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10-25-2007, 10:41 AM
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Location: Dallas
1 posts, read 3,526 times
Reputation: 11
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My wife and I and considering moving to the CH / Carborro area within a couple of years.
We visited Carborro last summer, liked it very much and are returning during the 2007 holiday season. We are looking for a 1 to 2 acre lot to build a green (environmentaly friendly) house or maybe buy a house and retrofit it if possible.
We are both in our 50's with children gone, so not concerned with school districts. We are looking for a friendly, progressive community, not too far from shopping and entertainement but with large enough wooded lots (hilly if possible) to have privacy and quiet.
Any recommendations for location and maybe buiders experienced in green construction ?
Thanks
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10-25-2007, 11:22 AM
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Location: Durham, NC
2,579 posts, read 8,667,460 times
Reputation: 1679
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Northern Chatham County has a green development called Bingham Ridge that actually has lots and a few inventory homes. Green homes, solar design, and efficient building - Bingham Ridge Subdivision, Chatham County NC, near Chapel Hill.
The Homebuilders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties has a green building council that might be a good place to start. There has been a lot of green building activity in these counties lately, and a number of builders now have experience in many different degrees of green building and design. HBA-DOC: Green sponsors and lead text - 2007 (http://www.hbadoc.com/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=201 - broken link)
One builder in particular whose work I'm quite fond of is Michael Chandler. He builds beautiful homes with many unique and well thought out details. CHANDLER DESIGN_BUILD [creative construction]
One additional resourse you might consider is the NC State University Solar Center. North Carolina Solar Center www.ncsc.ncsu.edu
In general, for land I think northern Chatham County is going to have what you're looking for. Nice rolling hills, progressive, and close to Chapel Hill & Carrboro. |
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10-25-2007, 01:14 PM
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Location: Blacksburg, VA
823 posts, read 3,771,020 times
Reputation: 242
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The taxes will also be quite a bit less if you avoid the incorporated areas of Hillsboro, Chapel Hill, and Carrboro.
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10-26-2007, 09:15 AM
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351 posts, read 1,146,500 times
Reputation: 128
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Green home on craigslist
New HIGH EFFICIENCY Home w/ Active SOLAR (broken link)
Oops. I guess it's part of the aforementioned Bingham Ridge
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10-26-2007, 09:26 AM
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Location: North Carolina
62 posts, read 393,527 times
Reputation: 57
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You should also check out enertia homes.
Hybrid Solar House > Home
They are located in Youngsville, just north of Wake Forest.They have some fantastic plans and they were green before being green was cool. 
If I were going to build a house on my own land, not a subdivision, they would be at the top of the list for me. |
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10-26-2007, 09:30 AM
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Location: Durham, NC
2,579 posts, read 8,667,460 times
Reputation: 1679
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Good point on Enertia. I got one of their catalogs and LOVE what they're doing. Unfortunately, my wife really wants to be in a n'hood, otherwise this would be at the top of my list. They are a bit pricey though once you figure in the finish cost at 3-4 times the kit cost + land and land improvements.
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10-26-2007, 09:37 AM
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331 posts, read 1,083,376 times
Reputation: 81
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I don't know what size home you are planning to build but I've seen a lot of 'green' homes that were 3000+ square feet. I read an article last week in which the author wrote that "A small 'brown' house beats a big 'green' house every time." Think about it.
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10-26-2007, 09:44 AM
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Location: Durham, NC
2,579 posts, read 8,667,460 times
Reputation: 1679
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While not necessarily "green certified", there are a couple of builders in the Traingle builder smaller and reasonably-priced "Energy Star-certified" homes that are a step in the right direction. I believe Cimarron and Anderson Homes are worth checking out.
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10-26-2007, 06:08 PM
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Location: Blacksburg, VA
823 posts, read 3,771,020 times
Reputation: 242
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