With the opening pre-sales event of the LEED certified Arterra in San Francisco coming up on Sept. 30th we’re not exactly convinced that perspective buyers are placing their deposits because of the LEED certification or even the whole “Green Lifestyle” that the Arterra continues to promote.
Apparently, the sales office has pre-sales reservations booked for Saturday, Sunday and into Monday. That means green building gets a boost. Always good. But we have a sneaking suspicion (plus someone at the office told us) that the real green draw is the price point. A one-bedroom Mission Bay condo (without parking) for about $515,000 continues to draw buyers to this project like reality to television.
But who are we to judge why someone buys green? People who buy a piece of the Arterra because as Bob Barker says, “The Price is Right” may be doing the right thing for the wrong reason. But at least they are buying green.
Good point. Price is always the tipping point to get the masses involved. In fact, there’s some support for the term “smart building” rather than “green.” For many, green implies expensive, but green building, when done right, can actually be cheaper and more energy efficient than standard building practices. So keep a heads up for those companies that are greenwashing just to jack up the price and spread the word. It’s counterproductive to the cause!