ABOUT WILLIAM BLAIR
As a Baby Boomer, born in the early 1950s I grew up in an explosive time. That is to say, a building explosion unlike any we have witnessed since.
My Family was in the lumber business, which put me at Ground-Zero of the Boom. From a very early age I was fascinated with building, especially the building of homes. When I wasn't in school, I could be found at my Grandfather's lumber yard and hardware store, or out in the field with my Dad or Uncle Paul calling on construction sites and writing orders.
I was captivated by all of the things in the hardware store, especially tools. I remember standing up in my 1st grade class and showing the room how to read a tape measure. Always carried my Lufkin PeeWee tape measure in my jeans, along with a small pen knife. The times are certainly different today.
My fascination has never ebbed. Later in my life I was the GM of the family lumber company and always looked for new and innovative building materials and techniques. An example would be dual paned windows, we sourced and sold dual pane windows starting back in the 1970s a full 10 years before they were mandated for new construction and begrudgingly adopted by builders.
I built my 1st home in 1975, when I was in my early 20's. I wanted a Spanish Style "Hacienda," so I visited many of the California Missions in NorCal for inspiration. One of the more interesting aspects of the Missions, was that they were built with energy efficiency in mind. Of course, there was no electricity or running water back when they were constructed, but they did design and build with comfort in mind. Extra thick adobe walls afforded some modicum of comfort by insulating the inhabitants from the cold of winter, and coupled with large overhanging roofs, a cooler interior in the hotter months.
My new home had dual paned windows 8 years before the Sate of California mandated them. The home also had double the insulation values required by the codes. I also installed zoned HVAC systems for more efficient heating and cooling.
Fast forward 20 years, and I was introduced to the FHA Energy Efficient Mortgage, and later the FHA 203k renovation mortgage, and a seed was planted. My passion for building with an emphasis on energy efficiency and innovation is as alive today as it was back in the early 1970s.
Today I work as a Consultant, Manager and a Facilitator helping homeowners and home buyers take advantage of the numerous financing options for maximum comfort and efficiency in their homes.
Please enjoy this website and consider it and me as your steward in Generating Residential Energy Efficient Neighborhoods.
