Weekly Scrap Pile – Going Green: Why those who need it most can’t afford it

This week’s scrap pile includes articles about the costs of going green, the influences of social media, and the large number of millennials who are purchasing homes. If you’ve seen any articles this week that we missed, please let us know in the comments!

Going Green: Why those who need it most can’t afford it

Energy efficient homes offer many benefits to homeowners, one of the biggest ones being lower utility bills. While it’s a great selling point to be able to save money on things like heating and cooling, many homeowners either can’t afford to purchase a green home or the cost to make green renovations to their existing home or apartment are too costly. Read more.

Photo: constructiondive.com

The Impact of Social Media on Lodging Performance

A report done by Christopher Anderson Ph.D., Associate Professor of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, uncovers some of the impacts social media can have on the hospitality industry. The executive summary states, “transactional data from Travelocity illustrate that if a hotel increases its review scores by 1 point on a 5-point scale (e.g., from 3.3 to 4.3), the hotel can increase its price by 11.2 percent and still maintain the same occupancy or market share.” Read more.

NAR Generational Survey: Millennials Lead All Buyers

With all of the economic and financial troubles that have plagued young adults over the last several years, it may not seem like they’d be actively purchasing new homes. According to the National Association of Realtors®, this is not the case. The 2015 National Association of Realtors Home Buyer and Seller Generational Trends study found that “the millennial generation represented the largest share of recent buyers.” Read more.