May is Asthma Awareness month. When Asthma first comes to mind, one may think of outdoor air pollution as one of the main triggers. However, the prevalence of asthma has increased significantly since the 1970s, and there is a strong linkage between asthma triggers and air quality. With the average person spending about 90% of their time indoors, improving indoor air quality (IAQ) can improve the quality of life for asthma sufferers and also reduce a number of allegoric and pulmonary symptoms.

Available as an option in every home we build, Meritage will work with a 3rd party company authorized by the EPA to inspect and certify any home we build to receive an Indoor airPLUS label. We are the first of the top 10 publically traded homebuilders in the U.S. to partner with the EPA’s voluntary Indoor airPLUS program. Read More

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In Baseball, a triple is a pretty rare thing and usually only accomplished by the best hitters in the game. Not surprisingly, Meritage Homes has scored a triple, of sorts – Triple Certification from the EPA. As a matter of fact there are only three triple certified homes in the U.S and we’ve built all three.

In 2009, Meritage Homes made a commitment to take the lead in energy efficient building practices. There are many reasons for this: government mandates, market differentiation and consumer demand for homes that not only look beautiful but also save you money.
guidelines for energy efficiency set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. As a result, these homes are 20-30% more efficient than standard homes. Meritage surpasses this level of performance by building every one of our homes with these standard energy-efficient features. Read More

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Guest Author: CR Herro – Vice President, Environmental Affairs

History has shown that people do not always choose what is best for them, but what they know and understand. The higher the stakes, the more conservative we are in our choices. The challenge of getting each of us to choose to adopt a better behavior or product is twofold. The first challenge is that different is often perceived as risky, because we do not understand it as well as our current choice. The second is that even if we understand we will get an improvement from a new choice, we have to invest effort in changing. Let’s just say it: we can often be too lazy to do better for ourselves.

The challenge is apparent today as Meritage and other members of building industry have adopted superior building specifications to improve the quality and performance of homes. First, in building energy efficient homes the majority of the significant improvements in home building cannot be readily seen. In fact, if we do our jobs well, it is the last thing the buyer of a new Meritage Home thinks about. We want our homeowners to be impacted by how they live in the home, how they can better entertain their guests, and how they can relax after a long work week. The lower the utility bills, the clearer air, and quieter home, just kind of happen. Very few of us take note how we DON’T hear the neighbor’s kids new garage band. Read More

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Guest Author: Brian Hall – Vice President, MTH Mortgage

Congress raised the FHA’s loan limits a couple months back, which is really good news for home buyers. It makes the easier credit- and income-qualifying standards of the FHA program available to the majority of new home buyers. The standards for qualifying for an FHA loan are far more relaxed than its Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac counterparts – which opens the program up to qualified homebuyers who otherwise wouldn’t be able to take advantage of the lower 3.5 percent down payment.

Since that loan limit covers most of the new home prices in the market today, Congress’s act creates a powerful mechanism that’s poised to significantly stimulate the economy and help housing recover — and, in turn, help the overall economy recover. The Administration is also joining in the chorus on getting the housing market moving — and along with Congress and the Federal Reserve, they are working on multiple programs that will help stimulate residential real estate. The FHA loan limits are a good example of how the government can add some additional momentum to an improving housing market.
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Guest Author: CR Herro – Vice President, Environmental Affairs

Normally, Congress passes legislation that takes from one and gives to another. Someone wins, someone loses. But, the SAVE Act is a violation of political pundit philosophy. It requires no additional government expenditures, reduces national infrastructure expenses, and returns individual discretionary income back to our citizens. In a tough economy where uncertainty has caused the US’s economy to hesitate, it has the potential to create new jobs, reduce costs, and stimulate spending.
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Guest Author: CR Herro – Vice President, Environmental Affairs

The last couple years have been big for Meritage.

We became the first U.S. home builder to have 100 percent of its homes certified by the EPA’s Energy Star program. In July 2010, we opened the first community to boast nothing but homes with less than 40 HERS. And since then, we’ve opened another 30 communities with equivalent energy scores, communities that exceed the Department of Energy’s stretch goal for energy efficiency for 2030.
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