Real Estate Going Green

The Des Moines Register has an article today about how real estate in the Des Moines is going green. Check it out, it is a pretty interesting read...

Interest in a greener lifestyle has grown among homeowners in recent years, which some real estate experts attribute to rising energy costs and celebrities' awareness efforts.

Buyers should expect to pay 5 percent to 8 percent more for a home with green improvements, Webster said, but energy savings could be $100 or more a month, depending on the enhancements.

A national homeowners survey by Wells Fargo & Co. last year showed that, given $50,000 for home improvements, more respondents (24 percent) said they would make environmentally friendly additions before anything else, including luxury kitchen remodels, entertainment rooms or landscaping. Insulation, energy-efficient appliances, double-paned windows and even solar panels topped the list.

"I do think the tide is turning," said Lynnae Hentzen, executive director of the Center on Sustainable Communities, a Des Moines-based nonprofit group that educates builders and homeowners on green building. "Homeowners are starting to become more aware and that's key. Because if you understand it and come at it from all directions, anybody can find value in green building."