According to Rex Nutting, Washington Bureau Chief of MarketWatch, the inventory of previously owned homes up for sale in May 2007 rose to the highest level in relation to sales in 15 years, putting even more houses into an already glutted market.
With
sales of existing homes falling 0.3% to a seasonally adjusted annual
rate of 5.99 million down from the upwardly revised 6.01 million in
April, according to the National Association of Realtors, and sales
down 10.3% from just a year ago and off approximately 17% from the
peak, what can builders and homeowners do to differentiate themselves
from the 4.43 million homes currently for sale on the market? Building or remodeling with Green products is the perfect way to do just that.
According to a survey conducted by the National Association of Home Builders and McGraw-Hill Construction, 85% of homeowners said they were more satisfied with their new green homes than with their previous, traditionally built homes.
The survey allowed respondents to state more than one reason for buying
an environmentally friendly home; showing that nearly 50% of those
surveyed said that concern for the environment was a reason to buy a
green home, and the same percentage held that their family's health was
a reason. 63% stated lower operating and maintenance costs motivated
their purchases. Additionally, homebuyers were willing to pay a higher price up front to get those benefits. "We found that people buying green homes were willing to pay an $18,500 premium in order to get a green home," said Harvey Bernstein, vice president of industry analytics, alliances, and strategic initiatives at McGraw-Hill Construction. To be classified as, "Truly Green", homes must include three or more products or features addressing the following: 1. Energy-Efficiency 2. Indoor Air Quality 3. Resource Management and/or Use of Recycled Materials 4. Site Management/Location of the Home and its Surroundings 5. Water Efficiency Who is the Competition? Their
research showed that only 0.3% of existing homes qualified as "Truly
Green" whereas, 2% of homes incorporated a green product, such as
energy-efficient doors and windows, appliances, or heating. In Jack Trout's "Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition", he warns, "Those who fail to differentiate their product or service, in the mind of the consumer, won't stand a chance."
This is your chance to differentiate yourself as a renovator, builder,
homeowner, real estate agent, or other professional looking to change
your business as well as the world. Who is Buying Green Homes? The
report found that those apt to invest in a green home are women, who
are married, affluent, well educated and are likely to be in their
mid-40s and from the Southern or Western states. The popularity of
green features is not limited to new construction. The research
estimated that about half of U.S. homeowners recently renovated their
homes, and about 40% of them used green products. Energy-efficient
windows and doors, as well as energy-efficient heating and
air-conditioning systems are some of the most popular green upgrades,
Bernstein said.
Green Building Products Water-Efficient Showerhead with H2Okinetic Technology from Delta  Delta
Faucet Company showerhead uses just 1.6 gallons of water per minute.
Delta worked with Bowles Fluidics Corporation to develop their
H2Okinetic Technology™, which produces droplets that are large,
resulting in good heat retention and body wetting. What makes this product green? • Fixtures and equipment that conserve water • Equipment that conserves energy
Underwater Standing Timber Salvage by Triton Logging
Triton
Logging, Inc. harvests underwater standing trees from forests that were
submerged decades ago by reservoirs created by hydroelectric dams. The
trees are cut, which ensures that the reservoir floor and sediments are
not disturbed in the process. Douglas fir, western white pine,
lodgepole pine, hemlock, and other species are recovered year-round.
All of the milled wood is certified as SmartWood Rediscovered by the
Rainforest Alliance. The company produces a range of lumber products
and is launching a line of glulam beams made from underwater-salvaged
timber. What makes this product green? • Salvaged products
SageGlass Tintable Glazing from Sage Electrochromics
SageGlass®
is an electronically tintable exterior glazing that provides glare
control on demand while preserving views. The product is available
from such partners as Velux®, Architectural Wall Systems, Inc., Harmon,
Inc., the Vistawall Group, Wausau Window and Wall Systems, and YKK AP
America, Inc. While SageGlass is currently very expensive (increasing
the cost of insulated glass six- to seven-fold), Sage Electrochromics
expects the cost to eventually become competitive with standard
high-performance glazing combined with interior mechanized shades. What makes this product green? • Building components that reduce heating and cooling loads • Improves light quality
WeatherTRAK Smart Irrigation Controls from HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
The
best option for outdoor landscapes is usually native,
climate-appropriate plantings that do not require irrigation, but where
irrigation is required, efficiency is essential. HydroPoint® Data
Systems, Inc. has revolutionized irrigation management in North America
through its WeatherTRAK® irrigation control systems that create
watering schedules based on physical landscape features (soil type,
slope, and plantings) as well as weather data that is beamed wirelessly
to the controllers each day. Both residential and commercial
WeatherTRAK systems are fully compatible with most irrigation systems,
and they offer an Internet control unit. The company has partnerships
with irrigation equipment providers The Toro® Company and Irritrol®
Systems. What makes this product green? • Fixtures and equipment that conserve water • Reduces storm water pollution
Electric Radiant Floor Heating Systems by Speedheat® US
Speedheat®
electric radiant floor heating systems conserve energy by being
installed in touch directly with the floor covering. This allows the
systems to perform optimally, using significantly lower amounts of
electricity than similar systems and other conventional heating
systems. The systems can be installed under any flooring type,
including tile, hardwood, vinyl, carpeting, laminate, and portable
products under area rugs. The systems use a programmable smart
thermostat, used for zone heating. As a result, you only heat the
areas you occupy and not the entire home. What makes this product green? • Energy savings • Improves Indoor Air Quality
Coolerado Cooler Advanced, Indirect Evaporative Air Conditioner from Coolerado, LLC
The
Coolerado Cooler is a revolutionary air conditioning system that relies
on the evaporation of water (latent heat of vaporization) to cool a
space, but its similarity to standard evaporative coolers, or swamp
coolers, is so remote that the company does not even use the term
"evaporative" to describe its product. Water consumption can be
significant; it is comparable to or slightly lower than that of direct
evaporative coolers—as much as 12 gallons per hour at peak load, but
typically averaging about 4 gallons per hour over the cooling season. What makes this product green? • Energy savings • Improves Indoor Air Quality
Product Information: Delta Faucet Company
55 East 111th Street
P.O. Box 40980
Indianapolis, IN 46280
www.deltafaucet.com
Triton Logging, Inc.
6675 Mirah Road
Saanichton, BC V8M1Z4
www.tritonlogging.com
Sage Electrochromics, Inc.
One Sage Way
Faribault, MN 55021
www.sage-ec.com
HydroPoint Data Systems, Inc.
1726 Corporate Circle
Petaluma, CA 94954
www.weathertrak.com
Speedheat® US, LLC
120 Arnold Mill Park, Suite 100
Woodstock, GA 30188
www.speedheat.us
Coolerado, LLC
4700 West 60th Ave., Unit 3
Arvada, CO 80003
www.coolerado.com
About the Author:Ingrid Weir is a member of an elite team of electric radiant floor heating professionals, who concentrate on energy-efficient heating solutions. For more information, contact Speedheat US, LLC at 1-888-WARM FLOOR (1-888-927-6356) or www.speedheat.us. Address is listed above.
Sources: Existing
home-sales decline hits builder stocks - Full week for company
earnings, housing data opens with a thud -
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/home-builders-busy-week-gets/story.aspx?
guid=%7BA4CD62C3-5CCF-46B1-B673-77F4C33C4182%7D - By John Spence, MarketWatch - Apr 24, 2007 Home
sweet green home - Most buyers of resource-efficient homes say they're
more than satisfied -
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/most-buyers-green-homes-satisfied/story.aspx?
guid=%7B1539C4AB%2DF4E7%2D49A4%2D99D1%2D83555EC8E27A%7D - By Amy Hoak, MarketWatch - Mar 26, 2007 "Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition" - Jack Trout BuildingGreen
Announces 2006 Top-10 Green Building Products -
http://www.buildinggreen.com/press/topten2006/top-10-list.cfmDelta -
Jerelyn Wilson - November 15, 2006 U.S.
Green Building Council – LEED for Homes -
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CMSPageID=147 - Homes Pilot
Version 1.11a released February 1, 2007 Energy
Efficient and Renewable Energy Consumer's Guide -
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/water_heating/index.cfm/mytopic=12760
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