Who says you need “green” to get a green home?
According to an analysis by realtor.com®, eco-friendliness is becoming the norm—and being a green homeowner may not be as pricey as thought. While California’s costlier markets have high concentrations of green homes, there are also affordable pockets outside the Golden State—and, in many markets, eco-features are no longer at a premium.
The greenest:
- Fort Collins, Colo.
Green Home Listings Share: 36 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $170.4
Green Local Median PPSF: $171
- Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, Texas
Green Home Listings Share: 35 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $139.1
Green Local Median PPSF: $144
- San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, Calif.
Green Home Listings Share: 35 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $738.9
Green Local Median PPSF: $701
- San Antonio-New Braunfels, Texas
Green Home Listings Share: 34 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $128.8
Green Local Median PPSF: $130
- Tulsa, Okla.
Green Home Listings Share: 33 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $96.7
Green Local Median PPSF: $115
- Boulder, Colo.
Green Home Listings Share: 25 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $257.7
Green Local Median PPSF: $267
- Salinas, Calif.
Green Home Listings Share: 21 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $498.5
Green Local Median PPSF: $429
- Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, Ga.
Green Home Listings Share: 20 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $121.5
Green Local Median PPSF: $132
- McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Texas
Green Home Listings Share: 19 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $93.2
Green Local Median PPSF: $107
- Santa Cruz-Watsonville, Calif.
Green Home Listings Share: 17 percent
Local Median Price-Per-Square Foot (PPSF): $565.7
Green Local Median PPSF: $544
“Although Southern and Western states still lead the way in green technology adoption, eco-friendly features have grown in popularity across many regions of the United States,” says Javier Vivas, director of Economic Research at realtor.com. “Many buyers have come to expect standard features, and homes integrating specialty green features are becoming more mainstream.
“However, in today’s inventory-starved market, location still reigns supreme and the price of land can easily override the allure of special eco-friendly features,” Vivas says.
Analysts defined a “green” home as one with bamboo flooring, dual-pane windows, ENERGY STAR appliances and/or rating, Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) ventilation and/or solar panels.
For more information, please visit www.realtor.com.
Suzanne De Vita is RISMedia’s online news editor. Email her your real estate news ideas at sdevita@rismedia.com. For the latest real estate news and trends, bookmark RISMedia.com.
