At a time when new home sales are slowing in many other regions of the country, Union County, NC, is one of the fastest-growing areas around Charlotte. Benefiting from that expansion is Bonterra Builders.

The local, privately owned company is projecting 2006 sales to double last year’s tally, with around 300 new-home deals closing by year’s end. What’s their secret? “Bonterra Builders is truly unique,” says Crystal Wood, sales manager for Quintessa Estate Homes, Bonterra Builders’ luxury-community offering. “Bonterra Builders builds homes that are priced from the hundreds of thousands of dollars to $1 million, and we strive to earn our homeowners’ business for life.”

Dennis Wood, vice president of the Custom Homes Division of Bonterra Builders, echoes this philosophy. “I believe the strength of the builder is truly tested once the homeowner moves into the home.”

Standard in Every Home

Rheem tankless unit installed: “We researched the company and made the decision to install them in every Quintessa home we build,” says Dennis Wood.

Bonterra’s Quintessa development offers estate homes on one- to two-acre sites in a gated community. “Quintessa homeowners are educated and very concerned about the environment, as well as the products and services they elect to use,” says Dennis Wood.

To appeal to this clientele, Bonterra Builders has established a development with restrictive covenants that are designed with green elements in mind. At the top of the green products list are tankless water heaters made by Rheem Water Heating of Montgomery, AL. In fact, these heaters are standard in every Quintessa home.

“We use Rheem along with other green elements,” Dennis says. “We are not a certified green community, but we implement green policies where we can. We are concerned with doing the right thing.”

Rheem tankless technology provides a wide range of features appealing to homebuyers, starting with high energy efficiency. Add space saving and continuous hot water, and the tankless water heaters are the ideal for any home. Bonterra Builders chose Rheem with these valuable features in mind, as well as their convenience and low operating costs.

Low-Cost Hot Water on Demand

Master bath in a Quintessa home: Suites like this one provide an opportunity to promote tankless technology to prospective buyers.

Rheem tankless water heaters utilize advanced electronic technology for energy efficiency, supplying a continuous flow of low-cost hot water when and where it is needed. Because tankless water heaters heat water strictly on demand, no energy is wasted constantly heating and re-heating water in a 40- or 50-gallon storage tank. A precise digital controller makes it simple for homeowners to adjust the maximum water temperature up or down.

Going green is definitely catching on. According to the Urban Land Institute, there is a growing demand for environmentally conscious development, and consumers are driving it. Nine out of 10 builders surveyed in 2005 by Lowe’s Companies, the retail home-improvement chain, say they are incorporating energy-saving products into new homes.

Water heaters are among the most commonly upgraded items for energy savings, according to the survey.

“Unlimited Hot Water…”

As Crystal Wood prepares to close a deal at Quintessa, she makes sure to guide the prospective buyers into the master bath, where she tells them about the home’s Rheem tankless water heater.

“In this price range, the master baths are very luxurious, complete with rain-can shower heads, body jets and steam rooms,” she comments. “The Rheem tankless system provides a double benefit–water for the parents to turn an everyday shower into a luxury experience and for the kids to have their daily showers. Our families have a lot of kids, and the parents love the idea of unlimited hot water, so they won’t be stuck with a cold shower!”

Dennis Wood and Darren Sutton, president of Bonterra Builders, first saw Rheem tankless water heaters at a builder show. “We researched the company and made the decision to install them in every Quintessa home we build,” Dennis Wood explains. “We are very happy with Rheem.”

In fact, the Woods have been so impressed with the Rheem tankless system, they are installing one in their own home, now under construction.