HAROLD

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Everything
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oldis
Markethas
l heartbeat
f t seems like an awfully
I long time ago when build-
L ers were increasing the
rices of their homes i-nre-
ronse to market demand.
At Forest Creek near par-
sh, that's exactly what is
rppening now. The $122,000
'ice-tag that was making
.adline_s just three weei, ago
gone. Bring an extra $13,00b
you want one ofthose cute
)ttagesin the Caf6 Collection.
With 25 contracts in hand
tcr just 2l days ofsales, pat
-'al felt a price hike was justi-
:d. Prices now start at
t5,000.
Ycs, it is possible to snooze ,M.
tl lose, even in this market. if S 1!i

"We knew that we would

'cive a warm welcome from
: buyers, but we had no idea
tt these homes would be
s popular - and the traffic
ntinues,"said Neal.
Jccauseof the "economic
pact for the company and
suppliers,prices have
rcased since the introducto-
rricc offering," according to
rnn()uncementreleasedbv
rl (lommunities Thursdan'
'lrc company expects
to
,lrrconstruction on those 25
n(.ss(x)ll,with the move-in
y i r r 2 ( XX).
lr'; r l( lrrrrrn rrrril
it ' slr ls
(irl t r l r t v (
tnc c()mrnunitics of Wurd-
brook, Fairfield and River
Sound.
And there are more signs of
life in the building business:
I Lots of construction is
going on at Bay Street Village
& Towncenter, a mixed-use
development in Osprey.
I The Citrus Square condo-
miniums are taking shape on
Orange Avenue just north of
Fruitville Road in downtown
Sarasota.
I Builders are still opening
model homes. Eight models
are open in Country Club
East, the ne'v!'estvillage in
Lakewood Ranch. A grand
opening - remember those?
- will be held from noon to 5
p.m. Sunday, during the annu-
al Art at the Ranch weekend
on Main Street, off Lakewood
Ranch Boulevard. Country
Club East is farther east, off
Lorraine Road, which you can
reach from State Road 70 or
University Parkway.
But signs of the slump re-
main. If you've been up Inter-
state 4 at U.S. 27,youmay
have noticed the huge lot at
Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers. It's
packed with bulldozers, front-
loaders and other construc-
tion equipment - must be
more than a thousand units.
The industry would rather
not see those machines sitting
idle.
Formorerealestatecommentary,
goonline
to heraldtribune.com/
realestatetoday.
: The Ameri
0gy
;r--{;,.,r
B yN l C l l 0LE
L.nl E l fl lett and Rhett: Its boxy structure design options. Construction a
CORRESPONT )INI bears the strict symmetry of the design methods both impleme:
/ RLANI t( ) '- The 2008 period. Columns line the two-sto- ed green items and systems.
[ | N"* A rrr, r ican Home is as ry porticos in the rear and front, Now that the IBS show is ov
\-,/ refrt'slrrrrl . :,sa mint julep a cupola rises like a beacon, its the 6,725-square-foot,two-stor
on a humid Arrliustnight. shutters function, and the porch- house, built by the National
The offici;rl,lir;pl;1y house of es beckon with rocking chairs. Association of Home Builders
the Internatiorr.rI lirrildersShow, Leaning more toward the (NAHB) to demonstrate trendr
held here l:rslrrr,'rrtir,the struc- Federalist style, it does contain in home design and technologl
ture featurcst l;r'sit'Southern elements of Greek Revival, both is available at $5 million. The
architecturt':rs:ur lroulageto the of which are part of the planta- National Council of the Housir
Louisiana and M i',sis:iippihous- tion-style architecture Sater Industry (NCHI)/Leading Supp
es lost to Hurrir';rrrt'Katrina.and mimicked. Compared to Flori- ers of NAHB co-sponsoredthe
is even greencr irr Pcrfsrmanaa da's pervasive Mediterranean construction of the show homc
thzurthe 2007 vt'r'sion. revival, Modern revival and along with Builder magazine.
As if from tht'p,rgcsof "Gone cracker houses. it's a welcome Interiors are by Robb & Stucky
with the Wind," tlrt' house change. Its floor plan includes two
COUBTESY
PHOTOS F, WIL5JON evokes a plantat io rr l'eeling, r.yith
/ JA|VIFS Frankly, The New American master suites, two bedrooms
T0P:
TheNewAmerican Homewasbuiltfor antebellum-ins1'ri11 1|design by Home gives a damn about the withbaths, two laundry areas
Dan F. Sater,prcsirlt'rrtof.Naples- environment. too. The first struc- and abonus room. Two doublc
February's
International
BuildersShowin
based Sater Desigrrt lollection. ture certified by the NAHB's car garages flank the motor
Orlando. While many honr..':;destroyed new National Green Building court. Instead ofleading direct
AB0VE: intotheden,thekitchen
Looking features by Katrina were morl-rst in size, Program, it demonstrates the into the house, allowing car
greenappliances.
high-end this house does n<lt lirreeo the ease,inevitability and invisibility
grandnessreminisct'rrt Jf S."r- of eco-friendly building and SEENEI/tl
ON1

t2G I SATURDAY,
MARCH15,2008I HEMLD-TRIBUNE
2008NewAmerican andgreen
Homeistraditional,
NEW
FROM - I G
fumes to enter, the garages
accessthe house via loggias.
Two upstairs rooms bear
Romeo andJuliet .-'or should
we say Rhett and Scarlett? -
balconies facing the front of
the house. The back side fea-
tures a spa, pool, shower and
viewing decks adorned with
fi ligreed, wrought-iron banis-
ters. Most rooms face the rear
of the house, giving them
views of Lake Nona just be-
yond the property.
The house is on a half-acre
lot in Waters Edge, a gated,
ll-lot private golf and country
club community still under
development.
Style
The H-shaped floorplan
was designed in clusters,
basedonhowhomeowners
actually live, rather than apply- it to a verifier. It's a pretty
ing a seemingly prescriptive
program.
"We live in certain events.
When you walk into the front
of the home, there is the formal
area- the formal diningroom
and the formal living room -
becausethere, you receive
guests.Then you have the
casual cluster. because as a
tamily, we spend most of our
time in the informal dining area to the attic, which is not air-.
and outdoor space," said Sater. conditioned, but is blocked off
Flanking the first-story's
formal cluster are a master
suite, study and laundry room
on one side, and a guest suite,
complete with its own kitchen
and breakfast bar, on thc oth-
er. The casturlcltrstcrc'ontrtitrs ' l ' h :rll r:rrrs l :rl ci strto rt cool cr
b;rr,
I l.rcl<itcht'n,lrrt';rl<lirsl
T
"Ir-'
certification by the Florida Star appliances. The buildersimplemented irrigation systemwas installed.
It sensesmoisture levels.distin-
Green Building Coalition and Universal-designelements xeriscapingwit[ live oaks,
the U.S. Department of Ener- include sliding, handheldshow- magnoliaand dwarf hollies, guishesbetween hard- and
gy's Building America pro- er headsand a rainshowerhead which require lessirrigation softscaping,and allows for
gram. It is estimated that the in one ormore bathrooms.The Their placement on the site different watering schedules.
house will use 62 percent less sliding shower headsare usefi.rl shadesthe house from the sun. Thesefeaturesostensibly
energy for heating and cooling for tall and short people,as Usingpine needlesasmulch reduce the amount ofwater
and 57 percent less energy for well asthosewith infirmities. helpedearnmore green needed.Finally,the landscape PHOTO
COURTESY / JAMES
\
water heating than a tradition- The elevator allows agingin points. And though someex- haslow-voltage lighting.
place or the housingof multi- perts all but reject them for poolareaoverl
Thedramatic
ally constructed house of its
size. The house also demon- ple generations. their inaccuracy,an automated lnformation:
www.TNAH.com. LakeNona.
strates the standards ofthe
NAHB's new green-certifica-
tion program, which was de-
signed to be simple and inex-
pensive in an effort to encour-
age homeowners and builders
MnJl(ir$uite
to "go greener" with residen- ri'?'I iir.zi:
tial design, construction and
interiors. ,' ,' '.' ,1 i
"It's really not that difficult,"
I ;vrnfl
said Charles Robertson, presi- tli fr r ri-9
dent of Robertson Builders, ir{Il li:: lirrtir' l
l
the home's builder. "We spent
two hours on the computer,
doing our own test, then gave
I l-]intno
self-explanatory experience." ' r{'l xrito'
Wxnr,ow O
Cnmsn
i:r !ll ll''(: li
Robertson said his company
has worked closely with the
School of Building Construc- FreeLivingr Gated
Maintenance Feeso LowHOAFees
Communityr NoC,DD
tion at the University of Flori-
da, learning that it is impera-
tive to keep a home's envelope
Wnoxe / rromnsnn Ss
tight. Robertson first em- AvnrraBrn
Fon IuuruATT OccuPANcY
ployed air-comb block con-
crete, increasing the R-value NOW=$zgg,goo
of the walls; Thenthey moved t 1,832LlvtrrgSquareFootage r Tile Backsplashin Kitchen Si}ite ft ?
I t -$ " x t 2 ' 4
e GreenBullt (krrtified . GEAppliancePackage tt.0 c !1.
o 18" Tileorr l)iagonalin Uving& Dining r GESecuritySystem
to prevent the A,/C fromhav- r BriarwoorlM:rPleKitchenCabinets . GEStructuredWiring Package
ing to cool it. The sealed attic o Cambrla(JurrrlzKilr:hen Countertops o 10 yearStructuralWaranty
eliminates the intrusion of
moisture-laden air, reducing
the likelihood of rust and
mold, and tempers thc space.
;rtti r' t.rr:rb
, l i rrg
Il rt.:ri r l r:rtrtl l crs
 -
r_<_da-ry IFEIE
lirrnral cluster are a master
suite, study and laundry room
()n one side, and a guest suite,
complete with its ownkitchen
;rrrdbreakfastbar. on the oth-
t'r.'l'he casualcluster contains
t lrc kitchen, breakfast bar,
lrrt'akfast nook, another living
r,,,rm,and a walk-through
lrrrtler'spantry. The outside
space,which fully equipped to
the point of having a fireplace
rrn al fresco kitchen, bar and
seating area, comprises an
external extension ofthe clus-
ter. A wall of sliders connects
I hc indoor and outdoor areas.
Upstairs, he placed what he
r::rllsa "club room." He did so
otrt of recognition that the
t Irrater,/mediarooms built
irrto floor plans over the past
livc ycars have gone out of
l:rshion ahnost as quickly as
- | lrt'y t::rrncir-r.
Construction
'I lrr'Irorrrt"s most maiestic
rrrlt'r'iolrrrt'hilt'clur;rlelement,
, r . r r1 x rl ;r,
t,rrl l r nc c st he f or m al with salt, not chlorine.
r'lrrslr.r':rrrtlrrrczz:lnine with
n;rlrrr':rl liglrt.lt alsoworks as a
Itlitlgt' bctwccn green construc- house.
tiorr :rnclgtxil design Green-
tk'sign cxpcrts recognize that a the house in case we had a
rrrlnsion, especially one with
twrrstory ceilings, is only a
"light shade of green" - in
other words, it may be built
w ith resource-conserving meth- insects.
or-lsand materials, but also its
shcer size uses more resources solar tube. These function like
lhan necessaryto simply shel-
tcr the occupants. The cupola
functions as a passive cooling
system: By drawing hot air up
and out, it decreasesdemand
on the home's air-conditioning
syst('m.
T'he cupola is one example
of what helped the house earn ter heaters, water-conserving
:rn l,)ncrgyStar rating, and
@
I SUNDA Y Mar c h 1 6 , 3 : 3 0 - 5 : 3 0
('A S A l ) l r l . S ( ) 1 .
|
a Al rt' M,rr!.lll.'. Av-
Z-ililiifftrirTilfiiple ffifihTtifitnatr I . 0i tlnrctried Ttrtng Packag,e
ing to cool it.'I'he sealedattic r C'ambriaQuartzKitchenCountertops . l0 year Structural Warranty
eliminates the intrusion of
moisture-laden air, reducing
the likelihood of rust and Floorplanfor
mold, and tempers the space. referenceonly.
That translates into a cooler
attic, enabling the air handlers F---
t
and ductwork to operate more ' t) l i l |( ;L l t i l r l Ft;
effi ciently. High-effi ciency
,
heating/ventilation/air-condi-
ffinronNnnooK
RnvINESO
/ SL**J
tioningbystems were placed
in a zoned configuration.
Icynene insulation, a spray-
on foam that doesn't off-gas
t.", J
r In AwaLrd-Mnning
o NearFxcellent
Master-Plarured
Communityof lakewoodRanch
& GreatShoppingc Closeto 3 GolfCourses
Schools
gr r s ti
harmful vapors and reduces ' "' l
leakage of air and moisture,
was used in the attic. The i
AltixtvclsiY,$ f x{u,nyssrca
45
house's siding incorporates a AverLABrn
Fon InnmnorArr
OccupANcy
water-resistant, energy-effi -
cient barrier with a small car-
bon footprint that provides
r{o\YssEE,TO$
o 4 Bedroom,4 Bathroom,znd StoryRetreat, . UpgradedGEAppliances
impact resistance. Finally, the Study,OutdoorLivingArea,Pool,3 CatGtage, r CambriaQuartzKitchenCountertops
structure's skeleton has pre- 3,044tiving SquareFootage r 7 V4" CrownMouldingi1 KitchenandGatheringRoom
fabricated floor trusses that r LakeHomesiteo TileRoof r
UpgradedCarpetin Bedrooms, Retreat,an4Study
reduce lumber waste and
tightly iie together the roof,
walls and foundation. This
creates a wind-resistant house. Floorplan for
The spa and pool is cleaned referenceonly
-1
Locally milled cypress was
used amply throughout the
Rvn \ffrrnnRNnss Esrerns
dJ
ilF-st
"We sprayed all the wood in
problem down the road," Rob-
c Oversized
HalfAcreHomesites
withFulllandscape
Package
ertson said. The "spray" was o NoCDDFeesr low HOAFees
Bora-care, a product aimed at r NeartheManatee
River,
IakeManatee Park,andRyeMlderness
State Presene
stopping termites and other
One bathroom features a
Suptptnnpotrwn
Gnmo OpnrurNc
Spncul . INCTUDEs
Stexnmo Homnsrrn
a skylight by reflecting sun-
light through a tube in the
ceiling and into the house,
NOw $4gg,5oo
r Tile Roof r FullApplancePackage
signifi cantly reducing the . o
CourtloadOversize 3 Catguage OversizeFloorllle
amount of artificid lighting . o
$3l,oooPoolPackzge 3 Valk-in Closesin Mast€rSuite
needed. . Upgraded Cabinets I 5 CeilingFans Floorplanfor
Others green elements in-
! Cambriaor level-l GraniteXitchenCountertopsr 8-FootHighDoorsThroughout referenceonly.
clude zoned tankless gas wa- o TileBackrylashin l(tchen r PlanModificationsAvailable
plumbing fixtures, and Energy
I
I
I
llulldlng ln l,nhtwood