This was TC Legend's first "green-built" home. Designed by the company's founder Ted Clifton to avoid wasted space, the home lives larger than its footprint. It was built using advanced framing techniques to remove more than 30 percent of the framing lumber. (Who knew that there was so much waste in standard construction?) The house was fitted with gas appliances throughout, along with the best double-pane windows available. The home became Ted's personal residence during the early years of the Great Recession, when he shared it with roommates.

“In the winter, I enjoyed the gas fireplace in this gorgeous home," Ted Clifton says. "Yet even with a 92-percent efficiency gas boiler, the gas bills were $300 to $400 per month. I was a bit let down that my "green" home still cost so much to operate.”