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2012 Builders’ Show Product Preview

Lennar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 19:22:36 +0000

The International Builders’ Show returns to Orlando, Florida, next week. As always, hundreds of manufacturers will be on hand showcasing new products for residential contractors, including an array of options for sustainably minded builders. Here’s a look at 11 green products that will be on display. [Read this article]

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Green Building Megatrends For 2012

Lennar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:17:41 +0000

Jerry Yudelson is about as green as they come. In his more than 25 years of work in sustainability, he has been a member of the U.S. Green Building Council’s board of directors, a LEED national faculty member, and is the co-founder and director of the Green Building Service consulting unit at Portland General Electric. So what does the industry insider have to say about where things are going? “The construction industry is going to have modest growth this year,” Yudelson said in a webinar on GreenExpo365. “It seems that most people have figured out that the sky isn’t going to fall in and they are going to get back to doing business…but with an emphasis on what I call ‘frugal green.’ In the past there was a feeling that you could spend money to add green features. I think today the real challenge for construction and design professionals is ‘How do I do this on the same budget?’ and I think that’s the core trend.” Yudelson unveiled a list of 10 other green megatrends destined for growth in 2012, both in the U.S. and abroad. And while, like the rest of the home building industry, green building will certainly face headwinds, the market is poised for growth, he says. [Read this article]

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Myths About Bamboo Floors And Making Your House Green

Lennar — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 20:13:56 +0000

Along with solar panels, so called “green” bamboo floors are another stereotypical material that people latch onto when thinking about green homes. In the same way that those solar panels won’t make your house green all by themselves, neither will calling in a flooring contractor to install bamboo floors, unless, of course, you do everything else right. No product in itself will make a home green, and, in fact, you don’t necessarily need to use “green” products to make a home green. With the exception of a few very toxic materials, almost any common building products, when used properly as part of the whole house system, can contribute to a green home. You can put in all the green materials you want into a house, but if you don’t build it right, it will never be green. Generally, bamboo floors are a good, sustainable product. But the real reason bamboo won’t make your house green is that the finish flooring is only a small part of a green home. Green building includes energy efficiency, indoor air quality, durability, resource efficiency, water efficiency, reduced impact on the community and the site, and educating homeowners so they know how to manage them to remain efficient, healthy, and durable. [Read this article]

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U.S. Green Building Council and 15 Partners Release Green Building Executive Action Report

Lennar — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 20:20:55 +0000

Along with 15 partners, the U.S. Green Building Council today released a report that recommends nearly three dozen executive actions across 23 agency programs where the Obama Administration can drive the economic and environmental benefits of green building without new legislation. The report, Better Buildings Through Executive Action: Leveraging Existing Authorities to Promote Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Multifamily, Residential and Commercial Buildings, builds on a 2010 report that identified nearly 100 legal authority opportunities across 30 existing federal programs worth more than $72 billion to improve energy efficiency in U.S. building stock. Partners included The Real Estate Roundtable, HDR, Schneider Electric, Johnson Controls, Enterprise Community Partners, Natural Resources Defense Council, United Technologies Corporation, Lennar Homes, Energy Foundation, Ingersoll Rand, Siemens, National Association of State Energy Officials, The Center for American Progress, National Housing Conference and Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International. “Identifying and implementing these new opportunities could create more than a million green building retrofit jobs and save Americans $130 billion a year,” said Jason Hartke, Vice President, National Policy, USGBC. [Read this article]

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10 Green Building Predictions For 2012 From Earth Advantage Institute

Lennar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:38:28 +0000

Earth Advantage Institute, a nonprofit green building resource that has certified more than 12,000 homes, announced its annual prediction of 10 green building trends to watch in 2012. The trends, which range from a boom in certified multi-family construction to the advent of consumer friendly home energy technology, were identified by Earth Advantage Institute based on discussions with a broad range of audiences over the latter part of 2011. These sectors included policymakers, builders, developers, architects, real estate brokers, appraisers, lenders, and homeowners. “While the economy has not been kind to most new home builders, we have seen a surging interest in home energy management and energy improvement among homeowners,” said Sean Penrith, executive director, Earth Advantage Institute. “Those builders and remodelers who have adopted a transparent green message have been quite successful.” [Read this article]

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Home Energy Management Takes Center Stage At 2012 Consumer Electronics Show

Lennar — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 17:29:52 +0000

The Consumer Electronics Show is partly a playground for inventors and partly a glimpse into what technologies consumers will actually adopt in the next few years. Into the first category fall gyro-stabilized electric unicycles, a human-powered hydrofoil and 3-D pet portraits. It seems that home energy management, on the other hand, has finally landed in the second. The home energy management ecosystem is rife with competition across the entire value chain, creating a range of viable solutions for consumers. Zigbee and Sigma Designs have developed standards that enable stand-alone devices to become intelligent networked nodes that can be controlled and monitored wirelessly. This enables interoperability between home entertainment, security systems, lighting, HVAC systems and appliances. Utilities and service providers like NRG, Verizon and ADT are fully embracing home energy management and providing easy ways for consumers to get started and go deeper if they so choose. Service providers are also offering ways for consumers to better understand the connection between their monthly bill and their energy use. [Read this article]

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Survey: People Want More Green Homes

Lennar — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:30:06 +0000

It turns out that a green, energy efficient home built with sustainable materials is “most wanted,” according to a Yahoo! Real Estate survey of 1,500 current and aspiring homeowners. Homeowners prefer a green home (50%) over a custom home (38%), water view (38%), suburb (31%), or living on the beach (27%). Yahoo! found that homeowners don’t want urban locations, gated communities, or castle-style homes. Only 5% consider a tiny house to be a “dream house,” while only 10% want an ultra-modern home with glass walls. When asked about the top reasons for moving, survey respondents said they want a home that suits their style (47%), that’s larger (45%), that suits a life stage (44%), or that’s in a better neighborhood (30%). About 27% would consider it a top reason to move when the home is “more environmentally sustainable.” [Read this article]

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Lennar Announces Entry Into The Pacific Northwest, In Both The Seattle And Portland Markets

Lennar — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:43:45 +0000

Lennar Corporation announced today the company is expanding its homebuilding operations into the Pacific Northwest, in both the Seattle and Portland markets. Lennar acquired control of approximately 650 finished homesites in 20 communities, for an undisclosed price, from Seattle-based Premier Communities. A privately-held company led by Ryan McGowan, Premier Communities has delivered more than 1,600 homes in the Seattle area since 1998. Mr. McGowan will be responsible for Lennar’s operations in Seattle. Lennar’s start-up operations in Portland are being led by Ryan Selby, a 22-year Portland homebuilding veteran. Under Mr. Selby’s leadership, Lennar has been able to purchase primarily distressed finished homesites in 11 communities. Homes to be built by Lennar in the Portland area will be focused on first-time, move-up, active adult and luxury homebuyers. Jon Jaffe, Chief Operating Officer for Lennar, stated “We are excited to be bringing our Lennar Everything’s Included Homes to the Pacific Northwest. We have been evaluating the Seattle and Portland markets for more than a decade and believe that this is a perfect time to enter the market with the right opportunity.” With this move, Lennar now has homebuilding operations in 18 states and 44 markets across the nation. [Click here for more information on Lennar’s entry into the Pacific Northwest]

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New Yahoo! Real Estate Survey Finds Americans Still Believe Their Dream Home Is In Reach; Top Priority: Energy-Efficiency

Lennar — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:21:38 +0000

Despite problems plaguing the U.S. housing market such as tumbling values, record foreclosures, and tight credit for buyers, 74% of Americans believe home buying is a good investment. And 81% said it’s still part of the American dream according to a new survey from Yahoo! Real Estate. The survey, which polled 1,500 current and aspiring homeowners, plus renters, found that while few (13%) currently live in their dream home, a majority (55%) feel it’s attainable. The survey found that a “green,” energy-efficient home built with “sustainable” materials tops the ‘most wanted’ list. No longer in desire for home buyers: gated communities, urban locations, and castle style homes. [Read this article]

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Being Green Can Help The Value Of Your House

Lennar — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 17:19:14 +0000

A pressing question has always been, “How does spending the extra money on energy-efficient products help the value of my home?” It is nice to lower heating bills, but how long does it take to recoup the extra expense of some of these products that would aid in investing in them. There is finally a way to capture these improvements and assign them a value in an appraisal. Real estate appraisers finally have a new form that helps standardize the way that energy efficient features are included in their reports. A nationwide survey by the Shelton Group released in 2006 found that “78 percent of U.S. consumers say they would choose one home over another based on energy efficiency.” Most new home builders are adding green features because they know that is what consumers are looking for. Now, especially since appraisers have the opportunity to add value to each upgrade in a consistent manner, return on investment has improved. Beside the high cost additions of heating systems, appliances and windows, there are many low cost upgrades that will help to add value to a home and can now be highlighted in an appraisal. [Read this article]

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