.
“Everyone has embraced the new standards. That’s really the direction we’re going,” Beriault said.
