Green homes and real estate

During a time when the housing market is not quite as strong as it was a few years ago, being assured of the value in your home is important.

Building green and or remodeling to make your abode more energy friendly is a great way to add lasting value to your home - especially with the reduced availability and rising prices of natural resources and fossil fuels we use to heat and cool our homes.

The two largest green home certification methods are LEED-H and EnergyStar. LEED applies a similar set of comprehensive US Green Building Council environmental standards for homes as it does for new construction, existing buildings, and commercial interiors. EnergyStar is centered around the efficiency of your home heating, cooling, and electricity use from appliances and things like lighting.

John Hueber Homes, Potter Hill Homes, and a few other local builders build to EnergyStar and/or LEED standards if it’s requested in new home construction. See this list of builders who care about EnergyStar homes. Many local architects are LEED accredited professionals and can help you during an environmentally friendly remodel. Visit the Green Building Certification Institute for a list of LEED APs in your area.

You can also arrange a visit from a Home Energy Rater to check on the efficiency of and make recommendations for improvements to your existing home’s systems. Some of the area businesses that can provide a home energy checkup are EnergyQue, Emotiv, and Bedrock.

If you want to start free and simple, Duke will also come out to give your home an energy checkup “house call” if you use this form to apply online.

When it comes time to buy or sell, you can use sites like Green Homes for Sale or work with a local realtor who specializes in environmentally friendly living. Veronique Beittel with ReMax is the first certified EcoBroker in Cincinnati.

If you’re buying a green home, you may qualify for an energy efficiency mortgage as well.

Finally, unless you want to be tied to your vehicle, check the walk score of your home. There is increasingly inherent value in being part of a liveable, walkable, working community.

For more information on green building, check out these past Live Green Cincinnati articles:
Cincinnati’s eco-industrial plan for the future

Bigger isn’t greener.
Don’t forget about energy efficiency tax credits.
Northside HOME House project.