Where to build green

Global real estate company Cushman & Wakefield, and the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance's BetterBricks initiative, recently released the 2011 Green Building Opportunity Index listing San Francisco, California, at the top of the 30 largest office markets for green building.

The index provides comparisons on markets based on real estate fundamentals and green development considerations, including green adoption and implementation, local mandates and incentives, and state energy initiatives and green culture. The top 10 markets included Washington, D.C., Boston, Massachusetts, and Portland, Oregon.

Senior managing director at Cushman & Wakefield, Theddi Wright Chappell, said the index "is a first-rate resource to guide city leaders and urban planners as they set sustainability goals for their region, and it reflects the market nuances that bring competitive advantages to an urban commercial real estate market."

The Associated Press reported that Wyoming has the third strongest housing market in the United States, according to the National Board of Realtors' most recent report. Sales of previously owned homes rose 38 percent in the first quarter of 2011 compared to the fourth quarter of 2010. The only other states with stronger sales numbers are Minnesota and South Dakota.

Walt Molony, National Association of Realtors spokesman, told The Wyoming Tribune Eagle that a low unemployment rate is helping to keep the housing market strong. Wyoming's unemployment rate is 6 percent, while the nation's is 9.1 percent. 

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