The Greening Home Trend
In Portland, Oregon a woman named Michelle Walsh and her husband took 'green living' to the next level. They bought a condo that is eco-friendly, which was one of the nations first large-scale redevelopment to go 100% green.
This new trend has taken across the USA in the past few years and now is rising even more. Which includes a patchwork of green buildings in many cities and now is expanding to communities and neighborhoods. Portland, Oregon happens to be leading the way in the expansion for its well designed urban innovator, and particularly for its transit-orientated developments.
Charles Lockwood, and environmental and real-estate consultant based out of Southern California says that "the big developers, the people who build America are slow to move, they still see a hint of tie-dye and wind chimes in green buildings. Thats changing quickly. There's critical mass."
Common features that are found in new eco-friendly homes are: non-toxic paint and finishes, wheat-board cabinetry, low-flow showerheads and toilets, wood floors of brazilian cherry, Caribbean walnut and other plantation-grown varieties, high efficiency heating and cooling systems, recycled and locally obtained building materials, rain and waste water captured for toilets and landscaping, and panels that double as sunshades and solar powered generators.
Michelle Walsh said that eco-friendly living was very important to her. The couple knew the building was going up 7 years prior to its grand opening. The couple paid $790,000 for a 10th-floor two-bedroom, three bathroom unit with a den. The condo sits high above the Willamette River and across hills and forests. When it is clear out they are able to see Mount St. Helens.
Developers and builders aren't joining in the 'green living' construction purely out of being the right thing to do. The truth of the matter is they just do not want to be left behind. By the years end at least 6% of the nations non-residential construction, a $15 billion chunk of the industry will be green. Six years ago it was less than 1%.You can get more details about this article at: USA Today
