Florida Green Homes

8:30 am on a Saturday is way too early for me to want to be outdoors... These weekend mornings should be lazy, with a few cups of good coffee waking me up slowly to a day with no plans. This Saturday though couldn't be helped. It was Arbor Day in Palm Coast, and we had a nifty tent and table graciously provided to all "green" businesses and organizations free of charge.

Pulling into the packed vendor parking in Palm Coast's Town Center where the event was schedule to begin in a half hour I noticed with some surprise a very long and winding line heading to the City of Palm Coast Tree Tent - the main attraction of the event. I would have never guest this many Palm Coasters were early risers on Saturday.

Sweetbay Magnolias, Silver Bells and a half dozen or so of other trees were being given away to residents free of charge, as has become the habit in this city every year. The trees and their bearers were gleaming in the early morning light. Everyone seemed thrilled to be granted a gorgeous tree for their yard, and equipped with planting instructions, folks stuck around for some worthwhile exhibits and entertainment.

One of my favorites was a tent belonging to Whitney Marine Science Labs. There were horseshoe crabs, and sponges and starfish and some other sea life that I couldn't identify. Kids got their hands wet, happily, for a chance to touch the underbellies of these creatures.

A few tents down, there was a butterfly farm stand, belonging to a family from Melrose. Today, they brought the Monarchs, but they pride themselves on raising native species, so as to avert any possibility of them going extinct. Someday soon, I am taking the family to visit the actual farm, and say hello the fabulous folks who run it.

At almost exactly noon, a full box of these butterflies was released, mostly by little kids. I was one of the few lucky adults who got to hold on to a butterfly long enough for its wings to warm up so it could fly home, wherever that might be.

All in all, it was a great day to be outdoors, in gorgeous Central Park in Palm Coast, and it was awesome to see and chat with so many people who were into the greener way of life.

Glad we were asked to be a part of it, and look forward to next year.

Florida Green Homes, LLC is a builder of certified Green Homes in Palm Coast, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona Metro Areas. We only build Earth Friendly People Friendly Homes. Our homes start at 112,9K on your lot, and superior Green construction and energy efficiency come standard.
Visit our site at www.MyFloridaGreenHome.com

Green vs. Green

Let's say you are looking for a green home, so you hit the net and on any given day end up with 4 million pages of Google with all things "green home" related. You scroll through builders' websites, catching the words "green", "energy-efficient" and "eco-friendly" in every paragraph; you see pictures of living spaces, all bright and airy and designed to give you that warm and fuzzy feeling of comfort. At the end of the day, how do you, the consumer, choose the builder of your new green home, with so many builders essentially presenting the same info, the same buzz-words, and making essentially the same promises of comfort, durability and energy savings?

My recommendation would be to peel the layers of pretty photos, and take a peek beneath the paint to discover the various shades of green and find the one perfect for you.

For some builders Green means using post-consumer materials throughout the home. For example, a frame home that uses recycled wood products in construction can, indeed, be called Green - after all no trees had to be cut to produce it, and it is certainly one example of sustainable building practices. It is Earth-Friendly, and should definitely be encouraged wherever possible. On the downside, this construction method alone will not result in an energy-efficient, durable and storm resistant structure. By adding spray foam insulation to these homes, their efficiency will improve somewhat, however there are still the issues of indoor air quality, termite protection, and overall durability and comfort of the structure.

One of the best ways to determine potential energy-efficiency of a home is to know the R Value. Briefly, the R value is used to determine how well the home will stand up to temperature variations. The bigger the number, the better insulated, and more energy efficient the home is. For example, standard frame construction walls generally carry an R value of 13. Standard concrete block walls can boast R value in the low 20s, if insulated. By comparison, our walls, built with reinforced ICFs have an R-value of 47. Ask your prospective builders what the R-value of the insulation and materials used in the construction of your home will be, and choose accordingly. One way to understand what the R-value of the home means to you is to look at it in terms of difference in temperature in various spaces in your home. For example, during the hottest months in Florida, the temperature in the attic or crawl space in traditionally constructed homes can be up to 20 degrees higher than in the rest of the home. ICF homes with Icynene roof insulation usually result in only a 2-degree difference. This has much more of an effect on your utility bills and energy utilization than any number of EnergyStar appliances could give you, saving the consumer up to 70% on energy costs.

Another useful parameter to keep in mind is uncontrolled air infiltration. Air leakage can account for 40% of wasted energy in a home, so it is important to ask your prospective builder how air-tight their homes are. Please note that while some spray foam insulations do result in a tighter building envelope, used alone even the best insulation will not prevent air leakage. Talk to your builder about the methods they use to seal the home's envelope. With proper controlled ventilation, tighter structures provide better indoor air quality, while keeping dust, pollen and other pollutants safely at bay.

Lastly, with so many green options now available, it is now easier than ever to locate green building and home improvement resources in any area. Do some research and ask relevant questions before you commit to a contract. Some builders, who specialize in building Green Homes, do not charge any more than those using more traditional construction methods, so cost is not always an issue. EnergyStar appliances, dual flush toilets and recycled carpets are easier to identify as Green than all that science that goes into walls, roofs and foundations, but at the end of the day, it's all about the basics of how your home is built. Of course, most responsible Green Builders won't put in inefficient lights, appliances and plumbing anyway, but that's a subject for another day.

Florida Green Homes, LLC is a builder of certified Green Homes in Palm Coast, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona Metro Areas. We only build Earth Friendly People Friendly Homes. Our homes start at 112,9K on your lot, and superior Green construction and energy efficiency come standard.
Visit our site at www.MyFloridaGreenHome.com

Take heart, fellow Green builders, realtors and marketers. After 3 weeks of Flagler Palm Coast Parade of Homes the numbers are in - and Green is apparently Hot. Our green model at 76 Eric Drive in Palm Coast not only got the recognition of our peers in the building industry by garnering the Grand Award - it got a lot more consumer traffic than most other homes that were featured in this year's parade, and about twice as many people as our other green model received last year. Of course some of these people were in the "just looking" category. I'll even say, quite possibly, most of them were - but their curiosity was definitely an indication of better things to come for green builders, at least in our area.

The level of consumer knowledge about green construction was also significantly up from last year's, and more questions were pointed to the economics of green living than to the choice of tiles or particulars of architectural detailing. It is encouraging, to say the least, to actually watch consumers enthusiastic about these homes for all the right reasons. After all, the choice of tiles, wall colors or even the overall layout of one's dream home can all be changed at the stroke of a pen - the proverbial brick and mortar, the actual construction of the home cannot... and for the first time in my career, consumers are actively evaluating the "brick and mortar" the builders use.

For the curious ones who asked, here are some pics of the inside of this model home:

BTW: This home is currently on the market for $549K, with a lease back option. Contact us for details:-)

So if any Green Builders out there are struggling, write a few blogs, talk about the advantages of Green Homes, and the consumers will, indeed, find you, because by all indications - they are actively looking at Green Options from the ground up.

Green is, indeed, red hot to those who matter most - our customers. Here is to our Green Future - Now.

Here are just some of the visitor comments from the recent Parade Visitors...

Toby Tobin - a real estate pundit, gotoby.com: "This is the Future!!!"

Lawrence & Bettie Junsell, Jax, FL: " This green concept is fabulous. I think this is the going trend. I would very much like to have a house like this one!"

Iolanta & John Smith, LA, CA: "This is the house of the future. Everybody will get homes like this, and we are going to get one in the nearest future!"

Bonnie McDonald: "Beautifully built home. Very impressed!"

Alva & Deslin Jackson, Stewartsville, NJ: " Beautifully constructed home! We Love It!!!"

J. Thomas, NJ: "Model at 76 Eric Drive in Cypress Knoll is very beautiful from the foundation to the furnishings. Energy efficient and everything is just perfect. Keep up the good work, especially in times like these!"

Sal Chiro, General Manager 100 Plus Realty: "Best construction I have seen in Palm Coast in the last nine years!"

Florida Green Homes, LLC is a builder of certified Green Homes in Palm Coast, Jacksonville, St. Augustine and Daytona Metro Areas. We only build Earth Friendly People Friendly Homes. Our homes start at 112,9K on your lot, and superior Green construction and energy efficiency come standard.
Visit our site at www.MyFloridaGreenHome.com

Last night at the Flagler Parade of Homes Awards Dinner our Birchwood Plus model took home the coveted Grand Award, in addition to a Green Award. For years the perception among local builders, realtors and consumers has been that Green Homes are either decidedly unattractive or cost too much for most people to be able to afford one. It seems this tide is now changing, and this GRAND Award should serve as but one validation to all builders of Green Homes that it is possible to build Green Homes that are beautiful and affordable at the same time.

The winning home is located at 76 Eric Drive in Palm Coast, Florida. The base price for the model is $315,900 for this 3,200 living-square-foot home. Certified Green by the Florida Green Builders Coalition, FPL BuildSmart, Florida WaterStar, EnergyStar and Florida Friendly Yards and Neighborhoods - this home is a Green fortress, capable of withstanding hurricane winds of up to 200 miles per hour. The model is full of exquisite architectural details and designer upgrades, but its the unseen beauty of superior steel-reinforced ICF construction and Icynene foam roof Insulation that make this home not only truly Green, but comfortable through and through. In this home, there is virtually no dust. There are no termites, mold, pollen or any other common inconveniences that most people in warm climates have to struggle with - just quiet, comfortable space for the home's rightful occupants - humans.

We are thrilled that our efforts have been acknowledged by industry peers, and that it seems more and more homes in the area are at the very least going to be offering Green upgrades in the months and years to come. We are hoping that the city of Palm Coast follows in the footsteps of DeLand and Deltona in Volusia County and encourages builders and consumers to go Greener by offering incentives. After all, construction is still our main industry and it only makes sense to lower its negative environmental impact, and just maybe, fighting for new development here will eventually stop being so difficult.

If you are looking to build a home in the Norht East Florida, consider building Green First, whether you choose to build with us or someone else - Green is simply better.
Visit us at: www.myfloridagreenhome.com

Flagler's Annual Parade of Homes kicks off on February 28th. If you are looking for a home builder to build your dream home, this is by far your best opportunity to find the one matching your needs, budget and style.

Florida Green Homes Birchwood Plus model is this year's only Certified Green home, featured in the Parade of Homes. Stop by our Palm Coast Model, located at 76 Eric Drive (off of East Hampton Drive) any day between February 28th and March 15th and take a tour. New home consultants will be on hand to answer any questions you may have about our unique construction process and the many details that go into making a home not only truly Green, but comfortable through and through.

The judging took place on February 20th, and we wish all the homebuilders who entered the best of luck! For the first time, the Flagler County Home Builders Association included a Best Green Home in the list of categories. We hope that they choose to continue this tradition. We are thrilled to be a part of the change for the better, and sincerely hope that other builders in the area realize that building Green is not only the right thing to do for the environemt, but makes for better homes! And contrary to what many believe, building Green doesn't not always cost the consumer more money, especially if you take into consideration significant savings in home maintenance bills. For example, our Floridian Green Collection homes start at $89.67 per square foot, which is comparable to what other builders in the area charge for traditional construction. But even if you choose to build with a builder who charges more to build GREEN - it is still worth the additional investment.

So mark your calendars and come out to the Parade. In these tough economic times simple words of encouragement can make a tremendous difference for the local home builders. They have put in untold amount of time, money and effort getting their models ready for the Parade of Homes - so if all you can do is stop by and say hello - they will all appreciate the thought.

For more information on the Flagler County Parade of Homes,
visit the Flagler County Home Builders Assoc.

For more information on Florida Green Homes visit our site: www.myfloridagreenhome.com