I’ll admit it: we’ve been entering the 2009 HGTV Green Home sweepstakes every day lately. As much as we love our own house, the idea of winning an eco-friendly home in sunny Florida — plus the hybrid car that comes with it — is hard to resist. And imagine the posts we’d write if our names were announced on June 28th.
With Green Homes on our minds, we took a small detour last week during a secret trip to Georgia. Our spring trip to Florida reminded us that the 2008 HGTV Green Home sits just off I-95 in South Carolina. We skipped the tour last year because of the $25 admission fee, so this time we figured we’d swing through Tradition, SC, hoping last year’s winner might be open for a complimentary look (southern hospitality and all). No such luck. There were no glasses of organic lemonade on a recycled bamboo tray. In fact, it didn’t even look like anyone was living there yet…
There was even a key box on the door, like a house still on the market, which made us suspect it hadn’t been occupied.
Why else would no one be home? The Green Home is one of the only completed houses in the neighborhood so far.
It looks like Tradition’s small golf community is still getting established. Given the current real estate climate, that’s not too surprising. The few other homes under construction shared the same beachy cottage style we love, and the neighborhood has potential, but seeing it partially built tempered our idealized vision a bit.
So the takeaway: feel free to enter the 2009 Green Home sweepstakes — we’re not trying to stop you. It’s a beautiful, sustainably designed home this year, and the virtual tours offer plenty of inspiration for green living. Update: check the comments for some interesting revelations!