Sixty-three percent of homeowners report lower operating and maintenance costs as the key motivation behind buying a green home, according to research sponsored by McGraw-Hill Construction and the National Association of Home Builders. Nearly 50 percent report environmental concerns and family health as motivators.
According to the study, 0.3 percent of all homes in the U.S. are truly green (containing elements in three of five environmental building categories), a market sized at approximately $2 billion.
Homeowners are happy with their green homes, with 85 percent happier with their new green homes versus their previous non-green ones. And they're not shy about sharing those feelings. This finding is important because 28 percent of the homeowners reported first hearing about green homes through word of mouth.
The research also found that: