Briar Chapel Celebrates Earth Day 2010 by Showcasing Local Foods, Wellness, Environmental Education

In honor of the 40th Annual Earth Day, Briar Chapel is planning to host a series of events that showcase local foods, wellness and environmental education.

In addition to the 2nd Annual Briar Chapel 5K Run on April 17th, there will be a Celebrity Chef Charity Event on April 18th from 1-4 pm benefiting The Abundance Foundation. During the event, chefs from around the Triangle will be demonstrating their favorite recipes using locally grown foods. Participating chefs include Jimmy Reale of The Carolina Inn, Jeremy Clayman of Busy Bee Café, Arthur Gordon of Irregardless Cafe and Andrew Kuty of Pittsboro General Store Café.

Also on April 18th, Briar Chapel will recognize its Sustainability in Education winners, a collaborative project with the Woods Charter School. Depending on the grade level, students were asked to answer a question that ranged from “How can I encourage my family to live more sustainably at home?” to “How can I communicate the benefits of energy cost savings to my parents, peers and community?”

I do hope you will join me in celebrating Earth Day 2010!

Announcing The Villas at Briar Chapel

M/I Homes is just about ready to break ground on a brand new section in Briar Chapel called The Villas. These single-family homes will feature first-floor owner's suites and ranch plans that range in size from 1,600 to 2,300 square feet. Priced from the low $200s, these homes will include maintenance and have 2-car, front-load garages.

Here is a rundown of five new plans that will be built:

The Villa Camellia - starting at 1640 sqft / $246,900
This ranch plan has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, an open great room with gas fireplace, kitchen with center island, walk-up attic storage and large patio.

The Villa Gardenia - starting at 1849 sqft / $263,990
This is also a ranch plan with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, spacious great room and breakfast area. The kitchen features hardwood floors, a beautiful center island and convenient planning center that M/I is often recognized for. There is walk-up attic storage with optional bonus room or fourth bedroom on the second floor.

The Villa Lantana - starting at 1909 sqft / $268,990
This 1.5 story home has a first-floor owner's suite, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, open great room with gas fireplace and convenient eat-in kitchen. An additional study/flex room is on the main level. The plan also features a covered front porch, as well as a patio in the rear.

The Villa Magnolia - starting at 2024 sqft / $278,990
This ranch plan has 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a spacious kitchen and breakfast area that opens to the great room. The plan also features a beautiful formal dining room with bay window and tray ceiling, as well as a large rear patio. Similar to the Villa Gardenia, there is an optional bonus room or fourth bedroom on the second floor.

The Villa Nandina - starting at 2234 sqft / $293,990

This 1.5 story home has a first-floor owner's suite, 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, and stunning covered front porch. This plan also features a flex room with the option for a guest suit with full bath on the first floor. The large owner's suite has ample closet space and a bath with seated shower. In addition to some additional storage space in the walk-up attic, the home has a charming courtyard off off the breakfast area.

If you are interested in The Villas at Briar Chapel and wish to have buyer representation, please contact Peter Winkler to review floor plans, available homesites, and answer any questions you might have about the specific features/specs of these new plans.

Briar Chapel Energy Auditor Named 2010 National Energy Star Partner of the Year

Southern Energy Management (SEM), the company that audits homes built in Briar Chapel to determine if they meet or exceed a minimum Bronze rating in the GHBT Certification Program, has been named a 2010 National Energy Star Partner of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

SEM is being honored for its work in qualifying new homes to earn Energy Star certification, including those built in Briar Chapel. The company also received the award in 2007, 2008 and 2009, and joins just three other companies in the U.S. that have received this award four times.

SEM recently certified its 5,000th Energy Star home, and serves more than 300 builders across the state. In fact, there are just over 10,000 Energy Star qualified homes in North Carolina, and SEM has verified almost half of those. Since SEM began inspecting and verifying Energy Star new homes, the company has helped offset about 1.9 million pounds of carbon emissions through its Energy Star services alone, saving North Carolina homeowners a total of $2.2 million on utility bills.

SEM will be recognized at an awards ceremony in Washington, D.C. on March 18, 2010. To hear the team react to news of the award, watch the following video: