Self-Help Article in The News & Observer

Self-Help was featured in the Raleigh News & Observer over the weekend. Our mantra when selling homes and lending money is to use common sense and always look at the big picture. It's kept us afloat so far, and hopefully will allow us to continue to do good things for the people and communities that need our services. As an organization, we usually go out of the way not to blow our own horn, but I'm glad the N&O decided to do a story on us. I think it's good for people to know that not all lenders have acted irresponsibly, and that it is possible for a lender to succeed by caring about people as much as it cares about its bottom line.

A blurb from the article:

"One year into the credit crunch and mortgage meltdown, a Durham financial institution that banks on neighborhoods at risk is still doing business as usual.
How so?
Common sense, said Martin Eakes, co-founder and CEO of Self-Help, a Main Street nonprofit that has, according to its Web site, provided $5.24 billion to 60,130 homeowners, small businesses and nonprofit enterprises since it started the practice in 1984.
And it's still buying, rebuilding, selling and lending for and to just the sort of people in just the sort of places who are caught up in the sub-prime lending mess. Yet, with much of the country's banking, developing and real-estate industry in crisis, "Financially, we're doing fine," Eakes said in an interview this week.
Not that he doesn't feel depressed and keep his fingers crossed.
"So far, our borrowers are doing pretty well, but I'm anxious for them a little bit," he said; but, "I'm depressed for those communities we have helped to build up." "

See the full article at http://www.newsobserver.com/978/story/1180193.html.

New Photos of our Sustainable Design House

We toured our sustainable design home at 1020 Kent Street a few days ago. The more visible sustainable and energy efficient elements are now being installed as the home is completed. We were there as the light fixtures went up and the carpet went down. Here are some photos from our visit:

Here's a view through the back door into the house. Bedrooms to the left, kitchen and living room to the right. You can see through to the front door. The concrete stained floors look great, although they are covered with paper to protect them as construction is completed.

The bedrooms all feature Flor Fedora carpet tiles. The tiles are partially made of recycled materials, can be easily arranged into alternate patterns, are low VOC, and don't trap dirt like traditional carpets. Here in the master bedroom, we did taupe tiles with a brick colored border. The 2 additional bedrooms are solid taupe.

The light fixtures have a modern feel and are equipped with energy saving compact florescent bulbs.

The back porch will be a great place for cookouts and hanging out. It opens to a cleared area and a brick planter.

The driveway form is complete and ready for concrete. We want to preserve as much permeable surface as possible, to prevent drainage and erosion issues. Most of the driveway will be two concrete strips with a strip of grass between. At the top and bottom of the driveway are concrete crosswalks, allowing access to the front and rear doors.
1020 Kent Street, Durham, NC - For Sale $120,000 - http://www.self-help.org/homes-for-sale

1036 Kent Street Nears Completion

Our new construction home at 1036 Kent Street is nearing completion. I went by today and the builder was laying straw in the yard, a sure sign that the end of construction is near. The design of this home is one of our most popular, for several reasons. Part of our plan to build sustainable and energy efficient homes is to do infill development - building in existing neighborhoods. These neighborhoods usually have smaller lots, which challenges us to put a lot of livability in a small space (thanks to a wonderful architect, www.tightlinesdesigns.com) . To that end, this home does several things well. We've incorporated 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths in less than 1300 square feet. The main floor has 9 ft ceilings to give a more spacious feeling to the home. The downstairs living area is a large, open area, which allows for greater flexibility. The master bed/bath are on the main floor as well. Upstairs, we have two additional bedrooms with a "jack and jill" shared bath, and a laundry closet. This home also uses its attic space for easy storage. There are four separate "crawl in" attic spaces on the second floor - easy to slide things in, and no need to climb up into the attic.

In short, this home has a lot of features of a suburban subdivision home, done in less space, but designed so that you'll never notice.

1036 Kent Street
Price: $121,000
Sale of this home is available to first time, owner occupant homebuyers. Some income restrictions apply. Great financing by the city of Durham and the North Carolina Housing and Finance Agency - own for the price of rent (really:)).
Energy efficient design with a two year comfort and use guarantee.
Call 919-956-4675 for more information.

For Sale in Durham - NC Sustainable Design Competition Winner

Self-Help is nearing completion of our sustainable design house at 1020 Kent Street. This home has really challenged us to think about how we create energy efficient, affordable homes. Aside from the fact that we've come out with a great house, we've also learned some things that we will be carrying forward into our future new construction.

I've posted some photos below, along with a list of sustainable design features. The interior is starting to take shape, and I hope to have lots of pictures soon. I think the interior will turn our to be very modern and stylish, in addition to being energy efficient. The cabinets and countertops went into the kitchen this week, and we'll also be putting in glass shelves for the kitchen. The kitchen will be a real centerpiece when combined with the stained concrete flooring in the living areas and the open design of the home.

Here's a short list of our sustainable design features:

• Location on a 0.11 acre infill lot in an urban neighborhood, with existing infrastructure and utilities. The location provides easy access to public transit, shops and services, and recreational and employment opportunities.
• A space-efficient 1180 square foot plan with 3 bedrooms, 2 baths and an open layout.
• Exterior walls that use 2 x 6 framing insulated with open cell sprayed foam insulation. The sprayed foam insulation will also be used in the ceiling, resulting in an air tight and highly insulated building envelope.
• ENERGY STAR qualified shingles that reflect sunlight, in order to reduce the cooling load.
• Passive solar design elements, including numerous south-facing windows, a generous roof overhang and a vegetated shade screen.
• ENERGY STAR certified 7/8" thick insulated LoE2 glass windows filled with argon gas.
• Extremely energy efficient 15.0 SEER-rated heat pump system.
• ENERGY STAR certified dishwasher, refrigerator, range hood, bathroom exhaust fans, and ceiling fans. Also, fluorescent and compact fluorescent bulbs will be featured in many rooms.
• Water conserving features such as low-flow faucets, drought-resistant landscaping, and a 55-gallon rain barrel.
• Vanguard MANABLOC manifold plumbing system to provide water quickly and efficiently, reducing water use and water heating costs.
• Indoor air quality improvements through the use of zero volatile organic compound (VOC) interior paint, low VOC exterior paint, well-planned moisture management and fresh air exchange, and a carbon monoxide detector.
• Stained concrete flooring in the main living spaces and tile flooring in the bathrooms for durability and improved indoor air quality.
• Universal design elements such as a wheelchair accessible entrance ramp and ADA compliant doorways, hallways and rooms.
• Recycling center built into the kitchen.
• Salvaged, reclaimed brick used to build garden planter, porch border and steps.
• Certification that the home meets or exceeds ENERGY STAR standards for energy efficiency, and SystemVision standards for comfort, durability, energy efficiency, health, and safety.
• A SystemVision guarantee that the heating and cooling portion of the homeowner's monthly utility bills will not exceed approximately $30 per month.

Besides the sustainability factor, the other great thing about this house is that it's priced at $120,000. We can also recommend state and city loan programs that significantly reduce the monthly mortgage payment.

Here are some pictures of the house. These are a few weeks old - the builders have been working so hard on site that it's a challenge to get in and take new pictures. That's a good thing, as they plan to finish the home in the next few weeks.

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