(Lake Somerville Specific)
3 messages
Updated 6/29/2019 9:16:14 PM
Lakes Online Forum
83,640 messages
Updated 5/27/2024 2:33:47 PM
Lakes Online Forum
5,193 messages
Updated 4/3/2024 3:47:36 AM
(Lake Somerville Specific)
2 messages
Updated 12/1/2015 2:18:10 PM
Lakes Online Forum
4,169 messages
Updated 4/15/2024 11:05:05 PM
Lakes Online Forum
4,260 messages
Updated 3/24/2024 9:24:45 AM
Lakes Online Forum
2,976 messages
Updated 3/20/2024 11:53:43 PM
Lakes Online Forum
98 messages
Updated 4/15/2024 1:00:58 AM
|
|
|
| Name: |
Hunter_Bentley
- 
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/29/2007 11:14:22 PM
|
I have been contacted by a venture Capital firm from Co. primarily dealing with Green Homes concerning Building smart homes on and around Lake Martin, I told them I would check and see if there is a market here for those type homes but was not sure if there were, I have asked a few realtors a few customers of mine but you guys on here are the epitome of Lake people, so do you think Lake Martin Residents on average would pay an additional 25% to have environmentally friendly materials and features placed in their summer home, So far all of the feed back has been very impressive, but I would like a bigger audience to ask, any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
|
| Name: |
rude evin
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/29/2007 11:53:35 PM
|
Not sure if I fit your definition for typical, but am an owner of a recently built lake home, and you pose a good question that might better be anwsered by a real estate or banker pro because I suspect it would have to do with the "pay back" of these additions to cost. Just think about the obvious............if your house was estimated to be say $700k, then these additions would push it to $875k..........that's a nice chunk of change unless it has a sexy payback. In addition to the $175k increase, this 25% upcharge will likely increase your insurance cost and your taxes due to improved valuation by the county.....................so the biggest question for me would be......what are these smart building additions that will overcome the cost considerations? Would they be easily quantifiable energy saving features above and beyond what the market expects nowadays? Am curious to hear from others on this.
|
| Name: |
Firefighter
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/30/2007 10:25:21 AM
|
I would think your client could build a green house for less money than the current houses that are on the market. I was looking at houses in Phase III of the Ridge development this past week and they should be no competition..
One house had a steep driveway with no parking for guests and only had a one car garage. Inside there was an open stairway from the center of the living room to the upstairs. By open stairway, there were two boards that supported the open stair treads (no backs) and two boards for railings. When people walked up the stairs, they bounced. The toilets were so small I don't see how anyone could sit on them. Small rooms with no room for furniture, etc. The asking price is 2 million.
You should take a tour through these developments to see the competition. Good luck with your evaluation.
|
| Name: |
Brooke_Land_28
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/30/2007 6:52:13 PM
|
For what it's worth - After everything I have read on them I would buy one, I have been interested in smart homes for quite some time now, mostly for the Eco-Friendly aspects of them because the homes are so well insulated and most have Solar panels and in certain cases are hooked up to Hydrogen batteries so on rainy days the home can use it's stored electricity from the past sunny days, And in many cases the power meters actually run backwards creating a credit with the Power Co. that alone would pay for itself over time, and be better for our environment,
So good luck, I think there is a market here for them.
|
| Name: |
rude evin
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/30/2007 9:39:45 PM
|
Maybe a courageous builder will build a spec and see how the market responds...............
|
| Name: |
CIP
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/31/2007 6:50:09 AM
|
I'm in the process of building a 2700 sq. ft. home on Lake Wedowee and have been doing some research on building a "green" home. I've looked into solar and have found the cost to be prohibitive currently. What I've decided on is geothermal for heat and AC. The cost of a geothermal system is about $8000-$10000 more than a top of the line heat pump system. The other item of interest for me is automation. Using automation options I can have control over lighting and HVAC remotely. This will allow me to check on the house from anywhere over the Internet.
Other options include catching rain water for using in watering and recycling grey water. I think both of these would add cost with little return for a vacation home.
|
| Name: |
fountain
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
12/31/2007 10:26:08 AM
|
Maybe that's why they have been on the market for such a long time?
|
| Name: |
dodger
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
1/2/2008 8:34:49 AM
|
we just built a year-round home on Lay Lake. While some of the features for a "green house" were attractive, the additional cost was not.
I would think a long time before adding an additional 25%--that is a large amount, especially for a summer home. I surely see the validity of the "green house" concept and would want to support, it is just a cost factor.
|
| Name: |
Lodee
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
1/2/2008 3:49:10 PM
|
I live on Lake Jordan, and while I support the idea of "Green Building" , I do not support the extra cost. I often wonder why it cost so much. I suppose it is like everything else, the better something is for you or the environment, the more it cost. For instance "Organic Food", it seems they save money by not adding the cost of pesticides and only use natural fertilizer, why does it cost more to produce??? So, if our world wants everyone to help the environment, producers of these products need to make them more affordable to everyone.
|
| Name: |
roswellric
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
1/2/2008 9:28:51 PM
|
No... People usually act in their own best self interests. If green is beneficial to them in some measurable way then maybe. But if its some philosophical thing then there will be no more supprt than the Prius sales.
|
| Name: |
MartiniMan
-
|
|
| Subject: |
Smart Homes for LakeMartin?
|
|
Date:
|
1/4/2008 4:42:53 PM
|
I think many people are willing to consider eco friendly technologies but will shy away once they see the price differential. Adding 25% to the cost of a lake house makes even less sense if you don't live there year round. And even if you are there year round, the payback is long, long term, particularly given the already low cost of living in the area. Finally, I think the kind of clientele that would be willing to pay the extra cost for the feel good quality are not typical Alabama-Georgia-Tennessee residents.
I think they would get more bang for their buck in northern California, Oregon and Washington.
|
|
|
New Post
Search
Off-Topic Forum
Reply
»
Texas Lakes
»
Lake Somerville
Login
|
Home
