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THE GOOD GREEN INVESTMENT MUSE: A Little Software and A Lot Something Else.

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK 209970

the good green investment muse at home in Asheville       

 

Our real estate practice focuses on sustainable innovation. With this in mind, the idea of software in my tool box that can help put a property in context appeals to me.

For  testing and identifying dollar risks, looking at income (before and after taxes) and comparing one property to others, I use a handy, professional software program I trained on during one of my CRS classes. I really like it.

Why?

 

  1. This software helps show my good green real estate investor-clients which property of interest holds on a strong income potential.
  2. It helps my eco-friendly 1031 clients compare properties.
  3. It helps us look at timelines in terms of best opportunities to relinquish, identify and acquire properties.
  4. It helps me present information in an accessible format with graphics, graphs and print-out reports.

For some of my clients who may feel more comfortable seeing "the numbers" in black & white, the software gives a hard copy to place in their take-with materials along with the maps and photos I always like to include in a package. All of this I appreciate. . .

However. . . a lot of something special may be missing. I've  noticed that a software program appears not to provide:

  1. Human interest stories pertinent to buying decisions on a property.( Knowledge of the history and local lore accumulates with hands-on experience.)
  2. Intuition based on that experience, that can impact a buying or selling decision in a positive way.

That's why, when it comes to making a good green investment, after all the software analysis has been done, and before the curtain comes down on a selling or buying decision, I like to bring in another tool. This is one you may find even more powerful than software. It even can be "faster than a speeding bullet"!  It can be as attractive as a puppy sound asleep on a fluffy  pink blanket. It can be laser-precise.

What is it?

A lot something else- that  little voice that wakes my clients and/or me up at 2:00 A.M. with that sense of possibility- that tells them this is "The Right One"- I've seen this happen time and again with 1031 investors interested in eco-development, in particular.  I'm not exactly sure how it works, but if you are lucky enough to have a real property Muse - s/he could turn out to be one of your best assets.

Copyright © Greenolina, Asheville NC 2007

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Comments(8)

ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com
Did I ask you if YOU have a Muse? I'd like to know!
Nov 09, 2007 07:06 AM
Stephanie Edwards-Musa
thredUP.com - The Woodlands, TX
knitwit at thred UP
Hi janeAnne,  I like that something else and I use it all of the time.  Using in a few things right now actually.   I know that your knowledge and expertise come in to play all of the time with your clients.  It's also fun to share the same vision as our clients.  Always something exciting...can't wait to hear more.
Nov 09, 2007 07:15 AM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Stephanie~

The idea that our practice of real estate can have a "green" flavor...in more ways than one can be very attractive to a large audience. I have heard that sustainable innovation and eco-wise investing go hand-in-hand in a most compatible way! Let me know news from your neighborhood on that subject.

Nov 09, 2007 07:19 AM
Joan Mirantz
Homequest Real Estate - Concord, NH
Realtor, GRI, CBR, SRES - Concord New Hampshire
janeAnne...are you finding an increase in "green"minded Buyers? I really haven't seen any change.
Nov 09, 2007 02:00 PM
Mary McGraw
GLREA - Rockford, MI
2015: Solar Energy Is Still A Simple Machine!

JaneAnne - I have had the opportunity recently to sit in on meetings with developers, buyers and product reps/vendors. The question always comes up "what do you have to do with all this." It is probably an unusual practice for a mortgage person to get involved in early planning stages. I find that unfortunate.

For instance,  recently, I have researched wages, average home prices, average DOM, etc for a project and crunched numbers for what I would need to qualify borrowers for the home price being built. I wish I had the software you speak of. I also had the opportunity to tour the property during the day ... and now...during the night.

To me, IMHO, the project costs do not make sense for the location and I feel the investors will be hurt if they take it on -- even if they can "afford" it. With my recommendation, I just cut my paycheck.

I don't see myself as an exceptional originator, just one who looks at both sides of the equation. My first boss used to yell at me for "knowing too much" about the home that was being purchased. 

The question in my mind on this particular project: do I want my investors to build a property and sit on it for a year? Get sour on the experience? Possibly blame me or the builders?

or

Do I want my investors to make a small profit, savor the experience, and go on to do future projects and recommend the builders and myself to their friends?

This is all because I became part of the "team," left my desk, and did something most originators don't do. Isn't it time the industry looks out for their clients? Isn't that what we are being paid for, afterall?

(By the way -- the site by night had airplanes going overhead to the landing strip -- cool to watch but in my mind the value of the property dropped at that point in time... something to be said for due diligence.)

What your firm does above and beyond is something we should all emulate and keep in mind while we go the extra mile...it will payoff! 

Nov 09, 2007 06:22 PM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Joan~ 

First of all, I have to tell you that Asheville (pop 75,000) is a  "HUB" of sustainable innovation. We attract people who are excited about healthy-built structures and interested in land planning to maximize natural resources. With that in mind, I can also tell you that we have seen a HUGE increase in interest in eco-friendly building and development. In fact...while just a year or so ago there were just 30-some "green" homes under construction, there are about 500 now...and we have waiting lines for those homes...

so...long answer to your questions...and the answer is yes...

 

Nov 09, 2007 11:48 PM
ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Mary~

Besides the due diligence aspect of client relations, there is the personal plus...it is exciting to be part of a team, as you suggest, and brings a whole new sense of gratification to the process that sure is attractive to me...and to you...

Nov 09, 2007 11:50 PM
Brian LeBars
Vintage Mortgage Group - Pleasanton, CA

Nice to see other like minded individuals in the industry. Visit my site if you can.

 http://www.greenmortgagegroup.com/

Nov 11, 2007 09:51 AM