2007 Michigan Sustainable Homes and Businesses Tour

We are proud to announce that our 2007 Michigan Energy Fair show house built by Hybrid Homes (TM) will also be featured on this tour. So if you did get a chance to see the home then, please come see it on October 6th from 10 am till 4 pm on the 2007 Michigan Sustainable Homes and Businesses Tour (formerly Michigan Solar Tour) it is part of the ASES National Solar Tour. The solar tour is free and self-guided. You can visit as many sites as you would like, in any order that you would like. This tour offers a first-hand look at the successful uses of renewable energy and energy efficiency in buildings, both private and public, across the state. These homes and building will incorporating solar applications such as solar hot water heating, passive solar design, and solar photovoltaic electricity. Much more than solar energy will be on display, however. Buildings and home which make use of other forms of alternative energy such as wind or geothermal heating and cooling will also be included. Energy efficient and sustainable building practices will also be featured on the tour. We hope to see you there!

Tours will be held in the following areas this year:

• Greater Lansing Area
  
• Metro Detroit Area
  
• Greater Ann Arbor Area
  
• Southwest Michigan Area
  
• Greater Traverse City Area
  
• Greater Grand Rapids Area
  
• Northwest Michigan Area (Hybrid Home Tour)

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Image Design July Update

We just finished the designs for Scott Bronkema Builders 2008 Spring Parade Home which will be in Dix Farm development. This will be a lifetime designed Arts & Craft style with lots of built-ins and details sure to be another award winning home for Scott. We are also starting a new project that Scott will be building in Lamont Farms in Coopersville, the project will be a lifetime designed Prairie style home with strong Frank LLoyd Wright influences through-out the home. Looks like our award winning 2006 Fall Parade of Homes with Scott Bronkema Builders in Howard City will be published in the October 2007 issue of Grand Rapids Cosmopolitan Homes magazine.

The 2007 Michigan Energy Fair show homes is getting closer to completion check-out the updated photo on Hybrid Homes (TM) website. This home is also slated to be published in the Traverse Northern Home & Cottage magazine in May 2008. We are also starting another Sustainable (Green) home in Paw Paw this home is looking at having wind generation, photovoltaic, solar hot water, passive solar and lifetime designs.

One of our commercial project in Ludington is also nearing completion Michigan Trucking & Equipment Sales (see the photo above). If you want to see the picture larger just double click it.

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Jordan Valley Trout Pond

I know this has nothing to do with design, but if your up north around the Lake Charlevoix area and get a chance, stop by Jordan Valley Trout Pond its just 3 1/2 miles south of East Jordan on highway M-66. It was my grandfathers original trout farm. It has been brought back to the way I remember it when my grandfather was alive. It is now owned and operated by my uncle and aunt. Its a beautiful place to visit and you are sure to catch all the trout you would like. It is an exciting adventure for children, teenagers and adults alike. We'll be visiting the farm on our vacation next week. Listed below are some of the features you'll find there.

• Rainbow Trout.
• Family Fishing.
• Fishing Poles, Fly Rods, Bait, and Tackle provided at no charge.
• No License Required.
• Fish cleaned and iced or
• Catch & Release.

Have fun and be sure to tell them I sent you! Please let me know what you think of it if you stop bye.

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WGVU Morning Radio Show

Hopefully some of you got a chance to hear us speak this morning on Shelley Irwin's morning radio show for WGVU Radio. If not, we were on her morning show with Mike Holcomb of the Alliance for Environmental Sustainability (AES) and the Home Inspector General, Inc and Adam Bearup of Hybrid Homes (TM). We were on the show to talk about the Michigan Energy Fair and to give our perspectives on green building and design. We talked about many interesting thing all which were associate with the LEED for Homes program which we are all passionate about. We believe the LEED for Homes program is the best way for a homeowner, builder or designer to achieve a truly green home. I just want to thank Shelly for having us on her show and hopefully we can do it again sometime.

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