FAIRHOPE, Ala. — For the Colbys, their new home on Ingleside Avenue is a dream come true.

But for others in Fairhope, the Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County hurricane-resistant house is part of a communitywide project to investigate the effect of using fortified construction materials and methods on insurance premiums and costs.

“This is phase one of the project that we are calling the ‘fortified experiment,” said Cliff Barros, executive director of HHBC, during an open house held last week for the new home. “We will build another within a mile using conventional construction methods and another in between.”

The costs over the life of the three houses will be tracked and compared, he said.

“We will be happy to share the results with the local community,” Barros said. “So, this project is not just for helping the low-income community, but for everyone in the area.”

Barros said the initial cost of building the fortified house on Ingleside Avenue is about 20 to 25 percent more than normal construction costs. But his group estimated savings in insurance premiums of about $70 a month, for an overall total savings of $20 a month, when the construction expenses are included.

These calculations are part of the reason the local Habitat for Humanity group has teamed up with Smart Home Alabama and others to build a fortified hurricane-resistant home in Fairhope, he said.

“Insurance costs have gone through the roof for people living on the coast,” Barros said.

The first family that will discover the possible cost-savings of the tougher house has been helping to build it, which is required for clients of Habitat homes. They will also receive an interest-free loan and a reduced cost because of the materials and volunteer-hours donated to the project.

“I’ve hung Sheetrock and done it all,” said Debbie Colby, whose husband, Faron, and their grandchildren Jacob and Joseph, are expected to move into the new house later this month. “Our boys are so excited. It’s like a dream.”

Many people believe new owners of Habitat homes do not pay for the houses, but that’s not true, she said.

In addition to helping build their own house and pay for it at a reduced rate, they must help build other Habitat houses as well.

“We’ve worked long and hard for this day,” said Alex Cary, construction manager for HHBC, at Thursday’s open house that drew more than 100 people, who came to learn about the fortified construction techniques and materials and get an inside look at the new three-bedroom, two-bath house.

Cary said the rainy weather of the past month has slowed down the project, or they would have handed over the keys to the new family that day.

“Our program is only as good as the weather and our volunteers,” she said. “If you ever have any desire to volunteer, we are always in need. In the next few weeks, we’ll be finishing the home.”

For more information, visit the Habitat for Humanity of Baldwin County Web site at www.baldwinhabitat.org, or call the group’s Foley office at (251) 943-7268.