Chicago's market for green homes is growing
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Illustration: Annelise Capossela/Axios
Expect to see more sustainable homes in Chicago.
Driving the news: Greenline Homes, a builder of all-electric solar abodes in Woodlawn and Bronzeville, tells Axios its houses are now getting snapped up two to three months earlier. The company has already sold its annual stock of eight houses and plans to build more next year.
- Evanston-based Kipnis Architecture + Planning, which designs homes with a low-carbon footprint, says that sustainable projects now make up about 80% of calls, up from 50% in the last two years.
What's happening: Consumers are increasingly concerned about a home's indoor air quality and other health and environmental impacts, says Brian Imus, executive director of Illinois Green Alliance, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable buildings.
What they're saying: Realtor Wayne Beals, who works with Greenline, says they’ve seen a shift in who’s buying green homes since 2015, when the firm transitioned to building all-electric houses.
- "We were really selling a house for the choir," he says. "Now we're selling houses to the masses."
Context: Nearly all homeowners and single-family renters think a home impacts health, with young people leading that thinking, per a recent report from the New Home Trends Institute at John Burns Research and Consulting.
Be smart: There are some green home incentives you can take advantage of without having to move. Imus suggests ComEd's rebates and discounts for installing energy-efficient equipment, such as smart thermostats.
What we're watching: State lawmakers' push to build more sustainable homes. A bill now with Gov. J.B. Pritzker would require new homes to offer at least one electric vehicle charging station.