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List Your GREENS!

By
Mortgage and Lending

HELP US HELP GREEN!

Homes with 'green features' are sometimes hard to find when we are trying to assist the funding piece of the puzzle. Realtors --we need your help...list those features! You see, in order to properly credit the fact that green SELLS...we need green SALES.  

Our underwriters want to help...really they do. However, anything that is not off the shelf standard can be considered 'unique'...not an underwriter's favorite word.  So we need comparable homes in the area. Essentially, we are asking the underwriter to 'credit' the borrower for building (our buying) higher quality.

So called 'Green Loans' in theory, allow you to borrow more (against your income) by taking into consideration lower ongoing maintenance and energy costs. Our construction lenders support the move toward higher quality custom homes that conserve resources because they are sound investments... BUT they need our help to prove they exist and are selling.

So, if your listing seller or builder says they built a Green Home find out if that the home is verified by one of your local housing standards: we have Built Green, Greenbuilt, Energy Star or LEED (more local options) Then ask specifically for a run down on all the green features and ADD THIS TO YOUR LISTINGS.

Geothermal Heating, Advanced Framing or Low Impact Foundations may not mean much to you but if we are trying to verify the viability of an off -grid home in the back of beyond is worth a dime it would help our appraisers to have some similar homes in the region. Appraisers use listings. Listings with this information are ammo. Since a lot of the off grid homes being built these days do feature such things it should be a matter of course to ask: So does your photovolatic system have a back up power generation system?....make you sound so much smater too!

THEN you can market yourself as a person who knows green, markets green and teams up with a smart savvy green lender!

Wishing you green dreams! Loannetter 

My construction blog: www.buildnet.blogspot.com

My network: www.focusnorthwest.com

copyright 2008 susan templeton

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SUSAN TEMPLETON IS A LICENSED LOAN ADVISER IN WASHINGTON

NMLS# 94045

                 

 

Interest rates and products are subject to change without notice and may or may not be available at the time of loan commitment or lock-in. Borrowers must qualify at closing for all benefits. Loannetter is a private brand owned and copyrighted by Susan Templeton.

 

 © 2005-2015 susan templeton copyright

 

Comments (5)

Scott Schder
PrimaVend - Portland, OR
PrimaVend

Green sell!  Nice job

Jun 09, 2008 11:28 AM
Michael Ivie
Ivco Inspection Service serving all of Habersham county - Cornelia, GA
CPI

Good article. We as a nation are going to have to make some changes. Green Building only makes sense.

Jun 09, 2008 11:32 AM
-- Casey Brischle
Columbia Bank - Spokane, WA
Spokane Home Loan Mortgage Professional

I know of a few eco-brokers in washington that would be interested in this.  The one for Spokane is an AR member.

Jun 09, 2008 11:36 AM
Susan Templeton
Bellingham, WA

Thanks to you all for your encouragmennt here! Green really is about building better...not bigger and not necessarily more expensive. Spread the word!

Jun 10, 2008 09:42 AM
- -
- - Bogota, TN

Thanks for you for taking the time to comment on this subject in the Active Rain network.  AR is the new "cyber backbone" of the industry, and with it's uplink to Localism.com it is transforming the real estate marketplace. Agents who don't see which way the cyberwind is blowing are going to find themselves at a considerable disadvantage inside of three to five years.

Jul 08, 2008 04:52 AM