Grand Opening Celebration at Pardee Homes' New LivingSmart Homes At Fair Oaks Ranch

LOS ANGELES, CA, April 09, 2011 (Press-News.org) Pardee Homes unveils LivingSmart Homes today, a new neighborhood at Fair Oaks Ranch in the Santa Clarita Valley. The award-winning home builder invites Southern California home shoppers to attend grand opening celebrations that include face painting for the kids and model tours of beautiful new homes--which feature a level of green that is unprecedented at Fair Oaks Ranch.

"Fair Oaks Ranch shoppers expect to find stylish, well-priced new homes and a terrific master-planned community," said Joyce Mason, vice president of marketing for Pardee Homes. "With our new LivingSmart Homes they will also find roof-integrated solar power systems heading our list of price-included green features, which can all help them save on home operating costs while they enjoy better indoor air quality and year-around comfort."

Grand opening visitors can learn more as they enjoy self-guided model home tours starting April 9 at 10 a.m. A special feature of the model home tour is Pardee Homes' LivingSmart room. Here, prospective home buyers can get details on the advanced green features of the new LivingSmart Homes, and see how Pardee's green building commitments have already enhanced Fair Oaks Ranch.

"We are extremely proud of more than a decade of leadership in green home building and sustainable community planning," said Jim Bizzelle, Vice President of Community Development for Pardee's LA/Ventura counties region. "We look forward to showing area home buyers exactly what goes into our high-performance homes--and how our green commitment adds value to the investment in a new home."

Prices begin in the low $400,000s at LivingSmart Homes, for plan sizes that range from approximately 1,846 to 2,432 square feet of living space. The design series includes 4 floor plans, each with a two-bay garage.

In addition to providing stylish and versatile layouts, Pardee Homes is building every home at LivingSmart Homes to the standards of its award-winning LivingSmart program. Introduced in the environmentally sensitive master-planned community of Pacific Highlands Ranch in San Diego, LivingSmart features and systems have since been incorporated in many new homes by Pardee. In 2008, the company made a commitment to build all of its new homes to LivingSmart's basic criteria.

With the new LivingSmart Homes at Fair Oaks Ranch, Pardee Homes is delivering even a higher level of green than has previously been available at this community. These standard and optional features are conveniently grouped by:

EnergySmart features reduce energy consumption and actually generate energy. At LivingSmart Homes, energy-saving standards include the SunPower solar power system, which generates solar electricity for the home. Also standard are fluorescent lights in recessed cans, radiant barrier roof sheathing and low-E spectrally selective glass windows, which reduce heat and ultraviolet (UV) rays. Optional features include G.E. refrigerators, washing machines and clothes dryers with the EnergyStar rating from the U.S. EPA, and a tankless water heater.

WaterSmart features help conserve water usage, indoors and out. At LivingSmart Homes, standards include attractive, drought tolerant landscaping with a smart irrigation controller; water-saving toilets and a G.E. EnergyStar dishwasher.

HealthSmart features promote better indoor air quality. Standards in this category include low VOC (volatile organic compounds) insulation, grout, paint and adhesives, as well as MERV 8 air filters. Buyers can also consider such options as a high-efficiency electronic air filtration system and a central vacuum system that carries dust-laden air directly to a canister in the garage.

EarthSmart features use sustainable materials, which help conserve natural resources. Examples in the new LivingSmart Homes include a convenient recycling center, carpeting of recycled material, with green-labeled pad, and engineered wood that helps preserve forests. Buyers can consider such optional features as low-fiber flooring that uses materials from quickly rejuvenating, managed forests. These flooring choices eliminate carpet fibers that harbor dust mites, pet dander and other allergens.

"Our new LivingSmart Homes bring exciting style, comfort and efficiency to your new home, at a level that older homes and homes built to conventional standards simply cannot match," said Mason. "Our LivingSmart measures also benefit the environment, because they reduce consumption of natural resources and reduce harmful emissions."

New home shoppers attending grand opening can also learn more about the Fair Oaks Ranch lifestyle, which features a freeway-close location that eases commutes to Los Angeles employment and business centers. Fair Oaks Ranch also offers proximity to local shopping, dining, fitness centers, entertainment and services.

Equally desirable are advantages within the community. These include the Fair Oaks Ranch Community School and its playgrounds and sports fields; hiking and walking trail, Fair Oaks Ranch Park, preserved oak trees and hundreds of acres of open space.

For close-to-home recreation and socializing, residents can also enjoy The Ranch at Fair Oaks Ranch. The Ranch features a junior Olympic-sized swimming pool surrounded by a sundeck, barbecue and seating areas, children's play equipment, an eating bar and play lawn. The common room with adjacent full kitchen provides an ideal backdrop for community events and private parties.

Pardee Homes offers broker co-op at LivingSmart Homes. Brokers must accompany prospective buyers on the initial visit to this Pardee Homes neighborhood.

To reach Fair Oaks Ranch, exit the 14 Freeway North at Via Princessa and turn right to enter Fair Oaks Ranch. Turn left at Lost Canyon Road and follow signs to the LivingSmart Homes sales gallery at 17426 Winter Pine Parkway. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays and 1 to 6 p.m. on Mondays. For more information call 661-299-5409. Also see www.pardeehomes.com.

Established in 1921, Pardee Homes is one of the nation's most notable homebuilding companies. Pardee Homes emphasizes master-planned communities that include schools, parks and preserved open space, and is widely recognized for quality construction, customer service, and dedication to the educational and civic goals of the communities in which it builds.