A New York developer may be the first homebuilder to integrate wellness into its products. But if a major real estate education and research group has its way, healthy living will soon be incorporated in many of the places where we live and work.

The Urban Land Institute is embarking on a two-year effort to educate its members and the development community at large on how they can build healthy communities and workplaces where people can thrive.

"We are looking at city building through the lens of health and wellness as a way to measure sustainability and long-term prosperity," says Lynn Thurber, chairman of the Washington-based nonprofit. "With this effort, wellness is the intent, the designed outcome, not just an additional benefit."

Delos Living is already pioneering the merger of housing and health, marrying science and architecture to place well-being at the heart of design and construction. Its New York City apartments feature, among other things, a water purification system, floors laid upon a layer of cork and rubber to reduce stress, juice bars and soy-based insulation.

And co-founder Morad Fareed thinks more builders should be integrating medicine into their products to help prevent disease, improve occupants' energy levels and lengthen their life spans. "Why stop at building just houses?" asks Fareed.

In the face of withering sales during the economic downturn, many resort communities have placed wellness above golf and other amenities over the last few years as a way to entice more buyers. But otherwise few residential builders and developers -- or commercial office building developers, for that matter -- have seen the need.

But consider these stats from ULI:

-- By 2030, more than one out of every 11 Americans will be at least 100 lbs. overweight.

-- The cost to treat illness currently consumes 19 percent of America's gross domestic product.

-- 13 million school days are missed annually due to asthma-related illness.

At the same time, ULI says the ability to deliver on health directly translates into market value, and therefore, "makes good building sense." Here's proof:

-- Nearly two-thirds of Gen Y-ers think proximity to a park is an important buying consideration. And three out of four feel the same about walkability.

-- Homes located in neighborhoods with good walkability are worth $34,000 more on average than similar places in neighborhoods with average walkability.

-- A dozen bicycles can fit into one parking space.

-- More than half of us want to live in a community that has transit.

"This is not just about building a walking trail or upgrading a fitness center," says Patrick Phillips, CEO of the Washington-based ULI. "Building healthy places is about improving all aspects of the environment in which people live, from the air we breathe to the places where we work."

To educate and encourage the real estate community to rethink what, where and how it builds, ULI has published as a first step a report outlining the "Ten Principles for Building Healthy Places and Intersections." The report examines how urban design and development can contribute to living environments that are conducive to prosperity.

Here are the 10 tenets of creating healthy places:

-- Put People First -- Health should be a priority, not an add-on or afterthought.

-- Build Economic Value -- The various aspects of wellness lead to greater marketability, quicker sales and greater property values.

-- Champion Health -- Community engagement is a powerful link between health and local land use and bringing about change.

-- Share Spaces -- More public spaces are advocated, as are "living streets," which prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over cars.

-- Make Health Easy -- Make health the one safe, easy choice by, among other things, removing barriers that lead people to default to an unhealthy practice.

-- Build Equitable Access -- Make healthy choices accessible to all income and demographic groups. These include neighborhoods with housing options for all ages and holistic transit plans that reduce the reliance on the automobile.

-- Mix It Up -- Integrate a range of uses -- residential, commercial, cultural and institutional.

-- Create Character -- Places that are different, unusual or unique can help promote physical activity and emotional well-being.

-- Healthy Food -- Diet is a major part of health, so access to healthy food should be part of any development proposal. This means assigning food the same prominence as, say, open space or housing mix.

-- Build Active -- Designs should be used to create active communities -- locating adult and children amenities together, for example -- to boost physical activity and reduce the reliance on cars.

If the nation's homebuilders and office developers take even just a few of these principles to heart, the places where we live and work should soon become much more healthy and enjoyable.

A New York developer may be the first homebuilder to integrate wellness into its products. But if a major real estate education and research group has its way, healthy living will soon be incorporated in many of the places where we live and work.

The Urban Land Institute is embarking on a two-year effort to educate its members and the development community at large on how they can build healthy communities and workplaces where people can thrive.

"We are looking at city building through the lens of health and wellness as a way to measure sustainability and long-term prosperity," says Lynn Thurber, chairman of the Washington-based nonprofit. "With this effort, wellness is the intent, the designed outcome, not just an additional benefit."

Delos Living is already pioneering the merger of housing and health, marrying science and architecture to place well-being at the heart of design and construction. Its New York City apartments feature, among other things, a water purification system, floors laid upon a layer of cork and rubber to reduce stress, juice bars and soy-based insulation.

And co-founder Morad Fareed thinks more builders should be integrating medicine into their products to help prevent disease, improve occupants' energy levels and lengthen their life spans. "Why stop at building just houses?" asks Fareed.

In the face of withering sales during the economic downturn, many resort communities have placed wellness above golf and other amenities over the last few years as a way to entice more buyers. But otherwise few residential builders and developers -- or commercial office building developers, for that matter -- have seen the need.

But consider these stats from ULI:

-- By 2030, more than one out of every 11 Americans will be at least 100 lbs. overweight.

-- The cost to treat illness currently consumes 19 percent of America's gross domestic product.

-- 13 million school days are missed annually due to asthma-related illness.

At the same time, ULI says the ability to deliver on health directly translates into market value, and therefore, "makes good building sense." Here's proof:

-- Nearly two-thirds of Gen Y-ers think proximity to a park is an important buying consideration. And three out of four feel the same about walkability.

-- Homes located in neighborhoods with good walkability are worth $34,000 more on average than similar places in neighborhoods with average walkability.

-- A dozen bicycles can fit into one parking space.

-- More than half of us want to live in a community that has transit.

"This is not just about building a walking trail or upgrading a fitness center," says Patrick Phillips, CEO of the Washington-based ULI. "Building healthy places is about improving all aspects of the environment in which people live, from the air we breathe to the places where we work."

To educate and encourage the real estate community to rethink what, where and how it builds, ULI has published as a first step a report outlining the "Ten Principles for Building Healthy Places and Intersections." The report examines how urban design and development can contribute to living environments that are conducive to prosperity.

Here are the 10 tenets of creating healthy places:

-- Put People First -- Health should be a priority, not an add-on or afterthought.

-- Build Economic Value -- The various aspects of wellness lead to greater marketability, quicker sales and greater property values.

-- Champion Health -- Community engagement is a powerful link between health and local land use and bringing about change.

-- Share Spaces -- More public spaces are advocated, as are "living streets," which prioritize pedestrians and cyclists over cars.

-- Make Health Easy -- Make health the one safe, easy choice by, among other things, removing barriers that lead people to default to an unhealthy practice.

-- Build Equitable Access -- Make healthy choices accessible to all income and demographic groups. These include neighborhoods with housing options for all ages and holistic transit plans that reduce the reliance on the automobile.

-- Mix It Up -- Integrate a range of uses -- residential, commercial, cultural and institutional.

-- Create Character -- Places that are different, unusual or unique can help promote physical activity and emotional well-being.

-- Healthy Food -- Diet is a major part of health, so access to healthy food should be part of any development proposal. This means assigning food the same prominence as, say, open space or housing mix.

-- Build Active -- Designs should be used to create active communities -- locating adult and children amenities together, for example -- to boost physical activity and reduce the reliance on cars.

If the nation's homebuilders and office developers take even just a few of these principles to heart, the places where we live and work should soon become much more healthy and enjoyable.

The shortage of houses for sale has changed the real estate landscape in numerous ways.

One is that finding just the right place has supplanted obtaining financing and wading through the necessary paperwork as the most difficult aspect of the buying process, according to the latest Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors.

But a survey from Chicago-based lender Guaranteed Rate finds that many buyers would rather do most anything else than go through the mortgage process again.

To be fair, a little over half the 1,000 people polled this fall found the buying-lending experience rather simple and easy to navigate. But nearly one in four said they'd rather gain 10 pounds, and almost one in eight would rather spend 24 hours with the person they dislike the most.

If you think that's bad, 7 percent would rather have a root canal, and almost that many would choose a night in prison over going through the mortgage process again.

Asked another way -- "Which of the following makes you extremely uneasy or anxious?" -- obtaining financing again scored very low in the Guaranteed Rate study. In fact, more people were more comfortable with public speaking, being in high places, flying in an airplane, being around snakes and being in a confined space than they were going through the mortgage process.

This flies in the face of the latest J.D. Power mortgage origination satisfaction study, which found that more borrowers were pleased with their lenders now than at any time in the last seven years.

Overall customer satisfaction improved for the third consecutive year. But as you might expect, rookie buyers who have never had to navigate the system weren't as tickled as repeat buyers and refinancers. Which prompts this bit of advice from Craig Martin, director of the financial services practice at J.D. Power:

"First-time buyers often have questions and should not be afraid to ask prospective lenders about the specifics of the mortgage process and how they will be kept informed. Much of the stress with borrowing comes from a lack of information and knowledge during the process. Asking when you will be updated and how that information will be provided are two key questions that may help improve the borrowing experience."

* *

More than three out of every four homebuyers polled in the National Association of Realtors' latest Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers said commuting costs are either "very" or "somewhat" important to their ultimate purchase decisions. After all, the combined cost of housing and transportation consumes close to half of the typical working family's monthly budget.

This makes a new tool from Uncle Sam that much more meaningful.

The Location Affordability Portal (LAP) from the Departments of Housing and Urban Development and Transportation allows users to estimate the combined housing and transportation costs for a specific region, neighborhood and even street.

LAP is actually two tools: one, a map-based Location Affordability Index, is a database that predicts annual housing and transport costs for a particular area. The other, My Transportation Cost Calculator, allows users to customize data for their own household and potential residential locations.

LAP includes diverse household profiles -- which vary by income, size and number of commuters -- and shows the affordability landscape for each one across an entire region. It was designed to help renters and homeowners -- plus planners, policymakers, developers and researchers -- get a more complete understanding of the costs of living in a location given the differences between households, neighborhoods and regions, all of which impact affordability. The data covers 94 percent of the U.S. population.

The cost calculator allows users to enter basic information about their own particular income, housing, cars and travel patterns. The customized estimates give a better understanding of transportation costs, how much they differ in other locations, and how much they are impacted by individual choices, so users can make more informed decisions about where to live and work.

"Many consumers make the mistake of thinking they can afford to live in a certain neighborhood or region just because they can afford the rent or mortgage payment," said HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan. "Housing affordability encompasses much more than that."

You can find the Location Affordability tool at portal.hud.gov/hudportal/HUD?src=/program_offices/sustainable_housing_communities/location_affordability.

Now, if the powers that be could just come up with an accurate way to estimate a home's utility costs, the problem of over-extending beyond one's means could be solved.