by Miranda G. McLeod
Staff Writer
It’s been two years since the program has been underway, six months since its official launch, and it was the topic at this month’s Sales and Marketing Council of the Northeast Florida Builders Association’s monthly breakfast.
It’s the Green Built Homes of Florida program — a collaboration between JEA and NEFBA — and its aim is to promote the use of energy and water efficient building practices in new single-family homes constructed in North Florida.
As the nation watches the real estate market fluctuate, Realtors and builders are finding ways to continue to sell homes. Bruce Doueck of JEA, gave a brief overview of the Green Built program, and gave Realtors talking points on promoting homes that are Green Built.
Green building results in lower insurance costs for builders/developers and homeowners, as well as a positive cash flow within the home and higher resale values. Green building provides higher comfort because of temperature control, said Doueck, and can help homeowners with their health because of the control of moisture and pollutants. He said green building adds to the durability of a home with the longevity of building materials that could reduce fading and the method has a positive impact on the environment by reducing the impact from home energy and water.
Doueck also said green building can help homeowners attain a lower mortgage.
“JEA is going to the marketplace. It would behoove you to be informed when they ask. It’s an important product to sell,” said Doueck to the Realtors.
Living in a Green Built home could save homeowners an average of $40 or more a month on utilities; more that $480 annually. Less additional mortgage costs, that’s a net savings of more than $300 a year, according to Doueck.
“(Green Built) is a lower cost of ownership,” he said.
Doueck mentioned several builders already using the Green Built method, including Beazer Homes who “leaped out” in the market. There are seven builders with Green Built communities and five that are engaged with wide construction.
Doueck rhetorically asked, who is the consumer that will buy these homes?
It’s the home decorating and entertaining maven, the real estate mogul, the penny pincher, concerned parents and environmentally conscious homebuyer, he said.