Q: Marsha, my Realtor just received her EcoBroker® designation and is excited about showing us “green houses” to purchase. I’m not sure what an EcoBroker® is or even what a green house is. Can you explain these designations?
A: That is an enormous subject, but I will be glad to give you an overview. The Green Movement in real estate has developed from the environmental and green energy conservation movements. Many people attribute the beginning of America’s environmental awareness to the 1962 publication of Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. This book jolted our country’s consciousness, and we began to reevaluate the “use once and toss” mentality of the 1950s.
More and more houses today are constructed with green values in mind. This is consumer driven. In 2015, the United States Green Building Council said that 40 to 48 percent of new residences were built green. Many of the green houses are upper-end and in the luxury category, but cities, counties, and states are changing building codes to incorporate energy-conservation standards. With these codes and consumer demand, all new houses will be built in many different shades of green.