Younger Homes
Younger Homes® prides itself on constructing beautiful, sustainable, energy efficient custom and semi-custom homes in the heart of the Texas Hill Country. Serving the greater Austin area, the family-run home builder works to make a healthy and sustainable lifestyle accessible to everyone.
In this month’s feature, we asked Jesse Younger, Managing Member at Younger Homes, to share some insight on building HERS® homes for their customers.
Q: What is special about a HERS Rated home?
A: Jesse: In addition to saving homeowners money on their monthly energy bills, a HERS rated home provides transparency for both current and future homeowners. It also ensures that qualified specialists oversee the construction of your home.
Q: Why should consumers ask for the HERS Index Score on homes they are shopping for?
A: Jesse: When you receive a HERS Index score, you can estimate how much energy your home will use, allowing you to budget accordingly. Additionally, a HERS score provides peace of mind, ensuring that your home performs according to the technical standards you expect. Like the well-known saying: “You get what you pay for,” the HERS score is one objective way to measure if a home is built with resilience in mind.
Q: Why does Younger Homes choose to have their homes HERS Rated?
A: Jesse: As part of our commitment to the Energy Star, EPA Indoor AirPLUS, and the Zero Energy Ready Home Program, we ensure that all of our homes are HERS rated. This objective metric gives our team peace of mind, knowing we have assembled all the right components to meet performance standards for our clients for years to come.
Q: Why consumers should expect energy-efficient homes?
A: Jesse: We recently completed a 10,000+ square foot home in the Hill Country of Austin, Texas, which is filled with natural light. Through careful planning in design and construction, we achieved a HERS rating of -30 for this home. Homeowners should consider choosing a builder who prioritizes their health and the home’s resilience while also maintaining a customized aesthetic. With a HERS-rated home, clients can confidently expect consistent energy efficiency for years to come.
Q: How many homes does Younger Homes build with HERS per year?
A: Jesse: All of our homes are certified by Energy Star and the EPA’s Indoor AirPLUS program. We also offer a selection of semi-custom floor plans that can be constructed to meet the Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH) standards, thanks to our partnership with the United States Department of Energy.
Q: How do you market HERS Rated homes?
A: Jesse: When you choose to build with Younger Homes, you are guaranteed a HERS-rated home. This is not an optional upgrade or add-on; it’s a standard feature. Our team is committed to considering all the details that matter to our clients, right down to the smallest elements.
Q: How do your customers feel about HERS Rated homes?
A: Jesse: Once clients move into their beautiful new homes, one of the best gifts we can give them is their Home Energy Rating Certificate, which details how efficiently their home performs. Our clients are saving thousands of dollars each year on their energy bills. This rating will stay with the home for years to come, essentially providing the equivalent of more than $60,000 off a 30-year mortgage. When interest rates are less than favorable, energy efficiency is always a reliable way to save on expenses.
Q: What rating company do you work with on your HERS-rated homes?
A: Jesse: We work with US-EcoLogic.
