Green Home Trends
Green home sales have been increasing over the past couple years, and they don’t appear to be slowing down at any point in the near future. The market is certainly hot for these types of home, and people see the value that they present, especially with the thoughts of an energy crisis approaching. The benefits of a green home far outweigh the initial cost scare that most people go through when contemplating whether or not to purchase this type of home. The fact is, there should be no obstacle to deter you from considering a purchase of an energy-efficient home, because they can be extremely affordable, and can save you a lot of money in the long run. As time marches on, we’ll see trends develop in this type of home building that we haven’t seen before, since widespread construction of eco-friendly homes is relatively new. Based on our observations over the short period of time that these homes have been in large-scale production, here are some hot trends we believe are on the horizon for future green homes.
ENERGY DASHBOARDS
What’s the point of a green home if you can’t see tangible results, right? We are a results-driven race, and we crave statistics. These energy monitoring dashboards show the homeowner in real-time what their energy use level is at any given time, and can break it down more specifically. For example, you would be able to tell that your Plasma television is drawing “x” amount of energy when turned off, but plugged in. This will assist homeowners with reducing their latent and inefficient energy use by adjusting their behaviors.
ENERGY EFFICIENT LABELING
We love seeing how efficient things are. When we are shopping for a car, what’s one of our first questions that is a large determinant on whether or not we make the purchase? “How is the mileage?” The same can be said for houses. There are many different levels of “green” that a home can be. We will be seeing these green home ratings become more prominent in the real estate listings and all selling materials path forward.
REDUCED MORTGAGES AND INSURANCE PLANS
Banks and insurance companies love crunching numbers, and they’ve been watching the green home market. Their statistics have shown that homeowners of energy-efficient houses tend to be more reliable, and they are less likely to default on a loan. Therefore, banks are developing lower interest rate loans for eco-friendly home purchases. Insurance companies know that green homes are built more reliably and with better construction material, and are less prone to be in need of repairs. Because of this, they are offering lower rate insurance plans for green homeowners.
Ginger Heise is the Director of Operations for Stillbrooke Homes/Bud Bartley Homes. Bud Bartley Homes takes great pride in the value offered to each client. We build in the warmth and comfort, never forgetting that a home is where memories are born. Our building associates are craftsmen, each dedicated to fulfilling your distinctive vision for your custom home and using only the finest in materials and modern building techniques. Privately owned and operated for over thirty years, we are confident that the Bud Bartley team will exceed your home building expectations.
