Are You a Greenlord?

There seem to be two different kinds of home remodelers: those who do it for themselves, and those who do it for profit. For those of you in the profit category, whether you're fixing and flipping or keeping properties to rent out to others, there's a new Web site that can give you even more incentive to make "green" choices, such as adding solar panels or adding energy efficient appliances, when remodeling: www.greenrenter.com.

Renters typically can't install solar panels or make huge improvements to where they live. But that doesn't make them any less eco-conscious, which is why they're turning to special online communities to find housing catering to their beliefs.

How Green Is Your Rental?

Greenrenter.com uses a questionnaire to score a rental's "greenness," based on factors including access to public transit, water efficiency, energy efficiency and proximity to community gardens, as well as how difficult it was for the property owner to implement sustainable features.

Listing a property is free and in the future, the site might include a roommate search component, allowing potential renters to connect with other like-minded individuals interested in living a low-impact lifestyle, according to MNN. Of course, now that there is a critical mass of people seeking sustainable rental housing--there has been a new term coined for eco-conscious property owners: "greenlords."

Does that sound like you?

Be Green Like the Color of Money

The blog Destination Green earlier this year featured a post about "greenlording," which makes sense because it's hosted by "eco-broker" Lara Williams and Dave Sanders of Fort Collins, Colo., who describe their purpose as "evolving their own home and their investment properties into more eco-friendly homes."

To them, greenlording is about making money and living responsibly. Tenants consume less electricity and water and put less carbon into the air. Eco-responsible remodeling results in better resale value and the ability to rent to tenants who might be willing to pay a premium for cleaning living and a smaller carbon footprint. Plus, green landlords can look forward to reduced operating costs and deferred taxes.

Perhaps all things eco are the color of money after all.