UrbanTurf Reader Asks: What Makes a House "Green?"
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In this week’s installment of “UrbanTurf Reader Asks,” a reader asks a question that we have wondered about ourselves in recent weeks: When a home is advertised as 'green,' what does that actually mean?
"The term 'green' is being thrown around a lot these days, and it seems every builder and developer is jumping on the band wagon advertising their property as such. But what really makes a property green? An Energy Star dishwasher? Insulated windows?
Last week, you ran a story about prefab homes produced in Tennessee that were being sold as green and energy efficient. But what are these homes made from? They include insulated windows and solar panels, but look more like 'high-tech' mobile homes. Are they safe to actually live in? Through a tornado? Through a hurricane or fire?
I would love it if someone could give me an appropriate description of what green actually means when it is used in an advertisement to sell a home."
Post your thoughts in the comments section. If you would like to submit a question for “UrbanTurf Reader Asks,” send us an email.
See other articles related to: green real estate dc, urbanturf reader asks
This article originally published at https://dc.urbanturf.com/articles/blog/urbanturf_reader_asks_what_makes_a_house_green/920.
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