Land O Lakes,Florida– Southern Crafted Homes is pleased to announce that it has been recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with a 2012 ENERGY STAR Leadership in Housing Award.  This award recognizes the important contribution Southern Crafted Homes has made to energy-efficient construction and environmental protection by building more than 52 ENERGY STAR qualified homes last year.  Collectively, these homes will save our customers approximately $31,737 on utility bills each year.

The environmental benefits of these ENERGY STAR qualified homes are equal to the equivalent of:

• Eliminating the emissions from 25.48 vehicles;
• Saving 154,128 lbs of coal;
• Planting 42.12 acres of trees; or
• Saving homeowners $23,244 on their utility bills.

 To earn the ENERGY STAR, a home must meet strict guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. These homes are at least 20% more efficient than standard new homes built today.

 “We are pleased to be able to create homes that bring great value to our customers through energy savings but we are equally proud to be participating in protecting our environment”, stated Jim Deitch, Chief Operating Officer for Southern Crafted Homes.

 ENERGY STAR qualified homes offer homebuyers all the features they want in a new home, plus energy-saving features like effective insulation systems, high performance windows, tight construction and ducts, properly-sized and installed efficient heating and cooling equipment, efficient products, and third-party verification of energy performance.

 “While other builders may claim to build energy-efficient homes, ENERGY STAR builder partners back it up,” said Jonathan Passe, Acting Manager for EPA’s ENERGY STAR Residential Branch.  “Their houses undergo a rigorous independent inspection and testing process to ensure that they deliver real efficiency, comfort, durability, and value for homebuyers.”

 Last year alone, with the help of ENERGY STAR and partners, Americans saved about $400 million on their utility bills and avoided greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of 510,000 vehicles. Over the past 20 years, Americans, with help from ENERGY STAR, have saved nearly $230 billion on utility bills and prevented more than 1.7 billion metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions.

 About Southern Crafted Homes

 Southern Crafted Homes is an award winning builder that has been building in the TampaBayarea for 22 years. Known for their attention to detail, superior quality and commitment to their communities the company embarked on pursuing energy efficient design in late 2008 and began delivering 100% Energy Star and FGBC Green certified homes in early 2009. They have won several design awards for energy efficiency and most recently won Builder of the Year by FGBC for 2011. The company builds throughout the Tampa, Florida market. Visit www.southerncraftedhomes.com for more information.

 About ENERGY STAR

ENERGY STAR was introduced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1992 as a voluntary market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through increased energy efficiency. Today, ENERGY STAR offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions to save energy, money and help protect the environment for future generations. More than 126,000 new homes were constructed to meet ENERGY STAR guidelines in 2010, by partners committed to improving the energy efficiency of products, homes, buildings and businesses. For more information about ENERGY STAR, visit www.energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).

In 2012 the company has expanded their offerings building high end homes from Treasure Island in Pinellas County to Champions Club in Trinity in West Pasco County and designing custom projects in Lutz, Land O Lakes, Odessa and Wesley Chapel. If you are looking for a homebuilder in Tampa you can trust to build your custom home call today at 813-404-5781.

After touring the models, the salesperson invited them to look at some show case homes. Southern Crafted Homes is know for keeping several completed show case homes in each community to allow buyers to see a broader range of available homes and to meet the needs of those buyers who need a completed new home to move in quickly. On the third home they found almost exactly what they were looking for. The Boca Grande was a fantastic fit for them. With five bedrooms, three baths, a spacious eat in kitchen, three car garage and covered lanai it was perfect for them and had plenty of room for their children and grandchildren to visit. But there was one thing missing. Their elation turned to disappointment when they realized the home was missing the one thing they really wanted to duplicate from their home up north.

Sensing the sudden change in the mood the salesperson asked if the home met all of their needs. Mrs. Smith softly replied that it was missing the one thing they truly wanted and she understood that with the home being 100% complete it would be impossible to accomplish what they wanted. Undeterred the salesperson pressed for what it was they wanted. Mrs. Smith replied that the fireplace in their current home held such memories for them that they could not envision having a home without it. She explained that during the last couple of weeks they were unable to find homes that had fireplaces and the new home builders they visited were unwilling to add one to homes already in process. With their time frame they simply did not have time to go through the entire construction process. The salesperson smiled. “Mrs. Smith if we could add that fireplace to this home would it make it the perfect home for you?” Mrs. Smith looked at Mr. Smith and they both smiled. “Why yes it would”, she replied. “Then let’s go start the paperwork.”

What Southern Crafted Homes understands is that buyers want what they want in a home and given the right tools and the right attitude most anything can be accomplished. After all remodelers do this everyday. After creating a few designs and making some décor selections for tile and a mantle, they were able to apply for a permit and have the fireplace installed and completed in less than two weeks. And rather than having to settle for something less than what they truly wanted the Smith’s were able to get exactly what they wanted and Southern Crafted Homes had a happy customer.

*** This is a true story. The only thing changed was the customers name.

Modern Floor Plans – New homes have the latest floor plans. You’ll find typical ceiling heights are much higher than older homes. With open floor plans, larger master bathrooms, closets, and specialty rooms like man caves, media rooms, and computer niches, floor plans today are designed to optimize space. You won’t need to put in the costly expense of remodeling your home to meet your actual living requirements and lifestyle.

Customization – In a new home, you can customize the home to fit your needs.  You can choose the colors, flooring, cabinetry and other options that will fit your tastes not that of the previous owner.

Technology – New homes are designed with today’s technology in mind. You will have ample phone jacks, high-speed data and cable. Security systems can be prewired in as you build your home. Most new homes come with  Smart Home technology  that allows for versatility and flexibility in making changes to your home as your needs change. Retrofitting phone and cable jacks, installing surround sound, and locating internet jacks can be quite the headache in cost and mess.  

Easy Maintenance Materials –Lower maintenance materials allow you to carve out more time and enjoy living in your home, verses doing time consuming projects to maintain its beauty. Today’s building materials are much more maintenance free allowing you time to enjoy your home instead of having to constantly work on it.

Energy Efficient - The more modern a home, the more likely energy efficient equipment has been installed. From energy efficient doors and windows, proper insulation and energy star rated equipment and materials a new home is going to consume less fossil fuels making your overall cost of homeowners far less. And because much of this Green technology also focuses on specifying Green products it creates a healthier living environment for you and your family.

Safety – With modern materials and homes built to current building codes you eliminate the possibility of dangerous building products that may have been accepted in the past. You also won’t have to worry about old plumbing and faulty wiring that doesn’t meet current building codes.

Warranties – When you buy a home from a builder, it comes with a variety of warranties, from structural and mechanical to the warranties that come with the equipment used in your home. All around there is more peace of mind when purchasing new. While a warranty can be purchased with a used home, they typically last a year and only cover certain things. A homebuilder’s warranty is far more comprehensive and can cover certain equipment for 2 years and other aspects of your home for up to 10 years.

Predictable time frames – With shore sales and foreclosures the time from making an offer to the bank accepting that offer is completely unpredictable. Sometimes it can take six months just to get a response. No one wants to be in limbo that long. Homebuilders know how long it takes to build a home and have the scheduling down to a science. They will give you commitments you can count on and if it is a completed inventory home often you can get a closing date at time of contract.

Customer Service – When purchasing a new home there are staff members to guide you through the process whether it is understanding the contract, choosing décor selections, helping you understand the construction process or helping you with your closing. These knowledgeable professionals are there to help you through the intricacies of buying a home.  With an existing home you are on your own for many things.

Community – New homes more often than not mean new community. Many new communities feature great amenities where residents can gather and enjoy their neighborhood, get to know each other and create a sense of community.

On January 11th, 2011 Southern Crafted Homes signed a partnership with the United States Department of Defense Employer Partnership of the Armed Forces. US Army Major General Keith Thurgood and Chief Operating Officer, Jim Deitch entered into the agreement to find ways to support returning veterans looking to transition back into the civilian work force. The company has a long standing tradition of supporting the military and almost 30% of its employees are veterans. Deitch served 12 years in the Marine Corps and is a veteran of the first Gulf War. In 2011 Southern Crafted Homes built a home for free for an Afghanistan veteran who is a paraplegic and the company has provided ongoing support to Homes For Our Troops and Support our Troops. On January 5th 2012 Mr. Deitch will join about a dozen other employers in Texas for the All American Bowl where they will meet with the Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, the US Army Chief of Staff, General Chiarelli and several other top Generals to discuss and formulate plans to help transition the thousands of returning veterans into civilian jobs. With the unemployment rate for veterans aged 20 to 24 years at 30%, they are more than double the unemployment rate for non-veterans. This is a leading issue in our country and Southern Crafted Homes is partnering with other like minded companies in trying to find a private solution to this crisis. “These men and women have served us selflessly in this long period of war. It is our duty to help them transition into the private sector,” said Deitch. “The construction industry has a long history of being military friendly and giving preferential hiring status to our veterans. We just want to do our part.”

On January 5^th  2012 Mr. Deitch will join about a dozen other employers in Texas for the All American Bowl where they will meet with the Secretary of the Army, John McHugh, the US Army Chief of Staff, General Chiarelli and several other top Generals to discuss and formulate plans to help transition the thousands of returning veterans into civilian jobs. With the unemployment rate for veterans aged 20 to 24 years at 30%, they are more than double the unemployment rate for non-veterans. This is a leading issue in our country and Southern Crafted Homes is partnering with other like minded companies in trying to find a private solution to this crisis.  “These men and women have served us selflessly in this long period of war. It is our duty to help them transition into the private sector,” said Deitch. “The construction industry has a long history of being military friendly and giving preferential hiring status to our veterans. We just want to do our part”

Sediment is sand or grit that has gotten into the municipal water mains. It also can be comprised of scale and mineral deposits. Over time your water heater will accumulate this sediment reducing the amount of water your heater tank can hold, reduce the efficiency of the unit and corrode the unit. It can also clog the drain valve.

Cleaning the sediment from your unit is fairly easy but there are some important first steps to remember. If your water heater is gas set the gas valve to “pilot” to prevent the burners from coming on while you are flushing it. If it is electric be sure to turn off the circuit breaker. With an electric water heater if the water level drops below the heating element and the elements come on they will burn out quickly.

Next connect a garden hose to the drain valve at the bottom of the tank. Make sure the discharge for the hose is in a safe area away from pets and children to prevent injuries from scalding. Close the shut off valve to the cold inlet to the water heater. Carefully open the pressure relief valve at the top of the tank by lifting the lever up and leave it in the open position. (Be careful if your pressure relief valve does not discharge into a pan or to the exterior or you will flood your floor).

Open the drain valve at the bottom of the water heater and allow the water to flow through the garden hose. It is recommended you have the water drain into the yard as iron sediment can stain your concrete on your driveway and walkways. If the sediment is clogging the drain valve close the pressure relief valve and turn the cold inlet back on to help power flush it. If this does not clear the drain remove the hose and use a screw driver to break up the chunks of sediment  in the drain valve.

You’ll know you are done when the water being discharged runs clear. At this point turn the valve off and remove the hose. Turn the cold inlet valve back on. Open a faucet in the house and let it run until the air gets out of the line. Then you can turn the heater back on and if it is a gas unit relight the pilot light.