Today's  Coeur d'Alene Press had a very nice write up about Courtyard Construction's achievement of building the county's first NAHB-certified Green home.

The home at 15156 Pristine Circle in Rathdrum's Radiant Lake Subdivision is Kootenai County's first home certified by the National Association of Home Builders' Green Building Program.  It will be open today from 11:00 to 3:00.  Give me a call if you'd like to see it at another time.

The 1.446 sq. ft. Green home is appropriately painted green and is on the market for $209,000.  The heating bill for the home is expected to be about 1/3 that of a traditionally built home.  County building code requires an 80% efficient furnace, but the Green home has a furnace with 95% efficiency.  There is a long list of other features and construction practices that are required in order to obtain certification.  It is not an easy, or inexpensive endeavor.  Third party verificaton is required for Green certification.  Utility company rebates and other incentives help mitigate the upfront costs. 

Aside from being a highly efficient home, it is also built with practices that make for healthier living.  One example is that there are no pink or yellow dyes in the fiberglass insulation which would be contributing to volatile organic compounds in the air. 

"This isn't the best time to be putting up a model home, but we thought it was appropriate," Washington said.  "Rather than just talk about it, we wanted to stand behind waht we believe in."  Washington is the co-chairman of the green building committee of the North Idaho Building Contractor's Association.

Courtyard Construction should be commended for leading the way in Green building in Kootenai County.  I spent several years repesenting a custom home builder and can tell you that all builders are NOT the same!  If you are thinking of having your next home built, give me a call and I will provide you with the information you need to select the best local builder for your individual needs.