Green Features Aren't Selling Houses

Because green features aren't always included on the cost tab, they reflect lower resale values. Banks, in turn, won't fully finance the homes, leaving buyers with a bigger check to write for the down payment.

Adding a green feature will probably resell at a fraction of the price if the concept isn't popular, argues David Snook, a California-based appraiser who serves on the real property committee on education for the American Society of Appraisers.

"It doesn't do a lot of good to simply add value based on cost...[since] cost does not necessarily equal value. The question is 'How much will the market pay on resale?'"