As a member of the US Green Building Council and one of the few designated Eco-Brokers in the South Florida area, I have been an advocate for “green building” for many years. And while I wear my “tree-hugger” label proudly, for most of us our first priorities when buying a home or leasing an office space are cost and comfort. For too many years, “green building” was viewed as an expensive, slightly quirky, niche market. I am glad to see the growing awareness that green saves green.
Increasingly, green building practices are associated with cutting energy costs and saving money, and a growing number of home buyers are looking for these features. According to the 2010 National Association of Realtors® Home Buyer and Seller Profile, 88 percent of recent home buyers considered a home’s heating and cooling costs important in their home search.
“Many of today’s consumers want homes and communities that are sensitive to the larger environment, but in today’s economy, they’re also cost-conscious, and energy-efficient home features appeal to these buyers,” said NAR President Vicki Cox Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz. “As green building issues become more important to buyers, sellers and businesses, more and more Realtors® are bringing value to the real estate transaction by developing green business practices.”
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