Is Money The Main Consideration In Greening The Real Estate Market?
I am always amazed when I read an article that states that people do not understand green real estate concepts and the opportunity it offers both buyers and sellers. In fact, I remember when I first heard that indoor air quality in homes can be worse than outdoor air quality I was not happy. Here I was, in 2005, a practicing real estate broker, managing agents, and agents always feel responsible to suggest to sellers ways to improve the future sale of the largest financial investment they make.
While I was managing 2 offices in Sarasota, Florida, I kept hearing about green building. Sarasota is a leader in the state of Florida in green issues and sustainability so I began learning through osmosis and found no one was training the real estate professions on these issues. When I contacted my trade association to ask why, they had “no interest. They didn’t know what green building was and didn’t see the need for Realtors® to know about it. Oh boy, I knew something was not right. Going into a deep study mode for a year, I started to learn quite a bit, documented my newfound knowledge and created Green Real Estate Education. I was learning about the actual results of greening a piece of real estate. I was discovering that certain types of insulation and building materials could contribute to lower utility bills and a healthier indoor environment. I learned things like a TV uses 25% if its energy when it was turned off ( called phantom energy) and could give off 4,000+ chemical fumes and since I had 4 at the time, again I wasn’t happy. When I think of all of the buyers I sold homes to, who may have had a type of respiratory problem in a family member or friend I could see how important this was.
Traveling the country, going to seminars and conventions, and just listening and taking notes, I realized green building concepts were important for how clients to know how to have a better ROI. Lower utility bills, healthier indoor air quality, sustainable systems installed, I don’t see a downside? A common term in real estate is Return on Investment. Wouldn’t that be nice right about now? Many people are beginning to accept the fact that first costs are not the only factor to consider when building green or renovating with energy efficient materials and systems. It is the life expectancy of the structure that is considered for green upgrade decisions. I see a dollar value in this. Don’t you? As consumers, begin to look at the long-term value of the renovations you invest in. In the long run, you will see a difference in the quality of your life and your bottom line when you sell. When you are considering buying a piece of teal estate, if it isn’t offering green attributes, consider what it will need in terms of upgrades to be a healthier place for your family and have lower utility bills. In addition to better health and good selling points for the future, there are many considerations to greening the real estate markets.
Green Real Estate Education was established in early 2006. Kerry Mitchell, founder of Green Real Estate Education, has over 14 years in real estate, in the past as a Maryland Real Estate Professional Broker, and a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Florida. Green Real Estate Education offers the fastest growing “green certification” programs in the United States for those professions in the real estate industry, including real estate and mortgage professionals. For more information visit: www.greenrealestateeducation.com <http://www.greenrealestateeducation.com/>
About the Author
Ms. Kerry Mitchell established Green Real Estate Education in early 2006, with over 14 years in real estate, in the past as a Maryland Real Estate Professional Broker, and a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Florida. Green Real Estate Education offers the fastest growing “green certification” program in the United States for the real estate industry. Close to 6,000 in the US already have our certifications For under $100, the students get a LOGO TO USE, a manual ,certification and currently in many states and their national affiliations, continuing education credits. For more information visit: www.greenrealestateeducation.com <http://www.greenrealestateeducation.com/>
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