Storm Sellers: Hurricane-Resistant Building Attracts Buyers Building for quality and durability speeds up construction and provides special appeal to customers.

Click here to visit the PATH website.  PDF Click the image above for a larger view. The Project: A $240,000 2,200-square-foot home in Gulf Cove, Fla. The homebuyers lived next to the lot and wanted to upgrade to a more storm-resistant structure. "It's a fairly typical pattern," says Mike Romig. "When the people who are interested in strength and safety see our homes, they usually say 'Yes, that's the home for us.'" "The homebuyer approached us in early May, shortly after we had cleared the lot in their neighborhood," says Mike Romig, president of Tarpon Coast Development. "We had put up several signs that talk about the strength and durability of our homes, as well as the energy efficiency. The buyers like the area and didn't want to leave, but they did want a better home. "They had been looking for a couple months, and within a week, they decided to buy this one," Romig says. "It's a fairly typical pattern. When the people who are interested in strength and safety see our homes, they usually say 'Yes, that's the home for us.'" Selling What They Can't See "People do think about safety a little bit more around here," Romig says. "This whole area near Port Charlotte went through a lot with Hurricane Charley in 2004. Still, it's been a bit of an uphill battle to get the public to understand what we are doing. Our goal is to give people affordable homes that are safe. "However, the typical homebuyer in our price range is just looking at the appearance and floorplan of the model. Sometimes it is difficult to get homebuyers to understand that what we are building looks the same as Joe Builder's home down the street, but it's so technologically advanced, it doesn't even compare. For practically every buyer we meet, I take the time to go through the way the house is built and why we do it that way." Carving a Niche for Excellence "Our goal is to exceed the most stringent Florida code for barrier islands and the Florida Keys," Romig says. "We are building in a 130-mph-wind zone, but our construction goes beyond the requirements of the 150-mph-wind zones. "Starting with this home and another we are building in Gulf Cove, every home Tarpon Coast Development builds will be designated as a Fortified — for Safer Living program, a program operated by the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) to specify construction, design and landscaping guidelines to increase a home's resistance to natural disaster. "That's an important designation, not just because it assures people that our homes are everything we say they are, but there's also a financial benefit to the homebuyer," Romig says. "In Florida, you get an insurance discount if it's a Fortified home. Those discounts can range up to 70 percent for wind insurance. IBHS is also putting together a program with additional breaks on mortgages." With R-16 insulation on exterior walls, R-30 roof insulation, and double-pane, low-e glass throughout their homes, Tarpon Coast has also earned Energy Star and FPL BuildSmart Certifications. "Besides hurricane-resistance, these quality methods also translate into a tighter, more energy-efficient home," says Romig.   1 | 2 | 3  NEXT RELATED ARTICLES: High-Wind-Resistant Shingles