Green is the New Gold – in the Real Estate Market | RiverWired
MoneySavers & Green Products
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Green Business Feb 22, 2008
Green is the New Gold – in the Real Estate Market Eco-Friendly Brokers Are Growing – And Eco-Mortgages, Too

There’s only one way to survive in a housing market that’s in the toilet – you’ve got to channel Gypsy Rose Lee, yessir – “You gotta have a gimmick.”

So if you’re a real estate agent, you don’t have to just sit there and watch your commissions evaporate as if global warming had already hit. No, you can call yourself eco-friendly, take an Eco-Broker course, and specialize in selling green homes.

That’s what’s happening, according to the a recent Wall Street Journal article, How Green Is My Realtor:

“In a bid to stand out in a sagging housing market, an increasing number of real estate agents are marketing themselves as eco-friendly -- connecting environmentally conscious buyers to ‘green’ homes and helping sellers make their homes more eco-sensitive.”

As gimmicks go, I’ve gotta say, I like this one.

Eco Brokers Look for the Green

Brokers are advising sellers on improvements they can make in their homes to green them up – improving insulation, adding solar panels. And not only are they finding eco-buyers the green features more and more people want – they are also able to advise the buyers on how to go about fixing up houses that are not yet environmentally-equipped with fixes that will save energy, water, money and even improve air quality.

Banks Are Also Looking for the Green – With Eco-Friendly Mortgages

And here’s another gimmick I like – banks, too, are going green. They are offering great deals on mortgages -- discounts or bigger loans -- to people who are buying eco-friendly houses or making energy-efficient improvements to their houses. The excellent Wall Street Journal article, by Sara Schaeffer Munoz, says that Bank of America Corp. will give you $1000 credit toward closing fees with mortgages on homes that meet the government’s Energy Star Program.

Do we need any more evidence that Green is the new gold – when it comes to marketing in the year 2008?

 

HERE ARE SOME USEFUL GREEN REAL ESTATE AND GREEN MORTGAGE RESOURCES

Eco Broker International: Offers eco-courses for realtors.

Green Key Real Estate in San Francisco

Indigo Financial Group, based in Lansing, Mich.: Handling eco-friendly mortgages in Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Florida, Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Alabama.

The National Association of Homebuilders: Developing a green building standard along with works with the International Code Council.

U.S. Green Building Council: A nonprofit that rates commercial buildings on energy and eco matters.

 

Great Article | WestchesterCoun... | Feb 24th, 2008

Interesting article. This is the second article I have read pertaining to eco friendly properties selling quicker. Why not? Not only will the home buyer save money and help the environment, mortgage companies are giving deals to buyers for the purchase of a eco friendly homes. As a Realtor in Westchester County New York, I would think it would also make for some great marketing being able to promote such a house in any declining market. When too many stale homes sit and you can spice up the pot a little, I for one say two thumbs up to that, or should I say 2 Green thumbs up to that.

Mike Luchen REMAX Power Realtors Westchester County Real Estate Expert and #1 REMAX Agent. 914-316-9486 www.WestchesterRealEstateNY.com

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