Want Your Next Home to Be Green?

Green homes are selling faster and commanding higher prices than other properties in many markets. For example, Alyson McNutt English reports that “Solaire, a green residential high-rise in New York, commands rents 10 percent to 15 percent higher than market rates. In Rocklin, California LEED-certified homes in the Carsten Crossings development outsold the competition 2 to 1.” That reflects a trend that's grown since 2006.

Turn to an EcoBroker who is trained to assess the green features of a prospective home.

There are many benefits. From helping you qualify for grants and tax credits for energy-saving improvements to ensuring that your home will have healthy air inside, an EcoBroker’s training may help you. That Realtor has chosen to take courses about what makes a building “green”, healthy and more attractive to energy-saving or otherwise eco-minded buyers. Hugh Morris, the community outreach representative for the National Association of Realtors says interest in "green" properties has surged.

There are now 4,000 certified EcoBrokers.

Here’s ways they can be helpful:

• Some EcoBrokers will connect interested buyers to homes with eco-friendly features, like an electronic air cleaners (EAC), solar power and energy-efficient appliances. Even if the property does not have green features, EcoBrokers can, for example, show seller or buyers example retro-fits to lower their energy bills.

• Celeste Karan hosts a web site that not only lists homes for sale but provides, help for “home buyers understand what truly constitutes a 'green building.' "

• Ecobrokers Karen Sutherland and Jennifer Spivey use their sites to provide “green” news and tips to homeowners. Spivey, for example, reported that “October 2-5 Georgia residents can purchase energy and water efficient products state and local tax free. This is the first year water efficient products have been included in the tax holiday.”

• If the home you want to sell has many green features, an EcoBroker may be more adept at selling it to the growing niche market of green buyers. That’s what EcoBroker Carson Matthews has found. He uses his blog to help make the connections. Plus he and his colleague, Cotten Alston, “successfully lobbied the First Multiple Listing Service (FMLS) to include green features in their search engine.”

• When looking at a home for sale, Baltimore's first EcoBroker Amanda Lee Lopez “checks the indoor air quality, the cost of utilities and how the owners, both current and new, can make green improvements.”

• Among other things EcoBroker Larry Weiss can help you with indoor air quality, ventilation, use of low VOC paints, quality radon testing, and reliable water testing.

• Gary Greene offers a free Property and Environmental Profile on any domestic property in his Houston market.

• Maui’s first female EcoBroker, Meghan Clair writes that “It pays to think Green when investing in Real Estate.”

• A sign this healthy green home trend is growing in popularity: the U.S. Green Building Council -- a nonprofit that rates commercial buildings on things like energy use and indoor-air quality -- introduced similar rating systems for people's homes.

• For more ideas about how to make your home more energy and resource-efficient (an a healthy place in which to live) visit a partner of EcoBroker, Build It Green.

Home Builders’ Energy-Saving Tips for Home Owners

Considering renovating or building a new home? Make it more energy-efficient with these tips, gathered by Jeffrey Lee, from builders at the 2008 the Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Don’t be put off by some of the technical terms. Just ask your builder to review these options with you.

Builder, Steve Easley offers these tips:

• In thinking about air conditioning, many pros’ first thought is about the system’s SEER, according to Steve Easley. Instead, “Design the homes to use less air conditioning first,” he suggested, using overhangs, proper orientation and landscaping, and efficient windows and building envelope products.

• Make sure that the air-conditioning unit is properly charged. “Sixty-two percent of the time, the A/C system is mischarged. The unit’s SEER drops off with the wrong charge.

• Use the Energy Star thermal bypass checklist for subcontractors installing insulation. The checklist shows common insulation mistakes and how to avoid them. When installers compress insulation, for instance, it quickly loses R-value.

• Air leaks through common joints for framing and sheathing are a common problem. Spray-foam insulation can help, and spray-foam insulation can combine with fiberglass insulation for an economical solution.

• In thinking about air conditioning, many pros’ first thought is about the system’s SEER. Design the homes to use less air conditioning first,” he suggested, using overhangs, proper orientation and landscaping, and efficient windows and building envelope products.

• Ensure the air-conditioning unit is properly charged, Easley said. “Sixty-two percent of the time, the A/C system is mischarged,” he added. The unit’s SEER drops off with the wrong charge.

• Use the Energy Star thermal bypass checklist for subcontractors installing insulation, Easley said. The checklist shows common insulation mistakes and how to avoid them. When installers compress insulation, for instance, it quickly loses R-value.

• Air leaks through common joints for framing and sheathing are a common problem, Easley said. Spray-foam insulation can help, and spray-foam insulation can combine with fiberglass insulation for an economical solution.

• Install moisture-resistant backerboard such as Georgia-Pacific’s DensShield Tile Backer. Standard gypsum board is a perfect breeding ground for mold.

• Again, concentrating on initial design can provide the biggest bang for the buck, Easley noted. Avoid roof pitches intersecting with vertical wall planes, for instance, which can cause moisture management problems.

• Use high-efficiency appliances and fixtures. High-efficiency dishwashers use 5 to 7 gallons of water per load, versus up to 12 gallons for standard machines. Using other high-efficiency fixtures such as toilets, washing machines, showers, and faucets can provide up to 50% savings.

Justin Dunning, director of the California Green Builder program, offer these tips:

• The most cost-effective energy-saving features vary by climate, noted For example, in a temperate climate like San Diego, little heat or air conditioning is needed. Tankless water heaters can provide a bigger return on investment than additional spending on HVAC, he said.

Homebuilders and renovators can consider these energy-saving measures, regardless of the climate in their area:

• First, insulate the attic, if you have one. Adding more insulation - up to the R-38 level.

• Aid air filtration with a one-coat stucco system: stucco over an inch thick on R-4 EPS board, “can create an R-17 wall.

• Make sure ducts are tight and properly sealed.

Tenaya Asan, manager of the GreenPoint-rated program for Build It Green offers these tips:

• Use water-conserving landscaping, Avoid invasive species: “They suck up water from other plants,” she said. Use reduced turf and native plants that require less water.

• Use only drip, bubbler, or low-flow sprinkler irrigation systems, and smart irrigation controllers.

• Don’t use plants that need a lot of shearing, Asan said, because “green waste” takes up a lot of space in landfills.

• Include a built-in recycling center in home designs to make recycling easier for homeowners, Asan suggested.

Discover more ways to go green at home from Jeffrey Lee and ebuild and Eco Home magazine.

Green building is the “bright spot” in home building

… during these uncertain economic times, according to David Gottfried. That means taking some steps to make your home more green - and a healthier place in which to live – may be a smart move, even now.

While at U.S. Green Building Council and the World Green Building Council (USGBC), Gottfried helped develop the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

Says Gottfried, in an interview at Sustainable Industries, “The market’s been growing about 30 percent a year for green building, whereas it’s decreasing for the industry in general.

The LEED rating system has some 15,000 projects that have registered for certification. Over 100 cities mandated green requirements for their own buildings.

Some of the homebuilders who are building are starting to move over and embrace green. Why is all that doing well? Because new construction is slowing down, but there’s existing buildings which are being rehabbed green.

Perhaps the green building market can rely on remodeling to keep it afloat during this downturn. He also acknowledges that “because of the recession that becomes a more important market, because it’s hard to get financing for new construction.”

“I think owners are rehabbing their homes. They’re going to rehab their office buildings and retool them for the next generation; and that’s a good business. It also saves money because it brings your energy bill down by 30 percent to 50 percent and your water bill down by 30 percent. All of that enhances the value of the asset that you own in the marketplace.

In January, among other activities, Gottfriend is going to help grow GreenHomeGuide.com, an Internet community for green homebuilding and remodeling that I helped start. Check it out.