Green Gadget Homes Aimed at Middle Class

Developers of the North Pointe neighborhood in Frederick are aiming to make it the first net-zero community in the region. The homes will be made with structurally insulated panels, use solar panels and geothermal systems.

The developer is "building energy-efficient townhouses and duplexes geared toward middle-class buyers. The 55 homes start in the mid-$200,000s..."

"North Pointe is part of a broader effort to revitalize the area. Frederick's housing authority, which owns the land on which the homes will be built, agreed to defer payment for the land as each sale is finalized, which helped defray costs and keep asking prices down, Murphy said. It didn't hurt that the land was previously developed - with roads, sidewalks and lights in place - so that construction of the homes could begin immediately."

"On top of all that, Nexus adjusted its profit margins to make the numbers work and leaned on its subcontractors to do the same, Murphy said. Economies of scale worked in the company's favor. Building communities, as opposed to just one home, helps tighten up the numbers, he said. Nexus plans to build hundreds of net zero homes in the Mid-Atlantic region."

Thanks to Cathie Pagano