I just completed the Green Designation course offered through the National Association of Realtors. I recommend this for any Realtor who wants to stay on top of the latest real estate trends as well as anyone who is interested in helping save our environment. In the near future, Green New Construction and Greener existing homes are going to be in huge demand due to informed customers looking to save money and live healthier lifestyles or who just want to be part of the whats cool or "Eco Chic" movement. Weatherizing and making homes more efficient is not only going to save you money every year but its going to help make the Earth a healthier place for generations to come. Building new homes without VOC's or Volatile Organic compounds or replacing materials in existing homes containing these materials will lead to healthier lives. VOC's are gases from materials such as paints, glues, and carpets that easily enter the air of your home. New energy star rated or LEED rated homes use passive designs such as Southern facing orientations and open floor plans for ventilation and a healthier indoor air quality. Green homes also use more efficient appliances, lighting, hvac systems,energy sources, and more air tight pre-fabricated building materials. LEED certified homes go as far as recycling all of the leftover building materials and use rain water to irrigate their Green roofs as well as all the landscaping. They use more porous driveway and patio materials so that water doesn't run off the properties and pollute the local water sources, instead the water naturally filters through the property to underground sources. So Green homes arent just about their components but more importantly about where these components were manufacured, how much energy is needed to transport them and how they are disposed of at the end of their lifecycles. All in all, Green Homes may be more expensive but the money you will save over time, the tax credits and health benefits you will receive will be well worth the initial expense.
Philadelphia has many new and exciting green developments either in progress or already up for sale. Please contact me if you would like to set up a showing of these listings.
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