Philip Beere is a sustainability consultant and three-time NAHB Green Advocate of the Year who met Everson while consulting on Gordon Estates, and he has been providing strategic marketing support to Mandalay ever since. Beere thinks he knows why local buyers are responding so well to Mandalay’s offerings.
“It’s not because of green and energy efficiency per se,” Beere says. “When we survey them directly they say energy efficiency was not a motivator, but that their home simply feels different. They cannot pinpoint it, but it seems that a superior build resonates with them, so task No. 1 has been to communicate to the buyer what they are getting. In fact, education is a big obstacle not just for the home buyer but for other builders as well to know what it means to build an energy-efficient home.”
The prospect of educating other builders using the Mandalay model hasn’t been lost on the DOE. In addition to certifying the Gordon Estates project as a Zero Energy Ready Home community, the agency has recognized Mandalay with a Housing Innovation Award every year since 2013, for its work in building zero energy ready homes.
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