Monday, April 25, 2011

What to expect when selling home at a loss | Inman News

Thomasville,GA communite here is a confirmation that I am not that way off from my previous post. So, when reading other articles within our communite about how our real estate market is doing and you read something that sounds to good to be true think again. Come and read from my blogs and get the true picture of real estate and less of the fairy tales.

What to expect when selling home at a loss | Inman News

Monday, April 18, 2011

Green MLS (Multiple Listing Service) Gaining Popularity


Through my weekly readings on Real Estate trends and marketing strategies gaining popularity changing the way Realtors list properties. I found the following link Home listings note green quotient interesting to read how the GREEN real estate market is gaining popularity in ways properties are being listed on MLS's around the country. This is something that I have been advocating in my local market and ignored by committee's in charge of these advertising venues.

This only proves more my campaign against properties being misrepresented by real estate agents. The residential construction is gearing to provide buyers with verifiable claims of energy efficient features that buyers can enjoy in their homes on a monthly basis while at the same time being eco-friendly. MLS's around the country are making a stand in order to provide documentation backing properties claiming to be green. By MLS's taking responsibility on a database that should provide the utmost accuracy in its information in respect to each property being uploaded claiming to have some sort of green feature. We must always remember that paper holds a lot of meaningless words if they are not backed up with qualifications.

Not only is the MLS (Multuple Listing Service) providing the options for Realtors to pre-select properties that have some type of verifiable green features but also allows real estate agents with a better property selection incorporating the green features that a buyer maybe looking for. With an MLS that maintains their green features verified also allows lenders and appraisers with the necessary data to provide a correct evaluation of value for the energy efficiency enhancements.

I find this article very relevant to my local real estate industry simply because I see so many listings on our MLS being misrepresented by their listing agents, our MLS has a green initiative at a certain level, but denied by many agents and boards until a need to list a property that may or may not have a green feature that an agent wants to highlight. The use is merely a marketing gimmick for the agent and creating the greenwashing effect.

Although, I have addressed this issue with the appropriate individuals over seeing the MLS and even provide guidelines issued by our own organization being NAR (National Association of Realtors) nothing seems to change in the way real estate properties are listed but yet many agents as well as brokerages flood the web with articles about how GREEN conscious they are and even provide some sort of ways on how to become energy efficient but neglect to be responsible enough to take a stand and follow the green MLS guidelines . This only proves that this green initiative is used only to deceive the consumer.


My professional advice to buyers&Sellers is to be an informed consumer. Want to know more about Thomasville real estate without the fairy tales? contact me. I am an Ecobroker Certified agent @ Rose City Realty, Inc. Green homes is my forte. Call Rose City Realty, Inc. at 229-225-9225 or email me at Info@EcoHomesGA.com for more green real estate information.


Thomasville, GA does have the first and only TRUE Energy Star Qualified built home listed by Rose City Realty, Inc. and listing agent is an Ecobroker Certified Agent trained in the benefits of owning a verifiable green home. MLS# 902243 It just does not get any GREENER than this.


I ask this question to all of you in the real estate industry. What green initiative does your MLS implements?

Little GREEN Thomasville Home


As sellers continue to lower their home prices in order to attract buyer interest, sellers will put on hold all upgrades due to the lack of return in their investments especially with green features. It is safe to say that a logical person cannot think a seller will pour money into upgrading their homes with green features and not increase their home prices. Buyers as well as some real estate representatives do not have the knowledge or training to distinguish between a standard upgrade to a green upgrade. That's were an Ecobroker Certified agent like me comes in to explain to both the seller and the buyer what the differences are. As I say, you get what you pay for; buyers cannot expect to buy TRUE energy efficient upgraded homes at rock bottom prices. Buyers will find homes that are misrepresented as green homes that merely mention one or two green features that may or may not save them money but yet are quickly listed as green features with no validity to them leaving the consumer with the burden of researching the features for what they are buying into.

I disagree with statements that tell sellers to upgrade one or two things in their homes in order to list their properties as green properties. This is called GREENWASHING and unethical and simply jumping on the bandwagon and bad advice. My beef is not with the green upgrades it's the fact that one component alone does not make an entire home green. Unfortunately, the real estate industry in Thomasville has not change much what sells is not the features and characteristics of each home on the market but how big and cheap a home is. Here is a link on how a home buyer should approach a home they are buying http://massrealestatenews.com/price-per-square-foot-is-misleading-for-real-estate-values/

So, it is interesting to read articles where supposedly sellers are pouring money into green features and green material upgrades to their homes without any price increase and how our local industry is so geared towards green homes is just mind bugling, funny and just insane and far from the truth I just cannot help it in setting the record straight.

I know, I know I will be hated by others in the industry for being so forth coming and talking negatively and some will even try to hush me but am just calling it as I see it and consumers need to know the truth and not be filled with fairy tales about the real estate market. Do not get me wrong, sellers can make green upgrades and I encourage it because the seller will enjoy the savings while the house sits on the market and contributing towards the environment until the energy hogs of big homes are sold out but there is a procedure in doing these upgrades and when done right the value will be there.

People……… adding energy efficient features and green materials to a home will increase the building cost and to retrofit a home you will pay for those upgrades it will not come at a cheap price. In a new construction energy efficient windows come standard in itself it is not an upgrade unless you go into a triple pane window or a lower U-Factor window. I can tell you that you will pay a price for these upgrades that will ultimately reflect on your selling price. Who in their right mind thinks that these upgrades do not affect the home price? A seller will think twice before investing in energy efficient upgrades if they are not able to get a return from their investment.

I read so many articles advising sellers to incorporate one or two green features in order for sellers to misrepresent their homes and attract buyers to their listings. Sellers are mislead with the wrong advise and are used as another marketing gimmick and buyers are smarter than that. I can tell you this as a seller myself of the first and only true ENERGY STAR QUALIFIED home in Thomasville that incorporates not only one or two features but many verifiable energy efficient features providing me with an amazing energy&water savings (my pot of gold) and to tell you it does not get any greener then this and yet this home sits like every other home seller. You may ask why? And I will tell you the God honest truth. Large spec homes built to the bare minimum code standards at rock bottom prices is the order of the day.

My professional advice to buyers be an informed consumer and Sellers am one of you and understand your position. Want to know more about Thomasville real estate without the fairy tales contact me. I am an Ecobroker Certified agent @ Rose City Realty, Inc. Green homes is my specialty. Call Rose City Realty, Inc. at 229-225-9225 or email me at Info@EcoHomesGA.com for more green real estate information.