| A recent joint study released by the National | | | | and commitment to energy efficiency. |
| Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and McGraw-Hill | | | | Happy Green Homeowners |
| Construction has discovered that some 85% of | | | | Owners of green homes aren't afraid to share their |
| homeowners who currently own green homes are | | | | enthusiasm with others. They're so happy, as a rule, |
| happier with their new homes than with their | | | | that they're eager to tell friends, family, and |
| previous houses--and those green homeowners are | | | | associates about their positive experiences, and as |
| eager to share their experiences with others. | | | | any marketing person will attest, word-of-mouth is |
| Even though the percentage of American homes | | | | the most powerful form of advertising. That has |
| that are truly green is still very small (some .3%), the | | | | certainly proved to be the case with green home |
| study hints at the enormous potential of the green | | | | buyers, since full 28% of all new buyers said that |
| building market. As with all segments of the American | | | | they first heard about the concept of green homes |
| economy, demand triggers supply, and builders seem | | | | by word-of-mouth. As time goes by, that good PR, |
| to be responding to the ever-increasing demand by | | | | spread by enthusiastic homeowners, will begin to |
| homebuyers for more energy efficient housing. That | | | | translate into an explosion of green building as the |
| trend is reflected in the fact that nearly 2% of all | | | | good news begins to spread exponentially, according |
| residential housing built last year included at least one | | | | to the study. |
| green building element, even if it only involved the | | | | It will ultimately prove to be a win/win proposition for |
| installation of energy-efficient appliances. | | | | everyone. Home owners will benefit from lower utility |
| However, the study also found that builders are | | | | bills, the homes will require less planetary resources to |
| beginning to move away from simple elements like | | | | maintain, and the price of green building will go down |
| green appliances and moving toward a more holistic | | | | as more suppliers begin to provide products to meet |
| approach toward green building. Such an approach | | | | the demand for more energy efficient construction. |
| considers all the factors that could be built into an | | | | It's an exciting development, and bodes well for the |
| "ideal" green home and allows homeowners to be | | | | entire industry--as well as for the Planet Earth itself. |
| involved in picking and choosing how green they | | | | What could be better than that? |
| want their home to be, given their financial situation | | | | |