Home Builder will team with Earth Advantage to give home buyers tools for comparison.
Miranda Homes has teamed with Earth Advantage to put together a unique offer for home buyers. For a limited time, prospective home buyers can receive a free Energy Performance Evaluation of their current home for comparison against other homes they are considering.
Similar to the MPG sticker in the window of a new car, an Energy Performance Evaluation gives home shoppers a way to compare homes they are considering against each other. Earth Advantage evaluates energy efficiency and carbon output of a home by taking into consideration insulation, windows, fixtures, design and several other factors. The evaluation takes a few hours and normally costs $500-700 to complete.
The offer from Miranda Homes provides the first ten responding Oregon residents with a free evaluation on their current home, as long as it is on the market or they have a mortgage pre-approval letter from a bank.
For more information about Earth Advantage visit their website at www.earthadvantage.com . To schedule a tour of one of Miranda’s homes and to take advantage of this offer please call Miranda Homes at 503-658-4818 and ask about the free Energy Performance Evaluation.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The True Cost of Home Ownership
Today, more than ever, it’s vitally important to take all of a home’s costs into account when considering which one to buy.
Your mortgage broker can calculate your monthly payment quickly and easily. Property taxes and hazard insurance tend to go up over time, but generally not too drastically. There are some expenses however, that home buyers often underestimate; energy is one.
Energy costs have been increasing faster than incomes over the past few years. The newer methods for generating electricity, although “greener”, are not any less expensive. There doesn’t seem to be any near term relief in the cost of a unit of energy but if we can reduce how many units we use we can relieve the strain on the infrastructure and our own wallets. That’s where conservation comes into play.
By choosing a home that uses half, or less than half, of the energy a typical home uses, a family can regain control over the amount they spend on energy.
How do you determine which houses are efficient and which aren’t?
Just like the MPG sticker in the window of a new car there’s a scoring system for homes that gives consumers a way to compare. It’s called an Energy Performance Score or EPS. It was developed by Energy Trust of Oregon. You can learn more about it HERE.
Energy Trust of Oregon can arrange to provide an EPS on any home, old or new, but most builders should be able to provide you one for any home you’re considering buying.
Just as you wouldn’t consider purchasing a new car without knowing what its fuel mileage is, you should consider a home’s EPS before you make your final decision.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Your mortgage broker can calculate your monthly payment quickly and easily. Property taxes and hazard insurance tend to go up over time, but generally not too drastically. There are some expenses however, that home buyers often underestimate; energy is one.
Energy costs have been increasing faster than incomes over the past few years. The newer methods for generating electricity, although “greener”, are not any less expensive. There doesn’t seem to be any near term relief in the cost of a unit of energy but if we can reduce how many units we use we can relieve the strain on the infrastructure and our own wallets. That’s where conservation comes into play.
By choosing a home that uses half, or less than half, of the energy a typical home uses, a family can regain control over the amount they spend on energy.
How do you determine which houses are efficient and which aren’t?
Just like the MPG sticker in the window of a new car there’s a scoring system for homes that gives consumers a way to compare. It’s called an Energy Performance Score or EPS. It was developed by Energy Trust of Oregon. You can learn more about it HERE.
Energy Trust of Oregon can arrange to provide an EPS on any home, old or new, but most builders should be able to provide you one for any home you’re considering buying.
Just as you wouldn’t consider purchasing a new car without knowing what its fuel mileage is, you should consider a home’s EPS before you make your final decision.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Turns Out that Size Really Does Matter.....
When it comes to house size, statistics say that, for most people, smaller is better. As the glut of homes over 2,500 square feet languish on the market buyers are flocking to smaller, more efficient homes, just like the people who used to drive Hummers are looking at smaller more efficient vehicles. People’s thinking is shifting from square footage to carbon footprints. Pride of ownership is shifting from excess to efficiency.
As the status symbols of the last 10 years are changing they are opening the doors for advancements in technology as they relate to sustainable building. Alternative energy sources are being introduced, insulation is getting better, foundations are improving and off gassing from paints and adhesives are being reduced, just to name a few.
Miranda Homes’ goal is to be at the forefront of these technological advances while keeping an eye on attainability. “Green” homes with price tags that are 30% higher than other homes cannot become main stream because most people can’t afford them. At Miranda Homes we applaud and encourage all builders who raise the expectations of their customers by providing durable, comfortable, sustainable, efficient homes that are low maintenance and long lasting at prices that they can afford.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Attainably Sustainable.
As the status symbols of the last 10 years are changing they are opening the doors for advancements in technology as they relate to sustainable building. Alternative energy sources are being introduced, insulation is getting better, foundations are improving and off gassing from paints and adhesives are being reduced, just to name a few.
Miranda Homes’ goal is to be at the forefront of these technological advances while keeping an eye on attainability. “Green” homes with price tags that are 30% higher than other homes cannot become main stream because most people can’t afford them. At Miranda Homes we applaud and encourage all builders who raise the expectations of their customers by providing durable, comfortable, sustainable, efficient homes that are low maintenance and long lasting at prices that they can afford.
Mark Mecklem - Miranda Homes
Attainably Sustainable.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
