A little bit of heaven

Each home, regardless of style or size, includes an attached “garagette,” a three-sided hybrid of garage and carport, which offers ample space for one or two car parking as well as storage. The backside of the garagette is open and leads to a private patio area, providing privacy and space for outdoor living.

There’s a strong sense of community at Oak Haven, one example of which is the communal green house.

This pleasant, airy structure features cleverly constructed wooden planter boxes set in repurposed milk crates and mounted on the green house walls at heights that make gardening a comfortable enterprise with no need for bending or kneeling. Already the planter boxes are filled with an array of thriving vegetables — tomatoes, peppers, squash and beans among them — all planted and tended by individual residents. In the spirit of community, these vegetables are gladly shared and traded between the residents of Oak Haven. The greenhouse also is wheelchair accessible. Outside a rain barrel stands ready to catch and store rain for use in watering the plants, and inside a lightweight hose and nozzle makes it easy and convenient for gardeners to nurture their plants.

All of the homes in Oak Haven enjoy stunning views of the mountains surrounding the Ojai Valley, as well as the convenience of shopping, restaurants and medical facilities nearby.

A leisurely stroll through the streets of Oak Haven reveals its variety of architectural styles, each with its own stamp of individuality. One Southwestern adobe style unit nestles in the shade of a graceful oak tree and is accented by a bright blue front door. Another’s front steps have risers accented with cheerful Mexican ceramic tiles. Many of the homes include such upscale features as skylights, bullnose corners and fireplaces, with Corian or granite countertops adding a touch of luxury to the kitchens and baths. Each home is surrounded by its own lovely and unique landscaping, maintained by each individual owner.

Several of the homes in the development have been featured in the Ojai Valley Green Coalition’s Green Home and Building Tour in 2010, 2011 and 2012. One such home, built by Modular Lifestyles, Inc., which is Energy Star Tier I certified, was designed with maximum energy efficiency technology and a minimum 2.0 kWh PV electric system. This system, along with extra insulation in the ceiling, walls and floors has kept the owner’s electric and gas bills at or near zero each month. One of the first homes built in the development, modeled after a Craftsmanstyle bungalow, also has enjoyed such energy efficiency due to the use of a solar paneled roof and R-42 cellulose recyclable paper insulation.

Although Oak Haven is not exclusively affiliated with any specific dealer— buyers can choose any dealer as long as the architectural guidelines for the community are met — Modular Lifestyles has constructed 10 of the homes within Oak Haven.

“We are the only California builder that offers award-winning solar-powered manufactured or modular homes in California,” said Modular Lifestyles Vice Presiden Steven Lefler. Just one of the options Modular Lifestyles offers is for a low budget entry into solar usage — Solar Ready homes equipped for future installation of solar charger.