500 The NAHB Research Center celebrated its 500th home to earn National Green Building Certification99North Carolina leads the nation for states with the most National Green Building Certifications at 99.
$ 8,404 That’s the average property tax for folks in Westchester County, N.Y. — the highest average in the nation by 4.5 times — according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, as reported in The Wall Street Journal.
3,905 One PAR38 bulb can save 3,905 pounds of carbon from being released into the atmosphere, according to EnvironmentalLights.com. PAR38 LEDs are often used as spotlights and task lights. The lifetime savings hovers around $570.
4 The age of the youngest person to apply for the $8,000 first-time home buyer tax credit, according to the U.S. Treasury Dept. The IRS is investigating nearly 100,000 fraudulent claims — 580 of them filed for children.
17% Home theaters’ popularity continues to slide, according to the latest AIA Home Design Trends survey. The category was preferred by respondents 17 percent less often than last year.
$3.5M The Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Office of Hazard Identification and Reduction spent $3.5 million on a study investigating the chemicals in the controversial Chinese drywall. No direct connection has been linked to any of the health or corrosion problems thousands of homeowners have reported, an agency representative told National Public Radio.
18.8M The KaBoom organization’s volunteers have mixed more than 18.8 million pounds of concrete to build more than 1,718 playgrounds in communities in need. They’ve reached 4 million kids!
908.29 Team Germany could score a maximum 1,000 points in October’s Solar Decathlon in Washington, D.C., and it scored 908.29, taking first place. The Solar Decathlon challenged teams from around the world to create the most attractive and efficient solar-powered home.
