TO PLACE AN AD CALL CLASSIFIED • 541-385-5809
SATURDAY, JUNE 19, 2021 • THE BULLETIN
C1
R EAL ESTATE
New Palmer Home
with Views
Luxurious Casual Living in Broken Top
Bedrooms | . Baths | Great Room | Family Room
Broken Top Drive | Offered at $,,
Welcoming foyer leads to sunny & bright great room with
fl oor-to-ceiling stacked rock wall surrounding the fi replace, box
beamed ceilings & expansive windows that fl ood the interiors
with natural light & frame the golf course views that lie beyond
lushly landscaped yard. Dining room is ideally positioned
for entertaining or quiet meals at home, prepared in gourmet
kitchen featuring glazed cabinetry, Wolfe range, breakfast bar,
wine refrigerator & solid surface counters. Tranquil main level owner’s suite with lounging area from which
to enjoy fairway views & quiet time in front of cozy fi replace. Th ere is also a private & spacious en-suite
guest room on main level. Upstairs family room & balcony provide amazing golf course views, as do two
additional guest-suites providing perfect retreat for family & guests. Expansive paver patio for enjoying
peaceful setting & golf course views.
L ISA C OLE , Principal Broker
New homes being built by award winning (2020
awards for Best Master Suite and Best Value)
Palmer Homes in the sought after community of
Redtail Ridge in SW Redmond. All homes feature
3 car garages, large lots (9000+ square feet) and
beautiful mountain views. Homes will be coming
soon with completion dates ranging from this
summer to fall 2021. Reach out to one of our
sales professionals to learn more. CCB# 185585
Jennifer Dorsey
Palmer Home Sales, Inc.
541-678-2927
jdorsey@palmerhomes.com
Berkshire Hathaway Home Services, NW
541.749.0047
lisacole@bhhsnw.com
Mike Nelson
Palmer Home Sales, Inc.
541-588-0698
mnelson@palmerhomes.com
© ADOBE STOCK
Off-the-Grid Homes
The freak winter storm in Texas earlier this year created an uptick in
those considering homes off the grid as millions went without power
and water for days at a time as the Arctic temperatures plunged.
Living off the grid is a recent
phenomenon, considering it wasn’t all
that long ago society had no choice but to
live off the grid. However, there are some
and many more thinking about reverting
to that past to save money and limit their
carbon footprint, as well living in harmony
with nature and her wonders.
The increase in demand
Off-the-grid homes are trending primarily
because of one factor: climate change.
The increase of severe storms each
year will further “indicate the needs for
resilient development,” Ben Keys, associate
professor of real estate at the University of
Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, told CNBC.
Major grid failure or “blackout” events
in the U.S. that impacts 50,000 or more
people, jumped by more than 60% since
2015, according to CNBC.
“These houses can be built in much
more efficient ways, so not just solar, but
they can have their own water filters, other
sources of electricity generation and a
number of other efficient ways to manage
their utilities,” said Keys.
Enter builders such as California-based
Dvele.
Dvele homes have solar, battery and
other construction and insulation elements,
as well as smart technology, that allow
them to use far less energy and operate
longer off the grid. The home monitors its
own energy input and output all the time,
then tweaks the systems to save more. If
the local power goes out, the home should
see no difference.
“Today, most of us have traded our
independence to pay someone else to
keep our homes warm, keep our lights,
on and keep our stomachs full. I think
this is becoming an increasingly unstable
proposition,” said Cam Mather, author of
“Thriving During Challenging Times: The
Energy, Food and Financial Independence
Handbook.”
Most of Dvele’s projects are on the West
Coast, but they are forecasting expansion
of individual homes and whole new
communities in other states.
Cost and savings
Perhaps the biggest, not to mention
counterintuitive, deterrent for living off the
grid? Cost.
Dvele homes, which are built in a factory,
are sheeny, modern designs with high-end
furnishings.
The average size is about 2,600 square
feet and run about $1.2 million. That’s cost
prohibitive for many.
“I think the funding is a big challenge
because the payoffs to many of these
investments don’t pay off right away,” said
Keys, the Wharton professor.
In an off-the-grid home in Texas specially
built for the homeowners, composting
toilets plumbed from a rainwater
catchment and graywater tank cost $1,700.
Yet, that same house, without air-
conditioning, kept Texas temperatures
inside the house at no higher than 82
degrees. That was generally attributed to
design that used concrete walls and floors.
The investment is up front. The savings
are found down the line.
HOW MUCH IS YOUR HOME WORTH?
FIND OUT NOW BY CALLING ONE OF OUR OFFICES NEAREST YOU.
M a d r a s 5 4 1 . 4 7 5 .7 0 0 1
WINDEREMERE CENTRAL OREGON REAL ESTATE
Redmond 541.923.4663
Bend 541.388.0404
Sunriver 541.323.5888