ALABAMA – The newest development at Cedar Rock Farms in Leeds is no ordinary project for Katie McLaughlin and her father, Joe White.
“This project is special to me,” McLaughlin said. “We’re tying it into the original phase of Cedar Rock Farms that my father developed 30 years ago. I remember riding my bike as a kid going to the job sites, so when this opportunity arrived I had my children out here. It was a little like deja vu.”
McLaughlin is now vice president of Curtis White Companies, a real estate development business White’s father started 68 years ago. White, who now owns the company and serves as president, said the original phase of Cedar Rock Farms was one of his first developments.
“It was an Alabama Power Good Cents Neighborhood at the time,” White said. “When this piece of property became available, we were able to tie in the existing subdivision to it and we ended up with 21 beautiful wooded lots out here in the Leeds area.”
Houses on those 21 lots are being constructed under the guidance of Alabama Power’s Smart Neighborhood® Builder program, a partnership with local builders and Chorus SmartSecure to develop homes featuring energy-efficient appliances, connected devices, innovative security solutions and home automation, all designed to simplify homeowners’ lives and give them more control over their home and energy use.
“They’re very energy efficient,” McLaughlin said. “The last home we rated came in at a 55 (HERS rating), so you’re looking at almost a 50% more energy-efficient home.”
