Green Homes For Sale. We Think.
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 05.11.06
We came across what we thought was a wonderful idea: "Green Homes For Sale"- a website devoted to "buying and selling green and healthy homes, homes in cohousing and community oriented projects and high quality green prefab homes." We quickly ran into trouble comprehending it when we viewed some of the listings: This 2.7 mil San Diego estate has a six car garage and three houses on 3.4 acres. Why is it green? Its made of adobe and sautillo tiles, "all natural materials."
This modest 5671 SF, 1.9 mil estate is " It is entirely built "green" from top to bottom. Owner designed the home to be a healthy non-toxic environment. There are state of the art, computerized air and water purification systems, plus a energy efficient heat and airconditioning unit. The home is placed in a rural and very private setting, conducive to a healthy life style."
and what makes this 1.5 mil pile green? "Its surrounding serenity, green forest land, river that flows on the propety, and the fresh air."
In the end, we got a lot of laughs out of some of the answers to the question "What makes your home a Green or Healthy Home?" We think the idea of a website devoted to green homes is great. This ain't it. ::GreenHomesForeSale
materialism at its worst. perverting what is best.
I actually disagree. Yeah there are a lot of McMansions (and although huge most are made of natural materials, etc. At least they are doing something...) on the site, but there are a lot of "real" green homes as well. There is no other site out there for people that have a green home to sell (at least I couldn't find one). We just posted our mostly green, natural home on the site and have been pleased with the honest interest people have had in purchasing a natural, green, or healthy home...
Here is another point. Just because a place is large does not necessarily make it un-green. If the space is being used and the building is self-sustaining why wouldn't it be green? Sure, a smaller home makes the most sense in a lot of ways, but don't throw the baby out with the bathwater and assume that just because something is large it isn't green. Again, a lot of the houses on the site are probably over-large and stretching the green ideal, but there are some biggies out there that ARE green...
If you actually look at the site, you will notice that a lot of the homes are not "materialistic", just normal-sized honest-to-goodness green homes.
Ok, it's not like I am a fanatic about the site or anything, I just think it's a great resource if you need to buy a home! It's easy to ignore the homes that don't meet your own green criteria!
I actually think the most entertaining value to your attention on this website is that at the bottom of Green Homes for Sale, right above the Google Adsense area, is a little blurb now stating:
As featured
Wall Street Journal - Real Estate Journal, New York Times - Real Estate, Treehugger.com, WorldChanging.org and the Financial Times.
Way to work an angel there guys!
I actually think the most entertaining value to your attention on this website is that at the bottom of Green Homes for Sale, right above the Google Adsense area, is a little blurb now stating:
As featured
Wall Street Journal - Real Estate Journal, New York Times - Real Estate, Treehugger.com, WorldChanging.org and the Financial Times.
Way to work an angel there guys!
There is a mini-eco-system of 7.15 acres available to buy. It is situated in Northwest Maple Ridge,British Columbia. It has two secondary streams, and a very peaceful parklike setting. Tree Lovers and those interested in sustainable development or holding property for land conservancy may be interested in checking this out. I have details available through "Properties" on the homepage of www.missbryant.com., along with a link to www.build4health.com and a promise to tithe my check to any registered Canadian Charity Of Choice on the "Links" page. The Charitable Donation site can also be approached through http://feeds.feedburner.com/CharityofChoice for your third-party fundraising within your organization.
We were just looking for a home to buy and I came across the Green Homes for sale website. I as well thought it was a super idea considering not many real estate agents are helpful in finding homes that are off the grid but as I read through the listings it brought nothing but a laugh and a sick feeling in my stomach. I guess if you want something done right you really should just do it yourself!!!!
GreenerHomes.ca now features Columnist Dick Slane who's recent article explores Green homes and their link to affordable housing.
While I'm on the subject, GreenerHomes.ca offers a Green Home Real Estate Service while providing a free online resource of news, tips, and directories relating to Green homes.
Listings on the site are currently nonexistant as most of our work has been with Green Buyers of late. Please get in touch if you have a Greener home that you would like to list.
This is not intended to be a solicitation for properties already listed with a Realtor.
I was ready to board a plane to go buy one _reasonably_ priced home listed there. Neither the email address nor the phone seem to be valid, or the site is not well updated.
Speaking of seeing green: Is it too much to ask for someone from New Zealand to adopt me? No, seriously!
Listed Green seems to have a great idea, but as with all great new sites comes a waiting period. ListedGreen.com is very new and obviously must be patient with sellers needing to advertise their green property. I like the idea that buyers don't need to "register" before they are able t contact the seller. We all know that these folks sell this info, don't we?
Dave