“What started as a fringe movement of environmental activists and hippie entrepreneurs three decades ago is now largely mainstream for companies, investors and consumers.” So says CNBC.

Realtor Magazine notes:

* The market for green homes is expected to rise from $2 billion to up to $20 billion over the next five years.

* Standard homes are becoming increasingly green, with home owners using green products for 40 percent of their remodeling work.

* Most Americans find out about green homes through word-of-mouth, followed by television and the Internet.

In the Charlottesville area, there are more “green” homes everyday, but the MLS hasn’t caught up yet. For example, to find green properties in the Central Virginia area, I have to search the remarks for the words sustainable, LEED or EarthCraft. Surely this will improve over time.

Investigating green just makes sense. Try the local Nature Neutral store, or the Habitat for Humanity store.

Technorati Tags: green, sustainability