“We’re doing all that we can to accommodate the needs of home buyers,” said Lora Heramb, vice president of sales and marketing for Brookfield Homes. “By offering one of the lowest new home tax rates in Carlsbad, in addition to money-saving green features, we’re providing home buyers with the ultimate in savings and value.”

Rockrose is among the lowest tax rates for new homes in Carlsbad. The 1.21% rate is based on the Rockrose median sales price of $659,000. The tax rate will increase or decrease based upon the actual sales price of the home.

In addition to the new lower property tax levels, Rockrose continues to provide the most sustainable living available in San Diego County through our Eco-Savvy design program. Energy efficiency is one of six areas of Eco-Savvy concentration incorporated into every home at Rockrose. The others are: water conservation, waste reduction, indoor air quality, sustainable building materials / wood conservation, and renewable energy / solar power (optional).

Price, quality, Eco-Savvy and lower property tax rates, what more could you want from a new home? Stop by Rockrose to see for yourself just how much value is offered in a Brookfield Home.

7,090 of the applications are the result of a closed escrow on a new home. These are direct applications for a tax credit allocation. 3,720 of the applications are for reservations of a tax credit and while they are assumed to count against the total allocation, they do not rise to an actual allocation of tax credit until the reserved home closes escrow.

According to the FTB, “(t)he numbers are overstated as there will be duplicate, revised, and invalid applications included as we have not verified any of the applications. In addition, some purchases may be included twice if we have received both a reservation request and an application for the purchase.” And, “(o)nce we determine that we have received sufficient applications and reservation requests to allocate the full $100 million, we will stop accepting reservation requests and applications for the New Home Credit.”

At the current rate of requests, it is likely the FTB will continue to take requests for allocations and reservations of allocations into the middle of September. That means today is a great day to explore the benefits of buying a new home. With historically low mortgage rates, very high affordability rates, and the addition of up to $10,000 in California Tax Credits, buying a new home today is a financially smart decision.

Please visit a Brookfield new homes community and let our professional sales counselors “show you the numbers”!

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Rockrose is the first new home community in San Diego to offer every new home standard, with an energy efficiency rating of 35% better than the California Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Construction (Title 24). But, that is just where Eco-Savvy starts. Rockrose offers water conservation through tankless water heaters, WaterSense faucets, low-flow shower heads, recirculating hot water systems, insulated hot water loop lines and water sensitive landscaping. Rockrose is waste sensitive, diverting 70-80% of the construction waste material away from local landfills by recycling. Rockrose is environmentally sensitive to indoor air quality by including Merv 8 air filters, low VOC carpets and paints, and formaldehyde free adhesives. Rockrose supports sustainable building through the use of Sustainable Forest Initiative Certified lumber and engineered wood products. Home buyers may also select recycled materials for their floor coverings. Rockrose supports renewable energy and solar power by providing photo voltaic options for all home buyers. Rockrose is Eco-Savvy.

And, Eco-Savvy is being ecologically and economically smart. It doesn’t have to cost a lot of money to be Eco-Savvy!

Eco-Savvy is also being a good neighbor and offering educational materials and displays about energy savings, water conservation, indoor air quality, native habitat landscaping and waste reduction programs. Even if you are not in the market for a new home, stop by and see how Eco-Savvy can be utilized in your home today. Saving the environment can also mean saving money in your home right now!

See you on the 27th of March!

Governor Schwarzenegger At Trellis, by Brookfield Homes

California Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, took time out of his busy schedule to visit San Diego and the Brookfield Homes community of Trellis on Friday, February 5th, to promote his State Tax Credit for New Homes and his Jobs Creation Initiative. The Governor was supported in his efforts by local officials, legislative representatives and business / industry professionals. Local television and radio stations, print media and internet media covered the event. Local citizens and school children turned out to see the Governor and hear his remarks.

The Governor’s remarks focused on the need for California to take responsibility for job creation into its own hands. He said: “You know, in my State of the State Address I made it very clear that with all the big challenges that are ahead of us this year and the things that we want to accomplish, the most important thing for us is to bring our economy back and to bring jobs back. It’s jobs, jobs, jobs, that’s what this is all about. … we need to get people out there and buying the homes, that’s the important thing, so we can build more homes and so we can put people back to work. And the great thing is that when we give tax incentives for home buyers that has a rippling effect, a domino effect, because then all of a sudden builders begin pulling their permits. And we have seen that with last year’s tax credit, that builders began pulling the permits and the subcontractors began hiring again. And that means that people go back to work, if it’s the framers, if it’s the roofers, if it is the electricians, if it is the carpenters, if it is the plumbers. Everyone gets a job right away again.

“So Brookfield Homes, which is the building development where we are right now, they had a 300 percent increase in the sales of homes last year. And then, of course, 70 percent of those buyers used the tax credit. But then, as soon as the money ran out, then you saw again a drop in the sales of homes. And this is why I made the recommendation this year in my job creation package that I put forward that we should put it back again, this $10,000 tax credit for home buyers, which is so important. We are offering a total of $200 million in the credits to buyers. We want to get people off the fence and into the sales office to buy those homes and to be part of the American Dream, because I think it is the American Dream, to own your own home.”

The Governor also commented on the balance of his Jobs Creation Initiative. The list includes:

• Eliminating the sales tax on green technology manufacturing equipment,
• Streamlining regulations to get shovels in the dirt, which means to move forward with ready to go construction jobs and projects,
• Eliminating frivolous lawsuits that hurt small businesses and kill jobs,
• And, the creation of as many as 100,000 new jobs through the $500 million new-hire tax credit.

Specifically he said, “The bottom line here is, of course, that we don’t want to wait for the world economy to come back. Why should we just sit there and wait? We can do something about that. We also don’t wait for Washington to create action. We can create the action. Anytime we don’t do something now about creating jobs, those are self-inflicted wounds. This has nothing to do with the world economy. We can do certain things. We only have a small amount of power when it comes to bringing the economy back or creating jobs but, whatever power we have, let’s use that power. And this is what this initiative is all about here.”

The Governor then answered questions from the media and guests. He took time to visit with local residents and took pictures with the children. Then, to the chagrin of his startled staff, the Governor ventured onto the construction site to shake hands with the workers, thank them for their hard work and encourage them to support his Job Creation Initiative.

Congratulations!

Some people say I write too much.

Some people say I don’t write enough.

My general rule is “Don’t write unless you have something to say!” Well, I got something to say!

At the International Builders Show, in Las Vegas last week, Brookfield Homes San Diego received a special prize. www.brookfieldsd.com was named the Best Builder Website! Yup, it’s true. Check out the judge’s comments on reviewing the nominees …

• “Great graphics, color scheme…”
• “… easy to access and use …”
• “The quick search …”
• “… incentive is brilliant …”
• “… great content …”
• “… Online Sales Center … Awesome!”
• “… thoroughly optimized …”
• “… using social media properly and in a forward thinking manner.”
• And, my personal favorite …”The President writes a blog! Nice!”

Need I say more? You bet! Thanks to Jim Adams at NewHomesDirectory.com for submitting www.brookfieldsd.com to the competition.  And, thanks to Bailey Gardiner, 10th Degree and Scribe Communications for their enthusiasm, professionalism and patience in getting us there. Thanks to Lora Heramb, VP Sales and Marketing and Debby Marshall King, Director of Marketing for taking charge and making it happen. And, most importantly, thanks to our buyers and prospective buyers for their feedback and ideas regarding how to improve our site. What a great team!

Brookfield’s new “Eco-Savvy” product line of single family detached homes is receiving very positive reviews from new home shoppers. The information trailer for Rockrose opened on January 9th. Over 550 inquisitive parties have signed up on the new neighborhood’s Interest List. And, over 35 prospective purchasers have begun the loan qualification process!

Are you environmentally tuned in? Are you focused on eco-friendly homes, energy efficient homes, and sustainable homes? Are you looking for environmentally friendly homes, energy saving homes, and green house designs? Then you may be “Eco-Savvy”! If you want all these things in your new home, and you want your home in a great school district, a coastal city and a new master planned community, then you may be “Eco-Savvy”! If you want all these benefits and you want them at a great value, the you are “Eco-Savvy”!

“Eco-Savvy” means sustainable and smart! “Eco-Savvy” means energy conscious, water conscious, air quality conscious, habitat conscious, renewable resource conscious and smart! Every home in the Rockrose neighborhood will be a minimum of 35% more energy efficient than required by the current California’s Energy Efficiency Standards for Residential Construction (Title 24). No other builder in San Diego is offering this level of energy efficiency in its standard construction homes! That’s right “NO OTHER BUILDER IN SAN DIEGO IS OFFERING A STANDARD CONSTRUCTION HOME AT 35% MORE EFFICIENT THAN REQUIRED BY TITLE 24!” That is why “Eco-Savvy” in smart!

In Rockrose you will find … water efficient fixtures, low VOC paints, stains and adhesives for air quality, National Wildlife Federation certified habitat landscaping, sustainable forest certified lumber, xeriscape front yard landscaping, construction waste reduction programs, in-home recycling centers, and the list continues to grow … that is “Eco-Savvy” smart!

Have you been by to visit Rockrose? What’s holding you up? You can find us on Glen Avenue in Carlsbad. Take the I-5 to Cannon Road exit, go east. As you cross El Camino Real, you can see us ahead on the left. Turn left on Hilltop Street and go around the traffic circle to the Brookfield Information Center for Rockrose. Stop in and see Julie or Loretta, they will be happy to show you how “Eco-Savvy” means a smart buying decision.

The new homes at Rockrose will range from a single story home with 2,116 sf to a two story home with 3,167 sf. In all, four different floor plans will be offered, with multiple architectural elevations and color palates.

The Eco-Savvy design and construction techniques will be previewed this weekend as well. You will learn more about our plans for conserving water, conserving energy, reducing construction waste, drought tolerant landscaping and irrigation systems, improved internal air quality and other environmentally sensitive design and construction approaches being offered in these eco friendly new homes.

The Foothills community is conveniently located east of El Camino Real, along Cannon Road, in Carlsbad, California. The Foothills community is also situated on a southerly facing, gently sloping, hill side. This provides homes sites with view opportunities, good access to warm sunlight and cool ocean breezes. The recreation center at The Foothills will offer resort level amenities and a great gathering places for new friends and neighbors.

The Carlsbad Unified School District will provide educational facilities for the children of The Foothills and is planning a new high school, along Cannon Road, just east of College Avenue. The new high school is scheduled to open in the fall of 2013.

Pocket parks, a recreational vehicle storage facility and a future commercial office building will also be part of The Foothills master plan. A city neighborhood park has been designed and graded just west of The Foothills, along El Camino Real, and will be developed in the future by the City of Carlsbad.

Stop by our Sales Information Center and learn more about The Foothills and our new neighborhood, Rockrose. Find out what it means to be Eco-Savvy and how you can customize your new home to fit your lifestyle while providing for fewer impacts to our environment.

See you on Saturday!

Great questions! And, we have great answers!

Rockrose, a new community brought to you by Brookfield is Eco-Savvy. Rockrose is a Carlsbad community in the new master plan of The Foothills. Rockrose takes green building, sustainable building and environmentally friendly building to a new level of awareness and implementation.

Today’s “green conscious” consumers are looking to reduce their personal and family impact on the earth’s health and well being. They are looking for environmentally friendly alternatives for every aspect of their lives. Eco-Savvy understands this desire and works with multiple aspects of new home construction and new community living to incorporate these goals into environmentally friendly living.

The recreation center of The Foothills master plan includes solar water heating and LED lighting to reduce the need for natural gas and electricity. You still get the same resort quality facilities, you just get them in a more Eco-Savvy delivery.

Rockrose will include many new Eco-Savvy features, starting with a whole house design system focused on increasing energy efficiency by 35% or more than current Title 24 requirements. Title 24 is the California state law that governs home design and energy efficiency in construction. California has one of the strictest energy efficiency standards in the United States, and every Eco-Savvy Rockrose home will exceed the minimum standards for energy efficiency by at least 35% (according to the current Title 24)!

Rockrose will also bring you other Eco-Savvy features, like water conservation measures and environmentally friendly building material selections. Many of these features will be standard in every Rockrose home. And, then for those “green conscious” buyers that desire to go even further …. well, we have some more surprises in store for you.

Visit our web site for more information on Rockrose and The Foothills. Then check back here regularly as we unveil more of the Eco-Savvy features and options you can find in this new home community.

Brookfield Homes has always prided itself on the quality of our home construction. We are known for our efforts to design and build quality homes. We view the Eco-Savvy homes by Brookfield to be that “next extension” of our quality construction program. Quality, value, design and now Eco-Savvy, Brookfield Homes continues to lead the way in new home and community construction.