Posted on 06/25/2009 9:09:12 PM PDT by freespirited
Set amid the brick colonials and blocky postwar apartment buildings of Arlington's Westover neighborhood, Patty Shields's new home sticks out.
The home is so angular and sleek that it appears to have jumped from the pages of a modern-living magazine. But more than looks, what sets this place apart are hidden innards, such as geothermal heating and a rainwater collection system, that make it one of few local examples of a house built green from the ground up....
Indoors, wood flooring is from sustainably harvested trees, countertops glint with pieces of recycled beer bottles, and paint gives off no noxious fumes. Natural light streams in through "curtain walls," opaque windows with the same ability to insulate as a regular wall. And in a closet off the basement au-pair suite, an unremarkable-looking heating and cooling system runs off geothermal energy captured via two 320-foot wells.
In all, Shields estimated that she spent $100,000 on green design and materials for what was supposed to be her dream home. But when Patty's husband, Wyatt, became city manager of Falls Church, a job with a residency requirement, the couple staked a "For Sale" sign out front. More than 2,500 people have toured the house since it was completed, Shields said, including prospective buyers and neighbors interested in going green. ..
The widespread interest in Metro Green's more radical approach to eco-building has not translated into a quick sell. It's been on the market for two months, and the asking price has dropped $120,000 to $1,175,000.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Sounds like a cool house though. I have no problem with environmentalism, it's the getting it crammed down my throat part I have a problem with.
I was thinking the same thing. I’m sure the $20/month heating bills are wonderful, but the million dollars spent to get them surely isn’t.
It appears to be falling down.
Cry me a river for liberals who can’t sell their “green” house.
If they are truly good liberals/radicals/socialists, then they shouldn’t care about the money they invested in this house, and re-couping that investment. Since they are good liberals they should understand that you can’t put a price tag on being green. It’s not whether we can afford cap and trade. It’s that we can’t afford NOT to pass cap and trade and other similar legislation.
So if they make the green sacrifice of their green money invested, so be it.
Was it damaged in an earthquake or tornado? Maybe it fell on a witch. Something bad happened to it.
From what I've read, Arlington is still a very good real estate market, with little impact from the crash. Probably because it's very close to DC.
My guess is that the price is just a lot more than even the green-conscious are willing to pay.
Problem is it is Futt Bugly. Takes a unique person who wants to live inside such ugliness.
I’ve seen trailer park homes that look better. Only $1.175 mil? What a bargain!
Had friend in Sacramento who was a “green nut” in the 90’s.
built a custom home with “rammed earth walls” 3 feet thick, cost him a fortune along with his sun tracking solar array, by the time he was done, he had the worlds most expensive 1600 sq foot home ( those 3 foot walls ate all his interior space)! Could not sell it later to save his life....
These kinds of houses have no soul and are often downright ugly inside and out. You can take a normal home and make it efficient with the right appliances and insulation and have the best of both worlds.
My, my; that’s hideous.
Who would pay $1.75 million for that shack, which looks like it was designed for Lil’ Abner or Jed Clampett after he moved back home? Geez.
It looks like a bunker collided with a submarine.
“More than 2,500 people have toured the house since it was completed, “
I would tour the house too just to see if the inside was as horrendous as the outside.
The front porch roof looks as though it were falling down, whatever the architect’s intent was. I’m not a big fan of box-like houses, but there are some that are attractive— this isn’t one of them.
“Something bad happened to it.”
a liberal drew the plans and built it, what do you expect, something pleasing to the eye?
I hope they’re stuck with their abortion!!!
You know if they built homes like they used to; say in my grandfather’s day like 30 or 40; they would be getting green homes. My grandfather’s place and my husband’s mother’s place, one in Texas and one in California didn’t need a/c. I never noticed being overly hot in the summer.
Of course, I doubt they will tell you that because they want you to think they invented green.
If any of you ever runs across a copy of “Trees”; please read it. It will tell you about living under the trees and how very depressing it was for the people.
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