
The Green Builder Media Network
Could Wildfire Risk Hurt Your Mortgage—or Get You a Better Deal?
This Week’s Sustainable Building News. Wildfire risk is beginning to show up in unexpected places in the housing market. This week, we look at how lenders are responding, a battle over building in a California wildfire zone, GM’s move into home energy, new approaches to decarbonization and indoor air quality, and more. Wildfire risk could make a traditional mortgage harder and more expensive to get, while some online lenders appear to be doing the opposite. “Big Short” investor Michael Burry is suing to stop a 25-home development in a California wildfire zone, citing evacuation risks. GM Energy and PG&E are bringing EV charging, smart charging incentives and the potential for vehicle-to-home power into the car-buying process. Green Builder Coalition’s Mike Collignon examines DOE’s new approach to the 2024 IECC and what it could mean for trust in federal energy-code analysis. USGBC releases new tools designed to help owners decarbonize existing buildings and entire real estate portfolios. Could plants become part of a building’s mechanical system? Yale researchers are exploring “metabolic architecture” for indoor air quality. A new project gallery shows how continuous-insulation EIFS assemblies are being used across more than 200 real-world buildings. On The Valuation Metric, Sara Gutterman and Alair Homes CEO and President Rob Cecil explore why the true value of a home starts long before construction. Gen Z may be rediscovering the “cold room” as bedrooms shift back toward one primary purpose: better sleep. Editor’s Product Pick: Kwikset Signature Series door hardware shows how durability and longer product life can contribute to a more sustainable home. And Green Builder Media’s new COGNITION Smart Data report examines housing affordability through the lens of full cost, not just first cost. Like this video if you enjoy our coverage. Tell us which story mattered most to you in the comments. Subscribe so you never miss an episode. About Green Builder Media Green Builder Media provides news, insights and intelligence on sustainable building, high-performance homes, resilience, energy efficiency, building science and the future of housing. www.GreenBuilderMedia.com






