Wednesday, April 4, 2012

What Is Greener Real Estate? ? Julies Article Blog

Most people are concerned about living in a healthy environment, and eco-friendly housing is becoming a popular topic these days.? Home Builders and Real Estate Agents are starting to talk about ?green real estate?.? But what qualifies a house to be advertised as ?green real estate??? At least one national builder uses 5 criteria.? They are: energy efficiency, indoor air quality, resource efficiency, water conservation, and site management.

Let?s take a look at what each one of these characteristics means.? Energy efficiency refers to the appliances in the home, as well as items like wall insulation, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and insulated door and roofs.? Low-E windows block radiant heat from coming into the house.? They can keep a house several degrees cooler than regular windows, especially when they?re installed on the south and west sides. These are all items that can give homeowners real saving in the cost of their energy bills over the life of owning their home.

Indoor air quality is affected by the furnace and air conditioning system, as well as the materials used in carpeting, laminate flooring and compressed wood materials.? In the recent past, these items were typically made with materials that produced toxic gases like formaldehyde.? Even when there was no obvious odor, the off gassing from these materials could cause respiratory problems for people with allergies and chemical sensitivities.? Now low VOC (or low off gassing) carpeting and compressed wood items are commonly available, but you have to check their labels.

Resource efficiency refers to using solar, wind or geothermal resources.? Solar water heaters and solar swimming pool heaters are becoming much more available, even in tract home subdivisions. Consumers want

What Is Greener Real Estate?

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