Energy efficient luxury housing to be developed in the heart of the capital region

The first completely self-sufficient living community in the Washington, D.C. area is taking shape in a densely wooded section of Fairfax, Virginia. Complete with independent water and food sources, the Foxmont community is comprised of roughly 300 acres of land where the groundwork has been laid for environmentally friendly residences.

Jay Zawatsky, a prolific lawyer and natural gas entrepreneur, is developing the neighborhood with home-builder Diane Basheer in an effort to combat increasingly unaffordable utility costs.

Each residence will be built on a five acre parcel that will include designed plots for independent gardens, as well as access to groundwater and onsite purification systems. Although Zawatsky estimates that each home will retail for more than $1 million, the savings on monthly utilities will help the properties pay for themselves in a matter of years.

The land on which the project will be developed came from the family of William Ingersoll, Zawatsky's former employer. Ingersoll's father, also William, had purchased the land in 1959 and had used it as a games ground for the past half century. When the senior Ingersoll passed away, his son decided to hand the property over to Zawatsky, who had floated his plans for an energy efficient community by the partners at his firm for years.

Zawatsky met Basheer by chance at a Christmas party last year, and she immediately jumped at the chance to help build the first property at Foxmont after the venture was brought up in casual conversation.

The planned homes will range in size from 4,000 to 8,000 square feet featuring four to six bedrooms and as many bathrooms.

If you are looking into purchasing a new environmentally friendly property or are hoping to increase the energy efficiency of your current home, enlist the services of a home inspection contractor to determine where you can decrease waste and save on utilities.