Southern New Jersey Overlook

According to information coming out of NAR's 2007 Conference & Expo, nearly seven in every 10 consumers believe that energy conservation is important or extremely important, but the cost of green improvements is still a significant factor in many home buyers' decisions about purchasing energy-efficient home features. 

A significant majority of property buyers think that energy efficiency is a very important consideration. Buyers who placed a priority on energy efficiency were also more likely to value other environment-friendly features, such as proximity to parks and public transportation, and existence of sidewalks in the neighborhood.

"In the past few years, consumers have been bombarded by the marketing messages of companies jumping on the green-friendly bandwagon," said Suzanne Shelton. "People are becoming much more inquiring about the bill of green goods being sold to them - not only in terms of ‘is it as green as what they say it is,' but also ‘does it matter enough to me to pay extra?'"

Some of the ways property owners can improve the energy efficiency of their property include projects such as window replacements, new appliances and systems, and insulation, as well as planning features like landscaping and - for new buildings - site orientation to take advantage of sun and shade during different seasons.

"Many consumers don't realize the benefits of green-friendly features, or that there are ‘green' mortgages available to help people purchase a home that meets certain requirements or improve the energy efficiency of an existing home," said Janet Rosenberg, a Realtor® who has integrated green practices into her real estate business. "People hear so much these days about global warming and climate change, but often don't make the connection close to home."

(Source: NAR)




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