Tag Archives: real estate

Why understanding home energy performance will become a key to real estate success

agent

Real estate professionals play a pivotal role in the U.S. residential real estate market. Overseeing from start to finish the multiple steps and piles of paperwork involved with property transactions, they support both sellers moving forward with the next stage of their lives and buyers looking for a new place to call home. They provide trusted and influential guidance that affects the largest investment that most of us will ever make: our homes.

Home energy performance is too often overlooked by buyers and sellers during property transactions, and buyers seldom have easy access to energy performance information. Even though U.S. homeowners spend on average about $2,200 per year on energy bills and increasingly indicate demand for energy-efficient homes, real estate professionals generally undersell (or are unaware of) the benefits of homes with strong energy performance. These benefits include improved comfort, health, privacy, programmability, and interconnectivity, as well as increased monthly affordability and—where relevant information is made available—resale value. Moreover, U.S. real estate listings generally lack details about a property’s energy performance, energy-efficient features, and estimated utility costs. This omission contributes to the unnecessary perpetuation of the invisibility of home energy upgrade investments, housing dissatisfaction, underinvestment in home energy upgrades, plateauing residential energy savings, and risks to U.S. real estate market stability.

Opportunity is calling for all real estate professionals to tap into the promising U.S home energy upgrades market by helping clients understand, prioritize, and invest in home energy performance during the property transaction process—when buyers and sellers already tend to make general home improvements. Real estate professionals who enhance their home energy performance capabilities can lead their competitors on market trends and improve the long-term prospects of their business.

read more at: http://zeroenergyproject.org/2017/04/14/sold-understanding-home-energy-performance-will-become-key-real-estate-success/

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

how energy-efficient upgrades can increase your home’s value

Energy-efficient upgrades can not only shrink your utility bill; they can increase the value of your home.

Have questions about ee upgrades on your home?  In SoCal contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com.

Homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the benefits of energy-efficient homes. In fact, they’re often willing to pay more for homes with “green” upgrades, says Sandra Adomatis, a specialist in green valuation with Adomatis Appraisal Service in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Just how much your home will increase in value depends on a number of factors, Adomatis says, like where you live, which upgrades you’ve made and how your home is marketed at sale time. The length of time to recoup the costs of green upgrades also depends on the energy costs in your area.

In 2014, upgraded homes in Los Angeles County saw a 6 percent increase in value, according to a study from Build It Green, a nonprofit based in Oakland, Calif., that works with home professionals. Upgraded homes in Washington, D.C., saw a 2 percent to 5 percent increase in 2015, according to a study Adomatis authored.

read more at: http://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/ct-energy-efficient-upgrades-home-value-20161027-story.html

disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

 

Next Housing Bubble? – Payments on Equity Lines Soon to Rise

bubble

Might the real estate market be heading for a new — and as yet little publicized — financial storm? Maybe.

Some mortgage and credit experts worry that billions of dollars of home equity credit lines that were extended a decade ago during the housing boom could be heading for big trouble soon, creating a new wave of defaults for banks and homeowners.

That’s because these credit lines, which are second mortgages with floating rates and flexible withdrawal terms, carry mandatory “resets” requiring borrowers to begin paying both principal and interest on their balances after 10 years. During the initial 10-year draw period, only interest payments are required.

But the difference between the interest-only and reset payments on these credit lines can be substantial: $500 to $600 or more per month in some cases. If borrowers cannot afford or choose not to make the fully amortizing payments that reduce the principal debt, the bank that owns the note can demand full payment and foreclose on the house if there is sufficient equity.

read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/realestate/with-payments-on-equity-lines-soon-to-rise-real-estate-experts-fear-a-wave-of-disaster/2013/11/07/83dc9f3a-462c-11e3-b6f8-3782ff6cb769_story.html

Disclaimer:  for information and entertainment purposes only