Inside Tucson Business:  Monday, April 28, 2008

Affordable ‘green’ homes offered at Riverside Pointe

 

A.F. Sterling Homes is rolling out a new community of affordable homes featuring green elements that could cut energy use by as much as half.  Riverside Pointe, a 14.5-acre, 122-home development on West River Road near North La Cholla Boulevard, features 1,178-square-foot to 2,157-square-foot homes with base prices ranging from $179,900 to $224,900. There are seven home designs in three, four and five-bedroom floor plans, all with the Energy Star designation.

As a standard feature, all of the homes will be built using an Icynene insulation system, using a sprayed-on foam product that minimizes air leakage.

"Sprayed-on insulation products have been typically used on high-end custom homes," said Randy Agron of A.F. Sterling Homes. "We believe that this marks the first time that a production builder in Tucson has provided such an energy-efficient home at this price point," he said.

According to Icynene, its insulation system delivers up to 50% more energy savings versus traditional insulation. It also minimizes the potential for condensation and subsequent mold growth within the walls and ceilings and effectively reduces unwanted noises from home theaters, plumbing runs, street traffic and playrooms.

A.F. Sterling Homes believes the green features of its Riverside Pointe homes will attract buyers in this tough market.

"We conducted an informal survey recently and found that increased energy efficiency was extremely important to our prospective customers, said Michael Collins, the company’s sales and marketing manager.

A.F. Sterling Homes opened sales at Riverside Pointe April 5 and the builder currently is constructing models there.

The company said it first used Icynene in a home at its Paloma Ridge development in the Catalina Foothills. Tucson-based A.F. Sterling has three other developments currently underway, The Bluffs at Rancho del Lago near Vail, Santa Rita Ridge at Santa Rita Ranch II, and Ventana Reserve near Ventana Canyon.

Details are online at www.afsterling.com