Green homes will account for between 29 percent and 38 percent of the market by 2016, up from 17 percent last year, according to the McGraw-Hill Construction SmartMarket Report. “When builders are able to offer homes that not only are green, but also offer the combination of higher quality and better value, they have a major competitive edge over those building traditional homes,” says Harvey Bernstein, McGraw-Hill’s vice president of industry insights and alliances. According to the report, consumers are drawn to green homes because they want to reduce energy costs and believe such homes offer long-term savings and are of higher quality. The report says the higher costs of green construction are no longer an issue, as prices now align with traditional construction due to a healthy supply of green products. | Read More