The NAR (National Association of Realtors) offers a Green Designation Residential Course, the Student Manual for which offers some insights that are valuable to us plain folk too. My realtor friend Bandele Oguntomilade of Bogun Enterprises was kind enough to share these ideas from her copy of the Student Manual. (This is not a book available to the public, so I could not provide a hyperlink to the material).

Did you know that there is more than one type of individual who supports green living?

• Economists - they are strictly in it for the cost savings (but I bet they don’t know that they’re being good Investors and probably Idealists too—keep reading.)
• Investors - these folks want to get the greatest return on their property investment, and what better way to maximize that than through the energy-saving and cost-efficiency building and renovation measures?
• The Health-Conscious – there are actually two sub-groups here, as Bandele points out.  Perhaps an elderly individual is facing health problems due to years of exposure to the chemicals in household products and building materials.  Or perhaps parents with a child prone to allergies need to build a home that will keep their child healthy.  And for the rest of us, surrounding ourlselves with green cleaning products and sustainable materials just makes good sense.
• The Eco-Chic – these are the trend followers who will have the latest and greatest eco-friendly homes and products, simply because it’s en vogue.  I say watch out eco-chicsters—before you know it, you’ll be saving money and the planet.
• Idealists - these are people who are on a mission to save our planet; it’s a movement to them, and they are passionate about it.  And you can bet they will be happy with the money they saved and the investment they made in the process.

There is one last category, the Skeptically Unaware–those so full of doubt that they don’t change any of their habits to suit the rest of the greenies.  But hopefully with a little education, the skeptics can be pursuaded to take some small measures to green up, especially if it will mean saving them money.

For the Economist/Investor crowd, the book also offers several home projects to help you get green that are under $500.  For example, installing aerators on faucets, cleaning the refrigerator coils, replacing weather stripping, and using green cleaning products all cost less than $50. On the other end of the spectrum, adding a tube-type skylight rings up at around $300, and installing a recirculating pump under the sink comes in at just under $270.

As for me, I consider myself a half-breed Economist/Idealist, with a little Health Conscious thrown in.

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Author: Kelly Thacher

Kelly has been a writer since she was in grade school where she received early recognition for her Young Author's project. Magazines like Home Entertainment, Luxury Consumer Electronics, Vertical Living, Luxury Home and the Robb Report were happy to have Kelly's editing talents on various projects. A series of career twists and turns has offered her invaluable experience in journalism, magazine and book publishing, and fiction writing.

Kelly Thacher has written 30 articles for us.