The Home Builders Association of Greater Cincinnati kicked off the show for the first time ever in Clermont County with an opening ceremony June 7, a preview party June 8 and a grand opening June 9.
Each home featured is available for guests to tour during the show which runs June 9-24, Monday-Thursday 4 p.m. to 10 p.m and Friday-Sunday from noon until 10 p.m.
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held at the site of the home show June 7, and Homearama organizers, builders and community leaders were in attendance to celebrate the opening weekend of Homearama.
“I am so proud to have Homearama here,” Miami Township Trustee Mary Makley Wolff said during the ribbon cutting ceremony. “They say location, location, location, we have a great location, but we have so much more.”
Officials broke ground on the 50th annual Homearama site in November of 2011 and in just a few months, builders erected the six homes and completed all the details from the floor plan to interior design.
“It went extremely smoothly this year,” Hal Silverman, developer of Willows Bend and one of the home builders, said.
Silverman said the weather was cooperative and builders worked hard to complete their homes before the event. He said no one is running around last minute because everything was ready to go.
“We’re excited about the show,” Silverman said.
Silverman’s company, Hal Homes, is one of the five building companies featured in the show. The other builders are Artisan Estate Homes, Justin Doyle Homes, Grand Estates by Fischer, Potterhill Homes and Walker Home.
The six homes range in price from $675,000 to $1 million, and each home is unique with different features and styles developed by builders and designers for the show.
“Our home turned out beautifully,” Silverman said about his Homearama home. “It’s pre-sold and the home owners are happy.”
Silverman’s home is one of three homes that are already sold. The Grand Estates by Fischer, Potterhill and Walker homes are still available for purchase.
Brent Walker, president of Walker Homes, said he was pleased with how smoothly things went with the construction of his home.
“It’s a different floor plan,” Brent Walker said. “It is focused on how people today are living.”
He said the home features a more modern floor plan with an open kitchen and living room, a his and her bathroom as well as a golf simulator in the basement.
The Potterhill home is also different because it was designed to be a zero energy home.
Carolyn Rolfes, president of Potterhill Homes, said the home was built using more lumber, special insulation, high-end heating and air conditioning units and solar panels to help make the home more efficient.
Rolfes said the better insulation helps reduce the energy bill for the home and each solar panel produces about $100 worth of energy.
“The solar panels produce an energy credit that the home owner can sell for cash,” Rolfes said.
Rolfes said Duke Energy has also helped make the home compatible with Smart Grid technology, which helps home owners manage their energy use.
“We can monitor it now and when they implement the Smart Grid we can manage it,” Rolfes said about the Potterhill home.
In addition to being able to tour each of the six homes and explore the latest features and designs, guests will also have access to the Home Zone exhibit tent as well as concessions, restrooms and free parking when they attend Homearama.
Tickets to the show are $13 at the gate and $11 if purchased ahead of time at a Cincinnati-area Kroger store. Children 12 years old and under are free if accompanied by an adult.
There are also several special events and discounts during the show, including an appearance by celebrity landscaper and TV host Ahmed Hassan June 14. For more information visit www.cincybuilders.com/homeshow.