Archive for category Public Relations
Where are the green home buyers?
Posted by adrian in Green Home Building, Public Relations on February 14, 2012
Over the last several weeks I’ve met with several developers regarding the lack of sales with their new green homes. Common comments keep coming up, how do we get buyers to pay for the additional cost to build a hi-performance green home compared to a traditional built home and where are the pool of buyers who want these features?
The costs to build a green home can add a 3-10% premium on to building costs; the more experienced builders can keep these costs at the lower end with experienced subs familiar with green construction techniques, improved building efficiencies and knowing what the hot buttons are for buyers.
The other part is how to reach your target market of buyers and engage local real estate agents? Green homes are a bit different; most of the value is behind the walls, improvements and high efficient equipment. Perhaps the key element is creating value by showcasing the individual components and having a long list of benefits for each part.
Here are four steps that every green home marketing plan should include:
- Dedicated blog site, this is where you engage buyers with informative content explaining the upgrades, benefits and it also creates more transparency and trust (one tip start early and include lots of photos).
- Agent engagement, it starts with educating the agent about the product, they can’t sell what they don’t understand, and an ongoing well designed e-mail campaign works very well.
- A knowledgeable staff that understands and can articulate the product and turn the features into benefits for the buyers.
- Green home buyers like to be involved, interior displays showing how, what and why these homes are built for the next-generation of buyers. This is a great buyer engagement piece.
Adrian Willanger has an MBA in Sustainability, LEED AP, Real Estate Broker, and is a certified Earth Advantage Broker, EcoBroker, Built Green Agent and is founder of Eco-Redux Media.
Electrified Green Homes in Seattle
Posted by adrian in Articles, City Cabins, Marketing, Public Relations on October 5, 2011
City Cabins solar equipment
Martha Rose, president of Martha Rose Construction, continues to push the energy envelope living up to her industry leading standards for sustainable development and green building. Martha Rose is the first builder in the area to include wiring for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations.
Rose’s multi-certified green homes, City Cabins, on Seattle’s Queen Ann Hill will be hard wired for plumbed for charging stations, the stations can be added as add on option. One of the new City Cabins has a 1.97KW Solar rooftop array which will be could produce enough electrical power to drive 7000-10,000 miles per year depending on your electrical vehicle.
The garages will be wired for electric charging stations and equipped with data lines for online monitoring. Having a house, or more specifically a garage, that is ready to take advantage of the emerging eclectic car market could be one of the many environmental forward features Rose has designed into her new homes that could help them gain a competitive market advantage.
On August 5, 2009, ECOtality was awarded a $99.8 million dollar grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to embark on this Project. Named the EV Project was officially launched on October 1, 2009 and will continue approximately 36 months. ECOtality’s goal is to install approximately 14,000 chargers in 18 major cities and metropolitan areas located in six states and the District of Columbia: California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Texas, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C. The major goal is to monitor the first 8300 charging stations and take the lessons learned to help pave the streamlined deployment of the next 5,000,000 EVs.
The EV Project will qualify 8,300 LEAF and Volt customers for participation based upon home electrical power capabilities. Because a significant amount of vehicle charging will take place at EV driver residences, a portion of The EV Project funding supports home charging units, or more correctly called “Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment” (EVSE). Participants will receive the home EVSE and up to $1200 credit toward the installation in exchange for allowing the collection of vehicle and charge information at home and publicly available EVSE.
City Cabins on Queen Anne Hill will be completed in Fall of 2011 and are now available for pre-sale. For more information contact Adrian Willanger 206 909-7536.
Seattle Net Zero Homes-Who Benefits? Buyers
Posted by adrian in Articles, City Cabins, Marketing, Public Relations on September 24, 2011
A Seattle net-zero energy home (NZEH) is a grid connected homes that, over a course of a year, produce as much energy as they use. The underlying purpose of these homes is to use the most sustainable energy with the least expense.
Z-Home
Several homes in the Seattle area marketplace are targeting for net-zero, the recently completed Z-Home a revolutionary 10-unit development in Issaquah and Martha Rose Construction’s innovative City Cabins under construction on Queen Anne Hill, both of these projects will be multi-certified and recognized by leading green home building programs.
Z-Home is a collaboration effort from wide range of stakeholders from Ichijo USA Co. Ltd., Built Green, Puget Sound Energy and Washington State University Extension Energy Program to name a few that are responsible for the Z-Home project.
Martha Rose is president of Martha Rose Construction in Seattle Washington. Their goal is to deliver the highest level, affordable, spec-built home. Rose’s current project is on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, City Cabins two totally electrified homes that exceed industry standards.
This almost sounds like a David vs. Goliath type story, Ichijo Co. USA a subsidiary of a large Japanese hi-tech production home builder that built 8000 homes in 2008, compared to a small local regional builder that built 4 high performance homes in 2009. Both companies are trying to achieve the same thing and deliver a quality product to the homebuyers looking for something different.
The real winners are the buyers who are looking for next-generation energy saving standards in a new home. These homes are constructed utilizing the latest construction technology, product innovations, designs, appliances and equipment.
The benefits, other than the dollars saved on reduced energy cost, are often over looked because it’s extremely hard to quantify benefits like comfort, health and overall livability. These homes have been engineered, designed and built to optimize all of the individual components to enhance their counter parts. For example a tight building envelope reduces the amount of moisture and air flow coming into the living areas providing a healthier indoor living environment, reducing drafts, and also the amount of heating and cooling equipment needed to live comfortable.
These homes are filled with integrated design features not to be missed.
Z-Home has its grand opening this week-end Saturday and Sunday September 24-25 2011and City Cabins will have its first “behind the walls” tour as part of The National Solar Tour next weekend, October 1, 2011 from 10am-4pm onsite at City Cabins.
For more information contact Adrian Willanger 206 909-7536.
Scammers are focusing on solar power
Posted by adrian in City Cabins, Marketing, Public Relations on September 22, 2011
Scammers are focusing on solar power
Can you go broke by going green? It can happen if you get scammed. Jesse Jones shows
Solar Truths….Get Jesse
Posted by adrian in Articles, Green Home Building, Public Relations on September 19, 2011
- Martha Rose and King 5 News Jesse Jones
Solar Truths….Get Jesse
Seattle, WA- Last Friday September 16, 2011 Jesse Jones from King 5 News was onsite at City Cabins filming an up-coming Get Jesse story about the truths about soar panels. Jesse’s interview with City Cabin home builder Martha Rose can be seen at 5pm September 21, 2011 on king 5.com./news/get-jesse
City Cabins in National Solar Tour
Posted by adrian in Articles, Marketing, Public Relations on September 19, 2011
Time to ROCK the Solar Nation! Registration is now open for the 2011 National Solar Tour, slated for October 1. Last year’s tour featured 700 tours across all 50 US states, the Virgin Islands and Mexico. Let’s make this year’s tour even grander.
The ASES National Solar Tour is the world’s largest grassroots solar event. This event offers you the opportunity to tour innovative green homes and buildings to see how you can use solar energy, energy efficiency, and other sustainable technologies to reduce monthly utility bills and help tackle climate change.
City Cabins
City Cabins will be open to tour October 1, 2011 from 10am-4pm. See the solar array installed by A & R Solar and many more high tech building techniques that are being used by Martha Rose Construction, this behind the wall tour is a rare opportunity to see firsthand how a high-performance home is designed and built.
Seizing Energy Efficiency
The Seattle event, Solar Washington, features open house tours of solar-powered homes, to introduce the solar technologies citizens are using to 1) slash monthly energy bills, 2) reduce harmful carbon emissions, 3) assert their energy independence and 4) enjoy rich tax credits and cash incentives as they improve their property values.
For more information contact Adrian Willanger 206 909-7535
1st Behind the Walls Tour for Innovative Green Built Homes in Seattle
Posted by adrian in City Cabins, Marketing, Public Relations on August 26, 2011
In the midst of the rapid growth of the life-science/biotech activity in Seattle’s South Lake Union it’s no wonder Seattle has become a leader in innovative green home building. Seattle builder Martha Rose has been at the forefront of Green Building in the Seattle market place for over a decade and has built some of the most energy-efficient, healthy spec-homes in the Seattle marketplace. Join Martha to learn firsthand how she integrates hi-tech building science and clean technology advancements into their new next-gen homes. Coming in September 2011.
Some of the areas to be showcased in the behind the walls tour:
- Advance slab, wall, ceiling, and roof components
- Air sealing and techniques used to eliminate thermal bridging
- Heat-Recovery-Ventilation used for producing continuous fresh air
- Photovoltaic system and wiring requirements
- Innovative reclaimed green features
Building homes to DOE Builders Challenge Standards Interview with Martha Rose-Uncut, Unedited
Posted by adrian in Articles, City Cabins, Public Relations on August 23, 2011
Martha Rose, known by many as the ‘Queen of Green,’ is a national leader in the Green Building Movement. Her interest in energy efficiency and sustainable building practices goes all the way back to the 1970‘s and currently is her main focus. Today Martha is striving toward building Zero-Energy spec-homes.
Local builder reinvents self to stay afloat in slumping market
Posted by adrian in Public Relations on July 12, 2011
By Elisa Jaffe Published: Jul 11, 2011 at 8:12 PM PDT
In the face of foreclosures and falling home prices, some local homebuilders are hanging by their nails to stay in business. One local owner has reinvented herself to adjust to the changing market.
City Cabins Exhibit at The 8th annual Northwest SolarFest
Posted by adrian in Public Relations on July 11, 2011
The annual SolarFest in the City of Shoreline is the longest renewable energy and sustainability event in the region. Starting in 2004 the event has grown in attendance and exhibitors each year.
The clean technology’s one-day venue is filled with presentations, exhibits, entertainment and food. Exhibitors at SolarFest will demonstrate a wide range of responsible choices including alternative energy, transportation, home building, food and sustainability.
Home builder Martha Rose, president of Martha Rose Construction, will be an exhibitor and will talking about her newest project City Cabins on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle. Martha will be on hand to talk about the innovative design and hi-technology that is being incorporated in the building of City Cabins.
Some of the features at SolarFest:
Demonstration of the revolutionary Evolucient Plastic to Oil System
Mini solar cars (free for the first 300 kids) giveaway and races in the KIDZone, supported by Snohomish PUD
Electric car display by Plug In America and Seattle Electric Vehicle Association (SEVA)
Shoreline Farmer’s Market Association “mini farmer’s market”
Shoreline Backyard Wildlife Certification Celebration
Zero Energy House interactive tours”Cooking With the Sun” by Jack Lavin and Larry Owens. Song written for Shoreline Solar Project
Shoreline Auxiliary Communications Service van solar powered by Shoreline Solar Project
Viking 45, Western Washington University Vehicle Research Institute Progressive Automotive X PRIZE team vehicle
Beer Garden featuring Sierra Nevada Brewing
After Party with Yogoman Burning Band
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