Legacy Homes
Legacy Homes is a premier new home builder in the Huntsville and Athens, Alabama housing markets. Their mission is “to deliver the highest quality, energy-efficient homes with innovative designs at an extraordinary value, while providing a First Class experience that exceeds our client’s expectations”. The Four Owners of Legacy use their 100+ years of combined experience to deliver communities and homes that have the Perfect Blend of Square Feet, Location, Features, and Design.
In this month’s feature, we asked Legacy Homes President Jeff Korotky, CPA, to share some insight on building HERS® homes for their customers.
Q: What is special about a HERS® Rated home?
A: Jeff: A HERS® Rated Home is a proven way to measure a home’s energy efficiency. Since the HERS® testing is done by an independent, third-party inspector, our customers have a peace of mind knowing that their home is energy-efficient and saves them thousands of dollars on their utility bills. A HERS® rated home is better built and insulated which creates a more comfortable home by making it warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
Q: Why should consumers ask for the HERS® Index Score on homes they are shopping for?
A: Jeff: The HERS® Index Score goes beyond the initial purchase of their home, and can affect future costs, such as your electric bill. Asking for a HERS® rating up front can help a customer to understand the long-term savings or spending that will be incurred with the home purchase.
Q: Why does Legacy Homes choose to have their homes HERS® Rated?
A: Jeff: We have made energy efficiency a cornerstone of our company. Legacy Homes’ mission is to build quality, energy-efficient homes with innovative designs at an extraordinary value. By having our homes HERS® rated, we are following through on our pledge to our customers by giving them better comfort and lowering their homeownership costs with energy savings.
Q: Why consumers should expect energy-efficient homes?
A: Jeff: Just as someone going to dinner would expect a restaurant to be clean and serve food that tastes good; homebuyers expect a new home to be energy-efficient and built well. The consumer is making their biggest purchase when buying a new home, so we want to provide them with a high standard of quality, which includes energy-efficiency.
Q: How many homes does Legacy Homes build with HERS® per year?
A: Jeff: As the housing demand in Huntsville continues to skyrocket, Legacy Homes continues to grow as the largest local builder in our market. Last year we closed 260 homes, all with a HERS® rating. In 2020, we plan on building 350 HERS® rated, energy-efficient homes.
Q: How do you market HERS® Rated homes?
A: Jeff: We are proud to be able to build homes that qualify and meet the HERS® standards. We display collateral in model homes and have an entire page on our website dedicated to the HERS® rating. We also frequently visit brokerage offices and present a “Why Legacy?” slideshow to our Realtor friends. This presentation includes a section explaining our HERS® score and the advantages of a new energy-efficient Legacy Home compared to a used home in the resell market.
Q: How do your customers feel about HERS® Rated homes?
A: Jeff: Whenever the HERS® score is brought up in our initial conversations with customers, this is something they view as a “value added” checkmark to their list of why they should choose us to build their home. Going beyond the metrics of how to the score is calculated, our customers look forward to enjoying the comforts of their home while also saving money on their utility bills!
