Today’s green-savvy home buyers and sellers have many options. Sellers whose homes meet the EPA energy efficiency standard have a valuable marketing point – EPA studies show that these homes deliver $200-$400 in savings on utility bills per year.

Buyers can use green mortgages that will help them make environmentally friendly improvements to their home. One example is an FHA-insured Energy Efficiency Mortgage (EEM) offered by HUD. Regarding Green Mortgages, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, which few realize, contained an incentive in Section 2092 for green mortgages. Green Mortgages have been around since the 1970′s although they have yet to be widely implemented. A good source for more information on green mortgages is http://www.fha.com/energy_efficient.cfm.

According to a recent NAR survey, nine out of 10 Realtors® said their clients are interested in energy efficient features of green homes and the potential cost savings of such features. An overwhelming 90 percent agreed there will be even more interest in green building practices a year from now.

The U.S. Green Building Council believes this is an industry trend, rather than a passing fad; not only does it save on energy costs, but also it’s better for residents’ health and increases worker productivity.

Which green features are most important to to people today? According to the American Association of Home Builders, the green segment of the construction industry is expected to climb from 2 percent of all housing starts in 2005 to between 5 and 10 percent in 2010.

“Green” technologies include;

Low or No VOC Paints

Plumbing Manifolds

Bamboo Flooring

Rainwater Harvesting

The key to the conversation is that it seems there are many shades of “green,” each with their own motivations and levels of commitment.