By FrontDoor.com | Published: 3/27/2008
Are there green building programs?
If you're thinking about going green, why not buy a home in a place that makes it easy? Cities with green building programs give their residents valuable discounts for eco-friendly updates, so that could mean more green in your pocket.
You could save some major cash in Portland, Ore., when you decide to do green updates. The city offers a tax credit for those fixes, up to 35 percent of the total cost. If you think of a bigger eco-friendly project to benefit the city, you could get a grant of up to $225,000 to make it a reality. That's definitely not chump change.
Chicago makes the grade for green building programs as well. It has more LEED-certified projects than any other city. The city offers a $5,000 tax credit to homeowners who ditch shingles for a green roof. It also houses a Green Technology Center, which develops ways to use eco-friendly practices to make Chicago as green as it is windy.
Similarly, Minneapolis will give you or your community group between $1,000 and $10,000 to do your own green project. This can range from talks about global warming to household power consumption. Seattle has a similar program.
Austin, Texas, also offers lots of green energy perks. By 2010, all the city buildings will run on renewable energy. Not sure what green updates to add once you move in? Austin Energy offers free consulting for homeowners and a rebate for solar panels.
What about recycling programs?
Recycling can go way beyond bottles and cardboard boxes, but only if a city and its citizens make it that way. Recycling saves trees, wildlife and lowers the use of toxic chemicals. It also cuts back on a city's need for landfills and incinerators.
If you want to live green, it's important to find a city that strives to waste as little as possible. In Lexington, Ky., for example, the citizens recycle everything from old electronics to scrap metal. Getting the scoop on recycling can give you an insight into the residents' concerns for the environment and help you narrow down choices for a green community.
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