"Green" homes in suburbs? (Chicago, Deerfield: real estate, credit, neighborhood)

[fishstix3]

Hi -- we are looking to move into the suburbs somewhere around Deerfield, where my husband will be working. We are interested in a community of "green" homes, much like Prairie Crossing, but with bigger lots. We'd like to have .5-1 acre. We are interested in Prairie Crossing. Can anyone tell us about the school there? It sounds great -- Or, any input on architects who specialize in building with environmentally friendly/ green materials? Thank you!

[paddy1]

You find the lot and we can build the home.
Tom.
www.jordangreenhomes.com

[cohdane]

We moved here from out of state about a year ago and were hoping to find as much green new construction as there was in our previous area (Boston). WRONG.

Prairie Crossing is about the only game in town. I think maybe maybe maybe Bigelow did some energy efficient building, but can't remember. It's truly pathetic that when you see acres and acres and acres of new construction, NONE of it was built to any minimum energy or environmental specs.

Apparently, Illinois is one of the last states left without any residential standards on energy efficiency. Tragic.

As for Prairie Crossing, confirm this on your own, but my understanding is that the charter school there works on a lottery system, so you could buy a Prairie Crossing home, but if you don't hit the lottery, your kid will be bussed to some other (not necessarily as nice) school.

I also read and heard that there was significant infighting at the school. Not sure if that's been resolved. Not a good sign.

Sorry for the glum report.

Your best bet may be to build what you want and wait for Illinois to catch up with you.

One last thought-- of all the towns we looked at, Lincolnshire appeared to be the most progressive with regards to "green." There were several geo-thermal homes there, so you wouldn't have to overcome the zoning hurdle. There were other things I read that made me think Lincolnshire was on the ball, but I've since forgotten. They have a GREAT school and the neighborhood across from the primary grades is all big lots, trees and even a little lake. Really wonderful. The prices weren't even that bad. Watch the flood plain's reach, though-- some lots are a little too close to the river.

Good luck.

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by cohdane

We moved here from out of state about a year ago and were hoping to find as much green new construction as there was in our previous area (Boston). WRONG.

Then go back to Boston, where you can enjoy your single, swinging light bulb dangling overhead, cardboard trusses, alfalfa sprout carpeting and cow manure walls. Then you can join hands with all the other greenies, sing and dance around while worshipping your Toyota Prius that is sitting upon a golden altar (if the altar is made of "green" materials of course).

[cohdane]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Then go back to Boston, where you can enjoy your single, swinging light bulb dangling overhead, cardboard trusses, alfalfa sprout carpeting and cow manure walls. Then you can join hands with all the other greenies, sing and dance around while worshipping your Toyota Prius that is sitting upon a golden altar (if the altar is made of "green" materials of course).

Yikes. Hate much?

How're those heating bills working out for ya? Look out your window. The future is on its way. You can stay in your cave or come out and face it.

[cohdane]

Just saw I took the stale thread bait-- and got harassed for my trouble. Don't bother posting answers to the OP, this thread is dead. I guess the fact that they got NO answers says it all.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by Steve-o

Then go back to Boston, where you can enjoy your single, swinging light bulb dangling overhead, cardboard trusses, alfalfa sprout carpeting and cow manure walls. Then you can join hands with all the other greenies, sing and dance around while worshipping your Toyota Prius that is sitting upon a golden altar (if the altar is made of "green" materials of course).

While I kind of understand your reaction to the remark made,

I'm a bit concerned by the attitude toward green technology. As Chicagoland area people shouldn't we be bragging and pushing green lifestyles and green products. Too me, being Green is the first and foremost indicator of what should be considered a world class city with world class attitudes. But when I see people who make fun of being green, it makes me suggest Chicago area attitudes are behind the times and not where they should be.

So lets go out and practice and show off our green lifestlyle, or just admit we're just a colder version of a Texas city (no offense to Texas).

[chet everett]

I have friends that are in various occupations related to commercial real estate, from architects to property management firms to construction and maintenance firms. When I ask what they think about LEED certification I get lots of different answers. From the folks closest to real-life working commercial buildings the reply is generally "EVERY system from lighting to HVAC to and plumbing are CONSTANTLY evaluated for what is the most cost efficient". It has ALWAYS been that way and new technology has always improved on previous stuff. Nothing has changed becuase Leonardo DiCaprio hangs out with Al Gore...

Some of the more design side folks think there is something of a shift in the mindset of suppliers that want LEED as a 'marketing tool', albeit one that has somewhat legitimate standards. For those that need "continuing education credits" this is no different from the marketing driven pushes that have happened in the past regarding "sick buildings" or "designs for team focused offices" or "replacing ammonium ferric citrate and potassium ferricyanide process blue prints with non-toxic alternatives"...

Folks that I talk to in construction related fields tend to be pretty skeptical -- as a practical matter anything that costs more to make, takes longer to install, and may NOT pay for itself during its projected lifespan seems to be of little value to them, but as long they get paid they keep their comments out of the clients earshot. Most construction engineers and tradespeople like timesaving innovations, but know from experience anything over hyped is usually "too good to be true" and when it is discovered how toxic or non-stable it is they end up having to undo the bone-headed innovation years later.

I know that there are firms in the region that will do all the fancy closed cell foam insulation (just like on This Old House), and you can go through the hassle of getting other non-standard materials, but at the end of day you may very well have spend MORE and not really done anything "better". If your super insulated building requires constant ventilation, even with heat recovery air exchangers and such, does not all the added power to run those systems PLUS the added materials to build those system PLUS the added the labor to install them contribute to large initial carbon footprint?

I really question the "book keeping" mindset of tracking every input. I know aluminum is less dense than steel, but is the fact that iron ore is mined in Bemidji or Hibbing instead of Los Pijiguaos Mining Property in Venezuela | PropertyMine or Worsley Mining Property in Australia, Western Australia | PropertyMine also a factor? And if the "carbon footprint" is considered then there is no way that the trip from Minnesota to Pittsburgh is anything like the trip from Venezula or Australia. And ultimately the whole "life cycle" of each input and its ultimate fate when the building is no longer servicable is something that I do not think is truly traceable -- while some building are around for centuries the forces that will decide which are or are not are far outside the control of the current builders...

[Steve-o]

Originally Posted by Tex?Il?

While I kind of understand your reaction to the remark made,

I'm a bit concerned by the attitude toward green technology. As Chicagoland area people shouldn't we be bragging and pushing green lifestyles and green products. Too me, being Green is the first and foremost indicator of what should be considered a world class city with world class attitudes. But when I see people who make fun of being green, it makes me suggest Chicago area attitudes are behind the times and not where they should be.

So lets go out and practice and show off our green lifestlyle, or just admit we're just a colder version of a Texas city (no offense to Texas).

The Chicago area has nothing to do with MY opinion on the whole ridiculous matter. 10 years ago the word "green" meant crap to most people. Today theyre shoving it down everyones throats. The hippies that push this agenda are the first to shrug their shoulders when you ask them exactly HOW mankind is somehow contributing to "global warming". You get the usual "well cars spew out a lot of c02 and thats why I drive a hybrid, because it runs on the electric motor most of the time"... Its fun to ask them to guess the amount of c02 that actually makes up greenhouse gases. The other day I had a lady tell me "almost 100%, thats why the govt needs to ban high emissions vehicles and make it a law to only supply hybrids to the market". All this hype by all these people and 99.9% of them are just sheep following Al Gore's lead. Funny how they never mention Al Gore's monthly electric use as his monster TN home. Do as I say, not as I do, right Al? Freak!!!!!!

[loudes13]

Green is MARKETING guys, not much else. Most modern homes have semi-efficient insulation and furnaces. Spec better insulation, better windows, and an efficient furnace to the most energy.

BTW Chicago uses nat gas for, much more efficient, and less costly than most of the east coast.