Why Green Real Estate and how does this help YOU?

In the last year, I have had the honor of been involved in New Hampshire Association of Realtors education initiative around Green Real Estate. On Tuesday, March 27, 2017, we held the first ever New Hampshire Association of Realtors Green Real Estate Symposium followed by two days of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) Green Designation. This has been a dream come true for me. When I first got into real estate three and a half years ago, my business acumen was founded deeply in the ethics of Fair Share, Earth Care, and People Care or better know as, in the sustainable business world: People, Planet and Profit. At the time, I didn’t entirely know how these ethics were going to play out in my real estate practice. However, I did know that this was going to be woven into the mission, values and beliefs that our business would be founded on and be the core of how we serve our community. Being here the last three days with my team has been exciting, empowering and has us brimming with ideas of how to bring what we’ve learned to our clients, friends and family!

So, how does our team’s newly minted NAR Green Designations help you? First, it puts us at the forefront of what’s going on in the real estate industry and how we can relay this information to you. As a homeowner, seller, or buyer, you can make more informed decisions when taking steps towards sustainability - whether that is making energy improvement upgrades, or marketing your home to make sure appraisers and lenders understand the value of your investments in sustainable technology. What I love the most, is that we will be able to offer you solutions that are not only sustainable for the planet, but they will also be economically sustainable for you as well.

The most well known feature of “green real estate” is those shiny panels that I like to call the “sexy” investment in the sustainbility sphere. They are seen as this badge of honor shining on your home, and are the first and most popular talking point in our industry and within the community at large. Solar panels are awesome, and yes, if you have the funds, then go on and invest in a photovoltaic system and reduce your electric bill and carbon footprint! We, of course, will be offering tons of education on solar and are working on an education session with our partners at Revision Energy about whole home approaches to energy upgrades. We will also provide information about whether leasing or owning is right for you.  As much as I love my own solar system and love when I see them on homes, this is NOT the first step in making your home “green” nor is it what consumers are actually looking at first when purchasing a home.

Although it is not the most important according to the graph above, the easiest improvement you can make is reducing your energy footprint and utility bills. The first step to this is to analyze how you use power in your home. You might not realize this, but in our homes, we have these energy pirates known as phantom loads that are spinning your meter and racking up your energy bill without you knowing! In 2000, researchers from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated that Americans spend around $4 billion annually on standby power alone. In 2001, a report showed that standby power consumption accounted for an average of 15% of electricity consumption. This could be your TV, printer, old refrigerator or computer! The first step in reducing this phantom load is assessing what is drawing on your power and then taking the steps on which devices you should pull the plug on, upgrading or plug into a smart powerstrip! This is such an easy step and it gets even easier because you can also discover what phantom loads you are being charged for for free because in New Hampshire, Kill A Watt Counters are available to borrow from most local libraries in the State of New Hampshire.   Reserve one at your local library today.  Find your library here, http://directory.nhlibraries.org/ Let us know what you find out and how your energy bills have changed by this simple adjustment!

We look forward to using our knowledge and continuing to add value to you and your families lives, through cost-saving tips, educational opportunities and updates on what is going on in the “green real estate” movement. Our ultimate goal is that one day, green real estate is just real estate! Not only because it make sense, but because it makes you cents and protects your family and our planet now and in the future!