Leading U.S. Green Residential Development Recognized as One of America's 'Greenest'...

Leading U.S. Green Residential Development Recognized as One of America's
'Greenest' by National Building Industry

1,800-acre Master-planned Community Wins Top Green Award from National
Association of Home Builders

WASHINGTON, May 11 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The National Association of Home
Builders (NAHB) today awarded its prestigious "National Green Building" award
to Del Sur, naming it "Mixed Use Development of the Year." Nationally
recognized as a model for sustainability and environmental preservation, the
Del Sur "green" community features nearly 3,000 eco-friendly homes in San
Diego, Calif.

"What makes Del Sur unique is the size and scale of the community and the
affordability of the 'green' features Del Sur offers to homebuyers," said Ray
Tonjes, chairman of NAHB's green building subcommittee. The annual NAHB
National Green Building Conference is the only national conference targeted to
green home building for the mainstream residential building industry.

When complete, Del Sur will include 2,500 market-rate homes, 469 low-income
homes, business and commercial space, a transit center, fire station, two
schools and more than 1,900 acres of dedicated open space shared with sister
community Santaluz.

"We're thrilled to serve as a national model for community development that is
environmentally sustainable, yet also makes economic sense for builders and
home buyers alike," said Fred Maas, president and CEO of Black Mountain Ranch
LLC, founder of Del Sur. "We firmly believe that smart, sustainable design and
construction represent the future of housing development in America."

Del Sur mandates that almost every home incorporate drought-tolerant
landscaping, tankless water heaters, hot-water-on-demand systems, and
water-saving landscape irrigation systems among a core set of sustainable
features. Additionally, more than 92 percent of construction waste
communitywide has been recycled as part of the mandatory collective recycling
program. So far the community has diverted close to 10,000 tons of
construction waste away from landfills. Once completed, the community is
projected to save over 100 million gallons of water annually, and over 5
million kWh of energy each year, the equivalent of nearly 9,000 barrels of
oil.

The NAHB honor is the latest in a series of significant recognitions bestowed
on Del Sur. Most notably, the U.S. Green Building Council in 2007 awarded
Platinum LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification to
The Ranch House at Del Sur, the community's information center. It is one of
the most highly rated LEED-certified buildings of its kind in the United
States.

Designed in consultation with environmental and civic groups, the 1,800-acre
community of Del Sur represents the leading edge of comprehensive, smart,
sustainable development and environmental preservation. With its Platinum LEED
certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, the Ranch House at Del Sur
-- the community's 3,000 square foot welcome and information center -- sets
the standard for green building design and construction. Del Sur opened in
June 2006 and is approximately 20 percent complete.

For more information about Del Sur, visit www.delsurliving.com. For more
information about the NAHB National Green Building Award, visit www.nahb.org.

SOURCE Del Sur

Peter Rooney or Jennifer Cummings, +1-202-822-9491, both for Del Sur