2008 Parade of Homes: prepare to be green with envy

La Bella Vita by Gregg Design Custom Builders. Magnifico!

My fairly recent obsession with HGTV and home makeover shows (I can't watch Extreme Makeover: Home Edition without trying to hide my sniffles from my husband) had me intrigued by the 2008 Parade of Homes in Lakewood, Colorado. But ensuring my support and $12 ticket purchase is that all eight of the extravagant, European-influenced homes - each designed and built by a different construction firm - are certified by Built Green® Colorado. 

Built Green Colorado is one of oldest and largest green home building programs in the United States. To obtain a Built Green blessing, a home must be designed and constructed to comply with a rigorous checklist of more than 200 features in 22 categories including energy efficiency, materials, health, safety and resource conservation. Because of its strict parameters, a certified Built Green home is more energy efficient, requires less maintenance, provides cleaner indoor air quality, is built with higher quality materials, and saves the home buyer money.

The Parade of Homes walking tour will be open from July 26th through Labor Day. All located in the same Solterra community by Carma, the houses range in size from approximately 5,500 to 8,800 sq. ft. and are priced from $1.95 million to under $2.6 million. (Scoff - I'll take two.) Exciting green features in some of the homes include solar panels, carpet made from post-consumer recycled materials, hardwood floors made from reclaimed whiskey barrels, and kitchen cabinets made out of beetle-kill lodge pine from Colorado.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Home Builders Foundation, the Home Builders Association's philanthropic arm, which helps people build wheelchair ramps, accessible entry-points and modified appliances and amenities needed to make their lives more comfortable. In 2007, the foundation completed 40 projects, with a total value - including donated money, time, and materials - of nearly $700,000.