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Built Green® Incentive Opening Nov. 19!

This is from the Master Builders Association newsletter. I think it’s an ultra progressive and motivating funding program offered by King County/Seattle Built Green® for home owners and buyers on both an environmental level (of course, the main one!) and from a smart investment avenue. Read on….

Seattle Public UtilitiesKing Co DNR and ParksKing County, Seattle Announce Second Round of Built Green® Incentive Opening Nov. 19!
The King County/Seattle Built Green® Incentive provides grant funding for single-family residential, town-home and community development projects to help offset the cost of certifying and designing innovative projects that achieve a four- or five-start Built Green certification, and meet key water conservation, stormwater management, and recycling goals. Eligible projects may receive between $2,500 and $15,000 depending on the project type and level of green design and building elements employed.

As local governments draw the connection between water conservation and quality, stormwater runoff, and residential development, incentives for the development industry to reduce its impact on the environment and conserve valuable natural resources have become increasingly important. The grants, which will be competitively awarded, are funded through the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks, and Seattle Public Utilities.

Built Green is a residential building program that provides a rating system for single and multifamily housing projects, remodels and community developments. The program certifies projects at the 1- through 5- star level based on the number of points a project earns in categories that highlight energy and water conservation, healthy materials, and minimized impacts to the property. Seattle and King County, helped develop the program in partnership with the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, and value Built Green as an industry benchmark for green residential development.

The King County/Seattle Built Green Incentive was established to encourage developers, builders, and residents building new homes to use green building standards while attempting to address barriers such as higher upfront costs for projects. Grant award projects will serve as demonstrations of high performance, replicable, green housing for the region, and highlight builders and developers who are making outstanding contributions to local communities, our economy, and the environment.

Built Green Incentive applications are due Friday, Dec. 21, 2007. Applications and guidelines will be available online on Nov. 19.

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ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes…read PSE article!

 ENERGY STAR Qualified

  Homes

THIS ARTICLE IS COURTESY OF PUGET SOUND ENERGY AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND ANY BUYERS TO READ THIS…NOW:)

CHOOSE an ENERGY STAR® Qualified Home

Enjoy the benefits for a lifetime.

Searching for the right house can be overwhelming. There are so many decisions in front of you. And with the cost of owning any home on the rise, it makes sense to think about how energy efficient your new home will be. Because saving on your energy costs can help you put more dollars into the things you like to do.

One of the best things about selecting an ENERGY STAR qualified home is that all the decisions about getting energy efficient performance from your new home has already been done for you by your homebuilder. ENERGY STAR qualified builders carefully consider the interaction of all systems in the home, including heating and cooling, windows, doors, insulation, appliances, and lighting to construct a home that will save energy and money.

What’s more, you get the added confidence that an independent third party has verified that the home will be the most energy-efficient one you can buy in the Puget Sound region.

Bottom Line? An ENERGY STAR qualified home:

  • Uses less energy than a conventional home, so you pay less on energy bills each month. These savings come from a variety of energy saving features including increased insulation, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, well-sealed duct systems, and ENERGY STAR qualified appliances, lighting, and windows.
  • Is more comfortable because it is warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer as a result of increased insulation and tightly sealed ducts.
  • Is performance tested to give you peace of mind in knowing that your home will operate at optimal levels for greater durability and lower maintenance. Each home must pass a stringent evaluation by a certified technician. In addition, an independent third-party verifies that the required equipment and building specifications for the ENERGY STAR Homes Northwest certification requirements are met. Only then, does it receive the ENERGY STAR – your assurance of energy efficiency.

Ask your builder for an ENERGY STAR qualified home, and earn at least 15% more efficiency from your energy use. For a complete list of homebuilders offering ENERGY STAR homes, visit www.NorthwestENERGYSTAR.com or call toll-free 1-888-373-2283.

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Urban Seattle — Smart buying and selling

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