Home Buyers to 'Green' Builders: Show Me the Savings

PHOENIX -- Homebuilders slapped on solar panels and added other eco-friendly enhancements as energy prices soared earlier this year, hoping greener homes would lure reluctant buyers.

But since July, the cost of oil has plunged from $147 a barrel to about $36, while home prices continued to fall. Together, these headwinds have stalled low-energy housing developments around the country, including projects by Meritage Homes (MTH Quote) and Shea Homes.

"The program doesn't necessarily pencil out at the moment," said Scott Kramer, a forward planner for Scottsdale, Ariz.-based Meritage Homes Corp., which builds homes in Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado and Florida.

"People don't seem to be willing to pay for it." ...