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It is Easy to Be Green
In honor of Earthday I’m sharing these 5 low cost easy tips to go greener at home, from Realtor.com:
5 low-cost things you can do to go greener at home
By Dena Kouremetis
When that certain lovable Muppet Kermit the Frog sang “It isn’t Easy Being Green” so long ago, chances are pretty good that he wasn’t referring to how easy it is to help the environment.
Helping the world go greener can begin with you. Anything from purchasing the right appliances to changing out a light bulb can make a huge difference to both the world around you and even your pocketbook in the long run.
1. Reaching for the “stars”
What is already in place in your home that could be a drain on energy? Is it that old refrigerator in the garage? Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that one older appliance (such as your trusty old fridge) can cost you as much as $150 more per year than an energy-efficient model?
Here’s a sobering thought — if just 10 homeowners replaced their older appliances with EnergyStar®-qualified ones, it would be equivalent to planting 1.7 million new acres of trees. Plan a budget to slowly replace all your “energy hog” appliances with new energy saving models and you’ll thank yourself later on.
2. How hot is hot and how cold is cold?
Turning down the thermostat in cold weather and inching it up during the warm months can save as much as 3-5 percent for each degree adjustment. In fact, as much as 60 percent of your energy bill may be heating and cooling related. Programmable thermostats can make the most prudent adjustments automatically during any 24-hour period but are grossly underused, according to Ron McClure. of the Pleasant Hill, Calif.-based California Home Energy & Comfort Solutions, a company that sends inspectors to perform energy “audits” for homeowners or buyers.
“About six out of ten households already have programmable thermostats but don’t use the automatic (programmable) function on them,” says McClure, “The first thing they do on a cold morning is head to the thermostat to warm up the place and by the time they are comfortable they head out the door without another thought..” he relates. Even if you remember to shut your heat off before you leave the house, however, McClure goes on to say that it costs more to reheat your home than to maintain the temperature with a properly programmed thermostat.
Other low-cost energy saving tasks to look into:
Get some new clothes for your hot water heater by placing an insulating jacket around it (usually costs under $20) and outfit your pipes for even less.
HVAC (heating, ventilation and cooling) changes can contribute even more – something as simple as cleaning your furnace’s air filter monthly during heavy usage times can make a big difference.
Shade your east and west facing windows to prevent the most brutal heat intrusion during summer months. And if your house doesn’t already possess dual-pane energy-efficient windows, why not start replacing those windows slowly, but start with those that receive the most intense sun exposure first?
Saving heat generating activities such as dishwashers and cooking until the evening hours can help you ease up on cooling costs as well as your local energy grid.
Using ceiling fans to move air on low speeds (even if TV reality remodeling shows think they’re not fashionable) can permit you to push the thermostat in either direction, providing more circulation of either cool or warm air.
3. Water, water everywhere but not a drop to waste
You may love the forceful flow of water at your faucets, toilets and showerheads, but did you know that installing aerators on them could cut your annual water consumption by more than half?
And then there is the commode… Toilets installed 15 years ago use more than twice the amount of water than the newer low-flow models. Even if you have older toilets, however, you can adjust your float valves to permit a lower water flow into the tank.
4. Going into the light
Replacing your incandescent light bulbs with the EnergyStar®-rated compact fluorescent variety all over the house can save you $100 per year, according to the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), a voluntary partnership between leaders of the homebuilding, product manufacturing, insurance, and financial industries. They calculate that if every family in the U.S. did this, greenhouse gas emissions would be reduced by one trillion pounds.
True — buying new bulbs does take an initial investment, but even a recent ad by Starbucks in The New York Times that said if every person who received the newspaper switched one light bulb to a compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb, it would be the equivalent of taking 89,000 cars off the road.
5. Filling in the gaps
Have you bothered to look around your attic space to see if all areas contain insulation? According to PATH, even a small area with limited or no insulation — or even insulation that has been damaged or compressed — can significantly decrease overall effectiveness. The U.S. Department of Energy says that adding insulation to the attic is relatively easy and very cost effective. To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than R-22 (7 inches of fiber glass or rock wool or 6 inches of cellulose), you could probably benefit by adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the attic.
An “energy audit” may cost you anywhere from $159 to $359, according to McClure, but PATH figures that you can recoup the cost of the inspection in about a year by implementing the recommendations the audits can provide. Try PATH for a list of inspectors in your area.
Copyright © by Move, Inc.
For more real estate tips, green or not, go to realtor.com: http://www.realtor.com/home-garden/green-your-home/
For information and tips on Durango Real Estate contact you favorite Blue Ribbon Real Estate Agent. 970 247 8388. Stay tuned for Agent Spotlights (like the ones in the Durango Herald Real Estate section) on each of our agents starting next week.
Claudia Williams is Durango’s first Eco Broker, certified and trained to assist in buying and selling green and energy efficient homes.
Remember our Cruiser Bike Giveaway on May 1st! One of our lucky Facebook fans will walk away with a brandnew bike. To like Blue Ribbon Properties on Facebook click here: FB.com/blueribbonproperties
Green Buildings: What’s the Difference and Does It Matter?
I found this article in the Colorado Realtors Winter 2012 Newsletter and would like to share it with you. Claudia Williams is Durango’s first Ecobroker, certified and trained to market and sell green properties, both energy efficient and properties built or retrofitted with green features. This article was written by Taylor Watkins, a Certified Residential Appraiser and, among others, comments on the valuation of green elements in appraising homes.
This article will introduce some of the elements of green building and the ways in which they may relate to
appraisal practice. This is a very large field, so the list is not exhaustive, but it does provide a place to start
understanding green buildings. There has been a lot of talk recently about the popularity of residential, industrial, and commercial “green”, or environmentally responsible and resource-efficient, building structures. There have also been many published articles in which builders, brokers, and owners claim that appraisers undervalue green
properties. As appraisers know, we don’t create the market for specific property types; we analyze available,
appropriate market data to reflect the actions of the market. In the case of green buildings, however,
perhaps some green building advocates may not clearly understand the systematic appraisal valuation
procedure an appraiser follows to answer a client’s questions about real property value, and some appraisers
don’t clearly understand valuation issues involved with green buildings.
Green building is relatively new in many parts of the country, but it has been around for decades.
There are several different reasons for the recent interest in green building. Rising energy costs have made
green building more attractive, but as we will see, energy efficiency is only one aspect of green building.
Increased awareness of the principles of sustainability is another reason. Governmental support of green
building measures, from storm water management codes to energy efficient appliance incentives, has also
helped move green building into the mainstream.
What is Green Building?
One of the difficulties in understanding green building is the lack of a complete and accurate definition that
is commonly accepted among the varied professions and organizations that deal with green buildings. One
example of a green building definition comes from the US Environmental Protection Agency:
“Green building is the practice of creating structures and using processes that are environmentally
responsible and resource-efficient throughout a building’s life-cycle from siting to design, construction,
operation, maintenance, renovation and deconstruction. This practice expands and complements the
classical building design concerns of economy, utility, durability, and comfort. Green building is also known as
a sustainable or high performance building.”
Green building can generally be thought of as a building practice that that focuses on the
building structure’s resource efficiency (i.e., high performance) and the health of its occupants and the
environmental impact throughout the structure’s entire life cycle from its design through its occupancy and
eventual deconstruction.
Viewing a building through its entire life cycle is not a new idea, but it can lead to different choices in
the way it is constructed, and this is part of what distinguishes green buildings. These choices tend to gravitate
to the following basic elements of green building: site, water, energy, materials, and indoor air quality.
Although these elements are not exclusive to green building, the way in which green buildings address them
is different from conventional buildings. By understanding these elements and how they differentiate green
buildings, appraisers will attain the necessary competence in the valuation of green buildings and will also be
able to participate in the growing conversation surrounding them. Recall that USPAP requires competency
and being competent requires knowledge and experience to produce credible assignment results.
Site Element
Overriding site concerns are the preservation of open space and habitat protection when possible. In
addition, green site planning and development focuses on the site’s proximity to transportation and other
linkages, access to sun and/or shade as the climate dictates, and building placement on the site to take
advantage of solar, water, or wind-oriented resources.
Appraisal Practice: The traditional view of location applies here in terms of access to amenities, but
with additional emphasis on proximity to mass transportation, increased density, and open, or green spaces.
This is because proximity to mass transit improves air quality due to lower vehicle emissions, and lowers fuel
and energy consumption during occupancy of the building. Additionally, increased density can help protect
open space.
Water Element
Water is a resource that is actively managed and conserved in many green
buildings. Water that comes to the property from the local provider is conserved as
much as possible inside and outside the building. Storm water is all the water that falls
on the site as precipitation. In some cases, storm water is captured and retained
for reuse, either inside or outside the building. Drought tolerant landscaping is also
encouraged.
Appraisal Practice: In theory, water consumption and cost can be measured
and thus quantified in most cases. Especially in arid portions of the country or areas
with high sewage disposal costs, savings from reducing and reusing water in some
cases can lead to operational savings.
Energy Element
Energy comes to most buildings in the form of natural gas or electricity. While it is only one of the elements
of green building, it gets a lot of attention. This is because it is measurable, both in terms of consumption
and cost, and because there are many incentives available for energy efficient materials, systems, and
appliances. Unlike some of the other elements of green building, energy efficiency and related cost savings
are important to cost conscious buyers in some areas of the country.
Appraisal Practice: Like water, energy consumption is measurable, so if less energy is consumed by a
property, that savings may be a benefit that accrues to the property. It is also a benefit that will keep paying
forward throughout the life of that building or that particular energy efficient system or appliance.
Materials Element
Green building materials have entered the mainstream in many areas of the country over the past several
years. These materials again focus on resource efficiency in their composition, like being made of recycled
materials; in their production, such as being locally made or minimally processed; or in their use, meaning
that they can lead to less energy consumption while in place in a building.
Appraisal Practice: Some green materials may be more durable than their conventional counterparts,
leading to less maintenance over time. This can lead to lower operational costs and also perhaps to a longer
physical life. The proper material to use, green or not, depends on the application.
Indoor Air Quality Element
Indoor Air Quality (“IAQ”) has been getting a lot more attention lately, but it has always been an integral part
of green building. Particularly with commercial and governmental buildings, landlords, tenants, and owners
have become interested in the effects of good IAQ on workers. Studies are also looking into the effects on
student performance in school buildings with superior IAQ.
Appraisal Practice: If IAQ becomes measurable in some way, then its positive
effects on occupants may enter into the appraisal process using paired sales or
statistical analysis. Pending the availability of that type of measurable data, it
is still possible, indeed appropriate, to consider a qualitative technique known
as “relative comparison analysis” when using the sales comparison approach.
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For more information on building green and evaluating homes with green features please don’t hesitate to contact Claudia Williams, Blue Ribbon Properties, Durango Real Estate. 970.247.8388. claudia@blueribbondurango.com.
More online resoures:
Green Home Resources at greenhomesforsale.com
EPA Green Homes – http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/
US Green Building Council – http://greenhomeguide.com/
Locally here in Durango you can join the “Green Business Round Table” hosted once a month by the San Juan Citizens Alliance
For information on making you La Plata County Home more energy efficient contact Four Core – www.fourcore.org/
Check out my new green listing, not only is this a beautiful home in a fabulous location, private, border National Forest, it’s super energy efficient. Built out of Eco-Bloc. Don’t miss this house – great quality at this price point of only $448,500.
MLS# 656601 – click here for more info or call me if you’d like to see it!
306 Rosalie Drive - Green and Private - borders National Forest
As Durango’s first Eco Broker, Claudia Williams is certified to market and sell green, eco friendly and energy efficient homes. Earthday is tomorrow, April 22nd, 2011. What are you doing to celebrate Earthday?
Happy Easter!
–
Claudia Williams
Owner/Ecobroker/Exchangor
Blue Ribbon Properties
835 Main Ave #214
Durango, CO 81301
970 247 8388 (office)
970 749 3555 (cell)
970 247 8360 (fax)
www.blueribbondurango.com
Check out my blog
The Scoop on Durango Real Estate
www.blueribbondurango.com/blog
I came across an article from Realtor.org today and felt I should share it with you.
It’s nice to read about the positive but steady recovery we are just starting to see on a nationwide level. It might be just the tip of the iceberg but its a step in the right direction.
The article was titled:
“Pending Home Sales Slip but Modest Recovery Expected in 2011″
In summary, the article states pending home sales went down 1.8 % since September. However, NAR’s (National Association of Realtor’s) chief economist, said there are many different determining factors in the current housing market but that there appears to be a pent-up demand that eventually will be unleashed as banks resolve their issues with foreclosures and the labor market improves.
They mentioned mortgage interest rates and how they forcast to see them rise to 5.8 % by 2012.
When forecasting existing-home sales, they estimated a gradual rise, with some “occasional dips along the way”. “For 2011 we should see more than 5.1 million existing-home sales, (nationwide) up from about 4.8 million this year.” Said Lawrence Yun, NAR’s chief economist.
Feel free to comment on this article or email us with any questions you might have regarding real estate or the Durango area. We are happy to help!
As always, thanks for reading!
Shaheen Hood
Shaheen@BlueRibbonDurango.com
Blue Ribbon Properties
Broker Associate, CNE, EcoBroker
Board/Committee Member for the Durango Area Association of Realtors
835 Main Ave. Suite # 214
Office: 970-247-8388 Fax: 970-247-8360
Shaheen’s Cell: 970-769-2441
Things are looking good, buyer are out shopping again. Seller’s not dropping too much on prices but there is light on the horizon. Here is the activity for Durango from the last 7 days.
What has sold in the last week?
9 Homes have sold in Durango in the past week. Homes were priced from $190k-$529k.
-Average list price was $310k -Average sold price: $294k
-Average Days on market: 171
-Average sold price per square foot from these homes: $168.00
-3 homes were in town, the other 6 in rural Durango locations
Click Here to View CMA Presentation
How many homes are under contract?
There are currently 65 homes in Durango with pending sales. Listed prices range from $70,000 to $5.9 mil. Median price is $299K.
35 of these homes are in town.
30 are in rural areas of Durango.
Any New listings?
There are 19 new listings that have posted in the last week. 12 are in town and 7 are in rural areas of Durango. I only expect to see this # go up over the next 6 months.
Click here to see new listings
These statistics are only for Durango homes in town are rural areas of Durango over the last 7 days. If you would like statistics on other surrounding areas, vacant land or specific time frames outside of this criteria, just email or call, we would be happy to send the info your way!
Shaheen Hangval
Broker Associate/EcoBroker with Blue Ribbon Properties
835 Main Ave. Suite # 214
Office: 970-247-8388 Fax: 970-247-8360
Shaheen’s Cell: 970-769-2441
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