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Daily DigestDuff'em If You've Got'em
 North Adams Regional Hospital went smoke-free Monday — so did all its sister sites, from Sweet Brook to Northern Berkshire Family Practice to the Women's Exchange. No ashtrays, no smoking: No butts about it. |
Yuck!
 Today's blue skies will give way to clouds and snow tonight. But be prepared for tomorrow morning, when the white stuff will get messy as freezing rain and sleet move through the region. The morning commute will be slippery — drive careful! |
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Wanted: Eagle Eyes
MassWildlife's annual eagle count runs Dec. 31 to Jan. 14. Anyone sighting one of the regal birds in Massachusetts is asked to participate.
Send date, time, location and town of eagle sightings, number of birds, whether juvenile or adult and observer's contact information to Mass.wildlife@state.ma.us. |
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Other StuffMars Rovers Mark 5 Years
 Spirit and Opportunity have been trekking the red planet for half a decade. Spirit hit the 5-year mark on Sunday; Opportunity will on Jan. 24. |
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New Home Communities Evolve as Real Estate Rebounds - January 09, 2008
 | | Photo Courtesy of Photolibrary |
To update an old slogan, when it comes to the real estate market you just can’t keep a good thing down. Already, in some markets across the country real estate is rebounding, and many would-be homeowners are seeing some real opportunities in the changing new home market.
Consumers will find a handful of developers across the country offering new home communities that put renewed emphasis on conservation, practicality and community. “The concept of the new home community is coming full-circle,” says Fred Montaño of Falcon Ridge Development, Inc., a company building communities in the southwest. “Consumers are demanding a return to the true characteristics of a ‘community.’ That means more than just proximity to work, school and shopping. They want homes in developments that also offer jogging paths, pocket parks and a comfortable community atmosphere.”
Of note, two major development styles are emerging, which address these needs: “new urbanism” has developers building communities with smaller streets, front porches and rear alleyways. This is a familiar style to people who grew up in and around the eastern seaboard. The other modern take on comfortable community building is called the "cove community. "
Both replace the monotony of grid-style neighborhoods, with communities that blend beauty with function. But that’s where the similarities end. “Falcon Ridge develops ‘cove communities’ that embrace the positives of new urbanism without some of the less desirable aspects, such as smaller streets and the added expense of rear alleyways,” Montaño says. “These communities give you a better sense of carving out your niche – your own corner of the world.”
Different home buyers are drawn to this type of community for different reasons. For young families, the curved streets and pocket parks offer insulation from busy traffic and proximity to other families. Empty-nesters and seniors enjoy the inherent quiet of the neighborhood design, while indulging in outdoor exercise in the community’s natural setting.
“There’s a real emphasis on a ‘holistic’ approach to developing these communities,” says Montaño. “We plan the lots for the most efficient and ergonomic use of the available parcel of land. The result is a parcel that makes sense not just for the builder’s need to use every available inch of ground, but for how the homeowners will actually use the land as well.”
New urbanism and cove communities also lend themselves to environmentally friendly building practices. For example, Falcon Ridge builds into the foundation of every community an effluent system that reuses water from homes for landscaping and irrigation needs, rather than simply discarding the water down the drain. And a time-tested building style – modular building – is finding new life in new urban communities.
“Modular construction means that each individual piece is assembled in a factory, rather than on site,” says Montaño. “The advantage to the homeowner is that the individual pieces are constructed to a much higher standard in a controlled environment before being put together at the home site. What’s more, because the builder benefits from the economy of scale and quality control by doing the work in a factory, we’re able to offer homes with superior quality and options but at a highly competitive price.”
While new urbanism is probably more prevalent in the eastern part of the US such as New York and Philadelphia, the cove trend is appearing across the country, especially in fast-growing regions like Phoenix and Las Vegas. “The demand for housing has created a more educated consumer,” says Falcon Ridge’s Fred Montaño. “They desire more than just a nice house – they also want better, enjoyable neighborhood development.”
To learn more about Falcon Ridge and the cove-style development, visit www.FalconRidgeDev.com.
Courtesy of ARA content |
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