McKee Builders and Green Building
The McKee Group is a family-owned and managed real estate company based in Springfield, Delaware County with operations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. The Company has a 60 year history of building solutions with the goal to improve people’s lives. So, it is no surprise that McKee Builders is a certified Energy Star builder in Delaware and is in the final phases of being certified by the state of Pennsylvania. In addition, their Product Development Manager, Ted Nissly, is the first NAHB certified Green Professional in the state of Pennsylvania.
McKee Builders is a nationally recognized leader in 55+ communities and incorporates Energy Star building techniques into their award-winning 55+ communities. We talked to Gary Schaal, Vice President of Sales and Marketing, about the benefits of energy efficient building.

What is green building or energy efficient building?

Green building is a design and construction practice that promotes the economic health and well being of homeowners, the community and the environment. It includes the selection of building materials that have less impact on the homeowner’s health and the environment; as well as using energy, water and other resources more efficiently to reduce the overall impact to the environment.

Why did McKee Builders decide to become a green builder?

Throughout our 60 year history, we have continually strived to find ways to provide better homes for our buyers. The ability to provide a more energy efficient home that provides health benefits and lower utility bills for our homebuyers played a large part in our deciding to build green homes. As important, McKee Builders is committed to responsible building and development and to conserving our natural resources to help leave this world a better place for the next generation.

How do you sell Energy Star to the homebuyers?

It’s an easy sell once our homebuyers, many on a fixed income, learn that Energy Star homes mean lower utility bills as compared to an average home, with reported savings of at least 15%.
Our salespeople point out the benefits of our green building to all of our homebuyers. For example, the sales manager will point out that our homes without basements are built on conditioned crawl spaces, which help keep the home cool in the summer and warm in the winter and lowers energy bills. We also point out the low-E windows, which not only keeps the home cool in the summer – another energy savings -- but also helps prevent the floors and furniture from fading. We explain the materials used in the home are chosen because they protect the health of the homeowners, for example, wood products that do not admit toxic gases. Other talking points include pointing out that we use R-38 insulation in the attic and R-13 insulation in the walls to better insulate the home from the heat, cold and noise. We also include literature on the benefits of energy efficient homes in our brochures. These benefits include lower utility bills, as mentioned earlier; as well as a more comfortable and quiet home, lower maintenance due to tight construction and long-lasting efficient equipment, and our homes’ contribution to the reduction of our nation’s energy needs and the prevention of air pollution by consuming less energy.

What are the benefits of energy efficient building to builders?

Being an Energy Star Builder differentiates us from other builders and gives homebuyers a reason to visit our communities. Some homebuyers visit our communities specifically because they have heard that our homes are energy efficient.
Our referral rates also increased. Our homebuyers referred our communities to their friends because they were so pleased with their lower utility bills. The energy-efficiency aspects also enhanced the value of our homes. So, in the long run, it has helped us sell homes faster.
Building green will also help our sales in the future. A recent survey reported in the current issue of Builder magazine reports that “36.4 percent of potential homebuyers identified energy savings, health benefits, or the environment as their primary decision-making factor in their next home purchase.” This number will only grow in the future. We are already uniquely positioned to provide homes that meet their buying criteria.
But I think Frank McKee, our President, sums it up best. Frank is not only a builder, but also a father and grandfather. He feels it is our duty to leave this environment in better shape for our children and grandchildren. We are finding that a lot of our 55+ homebuyers who have children and grandchildren, feel the same way.