materials and processes, and the mainstreaming and greater availability of materials. However, it is a fact that green homes cost more. They offer lower operational expense over time, health and environmental benefits. But how do they stack up strictly as an investment? The following chart and graph, representing every sale up to $350,000 from 2007 to 2010, clearly tell the tale. The statistics are almost staggering.
Based on the information, it is without question that the best realestate investment one could have made prior to the downturn is to have purchased an under-$350,000, green-built home. The numbers are actually quite shocking in the context of the collapse of the national real estate economy. Asheville has clearly become a major epicenter for green building and is becoming known nationally for its green economy. The facts bear out, whether it is a cause or an effect: Building and buying green continues to benefit owners on many levels. Among the many other advantages — environmental, energy savings, health benefits and (many would argue) better craftsmanship — their owners enjoy a clear strategic advantage on the open market, based on WNC Regional MLS data. We collected an enormous amount of data, and this is merely an excerpt of the most pertinent information. Please feel free to contact any of us for further data, opinion, information, or discuss how to find, create or design your own state-ofthe-art, green-built home in the Asheville area.
Again, placing this information in the general context of the market is important. Note the consistent downward pressure on the Standard Construction sector. What is perhaps the most eye-popping about this chart is the enormous gulf that exists, and continues to widen, between the Standard and Green categories. As an investment, “non-green” real estate has lost over 15 percent of its value. However, the same investment built green has kept it value, and, in fact, increased slightly. Perhaps, most importantly, the average Standard sale has lost 13.72 percent of its value in relation to the average Green sale over the term.
David Mosrie, managing partner of acclaimed local sustainable design-anddevelopment firm Push Design, is a near-20-year veteran of the green-building, development and real-estate industries. Push Design builds and designs toxin-free, healthy, high-performance homes and developments. Info: www. pushahead.com, david@pushahead.com or (828) 275-4108. Mike Figura is an ECO Broker and is the owner of Mosaic Community Lifestyle Realty. He is a one of the foremost experts in green-home market research, project positioning and marketing green homes in Asheville. Info: www.mymosaicrealty.com mike@mymosaicrealty.com or (828) 337-8190. Jake Sadler is the residential outreach coordinator for the WNC Green Building Council. You can reach him at jacob@wncgbc.org or (828) 254-1995.
It is true across every housing market, type and categories that real estate values have been in a perilous state of decline since late 2008. WNC Green Building Council
wncgreenbuilding.com
WNC Green Building Directory
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