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Natural Building? Do people really buy or sell those weird houses?

By
Real Estate Agent with Mainstreet Brokers

Let me put this thought out there for us to think about; The biggest hurtle in the growth of natural building is the lack of resale action.

Cob studio round house with solarUntil we in the community can generate substantial sales to people that want to live in these homes without actually building them themselves, we will not successfully promote these building practices into the mainstream. The average buyer these days is starting to think about “green” issues in their real estate endeavors, but they don’t know much about any of it, certainly not much about natural building. If they knew more they would look for these homes, buy these homes, and in turn fund the building of ever more of these homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 



entrance gate to straw bale homeThe rest of the machinery of real estate compounds this problem, Agents don’t get it, Appraisers don’t get it, Banks don’t get it, and often even the Sellers don’t get it…

I want to work towards fixing those problems. And I want your help!

If you have sold a natural building or even come close, I want to hear your story.

If you have tried to sell a natural building and had NO LUCK AT ALL, I want to hear your story.

If you have bought a natural building, I really want to hear your story.

And above all, if you are trying to buy a natural building I want to hear your story!

Now, I don’t yet live in what I would call a natural home, My house is stick built, but I do work at keeping it efficient and it is under one thousand square feet. I am a real estate agent and EcoBroker Certified®, but still, the more I look at green real estate, and especially the natural building section of the market, the more I see a howling void of information and knowledge let alone sales. So I come to you, the experts and ask, what can you tell me?

Comments (4)

ASHEVILLE REALTY REFERRAL RESOURCE 828-776-0779
REAL ESTATE REFERRAL NETWORK - Asheville, NC
CONTACT janeAnne365@gmail.com

Michael~ 

Really good point..as you say..."...The average buyer these days is starting to think about "green" issues in their real estate endeavors, but they don't know much about any of it, certainly not much about natural building...".

Jan 18, 2009 05:36 AM
Deb Hurt
Realty Pro Albuquerque - Albuquerque, NM
ABR, e-Pro,Green, TRC

Here's my story about this...As the only EcoBroker in my firm at the time I really tried to point out the sustainable features of any home that we listed. My QB had a niece who was a first time home buyer. She and her boyfriend had just had a deal crash and I was on floor duty. I happened to see a listing that sounded like it would fit their needs--it was about 900 square feet, it was in an area they wanted to be in and the price was right. Since they were coming into the office to begin looking again I showed the listing to my QB......they came back after looking at several homes and were really excited about the home I had told them to go see......"You didn't tell us it was an Eco House!!"

Say what????? There was absolutely no mention in the listing that this house was built into the hillside providing a vegetated roof with skylights (from the street it just looked like a fenced yard and a driveway that went down to a house below eye level) and earth on 3 sides to help insulate it at no cost. It featured a wall of south facing windows and brick floors. It had a green house room with vents that could be opened either to let air into the house or push it out depending on whether or not you wanted the extra heat. NONE OF THIS WAS MENTIONED IN THE LISTING. I assured them that I had not known it because it really wasn't disclosed in the listing.

They made an offer on the house but it sold to the next door neighbors .....

Jan 19, 2009 11:25 AM
Mike Jones
SUNSTREET MORTGAGE, LLC (BK-0907366, NMLS 145171) - Tucson, AZ
Mike Jones NMLS 223495

Most of the trouble with these has to do with qualification for financing when the builder/owner wants to sell.  You can't finance them easily.  Here in the southwest straw bale houses were the rage for awhile, but the resale difficulties killed it.

Mike in Tucson

Feb 02, 2009 09:22 AM
Michael I. Pulskamp
Mainstreet Brokers - Jackson, CA
REALTOR, EcoBroker, GREEN Desingnee

Mike, Do you know what part killed the deals? Most straw bale homes are "wood framed, celulose insulated, stuco construction. Do you have any info on the exact problems?

Thanks

Feb 02, 2009 09:33 AM