The Charlottesville VA real estate market offers green homes for the environmentally conscious buyer.

We all are conscious of the changes that have been happening to our environment particularly climate change.  Having lived in Charlottesville Virginia for over 50 years i can reflect back over many years of weather and the climate has changed.  We have had much less snowfall over the past 10 years.  We have been seeing less rainfall overall, however this summer has been very cool and wet so our watertable is somewhat replentished.  One of the bigger changes that I have observed seems to be an increase in extreme weather, more severe storms and an increase in tornado warnings (it doesn't take many tornado warnings for this to be an increase in an area where they were almost unheard of).

It seems that almost everything that we do has an effect on our fragile environment and most of the ways that we impact the planet impact the climate in turn.  Our homes have a big impact on the environment, from the products that are used in the home, how those products are manufactured or where and how they are taken from nature as in the case of trees.  One of the largest ways that our homes directly effect the environment and contribute to climate change is through their consumption of energy.

Therefore it makes sense to build homes that lessen the negative impact on the planet.  We are seeing an increasing number of savvy buyers who are interested in a green built energy efficient home.  To make it easier for these buyers to search the mls we now have an eco certified category.  This includes Energy Star, American Lung Association Health Houses, Earthcraft Certified, Energy Wise Certified, and Water Sense Certified Fixtures.

Currently there are 23 Charlottesville green homes for sale with an eco certification on the Charlottesville real estate market including Albemarle County.  These are homes that are already built.  There are also 19 Charlottesville eco certified homes that are listed as proposed to be built.  There are even a couple of eco communities, in the city and the county.  I think that these figures from the mls may be low.  I think that there are even more Energy Star and Earth Craft homes that are being built in the Charlottesville area where the eco certified box has not been checked on the listing sheet.

If you are looking for a home in the Central Virginia area, and would like information on the green homes and communities in the area give me a call.

Today is Blog Action Day 2009 and bloggers are helping to raise awareness about the danger of climate change and how it affects the planet.