PITTSBORO, N.C. — There are nearly 4.8 million homes in North Carolina, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

Many of those are built in sustainable communities — one of which is in Chatham Park. 

What You Need To Know

  • Chatham Park is near Pittsboro

  • Several homes contain energy-efficient appliances

  • Amanda Hoyle works in real estate and says efficiency is important to homebuyers

The energy-efficient neighborhoods are intended to be kind to the Earth and homeowners.

Understanding what the in-home features are is part of the homebuying experience, says Amanda Hoyle, a former real estate news reporter who is now working in real estate for Tri Pointe homes.

“When everyone is looking at a home, when they first come in they are looking at a floor plan, they are looking at the elevations. The next questions are always about what is the efficiency of the home versus what is an option for an upgrade,” Hoyle said.

Ventilation is different because it depends on a MERV 13 system, known as a Minimum Efficiency Reporting Values, to filter harmful particles indoors. The Environmental Protection Agency rates MERV filtration systems from 1 to 16. The higher the rating, the better the filtration.

“This is what we have across the house, which is more medical-grade air quality. Since we spend so much more time in our homes, it is so important we filter our the air,” she said.

If you live in one of these types of homes, you will have low-flow water fixtures. These fixtures pump lower amounts of water out of appliances, such as sinks and showers, than you might find in traditional homes.

“Homebuilders understand water efficiency is more important,” Hoyle said.

She said designers install low-energy windows to shield living spaces from ultraviolet rays.

Chatham Park relies on a water conservation system a few miles away to sort naturally flowing waters and gray water, which is domesticated wastewater, to keep water sanitary pumping into the community’s plumbing.

Smarthome technology allows homeowners to control temperature and close their garage doors from their phones.

The goal of every home build is to ensure buyers save money over time, plus live indoors with fewer fumes, fewer toxins and an overall reduction in pollution.

“When you get down to the nitty gritty, that’s what really separates homebuilders is what is and is not included in a home,” Hoyle said.