106. Wealth=Health On Planet Earth - David Gottfried on Building Homes That Matter

David Gottfried — often called the godfather of the green building movement — co-founded the U.S. Green Building Council in 1993 and the World Green Building Council in 1998. He's the author of four books, including his newest, Regen360, and he joins the show to talk about something more personal than LEED scorecards: what it actually took to green his own homes, and what he wishes more buyers, sellers, and flippers understood.

We talk about the 1930s Craftsman kit home in Berkeley he renovated into one of the highest-scoring LEED Platinum homes in the world — the rainwater-fed toilet that ran dry mid-dinner-party, the graywater pump he had to relocate out from under the master bedroom, and the acoustics mistake that eventually pushed him to sell. We get into why that house didn't sell for the premium he expected, what he did differently in the homes that came after, and his direct response to investors who tell him going green adds "50% more" to a renovation budget.

David also unpacks the equation at the center of his new book: HOPE — Health On Planet Earth — and why he believes a home that doesn't "accelerate hope" simply isn't worth as much, no matter what the flipper is asking.

In this episode:

• The pivot from real estate developer to founder of the green building movement
• Inside the Berkeley Craftsman renovation — the wins, the mishaps, and the acoustics regret
• Why the house didn't get the resale premium he expected, and what that taught him
• Debunking the "50% more expensive" myth flippers use to avoid going green
• What role certifications like LEED actually play in home value
• The HOPE equation — Health On Planet Earth — and what it means for the home you're buying or selling
• His message to the next generation inheriting what we've built

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