Hold on to your hats, folks. If you want to keep up with the Jones' on the housing front, going bigger isn't going to cut it anymore. Today, for the Jones' and others on the forefront of home trends, it's all about how much green you've got...and I'm not talking about money.

Green homes, or eco-friendly houses as they're sometimes called, are "what's hot" in housing today  That's because of two reasons:

             (1) Green homes are designed (literally) to save the environment.

            (2) Living in a green home is easier on the pocketbook than a traditional home.

 So, as you go out green house hunting, whether you're a sightseer or a buyer, here are some features to look for:

 ◊ Solar panels on the roof, but make sure the technology is current. (No pun intended.)

◊ Insulated windows above and beyond traditional double panes

◊ Tank-less Water Heaters

◊ Low-flow faucets and showerheads and low-volume flush toilet tanks

◊ Fluorescent or LED lighting throughout the house

◊ Environmentally friendly flooring (i.e. Bamboo instead of hardwoods)

◊ Rainwater collection system and drip irrigation in the flowerbeds

◊ Appliances with high EERs (energy efficiency ratings)

◊ Low-maintenance- Xeriscape landscaping  http://tinyurl.com/cd8yk

 If you're thinking about custom building a green home or purchasing a newly constructed home from a green new home builder, consider requesting the following:

 Recycled Building Materials. The home should make good use of recycled materials and / or biodegradable materials. For example, use salvaged wood instead of newly cut wood for building and use recycled glass for countertops instead of marble or granite.

 Rooftop Landscaping: Another emerging trend in green homes, though less common to see in your everyday neighborhood, is rooftop gardens. It's not just for downtown high-rise buildings in Manhattan anymore. They're great if you have the opportunity to add one on because the vegetation will help to regulate your home's temperature.

 It may not be easy to find a green home with many, if not all, of the "green" features listed above, but more and more consumers are demanding "greener" homes when they build or remodel.  To have a green home that'll one-up the Jones', make sure that the home is built by a green builder and / or is certified green through an organization such as the U.S. Green Building Council (http://www.usgbc.org/).

 Do you live in a Houston-area green home?  Have you seen the benefits of going green? Great!

Tell me why you went green and how going green has changed how you live.

 Steven Kleiman is CEO and Founder of Houston based Oakington Realty, which specializes in "Inner Loop" homes as well as urban-in-fill properties, working with buyers, sellers, developers and homebuilders. Steven is a member of the National, Texas and Houston Association(s) of Realtors®. Readers comments welcome at 713-875-9040 or steven@oakingtonrealty.com. Follow Steven on Twitter at http://twitter.com/StevenTXRealtor.