Going Green: Faux-green to Real-deal- Asheville NC Real Estate and Beyond
If you are Going Green, how do you tell the difference between faux-green and the real-deal? If you are in the Asheville NC real estate market or in Anytown, USA, this can be an amazing challenge. There are so many shades of green out there today- "green buildings" encompass a wide variety of real estate from homes you might find in a conservation-oriented subdivision, to homes on acreage that are off the grid, to mixed-use buildings that have residential condos above ground floor retail- to mention just a few.
Here's a check list of questions to ask real estate and related service providers.
These apply whether you are in the Asheville NC real estate market or in Portland, Detroit or LA::
1. WHAT advanced training to you have ?
2. Do you have the Eco Certified® Real Estate Consultant designation? Have you completed ECOBroker® Training? O do you hold the NAR GREEN Designation?
3. Have you advanced training and education in understanding land planning and use?
4. How do you distinguish yourself from your colleagues as a valuable resource to buyers and sellers?
5. Do you have a collection of contact information at the tip of their fingers?
6. Tell me....what are your concerns for improving environmental quality?
7. Tell me....what cooperative efforts are you involved in ...in the community...or initiated by business professionals and/or the general public?
8. Tell me... can you (and how would you) connect me with "green" building and development experts for technical assistance in the real estate transaction?
9. Can you help me determine the type of green real estate that best fits my needs?
10. What is green-washing all about?
11. Do you have an understanding of technical issues that can arise with the transaction of green real estate (loans, home inspections, etc)?
12. Can you identify the "right" expert in the green building and development industry to help resolve potential problems?
13. Can you point me in the direction of expert information on topics such as energy-efficient mortgages, passive solar heating, radiant floor heating, mold mitigation, land design and development, cluster housing?
14. What is Permaculture?
15. What is a rain catchment system?
16. Who do I contact to find out environmental impact?
17. How many of these steps for certifying a True Green Home are you familiar with? http://www.wncgbc.org/healthybuilt/docs/HBHChecklistv3.0.xls
18. Do you live in a "green" home yourself? And/or what are you doing to make it more "green"?
19. What are you doing in terms of collaboration in neighborhoods, eco-communities and the broader community?
20. What "green" organizations do you belong to or do you sponsor?
...so ....summing it up.....search for authenticity...
Resources:
Eco-All-Stars. Over 1,000 real estate and related professionals offer green and going green information based on experience.
Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultants. Consumers can connect with professionals who have done at least 36 hours of classroom, hands-on training in outdoor and indoor green-related real estate coursework.
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(*)/'(*) .......... ............LAND in Asheville . Going Green Properties. Expert Tools for Sellers and Buyers of Mountain Homes and Land Legacies. "On the roll for sustainable innovation." See also our Mountain Homes and Land blog. http://landlegacies.blogspot.com/ Copyright © 2010. All Rights Reserved Asheville NC Real Estate ______________________________________________________________
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Asheville NC Real Estate Journal for Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville 1031 Realty© 2012.. Designations: NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant, ePRO®. Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos and graphics on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws. All rights reserved.
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You are right.
I just completed my GREEN designation & I never realized how much I didn't know about marketing a "GREEN" home. It is a lot more than just Energy Start appliances and CFL bulbs.
After reading your 20 questions I realize I need more education myself. I plan to look into the GREEN designation.
Jean-Paul~
Living and practicing real estate where you do, I can imagine the benefits of your GREEN designation.
Chris~
I would like to know if you got your GREEN designation and what you thought of the course.