Environmental protection may
not be so expensive after all

House prices are up and so is the number of environmental regulations. But are the two related?

A Cornell University study says maybe not, according to the Christian Science Monitor. During the last 30 years, the median home price has tripled. A number of consumer groups have blamed environmental laws such as the Clean Water Act and the Federal Water Pollution Control Act for as much as 10% of the increase. Cornell Professor of Design and Environmental Analysis Joseph Laquatra says that the evidence suggests that environmental regulations are not to blame for higher costs. He says there is no evidence that higher prices and environmental regulations are related.

So what's the reason behind the higher prices? Laquatra says the reason housing prices have increased is homebuyers' appetites. People are buying bigger homes with more amenities.

Buyers & sellers, visit www.texasrealestate.com.
REALTORS®, visit www.tar.org.