KDA Homes’ Commitment to Sustainability In Real Estate Development

According to AAA, the average cost of owning and maintaining a personal vehicle is nearly $10,000 per year in 2019. However, this statistic is based on an average car owner driving 15,000 miles per year. So, unless you drive for work, the average Ashland resident may drive less than that, making the annual per mile cost of ownership much higher.

One of the biggest costs of owning a car, surprisingly, has nothing to do with the amount you drive it. A study conducted by AAA in 2018 reveled that “the largest expense associated with purchasing a new car is something many drivers fail to consider – depreciation”. In fact, it accounts for almost 40 percent of the cost of owning a new vehicle – more than $3,000 per year… 

Here in Ashland, many of us drive our cars for short trips. We drive three blocks to go work out at the YMCA, drop off our kids at a friend’s house in the neighborhood, or make a quick trip around town running errands. The reality is that most households would not need to own more than one car (if any) if they had access to a vehicle they could “check out” periodically. Which brings us to some very exciting news!

Introducing KDA Homes’ Newest Mission Toward Sustainability — Oregon’s First Shared electric Vehicle Program

As part of our commitment toward a cleaner environment and adding value for our homeowners, KDA is excited to introduce a Shared Electric Vehicle (SEV) program at The Garden Cottages in Ashland; the first project of its kind in Oregon.

“Our team recently held a meeting where we brainstormed new ways to save our homeowners money each year. We started talking about vehicles, and after a little bit of research, were blown away to discover that members of our community are spending in some cases up to 25% of their income on a car that they get little use out of. We realized that some folks are paying more than a $1 per mile just to own their car” says Mark Knox, Planner and business partner at KDA Homes. “This seemed like too big of a problem for our team not to tackle”.

“To us, the answer seemed simple: offer homeowners a shared vehicle program where they can check out one of two electric vehicles on site. This is not only the socially responsible thing to do but the right business move that we hope will get other developers throughout Oregon to follow”, says Laz Ayala, Partner at KDA Homes.

“This is a model project for us. There is much we can do in the real estate development industry to address the rising cost of living that wages are not keeping up with. We can accomplish this by building smaller energy-efficient homes and taking advantage of today’s solar and automobile technology. Through our solar power and SEV programs, we hope to put about $12,000 a year into the pocket of our homeowners” adds Ayala.

How It Will Work

The SEV program will cost $50 per month and will work on a first-come-first-served basis with hours that meet the basic transportation needs of homeowners. This $50 per month will cover:

• Management
• Maintenance
• Insurance
• Electric use
• And, future vehicle replacement reserves

Ultimately, our goal is to provide the opportunity for households to reduce to one vehicle or potentially eliminate the need for owning a car altogether. The SEV will have its own dedicated parking space and charger in addition to the personal parking space provided for each home at The Garden Cottages.

The program will be managed by KDA Homes or its assignees. Management duties will include:

• Establishing and amending operational rules to meet the needs of homeowners
• Bookkeeping
• Regular cleaning/maintenance
• And, enforcing rules of use

“We are using this as a test model for future projects”, says Ayala. “We want to position it for success and we want to learn all we can for future projects. That’s the reason we want to control the initial operation. This has the exciting potential of becoming a model project for other communities around the nation. I’m super excited about the opportunity our small company has to be leaders in our industry and to pioneer a new wave of sustainability in real estate development.”

Learn more about The Garden Cottages and this Shared Electric Vehicle Program.

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At KDA Homes, our mission is to be pioneers in smarter home design leading the way for sustainability in real estate development and green building. If you’re interested in being a part of a sustainable community in Ashland, Oregon please contact us today to learn more about KDA Homes currently on the market.