Green Homes: A Bright Spot in the Housing Market

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During a time when home sales are slumping nationwide, and the home construction industry is in a downturn, green homes and green home products are rising high. A new study by the U.S. Green Building Council and McGraw-Hill Construction found that homes with green features are increasingly in demand by homebuyers.
Families and individual homeowners with incomes below $50,000 per year were overwhelmingly satisfied with their green homes and recommended them to family and friends.
The study found that 78% of homeowners in this category said they would be more inclined to purchase a green home over traditional construction. Lower utility bills, tax credits, improved indoor air quality and green certification were the most important incentives for them to purchase green homes. Among owners of green homes, 83% said that their homes will lower operating costs, 79% said they would lower energy bills and 68% said they would lower water bills. More than 80% said that they believe that green homes are not just more economical, but are also healthier places to live.
Making homes greener is now the number one reason for home improvements (42%) over remodeling for comfort (34%) or to improve appearance (24%). With such positive public opinion, it's no surprise that green homes are going up nationwide. In the last three years, more than 330,000 market-rate homes with green features have been built, and an estimated 60,000 homes were third-party certified through LEED or a local green building program. With all the benefits green homes offer, it's no surprise it's one sector of the housing industry on its way up.