American Dream Homes Turn Green

The so-called American dream home isn’t a supersized McMansion – it is a “green,” energy-efficient home built with “sustainable” materials that yield a lower carbon footprint. Or, more often, it is a home remodeled with energy-efficient appliances and eco-friendly home products. Four out of five of those polled in a Yahoo! Real Estate study of 1,545 U.S. adults say that owning a home is still a part of the American dream. The study finds that optimism about homeownership is widespread despite the massive downturn that has so far claimed six million homes in foreclosure and threatens to sink even more in the future. In the study, 72% of homeowners and renters believe that they live in their dream home, or it will be their next home, or they will own it someday. Yet, there is a growing consensus that the dream home must be more energy efficient. According to the Home Horizons 2012 study: •
50% of people consider green/energy efficient appliances/materials are a requirement of their dream home – it is more popular than perennial favorites such as “building a custom home” (38%); “water views” (38%) and “mountain views” (32%); 
 •60% of those in the market say that green/energy-efficient appliances are amenities they’d like to have in their next home; •27% of those in the market say that looking for a greener, more energy-efficient home is a significant reason they want a new home.