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LOCAL HOME TOUR TOUTS SUSTAINABLE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION
— Home Builders Host Second Annual Green Home Tour and Celebrate Upcoming Feature of Local Home on HGTV —

DURHAM, N.C. (May 18, 2007) — The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties (HBA-DOC) will host its second annual Green Home tour on Saturday, May 19 and Sunday, May 20. After launching the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative™ - one of the nation's first voluntary residential green building programs in November of last year, the HBA's commitment to green building has translated into one of the nation's premiere green home tours.

With a 50 percent increase in home entries from last year, the Second Annual Green Home Tour features 19 homes that are energy-efficient, durable and have a significantly improved indoor air quality, elements that can help curb homeowner's bills, as well as deliver a healthier living environment.

"We're thrilled to have 19 homes on the tour this year," said Randy Moore, HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative member and tour chairperson. "The entries represent a wide range in both price and green features, so we think that there will be plenty of variety for everyone to see. With the inclusion of a Habitat for Humanity home and several entry-level homes constructed by production builders, we believe that the tour will help spread the word that we're bringing green to the mainstream."

The homes will be open for self-guided tours from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 19, and from noon to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 20. A kick-off event featuring speakers and exhibits will be held at the Carrboro Century Center, 100 N. Greensboro St. Carrboro, NC, from 9:00 a.m. to noon on May 19.

The tour book will highlight green features in each of the homes. Here's a small sampling of special features that can be found in some:

• High-efficiency HVAC system with fresh air intake
• Energy Star® appliances and lights with LED or compact fluorescent bulbs
• Low- or no-VOC paints, caulks and adhesives for improved indoor air quality
• Low-flow plumbing fixtures
• Solar water heaters linked to radiant-floor heating
• Low-E windows
• Low-maintenance landscaping that features rainwater collection and drought-resistant plants
• Bamboo stair treads and countertops
• Tankless high-efficiency gas water heater
• Recycled news print insulation for interior walls
• Reuse of demolished materials to help conserve resources
• Passive solar orientation with two-foot overhangs

Some of the homes on this year's tour will be partially finished, enabling visitors to see various green features - such as advanced framing techniques and spray foam insulation - that would be hidden behind the walls of a completed residence.

All 19 homes on the tour have been built to the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and are set to be certified as green homes by the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative. This third-party verification ensures that potential home owners can be sure that their home was built to the high standards of the NAHB guidelines.

HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative Home on HGTV
One Durham home has earned two distinctions. It's the first home built to the NAHB Model Green Home Building Guidelines and be certified under the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative in the area, and it's also set to appear on an upcoming segment of Home and Garden Television's (HGTV) "Beyond The Box."

The home attained certification in the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative by achieving performance goals in lot design, preparation and development, resource efficiency, energy efficiency, water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, maintenance, and homeowner education.

"We're really pleased that our green building program's first certified home will receive national attention on HGTV," added Michele Myers, chairman of the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative. "With nearly 40 homes enrolled in our Green Building Initiative program, we're sure that this first home certification is the start of something really big."

For more information on the HBA-DOC Green Building Initiative, visit www.thegbi.org/durham or call contact Mark Rasmussen at (312) 988-2301 or Leigh Scott at the HBA at (919) 493-8899.

ABOUT THE HBA OF DURHAM, ORANGE & CHATHAM COUNTIES:
The Home Builders Association of Durham, Orange & Chatham Counties a non-profit trade association affiliated with the North Carolina Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders. The HBA-DOC represents over 725 members, including builders of all types of housing as well as all the allied trades, suppliers, and professions that it takes to deliver a home.