Myth 1: Green Building is for Tree Huggers

Green building has gone mainstream. According to an estimate from the Environmental Home Center in Seattle, the overall market for sustainable building materials is about $20 billion a year, and it's expected to grow more than 10% annually.

Myth 2: Green Building is Too Expensive

Some green building components do cost more. Many cost less. When thinking green is part of the initial planning process, it's easier and less expensive to incorporate features that significantly lower operating and maintenance costs. Adding a few windows and investing in insulation does cost money, but the rewards on the other side of the ledger are far more substantial, initially and over the life of the house.

Myth 3: Green Building is Ugly

Green buildings do not have to look like yurts. A green home can look like any other house: colonial, modern, southwest, ranch - you name it. Even on the inside, green homes can be just as varied in design, just as stunning, as any conventional home.

On another level, green buildings are inherently more beautiful because builders and homeowners take the time to understand how the house works and what materials will work better than conventional products.

Myth 4: Green Building Doesn't Work

In general, sustainably built houses tend to be more energy efficient, more durable, and less costly to maintain. That said, some green products have had quality issues but some conventional products have also had quality concerns, not to mention unacceptable effects on our health and the environment.  Many green products were designed to do something better than conventional products. Although the industry has had some growing pains, in the end green building is simply better building.