Customers Testimonials

A GREEN HOME FOR A QUEEN

MISS AMERICAN RENAISSANCE BUILT FLORIDA GREEN HOME

"This home is absolutely amazing. I had called FPL to complain about my latest electric bill, which is the highest it's ever been here at $81.00 and they laughed at me. Apparently, most people's bills this month becuase of the cold snaps were over $300.00. My house is over 2,300 SF, and I normally pay about $50.00. The temperature in the home just seems to stay the same, and the heat or the air hardly ever come on, which to me is unheard of in Florida. I have been here for almost one year, and I can't imagine not living in a Green Home now. It's not just the savings.

The home is clean, quiet and comfortable through and through. I suffer from allergies to pollen, and for the first time in many years, my allergies don't bother me when I am at home. When I am outside if the pollen is high - I am sneezing like a madman, but then I go home, and it's like there is not a speck of pollen in the air.

My advice to anyone thinking of building or buying a home - wherever you are - opt for a Green Home. You'll never want to live any place else. And if you are in this part of Florida, build with Florida Green Homes - they are beautiful, affordable fortresses...Literally."

Matthew Rinaldi, elementary school teacher, living in a Florida Green Home: 

Why I have decided to invest money in construction of a green house instead of purchasing a house foreclosure? Before I made my investment decision, I have carefully studied the real estate market to answer the following questions:

1. What house can I buy today with a budget that is available to me for construction of the green house?

2. What is the potential return on this investment?

I had a choice to buy a house foreclosure or short sale. However, every house that has been offered to me was 10-15 years old. In order for me to rent this house to tenants, I have to spend $4,000-$5,000 for repairs and updates. With each new tenant renting, further repairs will be needed. I plan to sell the house in 8-10 years. By that time, this house bought in foreclosure will be 15-20 years old and once on the market further repairs upwards of $30,000-$35,000 are likely. Total expenses for 8-10 years will accumulate upwards of $45,000-$50,000.

For example, if I were to invest in a foreclosed house, how will this house compete with the more modern and updated efficient green houses? The majority of consumers in the next decade will invest in more economic, healthy, efficient and ecologically safe houses as green technology advances, diversifies and is made more readily available to the consumer market. To sell the house bought in foreclosure, the purchased value of the house with repairs and upgrades will not sustain the new green housing market, thus resulting in reducing its value and market price to compete with more desirable and increasingly abundant green homes.

I have tallied all expenses for the maintenance of such a house and have come to the conclusion that this investment is not favorable to me. Therefore, I have decided to invest in the new green construction for a discounted price. Green features and technology give additional value to a house for ecological reasons, energy efficiency, sustaining livability and investment value. As an investor, I understand that I bought a green home today, at the price of a traditional one and I’ve received a $30,000 discount on all green structural features. With all future savings, I double my investment in purchasing a green home, maximum the return on my investment.

Vadim Safronov, Investor. 2 Eric Dr., Palm Coast

I have been always very considerate of an environment and have been a member of a “Green Party” for many years. Our world promptly becomes soiled, resources are exhausted. Unfortunately, construction process can lead to environment and ecosystem destruction.

It is known that the modern person spends at the house more than 85 % of time. There is a question: whether it is possible to create such house in which residing conditions would be approached to the ideal as much as possible? It appears to be possible. These houses are called "Green". Green homes have such doubtless advantages as harmony with an environment, economy of energy, water, materials and resources, quality of water and pure air.

There is an opinion that green construction – is a whim of wealthy people. New technologies are more expensive than the traditional methods used by decades, but calculations show that in 8-10 years the choice of a "green" house pays off and also an ownership of such a house starts to make a profit. Florida Green Homes proved that construction of a green house doesn’t cost me more than the construction of traditionally built one. I am very happy with my choice of a green house which keeps my family in good health and is environment friendly. Also it is really important to me that my house is hurricane resistant and is very quite.

Construction of green houses remains the main world tendency of our time. "Green houses" are houses being in harmony with environment and people living in them.

Eugene Pan, Systems Administrator for NY Post IT Department.

After the house has been built.
I've contracted Florida Green Homes to build my first house. Not only the place was built in shortest time and went above and beyond all my expectations, but this absolutely beautiful house was also rented out right away thanks to the green technology used. My rental income is at least $100 more than an average price of the same sized house. I am extremely happy to own a green home made by such knowledgeable, friendly and helpful team from Florida Green Homes. I can now look forward to the future because the future is Green Homes.

Thank you!

Eugene Pan, Systems Administrator for NY Post IT Department: 

We moved to the green home in May, 2009 and absolutely love it. We are so very happy in our new home. We feel like the air is much cleaner and my husband who has suffered from allergies, hasn’t had any issues at all since we moved. 

Our old electric bill used to be $200 and plus on good months and sometimes $400 if we ran the AC or heater a lot for smaller house than we live now. We are very pleased with our new electric bill which is usually less than $150 a month for a family of 5 with 3 small children and a house size of 2,400 sq. ft. living area and heights of ceiling of 10-12 ft. We absolutely love our new green home and couldn’t be living any where else. Perfect choice, green homes are simply the best!

Sierra and Stephen Taylor: 

“I’ve lived in a Florida Green Home for 2 years now and would like to share some valuable information with the many people who are unaware of the real advantages of living in this type of home.  To me most importantly and first of all my son’s allergies have gotten much better since we moved in here. There is just something in the air, it feels refreshing, I love living here, I’m sure it’s all the certified healthy interior features.  On top of all that good stuff I save about $300 per month on my utility costs compared to my old home of similar size.  I recommend Florida Green Homes to anyone looking for an affordable, luxury or custom builder in Florida.”  

Pearvenia Hill 

From http://www.icfdirect.net

Thanks for giving us the straight scoop on Insulated Concrete Forms, the process, and in-floor heating. I am amazed at the time saved using ICF’s compared to conventional concrete basement/stick-built upper structures and the finished product. We have 2 stories of insulated concrete walls, which have over twice the R value of 2x6’s and I don't know how many times the strength for basically the same price. Our house is extremely quiet... no traffic noise, can't hear the wind (which makes it easier to keep track of the cat).  Also, this is the first year of heating the house only, and already it's better than heating the older home that we used to live in. I love the downstairs in-floor heating, great idea. Last of all, you are a great group of people to work with. Thanks for the experience. We truly have our Dream House.

Katie & Scott B.

From http://www.icfconstructionandsupply.com

"Now that our house is our home, we are thoroughly enjoying the benefits of PolySteel construction. Beyond the obvious strength and durability of a home of this type, there is unexpected benefit in the noise insulation it affords. Not only do the walls absorb the usual household sounds, creating a marvelous ambiance, they provide nearly complete isolation from the ear-shattering roar of jet fighters flying over head."

--Mr. & Mrs. Michael Feris, Chesapeake, VA

 "We’ve been in our home for about a year and a half, and have not had to use air-conditioning--the Arxx system and an open window is all our house needs to stay cool."

--Lambertha and Michal Vavro, Homeowners

 "After looking for houses for 6 months, we decided that the only way we could afford what we wanted was to build it ourselves. To this end we took a class taught by Marly and Bob Hunton. It was from this class that I heard about PolySteel construction. At first I didn't understand the concept, but after looking at a couple that were under construction and understanding what the concept was, we decided that is was worth investigating. The lot we purchased was a difficult one to design for: sloped and on the back of a flag lot. PolySteel appeared to offer some economies for the basement, which was not that much more than using traditional concrete. The other advantages of strength in the event of earthquake, quietness and energy reduction caused us to consider doing the entire house with PolySteel...we are hoping to move-in in November and should be able to start enjoying the energy savings immediately."

--Joe & Elena Bell, Portland, OR

"Our competitors see that our Greenblock units are built faster and better than their stick houses. I wish we could hide our secret."

--Chris - Waterville, ME

 "Now that our house is our home, we are thoroughly enjoying the benefits of PolySteel construction. Beyond the obvious strength and durability of a home of this type, there is unexpected benefit in the noise insulation it affords. Not only do the walls absorb the usual household sounds, creating a marvelous ambiance, they provide nearly complete isolation from the ear-shattering roar of jet fighters flying over head."

--Mr. & Mrs. Michael Feris, Chesapeake, VA

 "Our home is right across the street from a very busy and active summer resort, with boaters on the Lake and a crowded beach. The noise is so subdued one can only guess that such activity is taking place. We don't even hear the traffic."

--The Shultz Family

"We have lived in our Greenblock home for 7 years, and have benefited from decreased utility bills with little to no maintenance from the day we moved in. You were right."

--Robert - Pardeeville, WI

 "Although we designed the house with conventional framing in mind, we converted instantly to PolySteel the moment the option was presented. The product ought to sell itself; it is just so LOGICAL, particularly in this hurricane-susceptible locale."

--Michael L. Feris, Chesapeake, VA

 "Arxx Building Products gave me the tools and the support to fulfill a dream. I'm grateful for the training and support along the way. Everyone I've ever met associated with this product is top-shelf."

--Pastor Chaney

"I've pumped at least 10 other companies ICF systems... Greenblock is the only one I've not had a blowout with. If it were up to me I wouldn't work with any other product."

--Dave - Woodland Park, CO

 "Initially the crew had some ups and downs because they had never worked with this type of technology before. However, by the time that we started working on the addition, the crew had developed a system of installation that worked like clockwork. We also saved some money by speccing and using ICF because a huge steel price hike occurred right at the time that we began planning."

--Brian Tewey, Architect

 "When I first heard of Arxx, I was naturally somewhat dubious about specifying it on a hotel. After meeting with the Arxx Building Products technical representatives, and seeing some projects in progress, I was impressed with the level of support Arxx puts behind the Arxx Wallsystem, and decided to give it a try."

I was very pleased with the results, and have since specified Arxx on three more hospitality projects. The design flexibility of this product really is extraordinary."

--Bill Fuller, Architect
 

From http://danthomasbuilders.com

We were so impressed with the high quality construction and workmanship that we knew we wanted you to build an ICF house for us.....We appreciated your careful explanations of the tradeoffs in the options we considered during the design phase......Our home is quiet, comfortable and extremely well temperature controlled with none of the drafty corners so many other homes have....We want to thank you for everything.  We absolutely love our house and would recommend your company to anyone planning to build a new home.       

     -    Paul and Sandy Matranga

My ICF home is one of the best investments I’ve ever made. I increased my square footage 71% over my previous house and my utilities increased an average of less than 12%. I spent over 13 years in banking in new home construction. This is the best built house I have ever seen.

   -          Mark & Eileen Weitzel

When you have utility bills for a house that are less than what you paid while living in a condominium, you know you have made a wise choice.......He stands behind his product and made concerted efforts to make sure we were taken care of well after we had moved in.

 -          Rob & Leigh Bright

I absolutely love the “ICF” method of construction….Our utility bills are very low considering how big our home is, and we never hear any outside noise.

 -          Wendy Cannon

…after living 4 full seasons in our ICF home we are very satisfied.  I was impressed with the professionalism both you and your crew exhibited during construction.  I believe the “ICF” upgrade is the best investment going today.

 -          Randall Hall

From http://www.cranebuildersicf.com

We are proud to have the following testimonials from several of our many satisfied customers.

CAMPBELL FAMILY

My husband and I first were introduced to concrete home construction at a friend’s home. We were having a meeting in her basement and noticed that the temperature was the same as it was upstairs. It was not the typical temperature drop you get with normal basements. She then told us about the other pluses of concrete homes, such as lower fuel bills and quietness. She lived on a busy street, but it was very quiet in the home.

We continued to investigate concrete home construction for the next four years before deciding for ourselves that it was the smartest and the most fuel efficient way to build. We met the Cranes at the Indianapolis Home Show. We were both impressed by their professionalism and experience in building concrete homes. Plus they are very concerned with “green” construction. From the first meeting when we showed Larry our home plan, he was very concerned with following our wishes, yet could look at the plan and point out construction difficulties that has probably saved us thousands of dollars. Having a father that was in construction, I know that most of the process is in anticipating difficulties before you have to spend more to fix the problems.

GARY & ANN V.

We are so delighted with our ICF home, designed and constructed by Crane Builders. It’s on one of the best financial decisions we have ever made.

We first learned about ICFs while watching and episode of Extreme Home Makeovers. They built a home for a family whose little boy had extreme allergies. We thought, “Wow! I bet that would keep out dust, allergens, mold, etc.”

 We’re happy to say, we don’t have dust accumulations like we had in our previous stick frame house. The ICF construction has cut the housework in half!

Living in Indiana during the spring and summer can be a little scary at times. While living in our previous home, a tornado came within a block of hitting us and many homes in our neighborhood had severe damage. Knowing that these ICF walls are built to withstand winds up to 200 mph makes us feel a lot more secure.

We are also very pleased with the energy saving opportunities the ICF construction has provided. Our energy costs are far lower than with a stick frame house. For the first year in our ICF home, our combined total gas and electric bills were approximately $2,000. That is about the same amount we paid in our previous home, which was half the size of our new ICF home.

From http://www.eco-panels.com

Testimonials

"The home I built using Eco-Panels wall panels is probably not further away than 300 ft from the train track.  You simply cannot hear the train when it is going by!" - Steve Parrish, Builder, Black Mountain, NC

"I have worked with numerous SIP brands over the years, from other urethane panels to the cheap polystyrene panels that dominate most of the market, and Eco-Panels are by far the best panel built. The quality of the panel joints and cam locks drastically reduce our installation time. I actually bid the installation time of Eco-Panels at half the price of other panels and still come out ahead. The service is unequaled and the design team makes sure that what gets designed gets built. I am so impressed with Eco-Panels that I specify them on every job we do."

- Gawain Mainwaring, president of SmartBuilders of Asheville, NC

“Today’s builders need every edge they can get, especially with the increasing energy prices, the growing uncertainty of future energy supply and the constant challenges of managing labor costs.  A significant edge can be found in delivering a superior thermal and structural envelope quickly and easily with Eco-Panels.  With polyurethane foam core, single piece corners and cam-latches for quick and easy assembly, builders can get a home erected, closed in, under roof and on to interior work faster and better than with any conventional framing system.” - R. Christopher Mathis, President, Mathis Consulting Company.

“Recent Energy Star test results on a house in WNC constructed with Eco-Panels demonstrated the best blower door test results that I have ever certified.”  - Amy Musser, Ph.D., licensed HERS rater, LEED AP

"I would tell anyone that for the money it would be difficult to find anything else that has the versatility, ease of assembly and R rating that Eco-Panels has to offer...." - Greg Israel, Physical Facilities Director, Buncombe County, North Carolina

From http://www.thermacell.com.au

Pastor Rod Whitford of the Western Port Christian Family Church at Tyabb Vic.

 "Some years ago our church decided to construct a storage facility and office to store food products for distribution to the poor and needy in our community. We decided to use the Thermacell insulated building system because of its strength, and insulated properties necessary for the storage of food products. also because of its ease of construction that allowed a working bee made up from members of our Church. The building went up quickly and has been a great success. This building keeps the atmosphere cool and dry, and was inexpensive to build. Recently we built a 50 Sq. Metre extension to house our Sunday school. Again our church working be constructed this Thermacell extension We constructed the building using those that were available several women and a few men, it was easy to use and every one enjoyed the process. We had the walls up in a matter of 3 days and had the building to lock up stage in just a week. The following weekend the electricians came in and then the next weekend we plastered the walls and ceiling and carpeted the floor in total we were about 14 days from slab to finished. This room has good acoustics and is warm and cosy and the children love it. We call it the "Greenhouse". With a double glazed window and the insulated walls, the atmosphere is always excellent. Building these buildings by the church members gives a sense of satisfaction and achievement"