By Stacia Kalinoski

EUGENE/SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- The local housing market has certainly seen its share of turmoil in the last two years. But this weekend at Lane County's Tour of Homes, local builders are hoping that buyers notice houses priced lower than ever before.

In the past, houses typically sold in the $500,000 to $600,000 range. Now new energy standards are allowing builders to build houses in a range more fit to the current family's budget and, they hope, compete with the huge influx of foreclosed houses on the market.

From the granite countertops to the insulated floors, a cleaning crew races to finish up one of the greenest houses on the Tour of Homes and on the market in Lane County.

"These are being built efficiently," explains Mike Dotson, Gansen Construction Project Manager.

Not just more efficiently, but also at a lower price than Dotson can ever remember. This row of houses is in the $250,000 range, which Dotson hopes will compete with the even cheaper option: foreclosed houses.

"You'll probably be able to get a foreclosed home at a lower price, but you're not going to be able to get a brand new, beautiful home at a better price than you are now," Dotson says.

Dotson says that's because many new energy-saving features are cheaper to install. But he's still dealing with many more foreclosed houses on the market than there are going up.

Windermere Real Estate's owner says no recent foreclosure numbers are available, but he estimates short sales make up 20 percent of recent sales, which is just under the peak.

As for competing with renters, the Lane County Rental Owners Association President say that sector hasn't increased or decreased recently since the tax credit for first-time home buyers ended.

Dotson hopes renters and those leaning towards foreclosed homes will lean towards one of these houses, clean and ready for its first-ever residents in order to help his industry, which saw a 70 percent hit in business over the past two years.

But he knows he'll have to build in the $250,000 range for the buyers to come.

"Customers are in that range," says Dotson, "and we have to learn how to do that."

Many of the 17 houses you'll find this year cost between $200,000 to $500,000.

As for business for builders picking up, Windermere Real Estate says they saw $168 million more dollars in volume compared to this time last year, but attribute that largely to the tax credit.

Dotson expects it will be another year or two before this area will see any big improvements.