patrick.net

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/feb/05/foreclosures-hampering-green-homes/

They're b#$ching and moaning saying appraisers aren't valuing "green" homes fairly. And neither are the buyers.

"The novelty of green has worn off, and it has become an accepted part of the housing industry, Nolan said. Contractors are using it and consumers are looking for it, and so it’s frustrating to deal with the appraisal issue, Nolan said."

Now read this:

"One obstacle faced by the industry is that some homeowners haven’t made the connection that adding green features to a home costs more, Nolan said. That extra cost can be recouped over the long run by lower energy costs, he added."

Sadly, either these people are too stupid know the real truth, or choose to ignore it. Wherever you save on energy you end up paying a lot of it back through higher property taxes.

At least in California, for every $20,000 in value you pay an extra $20 per month in property taxes. It might not seem like much, but it does add insult to injury on the "green" up charge.

More crap:

"Understand that consumer demands are going to shape this marketplace. It is not driven by efficiency or price but social responsibility,” Canton said. “Wake up and smell the coffee. Increasingly, people are making decisions whether to spend a dime or a dollar, they are asking the question of ‘does it improve our personal health?’ They want to know if it is going to harm the environment or help the environment."

So market efficiency doesn't matter anymore. Instead, it's all about "social responsibility" and "the environment". The global warming scam. Oops, I mean "climate change".

Even more:

"The movement for businesses is about educating and empowering consumers with information that not only makes them interested, but willing to buy even more than they planned, Canton said."

The irony. Educated and empowered consumers pay less for things, not more.

#housing