Chicago Real Estate Blog

Kermit, Gumby, Oscar the Grouch, The Incredible Hulk, and The Grinch

Everyone knows that Green is the focus these days. Everywhere you look, the products we use, the cars we drive, and now even the homes we live in are getting Greener.  I’m a Green Certified Real Estate Professional, and I am rather fond of Earth, so I wanted to chat with you a bit about how to take better care of our lovely planet.

But what’s it really mean to be Green? What makes a home or a product environmentally friendly? What’s a renewable resource? And what in the world is LEED?

Here are some features to look for in a home that are nice and gentle for our delicate planet, and a list of some current condo projects in Chicago that would make Kermit proud.

According to the U.S Green Building Council’s website http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 , here are the benefits of having LEED certification (and it ain’t easy):

LEED-certified buildings:

·                       Lower operating costs and increased asset value.

·                       Reduce waste sent to landfills.

·                       Conserve energy and water.

·                       Healthier and safer for occupants.

·                       Reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

·                       Qualify for tax rebates, zoning allowances and other incentives in hundreds of cities.

·                       Demonstrate an owner's commitment to environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

My understanding is that it is neither easy nor cheap to become a LEED certified development, but short of doing that, some developers have found a way to be Greener anyway.  Here are things to look for when deciding if the condo you are looking at is givin’ some love to Mother Earth:

• Low VOC paints (they cost more but are healthier for you). You can get these at Home Depot for about $36 a gallon if you want to DIY.


• High Efficiency furnace and Air Conditioning system


• Energy Star rated appliances


• Bamboo flooring and cabinetry- Bamboo is the ultimate renewable resource. And it looks fly.


• Green Roofs- like the one on City Hall- they reduce heating and cooling loads on a building, and filter CO2 and pollutants from the air


• Use of recycled materials inside the unit- materials like glass, metal, paper and quartz


• Compact fluorescent bulbs (everyone should be using these)

Check this out too for cool tips: www.greenhomeguide.com

Here is a list of Eco-friendly developments (some of which are actually LEED certified).  If you’re interested in any of these, please give me a call or email me and I’ll be glad to get you more info:

• Emerald (West Loop)


• Eco18 (South Loop)


• Fountain View (Lincoln Square)


• Lexington Park Condos – LEED certified (South Loop)


• Green Armitage (Humboldt Park)


• 340 On The Park (Millennium Park)


• 2800 Lincoln – working towards LEED Gold certification (Lakeview)

And here are a couple other links with Green info (Go Al Gore!).  Oprah annoys me but there’s some cool stuff on her website. J

http://www.cnn.com/2007/LIVING/wayoflife/08/23/o.green.gore/index.html

http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200704/tows_past_20070420.jhtml?promocode=incl20070420TD

Thanks for reading! Stay Green!

~T

Posted at 08:21PM May 08, 2008 by Terri Boyce in General  |  Comments[0]