Coastal Real Estate and Lifestyles

Some day, most listings will have the home’s green point rating number displayed along with the other features on its property brochure.  For now, I’m finally beginning to hear open home visitors mention the word “green” when referring to listings they’re visiting.

However, there’s a new phrase in town, and it’s called “green point rating”.  A California-based professional non-profit organization, named Built It Green started with a GreenPoint rating for new homes first.  They then added GreenPoint rating for remodels and multi-family homes.  It’s called “GreenPoint” because each system in the home is graded on a point system (between 1-4) on the level of energy savings, environmental friendliness, water conservation, and indoor air quality.  Check out their site at builtingreen.org for the checklists, what they’re working on now, local green raters, government ordinances and incentives by city/county in California, and much more.

San Mateo County Green Building Ordinance

In my opinion, listings that have green features, such as solar panels, FSC-certified wood, dual pane windows, low-flow toilets and shower heads, need to include a Features/Benefits sheet in their disclosure packages.  In other words, if the seller has already invested thousands of dollars in the property by installing solar panels to save electricity, show the buyer the savings!  In our information overload society, we need to point out the most advantageous features and how they will benefit the buyer if we want to get their attention.  Knowing your green point rating, or having a good rating is a feature that can easily be translated into cost saving and added comfort benefits to your buyer.

I’ll follow this up with a post about the most notable Coastside listings with green features.  Also, I made some great contacts at the Coastside Green Energy Fair a couple weeks ago.  All that’s to come also, when time allows!