Green Features Help Buyers Save at Fair Oaks Ranch

    SANTA BARBARA, CA, September 11, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Greener materials and building techniques can lower home operating costs by reducing the need to use as much energy for heating and air conditioning as older, conventional homes. This can translate to measurable savings for buyers at Pardee Homes' Oak Crest and Laurel Park, two neighborhoods in its master-planned community of Fair Oaks Ranch.

"These homes are designed and built to a higher standard, and that can mean lower utility bills for our buyers," said Joyce Mason, vice president of marketing for Pardee Homes, a leader in green homebuilding for more than a decade. "The hard-working families who choose their new home at Fair Oaks Ranch appreciate this extra, everyday advantage, and we are proud to offer it at Oak Crest and Laurel Park."

Priced from the low $400,000s, Laurel Park homes offer approximately 1,830 to 2,432 square feet of living space that provides up to four bedrooms and three baths, plus attached garage. Depending on plan, Laurel Park homes feature great room design or a more traditional layout with formal living and dining; a loft, tech space, optional additional bedroom and a cozy retreat space.

From the mid $500,000s, Oak Crest offers stylish homes with approximately 3,211 to 3,960 square feet and up to six bedrooms and four baths, plus an attached garage. Depending on the plan they select, Oak Crest shoppers will find an optional downstairs bedroom with full bath, study space, extended walk-in closet, optional library, optional four-bay tandem garage, optional exercise room and an optional guest suite.

Both neighborhoods have qualified for the California Green Builder (CGB) designation. To earn this designation, they exceed California's Title 24 energy requirements--already the toughest in the nation--by at least 15%, and they can reduce water use by at least 20,000 gallons annually compared to new "non-green" homes. In addition to energy and water savings measures, CGB standards promote better indoor air quality via advanced heating and air conditioning systems and filters; the use of low VOC (volatile organic compound) materials; and the diversion of at least 50% of construction and jobsite waste from area landfills.

"In addition to being more cost-effective, our CGB homes are simply more comfortable than homes built to conventional standards," said Mason. "And they are easier on the environment--a plus for us today, and for future generations."

CGB is a certification program affiliated with the Building Industry Institute, and independent inspectors certify new home compliance. CGB is one of multiple green commitments Pardee Homes has made for its homes in Los Angeles County.

These include the company's LivingSmart brand, a standard for new construction at Fair Oaks Ranch. It complements state and federal codes and CGB with EnergySmart , EarthSmart , WaterSmart and HealthSmart standards, plus an array of optional features that vary by home and neighborhood, such as whole house water filtration, tankless water heaters and flooring and cabinetry of renewable materials.

LivingSmart is a key component of Pardee Homes' progressive improvements in green design and construction and sustainable development, which includes research to determine what homebuyers want in green--and what they feel they can afford. "We strive for greener homes that are still attainably priced," said Mason.

"We invite area home shoppers to learn more about California Green Builder and LivingSmart by visiting Laurel Park and Oak Crest model home centers," she added. "They can also see just why Fair Oaks Ranch is so easy to get to--and so hard to leave!"

In addition to its attractive family neighborhoods, Fair Oaks Ranch features a freeway-close location that eases commutes to downtown Los Angeles, plus a nearby Metrolink station. Among convenient shopping choices is the Plaza at Golden Valley, just next door to Fair Oaks Ranch. The new center features Target, Kohl's and Lowe's, Staples, Bed Bath & Beyond, Petsmart, Dress Barn, Payless Shoes and Lane Bryant. Restaurants include Panera Bread and Chili's.

Equally desirable are advantages within the community. These include the Fair Oaks Ranch Community School and its playgrounds and sports fields; a hiking and walking trail; preserved oak trees; hundreds of acres of open space and the 6-acre Fair Oaks Ranch Park.

Residents can also enjoy recreational and social opportunities at The Ranch at Fair Oaks Ranch. The Ranch features a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool, shaded barbecue and seating areas, children's play equipment, an eating bar and play lawn. The common room with adjacent full kitchen provides an ideal backdrop for community events and private parties. The facility is reserved for residents of this section of Fair Oaks Ranch and is part of the Fair Oaks Ranch Homeowners Association.

Pardee Homes offers generous broker co-op. Brokers must accompany prospective buyers on the initial visit to a Pardee Homes neighborhood.

Pardee model centers are open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day except Monday, when hours are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. To reach Fair Oaks Ranch, take the 5 Freeway to the 14 Freeway North and exit at Via Princessa; turn right to enter Fair Oaks Ranch. Turn left at Lost Canyon Road and follow signs to the various sales galleries. Call Laurel Park at 661-299-5409; call Oak Crest at 661-252-2394.

Established in 1921, Pardee Homes is noted for lifestyle designs that also feature energy efficiency, advanced technologies and other sustainable concepts. The company emphasizes master-planned communities that include schools, parks and preserved open space, and is widely recognized for quality construction, customer service, green building practices and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds. See www.pardeehomes.com.

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