Vista View, Solon Township, Mich.

Four 1,000-gallon underground propane storage tanks supply fuel to this 82-home development.

From the start, Sable Developing chose to build its 82-home Vista View project around propane. But one of the keys to that strategy was what buyers couldn't see: four 1,000-gallon underground propane storage tanks that supply fuel to the entire development.

"Underground propane tanks are clearly the way to go," says Bruce Bylsma, Sable's director of sales and marketing. "Buyers like the aesthetics, the absence of the tank."

Supplied by a network of underground gas mains, every home in Vista View is equipped with a high-efficiency propane furnace, water heater, cooktop, and dryer. Additionally, each home is plumbed with flexible tubing to fuel outdoor propane applications such as pool heaters, hot tubs, grills, lights, and patio heaters.

Bylsma says Sable Developing uses propane as its primary fuel source when building homes in rural or exurban locations. That was a perfect fit for Vista View, located approximately 20 miles north of Grand Rapids, because it allowed the builder to provide high-quality amenities in a distinctly rural setting.

"Our buyers see propane as more cost-effective than electricity," Bylsma says. "Propane gives homeowners all the benefits they need to live comfortably in a home."