Seriously, green homes make sense

Sent to me by a client, this article is outstanding on a number of levels:

“I’ve lived through seven cycles in the housing industry, and this is one of the worst. But every time we come out of one of these cycles, consumers want something different in their homes. They don’t want the house they went into the cycle with,” said Charles Shinn, a Littleton, Colo., home-building consultant.

This is what I am telling my clients – buy a better house now. Use this market as a means by which to hedge your bets for the future. Upgrade the insulation, demand better construction, get higher-end features. You will thank yourself in five years when you’re either a) still living in the house and your house is more comparable to the inevitable competing new construction or b) you’re still paying lower utility bills and c) your house is just more comfortable.

I tell ya, this “green home” thing might catch on – and it’s not necessarily because people care about the environment or global warming or natural resources – it’s because buying a smarter home makes sense. Despite what the WSJ says, I don’t advise clients to “go green to get your cash” – I do it because it’s a common sense approach to living.

As an aside, I’d love to see our MLS have an option to search for green homes. As it is today, I am left to search by keywords such as LEED and EarthCraft in the remarks. Whatever it takes.