Monday, April 18, 2011

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.

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