It's hard to come by a decent sized, relatively new, sub-$300k home in the Peak View Elementary school district.  This is the highest growth area of the County, and most homes being built in this school district are priced above $300k (some are way... above $300k).  So, what's a buyer to do??

The home pictured above fits this bill, and is energy efficient to boot, as an EarthCraft certified home.

What on earth is an EarthCraft home, you might ask?  They are homes that (in varying degrees):

• are more healthy than most homes
  
• are more comfortable than most homes
  
• have lower utility bills than most homes
  
• protect the environment more than most homes

This particular home, achieves these standards by incorporating the following materials, features and design standards:

• Long life, low maintenance Hardie Plank fiber cement board siding
• Very low building envelope leakage (< 0.25 cfm50 / square foot)
• Polyurethane spray foam closed cell insulation (along with traditional fiberglass insulation)
• Low-E windows (U-factor < 0.35)
• Air handler and ducts located within conditioned space
• Very low duct leakage (< 4% of floor area served leakage outside)
• Flourescent or CFL bulbs throughout
• EnergyStar bath fans, light fixtures and ceiling fans
• EnergyStar dishwasher, refrigerator and clothes washer
• Recycled hardwood floors and carpet
• Water sense delta faucets and high efficiency shower heads
  
• TOTO Drake high efficiency toilets
  
• Low VOC paint Aura paint by Benjamin Moore
• Permeable pavers on the sidewalk and back patio
  
• Permeable driveway
• Rain barrel for water run off

There aren't too many EarthCraft homes in this area in this price range.  So if you're looking for a green, energy efficient home in Harrisonburg, be sure to check out The Cottages at Stone Spring.

Also of note, there will be six other homes built in this neighborhood.  If you are interested in building your own EarthCraft home, come take a tour of this existing home, and then we can discuss other house designs, etc.