Homebuilders have been incorporating sustainable features and getting more green certifications to respond to a growing buyer demand for green homes. Having a ‘green home’ can be beneficial for lowering utility costs, raising its resale value, and of course easing a buyer’s environmental conscience. As buyer demand has increased, builders have been doing more and more to sell green.
Recent data is based on analysis of the builder 100 list which ranks only the top builders in the country (but for some odd reason is greater than 100). Of the builders who responded, 110 builders reported they met green standards in 2012, whereas 149 reported they met green standards in 2014. Now that number is small, but again, these are builders turning out high numbers of homes for high profit margins.
A 2014 article also saw a similar trend. According to a Smart Market Report, 34% of builders said they expected to have 60% of their projects to be green certified by 2018. Multi-family builders expecting 90% of their homes to be green certified is thought to triple from 2014 to 2018 (6% to 18%).
Builders have said that buyers are more and more willing to pay extra for green features. In 2013, 79% of remodelers and builders said homebuyers are willing to by anywhere from 3 to 5% more for a green home.
Energy costs, green-product availability and a continuing shift by many towards environmental sustainability have lead to the increased demand. Locally and nationally, homeowners have been looking for alternatives to their high utility costs. For buyers, sellers and investors, going green may provide energy savings while also keeping up with modern trends—helping raise the total value of their property.
Source: http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2015/05/08/builders-try-lure-buyers-green
http://realtormag.realtor.org/daily-news/2014/06/12/builders-widen-stock-green-homes-2018
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