Howland Homes in Rainier Beach

The GreenWorks Realty office had the privilege of having our bi-monthly team meeting, hosted by Howland Homes, in one of their beautiful model homes in Rainier Beach last week.  This 22 unit development located just minutes from Columbia City and Seward Park in Rainier Beach boasts 1,400-1,800 sq. ft of free standing single family homes at a very affordable price (starting in the low $300's).  It is also 4-star BuiltGreen certified with energy efficient appliances, double paned windows, low VOC paints and finishes, low flow plumbing fixtures and drouught tolerant landscaping.

Meagan Howland, one of the owners of the company, along with their project manager were nice enough to give us a tour of their craftsman style home and explain the reasons doing what they did.  They used varying entry and garage locations to enhance the neighborhoods unique curb appeal.  Inside the homes they utilized open and vaulted spaces with lots of natural light.  In the kitchen they used sustainable harvest wood cabinets, sophisticated tile details and energy star appliances.  The remote controlled floating fireplace in the living room was a beautiful touch. 

Outside the homes they used Hardie siding.  Hardie board or fiber-cement siding is used as a reasonable alternative to wood. Composed of cement, sand, and cellulose, fiber-cement siding is made out of wood strands and flakes held together with resins.
Most fiber-cement siding is treated with fungus repellents and insecticides, and holds up against moisture, mildew and termites as effectively as solid wood. Because of the way it's produced, fiber-cement siding typically lasts more than 40 years. Available in a variety of textures, fiber-cement siding provides durability coupled with the appearance of wood.  So, there you go.