Let’s face it. Not everyone is cut out for building and renovating. But don’t we all have the right to live in healthier, greener homes?

Fortunately, finding a house that offers important ecofeatures and healthy living spaces for your family is getting easier. Not only are builders catching on to buyer’s demands for more sustainable housing options, but green homes of all varieties are entering the market the world over.

Buying Your Dream Green Home
Green Homes for Sale woos visitors with the chance to acquire an their fantasy ecohome and a greener lifestyle to go with it. These green real estate listings are scattered throughout Canada, the United States, and the Americas, and are among the most creative and thoughtfully designed houses you’ll lay eyes on.           (Photo Source: Greenhomesforsale.com)

Whether you’ve outgrown your current home or wish to trade in your typical day-to-day existence for the off-grid house in the woods you’ve always pined for, Green Homes For Sale showcases greener options for any buyer.

Green Home Listings Galore

You’ll encounter the modest and the decadent for the lone resident or large family, with a choice of a familiar suburban aesthetic or a rustic natural atmosphere. Prepare to be dazzled by wood fired clay ovens, solariums, saunas, exposed timber beams, and romantically natural or ecoscaped views.

However, too many choices can boggle many a mind when it comes to comparing the sustainability of one home to the next. What constitutes a “green home” is left undefined, so it falls to the seller to publish an informative property description. You’ll find conventional homes with photovoltaic systems along side LEED certified and geodesic dome houses.

Some sellers will emphasize non-toxic or recycled interior finishing materials while others focus on energy efficiency and insulation. In the end, it’s up to you to compare the features and weigh the advantages of each green home.

Photo Source: Comfree.com

How to Shop for a Green Home

If you’re fairly confident you can ferret out a green home that suits your taste, then well done! For everyone else, there are a few good resources and rules of thumb to guide your process:

Green Home Certifications – The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building certification system is a reputable program run by the US and Canadian Green Building Councils. When you buy a LEED-certified home, you can rest assured that it was built under a rigorous third-party managed process.

Although the LEED for Homes program is set to launch in Spring 2009, some builders and do it yourselfers are thinking ahead by building to meet LEED for homes targets to allow future certification.

Choosing Green – The Home Buyer’s Guide to Good Green Homes. - Jerry Yudelson is a LEED-accredited professional with a knack for explaining the ins and outs of green homes. His book helps you understand green home ratings systems as well as individual green home features so you can make the best choice for your family.

Consider a home inspection – Just because a home is marketed as green doesn’t mean it comes without problems. Look for a home inspector to help protect you during your purchase, however keep in mind that your inspector may be unfamiliar with renewable energy and other dynamic systems often found in green homes. Don’t hesitate to call on a qualified green home professional to supplement your inspection.

Value professional advice – Buying and selling homes privately comes with many challenges that lawyers and real estate professionals are trained to navigate. Many green homes rely upon complex technical equipment to supply you with heat, water, and power, so having a representative looking out for your interests is simply common sense.

Buying a green home will take more time and consideration, no question. But who would deny that the health of their family and the planet are key factors in purchasing a new home? Why not redefine due diligence and look beyond basic financial considerations? Make your next home a green home.

Resources

Green Homes for Sale
EcoProperty Canada
LEED Canada
Choosing Green – The Home Buyer’s Guide to Good Green Homes