Tradition Hilton Head welcomes builder of EarthCraft House-certified green home

Scott Homes of the Lowcountry has begun construction of an environment-sustaining, EarthCraft-certified home at Tradition Hilton Head, the 5,300-acre, master-planned community being developed here by Core Communities.

The first home Scott Homes is building in Tradition Hilton Head is an EarthCraft-certified three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath Lowcountry design. It will feature a wraparound front porch and rear garage. As an EarthCraft home, builders must adhere to certain standards on construction, heating and air, insulation, appliances, and furnishings.

Tradition Hilton Head is quickly building a national reputation for its “green” focus. It is the location of HGTV’s first-ever Green Home, which has attracted more than 3,500 tours since opening on March 24. The $20 per person tours include both a walkthrough of the HGTV home and an inspection of Tradition’s Green Preview Center.

“Scott Homes, our newest builder at Tradition Hilton Head, epitomizes the high standards Tradition Hilton Head has set for our sustainable and eco-friendly community,” said David Page, Tradition Hilton Head’s president.

“We are very pleased to welcome a builder of such high quality and integrity as Scott Homes,” Page said.

As a family-owned, fourth-generation homebuilding company in Beaufort County, Scott Homes is committed to the construction of residences that have minimum impact on the environment, said Scott Leiti, president of Scott Homes.

“With the growing concern for keeping the Lowcountry pristine, we have become EarthCraft certified, which allows us to deliver energy efficient, environmentally friendly residences,” Leiti said.

“Preliminary engineering calculations show that utilities will cost approximately $120 per month for the 2,240-square-foot home,” Leiti said. “We are very excited about the opportunity that Tradition Hilton Head has to offer to environment- and energy-efficiency-minded customers and builders.”

Leiti said the home, designed by Sam Liberti of Low Tide Designs in Bluffton based on an original design by Moser Design Group, will be valued at approximately $495,000 and will feature engineered wood products and hardwood flooring, open cell spray foam insulation, house wrap and air sealing to reduce air infiltration for reduced energy use, high performance windows with low emittance glass for reduced energy use, 90-plus percent efficient furnace, carpet made from recycled material, low-flow plumbing fixtures, and a tankless hot water system.

EarthCraft House was created in 1999 as a residential green building program of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association in partnership with Southface, a nonprofit corporation that provides environmental education and outreach programs for builders and communities.

For more information on Tradition Hilton Head, visit www.TraditionHiltonHead.com. For additional information on Scott Homes, visit www.scottdevcorp.com, and for more information on EarthCraft Homes, visit www.earthcrafthouse.com.

Hundreds Tour HGTV’s Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head on Opening Day

Tours of environment-friendly house now daily through May 18

The very first visitors to Tradition Hilton Head's HGTV Green Home giveaway public tours were Kristen Bronke and her Mother Melanie Coffman, both of Chicago, pictured to the left, shown with Martin Sauls IV (left), Tradition Hilton Head Director of Public Relations and Matt Amman, the community's vice president.

HARDEEVILLE, S.C. (March 25, 2008) – Nearly 500 visitors from as far away as Chicago and Boston toured the first HGTV Green Home at Tradition Hilton Head on Monday and Tuesday.

“We are excited about the start of public tours,” said Martin Sauls IV, Public Relations Director for Tradition Hilton Head. “The initial day was fantastic. Visitors were impressed with the HGTV Green Home, as well as our new Green Preview Center, a first for the region. We look forward to the thousands of visitors over the coming months.”

Melanie Coffman and her daughter Kristen Bronke vacationing on Hilton Head Island from Chicago were the first to tour visitors to step onto the veranda of the Lowcountry-style home which has achieved the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Gold certification.

“This tour is a great opportunity to learn about green building and interior design and lifestyles that help protect the environment,” said Bronke, a high school teacher. “We definitely will be entering to win the home.”

United Way of the Lowcountry is the charitable recipient of proceeds from the HGTV Green Home public tours, and local United Way volunteers are guiding the tours.

On Monday, volunteers from United Way-funded agency Access Network were on hand to give the tours. A total of 150 United Way volunteers will assist in the HGTV Green Home tours. The home is open Monday through Friday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m., and tickets are $20 per person.

With Melanie Coffman and Kristen Bronke in the first group to tour the HGTV Green Home Monday morning were David and Cathie Townsend of Greenville, S.C.; Bob and Rita Lindberg of Waterford, N.Y.; Joanne Dahl of Waterford; and Jane Gasser of Muncie, Ind.

By the end of the first day Sauls reported that nearly 300 visitors had toured the home which features cutting-edge environmental design and construction, energy- and water-saving appliances and technology, recycled materials, solar panels on the roof, high-efficiency air filters, on-demand hot water, state-of-the-art insulation, pervious pavers, and native, non-intrusive plantings, all of which Tradition Hilton Head’s preferred builders can incorporate into your new home construction.

Visitors also are invited to walk through the region’s first-ever Green Preview Center located next to Tradition Hilton Head’s Welcome Center, where shuttle vans pick up the HGTV Green Home tours.

For more information on the HGTV Green Home and to enter for a chance to win visit www.HGTV.com/greenhome.

Tradition Hilton Head -- Located in between historic Savannah, GA and the resort community of Hilton Head Island, SC in the city of Hardeeville, Tradition Hilton Head is a 5,300-acre master-planned, mixed-use community unlike any other in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Developed by Core Communities, it is considered a “sustainable community” providing the convenience and rewards of a total town living environment, featuring a variety of neighborhoods and housing styles, shopping and dining in charming Village Square, a luxurious Fitness Center & Spa and the Tommy Fazio-designed Tradition National Golf Course. Tradition Hilton Head is located at 3171 Independence Boulevard, Hardeeville, SC 29927. For more information, call (866) 459-1422 or visit www.traditionhh.com

Core Communities -- An award-winning developer of the St. Lucie West and Tradition communities in Florida and South Carolina. Core Communities’ mission is to create and develop master-planned, mixed use, total-living community environments throughout the Southeastern United States. Core Communities is located at Tradition Station, 10521 S.W. Village Center Drive, Suite 201, Port St. Lucie, FL, 34987. Visit Core Communities on the Internet at http://www.corecommunities.com.

Media contact: Martin Sauls, Public Relations Director

Tradition Hilton Head

(843) 208-5300 office / (843) 338-5509 cell

MSauls@Corecommunities.com