Berglund Homes reports uptick in marketability, energy efficiency in the first quarter of the year

Berglund Homes has been experiencing a strong interest in new homes in the first quarter of the year. "We have had properties on the market for fairly short periods of time this year," said company president Jay Berglund, "it certainly seems that homebuyers are beginning to come back to the market and aren't as concerned about pricing in the million-dollar-plus range as they had been over the past few years when properties would sit unsold for extended periods of time." Berglund also explains that his company has made energy efficiency a hallmark of all of its projects. "The homes we build today are very efficient," he said. "In fact, a 3,000 s/f townhouse project that we built in Newburyport in the fall of last year had a $180 a month energy bill over the winter for heat, hot water, and cooking. That's a lot better than the energy tab for a basic ranch or split-level home anywhere in the Boston suburbs. We don't think it's any surprise that homebuyers are more conscious of how much they can save with an energy-efficient home, anymore than car buyers who realize that 50 miles a gallon is better than 12 mpg." Berglund Homes has been building in the Boston suburbs for the past 20 years and currently has projects going in Lexington, Newton, Newburyport, Reading, Sudbury, and Waltham.