There's a lot missing from this Free Press story about a new 'eco-friendly' house in Waitsfield. I won't go into all the eco-friendly aspects, many of which are simply locally produced wood and stone products that have little to do with being environmentally friendly. The house does have a solar array and a geothermal heat pump, both of which are pricey, but do save on energy use in the long run.
The house is far from standard in other ways.
I sent the following press release to Vermont's media outlets last week (click on the graphic to enlarge):
Westford, VT -- Housing was more affordable in Vermont in 2009 than at any time since 2003, according to The Vermont Economy Newsletter's annual housing affordability analysis.
"The share of median family income needed to finance the payments on a median priced home in Vermont fell to 15.0% in 2009, the lowest percent of income needed to service a mortgage since 2003," said Art Woolf, author of the study. "In the 22 years we have been tracking housing affordability, there have been only six years when housing has been more affordable than in 2009," he continued. "This is one reason that the U.S. Census Bureau reports that Vermont's rate of homeownership is 74.3%, ninth highest in the country."
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