Talk about turning lemons into lemonade! When Jay DeChesere's parents were unable to sell their Wilmington, NC home in the collapsed housing market, Jayand his wife Heather decided to purchase it, give the house the ultimate green makeover, and showcase their home as an example of practical,environmentally-friendly renovation.

The home now features geothermal heating, a solar water heating system, a rainwater harvesting system, and green indoor fixtures like Energy-Star rated appliances and low-flow showerheads and faucets from AmericanStandard. These changes combined have earned the DeChesere's home one ofthe highest ratings ever granted from the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) program - a total of 113.5 points. Overall the home is approximately 72% more efficient than the average American house.

Jay and Heather now give frequent tours of their home to demonstrate the many eco-friendly renovations they made and to encourage others to make similar changes to their own homes.