Good Information Articles

Home Buyers Increasingly Thinking and Buying Green

New York, NY (Vocus) July 23, 2008 -- Lower energy costs, healthier living and improved indoor and outdoor environments are increasingly demanded by and available to home buyers at all income levels, according to preliminary findings from a survey released by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and McGraw-Hill Construction.

Families and individual homeowners with the lowest incomes are overwhelmingly satisfied with their green home, more likely to recommend a green home to family and friends, and strongly prefer green homes as a purchasing option. The survey found that 78 percent of homeowners earning less than $50,000 per year say they would be more inclined to purchase a green home. The first findings from the study were released at the site of affordable multi-family homes under construction in the Bronx, N.Y. The development, Melrose Commons 5, is being built with LEED certification as a goal.

"The benefits of green homebuilding must be accessible, and affordable, for every American family," said Michelle Moore, senior vice president, U.S. Green Building Council, which develops and administers the LEED Green Building Rating System for homes, offices, schools, hospitals and other buildings nationwide.

"Being able to afford your utility bill is as important as being able to pay your mortgage," Moore added. "Green homes are shining through as the bright spot in an otherwise gloomy housing market."

The survey estimates that within the last three years more than 330,000 market rate homes with green features have been built in the United States, representing a $36 billion per year industry. An estimated 60,000 of those homes were third-party certified through LEED or a local green building program.

"Fully committed to sustainability for the long-term, green home buyers and remodelers cut across all demographic lines, regardless of income, zip code or anything else. Builders are seeing great interest in green across all income levels," said Robert Ivy, vice president and editorial director of McGraw-Hill Construction.

"We're crossing the tipping point for green home building," added Harvey M. Bernstein, McGraw-Hill Construction vice president of Industry Analytics, Alliances and Strategic Initiatives. "Concerns about energy costs, health and even resale value are adding up green for builders, buyers and renters. Green homes are here to stay."

The full McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report will be released this fall. The aim, said Bernstein, is to help builders better respond to the needs of green home buyers and to help product manufacturers and other industry players understand the ever-expanding value of this marketplace.

KEY STUDY FINDINGS

McGraw-Hill Construction surveyed a representative sample of one million U.S. households (equating to three million consumers) to find those individuals who had purchased LEED certified and other green homes over the last three years and probe them about their attitudes. The vast majority (83%) said their new homes will lower operating costs; lower energy bills within the first year after purchase (79%); and also lower water bills within the first year after purchase (68%).

Going green was the top reason cited by survey respondents for remodeling their home. Environmental benefits such as lower energy costs and healthier air were identified by 42 percent of respondents as their main reason for home improvements; 34 percent cited increased comfort; only 24 percent said improved appearance was their main benefit from remodeling.

Other key findings of the McGraw-Hill Construction survey include:

?    70% of buyers are either more or much more inclined to purchase a green home over a conventional home in down housing market.

?    More than half (56%) of those surveyed who have bought green homes earn less than $75,000 per year; 29% earn less than $50,000.

?    Overall, lower income buyers say they found tax credits and government programs, indoor air quality benefits and green certifications to be the most important incentives for them to buy green homes.

?    Making homes greener is now the number one reason for home improvement (42%) over remodeling for comfort reasons (34%) or to improve appearance (24%).

?    Almost half (44%) of homes renovated between 2005 and 2007 used products chosen for their green attributes

More than 80 percent of respondents said they believe that green homes are not just more economical, but offer better and healthier places to live. To that end, a new long-term study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine will track the impact green homes have on childhood asthma in children who will soon live in the Melrose 5 homes. Currently one in six kids in the South Bronx suffers from asthma, one of the highest rates in the nation.

GOING GREEN IN NEW YORK

"We can no longer ignore the responsibility of pursuing environmentally sustainable development," said Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión, Jr. "As the Bronx and the entire city continue to grow, we must understand that 'economic viability' and 'environmentally friendly' are not mutual exclusive. We have to keep creating a set of conditions in which future generations will enjoy cities that are both economically strong and environmentally sound."

The Melrose Commons 5 development, where highlights of the data were released, will provide 63 rental apartments to families whose income does not exceed 60% of the median income in New York City. The buildings will incorporate 10 wind-powered turbine engines to generate electricity. Each apartment will have individual outside ventilation instead of central ducts. Specially designed window "trickle" vents will bring fresh air into each unit. Energy and water-saving design strategies will be used throughout the development.

"Green affordable housing saves energy and money, while improving the social, environmental and economic fabric of our communities," New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said in remarks at the event. "Governor Paterson's efforts to make green building accessible to all New Yorkers are a major component of his comprehensive state energy plan. Securing social and environmental equity has been an integral part of my professional and personal life. More importantly, it is an important part of Governor Paterson's agenda and has been since he was Senator Paterson." New York recently passed legislation to provide grants for green home building and renovation and is continuing to offer incentives for green affordable housing.

Blue Sea Development Co. is constructing and will manage the Melrose Commons 5 development. Last year, Blue Sea opened the nearby Morrisania Homes, the first LEED affordable housing development in New York State.

"Building green homes is one of the most important ways architects and developers can make a positive impact on the health and well-being of homeowners of all income levels," said Les Bluestone, president of Blue Sea. "The cost of installing green products into homes is minimal. And direct benefits to homeowners start as soon as they move in."

A school teacher who lives in a LEED Morrisania Homes condominium said homeowners nationwide are benefitting from the move to green. "My home is a special place for two important reasons: first, because my husband and I own the house, which is itself a blessing; and second, because it is a healthy and affordable place to live," said Namiana Filion, who teaches Spanish in Brooklyn. "It's been a wonderful experience for me and my family, for my pocket and for the environment."

For more information and to see a time-lapse video of Melrose Commons 5 construction, please visit www.TheGreenHomeGuide.org/affordable.

About the U.S. Green Building Council:

The U.S. Green Building Council is a nonprofit membership organization whose vision is a sustainable built environment within a generation. Its membership includes corporations, builders, universities, government agencies, and other nonprofit organizations. Since USGBC's founding in 1993, the Council has grown to more than 16,500 member companies and organizations, a comprehensive family of LEED® green building certification systems, an expansive educational offering, the industry's popular Greenbuild International Conference and Expo (www.greenbuildexpo.org), and a network of 78 local chapters, affiliates and organizing groups. For more information, visit www.usgbc.org.

About McGraw-Hill Construction

McGraw-Hill Construction connects people, projects and products across the design and construction industry. For more than a century, the Company has remained North America's leading provider of construction project information, plans and specifications, product information, industry news, and industry trends and forecasts. In print and online, the Company offers a variety of tools, applications, and resources that easily integrate with its customers' workflows. Backed by the power of Dodge, Sweets, Architectural Record, Engineering News-Record (ENR), GreenSource and 11 regional publications, McGraw-Hill Construction serves more than one million customers within the $4.6 trillion global construction community. To learn more, visit www.construction.com.

###

Other Article Sites

findabook.com  moneycd.info  a-mortgage.info   about-lemon-laws.info  aboutstudentloans.info
all-about-publishing.info  auctions-articles.info  bestcollege-university.com  bestispconnection.com
biblefolder.com  blogger-website.com  books-used.info  brokers-guide.info  buywindows.info  cable-dsl.info
career-miner.com  carpel-tunnel.info  cashinaflash.info  cashloanreviews.info  casinobell.com  chat-house.info
clearmycredit.info  collegeloantips.info  crones.info  depression-articles.info   dirnic.net  dishguides.info
divers-below.com  expodog.info   financewizz.com  fire-insurance.info  getgood.info  handleit.net   it-idea.info
health-supplies.info  hosting-right.com  insidealert.com  insurance-facts.info  jobs-employment.info
justgood.info  lookgold.net   lowcost-travel.info  money-source.info  myhostzone.info  numisblog.com
peoplesearchfinder.info  pr-articles.info  realeas.com   refinancing-guides.info  spyware-remove.info
telelot.info  the-law.info   toppaid.info  travel-deals.info  travelcorrect.com  wedding-guide-site.com
your-blog.info  your-credit.info

MORE ARTICLES:

Business & Family Safety and Health Rating
For good reason, practically every endeavor in life is rated. I've seen ratings on who or what's #1 in business, industry, NFL, NBA, MLB, person of the century, athlete of the century, technology, restaurants, university, neighborhoods, travel destination, best looking, best movie, best book, etc.

Home Internet Business Opportunities: Reinvent Your Family
Think about your daily job, daily responsibilities, time spent at meetings, driving your kids to this activity and that sporting event, meal planning and preparation, house cleaning, on and on with our grossly busy lives, and what time is left for our family? Do you really think that 9-5 JOB is the answer to all of our hopes and dreams? Do you really think it was our personal goal to spend the majority of our lives at work? When was the last time you saw your son/daughter play in that school volleyball game or run in their cross country meet? Isn?t it time to put your family first?

Internet Home Based Business : Legitimate Work at Home Jobs Opportunities and Advantages
There are many advantages involved in choosing an internet home based business as your primary or secondary source of income Use these benefits to find a legitimate work at home jobs that suits your needs and desires

Low-Income Families in Portland Will Soon Have Free Broadband Internet at Home
Cricket Will Provide Free High-Speed Wireless Internet to 100 Portland Families in Pilot Program with One Economy

Internet Marketing Business - Your Home Based Internet Marketing Business and the Freedom Attached with it
There are various reasons why there are many individuals who want to start their own home-based Internet marketing business. Some are saying that the amount of money that they are earning from Internet marketing is higher compared to their monthly salary from their regular work. It even comes to a point that they are earning money similar to or more than the salary of their managers and department heads! This is relatively true, since there are Internet marketers who are earning as much as a hundred thousands of dollars within a month.

Work At Home Internet Home Business Opportunity
There are various opportunities for work at home Internet home business opportunities on the Internet Because of the Internet, there are many opportunities for people to be able to take care of their families and work from home and as well

SoGoNow.com -- Home of the Best Travel Article Written for the Internet in 2006
SoGoNow.com travel magazine announced that frequent contributor Linda Fasteson has won First Prize for the Best Travel Article Written for the Internet from The North American Travel Journalist Association.

Work From Home - Online Resource Center for Home Based Online Jobs and Internet Based Business
Welcome to Work from Home?s ?an online guide and resource website to help you Start and grow your Home based Job and Business. Please note that we are only offering information on Work from Home Jobs and Business opportunities. We are not offering you a job or a business tie-up. Please read through the website as you will find valuable information and resources to start and grow your home based business. www.homebasedonlinejobs.com

The Best Internet Connection For A Top Home Internet Business
When it comes to working at your home business one of the most important things you will need is internet access Having a fast and relatively error free Internet connection is imperative for a person to be successful in working at home

Family Circus - Make Time For Family With An Internet Business
Sometimes, it seems like you don?t have a full 24 hours in a day. Between work, family, and sleep, there is no time for anything else. You never seem to have five minutes to relax, and on days when work requires overtime, you lose time with your family. In fact, it seems you never spend quality time with your children anymore. One way to get your life back under your control and manage time better is to start your own internet business. With an online business opportunity, you can decrease your work hours overall, as well as become more flexible and available for your family.

Family Travel at its Finest - European Villa Rentals Perfect for the Whole Family
Parents can easily find family friendly villa rentals in Europe with Rentvillas.com.

Families Mourning Children Travel to Nashville for July Compassionate Friends National Conference
The Compassionate Friends self-help support organization for families going through the natural grieving process following the death of a child is hosting its 31st national conference July 18-20 in Nashville, Tennessee. More than 1300 parents, siblings, and grandparents, as well as professionals who provide support, are expected to attend the conference. Highlights include well-known speakers, more than 100 workshops covering most aspects of grief following the death, a pre-conference Professional Outreach Day, and the Walk to Remember Sunday July 20 at 8 a.m. This conference is annually the largest in the United States aimed specifically for those left behind following the death of a child.

Home Based Internet Marketing Business - Staying Organized In Your Home Office
When working from home there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to find things when you need them. While most home business entrepreneurs see themselves as never having any time, you have to spend some of your time to organize things. If you can't daily, you should at least try for once a week, you should set aside some time to put things where it should be. Allot of people have a saying that there is a spot for everything and everything must be in its assigned place.

Sales of Children's Travel Bed Soar as Summer Travel Hits
Gentle Air has seen an increase in summer travel sales due to hotels at popular summer attractions charging high prices for rollaway beds and cots.