Pardee Homes Walks the Earth Day Talk

    LOS ANGELES, CA, April 18, 2012 /24-7PressRelease/ -- For Earth Day 2012, Pardee Homes will be steadfastly doing what it's been doing for a long time: building award-winning greener homes and more sustainable communities in California and Nevada. For Pardee Homes, Earth Day truly is everyday, and has been for more than 14 years.

"Pardee Homes is proud to be part of the global story of environmental awareness symbolized by Earth Day," said Joyce Mason, vice president of marketing for Pardee Homes. "As more people join the effort, and as more green commitments are made or expanded, it's a story that builds incrementally--very much like the green programs at Pardee Homes."

Pardee Homes' "earth days" began modestly, with a couple of new home design lines that delivered exceptional, above-code energy efficiencies, which in turn translated into measurable cost savings for the homebuyer. As these homes came to market in 1998, the company was already moving to do more, working with green-build experts, architects and product suppliers to grow its green program.

By 2001, Pardee Homes was ready to showcase its "more," when its first LivingSmart branded homes opened in San Diego's Pacific Highlands Ranch, a Pardee Homes' master-planned community. Pacific Highlands Ranch was the ideal community stage for greener individual homes, because it also demonstrated the builder's advanced understanding of smart growth housing and eco-friendly planning. At Pacific Highlands Ranch, this includes restored habitat, protected vernal pools and significant preservation of open space and wildlife corridors.

The LivingSmart program that premiered here in 2001 with the Santa Barbara design series fully complemented this sustainable community focus. The homes folded in an impressive roster of standards and options geared to advanced energy efficiency, better interior air quality and resource conservation, while still delivering upscale design appeal.

Pardee Homes quickly incorporated LivingSmart in several markets, and in 2009, made the brand a company standard, with price-included features like low VOC insulation and paint, radiant barrier roof sheathing, engineered wood and various water-savings measures. Today, solar power systems are standard in selected communities, while tankless water heaters, low fiber flooring and LED lighting packages are typical options.

Also in 2009, the company upped its own green ante by creating an entire design line that melds the LivingSmart brand with flexible, functional floor plans and attainable pricing. Found in all of the builder's markets, LivingSmart Homes typically deliver some 30 price-included green features.

Meeting or surpassing multiple green building codes, new homes by Pardee Homes are independently inspected by such rating entities as ConSol in California. With selected design series, Pardee Homes goes even further with green certification. A stellar example is LivingSmart Homes Fair Oaks Ranch in LA County, where the homes are the first in California to meet the National Green Building Standard's Gold certification level.

"For all price points, our goal is smarter, greener homes that make a comfortable and stylish quality statement," said Mason. "From this foundation, we tailor green standards and options to fit the home's design, location, and buyers, and then show our buyers that they can trust the green claims, via independent inspections."

Homebuyers who make their purchase with Pardee Homes see a win/win with the company's green building program. "Who doesn't want to save money, and who doesn't want to do what they can to save our environment?" said Patty Lara, who with husband Carlos bought a new home at Pardee's master-planned community, Fair Oaks Ranch in Santa Clarita. "The long run matters to us, and we really respect Pardee's commitment to eco-friendly home building."

Mason said the Lara family response to Pardee's green building measures is typical, adding that the LivingSmart brand and its benefits have contributed to the company's marketing messages of "life made easier." She said that this theme is clearly intertwined with a green and sustainable lifestyle.

"Greener homes are high-performance, economical to operate and with lower maintenance," she said. "When you put such homes in communities that also offer quality schools, recreation, shopping, employment and transit, you have a more sustainable way to live, and this is certainly a big part of 'life made easier' for our homebuyers."

Pardee Homes has earned repeated recognition for its green and sustainable programs and advocacy, with dozens of top honors in such programs as the Green Building Awards, EVHA, Gold Nugget Awards and more. While the company is justifiably proud of these accolades, its ever-expanding green program reflects an historic, core commitment, according to Mason.

"Since our company was founded in 1921, 'do the right thing' has been the yardstick we use to measure our efforts for homebuyers and the communities in which they live," Mason said. "At Pardee Homes, we know that green building is the right thing."

Visit www.pardeehomes.com.

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