Category Archives: New Home News

Net-Zero Homes Under Construction in South Carolina

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net-zero South Carolina real estate

When you think of housing markets leading the way in green and energy efficient building, you most likely think of California. However, green home builder Nexus EnergyHomes is expanding their efforts to the South Carolina market with two new communities where geothermal and solar PV is a standard combination for each home.

The developer’s Carolina real estate designs call for geothermal heating and cooling, energy recovery ventilation, PV solar array, state-of-the-art electronic and web-based controls and monitoring systems, super insulated building shells and Energy-Star rated appliances.

When combined, these technologies enable homes to produce almost as much energy as they consume, saving these lucky homeowners thousands of dollars each year annually on energy expenses.

Sunchaser at Bridlewood Farms in Ridgeville, South Carolina is a 30 home community with homes ranging in size from 1,900 to 3,100 square feet and pricing from the mid $250,000s.

At Sundial GeoSolar Community of River Birch in Summerville, South Carolina, buyers will find 12 three to five bedrooms homes with 2,500 to 3,450 square feet and pricing from the mid $300,000s.

For more information on these net-zero energy home opportunities, visit the Nexus EnergyHomes website.

Gary Player Design Course Opening at The Cliffs in South Carolina

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Gary Player Design course at The Cliffs

The Cliffs and Gary Player Design are excited to announce that The Cliffs at Mountain Park Golf Course is scheduled to open next fall. The is one of only a handful of golf courses currently being constructed in North America, and one of seven courses in The Cliffs Communities. The new course will be a part of the existing 5,000 acre Mountain Park residential community on the southernmost edge of the Blue Ridge Mountians.

The Cliffs at Mountain Park Golf Course will be surrounded by more than a million acres of State Parks and National Forests. The course has been designed with the highest environmental standards in mind, and is carefully planned to preserve the area’s natural beauty. The course will also save money by using organic materials and implementing eco-friendly design practices.

The company expects grassing to be completed over the next few weeks with the course fully operational by the 2013 season.

The Cliffs Communities offers a unique collection of seven private communities nestled among lakes and mountains between Greenville, S.C. and Asheville, N.C. These residential Carolina real estate areas are bordered by thousands of national forests and state parks, and each is designed with a unique personality and style.

For more information about The Cliffs, call 866-411-5771.

Winston-Salem Named As Top 10 Cheapest US City

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Cheapest US cities

Even though home prices may be low, buyers still have to consider the cost of living for the region they want to move to. To help buyers out, Kiplinger recently released their list of the top 10 cheapest U.S. cities to live in based on research from the Council for Community and Economic Research. Making the list at number 10 was our very own popular Carolina real estate destination, Winston-Salem, N.C.

Winston-Salem is the most budget-friendly big city within the Tar Heel State, with Raleigh coming in at second. The cost of living index is a 87.5, which means it is around 13 points below the national average. The median household income is below the national average at $41,483, but the average home price is also well below the national average at $199,118. In addition, renting an apartment typically costs around $590 a month. Two of the most popular and biggest employers for the area are Wake Forest University and Reynolds American.

If you’re considering purchasing a new home in either South Carolina or North Carolina, Winston-Salem is the only big city to make Kiplinger’s list of cheapest cities for either state.

Home Styles Change to Meet Buyers’ Needs

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When buying a home, pay attention to storage space

When buying a home, pay attention to storage space

If you look at homes built just 10 years ago, you can see huge differences from current home styles. Plans and designs have changed to meet the needs of modern buyers, but what are those needs? Are they met in Carolina new homes you might be considering buying? The Equifax Finance Blog shares some key information about home features that you may find interesting in the new article, “

What Do Buyers Want in a Home?”

Armed with data taken from the Census Bureau’s 2011 Characteristics of New Housing report, the new article shares housing trends that can help you recognize some of the best features when

buying a home. For instance, buyers in 2011 were really keen on storage space for their busy lives, from pantries in kitchens to walk-in closets in master bedrooms. However, buyers are turning away from some traditionally thought of luxuries. They cut out big additions like media rooms and full outdoor kitchens. Instead, the money that would be put aside for those types of spaces is being used on premium appliances such as fire pits and high-end grills.

To learn more about real estate trends and

housing market predictions, check in with the Equifax Finance Blog.

Greenville Remains On June’s Improving Markets Index

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iStock

iStock

Good news for South Carolina real estate buyers and residents, Greenville remains this month on the list  of the  nation’s improving markets on the monthly NAHB/First American Improving Markets Index.

Improving economic conditions have resulted in payroll employment being down just 5.2 percent from its highest point set in February 2008. This number is also up 4 percent from its lowest point set in September 2009. Single family home permitting is also up 3.2 percent from its low point set in September 2010.

Greenville’s success has been due to the city’s ability to reinvent itself from a textile center into a growing center for automotives, healthcare and logistics. Greenville is a transportation hub for many trucking firms and distribution centers because of its prime I-85 location between Atlanta, GA and Charlotte, NC. Greenville is also home to two highly regarded and still growing major health systems. Plus, the city is home to the North American headquarters for Michelin and BMW as well as the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.

The Improving Marketing Index is a relatively new index unveiled by the National Association of Home Builders. It serves to draw attention to the fact that housing market are local, and that there are many metro areas where economic recovery is underway. The index measures monthly data on employment, single family housing permit growth and housing prices to determine whether or not a market is improving.

Florence, SC also made the June list, while the following North Carolina cities are on the list: Jacksonville, Burlington, Goldsboro, Greenville and Hickory.