SAVING MONEY ON HOME UTILITY BILLS.

Homebuyers across the country as well as homeowners are becoming more concern on finding ways in saving money on their utilities bills as well as making their homes more comfortable and healthier to live in.

Yes, many real estate agents are not aware of the financial incentives now available at the federal, state or local levels for homeowners contemplating on upgrading their properties or buyers looking into buying a green qualified home for that matter. Many agents misrepresent their listing without even knowing exactly if the features they are calling as green (energy efficient) really makes a difference. They only do this because of the vast demand by buyers wanting these features on the homes they are looking to buy. These real estate agents just want to jump on the bandwagon without having the education to make them knowledgeable in this fast growing home market.

An Ecobroker Certified agent would be able to assist these consumers wanting to incorporate green features in their homes or point out false features advertised on property listings that they are interested in buying in hopes to keep more green in their pockets.

The economic stimulus bill is the most generous credit for investment in alternative energy systems for houses, already extend through 2016 and likely to play key roles in homeowners' housing choices in upcoming years. Energy guzzling houses just like clunker cars will command lower prices and less attention from buyers than those minimize energy expenses.

Most retailers and manufacturers should be able to certify for homeowners whether the product or systems are considered to meet or exceed federal requirements to qualify for a tax credit.

Homeowners' claiming and homebuyers' looking to buy homes with such features should be able to verify the claims through manufacture documentations. For example: how do you know that you are buying an appliance that is Energy Star? This is the simplest thing to do. The Energy Star seal is embedded on the appliance. Well if anybody is claiming green (energy efficiency) in a home their should be documentation for the product being advertised as doing so. If the homeowner or real estate agent is unable to produce this documentation you can pretty much assume advertising gimmick. Word of caution.

Energy Efficient Improvements

Even though in certain part of the country green houses are more popular than others does not mean that the homeowners can not make the improvements. Eventually, homeowners' that have made their homes more energy efficient will acquire the return in their investments. Simple energy efficient upgrades are upgrading exterior windows, doors, including sliding glass doors and skylights. These upgrades must conform to 2 key energy-efficient standards and product must be certified by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC). Homeowners, homebuyers and real estate professionals do not need to be energy experts to figure this out. Energy Star states that the NFRC is the only Federal recognized organization for determining the energy performance of windows, doors, and skylights.

So, when a claim is made of energy efficiency in a home and you have not hired an Ecobroker Certified agent to assist you just request the manufacturer or retailers documentation of the upgrades and see the rating given by the NFRC.

Look for the Energy Star blue seal

U-factor usually ranges between .20 and 1.20 and SHGC of .30 or below you will pay a good penny to obtain the lowest end of the scale. This will not come cheap. So, when you see a home that has these features do not expect to buy them at a rock bottom price because a seller will not pay top dollar to put in these high-end products to just turnaround and sell it at a discount price.


Roofing- asphalt and metal are eligible for credits of up to 30% of the cost of the materials, but not of the installation cost to a maximum of 1,500. Materials must be Energy Star certified and rated for a useful life of at least 5 years or come with a 2 yr warranty from the manufacturer.

Insulation carriers a maximum credit for installation of 30% of the material cost up to $1,500. Labor & installation expenses are not eligible. To be able to qualify for the credit the material must meet efficiency standards set by the International Energy Conservation Code and be expected to have a 5 year useful life or come with a 2 year warranty from the manufacturer.

You should also check with your state for tax credits available for energy efficiency home construction or for retrofitting s home.

Just remember to get the proper documentation to rightfully claim a home with the energy efficient improvements and avoid GREENWASHING or legal ramifications. This is why it is so important when a home for sale advertises energy efficiency there must be documentations to the claim. If the property is advertised by a Realtor it is their responsibility to verify the claims.

If you find yourself overwhelmed with what energy efficiency home improvement to begin with contact your local Ecobroker Certified Agent to provide you the guidance for your improvements.

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

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.

Top Merchant Award from Merchant Circle

Thank you Merchant Circle for this recognition. I value my clients, network partners and my community and do what I can to provide my exceptional service, valuable information to consumers and my clients in order for them to make intellengent decisions.

Thanks you!

Marlene Bienes - Ecobroker Certified @
Rose City Realty, Inc.
The NUMBER #1 Elite Team

Bye-Bye Fannie, Freddie? What It Could Mean

The Obama administration announced on Friday plans to reform the housing finance market, including winding down government-controlled mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and turning most of the market over to the private sector, as well as requiring larger down payments. The White House proposed three approaches to replacing Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac rather than offering up one final plan.

The administration’s proposal is expected to reshape the way Americans buy and own homes.
Among the plans outlined in the administration’s “white paper”:

▪ Shrinking the size of the portfolio of mortgages held by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac by at least 10 percent a year.
▪ Creating an insurance fund for mortgages, supported by premiums paid by lenders.
▪ Winding down government subsidies of mortgages by raising the fees charged to cover the risk of default.
▪ Raising fees for borrowers and requiring larger down payments for home loans.

The administration also recommended measures to make government-backed mortgages more expensive in order to allow the private-sector to better compete in the mortgage market. For example, it called for reducing by this fall the size of mortgages Fannie and Freddie may purchase from $729,750 to $625,500.

Raising Rates?

Some critics of the proposal are concerned that the administration’s overall plan would raise mortgage rates.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said that mortgage costs likely will rise in the coming years, as government support is withdrawn and the private sector takes on a bigger role. Credit Suisse has estimated that rates on a 30-year fixed mortgage may rise as much as 2 percentage points if the government withdraws its backing of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Higher borrowing costs could be a thorn for a recovering housing market, since interest rates greatly affect how much buyers can afford, experts say.

“Reducing the government’s involvement in the mortgage finance market is necessary for a healthy market, but should not be done at the expense of the economy or home buyers,” NAR President Ron Phipps said in a public statement in response to the Obama administration's plan. “Any proposal for increasing fees and borrowing costs beyond actuarially sound levels will only make it harder for working, middle-class individuals to achieve home ownership, and only the wealthy will be able to achieve the American dream.”

NAR’s economists estimate that a retreat of capital from the housing market will negatively impact the economy too. For every 1,000 home sales, 500 jobs are created for the country, NAR notes.

Geithner estimates that reducing the government’s role in the mortgage market may take five to seven years for the transition.

“Most people in Congress understand that this is a very political, contentious issue,” says David Berson, a former Fannie Mae chief economist. “It’s going to be a very volatile ride as we move toward what ultimately will be the future of Fannie and Freddie. It’s hard to know what that’s going to be.”

Source: “NAR: Secondary Mortgage Market Needs Improvement," National Association of REALTORS® (Feb. 11, 2011); “Winners and Losers in the Obama Housing Plan,” Reuters News (Feb. 11, 2011); “White House Wants Fannie, Freddie to Go,” MSNBC (Feb. 11, 2011); and “Obama Report on Fannie, Freddie Plan May Boost Mortgage Rates,” Washington Post (Feb. 11, 2011)

New Lead-Paint Renovation and Repair Rule Effective April 22, 2010

(click to view)Lead Paint Rule Video

(click to view PDF Disclosure Booklet)provided by Contractor.

A new rule will go into effect this month requiring renovation and repair contractors to be EPA-certified to work with lead paint hazards if they will work on a residential property built before 1978 in which lead-based paint may be disturbed. HUD estimates that this could be as many as 35 million properties. The rule also applies to places where children under 6 spend large amounts of time, such as child care centers and schools. The certified contractor must provide the occupants (owner or tenant) with a new information booklet and must follow lead safe work practices.

There are several important exemptions to this rule:
1. Homeowner occupants or tenant occupants may do the work themselves without certification.
*Due to the potential hazards, EcoBrokers would recommend that these individuals be provided with the booklet mentioned below to avoid exposing the occupant families to lead hazard.
2. A residence where there are no children under 6 and no pregnant women as regular residents is a possible exemption.
3. If the area disturbed is less than 6 square feet indoors or 20 square feet outdoors, the project is exempt. Because lead paint was so prevalent on window frames in pre-1978 houses, window replacement on these homes is never exempt.
4. If a qualified lead test specialist certifies that no lead paint will be disturbed, the project is exempt.
5. There are a few additional less likely exemptions.

Courtesy of Ecobroker