"Real Estate & Building Green Homes" By: Jill Page The housing market is beginning to show that

consumers want "energy efficiency in their homes, indoor air quality and lower energy bills" (Listing er!ice "ill #ote $reen %omes, &''()* +nlike what many ,eo,le may think, it is not a only a small grou, of radical consumers that are demanding these features, but mainstream buyers as well* Building sustainable homes includes adding features such as "non-to.ic ,aint and finishes, wheatboard cabinetry, low-flow showerheads and toilets, wood floors of Bra/ilian cherry, 0aribbean walnut and other ,lantation-grown !arieties, high-efficiency heating and cooling systems, recycled and locally obtained building materials, rain and waster water ca,tured for toilets and landsca,ing, and ,anels that double as sunshades and solar ,ower generators" (Building 1green1 reaches a new le!el, &''()* These features are not only im,ortant for the en!ironment, but also controlling energy costs and kee,ing building costs low* 2ising building costs are a factor in the increase in home ,rices due to the demand in markets besides the +nited tates, such as 0hina* By im,lanting green building techniques such as using locally obtained building materials and other renewable resources, ca,ital costs can ,ossible be decreased and home ,rices do not increase* 3s real estate ,rofessionals it is our ethical duty to encourage the building and marketing of 1green homes1* 2ecently, the Portland, 4regon 2egional 5ulti,le Listing er!ice added the ability to search for homes based on green certifications and s,ecific as,ects the home has that make it green, such as the features discussed abo!e* 6!eryone in the real estate industry needs to work together to ,romote green building* 3,,raisers can note the !alue in the home based on the full-life circle of the home and the sa!ings in monthly energy and maintenance costs* 7f lenders begin considering not only P7T7 (,rinci,le, interest, ta.es, and insurance) as monthly costs of home ownershi, but also 65 (energy and maintenance costs), buyers may be able to afford more home based on their monthly sa!ings* Buyers will en8oy the facts that green homes will sa!e them money and maintenance but also add benefits such as comfort and health* These benefits will mean more to the buyer than e.,laining the actual com,onents of a green home* (4li!er, &''() 2eal estate ,rofessionals need to not only educate buyers, but also builders and de!elo,ers* 7f custom builders are informed and know how green building will affect their bottom line they will be more inclined to build and market sustainable homes* Builders may learn that the cost of building a green custom home is !ery similar to building a con!entional, non-sustainable custom home* $reen homes will benefit first-time home buyers and lower income families due to lower monthly costs* 3s we ha!e seen with the ad8ustable rate mortgage and interest only mortgage cra/e, buyers are interested in kee,ing their monthly costs low* Li!ing in a green home will contribute to lowering the monthly costs of owning a home*

Besides residential green building, commercial green building has shown additional benefits* These include but are not limited to "resource efficiency, energy efficiency, ,ollution ,re!ention, harmoni/ation with the en!ironment, and integrated and systemic a,,roaches" (Beard 9 2o,er, &''()* These benefits lead to increased ,roducti!ity and decreased costs therefore increasing the bottom line* Professionals throughout the real estate industry need to ,romote green building and can e!en use it as their niche and a marketing tool to hel, them become leaders in their