Great resource; thank you!
Posted by Jill Morenz

To date, real estate is all about Foreclosures. This trend will continue for at least another year before the Foreclosures titlewave will begin to slow. Then and only then will we have an opportunity to promote GREEN home owner/buyer GREEN investments. This is REALITY in CA.
Posted by Robert R. Clunie

thanks for sharing this. I am a realtor who is passionate about sharing going green with my clients. This checklist is outstanding. I appreciate this information.
Posted by Barbie Burke

Just a quick glance indicates it is a very informative document, but beyond the ability of most homebuyers to use, given the reference to terms and guidelines that consumers and many builders are not familiar with (e.g. "Duct system is designed and installed to industry standards using Manual D."). It is a good reference for builders and architects, as well as HVAC contractors, but not practical for the true homebuyer unless they spend a lot of time with the builder and his team to get these questions answered. My residential customers are required to have Energy Star-certification for new construction homes in order to qualify for rebates for solar panels. This questionnaire would be more than they could handle (they're typically aware of the requirements), and even project managers for the developers I work with would have to refer to their energy experts. I love the idea, but suggest for real consumer use, take the Energy Star requirements or LEED for Homes and make it understandable, or build something that becomes the standard checklist for all new construction to allow the consumer to compare. Thanks for posting!
Posted by Brett Strouss

This is a good checklist for comparing new construction to new construction, but from a sustainability standpoint, it is hard to imagine that any amount of "durability" or energy efficiency can overcome the consumption of energy, resources, infrastriucture, and land that all new construction presents when compared to an existing home. If one really wants to buy sustainably, buy something that's already built, that doesn't require harvesting of forests, mining of metals and minerals, building of new roads, schools, sewage and water lines, power and phone, and gas and cable. Spending the money saved by buying used on improving energy efficiency would also be more sustainable I suspect.
Posted by John Buckley

Thanks! It's great. Hopefully there is one for Hong Kong in future.
Posted by Annie Li

This is a very handy cklist that is useful for all types of buildings. I will use it during a roundtable at the ICSC TexasDealMaking Conference with brokers/developers/retailers. Useful tool. Thanks for developing it!
Pam Mundo, pmundo@mundoandassociates.com
Posted by Pam Mundo

If you were hosting a roundtable discussion of developers and commercial Realtors on how they could assist communities with their sustainable development, what would you recommend.
Pam Mundo pmundo@mundoandassociates.com
Posted by Pam Mundo

Thank you.

Lisa Dominy
Building sustainable, green, solar, wind and off the grid home.
Posted by Lisa Dominy

Seems to be missing a major component--what about site (durability of local & regional ecosystem & occupants)?
Is is located near transit? Is it built on farmland/wetland/fire-prone area? Is is in a neighbourhood, with access to retail & civil services? Is it walkable? What's the density? What's the landscaping? Are the surfaces permeable?

Grant, thanks for bringing the checklist / rating system to our notice. However, it only addresses vertical sustainability and ignores horizontal sustainability. Or, speaking less technically: what costs / benefits are associated with the home's location? Are there sufficient natural resources nearby? Is it close to jobs, transportation? How much will the homeowner have to spend to get to work, food, schools, and how much infrastructure will be needed to serve that location? What will be the environmental, social, and financial impact of living in that location? And how will the picture be sustained over time?

To consider only vertical sustainability is missing half the picture. Imagine a doctor saying you're fine because your heart's in good shape, when you have a broken ankle and can't walk. We can't afford to ignore the location when we talk about a home's sustainability, because it will lead us to make dubious assessments, as well as policy decisions that put citizens at a disadvantage by favoring unsustainable locations. Something to keep in mind when considering how useful a sustainability rating system is for homebuyers or anyone else.
Posted by Jennifer Krouse

It seems like this could be used in real estate as part of a building inspection as well. It might be an opportunity for a building inspector to set themselves apart from the competition to give a sustainability report along with the rest.
Posted by Paul Cline, AIA, LEED AP

That is a relevant point Jennifer - and seems that most of your points surround the issue of community when it comes to a site's placement - including transportation, jobs, etc. When I think of horizontal sustainability, I tend to consider the natural elements of the horizontal development - the land, water, and wildlife that the home/building sits on and the integration of those elements in the planning, design, infrastructure, construction, and long term management of those features. What is the effect on the site of storm water control systems, turf selection, pest management programming, water quality, and how can these systems be treated in a way that balances the pillars of sustainability as well? That is what our company has been doing around the world for the past 20 years - assisting developments to develop in an environmentally friendly manner for long term results and saving money while doing it.
Posted by Rich Henderson

Thanks a lot. I have a friend that is planning his future green house from top to buttom. I am sure he will benefit from this greatly. Maybe someday I will have a chance, too.
Posted by Korhan Pulatsu