Cornerstone Communities

Next month, Cornerstone Communities will unveil Veranza at The Summit Eastlake, a new neighborhood of 111 two-story triplex homes in Chula Vista.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 11th and come view three decorated models showcasing exciting interiors by Blackbird Interiors and outdoor living by Terra Firma Landscape.  Veranza offers an ideal combination of style, value, energy efficiency, and a preferred address.

Summit Recreation Center at Veranza

Distinguished by Spanish, Santa Barbara and Craftsman architecture, the Veranza residences will range from approximately 1,259 to 1,656 square feet, including three bedrooms and two and one-half baths plus a side-by-side, two-car attached garage. The largest home will also encompass a versatile loft, and kitchens in two plans will feature a gourmet island for meal preparation and serving. Prices are expected to start in the mid $200,000s. (more…)

A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 at Daybreak Church, 6515 Ambrosia Lane, Carlsbad.

In lieu of flowers the family suggests donations to UNICEF, Doctors Without Borders or World Vision. 

View the U-T San Diego’s article about Curt.

 It is with great sadness that I inform you of the passing of Curt Noland, our friend and great industry supporter.  Curt died at home last night at the age of 55, surrounded by his family.  He leaves behind many close friends to whom he was an inspiration both in their personal and business lives.  Curt managed HomeFed’s real estate assets as vice president and senior development officer of the Carlsbad-based residential real estate development company.   He was deeply passionate about everything he undertook. 

At BIA, Curt was a prominent member of its President’s Council, which acts as an advisory panel to the Board of Directors.  In that capacity Curt provided the industry with years of invaluable insights.   He will be sorely missed by his many friends.  While his life was cut short unexpectedly, he made a great impact on many lives and on our industry for which we shall remain extremely grateful.  We extend our deepest sympathies to the Noland family.

Guy Asaro, Chairman, BIA of San Diego County

BIASD President and C.E.O., Borre Winckel, was recently recognized by the San Diego Daily Transcript as a ’2012 Top Influential’.  Click here to read the full article or view the full list of ’2012 Top Influentials’ on the Daily Transcript’s website.

The Following chart represents the number of single-family and multifamily building permits pulled in San Diego County since 2006.  While improving from the depths of the recession, permit activity remains far below the annual rate of 10,500 units necessary to accommodate population growth.  BIA remains steadfast in its advocacy on behalf of the 700 member companies and 60,000 men and women affiliated with the construction industry.

The building industry recognizes that it needs to be smart and strategic in its energy efficiency building practices, especially with Sacramento asking for ever greater compliance. The day is coming when the net-zero environment is going to be the standard. An important weapon in our arsenal is our partnership with San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E). Through our participation in SDG&E’s California Advanced Homes Program (CAHP), San Diego builders have constructed a strong foundation in establishing an energy ethic.

Brookfield's RockRose homes have a building efficiency of T24+35% with optional EE upgrades at T24+45%.

In fact, the amount of energy saved in the past two years through new home construction has gone through the roof. San Diego builders are outperforming CAHP’s projections, with the kilowatt hour (kWh) goal expected to reach 216 percent of the three-year program cycle goal. (more…)

Wermers Multi-Family Corp.

Wermers Multi-Family Corp. has recently completed the City Heights Square Mixed-Use Project in City Heights, San Diego.  This project offers 21,000 square feet of retail space, rental living units, and three levels of parking.  Walgreens is already open and occupying 10,000 square feet of the retail space with the remaining space left for needed community services.

City Heights Square by Wermers Multi-Family Corp.

Vice President Richard Wood lead the Wermers team on this project with Ken Maskevich as Project Manager, Mr. Marco Leyva and Rodney Short as Superintendents, Jaime Falcon as Site Coordinator and Lorrie Kline as Project Accountant. (more…)

Will you help make the holidays brighter for under-privileged youth in the San Diego Community?  Please consider purchasing a bike for BIA Cares’ 16th Annual Holiday Bike Drive.  Over the years, BIA Cares has provided bikes to more than 6,400 under- privileged children and to 65 different charities in San Diego County.

Last year the BIA’s membership raised over $16,000, from individual member and corporate donations; to purchase bikes that were given to 18 different charities and toy drives throughout San Diego. (more…)

How do you NOT drive a car 8.4 million miles? The new High Tech Elementary and High Tech Middle Chula Vista students know.

They recently helped do just that by adding a San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E)-owned solar system to their school’s rooftop — as well as adding solar to their curriculum.

This work marks the 25th project like this for SDG&E’s “Sustainable Communities Program,” which now totals three megawatts of clean energy. This energy goes back onto the grid which benefits each of the project’s surrounding community. The three megawatts of clean energy is equal to: NOT driving a car 8.4 million miles, powering 2,000 homes, saving 6.4 million pounds of greenhouse gases each year, planting 98,000 trees or removing 722 cars from the road. (more…)

Davidson Communities

Bill Davidson Inducted Into Hall of Fame for Design Excellence

Bill Davidson of Davidson Communities

San Diego homebuilder Bill Davidson, more than a dozen times recognized locally for outstanding new home design, was inducted into the national Builder Magazine’s Hall of Fame for Design Excellence.

Davidson’s induction in the Wm. S. Marvin Hall of Fame for Design Excellence took place during the 31^st annual Builder’s Choice Awards Gala in Washington DC. The honor recognizes Builder’s Choice-winning architects and builders who have a legacy of award-winning designs.

“Since he began building new homes in California more than 30 years ago, Bill Davidson has displayed a deep reverence for design, exceptional attention to detail, and a knack for understanding home buyers that time and again has elevated his neighborhoods to award-winning status,” said Denise Dersin, editor in chief of Builder magazine. “We are very pleased to be able to recognize Bill’s longstanding commitment to design.”

Called a “maverick” in a March 2005 San Diego Union-Tribune feature story, Davidson’s design and marketing innovations include: the first and now famous pink houses at Pointe Del Mar in the Del Mar Highlands and the early adoption of outdoor living and dining rooms at multiple projects in San Diego. (more…)