- The weather outside is frightful… Jan 19
- Green getaways Jan 17
- Eating well all winter… Jan 15
- Warm on the inside Dec 09
- Give the Gift of Green Gadgets Nov 14
- See all posts
Home buying
Buy a home in a mixed-use neighborhood
Arcadia Land Company (Pennsylvania)
Arcadia Land Company describes itself as "Town Builders and Land Stewards." The company's developments feature compact, walkable towns with mixed-use neighborhoods that also enable greater open space preservation.Congress for the New Urbanism Project Database
The Congress for the New Urbanism is the leading organization promoting walkable, neighborhood-based development as an alternative to sprawl. Members include developers, architects, public officials, and community activists who help create a searchable database of new projects that feature new urbanism (mixed-use) neighborhoods.Forest City Enterprises (Southwest, Midwest, Northeast)
This diverse company has experience in commercial and residential building and uses it to build mixed-use communities that feature green homes. The homes in one Denver development, Stapleton, are ENERGY STAR approved.New Urban Builders (Northern California)
This builder designs, develops, and builds traditional, walkable, and mixed-use neighborhoods in northern California. The company offers a broad range of practical homes, workplaces, and civic spaces. One project, westsideGreen in Chico, features homes built with ENERGY STAR appliances as well as other energy- and water-efficient features.New Urban Communities (Florida, Illinois, Arizona)
This developer focuses on building small pedestrian friendly neighborhoods with a mix of housing types. The communities have interconnected streets, prominent public spaces, and clearly defined centers and edges. The company has operations in southern Florida, northeastern Illinois, and the Phoenix metro area.Russell New Urban Development (Southeast)
Specializing in urban transformation, this development company works on sites primarily in the Southeast US. Its mixed-use communities offer a range of services to attract a diverse group of consumers and businesses. One proposed development, Artist Square, will be located five minutes from downtown Atlanta.Serenbe Community (Georgia)
This rural development features the concepts of New Ruralism and was built to flow with the terrain so the natural landscape is minimally disturbed. The homes are built with energy efficiency, low maintenance, and water conservation in mind, using resource-efficient building materials and systems. Serenbe Farms is a 25-acre working, organic farm located in the development.
Live in an intentional community
Canadian Cohousing Network Directory
A helpful site for basic cohousing information, including book and magazine resources, as well as an explanation of the benefits of cohousing. The site also includes a map of cohousing communities in Canada with detailed information and links to each community.Cohousing Association of the US Directory
This website lists offers plenty of basic information about cohousing. The association publishes a magazine for people living in and organizing cohousing communities. The directory lists approximately 100 cohousing communities by state, with links to each one.Ecovillage Network of the Americas Directory
Part of The Global Ecovillage Network, the Americas network offers research, demonstrations, and training in how to shift from high consumption lifestyles to more satisfying, high-quality, low environmental impact lifestyles and social structures. The website offers a directory to find ecovillages in North and South America, as well as the entire world.Fellowship for Intentional Community Directory
This website serves the growing intentional communities' movement and provides resources for creating more community in your life as well as a directory to find a community. The site also includes blogs, articles, event calendar and a wiki for members to write articles.The Federation of Egalitarian Communities Directory
The Federation of Egalitarian Communities is a network of communal groups in North America. These are small agricultural homesteads, village-like communities, and urban group houses. All communities share a set of core principles including nonviolence, egalitarianism, and participatory decision-making. The website offers a directory to find communities with links to each one.
Buy a small house
Little House on a Small Planet by Shay Salomon
The author and photographer Nigel Valdez spent over eight years collecting floor plans, photographs, and anecdotes about small dwellings. The book answers the question: “What fills a home when the excess is cut away?” For those who want to build, remodel, redecorate, or rethink their needs.Resources for Life.com Small House Communities
The Small House Movement has inspired the development of intentional communities featuring small houses, which are listed on this website. The site also includes a listing for land owners wanting to develop tiny house communities.The New American Dream: Living Well in Small Homes by James Gauer
This 240-page book with photography by Catherine Tighe includes ample photographs of the exterior and interior of small homes. The author uses the photos to explain architectural principles that make small houses seem large.The Not So Big House series By Sarah Susanka
Susanka's The Not So Big House books offer a new way of thinking about space. As an architect, the author focuses on helping the reader understand that comfort is attained by tailoring houses to fit the way we really live, and to the scale and proportions of our human form.
Buy a certified green home
EcoBroker International Property Search
Ecobroker.com listings include some green properties. Not all are certified but you can search for specific green features, including "ENERGY STAR Certified Home", with the site’s comprehensive search engine. EcoBroker provides education and certification for real estate agents who want to specialize in green properties.ENERGY STAR Qualified Homes
ENERGY STAR homes are at least 15 percent more energy efficient. The ENERGY STAR website offers listings to find home builders, lenders that offer energy-efficient mortgages, utilities that offer special incentives to buyers, and home energy raters that can verify the energy efficiency of a home.Green Communities Building Program for Affordable Housing
Green Communities is a green building program that encourages builders to create affordable green housing. The organization offers grants, loans, tax-credit equity, training, and technical assistance.GreenHomesForSale.com Property Search
This site lists homes by state and country, as well as by attributes such as small homes, natural homes, and solar homes. The site also includes lists of green realtors, builders and architects.ListedGreen Property Search
Billed as the Green MLS (Multiple Listing Service) for homes and eco-friendly developments, this company reviews each listing in an effort to eliminate false green claims. Home buyers can search for homes by city, state, or country.Residential Energy Services Network Directory
Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) does not list green homes for sale. Instead, it certifies home energy raters, who are trained to inspect and verify the green features and performance of a home you are considering.US Green Building Council LEED for Homes
LEED for Homes is a rating system that promotes the construction of high-performance green homes. LEED homes undergo inspection and performance reviews by independent inspectors. The USGBC's website offers a list of certified homes.Vivavi's Modern Green Living
Modern Green Living enables consumers to find newly built green residences and green home professionals throughout the US and Canada. Find green architects, builders, remodeling experts, interior designers, realtors, and building consultants by state or zip code.
Use a green realtor
Earth Advantage Green Home Buying Resources
Earth Advantage offers STAR (Sustainability Training for Accredited Real Estate Professionals) certification for real estate agents as well as LEED for Homes and Earth Advantage green home certification. The company’s website offers a list of real estate agents, and lists of green home builders and remodelers in the Northwest United States.EcoBroker International EcoBroker Search
EcoBroker offers education on green home building and certification to real estate agents who want to serve buyers looking for green homes. The website includes a searchable database for agents who have successfully completed their course.Low Impact Living Green Home Buying Resources
Search by zip code or state for green real estate agents, home builders, and architects. The site also offers databases for other eco-friendly services and products. Visitors can click on the Impact Calculator Tab and discover their environmental impact.Vivavi's Modern Green Living
Modern Green Living enables consumers to find newly built green residences and green home professionals throughout the US and Canada. Find green architects, builders, remodeling experts, interior designers, realtors, and building consultants by state or zip code.
Get a green mortgage
ENERGY STAR Lenders
ENERGY STAR maintains a list of lenders who offer Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) for new homes, such as ENERGY STAR-qualified homes. The list of ENERGY STAR lender partners offers basic information about each lender's green mortgage program, as well as contact information.Residential Energy Services Network Energy Raters Directory
Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) certifies home energy raters, who are trained to inspect and verify the energy-efficient features and performance of a home. If you’re shopping for a green mortgage, you’ll need a report from an energy rater.The Department of Housing and Urban Development FHA Energy Efficient Mortgages
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) offers a list of FHA-approved lenders. Any FHA-approved lending institution can make loans covered by EEM insurance.US Department of Veterans Affairs Loan Program
The Veterans Affairs (VA) offers Energy Efficient Mortgages to qualified military personnel, reservists, and veterans. The loans are for energy improvements when purchasing an existing home. Borrowers should ask their lender about a VA EEM at the beginning of the lending process.
Comments
6:45pm
As the owner of a green real estate brokerage company in Austin, TX, E3 Properties, I was really glad to read your suggestions on how someone can identify a true green agent from someone who is not.
With all the "green washing" going on these days it's important for the consumer to be armed with the right tools( in this case questions) to identify the real from the fake.
As you pointed out, there are many individual agents and companies that misrepresent themselves as green. While it's important to make sure that your agent has a green certification, that in and of itself doesn't qualify someone as being truly "green".
It's great to see so many agents becoming green certified. However, as a consumer you want to find the ones who are doing it for the right reasons.