Homebuyer
Education
Take a course to learn about the benefits of buying a home
Home Purchase Loans
We offer several types of affordable loans
Buy & Renovate
Combine a Purchase Loan with a Repair Loan
INHS Homes for Sale
Houses renovated to be low maintenance; a virtually new house!
LEED Certified Homes
INHS's Energy Star and LEED certified new homes
LEED Home Features
Here's what makes these homes special.
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Features and Benefits of a LEED Certified Home
There are many benefits to owning a LEED certified home. Compared to a conventional home, these houses
- cost less to heat and cool
- are more comfortable
- are more environmentally friendly
- are more durable and require less maintenance
- are less polluting
- are less wasteful to build
There are four major areas where green homes surpass conventional homes:
Here are the features (and their benefits) that make living in an INHS green home better:
Greater Energy Efficiency |
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Advanced Framing |
These houses are sized and engineered to be built with fewer materials than an average house. Engineered wood (special beams, joists, etc.) are used to minimize the resources used. Overall, less wood is used which maximizes the energy efficiency of the house. |
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Extra Insulation |
The foundation and attic have extra insulation to save energy. |
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Energy Star Household Appliances |
The refrigerator, dishwashes, and boiler are Energy Star certified to save energy and money. |
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Air Sealing |
These houses are more than 50% tighter than an average home so they are less drafty, more comfortable, and cheaper to heat. The sealing is verified with tests and the house is ventilated with a special fan so the house isn’t too tight. |
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High Efficiency Water Heating |
The hot water is heated by the boiler at 92% efficiency; this is 50% more efficient than a conventional hot water heater. |
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Energy Star Windows |
Extra efficient Low E glass means the windows are warmer so the house is more comfortable in the winter and the summer. |
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Dense Pack Insulation |
This insulation, made from recycled newspapers, seals and insulates much better than conventional fiberglass insulation. |
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Condensing Boiler |
Hot water heat is efficient, quiet, even heat. There are no drafts like hot air heat and hot water heat eliminates the problem of furnaces sucking in cold, outside air into the house. |
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Insulated Hot Water Pipes |
All of the hot water pipes are insulated so the hot water stays hot and gets to the faucets faster. |
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CFL Bulbs |
Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used everywhere. This is perhaps the cheapest, easiest, and best way to reduce energy use. |
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Correctly Sized Heat System |
Oversizing heat systems wastes energy. Most heating systems are oversized; very efficient LEED houses require smaller heating systems. |
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Energy Star Labeled |
INHS’s new houses are 40% better the typical energy code requirements and are tested to prove it. |
Improved Indoor Air Quality |
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Low VOC paints |
These special paints are made to reduce indoor air pollution. Indoor air is three times more polluted than outdoor air, and according to the EPA, is considered to be one of the top 5 hazards to human health. Paints and finishes are among the leading causes. |
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No Carpet |
Laminate flooring is use to avoid the off-gassing and air pollution that comes with carpet. |
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Ventilation to avoid indoor air quality problems. |
"Build tight, ventilate right" is the motto. Some houses are built too tight without anyone realizing it. Too tight is bad for the house and the occupants. All INHS houses are tested to ensure they aren't too tight. |
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EPA Indoor Air Quality Certified |
The house passes a 75 point checklist to ensure the house is durable and the air quality is good. |
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Passive Radon System |
Radon is found all over Tompkins County and it is the No. 2 cause of lung cancer. This system ensures that radon doesn’t enter the home. |
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Sealed Combustion Appliances |
The high efficiency boiler gets it's air from outside which is more efficient and ensures that carbon monoxide stays out of the house. |
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Laminate Flooring |
Lifetime warranteed laminate flooring is easy to clean and doesn’t off-gas. It lasts much longer than carpet and uses less resources to manufacture. |
Resource Conservation |
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Well Designed Houses |
INHS designs the houses to be small yet comfortable. Smaller houses require less resources to build and people in smaller houses tend to use less resources. |
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Advanced Framing |
These houses are sized and engineered to be built with fewer materials than an average house. Engineered wood (special beams, joists, etc.) are used to minimize the resources used. Overall, less wood is used which maximizes the energy efficiency of the house. |
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Plastic Lumber Decking |
The porch decking is made from recycled plastic bags and jugs, This decking requires nearly no maintenance. |
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Engineered Wood |
Trusses, engineered beams, and engineered joists all reduce the amount of trees cut down to make the house. |
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Fiber Cement Siding |
This siding is A composite, prefinished material of cement and wood. It look lik traditional wood siding but is very low maintenance. |
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Smart Trim |
The exterior trim is a composite material that is made quick growing trees to reduce the resources used. It is treated with borates, a safe way to make it very rot resistent. |
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Porous Paving Schemes |
The amount of paving on the lot is minimized to reduce the water runoff during rain storms. |
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Recycled Cellulose Insulation |
This insulation is made from recycled newspapers. It insulates and seals much better than conventional insulation. |
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Professional Drought Tolerant Landscape Design |
The house is professionally landscaped to beautify the neighborhood. Only native and hardy plants are used so the landscaping should stay beautiful with minimal care. |
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Termite Shield |
No pests will make it into these houses. Tompkins County is just north of where temites are normally found so a special metal shield is installed to prevent termite damage. |
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High Efficiency Faucets |
Special faucets are carefully chosen to use less water without seeming stingy. Using less water in your house means that less water needs to be pumped and cleaned by the City. This reduces energy use. |
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Minimal Water Piping |
An advantage of small houses is that the pipe runs are short. Hot water gets to you quicker. A compact, well designed water system minimizes the amount of energy used. |
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Fan Boxes in All Ceilings |
A well insulated house in this climate can usually do without air conditioning. Fan boxes make adding ceiling fans later a breeze. |
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Certified Low Waste Construction |
These houses are certified to have been made with much less waste than a conventional new home. |
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All Siding and Trim are Finished on All Sides |
All the bare edges are sealed as the extrior siding and trim is installed. This means lower maintenance. |
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No Tropical Hardwoods |
Not using these woods reduces the cutting of old growth forests worldwide. |
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Home Manual |
INHS provides a manual and training for every buyer of its houses. |
Low Impact Development |
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Fully Developed Site |
The house is built on a previously developed lot with full utilities. |
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No Farmland |
The lot is not environmentally sensitive or farmland. |
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Green Space |
For downtown houses, there is over ½ acre of green space and parks within ¼ mile. |
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Urban Living is Efficient
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People living in a city can walk or bicycle to where they want to go, whether it is to the grocery store, the doctor, or the library. INHS's downtown houses have an outstanding number of these resources nearby.
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