Archive for the 'Environmental Issues' Category
Going Green Helps Save Earth and Household Budgets
September 18th, 2010 Categories: Environmental Issues
Taking steps to minimize your energy use is not only good for the Earth, but for homeowners as well. While being altruistic and helping a cause generally means giving—not getting—back, going green provides noticeable benefits to everyone. Here, Mike Vazeii, Director or Marketing, American Home Shield discusses why going green is in fact a good thing.
Lowering energy consumption can be good for the planet and good for homeowners’ pocketbooks. That’s because taking steps to minimize energy use in the home can often significantly lower heating, cooling, water and utility bills and may have other financial advantages for you and for your clients.
It almost sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Being altruistic and helping a cause usually means giving—not getting—back. However, going green can help save the Earth and help save household budgets. Helping your clients decrease their carbon footprints and protect our natural resources while spending less is a tangible way of delivering extra service value to them.
For example, make sure your clients know they may be eligible for federal tax credits or tax incentives for the purchase of specific energy-efficient products or renewable energy systems for the home. Today, energy-efficient improvements can often be incorporated into home mortgages, enabling homeowners to pay for the upgrades over the life of the loan.
Depending on the lender, there may be additional advantages, such as lower mortgage rates or reduced loan fees. Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs) and Energy Improvement Mortgages (EIMs) are also available. Encourage your clients to check with a tax professional for tax credit and incentive qualification specifics, deadlines and eligibility requirements, and to consult with their local lender for mortgage information and guidelines. Websites such as www.energy.gov, www.energysavers.gov, www.energystar.gov and www.irs.gov also contain useful information.
You can help raise your clients’ awareness of the green compatibility in homes. For example, if you are showing a home that has skylights, be sure to mention that skylights decrease the need for artificial lighting and help warm the home during winter months, decreasing energy use. Home appliances with the Energy Star label meet and exceed minimum, strict energy efficiency government guidelines and can reduce energy consumption and lower utility bills. Even seemingly small things, like light switch dimmer controls and automatic occupancy sensors, can contribute to energy and monetary savings.
For energy-efficient ideas that your clients can incorporate into their own homes, visit www.Live-GreenSaveGreen.com. Living green and saving green is easy, fun and beneficial for everyone involved.
Your homeowners will be grateful for the conservation and cost-saving tips, and can appreciate the fact that you care enough about them and about our planet to share such useful information. You’ll find some helpful ideas for your own home, too. Find out for yourself and show your clients why living green isn’t only the right thing to do—it’s the smart thing to do.
From RIS Media
Connect with Valerie…
Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years of real estate experience and is known for her solid reputation in the West Los Angeles brokerage community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.
Search Luxury Homes in Los Angeles at Valerie Fitzgerald Real Estate Listings or contact Valerie Fitzgerald at 310-285-7515.
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Do You Understand Why ‘Green’ Is Important?
August 12th, 2010 Categories: Environmental Issues
“Green building.” What began as a buzzword a few years ago has transformed today’s real estate industry. This month, we talk with Al Medina, director of NAR’s Green Designation, a groundbreaking educational program that provides vital training, support and information to professionals who are looking to advance their businesses and raise awareness of the environmental impact of commercial and residential real estate.
Why is NAR’s Green Designation important in today’s market?
Staying educated in a rapidly changing marketplace is vital to the success of any agent. NAR’s Green Designation prepares REALTORS® to seek out, understand and market homes with green features to potential buyers. By educating themselves in green building and sustainable business practices today, Realtors are preparing themselves for the future of real estate. And if green homes have not reached your area, they will soon.
Established areas that have green homes show a clear marketplace advantage compared to traditionally built homes in terms of time on the market and sales price. For instance, in 2009, in the Atlanta area, certified green homes on average sold 31 days faster than traditionally built homes. Today’s market requires a Realtor who is aware of these statistics in their community, and earning NAR’s Green Designation is a step in that direction.
How do brokers benefit from encouraging their sales associates to seek NAR’s Green Designation?
Having successful sales associates equates to a successful broker/manager. And success in today’s market means keeping up with green. Between local building codes that encourage green construction, federal government incentives and the increasing adoption of energy efficiency within the lifestyles of homeowners, the future of residential real estate is shifting toward green properties. The green home of today will be the standard home of tomorrow.
To adapt to this change, we created an education path tailored to an agent’s area of specialization. Brokers and agents interested in this designation complete a core course covering a broad range of green principles followed by an elective course based on their area of specialization, whether that is residential, commercial or property management.
What value does earning NAR’s Green Designation provide to agents who work primarily with buyers?
Today, green real estate is just as much about energy efficiency as sustainability. Our core and residential elective courses teach Realtors that buyers interested in green homes are motivated for different reasons and adopting green at various levels. Understanding these motivations enables Realtors to more effectively guide their buyer-clients. The course work explains the cost/benefit value of green homes, specific green home features, the various green home certifications and available buyer incentives and credits. Having knowledge in these areas and sharing them with buyer-clients adds value and allows agents to differentiate themselves from the competition.
How can working with buyers on green issues impact local communities?
NAR Green Designees are trained to be “the source of the source” and to create relationships with energy auditors, green lenders, builders and other real estate professionals who have a specialization in green. This allows agents to not only grow their business network, but to increase consumer awareness on green issues, ultimately improving the communities in which they live.
Valerie Fitzgerald specializes in luxury residential real estate in Beverly Hills, Bel Air, Brentwood, Santa Monica and Malibu. Valerie has more than 20 years of real estate experience and is known for her solid reputation in the West Los Angeles brokerage community. She’s also the author of the book published by Simon and Schuster Heart and Sold: How to Survive and Build a Recession-Proof Business.
Search Luxury Homes in Los Angeles at Valerie Fitzgerald Real Estate Listings or contact Valerie Fitzgerald at 310-285-7515.
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And You Thought Skylights Were Neat…
March 5th, 2009 Categories: Environmental Issues
British actuary Ross Russell and his wife Sally decided to leave behind their hectic London lives and move to the countryside. They wanted to build a home that was a little unconventional, but the local planning council was apparently more traditionally-minded. The end result — an interesting fusion contrived by Russell and a childhood friend who grew up to be a successful architect — is a fairly rustic-looking timber-clad shell that slides all the way back to reveal a modern glass and steel structure completely open to the land and the sky above. (The sliding shell, by the way, does have skylights cut out.) We always talk about “bringing the outdoors in,” but a wall of French doors just can’t compete with this. Read the whole story here.
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Don’t miss today’s Total Solar Eclipse!
August 1st, 2008 Categories: Environmental Issues
Today’s total solar eclipse (appx 7am Eastern/10am Pacific) is going to be broadcast live online from China, courtesy of the folks at NASA.
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More green or purple?….trees, that is!
April 14th, 2008 Categories: Environmental Issues
Each week Peter Viles over at the LA Times, writes his Tree of the Week article. This week it’s about Spring’s favorite…the Purple Plum.
Also, check out how you can help save the environment and get a free Purple Plum of your own, by calling LADWP at 1-800-GREENLA (800-473-3652).
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“…nobody walks in L.A.”
March 14th, 2008 Categories: City News, Environmental Issues
Missing Persons may need to change some lyrics after Google Transit settles into Los Angeles. Apparently, Google is making it easier for people to get around using public transportation. Currently, navigating between the different systems can seem very daunting.
Unfortunately, I don’t think this will encourage new public transit patrons, but it should help those who already use the system.
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Santa Monica is thinking GREEN too!
March 13th, 2008 Categories: City News, Environmental Issues
That’s right!!! The City of Santa Monica may soon ban the distribution of single-use plastic carry-out bags for customers. Part of the plan may include a mandatory charge to customers if/when they don’t bring their own bag. Brings new meaning to, everyone brings their own ‘bag’gage.
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LA’s going GREEN…or at least trying to.
March 11th, 2008 Categories: City News, Environmental Issues
Ok, it’s not the perfect “fix”, but at least there is a noticeable effort. The City of Los Angeles has committed to using only post-consumer recycled copy paper! Some kinks need to be worked out…such as having paper sent to China for recycling (HELLO!…send it to Washington State), and do they have to use the ‘bright white’ paper adding chlorine into the water system?
Regardless, it’s a start and hopefully the awareness will have a positive domino effect.
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