A Lefthanders Little Green Corner

Green Facts on Green Homes and Green People

There was white frost on the ground this morning hiding all that summer greenness; it made me kinda blue. Gone too are the reds, oranges, and yellows on the trees, only grey now. Thank God I'm colour blind!! (yes, really).
Ok, back to green, or so I'm told. It's funny, when I jumped on the 'green' bandwagon like so many others, I never thought it would take on a life of its own, but it has. Like the Inuit having several words to describe 'snow' (I heard 18!), green means different things to me. Because I am a Realtor, it's natural then that I gravitate to information that speaks to efficient housing with respect to comfort, cost savings, and a lighter footprint. Plus I like stats. Here's the latest on:

Profile of a Green Consumer (overall) 

• 71% female
• 66% income over $50k
• average age is 45  but wide age distribution
• married and well educated

Motive to Buy a Greener Home  

1. energy efficiency (& save $)
2. water conservation (& save $)
3. indoor air quality
4. better ventilation
5. efficient use of resources

First Time Home Buyers and Under 35 looking For:

• cost savings/energy efficiency
• health related considerations
• concern for environmental sustainability

Biggest Obstacles to Purchasing a Greenerminimal impact Home

• lack of buyer education and awareness
• perceived higher costs
• lack of local homes availability
• perceived as a fad

What is a Greener Home?

• efficient use of energy/water/space/materials
• healthy habitat
• sustainable materials
• minimal impact on the neighbourhood

Current Views on Climate Change

• Skeptics         23%
• Agnostics       16%
• Converts         22%
• Believers         22%
• Activists          18%