The developers of Soleil Laurel Canyon decided to start offering EarthCraft certified homes because more and more buyers were selecting upgraded insulation and other features to reduce energy costs.

Homes at Soleil range from 1,500 to almost 3,000 square feet and are priced between $200,000 and the high $400,000s. Yard maintenance, a 24-hour staffed security gatehouse, and home security monitoring are included in the association fees. This environment, which also includes a clubhouse with heated indoor saline pool, billiards parlor, gourmet teaching kitchen, fitness center and aerobics studio, library, two card rooms and an arts and crafts studio, is why Soleil is truly one of Atlanta’s best active adult communities.

EarthCraft certified homes provide a number of benefits, including lower utility costs, enhanced indoor air quality, increased comfort and reduced home maintenance. On average, EarthCraft certified homes sell for a higher price than the average home  at the same list price and sell more quickly than conventionally built homes. EarthCraft was established in 1999 by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface. For more information on EarthCraft, visit www.EarthCraft.org.

Where to Retire Magazine even rated Soleil Laurel Canyon as one of the country’s top 50 master planned communities for active adults.  A performing arts center, outdoor amphitheatre, outdoor lagoon-style pool, six clay tennis courts, full-time tennis pro, walking trails, a greenhouse and neighboring golf course round out the long list of amenities. For more information on Soleil Laurel Canyon, visit www.SoleilLaurelCanyon.com or call 678-880-3071.

Every Bay Area home is made with the aforementioned amenities in addition to high-efficiency toilets and low VOC paints. These homes offer reduced levels of pollution, green house gases and are less dependent on finite energy sources.

Buyers of Signature Homes not only promote health in the environment, they also save money by investing in homes equipped with environmentally conscious elements. These elements improve residents’ quality of life as they save energy and money. Build It Green has come alongside Signature Homes to ensure that every home is constructed with environmentally conscious materials.

The builder constructs new homes in several Bay Area and Sacramento communities with features such as elegant kitchens, ceramic tile flooring, granite slab countertops and Whirlpool appliance packages in addition to their energy saving construction.

Signature Homes has built over 6,000 homes in more than 70 residential communities in the Bay Area and Sacramento region with no end in sight. Thousands of buyers have become part of the Signature Homes family and with new plans on the horizon, there will be many more to come.

Signature Homes has sought to combine the environmentally conscious elements of green building with sophisticated design in each of its unique Bay Area homes. These energy saving amenities provide homeowners with energy renewable homes that are both affordable and luxurious.

For more information about Signature Homes or its communities, visit the website.

The Ralph J. Pomeroy Apartments on Chicago’s North Side were built in 1992. The Chicago Housing Authority purchased the building in 2006 and closed it down for remodeling.

On November 8, 2011, the residential community will reopen with environmentally friendly improvements and more than 100 units of public housing for Chicago’s senior residents.

Some of those green upgrades include:

*Geothermal system

*Solar thermal panels

*Green roof

*Roof and courtyard terraces

This building is now a candidate for green certification.

To read more about these energy-efficient upgrades, check out our story:

Senior Residence to Reopen Green and Modern

And then check back to Chicagoland Real Estate Forum to learn about more green improvements happening to our real estate.

EnV, one of the first LEED-certified apartment buildings in Chicago, is a 249-unit luxury rental property that was designed by Valerio Dewalt Train Associates.

The building was honored with the 2011 MFE Award for its green design.

The 29-story, mixed-use tower was completed last year with environmentally friendly features, including:

*A green roof made of sedum, which lowers energy costs.

*Energy Star appliances in all units

*Outdoor landscaping that requires no irrigation

*Onsite service to Zipcar and bike storage

There is also a multitude of amenities at this modern property, which is located across the street from Chicago’s historic Merchandise Mart. Want to see more? Check out our story:

Chicago Real Estate to be EnVied

Brandl Estates is convenient to shops, parks and historic areas. It is just over a mile to downtown Crabapple, just over two miles to Wills Park and Hembree Park and just over three miles to downtown Alpharetta.

Five home designs offer traditional and craftsman-style elevations, so homebuyers can select the plans that suit their varied lifestyles. Ashton Woods Homes thrives on personalization, and buyers are able to select finishes and additional features to truly make a mark on their homes at the Ashton Woods Homes Design Center.

Children that live in Brandl Estates are in the Crabapple Crossing Elementary, Northwestern Middle and Milton High school districts.

To visit Brandl Estates, travel 400N to Exit 9 Haynes Bridge Road. Go left (West) off of the exit. Drive 1.3 miles and turn left on Old Milton Parkway. Continue on Old Milton Parkway which turns into Rucker Road for 3.2 miles. Turn right on Colgan Court into Brandl Estates.

To visit the Sales Center, please visit The Oaks on Charlotte Drive. From Brandl Estates: Turn Left out of Brandl Estates to head East on Rucker Road for 1.2 miles. Turn Left on Charlotte Drive. The Oaks on Charlotte Drive is .3 of a mile on the left.

For more information on Brandl Estates, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website or call the onsite agent at 770-569-1470.

While presales are available, Ashton Woods Homes is building showcase homes in anticipation of more home buyers desiring a quick move-in. One home – the Logan – is already underway and is scheduled to be complete in October. Two Providence plans will soon be under construction for January delivery, and a Brighton plan will be build for February completion.

Each townhome at The Battery on Paces Ferry has traditional elevations with brick construction and detailed entry systems. Homes also come standard with two-car garages that include sheetrock finishes. Each townhome is energy-efficient, saving home buyers up to 45 percent on utility bills.

The Battery on Paces Ferry community provides elegant homes in the historic Vinings area that are priced from the low $300,000s. Homebuyers can choose from several unique floorplans that range in size from 2,246 to 3,031 square feet and offer up to three bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths.

For more information on this popular community, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website.

“All Orchards Group homes are already built with energy efficient products, but due to an ever increasing concern about personal household budgets, we’ve received an increasing number of requests for even better energy saving upgrades that will enable our homeowners to save even more on their energy bills”, said Mitchell Block, Sales & Marketing Director for The Orchards Group.

The Eco-Comfort Home package includes:

• A natural gas “tankless” hot water system that delivers endless amounts of hot water that is heated using super-efficient technology.
• A continuous hot water re-circulating pump with adjustable timer that provides instant hot water at all hot water taps in the house. Less wasted water provides lower utility bills, not to mention the convenience of having “instant” hot water.
• A “variable speed” gas furnace that operates at a significantly greater efficiency than normal, providing lower operating costs whether it be summer or winter.
• A 16 SEER air conditioning system that delivers cool air at a far lower cost of operation.
• A healthy climate HVAC filter system that improves air quality in the home.
• A radiant barrier sheathing between the roof shingles and the attic which keeps the attic 20% cooler in the summer and 20% warmer in the winter. This more temperate attic condition helps to keep the entire HVAC system working more efficiently.
• Thicker wall and attic insulation provides greater heat and cool protection.
• Water saving dual flush commodes that can cut water consumption by as much as 50%.

The home features The Winston plan with two bedrooms and two baths plus a flex room that can be a parlor or a third bedroom. The home has a living room and dining room open to the kitchen, a sunroom, a screened porch, a large master bedroom with walk-in closet and true walk-up attic storage.

Residents will enjoy amenities such as a swimming pool, clubhouse with a fitness center, game rooms, gourmet kitchen, reading den, grand room with a flat screen TV, an arbor, a fire pit, a barbecue grill and a lawn area with a bocce ball green.

For more information, call 678-513-8879 or visit www.orchardsgroup.com or www.Facebook.com/theorchardsgroup.

One East Delaware (OED), which is located right off the Magnificent Mile in Chicago’s premier Gold Coast neighborhood, becomes the third largest community in the country to earn the certification.

Owned by Waterton Residential, OED is a Chicago high-rise that features studio, convertible, one- and two-bedroom residences for rent.

The units are filled with energy-efficient additions, including floor-to-ceiling windows, which not only offer natural sunlight but also provide fantastic views of Chicago.

This building received the certification by meeting standards established by the USBGC.

Want to find out more about those standards and all that this multifamily green building has to offer? Want to get a glimpse of the fabulous view?

Check out our story:

Multifamily Chicago Real Estate First to Earn Green

The ENERGY STAR designation means homes offer more than just energy efficient appliances, heating and cooling systems. It takes a more holistic approach in ensuring the home is overall designed to be energy-efficient from its initial planning stages.

Ashton Woods Homes is the largest builder of energy-efficient homes in the Atlanta area. The builder has committed to building 100 percent ENERGY STAR complaint homes. Since becoming a partner in 2002, Ashton Woods has built more than 2,100 energy-efficient homes in the Atlanta area; during April 2010 to March 2011, 319 were built.

In addition to the ENERGY STAR qualification, every new home built by Ashton Woods is rated energy-efficient through the PowerHouse Green with Environments for Living Program. Utilizing low-e windows, low-flush toilets and other low-energy features, home buyers can save up to 45 percent on their utility bills.

Start your energy-efficient Atlanta home search today. Visit the Ashton Woods Homes website for more information.

Called the Cube, the home is designed with all the furnishings one person needs. In addition to a kitchenette, table, two chairs, lounge and small bed, it contains a full sized shower and a composting toilet.

Among the home’s many green features are LED lights, an air-source heat pump, and an energy-efficient fridge. Plus, with the use of solar photovoltaic panels, it produces at least as much energy as it uses. To see the home and read about its additional features, check out the full article, “The Cube Project: What Would You Give Up To Live In A Tiny House?”

For a true green builder, this may be a dream house. But for the rest of us, it’s a little far fetched. Many demonstration projects go to extremes to show all of the things that can be done, while working home builders are faced with trying to build green within real-life budgets and real homebuyer preferences.

After you’ve seen the article at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog, come back here and tell us if that project gives you any ideas you can use now. What will help you as a green builder incorporate more environmentally friendly components into your next home?