Good livin' is green livin'

So I came across an interesting post on Lifehacker this morning about the most affordable (and least affordable) places to live in the U.S. 

I scrolled down the list and found a category of smaller cities (below 500,000). Four Michigan towns were in the Top Ten: Lansing/East Lansing, Bay City, Battle Creek and Saginaw/Saginaw Township.

The list, from the National Association of Home Builders, got me thinking. I drank coffee and kept on thinking. I wondered to myself, how much of this "most affordable" category has to do with the foreclosure crisis and record high unemployment?

But I thought of a more positive spin. Perhaps it's cheaper to live green, as in a low-energy, high-efficiency home. Low and behold, the Michigan cities on the affordable list are the same Michigan cities that are members of Green Built, a NAHB program.

Of course, this proves nothing, except that the next wave in homes is something to consider, for the cost-savings and piece of mind alone. 

Oh, what the heck. I have more proof. One of the first Green Built chapters was in Grand Rapids, Mich. From there, the program grew into a nationwide effort. 

Case closed. Green homes make live more affordable.