Homescape Turning Greener with New Buying Guide

For most our lives, abundant energy and resources have been taken for granted. … Now, it is abundantly clear that we should have been aware of the need for conservation all along. What is needed is a green consciousness revolution. You can be part of this.

Those are the wise words of HomeFinder.com blogger Kelly Hart, who runs GreenHomeBuilding.com and is an innovator of natural building and sustainable architecture. When Kelly says 'green consciousness revolution,' he's not recommending that you pawn off most of your possessions and learn to live off the grid (unless, of course, that's your idea of becoming eco-friendly). It's about making small changes in your daily living habits, one step at a time, with added awareness and some common sense.

Green living has permeated our lifestyles: at home, work, in our cars and in public. No wonder the marketing/advertising world has jumped all over the so-called green revolution with their excessive hype for this-and-that product. Green is now cool, but it shouldn't be a mere fashion statement. And considering the Earth's ailing condition, neither should it be a passing fad. Fundamentally, it's about less waste, using materials that promote the planet's wellbeing, and saving a few extra bucks for the inevitable rainy day (similar to those we're now experiencing). Green is about living better today with tomorrow in mind.

Green costing less
In the world of consumer real estate, eco-friendly homes or homes with green features are becoming as sought-after as the two-car garage or granite countertops. This demand is making green in the home more affordable then ever. According to a recent study by McGraw-Hill Construction and the nonprofit U.S. Green Building Council, 'Environmentally friendly homes, once a luxury reserved for the rich, have become more accessible to middle-class Americans seeking to trim their energy and water bills.' From a household-income perspective, the study said that more than half of green home buyers in the last three years earned less than $75,000 per year, and 30 percent earned less than $50,000 per year.

That's great news. But where do you begin? How do you make your existing abode more eco-friendly? How do you know when a new-construction home meets today's numerous green-certification standards?

HomeFinder.com's new Green Buying Guide has comprehensive information and advice on building and buying a green home, and making your existing home more energy-efficient. Grouped with our Home Buying Guide and Foreclosure Guide, the green guide also addresses aspects of green real estate important to consumers:

• Tax incentives for green homes
• Going green on a budget
• Working with an eco-friendly Realtor
• Common myths of green homes

Our guide includes an extensive Web-site directory of organizations, agencies and companies, where you can get more in-depth information about green building and eco-friendly living.

The green guide is by no means HomeFinder.com's first offering on the subject. We've been writing regularly about this burgeoning market for nearly a year now on the Opening Doors Blog, and we will continue to keep you abreast of the latest green consumer trends. So check back often with us — and start thinking green!

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Dean Golemis at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.

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