• Adding to the strength of the house are double-strapped trusses (single straps are required by code to counter uplift pressure on the roof during windstorms). Roof sheathing is put on with with nails placed four inches on center instead of six.

FORTIFIED STAMP

These also are standards that can help the home be certified as Fortified, lowering wind insurance costs 25 to 30 percent, said John Kiefer, a vice president of E3 Building Sciences, an engineering consulting firm in Naples that certifies new homes for Energy Star and other green building efforts. The Fortified certification was devised by the nonprofit Institute for Business and Home Safety in Tampa, and means a house is stronger than code requires and resistant to wind.

Calling the Liberty City house very strong, Kiefer said, ``Generally, the house will be very efficient and, I think, will be a good bang for the buck there.''

• Insulation around the air conditioning ducts will reduce the cost of air conditioning by preventing leakage and keeping air in the ducts cooler as it is sent throughout the house. That means the unit doesn't have to run as long to reach the appropriate temperature.

In addition, Luria and Lundy selected insulated ceiling lights.

''When you use ceiling lights, a hole is cut in the ceiling, and most of the time it is not insulated,'' Luria said. Home Depot carries ceiling lights that come with air-tight housing to prevent hot attic air from entering the home.

• A radiant barrier of thin aluminum beneath the roof will reflect UV light away from the attic space and cut down on heat build-up.

• A tankless water heater will provide hot water on demand, instead of the normal system that heats water 24 hours a day.

• Two cisterns will collect rainwater. Gutters around the roof will channel rain into a 300-gallon cistern in front of the house and a 250-gallon cistern in the back. And the landscaping will be drought-tolerant.

• Solar light tubes are being built into the closets. These are insulated round domes that fit through the roof and channel light through reflective tubes into the closets during the day, diffusing it through what looks like a regular recessed lighting fixture. Compact fluorescent light bulbs will be used throughout the home.

• The washer and dryer are in the garage, in unairconditioned space, so the heat won't penetrate the living space.

• A 12-foot overhang on the southwest corner will keep out afternoon heat while providing a small patio.

• The roof tile is light colored rather than terra cotta, relecting sunlight rather than absorbing it.

The green home that will belong to Sands and her family is adjacent to an exact copy next door, without the green elements. Luria and Lundy will be able to make a long-term comparison of the energy savings and sustainability of the two buildings. Certifiers from the Green Building Council already have inspected the home once, and will return to test it for airtightness once construction has finished, Luria said.

In order to qualify for a mortgage grant from the Miami-Dade Housing Foundation, Sands took classes in budgeting and credit, choosing a real estate agent, selecting a home or condo, and home inspection.

Sands obtained a mortgage from SunTrust and another loan from the Foundation that requires a minimal $25-a-month payment for the first five years. The city of Miami provided the land.

''Because this is a prototype, we don't know what the final cost will be,'' Braynon said. ``But as we do more of them, the cost will come down.''

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