Just to give you a little background of who we are. I am in the barcode labeling business and own a company called PaladinID, my wife is a Tax Attorney. We knew very little about building green or energy efficient building when we first started. We did a tremendous amount of research and came up with a plan and a goal about what a house should be and how it should perform, Price vs. Cost scenerio. Our first home was built in Bedford, MA. We had purchased a tear down and decided we wanted to venture out and start from scratch. Although we did not build our first home entirely by ourselves, we enlisted the help of Dana McKeil at Integrity Building & Design of Acton, MA, we were intimately involved. We had some much fun, we decided to do it again. My wife and I set out 4 years ago to build another home in the Lakes Region. A lot became available in Laconia, NH in a gated community called South Down Shores with water access and the process started all over again. This time we decided to go at it along and be the general contractor on the job. I believe I missed my calling. I loved every aspect of building and that should have been my profession. Our goal was to build our dream home that we could one day retire in. There was a great deal of thought that went into our living needs today, but also down the road. We wanted something practical because both my wife and I work out of the home. We wanted it to be family oriented, meaning we could entertain and have family and friends over. We needed ample storage with three children and all of the sports paraphanalla they bring. And lastly, we wanted to invest in a home that would be energy effiicient. We did not mind paying extra money up front if the return was there. After two years of planning and one year of building, we finally accomplished our goal. A solid home with ample space that we can work, live and recreate. Throughout this website, we will talk about the building process and our experiences. I want to thank everyone who was personally involved in our project for their patience and perserverance in working with us. We are excited to do it all over again. I saw this phrase on a post about a month ago regarding geothermal heat pumps and I love it. It said, “Why settle for 90% when you could have over 400%“. Now I have to ask you this question, why?
I want to thank you personally for taking the time in viewing my site. I hope that the information contained here is helpful in your decision in purchasing a home, building a new one or just renovating what you currently have. I think when you compare all of the feature and benefits this home has to offer, not only now, but in the future, the value will be difficult if not impossible to beat.
Sincerely,
Dana J. Ritchie
