Latest news with #resilienthomes
Daily Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Daily Telegraph
Flood-hit properties set for auction without reserve
Property bidders have the chance to snap up homes for prices that could be as low as $1 at a NSW auction Tuesday night. As part of the State and Commonwealth Government's Resilient Homes Program, nine relocatable flood-affected homes will go under the hammer. There is no reserve price on these houses, meaning bidding could potentially start and end at $1 if this is the only offer placed. The homes are located in Burringbar and South Murwillumbah in the Northern Rivers, a region significantly impacted by flooding in 2022. As part of the $880m buy back scheme within the Resilient Homes Program, the NSW Reconstruction Authority purchased several flood-affected and flood-prone homes from owners who could not claim insurance. The homes – not the land – are then placed under auction, with successful bidders having 12 months to relocate the houses to flood-free land. Real estate agent Scott Reading of First National Murwillumbah said the upcoming auction offerings attracted mixed interest. 'There's been a lot of inquiry with a lot of people are interested,' he said. 'I feel like it will be a pretty big night.' Mr Reading said 'a lot of locals' have been keen to snap up the homes for a bargain. 'But a fair bit of interest has come from out of town as well,' he said. 'So a bit of a mix of both.' Regarding his expectations for the prices of the homes under the hammer, Mr Reading said the auctions would be unpredictable. 'Look, it's really open,' he said. 'I'm not sure where the prices are going to end up.' Mr Reading said 37 Wardrop St and 6077 Tweed Valley Way had attracted the most interest from inquirers so far. 'They're just nice Queenslander homes and I think those are really popular,' he said. Both are spacious three-bedroom, two-bathroom family homes. Tuesday's auction will be the fourth round of NSW Reconstruction Authority (NSWRA) buyback house auctions, following a positive community response to previous sales. In previous auction rounds, homes have sold for as low as $347 and as high as $101,000. Minister for Recovery Janelle Saffin said the program was a 'a creative way of keeping these houses in the community.' 'By auctioning these houses, we are helping save historic homes impacted by the floods and making a small but meaningful contribution to the housing challenges we face in the Northern Rivers,' she said. The auctions will take place at 6pm tonight at Murwillumbah Services Club.
CBS News
09-07-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Coastal homeowners turn to climate-resilient designs to combat worsening hurricane seasons
Forecasters are warning the 2025 Atlantic hurricane season, which started June 1, could be an above-average year, potentially producing up to 19 named storms and 5 major hurricanes, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. As storms grow stronger and more frequent, a growing number of homeowners along the East and Gulf Coast are taking a proactive approach — building smarter, more resilient homes designed to withstand the forces of nature. In Crystal River, Florida, Gene Tener's home stands out in more ways than one. Unlike most others in the area, his home is round — a design that does more than just offer panoramic views. He said it initially drew curiosity from neighbors, but the house has already endured six hurricanes in five years, including Hurricane Helene, a Category 4 storm that struck the Gulf Coast in September. Research from Climate Central shows that human-caused climate change is warming ocean waters, which is fueling stronger and more intense hurricanes. Stronger storms often lead to more damage and higher insurance rates. The aerodynamic shape of Tener's home is built to reduce wind pressure by 30%. Inside, trusses fan out like spokes on a bicycle wheel, distributing storm forces to help keep the roof in place. "You worry about the wind blowing off the roof," Tener said of the main concerns for any home during a hurricane. "You worry about the rain. And you worry about flooding." Anchored deep into the ground, the home also includes flood vents to relieve water pressure and protect the foundation. With these features, the house is rated to withstand 190-mile-per-hour winds — a very strong Category 5 hurricane. "The inspector, when he came and inspected, he says, 'If we have a hurricane, I'm coming here,'" Tener said. A different kind of builder Tener's home was built by Deltec Homes, a family-run company based in Asheville, North Carolina. The company has built more than 5,000 homes around the world, many designed specifically for resilience in extreme weather. "We're taking that great shape and we're pairing it with amazing materials," said Matt Oblinsky, Deltec's lead engineer. The company estimates its homes cost about 10% more than traditional construction, but they often fare far better in storms. "We're 99% successful," Oblinsky said of the homes' performance in past hurricanes. But he adds a note of caution: "There's no such thing as a hurricane-proof home. We're very careful to say these are hurricane-resistant." Testing the limits At the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) in South Carolina, engineers are working to make both new and existing homes more resilient. Using a massive wall of over 100 fans, the institute can simulate a Category 3 hurricane to test how well homes hold up under intense conditions. In essence, IBHS builds homes and then destroys them. And we do it all in the name of science," said Sarah Dillingham, senior meteorologist at IBHS. The tests often reveal the vulnerabilities that can lead to catastrophic damage. "Your roof is your first line of defense," Dillingham said. "And it is what helps hold everything together in your home." She recommends storm-ready upgrades like high-impact windows, reinforced doors, and — crucially — wind-rated garage doors. "Your garage door is your biggest opening of your home," she said. "Because when wind gets in, it will find the weakest link." Longterm savings For Tener, investing in a storm-resilient home has paid off financially as well. He even canceled his optional flood insurance saving him $12,000 per year. "You put a little more money into it and it lasts forever," he said. "It pays off in the long run." This story was produced in partnership with Climate Central.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Homebuilders Deliver Under Threat Of Wildfire Season
Hapi Homes uses light gauge steel replacing timber as a noncombustible frame solution to create ... More wildfire resilient, affordable homes. Record-breaking May temperatures in Texas—topping 100 degrees—are intensifying wildfire conditions, while more than 40,000 acres burn across Minnesota and parts of Canada. While wildfires are common in the Southwest, their growing presence in northern states signals a dangerous shift in wildfire patterns across the U.S. As climate change leads to more frequent and widespread wildfires, homebuyers, builders, and insurers are urgently seeking wildfire-resistant homes and climate-resilient construction strategies. Here's how innovators are building safer, more sustainable communities in high-risk areas. With rebuilding now a priority in many communities, California is leading the way. In April 2025, the U.S. Green Building Council California released the California Wildfire Rebuilding Guide, designed specifically to help homeowners rebuild after fire events. The guide incorporates input from CAL FIRE, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. It targets suburban and urban environments like Altadena and Pacific Palisades, where wildfire risks intersect with earthquakes and extreme heat. It also outlines cost-effective, sustainable rebuilding strategies at the community scale. The guide is tailored for areas with defined lot lines and limited space, where rebuilding must be efficient and disaster-conscious. 'Wildfire projections have increased in frequency,' said Jamie Knippen, senior product manager at Cotality, a property data analytics firm. 'Drought conditions are driving more fires in places we've never seen them before.' Using AI-powered property risk data, Cotality helps builders identify wildfire threats before development begins—critical insight for insurers evaluating new coverage options. Mitigation data is also being tied directly to insurance discounts. 'It's estimated that completing all 12 California-required mitigation actions can lead to a 20% insurance premium reduction,' Knippen said. Wildfire resiliency is evolving and will be able to better protect people and to provide much needed housing supply in areas that maybe didn't previously seem like options with more data and design innovation. A key part of wildfire-safe construction is material selection. Hapi Homes, a modular home company, is seeing skyrocketing demand thanks to its noncombustible light-gauge steel framing. 'We've seen a 300% to 400% increase in inquiries after the Los Angeles fires,' said CEO Mary O'Brien. 'Resiliency starts with the light-gauge steel. It forms the core frame, manufactured to spec using automated factory tools.' Hapi Homes kits range from $85 to $150 per square foot depending on finishes, with most averaging $100. Add another $105 to $115 per square foot for contractor buildout, and these affordable modular homes are still well below traditional costs. Each home is shipped from Salt Lake City in a single 14-foot container, which holds an entire 1,200-square-foot house. Once delivered, framing and panel assembly are faster and cheaper than conventional builds—cutting structural build time by 40% and labor costs by 20%. Because they are wildfire-hardened, homes built by Hapi also qualify for up to 20% insurance discounts. In 2024, Hapi future-proofed its business by moving its steel supply chain to the U.S., avoiding international delays and import tariffs. 'We're no longer exposed to overseas shipping disruptions, and the cost is comparable,' O'Brien said. This custom home was built with RSG 3-D panels in the roof, walls and floor to be wildfire and ... More earthquake resistant. Some companies are pushing the envelope on disaster-resilient housing. RSG 3-D, for example, uses a proprietary panel system made of concrete, steel trusses, and polystyrene insulation that resists not only wildfires but also hurricanes and earthquakes. 'The resiliency is our bag,' said CEO Ken Calligar. 'We've had 30 years of real-world testing in real-world conditions. On a wind rating basis, we're rated up to 300 to 321 mph. That's just an engineering calculation because there isn't equipment to test that kind of sustained wind force.' He said the panels' seismic testing was stopped to avoid damaging the equipment—despite no damage to the panels themselves. 'We tested up to a 9.4 Richter event and still didn't have a cosmetic or structural crack,' he said. 'The engineers took the panel apart to see if there was internal damage, and there was none. They rated it up to 11.0.' The strength comes from the panel's construction. Each 4-foot-wide panel includes solid-core polystyrene insulation, surrounded by pre-galvanized steel with a steel truss system. Once transported to the site, concrete is poured into the panel. The panels can be used for the entire structure—including walls, roofs, and floors. 'You can frame fast and precise with any building envelope you want, then apply the concrete and have a 500-year building,' Calligar said. The panels are cost-competitive and could be less expensive at scale. 'You can reduce mechanicals because the panels are 50% more energy efficient,' he said. 'On a lifecycle basis, we build the lowest-cost building because it saves 50% on energy, 50% on maintenance, and 40% on insurance.' MDLR Brands used wildfire resistant panels to build this proof-of-concept modular project in ... More California for an affordable, resilient construction process that can go to scale. In a high-wildfire-risk zone in California, builder Allen Lancaster and MDLR Brands are wrapping up framing on a 1,700-square-foot duplex using structural insulated panels. The framing took just two days—half the time of a standard build. The Bishop Modular Duplex is a pilot project showcasing modular construction for wildfire zones. MDLR's system offers a one-hour fire rating and self-extinguishing panels that are also rated for Category 5 hurricanes and are mold- and pest-resistant. While the fire-resistant materials slightly increased the manufacturing cost, MDLR is able to offset those increases with the reduced labor, faster build time, and long-term durability of the panel system. 'Overall, the cost-benefit is highly favorable when considering the avoided expenses related to fireproofing traditional framing methods,' said Harrison Langley, CEO at MDLR. 'Minimal maintenance is required. Unlike wood or traditional cladding, LiteSIP panels do not degrade with heat or exposure.' The product also comes in at an affordable $285 per square foot. The latest wildfires have caused severe damage across North America. But they've also spurred innovation and inspired the building industry to prioritize wildfire-resistant design, sustainable materials, and affordable rebuilding solutions. As climate risks escalate, making wildfire resiliency a priority is no longer optional. These builders and innovators are proving that safer homes don't have to be more expensive—they just need to be smarter.
