Going green at home used to just mean separating the plastic and paper from the rest of the garbage. But in most households today, consumers believe that energy conservation is essential and the cost of green improvements is a significant factor in their home-buying decisions. For consumers looking for a home that promotes green living, Homescape now identifies homes for sale that include eco-friendly and energy-efficient features. This new feature on our site is part of Homescape's green initiative, which also includes a comprehensive, consumer-focused Green Buying Guide.

Homescape flags listings as having green features, with a green home icon, making it easier for consumers to identify.

How our green listings work
We scrape our database of over 3 million listings for features and keywords and flag the ones that meet at least one of the specially selected green keywords or criteria. For example, a listing that contains descriptions such as bamboo floors, solar power and tankless water heater, will be automatically flagged with our green house icon.

In December, Homescape also plans to debut a special search function on our site that will allow consumers to find green home listings specific to their area.

View homes that promote green living

Denver home

Chicago home

Seattle home

The green features and "click here" link will launch an overlay with the interactive feature that explains items in a home that contribute to green living.

Green Buying Guide
The first phase of Homescape's green initiative, which came in the form of the Green Buying Guide, debuted in early October. The 10-article package, which is grouped with the Home Buying Guide and Foreclosure Guide, offers comprehensive information and advice on building and buying a green home and making your existing home more energy-efficient. It also addresses aspects of green real estate important to consumers, including:

· Tax incentives for green homes

· Going green on a budget

· Working with an eco-friendly Realtor

· Common myths of green homes

· Our guide includes an extensive Web-site directory of organizations, agencies and companies, where consumers can get more in-depth information about green building and eco-friendly living.

As more and more home buyers and homeowners become increasingly concerned about their personal energy use and how it affects the environment's health, we at Homescape want to provide consumers with the resources they need to better meet their green-living needs.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@homescape.com.