The Hybrid Journal By Adam Bearup                                             Return to homepage.

Greetings from my patio set! May 24, 2008

 Are you ready for the Michigan Energy Fair? The Energy Fair is the last weekend in June and our Onekama Platinum LEED for Homes project will once again headline the fair. Come on out and tour the future! You will see a 50-foot high wind generator and also solar hot water panels, among many other technologies. While others are talking about technology like this, you can touch and feel it in person at the Michigan Energy Fair on this very popular LEED for Homes project. I welcome you to come and talk to me directly in our booth at the Energy Fair. You cannot miss our booth. We will be right next to Bauer Power’s booth outside. I am excited to be outside and next to Bauer Power because he will be displaying renewable technology that we use on each and every one of our projects in one form or another. Mark and I wanted everyone to be able to talk to the leaders in this industry without having to look all over for us. We will be right outside in front of our trailers and displays. I can’t wait to talk to you at the Michigan Energy Fair. After we talk, you will see that the cost to build a Hybrid Home is affordable and less expensive than you may think!

I am giving two workshops the weekend of the Michigan Energy Fair that works well with the tour offered of our Hybrid Home. Here is a description of each workshop: 

Saturday June 28^th, 2008  From 4pm to 4:50pm. Tent #3

Building Techniques and Considerations with Energy Efficiency Adam Bearup, Hybrid Homes.

Learn about techniques and real world applications of energy efficient technologies.

With this workshop, we will talk about new and existing homes and what we can do to them to make them more energy efficient. We will discuss tips on energy efficiency in your home that costs very little and saves you money. This workshop will be fun, educational, and will leave you feeling like you can, in-fact, make your home more energy efficient! Come and experience a speaking style that is creative and full of energy!

 Seating is limited and this workshop is very popular. Arrive promptly to ensure you can get a seat in this workshop!

 Sunday June 29^th, 2008  From 10am to 10:50 am Tent #5

The Onekama Hybrid Home Adam Bearup, Hybrid Homes.

This session will focus on the success of the now LEED Platinum certified Hybrid Home.

Learn about the building process from beginning to completion.

You have seen this house in magazines, newspapers, and television, and heard us talk about it on the radio.. Now it is time for you to come and hear about the adventure we took to build the only LEED for Homes Platinum Level house in the Western Michigan in person. 

This workshop is the workshop that all of you have been waiting for. I will speak very candidly about several issues we encountered as we steered this home towards LEED for Homes’ most prestigious rating, Platinum. You will hear about the permit process, the wind generator controversy, and the step by step process we took that changed an entire industry! I recommend that you come to this workshop and then take the Hybrid Bus to the Hybrid Home to see first hand what a Platinum LEED H house looks and feels like. You will laugh and cry as I take you through the roller coaster ride that was the building of this house…..

 This is a very popular workshop and there is limited seating during the workshop. Show up promptly to ensure you get a seat for the workshop.

 Now on to my ramblings…….from the Patio Set I write:

There is no doubt that the gas prices have determined how this holiday weekend is going to play out for many people. Friday I reached a breaking point, I drove from projects by the South end of Michigan, down by the Indiana border back up to a project in Pentwater, and back to a project in Holland where I refilled the tank in the truck I was driving. This truck is as fuel conserving as a truck can be compared to what else is out there. It is a 5 speed manual transmission with a small V8. Regardless, take a look at this picture!

How crippling! Can you believe this? Well, actually you probably can if you are reading this journal entry. We have seen this coming now for a while. As I waited for each gallon to pump into my truck, I snapped the above picture. It is amazing what fuel prices help to direct. For instance, if you make minimum wage, you are probably going to find it hard to make any more money than that because you would have to drive further from home to get a higher paying job. But, with the cost of gas, it would be a wash! Consider this. At the beginning of the first Gulf War, my mom told me to fill up the family vehicle because gas was going to soar to $2.00 a gallon. I should have bought a lot more then and stored it!

I get emails constantly about fuel prices, steel prices, materials prices, and everything else under the Sun, skyrocketing in price. I have been asked what I am going to do to help curb some of these increases in cost. For me, my goal is to continue to provide the outstanding pricing that has helped make a good name for us as the leaders in green building in this state. I challenged those sending me the emails about increasing costs to look and see how they can save money, i.e. carpooling. After a long talk with my close friend Mark Bauer from Bauer Power (the states biggest and best renewable energy contractor), I decided that this company could no longer hope to stay profitable if I drove the truck everywhere. So, Hybrid Homes has bought a Toyota Corolla as my main commuter vehicle. Instead of driving the work truck everyday, we will now use the Corolla to get to and from work. If we have a day where we need to haul a trailer or pick up some lumber, then we will take the truck. The truck I drive runs about $160 a week for fuel, having the Corolla will actually help to save us money and lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It is like getting the car for free….kind of. Mark Bauer explained to me how important it was to lead by example. He now has a Toyota Prius to commute in. The Prius was a little too much for what I thought we could spend as a company right now, but the Corolla still can get over 40 miles per gallon! My wife and I now have two Toyota Corollas in our yard, along with the company trucks. The yard looks a little like a used car lot, but with the money we will be saving on fuel, we can deal with that! Check it out, I am not bragging, I just am just so happy that I can now stop burning so much fuel!

My point in all of this is for us to realize that we are in this gas price nightmare for the long haul. Regardless of our hopes, gas is something that took a long time to make and is in a supply that is limited. We must make decisions about our lifestyles to battle this epidemic. No matter how much you curse out the gas station attendant, or yell at the gas pump; the prices will not magically go down. I suggest you think about what you are spending on gas, and consider getting a smaller more efficient car, like a Corolla or at least think about it!. The dealerships are practically giving them away right now. From what I saw, you can lease a Corolla with very little down and be in a payment with tax for just over $200 a month……it would almost be free if you figured in how much gas you will save. With all this said, this is how I approached the question I mentioned above. I am going to counter the increase in fuel prices by using less fuel! Even though four of us big guys commuting in a Corolla may look like a circus act as we drive down the road, we will ensure that we will use less fuel and keep our business heading in the right direction.

As I mentioned above, I am out sitting on my patio set right now. I have my feet up typing away, and I am watching 2 sparrows make a nest in the ‘Hybrid Home Tweet Home’ that John and I made for Holiday gifts from scrap off of the Onekama Platinum LEED-H Home. The thought of us building birdhouses out of scrap wood for gifts came to us one evening as we were wondering what to do with ourselves in a blizzard up North. But, I digress. It is obvious that these birds are male and female and are racing against the clock to get the ‘Hybrid Home Tweet Home’ ready for their new arrivals, little birdies. I sit here and I watch them work. They fly back and forth with nesting materials in their mouths and go in and out of the hole time and time again without stopping. It appears that the male bird is getting a little tired and the female bird is reading him the riot act. Watching these birds is interesting.

I have a hard time sitting here and watching them work, but I am sure they appreciate me keeping my distance while they cozy up their new ‘Hybrid Home Tweet Home’ birdhouse. I could grab a handful of grass and cram it into the hole for them and save them a few days work, but I think they got it figured out ok. I have just tossed a potato chip over by the birdhouse as a treat so they won’t have to spend the rest of the night looking for a worm.

I think that we can learn a lot from birds. Birds work together to create a warm, efficient, and proper dwelling through hard work and planning. When I meet with homeowners, they normally have a pretty good idea of what they are looking for in their new dwelling. Like the 2 sparrows I am watching right now, homeowners normally have selected a warm safe location to build their new home. Proper planning can mean the difference between an efficient process and a process that goes badly. Birds do a pretty good job of planning, considering they do not have computers to work with. This couple could have made the nest first then started the egg making process, but then again, I am impressed with their actions just the same.

My dog Jagger just ate the potato chip I threw by the birdhouse. Darn.

If you don’t see a point in this story about the birds, then, just think of it as a short story, or better yet, think of it like you were out here with me sitting on the patio and watching the birds make their nest……have a nice and safe holiday weekend, and thank a Veteran for serving our country. With out their sacrifice and those that have given their lives for our freedom, I would not have the right to speak my mind like I do!

05/18/08 Testing the Soil.

Geotechnical Investigations are otherwise known as soils tests. Testing the soil is very important if you tend on building in an area that has a high water table. Most of Northern Michigan (parts of Traverse City area, Alpena, Mackinaw City) are located on large swamps which require special foundation and septic systems. As I travel the state spreading the good news of proper green building and building state of the art Hybrid Homes, our crews encounter issues that most builders never get a chance to deal with as they build in sub-divisions that are already engineered and figured to drain properly.

So who conducts these tests? A company out of my hometown of Norton Shores named Soils and Structures is by far, the leader in soil testing for all of Michigan. Team Hybrid member, Soils and Structures, has tested or will test four sites for us this year and provide very detailed reports on what they have or will find at each of those sites. At one site, we will be using auger cast concrete pilings that will extend into the Earth 48 feet! Why so long? The new Hybrid hideout is located 30 feet from a lake and would sit on about 38 feet of 'muck'. If the house is not built on a correct foundation system, we could expect the house to sink in that muck!

Here is a horror story for you that happened recently to another builder and architect in Saugatuck Michigan. The site was noticeably low with standing water in areas. For what ever reason, the house was built with out taking into account what type of soil was out there. A soil test can cost over $1,000 to complete, so often times, it is a test that is skipped, bad idea! This house ended up sinking 2 feet into the ground and it is still sinking! Part of the lawsuit against the builder and architect included a soil test, which confirmed the story of the sinking house. The house was built on 65 feet of muck! OUCH!

How can you tell if you need a soil test? I think the most important thing to consider is the proposed location of the house. Is it by a lake or stream? Is there standing water around? What does your excavator think?
 

If you are new to this type of construction, cover your bases! A reputable local excavator will often times tip you off if your site seems low. Soils and Structures will tell you if you need a test or not. They will not charge you to tell you that your site is ok and not in need of a soil test.

I picked this topic today, because of the amount of experience I have had in this lately. There are quite a few houses that are being built on lakes and in areas that use to contain water. Even though we can no longer see the water, does not mean there isn't water inches below the surface. This entry should not deter you from building on the water, just make sure you cover your bases and rely on engineers to guide you through the process.

You will see very detailed photos of the processes we will take to build each and everyone of these homes. In some cases, you will see the concrete pilings supporting a main floor that is actually a SIP panel. The SIP panel is treated to resist rot and is currently being used in the gulf area to rebuild the hurricane ravaged homes down there.

We have begun to set the insulating (SIPs) panels in Holland. As soon as I can figure out how to get the pictures off of my new phone, I will post them in the Project Gallery.....

05/10/08 Trying new things.

I have been involved with insulated concrete forms and green building, in one form or another since 1990. I have been around and have been a part of out-of-the-ordinary construction since the 1980's. In 1984, my parents hired a local builder in Montague to help us remodel this house we bought that dated back to the 1880's. This house was balloon framed and made of old growth wood. If you have never had the pleasure of working with wood from the old forests of Michigan (old growth) then you are missing out! The wood is incredibly dense, partly because of its age, but also, because the climate that the trees grew in was harsher back then. You have to know what you are doing and what you can get away with while 'tearing into' one of these old homes. If you want an example of balloon framing and 'old growth' lumber, check out the Cottage Project.

I mention my background to talk about complacency and trying new things. These 'things' can be anything; food, construction materials, tools, you name it. In an attempt to not be complacent and to always stay on the cutting edge, I chose to use a new product on one of our upcoming Hybrid Homes. Now, you must know, this is a great product that will work great, so, what I want to discuss is what happens when people try new things. Also, does the experience that one has trying something new dictate the re-use of that product?

Going into this situation, I decided that I was going to keep my expectations very high for the product itself, and my expectations very low for the process of getting the product to the jobsite. In all these years of being around this industry, I have seen some very interesting things. For instance, when my dad and uncle sold ICFs back in the early 1990s we would have to go pick the forms up in the weirdest places. We ended up buying an old mobile home trailer frame and made an ICF trailer out of it. I still laugh every time I drive by a friend's business and see the trailer sitting on the back of his lot! But, I digress. Through the years of leading this industry, we have come to expect certain issues to arise every time we get a load of certain building materials. I can not believe that after all these years, that there are still issues with the shipments of this particular product. Logistics should be considered not just leaving a factory, but arriving at its destination. I would hope that someday, companies would listen to those on the front lines and hope for repeat business.

To make a long story short, my expectations for a miserable experience were exceeded. However, we finally had a sales rep there to see why the manufacturer needs to think about end use. Everything worked out, and now I hope that everyone will finally learn about making the jobsite experience a bit more tolerable. It is a given, that if someone has a bad experience with 'something', they are most likely not going to buy that 'something' again. The reason is that they do not want to volunteer for a miserable experience, they want to take the path of least resistance. It would be like buying pills at the pharmacy that gives you the Flu. Who would buy something that makes a person miserable....ok, this is for another discussion.......let's move on.

This brings me to my point. Please keep an open mind if you are new to green building. If you are 'trying new things' as a builder, expect that things may go a little different than you are used to. We need you to build more than one green project, which may not happen if you have a bad experience on your first try. As a homeowner, applaud your builder for taking the extra steps to ensure that your house has less of an impact on our precious Earth. Once a builder has built a few green projects, he or she will notice that the over all process is tolerable and worth doing.

After the experience the other day with this delivery, I have to be honest, I asked myself why do I do what I do. Sometimes, it is just a real pain in the @#$, BUT, just then, a couple of guys stopped what they were doing, came over and helped me unload the truck. We all had a great time doing it and talked afterward how important it was for us to be building the way we do. I made new friends out of the ordeal and restored my faith in society (well, ok, maybe not totally restored!). I have an experience under my belt once again that someone just doesn't get by talking. Getting out there on the front lines and actually doing something gives a person a knowledge that could never be obtained by just reading about a process.

Think about your favorite place, for many, it is off a beaten path. I know in the mountains of Colorado, I have had to drive though some rough terrain to get to my favorite places. These places offer views and experiences unmatched by any other place that I know of on this Planet! Try something new, hang on tight, endure the 'bumps', and get ready for the experience of your life! 

One last thing. I always like to sing the praises of the people I get to work with. John and John have been doing an amazing job handling what I throw at them. Soon we will have multiple crews working on several projects and I certainly will be singing the praises of all of those trades people. But, today, I must throw a shout out to the one thing that has always been by my side, handles the majority of my communications, and politely asks people how they want to leave a message....I am talking about my cell phone! After almost a year of constant abuse, dropping off the roof, falling into mud puddles, being shot with the nail gun, poured into concrete, and yes, even being dropped into a porta-potty, I must announce the retirement of the cell phone I commonly refer to as......'my phone'. I have noticed lately how 'banged' up it has become. The numbers do not work anymore, the lens to the camera is cracked in three places, and caulk has filled the speaker holes. Many of you wonder if I even carry my cell phone or better yet, if I ever answer it. I do answer the phone, unless it is laying down by the footings 20 feet below me or I am fishing it out of the concrete. Retirement comes at a good time for 'my phone'. While it is still in one piece, it plans on taking a much needed breather. I will put this phone with my collection of others that I have destroyed and someday show my grandkids what a cell phone used to look like. Would you please take a moment and thank your cell phone for its service to you. Although it may ring off the hook constantly, it still deserves a big round of applause.......

AB

5/02/08 A Rainy Day Entry From The Hybrid Home Guy.

As I look out the window and see my tulips getting a nice soaking in the Spring rain, I thought I would catch you all up to speed on what we have been up to.

I received several emails from people wondering if the Cottage Project fell down or not when the Earthquakes happened a few weeks ago. To answer that question, thankfully it did not! Dietz House Movers are a member of Team Hybrid, and they have done an excellent job helping us lift the cottage that was originally built by Henry Door in 1922 to put a basement under it. The elder Dietz and I had a nice long talk about green building. We discussed how much less we send to a landfill if we restore a structure verses tearing it down and building a new house. The Cottage Project weighs approximately 60 tons and only a fraction of that weight will end up in the land fill. I can not recommend Dietz enough, they have been in business since 1945, and as the Elder Dietz says, "......In all these years, we haven't lost a house yet, and we are not going to ruin that record today....we never say the word 'DROP' on our jobsites..."

As we move forward on this restoration project, we are incorporating products and processes that would make Henry Door, the craftsman that he was, smile for sure. We are putting an inch of foam on all the exterior walls (over the sheathing) and spraying the 2x6 walls with Agri-Balance Spray Foam. This is just one of the many things that we are doing to make this 1920's ERA cottage more energy efficient. You will have to keep your eyes peeled on the project gallery to see the other great things that we are doing to this cottage.

If you notice in the pictures of the Cottage Project the basement walls are a normal poured wall and are not insulated concrete forms (ICFs). Why is this? Well, it is not for lack of trying, I can assure you of that. When it came down to the budget, we all had to make a decision based on our overall goal, which was to restore this cottage that has been in the family since it was built in 1922. By going with a normal poured wall and tweaking the pricing in other areas, we were able to determine that restoring this family heirloom was feasible. What you will see with this project, is that we made an allowance for making this cottage "Super-Green". When it comes time to finish the basement, we will insulate the walls in the basement then. At that point, we will have a great opportunity to show other builders what they can do with conventional walls to make them more energy efficient. If you want to discuss this more, email me and we can discuss it.

You will notice 2 new projects in the project galleries. Those being The Sawyer Project and The Watercress Project. The Sawyer Project is a "green-up" project. We are reworking the insulation, making more room on the main floor, and eventually adding on to this house. This project is set up in phases, and we are currently under way on Phase 1. Sawyer is about 10 miles south of Saint Joseph Michigan.

The Watercress Project is going to be a project to watch. This house is in Pentwater Michigan, and we will be using ICFs and SIPs on this project. We are working to have a wind generator, as it is right on the water and the wind is always blowing. You will be able to see, once again, step by step, how to build a home like this. I have worked out the LEED-H checklist, and the house is projected to score Platinum! I have asked everyone to not get their hopes up yet, as it takes a lot to get a platinum score, as we found out in Onekama on our LEED-H Platinum home there. Our Team will be working to get a web cam set up of the project. The web cam will be one of those ones that you can control from your computer. We are working hard to get that to be available. This project will start later this month.

The Vineyard Project in Paw Paw Michigan is going to be a great project. I am finishing the initial paperwork for the LEED-H certification this weekend. I expect it to score Gold. This project will be made of ICFs and have all concrete main floors as the thermal mass for the passive solar design. I am excited to get this project going in a few weeks and to be able to show you all step by step how to build a home like this. The Vineyard Project will have a Solar Hot Water System and eventually a wind generator and solar voltaic system. With these renewable energy technologies, this home would also score Platinum LEED for Homes!!

As you can see, we are keeping busy. This is good because our crews are capable of handling a massive amount of work. I want to thank the media for the positive coverage they have given us. I would also like to thank Northern Home and Cottage Magazine who featured our Herkelrath Project in their latest issue. Click here to read an excerpt of the article. You can get a copy of the magazine by going to their homepage and following the steps. This article was written very well. If you want a list of what we used and who we used on that Platinum Level House, it is all in the article! So, race to their home page and sign up for your copy of the magazine today!

Green Business Quarterly has approached me about featuring Hybrid Homes and Team Hybrid in an up-coming issue of their publication. I am currently working with a writer to develop the story that will highlight our Platinum LEED-H level home in Onekama and also our Team approach to building. We are currently discussing a column that would be written by me, and geared towards the business of Green Building. My title would be 'The Hybrid Home Guy-The Wyatt Erp of Green Building". We will have to see if that title survives the editors chopping block.  We'll see where that goes, but it would be a great way to get the word out around the world about green building and representing it properly.

Eric Hughes from Image Design and I are working with photo scouts from several major magazines to make sure that we can showcase the Vineyard Project and the Watercress Project. A film crew is being assembled to keep monthly tabs on what we are up to. Again thank you to the media!!

That is it for now, the sun is out, it is time to get back to work.................

 AB

4/12/08 The birth date of the "Hybrid Philosophy for Team Excellence." (TM)

After much thought about how to grow this company properly, the culmination of months of thinking occurred today. I sought council today from one of my treasured mentors and friends Jim. Jim's house really is what made this business move in a positive direction from the get go.

We talked about the power of a positive attitude and the effect it has on people. We talked about having a backbone and providing un-imagine-able customer service no matter what. We also talked about positive leadership and taking Hybrid Homes to even higher heights through it. Somewhere in this lengthy conversation, the words just flowed out....."The Hybrid Philosophy for Team Excellence. (TM)".

To lead a Team this size through the amount of work that we have lined up requires a certain level of consistency in leadership and application that can only be obtained if everyone is on the same page. The goal here is for all of Team Hybrid to adopt this new set of 'rules' or better yet this new road map to achieving our ultimate goal.. which is, "To Exceed the Expectations of the Customer and the Environment". Through the last few years, I have learned what works and does not work so well with building these types of homes and cottages. Through this experience and direction from Team Members, Professors and others, I have developed a set of guidelines that will help to keep us moving in a forward direction with emphasis on "Kaizen", otherwise known as continued improvement. I will police these guidelines, as will the leaders of their respective divisions and I will take the Philosophy's abuse very seriously. 

I am confident that this set of guidelines is the key to our continued success. It has taken me nearly a year to develop this idea and now it is becoming real. Within the next month, this will be applied across the board, from top to bottom and will be our guiding light. As soon as I have everything assembled, I will post the Hybrid Philosophy for Team Excellence under the Team Hybrid section of this website for all to see. That way, no Team member has an excuse for not being able to have access to this new constitution for Hybrid Homes, LLC and Team Hybrid.......Stay tuned, more later.....................

AB.

The Music House Starts! 3/27/08

What is the Music House? For the official explanation of the Music House, click here.

The Music House is the brain child of a friend of ours, Dave Palmer. He is the founder of The Spread The Music Foundation (STMF). STMF was founded to provide kids up and down the lakeshore with the opportunity to participate in music programs even if they do not have the money to do so..i.e band, choir, etc.  The link above can explain this better, but it is just an awesome cause and one that a number of the areas' business owners believe in. Dave wanted to create a $1 million dollar endowment fund for these kids and has been charging towards that goal by building custom homes by volunteers (both materials and labor) for the last few years. I have always went out to help the other carpenters frame and set trusses, because most of those people are my friends and past workmates.

Well, Dave approached me a few months back and asked me how he could make the Music House green without alienating all the helpers he had. So, we devised a plan that includes recycling, making the home more air tight and educating everyone who works on the music House about why we need to follow this route. You may have seen the headline in your local paper that read "Music House Goes Green." If not, I will try to post a link to it.

The Music House is a great cause, but, it is even a greater time to reconnect with our peers and have a blast! Every nail that we drive reminds us that we are helping the area's kids! STMF's website will start to post pictures of the Music House going up. If you want more information on the Music House or donating to this great cause, click the link above and follow the links to contact Dave or Alicia. Make sure you tell them that Hybrid Homes sent you.

I will post a few pictures of our crews building the basement walls and setting the first floor system in the next day or two.....

Green Building. 3/18/08

The project in Holland is really taking shape! We took 3 inches of sag out of the living room ceiling/ upstairs floor. Even though this cottage was built in the Fall of 1922 by Henry Door (found his signature on the wall!), the structure is quite sound. Henry would have been proud to see how we have complimented his work of art with new insulation, new wiring, and a whole host of other features including finger jointed studs! I along with John, Shawn, and John have really had fun inventing ways of doing things, as is normally the case in remodels like this. After seeing the beam work in the living room (see the photo gallery), the homeowners wondered why they had not had this work done many years before. It was challenging, educational and just plain fun to do it.

We are working on getting started on a green remodel down by St. Joe Michigan. This is the home that we had an energy audit on. The details for this project will be coming soon, but the issue we are going to touch on real quick here is a water filled basement. This Saturday, we are meeting with an expert at the home to determine how the water is coming in and what can be done about it. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with that in this journal, so stay tuned for that!

Our Vineyard Project in Paw Paw is getting ready to start in Late April or Early May. The crews are geared up for another LEED for Homes project! I was in Paw Paw this past weekend, and I am thinking that we are really going to enjoy the town and the locals company! I am looking forward to stopping by the homeowners restaurant and getting everything on the menu. This project will progress very efficiently, I am excited to get it started. Will the Vineyard Project be another Platinum LEED for Homes project? .................you will have to stay tuned to find out!

We have other projects slated to start this year also. Our crews are ready for this work load and I am sure we will have no problem handling this volume of work. Team Hybrid is a dynamic group of companies and people who are actually capable of handling more work than we currently have lined up. This doesn't mean that they won't be working their tails off! I will keep this journal updated so you can all have fun with us. Thank you!

Assorted Ramblings. 3/10/08

After the passing of Jeff Healey, I decided that I was going to devote more time to my gift of guitar playing. The band I am in, The Wall Walkers, and I are preparing for a big 'gig' this upcoming July 12th at a musical festival in Grand Haven, Michigan. For this 'gig' our lead singer and founder of "The Spread The Music Foundation" wanted to play a Peter Frampton tune. Naturally, I was excited to learn a new tune. 'Do You Feel Like We Do' is that song! I will handle most of the guitar leads in that tune, but Dave will be doing that 'mouth thing' when the time comes around. What does this have to do with Hybrid Homes and green building? Well, if you bare with me, I will explain how learning a tune can relate to restoring vintage homes. Sound interesting? Here's a neat thing for you to do. Click the link above for "Do You Feel Like We Do" to listen to that Frampton tune and then read the rest of this journal entry after you hit play. (*note: make sure your speakers are turned down to begin with. Once you get to Frampton's site and it loads, click on the audio square. Next, look to the right side of that web page and you will see "Do You Feel Like We Do". Click on that and then come back here to read this Journal Entry. The song will play while you read this entry. This version is long, so if you get done reading this entry, look over the entries below to refresh your memory on what I stand for.)

Ready? Click that link.

Notice how you recognize that sound? Much the same way as you recognize this sound to be Framptons, you will also notice on vintage homes, a special craftsmanship that seems to have been created by masters of their time. Much like learning how to play other people's music, we must, as builders, learn to emulate the craftsmanship of our building forefathers. Even with the highest tech tools, it can be tough to do. All you have to do is drive around any town and you will see signs of the different nationalities that built those homes. Un-paralleled craftsmanship with an un-dieing style!

For me, I try very hard to make the remodel projects that we work on look like the era they came from. I wonder what is going to happen when future generations come behind us to give the homes we built a little 'freshening up?' I know for us, (Team Hybrid), we really want those future craftspeople to recognize that we not only had talent, but that we were thinking about them when we built these environmentally friendly, energy efficient homes. Can you imagine what those folks from the future would say if they found a poorly insulated house that was made of low grade products? How about an ultra-energy efficient Hybrid Home? I know that I am amazed at what some of the builders and architects from the past were capable of doing. Look at what Frank Lloyd Wright was designing a 100 years ago for example.

How cool will it be for the future generations to see a wind generator or solar panels on a home that they are working on? I hope by then, that better than 60% of every home in America will have renewable energy of some form, so maybe it won't be as amazing as it seems to be now. But, one thing is for sure, by then, our un-renewable resources could be at critical levels! I know for the homeowners that we work for, they care about the future generations and what is left on this planet for their children, grand children, and great grand children. For me, them, and hopefully you, it is a about legacy. If you have not given this much thought and are new to this journal, think about what you want to leave your future generations. It is no longer a strange thing in this country to be proactive. After years of torture, our Earth is showing signs of abuse. Together we can make a difference!

If you wish to see if I was able to learn my parts of this Frampton tune in time for the big event on July 12th, come out and root us on. Click the Spread The Music Foundation link above and the info for this big show will be posted there soon. I am also the guest M C of this event, so it will really be fun, I guarantee it! Thank you for having fun with me and listening to a great tune!

A B

A moment of silence for a guitar legend. 3/03/08

Many of you do not know this, but I have been playing the guitar since I was 11 years old. For me, music is my release and something I truly enjoy and need to thrive.

Yesterday, one of my all time guitar playing favorites passed away at the age of 41. His name was Jeff Healey. Jeff was a blind guitar player best known for his song Angel Eyes. What many do not know, is that he was an absolutely phenomenal blues and jazz guitarist. I had the pleasure of seeing him perform a few years ago at the House of Blues in Las Vegas. It was amazing! He died of retinal cancer which he had since the age of 1.

The news of Jeff Healey's passing hit me hard because he was an amazing musician and one of the best guitarists who ever lived. I would place him in the leagues of Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, and Jimi Hendrix. You had to see him to believe it.

I know this has nothing to do with building a Hybrid Home, but it meant a lot to me to write this down.

http://www.jeffhealey.com/home.htm

Thank you to all who came to visit us at West Michigan Home and Garden Show! 3/03/08

I want to thank all those who stopped by our booth at the West Michigan Home and Garden Show this past weekend. I got to meet so many great people! Whether it was a vendor presenting me with a product or service that is considered green, a family wondering what they can do to make their current home more energy efficient, someone wanting to learn about LEED for Homes, or those that wanted to start moving forward with their new green home, the weekend was a success!

There was great traffic all weekend long, and we barely had time to take a drink of water between people. I have to send a special thanks out to Andersen Windows for providing a sample of their 400 series casement window, CertainTeed WeatherBoards Fiber Cement Siding for providing samples to show, and Porter SIPs for their great display. We had a number of products and information that no one else had at the Home Show. Here's just a few examples of what we had: WarmBoard sub-floor system, PlyBoo, Palm, Blue jean insulation, Panasonic Whisper green exhaust fans, and literature on the full line of TOTO products.

For me, I have been involved with insulated concrete forms since the early 1990's and it amazes me to still hear some of the same concerns now as people had back then. Rising heating costs, no other builders wanting to talk to them about building green, and great ideas that others call them crazy for. I had a great time listening to homeowners talk about their new home plans and also giving out Team Hybrid Members business cards as referrals. Thank you to everyone that stopped by our booth!!

As an update, we are starting today in Holland. It is 'full speed ahead' on this project to get it completed as we prepare to start our other projects in Paw Paw and Grand Rapids. Stay tuned to the photo gallery as it will show you cutting edge techniques and products on all of our projects. I will try hard to keep all of our galleries up to date for your enjoyment and education.

Have a great day and stay tuned to Hybrid Homes for the most extensive collection of green building project photos on the Web!

No more Blogs, just The Hybrid Journal. Posted 2/28/08

I was blogging on Active Rain for the last 6 months and found it a great way to connect with other people, but also a great way to really let the creative juices flow. It is my intention to only use the Hybrid Journal now for my writing. I will seek to return it to what it was, my personal journal on my way to the top of the green building field. My schedule does not allow me to update the Active Rain blogs enough to keep it 'fresh'. Also, as a leader, I experience a lot of 'things' that the general public does not hear about, and the Active Rain blog was becoming a way to vent about those frustrations. I have handed some of those 'things' over to professionals who can deal better with what is going on, so I can stay positive and focused on doing what I do.

It is my hope, that you will continue to find these Hybrid Journals informative and a bit edgy. I will always hold my hard line and call those out who are misrepresenting the over-all goal, which is to protect our Planet, not our wallets. Thank you for your continued interest in what we do!

We are revving our Hybrid Engines and getting ready to experience an unprecedented workload, so stay tuned, its going to be a great ride!!!!!!!

Hybrid Homes Takes A Big Step. Posted 2/28/08

Thankfully, I have The Hybrid Council (that is what I call them) which is my group of mentors and advisors. They want Hybrid Homes to be more than just another green builder, as do I, we want to shake things up and help to change the way things are done. So, after much thought, I have decided to add some serious talent to Hybrid Homes. First, as many of you know, I have been hand training one of my replacements now for over 2 years. His name is John and he has been by my side through everything I have been through; learning how I think and what I demand during the construction process. I am very excited to say that John is ready to step it up and start taking on some of my workload (thank goodness!) I can not find the words to describe how I feel about John's loyalty and trust in my ideas. He came to Hybrid Homes with minimal building experience and I have molded him into thinking the way I think. I am very proud of him and his skill set now! He is a quick learner, takes no BS from anyone, and will be a great leader for Hybrid Homes.

Wait a minute you say! OK, Let's talk about the new hire! So, how could I ever find someone that I could trust as much as John? Well, I started by looking at just names. The new person coming aboard is named John also! What am I going to do?!! I figured that if I yelled at John, both would listen and I could save some air.......OK, you got me. John the second is a person I have known for a while. I actually worked with him for a number of years at a custom home builder here on the lakeshore. He shares my passion for quality and he is well versed in every aspect of building. My guys need to be able to do everything from excavations to custom trim work and everything in between, and he can do this. John is a Marine and understands the same management philosophy as I use, which was inspired by the Marine Corps management system. I was never a Marine, but I respect their management system and studied it in great detail.

John and John the second (or Dude as he was called in the service) will work with me personally on every job this year to learn more about what needs to happen with Hybrid Homes. Together with me included, we will form a management team to handle specific areas of the State of Michigan. I will have them handle most of the jobs as I get new jobs, make personal appearances and handle all of the paperwork (piles and piles). I have in place a dynamic group of sub-contractors that John and Dude will over see. We have the ability to handle work in any part of the State of Michigan. We will venture outside the state lines if we need to, but Michigan has been a great place for us to stay put in. In several instances, we have direct ship capabilities for our materials, and we have connections in several townships throughout the lower peninsula of Michigan.

As you can see, it was time to add another person to my personal entourage as we grow as a business. We will rely on our sub-contractors to go back and train the other builders they work with on how to be more green in their building practices. This has worked very well throughout the last two years, and in another two years, you should see more qualified green builders who carry my Hybrid Stamp of approval!

Stay tuned to learn more about the other talent coming aboard.............................

OK, time to go make the donuts......................

STATE OF THE STATE OF HYBRID HOMES

Updated 2/02/08

We have heard the State of the Union address and certain State of the State addresses, so I felt it important to share the state of Hybrid Homes and discuss what is happening with us. The following is that:

Wow, a month has passed into the new year already! I think it is always important to reflect on the successes and failures of the past year and try to make adjustments to improve the way we operate as a business. The beginning of 2007 started out a little slow as we prepared to start the construction of the Onekama Hybrid Home. The plan for this house was to make a major impact in the residential building market. I wanted this to be a 'shock and awe' campaign. As it stands, it was! We will be in or were featured in magazines, 11 newspaper front page articles, been on the radio a number of times, television,  and have even started working with the Governor's Office as we fight township by township in favor or residential wind generators. But, I digress. To pull this shock and awe campaign off,  I took some major risks that probably could have put the company under, and thankfully things worked out better than I had hoped they would. The end result is a noticeable change in the green building arena here in Michigan. As expected, companies were started to capitalize on the resulting success. I still feel, although there are companies building green, that there are only two other companies in this State that even compare to what we do, and neither of them want to venture outside of their markets or areas of expertise.

The Michigan Energy Fair was a great avenue to show the Onekama Hybrid Home. We had a big Hybrid bus from Traverse City bringing Fair Goers to the Hybrid House all weekend long. I purposefully made all subcontractors stop production so the tour-ees could see a house like this without drywall. I wanted builders, homeowners, and anyone else to see the 'guts'. This worked great for everyone. The Fair Tour did slow our momentum as far as the production of the home goes, but we feel that the impact that the house had on the the State's Green Building enthusiasts was well worth it. I was very excited to see so many people at our VIP party the night before the Energy Fair. At this time, the Onekama Hybrid Home will be part of a Tour, but the details are still being worked out to see if we want to show the Hybrid Home in the same fashion this time around at the Michigan Energy Fair. With the large amount of emails we receive about this house and tour, I would imagine we will show the house again with all access allowed. This time around, fair goers will see a finished product that includes outstanding craftsmanship on an ultra-high energy efficient projected Platinum LEED for Homes project. This is the ultimate showcase of Team Hybrid's talents! Stay tuned, as I work towards a more solid plan regarding the Michigan Energy Fair.

Team Hybrid has a number of awesome members! I have hand selected this bunch of craftspeople, suppliers, and trades people. I have decided after much thought to remove a major player from Team Hybrid for a number of reasons. Most often times when I remove a player, it is because of misrepresentation. In the eyes of our valued customers, the actions of a Team Hybrid member is a direct reflection of how Hybrid Homes, LLC is run. This is how the customer sees it, and because of that, I have to watch very closely who we have as part of our Award Winning Team. I have replaced that company with another company that I have worked with for years. I am very excited with their passion for going green and am working very closely with them to bring them up to our speed. I have added an electrical company to our Team to handle everything from Ludington South to the State line and we will still have Galaxy Electric to handle our Northern Michigan projects. Both of these companies are top notch and very close to being more excited about green building than I am. They understand that I am very passionate about LEED for Homes and they are very excited to work to our high standards!

Hybrid Homes is increasing the number of homes it is capable of completing in a year to meet the demand that we are currently experiencing. To do this, we will be relying on Team Hybrid even more than we have in the past. I am confident that our completion time for a Hybrid Home will drop and that our capability will be to start one new hybrid home or remodel each month. I have had to be selective with the work we have to complete this year, as we definitely do not want to make anyone upset. We have very high expectations placed on our Team and we will live up to those expectations no matter what the cost!

I am still on the front lines taking shots like the rest of the Team. This is invaluable to me! I am able to learn everyday about how to make our process more efficient. I have seen our Team members grow in knowledge and understanding to the point that I am ready to let the 'squad leaders' manage their respective disciplines. Increased critical thinking skills and a grasp of the specific management philosophy that I follow is a sure sign that our 'recruits' are ready to lead the charge! I will become more of a floater as John and John lead jobs in their territories. You will see how spread out we really are if you look at our project map. Now, before you say wow too loud, the work we have this year is set up in a semi circle from Whitehall down thru Holland, over to Paw Paw and then back up to Grand Rapids. Logistically, we could not ask for a better layout of projects. Being in Traverse City, Grand Rapids and Holland at the same time is a terribly tough task, and thankfully, we are not set up that way this year.

So, what do we have on our plate? Great question! I am excited this year to be reunited with products we have not used in a while. We are using Structural Insulated Panels , or SIPs a lot more this year for roofs and walls. These are not taking the place of our Insulated Concrete Forms (ICFs), but, rather, being used where we can't use ICFs. You will be able to view very detailed project galleries again this year. I have decided to keep the photo format instead of adding video of our projects. Mostly, because I feel that a video is shot through the eyes of someone that may be looking at things differently than someone else would. A picture is worth a thousand words, or dollars, if you are a builder looking to learn how to use these cutting edge products! We have over 1,000 pictures available for viewing now (much to the dismay of my web hosting guy). This year with the number of projects we have lined up to complete, it is safe to say that we will once again lead this State in informative, educational postings in our project galleries.

As a business, we did grow about 400% again in fiscal year 2007. If we have a 2008 like it is laying out right now, we can expect at least that kind of growth, if not a little more during this year. Hybrid Homes, LLC is working to add employees that will fill key roles for us in the organization. The problem I have is the overhead it creates. The flip side, is that it will free me up, and if we can still keep our outstanding pricing structure, than I am all for a little alone time with the family! There was a question about adding partners to Hybrid Homes this past year, and I am happy to say, that I decided to not take on any of those partners. Not because they are not great people, but more importantly, is that we are not at that point in our business life cycle yet. I feel that we have not had our "breaking out" phase yet, but are rapidly approaching that stage. We will not add partners, but rather reinvest in our employees with profit sharing and cutting edge training. We have just signed up for an awesome healthcare plan and are working towards a retirement plan that will help to secure the future or our employees, much in the same way that we try to take care of the planet in what we do. My hopes are to create a fun, safe, productive work force that stays with our company a long time. The benefits of that happening are worth any effort needed to achieve that goal. 

If you have made it this far in the journal, then I applaud you. You may be a competitor or an interested homeowner, either way, congratulations for being interested in something that is very important and special to me. I did not have to release this State of the State because we are not made to by the government. I just hope that someone sees a little hope in this dim economy. I am excited about the future and will continue to hold the hard line I have held all along. We are coming into an election year that could bring unprecedented growth or devastating decline. It is a scary year for many, but please do not lose sight of the low interest rates we have right now. Those that have waited for this time to come (like I have personally), can now feel some comfort in the fact that we did not want to keep up with the Jones and get a new house before we felt it was our time. Hybrid Homes, LLC can help you to make an educated choice between building new and remodeling. I am happy to tell you that our pricing structure is designed to compliment the low interest rates, so that you can have a lower house payment and lower utility bills while living in your dream home or upgraded existing home. Thank you all for your interest and support throughout 2007. We could not have had the success we had in 2007 without a number of you who are reading this, and for that I will be forever grateful!

Email me directly if you have any comments, questions, or concerns.

2008 IS GOING TO BE GREAT!!

A B

From my Blog:

Date: November 11, 2007

The following is my over-view of Green Build 2007 in Chicago:

I must first let everyone know that we did not attend any of the training sessions, because we felt that the majority of the training sessions pertained to commercial LEED projects and not residential. Also, the price was incredibly high to attend even just one session. We were given V.I.P. passes to get into the exhibitors area and also to attend a few free tours and information sessions.

We rode the AmTrak train from Holland Michigan to Union Station in Chicago. This was definitely a better way to handle the traffic of the big city and save some fuel. Once we were in Chicago, we made a short pit stop at my brother-in-laws office to drop off our luggage. I was extremely impressed with the atmosphere of his workplace. They had a place to take a nap, sat on exercise balls, and even had a few treats in the refrigerator for those after work moments.

We hailed a cab in front of the Wrigley Building on Michigan Avenue and took it to the McCormick Place West Building where Green Build 2007 was being held. As we pulled into the unloading lanes, we immediately felt out of place. We noticed that everyone had two and three piece suits on! I was blown away, and said "I thought this was a building show.." Green Build 2007 was all about the money. As we walked around to get in the massive entry line, we were thankful to get glares of "wow, real builders" instead of "what are they doing here?"

Because of a train delay, we missed the end of Former President Clinton's speech. I heard he gave a great presentation and that his new library was awarded a LEED Platinum Certification. Great Job Bill!

Once we got into the exhibitor area, my thoughts were confirmed, this show was geared towards commercial construction. I was in awe at how much money was spent by everybody that day. This kind of money is not being spent in the residential building exhibitor circuit. I did see companies like Tembec (floor trusses, etc.), Marvin Windows' Integrity line, the CertainTeed Company (siding, shingles, etc.), and our friends at the Alliance For Environmental Sustainability. Every booth that I went to had great information, but I kept asking, "what do you make for residential building?" With over 800 exhibitors, my voice got quite horse asking that same question over and over again and getting the same response..."nothing yet".

I did get a kick out of seeing the company I used to work for right after high school, Haworth, competing with their competitors, Steel Case and Herman Miller. Why did I get a kick out of that? Well, because they were no longer competing on who had the most ergonomically correct chairs or office solutions, but rather, who had a higher commercial LEED rating for their showrooms. As always, Steel Case is winning. At this point, I realized that LEED is big business. It is the prescription drug/healthcare furniture market of commercial building...BIG MONEY!

As we stopped to eat lunch in a food court overlooking the exhibitor's area, we could not help but be in awe of how many exhibitors there were. A nice lady from an architecture association let us sit with her because of the lack of seating. She was so excited to be part of this great day and this new direction that commercial building is taking. She sounded like I did a few years ago. I commented on her energy and how everyone needed her enthusiasm and drive to help better our society, then we went back to the exhibiter floor.

With the lack of residential products or companies, we started to get bored. Because of this, I started to wander around and look for something new. I saw about 7 different green roof systems, each one proclaiming its "better-ness" over the others. I really liked what I saw in all the companies and can't wait to put a green roof on a residential project. To amuse myself, I just had to chime in on a conversation about insulated concrete forms at the BASF booth. They don't make the ICFs, they just make them better (I just had to say that). The brand in question was Poly Steel, which is the brand ICF my Dad and uncle had the distributorship with in the nineties. It is safe to say, that I know a great deal about that product because I used their product in my architecture projects while I was in school, and also I have installed numerous homes worth of them. So, here I am, dressed like no one else, sounding more professional then the majority of the three-piece suit wearing attendees and exhibitors that were gathering around. I guess it was my openness about my likes and dislikes of ICFs in general and more specifically, the brand they had there that caught everyone's attention. I took probably 10 minutes to explain how good ICFs are for construction and even related the installation process to something they were more familiar with, commercial construction. I as fielding quesitons like: What about blowouts? How do you brace them? Do you have to brace them?

(This was my favorite one) I had to stop the marketing manager from BASF on this one. He stated that you can pour ICFs without bracing them. It is true, you can, BUT, this takes a great bit of skill and should never be attempted unless a large number of variables are in your favor. Pouring a couple of courses high is ok and we do that all the time if we find ourselves needing to. Pouring an entire basement or 10' wall un-braced is the scariest thing you can ever do and the most insane. I have helped do it as a laborer, and I vowed that when I ran things, that it would never be done again. So, you can see how this presentation was going. I made sure to say that this was an exhibit with the intention of selling a product. I also made sure to toss the word sustainability into their sales and business practice. To continue to get sales in ICFs from the same companies, I told them they need to focus on the first time users and make sure the first time users have such a great experience with them, that they would be like me and would never want to use anything else to build the outer shell of a home. This is just not happening now. ICF companies are marketing themselves to homeowners who build just one home. I do not blame them, it is the only way to make a buck in the ICF business. However, once the sale is made, the ICF companies should be by their side in the hopes that the homeowners tell all of their friends about how great ICFs can be. This is what we do. It is awesome to see the look on the skeptics face when a wall does not blow out. After all, that is the number one question asked with ICFs, "Don't these blow out a lot?"

As I continued, more and more people walked up and stood by us listening to the comments from everyone. After I was done, people were handing me their cards and I was handing them mine.

My overall rating of Green Build 2007 from an overly educated green residential construction stand point was a D+. From a commercial standpoint, I would rate it an A!

There is definitely a 'keeping up with the Jones' happening in commercial green building. This event was probably great for a person just getting their feet wet in green building, or a company to send potential clients to, but for a residential green builder who is already well versed in what we do, it would not be worth the $75 admission to get into the exhibitor's area or the $11.95 for a burger.

After sharing a cab ride with a new friend we met on the escalators, we went to my brother-in-laws office to have one of those after work treats I talked about earlier. We then went back and stayed with him because every room in town was booked, and I enjoy hanging out with him. We had fun that night in a place North of downtown and enjoyed ourselves until almost dawn! We decided that having a nice breakfast and playing video games until our 5:20 pm departure on the train would be more enjoyable then going all the way across town to see who dressed the nicest......

Date: October 20th, 2007

We have been moving right along on the house in Onekama as we get ready to start our next Hybrid Project in Paw Paw. We have managed to keep the price in check on the Onekama house by working closely with the homeowner and doing the majority of the work ourselves. With experience in everything from excavating and building footings, to trim work, exterior stone, interior tile, etc. we can and have done it all. I love this interaction with the homeowners and it also gives us a chance to do something different. Wait until you see the pictures I post next week!

I want to take this opportunity and talk about experience. Experience is always a good thing to have in whatever you do, but gaining experience can be an exciting thing too. I know that on every project we do, I learn more about what we can do better. I do not think that there is one person out there that has built a house for themselves or others that hasn't said, "I would do some things a little different next time." (Or something along those lines).

I am a big fan of economics and have studied the topic in great detail. Although my degrees are in marketing and management, I have felt very strongly about educating myself in economics to compliment what I learned in college. If it is feasible, I plan on minoring in economics when I go for my Master's Degree. I say these things because of what I am about to write. When I noticed that Hybrid Homes was beginning to press forward I knew that it would catch the eyes of others in the building business. I have learned through study and business experience, that success brings competitors out of the wood work. With this in mind, I continued to market this business in un-orthodox-ed ways so that I could create a successful business more quickly that could, in-turn, be copied by competitors. My thought, was that these other "copy-cats" would have to be extremely environmentally friendly with their building styles to even compete and that has to be a good thing. Well, now that I see the competitors surfacing and trying to get their businesses going, I feel that I should give them a heads up on what they are getting themselves into. I will do that over the next few weeks, but, I should throw this tid-bit out right now. Be careful getting your feet wet! You have a lot at stake! I have learned through the years that it takes a rigid back bone and a strong gut to get through what we need to get through as innovators and risk takers. I am blessed to have had a number of homeowners work hand in hand with me and my crew to work through difficult designs, townships problems, and unfriendly neighbors. The houses we build are one of a kind and we do it within specific budgets. Getting your feet wet on a customer's home who you really don't know that well can spell disaster. But, if you are like me, you take risks and I am glad you do. I must just ask you this question (which someone close to me once asked) "If you do this, are you ready for what is going to happen?"

I want to give everyone an idea of what it takes to try to do something different. First off, if you are a homeowner with an idea that you have been called crazy for thinking up, then you are at step one of what we go through as innovators. I have been called lots of things because of the extra care we take to finely tune a house. Sometimes it means not making any money because we have to spend our time when not on the jobsite researching and developing a productive game plan. Other times, we get caught up in battles with townships or neighbors who seem to live in the dark ages. Every time we go into a new township, we have to educate the township and the inspectors on what we are doing and why. There is value in it for all the parties involved even-though there is no monetary value that we can put in the books. I truly understand why other builders are stuck in their ways and still building sub-par homes. We can continue this talk later, I am leading into this next thought.

As I mentioned towards the top of this journal entry, experience is important in our ability to keep the price on track for a Hybrid Home. I want to discuss the difference in what I learned in College and what I learned "on the streets". In college, we are taught to successfully earn our way to the top of the field in which we participate. We take large amounts of time learning proven techniques that others have used for years. We are taught lots of wonderful, useful knowledge that helps prepare us for the working world. Then, we get tossed into the real world and find out very quickly that we weren't taught everything!

Let me digress for a moment, I went to Barnes and Noble Bookstore the other day to look for a new book to read on economics. While I was there, I needed to satisfy something that was on my mind. So, I started to dig through the piles of self-help and "how to succeed" books. There were tons of books that were written by dynamic people explaining how I could be just like them if only I followed their easy steps. I could look like them, earn as much as them, or succeed like them if only I bought their book. I did not buy any of those books. What I was looking for, was a book on direction. Not on how to get somewhere, but on what to do once I was there. There were no such books. Basically, there were a lot of 'maps' on how to get somewhere, but nothing on what to do once you got to where you wanted to go. Now, I am a big believer in paving my own way, when I go on trips, I just find all the 'cool stuff' myself and then go home. The problem is, when you are on a time schedule and a budget, having an idea of where you should go makes us use our time more wisely. Do I still have you so far? Great! To sum this up, I was out to satisfy an urge that I had, I tried to find a book on direction, I did not find one.

Time to get back on track. With experience comes proficiency and efficiency. When I first went to Colorado, I did not know where anything was. Now, after having been there countless times for extended periods of time, I could take you on a journey to places you never knew existed. I feel the same is true with experience in this 'green building thing' that is going on. I feel that college gave me the ability to get a ticket on the train of life. It was through real life experience and being exposed to this form of building for most of my life, that I found a way to survive. I would not be where I am right now without college, but equally so, I wouldn't be where I am at without having the experience to know right from wrong. When you ask someone if they have experience in what they do, to me, that can be asking for an answer that is going to take some time to answer. Or better yet, it should take the person you ask quite a while to answer that question. Building a house is basically a series of steps that most people can follow and pull off. A girl scout troop with the right direction can build a normal house, and have. But, once you start doing things differently, it really adds a twist to the normal process. Doing things differently is where the experience has got to come into play. Stepping outside a box has its consequences, and sometimes those consequences can be very costly both emotionally and financially. Those that use experience as a guide when stepping outside a box usually fare better than those that fly around by the seat of their pants. If you want a great example of this, watch college football on any given Saturday during the Fall months. Experience often times seals the win for the top teams when they find themselves in difficult situations.

If you have stuck with me this long, then I feel you should be rewarded for your efforts! I want to give you a real life lesson that we are currently having to deal with in Onekama. An issue that has cost us a lot of time and has made me out to be either a hero or a trouble maker depending on what side of the battle the locals up there are on.  Back in late January of this year, we knew that we earned the opportunity to build the ultimate Hybrid Home in Onekama. We also knew that we would open the house up to the general public during the Michigan Energy Fair that is held in Onekama each year. I went to the township in early February and told the zoning administrator everything that we were going to do with the house and everything that the house would have on or in it; including a wind generator. She told me that there was an ordinance for wind machines but that it only pertained to the 'big commercial' units. Upon hearing that, I said "can you please find me a copy of that ordinance as soon as you can?" Well, months passed and with a very well documented trail of requests for the wind generator ordinances we put up the wind generator in time for the Energy Fair. The day after the Energy Fair left town, I got a call from the township that states that the wind generator was in violation of their wind ordinance. This notice came from the same person who told us it was alright to put it up! I have been before the zoning board several times and have been called incompetent and a number of other horrible things. The fact is, that we put that wind machine up only after relying on the zoning administrator, whose main job is to know the zoning backwards and forwards, telling us we could put it up. I have been on the front page of newspapers, on the radio, and television defending myself and watching very closely how quickly a small issue can turn into a very time consuming and costly one. Even if we take this issue to court, think of the time and money lost dealing with this township and assumptions! The battle rages on, and we are working to complete the project. The house will be completed before this issue is resolved. I plan on heading up this fight no matter where we are next. I want to thank the Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association for standing by my side in this fight. Without them, I definitely would have been a lamb lead to the slaughter.

There is more to this story, and I have been asked by a number of people to go public with the records I kept leading up to this fiasco, but this is an issue that I have to see through and I will go public with my experiences as soon as we get things resolved.

My point in all of this, is that you as the homeowner should never assume that your township is 'OK' with alternative or renewable energy options. As you have read hear, I didn't assume anything, I went to the township before we broke ground and we still had a problem. Don't let your builder tell you that you can have anything you like. In fact, if you hear this from them it should be a big red flag. Ask your builder to get everything in writing before your even proceed with your plans being drawn. If you are a builder, I wish you the best of luck! It is only 'cool' to be on the front page of newspapers for so long. Your reputation is at stake, and don't think that you can just figure it out as you go. If that is your business plan, than you might want to rethink a few things.

Thank you for reading this, I guess I want everyone to know that doing things different comes with its challenges. Expectations in this field are so high that getting your feet wet on an ultra high efficiency home can be a bad thing for both the homeowner and the builder. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't give it a try, just be as proactive as you can be and have some money saved up for the time you spend not getting paid while you educate everyone about what you are doing.

Even though the process of building an ultra high efficiency house seems difficult, the more I have done, the better at it we got. Now, I actually can keep a smile on my face while building one of these houses. My reward is the time I get to spend working hand in hand with homeowners as we build their dream home!

Thank you for your support

Adam "The Hybrid Home Guy"

Date: September 7th, 2007

This week I encourage you to interact with me on the new Hybrid Homes Message Boards! You can click on the link on the home page to get to the message boards.

Check the message boards out for topics on ICFs, Recycling, and so much more!

Date: August 17th, 2007

The house in Onekama is coming along nicely. The outside, now that it is almost all sided is looking amazing! What a great looking house!

In a few months, this most exciting house will have been finished and we will come back home for six or seven months and build another Hybrid house. While we are gone during this time frame working on our projects, there are sights and sounds that help us remember all the fun that we get to have on these projects. I will be sad when we leave Onekama, because we have made new friends there, laughed and cried there and became part of local legend. We will always be known as the guys who 'built that green house on Herkelrath". Even though I am anxious to work around home for a while, I will miss this project more than any other project because of what it stands for and because of the great people who worked on it with us including the homeowner! I will cry about this later, but this is what's on my mind.

The homeowner and I are currently working with the Township of Onekama with regards to our wind generator. Stay tuned to this Journal for updates. This type of interaction with the locals are what makes it tough for me to leave a place. I find myself interacting with the locals in one way or another wherever we have a project. I like to employ as many as I can and get to know where all the good fishing spots are. I believe that this experience gives Hybrid Homes an edge because of the knowledge I have gained in small and large communities. It is true, not everyone is alike. Each community is like its own little country and I have learned quite a bit about myself after getting to know lots of people all over the country. My point in all this is for people to recognize that in order to create an ultra high efficiency home, sometimes your builder has to step outside of there comfort level, get their feet wet, and learn what small town cultures can do for the building business.

Date: August 10, 2007

I was taking a cruise on the information highway trying to find out what people are thinking about green building. I came across a site that was talking about LEED-H and green building and that person was mentioning how he was pushing more for the energy efficiency on projects than he was the recycling, indoor air quality, and everything else that LEED-H stands for. My conclusion: people just don't get it. LEED-H is not only a frame of mind, it is a specific set of guidelines to build a home by. Green is supposed to mean the environment or environmentally friendly. What good is an energy efficient home if you destroyed the planet while you built it. LEED-H involves so many areas of the construction process because of people's wasteful ways. Take a close look at a job-site dumpster when you are out cruising around and you will see what I mean. It grinds my gears to have people associate themselves with something and only do the very minimum to carry a title. I do feel that it is a good step in the right direction, but stop using green for marketing.

I now plan to be labeled, "The Wyatt Erp of Green Building". Somebody has to, it might as well be me. I will get in the face of anyone misrepresenting green building or the term Hybrid. I will also call out those developers who claim to be green but will bend their rules to just "get a house in the ground". I will personally seek out the developers that are sticking to their guns, holding a hard line, and producing true green developments. I will walk up to them, shake their hand, and thank them.

Today I am irritated, that's unusual for me. It seems that green washing is occurring even more every day. Without the help of Team Hybrid member Standale Lumber, it would be tough to weed out the imposters and find true green products. I have, in my own way, empowered Standale Lumber to become the leading green supplier in the State. Their dedication to finding only the greenest products and then offering them in such a way that it is easy for builders to use them is awesome. Standale Lumber is so far ahead of its competition, that it would take 2 years for the others to catch up. All this is the result of my challenge to them to step it up and do the right thing.

So, back to my irritation. As you can see, there are companies staking their livelihood on green building and doing a great job, why should others be able to mention a certification process to be associated with those of us who are sticking their necks out so far? Its like taking credit for putting out a forest fire without ever suiting up and grabbing a shovel.

On a brighter note, John and I have been invited to Michigan International Speedway as a guest of CertainTeed which produces the FiberCement siding that we are using. They want us to view their new products and then give us VIP privileges at this NASCAR event. We will tour the pits, meet drivers, watch the race and get into any trouble that we are allowed to get into. I mention this event, because, CertainTeed recognizes that Team Hybrid is a driving force in green building and are doing their part to get us in front of the right people at the right times. I am looking forward to meeting some corporate folks there and telling them what I think about their products. Thank you CertainTeed for believing in Hybrid Homes and following my strict rules, you are a valued member of team Hybrid!

Stay tuned, I will post pictures when I get them.

Signed: Wyatt Erp, I mean Adam....................

Date: August 04, 2007

I was re-reading Smart Couples Finish Rich by David Bach, looking for more clues on how to make a Hybrid Home have even a higher return on investment for the homeowner. A suggestion that David makes in his book is to pay more on the principle of the mortgage to shorten the term and pay less interest. I searched this section out because I have read it in other books too. What I am getting at is applying your energy savings to the principle of your home loan. I wrote about this earlier in this Journal, but there are homes that my dad and uncle built in the early nineties that are now almost paid off. These people applied their energy savings on the principle of their mortgages and reduced their interest enough to shorten the length of their mortgage. Basically take the amount you pay now for energy verses what you will pay after you have a Hybrid home built and apply that to the principle.

Why am I spending time on this? I had a conversation today with a homeowner who told me that he was spending over $500 a month on electric and probably close to that on natural gas. We will use $1,000 a month for this example. If they were to get into a house that was built the way we do things, they could apply that $1,000 to the principle of their new loan each month. A 30 year mortgage would be reduced closer to 20 years in length! This takes discipline. To take the extra money you have each month from the energy savings and spend it on your mortgage instead of at AppleBees is tough, but according to David Bach, it is one of the 9 steps to smart couples finishing rich.

I am excited as we get ready to film parts of our TV show. Hopefully we can get a link on the website soon for all to view!

Date: July 28th, 2007

Has anyone ever wondered why people do what they do? Is it for recognition, gratification, or any other words that end in "ion"? I bring this question  up because of the conversations I have with the members of Team Hybrid. As each team member goes about their business throughout the State and Country, they are constantly reminded of what a challenge it is to do things differently. It seems that we get a chance to educate people wherever we go regardless of if they want to be educated on the latest trends and the most cutting products or not. We work in a number of small towns, and instead of recognizing that we are bringing a wealth of information to their town, they approach us about taking their local jobs. I follow the 5th Habit of Stephen R. Covey's The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People and I suggest these small towns do the same, "Seek first to understand, then to be understood". For instance, in Onekama, we have over 85% of the sub-contractors from the local area. We have pumped thousands of dollars into their local economy from food, Monster energy drinks, and lumber purchases. Not to mention, we were able to help the Energy Fair be a success which brought 5,000 people to their town, people who never knew where Onekama was before they showed up to see the most cutting edge products and process in renewable and alternative energy solutions.

OK, enough. The point is, I finally understand why other builders are stuck in their ways. I made sure to follow the 5th Habit of Stephen Covey and it has paid off. I am noticing first hand why it is 'just easier' to build homes the way they have always been built. I have kept this business growing at a speed that allows me to work on the jobsites so that I can learn and understand how communities work and to stay sharp on the products and processes that make our homes ultra-high efficiency homes. I feel that my studies of International business have helped Hybrid homes, LLC grow, because each new community we work in is like another country. These communities have their own cultures, sub-cultures, and sometimes currency (for lack of a better word). Members of Team Hybrid work closely with inspectors, planners, and other officials to make sure they understand that we are not trying to pull the wool over anyone's eyes, but rather are offering them a great opportunity to be a community of cutting edge people. What I have found out, is that trouble brews the way it does in movies from the 40's and 50's. It ultimately comes down to one or a handful of landowners that poke and prod the elected decision makers to keep their communities small and I understand that. My point is, small communities all over the country are struggling to survive and can not attract industry or service jobs to their community because of how those communities are perceived by the corporate decision makers. The towns that are attracting the jobs are progressive thinking communities that investigate and allow cutting edge technologies in their communities. If you think I am wrong, I will send you the reports that back up what I say.

So, why am I on this soap box? I think it's because I want people to understand that the members of Team Hybrid go through a lot of hassle on each and every job as they try to direct the building industry into a better direction. It seems like I could set my watch to a time each week when the phone rings with a member of Team Hybrid telling me that a city council won't allow this or an ordinance prevents that. To better understand this, I have been getting to know a number of State officials and keeping in contact with them. These fine elected folks are taking a stance on the State level and are trying hard to change the way that our old archaic government thinks about renewable/alternative energy and green building certifications. Much like our houses, one by one they are showing up in communities all over the state. I personally feel that this creates an awesome opportunity for small communities to step forward and be challenged to create model ordinances for other communities in the State. As a result, those communities will get noticed quicker than other slow to change areas by companies looking for locations to house facilities; health care, service jobs, etc.

As a business owner, I am attracted to areas that think progressively, that is why I love Colorado so much. Even though I love the Rocky Mountain State, I am going to stick around in Michigan and educate as many people as I can. As a member of the population that is leaving this state in 'droves', I feel a few of us should stay here and try to rub off on people. If it doesn't work out, I can think of a dozen communities in Colorado that would and have welcomed this type of building and technology with opened arms. These same communities are constantly listed in publications such as Inc. Magazine, Money Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal (all of which I read regularly and recommend you do also) as being favorite places to live, raise families, and host industry. If you have never been to Fort Collins Colorado, I recommend you at least look it up on the Internet and see why I hail that town so much. Regardless of what my wife says, it is not just because Fat Tire Amber Ale is made there. *FUN FACT: The New Belgium Brewery located in Fort Collins Colorado is wind powered!!* I think part of me wants our small towns in Michigan to have the same success as Fort Collins has over the years. It is now growing because everyone wants to live there, but it still has a small town atmosphere. Fort Collins started out small and attracted people by the way the community thought about the future. They decided to make the tough decisions while sticking to their main goal of protecting its citizens both financially and physically.

Thank you for reading this, I want everyone to know that I understand why other builders aren't building homes like we do. It is tough, a pain in the neck, and sometimes doesn't seem worth it, but it is. We are using up our resources to quickly and it is time that we start building more energy efficient houses!

Some Great News:

The Onekama show house was visited by an editor of a magazine out of Traverse City. The magazine wants to feature this home in one of its upcoming issues! I will fill you in more as things materialize. More exposure for the town of Onekama!

I am working hard to get a pilot television show put together. If you know any decision makers that might be interested in sponsoring part of this project, please email me for more details. I can not let the cat out of the bag yet, but if you have enjoyed this website and what we do, you are going to really enjoy this television show!

We are continuing to meet new people and line up speaking dates all over the State. Stay tuned here for the details!

Date: July 5th, 2007

Hello everyone, yes, I am still alive after the last few weeks of touring around and helping Team Hybrid get ready for the Michigan Energy Fair. The biggest question I have to answer right now, is :"How did it go?" My answer to that is "GREAT!!" Having a show house as part of the Michigan Energy Fair gained us more exposure than I could have ever thought it would. I will be honest, I knew that we would make an impact with this exposure, but after today, it has really started to sink in. This morning, Mike Holcomb (The Home Inspector General), Eric Hughes (Image Design), and myself (Hybrid Maniac #1) went onto a talk show at Grand Valley State University's radio station with Shelly Irwin. We were allowed to talk about a number of issues including what we thought of the other green building certifications. Everyone knows by now about the hard line that I hold about building homes to LEED for Homes standards. From the feed back that I received, it sounds like our time on the air was well spent and that people enjoyed our enthusiasm for what we do.

My wife and I just got back from the House of Representatives building in Lansing where I was on a television show that was taped to air sometime in the near future. State Rep. Mary Valentine asked me to come to Lansing today and film this show with her. I met her at the Michigan Energy Fair and she recognized that our passion and efforts are for real, and now, my ideas of taking Hybrid Homes to the next level are unfolding nicely! Stay tuned!

The Show House was manned by a number of people, all of whom I thank! Special thanks goes out to the homeowner Steve, Kyle from R-Value, John-My right hand man, my mom, both dads, and everyone else that I threw into the positions they had. I figured having people who weren't experts to answer a few of the questions would challenge not only the volunteers, but the fair goers to. As it stands, we had very positive feedback, and I was amazed at the interest that people had in what we were building there. A person from East Lansing won the big cash prize we gave away!!

Because of the Energy Fair Exposure, we have been asked to speak in a number of locations throughout the State of Michigan. However, we still are building houses, so do not worry, I will get back to updating the photos in the galleries ASAP! Also, our schedule is filling fast and we will be adding workers soon to accommodate the jobs we have coming up. If you are not looking to build for a year or two, then that is great! But, if you are certain that you want a house built in that time frame, we need to talk soon, so we don't miss the opportunity to build your Hybrid Home because we are working on other projects. Email me ASAP if you would like to talk further about the possibilities of Hybrid Homes being your builder.

Stay tuned, our faces will be popping up all over the place spreading the great news about LEED-for Homes and our approach to building! We will have updated project galleries by the end of the weekend!

Date: June 03, 2007

Greetings! The hot sun has not stopped our progress! We continue to press forward in an efficient manner.

This week, I have to speak about marketing and building a new home or remodeling. I won't be talking about a builder marketing his or her business, but rather a builder marketing your next Project. Do you realize that there are millions of dollars in companies' budgets that are spent each year in the attempts of standing out from their competition? That is where a marketing savvy builder/contractor can go to work for their customer. It is not my intention to give away any secrets here of how I go to bat for the customers, but rather, I want to present a few examples of what one can get if they just ask. Building Hybrid homes attracts a lot of attention. We had 92,000 hits on our website for just the month of May! Can you imagine the amount of marketing pull we have gained from our exposure?

I want to lay out for you a small picture of how I approach a project. Before I begin, I must tell you that I am a student of Greg Stielstra who wrote the book,