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Greg Zaller, left, and Jerry Van Heeringen, along with Realtor Paul Sieving (not pictured), are working on a building project to create small, green homes at prices within the reach of working families.
Despite a decline in housing prices, Nevada County still lacks affordable homes for many working class people — but three local men have joined forces to meet the need.
Though they are still perfecting their philosophy, a Nevada County financier, a builder and a Realtor have come together to build smaller homes with an accent on energy-saving design and materials.
The first home — recently funded by Greg Zaller, built by Jerry Van Heeringen and marketed by Realtor Paul Sieving — sold for $340,000 on You Bet Road.
They now are building another 1,200-square-foot home in Rough and Ready and are hoping to charge $300,000 for three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen-eating area, den, utility room and attached garage.
For Sieving, it’s all about survival in a brave, new world.
“In 2004 and 2005, everything sold,” Sieving said. “Today, only 5 to 6 percent of the county’s inventory sells in a month, and back then it was 30 percent.
“The question is, ‘Do you want to be part of that five percent?’ and the answer is yes.”
In past years, Zaller and Van Heeringen would build a home and turn it over to a real estate agent, who had nothing to do with its planning.
These days, Zaller and Van Heeringen bring Sieving out to the house while it’s still under construction to tell them what might be changed or added to make it more marketable.
“In a normal time, the buzzword is location, location, location, but now it’s price and condition, and you have to be superior with the condition,” Sieving said. “People want energy efficiency with the cost of energy going up, and we’re marketing that.”
Solar industry people have told Sieving that homes with solar systems often sell quickly, which is what the team is looking for.
“As an investor, I have to run things tight to be ready if the market moves,” Zaller said. “Mansions aren’t offering us anything anymore but snobbery. They’re too big” and consume huge amounts of energy.
“These are simple, solid homes that are highly energy-efficient,” Zaller added.
The single most effective difference in making the houses energy efficient is windows, Zaller said.
The homes are designed with 11 percent of the space in smaller windows as opposed to about 20 percent in most homes, because windows let more heat out of a house than anything else.
The garage and utility room of the home being built will not be heated.
“Why?” Zaller asked. He will also be using special light bulbs that last twice as long as fluorescent bulbs throughout the house.
“We’re planning to put a solar air heater in this house,” Zaller said, along with a solar water heater. The men will also offer a solar package if the buyer wants to include it.
“Some of these things are design things, like not having the overhangs come out over the windows,” Van Heeringen said.
Added Zaller, “There’s a lot of opportunity after the economy did what it did. We don’t think it will come back the way it was.”
To contact Zaller and learn more about the homes he and his partners are selling, call him at 265-2345.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
Though they are still perfecting their philosophy, a Nevada County financier, a builder and a Realtor have come together to build smaller homes with an accent on energy-saving design and materials.
The first home — recently funded by Greg Zaller, built by Jerry Van Heeringen and marketed by Realtor Paul Sieving — sold for $340,000 on You Bet Road.
They now are building another 1,200-square-foot home in Rough and Ready and are hoping to charge $300,000 for three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen-eating area, den, utility room and attached garage.
For Sieving, it’s all about survival in a brave, new world.
“In 2004 and 2005, everything sold,” Sieving said. “Today, only 5 to 6 percent of the county’s inventory sells in a month, and back then it was 30 percent.
“The question is, ‘Do you want to be part of that five percent?’ and the answer is yes.”
In past years, Zaller and Van Heeringen would build a home and turn it over to a real estate agent, who had nothing to do with its planning.
These days, Zaller and Van Heeringen bring Sieving out to the house while it’s still under construction to tell them what might be changed or added to make it more marketable.
“In a normal time, the buzzword is location, location, location, but now it’s price and condition, and you have to be superior with the condition,” Sieving said. “People want energy efficiency with the cost of energy going up, and we’re marketing that.”
Solar industry people have told Sieving that homes with solar systems often sell quickly, which is what the team is looking for.
“As an investor, I have to run things tight to be ready if the market moves,” Zaller said. “Mansions aren’t offering us anything anymore but snobbery. They’re too big” and consume huge amounts of energy.
“These are simple, solid homes that are highly energy-efficient,” Zaller added.
The single most effective difference in making the houses energy efficient is windows, Zaller said.
The homes are designed with 11 percent of the space in smaller windows as opposed to about 20 percent in most homes, because windows let more heat out of a house than anything else.
The garage and utility room of the home being built will not be heated.
“Why?” Zaller asked. He will also be using special light bulbs that last twice as long as fluorescent bulbs throughout the house.
“We’re planning to put a solar air heater in this house,” Zaller said, along with a solar water heater. The men will also offer a solar package if the buyer wants to include it.
“Some of these things are design things, like not having the overhangs come out over the windows,” Van Heeringen said.
Added Zaller, “There’s a lot of opportunity after the economy did what it did. We don’t think it will come back the way it was.”
To contact Zaller and learn more about the homes he and his partners are selling, call him at 265-2345.
To contact Senior Staff Writer Dave Moller, e-mail dmoller@theunion.com or call 477-4237.
