Kria~Portland's Green Real Estate Broker~ innovator of the green mls system

Tax credit extended and expanded

2009-10-28T21:44:00.000-07:00

The tax credit has been expanded for first time home buyers and expanded to include buyers that have not purchased a home in 5 years. It is an $8000 tax credit for first time home buyers and $6500 for buyers that have not purchased a home in 5 years.

I still think they should have allowed the credit for purchase with half of it going to energy improvements using a holdback. That would have benefited our national agenda of becoming more independent on fossil fuels and would have stimulated more sectors.

learn about improving you energy performance

2009-10-26T12:47:00.000-07:00

Northwest EcoBuilding Guild
Western Columbia Chapter
Home Performance 101
Wednesday, October 28th
Meet and Greet 6 PM * Presentation 6:30 - 7:30 PM
Zion Baptist Church * Community Room * NE 9th and Fremont
NWEBG Members FREE * Non-members $5 donation suggested

45 degree difference with trees!!!!

2009-08-12T12:41:00.000-07:00

I have always been a tree person. But I never knew the exact numbers or difference it would make to plant trees. Watch this video!!!

green multiple listing systems spreading

2009-08-03T20:56:00.000-07:00

The largest multiple listing system in the country is in process of being greened. Why is this good news? That system covers several east coast states. Now we have greened MLS's on both coasts. Things tend to spread from the coasts to the rest of the country. To the average person that sells a house that will mean improvements made to a house to make it more energy efficient will be given a value. It will also mean buyers can see if the houses have things about it that decrease the energy needs and costs of running the house.

In the past houses were given value based on location and how fixed up they were. Now there will be a new factor, what has been done to it to make it more cost effective to run. Appraisers will have to come up with what the value is for the stand alone items. That is good news!

It could eventually lead to national loans that are available everywhere that take into account the energy efficiency of the house....

Support the new codes to allow us to move in the right direction

2009-07-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

There is a group of building code proposals that would allow us to green up Portland more effectively. They all make sense to me. My favorite change is the building overhang change. That is such a huge thing. My how has 2'6" overhangs and I have ceiling insulation and when it gets hot, my house does not. It's the overhangs!

The zoning changes include "such as making it easier to install wind and solar systems on commercial buildings, develop green power alternatives, improve bike parking in multifamily projects, and allow rainwater cisterns and wider roof overhangs within setbacks. Below is a summary of the green items included in the package." (Mike Obrien)

The low tech ways of keeping your house cool

2009-07-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

There is a lot of buzz these days about all of the technical methods of keeping a house cool. The low tech ways are pretty easy to do. Buy cellular blinds for the east south and west facing windows. Cellular blinds act like insulation if you keep them closed during the hot parts of the day, your house is kept cooler. If you don't like the look of the blinds, buy light colored curtains the light color does not absorb the heat.

If you have a basement and a forced air heating system, run the fan on that to get the cool air from the basement circulating in your house.

Ceiling fans are another inexpensive investment to make you feel cool.

For future cooling, plant deciduous trees to the south of your house. That will shade your house during the hot parts of the year and allow solar gain during the cool parts of the year.

Green Washing

2009-06-24T17:11:00.000-07:00

I went to a class that was supposed to be a class on green washing. It ended up being a class on LEED. I just want to share with you what I think green washing is: for new construction it is not getting it certified to a minimum standard of energy star. From a real estate perspective this is the piece that translates all the way through, at least potentially.

From a building science perspective building to energy star is not very green at all. There are a lot of green build programs and ideas out there. Some have very high expectations of what the built environment can do. The living building challenge that the AIA has put out there is one of the places that the market is getting a push. Passive haus out of Germany is way ahead of anything we are doing in the US.

In my opinion, existing construction should be compared to other homes of the same era for it's green-ness. That way you are comparing an apple to an apple. There is plenty that can be done with an older home, like insulating. There are tax incentives to do a lot of what makes a building perform better.

It is not green to tear down a perfectly good home to put a new certified green home on it. Especially if you are scrapping it and putting the remains in the landfill.

Portland's green market over the 400K (there was nothing over 680 to compare)

2009-06-16T11:35:00.000-07:00

This is the housing market under 400 green v new construction

2009-06-16T11:34:00.001-07:00

Greening the market

2009-06-16T11:29:00.000-07:00

I am going to post two studies I did on the green housing market. I did this at the request of a real estate instructor. But the information is good for anyone interested in development or just buying or selling a house. I looked just at new construction for trends. What I found was (and I already knew) that greened housing especially in the lower ends sells more quickly at more per sq ft. I broke it out into housing type because there is a huge variation. I will post the two studies so that you can see!

I certainly see a trend in building green. It has not yet occured to the luxury market to do this. So I will blog about it when they catch up to the times.

Just saw the coolest house with a cobb structure on it

2009-06-08T16:35:00.000-07:00

I have to blog about this house I just saw. It is on a small lot 50x100 and there are three structures on it. The old farm house has been renovated... the reclaimed materials way. For example the bathroom has walls made of old cabinet doors and old wood parts from other things. The shower suround is made from recyled tiles and plates and things. I loved this place.

The cobb building wasn't available to view but it is like most cobb homes, small and very cute. They remind me a little bit of knomes and are perfectly suited to a moss filled climate like ours.

There was also an outdoor/ indoor shower made of the recyled tile and the like. ( you would heve to see it to really appreciate the in and outside part of the home.

This is a piece of the green movement that is bottom up change rather than the top down method. What I love about it is there is so much room for ART!

By the way it is on the market under 250... want to see it?

Showings are up!!!

2009-06-08T08:51:00.000-07:00

RMLS statistics show that showings are up 8.1 percent!!! That is good news for Portlanders because RMLS covers a large area. Some of the areas it covers have a slower market than ours. That means Portland market is returning to a more balanced market!!! Don't forget real estate is local.

Builder learns by sleeping in his unsold McMansions

2009-05-08T10:31:00.000-07:00

According to the Chicago Tribune, an Atanta based builder has been getting a reality check on his building practices. He has been touring his unsold housing stock by sleeping in one per night. He is finding that small is probably better. His houses average 3,400 sq ft. Susan Susanka has been singing this tune for years!! I am glad it's finally getting heard by McMansion builders!

Yes I do have an opinion about this! I do think we should be looking at adding smaller housing stock. Portland metro has seen very few homes being built that are 2 bedrooms with a small footprint. Perhaps there is a market there. I think so especially if it is greened or at least pink!

Interterest rates and it's affects on home purchases~ Don't wait!

2009-04-22T13:23:00.000-07:00

borrow $100,000 @ 5 percent and pay $536.82
borrow $90,000 @ 6 percent and pay $539.60 (a 10 percent decrease)
If the market declines 10 percent and the interest rates go up... affordablity isn't going to get better.

Look at interest rates at higher interest rates
borrow $100,000 @7 percent and pay $665.30
borrow $100,000 @ 8 percent and pay $733.76

We are not likely to see interest rates like we have today.

Biggest MLS system in the country is going green!!

2009-03-31T11:02:00.000-07:00

I have been working on getting the biggest MLS system in the country greened for several years now. I have partnered with another Realtor in Virginia, Adam Gallegos. I will keep this updated!!

greening MLS's another Realtor contacted me about greening the biggest MLS system in the county

2009-03-16T22:16:00.000-07:00

I am excited to announce that the biggest MLS system may soon be greening their system. I have been trying to do this for several years. Now is the time. I am hoping that the east coast will soon have a greened MLS. I have looked at their listing from a few times and have offered a proposal several times.

I would love to see all the MLS's in the country become greened, but it is slow moving and there is a lot of resistance to it.

I am hoping that NAR adopts the best practices for greening MLS's that I will be presenting in Portland at the MLS provider's conference connections2009.

If these changes are adopted it might be possible to package loans for homes that are greened or are greener together. We will see what happens. My belief is that greened homes are worth more and I also believe those buyers are more responsible

The EPA is asking for advice

2009-03-11T16:42:00.001-07:00

The midwestern portion of the EPA has been asking about my favorite topic- "green listings and how to enable buyers and sellers to get the applicable info". I am excited about this because if my idea spreads all over the US then the banking industry will have to "get it" too. They are the most conservative part of the chain. A few years ago I was trying to get banks to package green home loans together. I have a belief that green buyers are more conscientous and would be less likely to default. Banks now are getting more interested in this factor now that we have all had to pick them up. So now might be the right time to have these changes take place.

Trees in Portland

2009-02-10T21:45:00.000-08:00

There have been another 300 plus trees planted in north portland this year. SE Portland had a planting by bike! I applaud that planting! From my perspective as a neigborhood coordinator and someone who cuts out the car as she can, I see this a a specialty planting. Not everyone is able to bike. But I love the idea!!

Trees make a big difference to a neighborhood. They filter our air and make it cooler in the summer. For an individual house: if you plant a diciduous tree to the south or the west of your house, it will decrease your need for cooling. Coneferiuos trees are needed to in urban canopies to decrease the winds in the winter. The other thing they do is they are active in cleaning our air all year. I have noticed that coniferous trees are the types of trees we are needing most in portland.

Colorado Pikes peak area to green their MLS!!

2009-01-20T15:01:00.000-08:00

I just got off the phone with Art a concerned Realtor in Colorado. He and I are going to colaborate on greening their MLS system! I commend Art and Virginia for their dedication in taking this on.

drafty windows?

2008-12-15T09:10:00.000-08:00

If you have an old house like I do chances are you don't have new windows or storm windows on all your windows. In cold weather it can be miserable to have drafty windows. There are two quick fix things to do that cost very little to do. My favorite method is the cord weather stripping. It is a clay like substance that comes off easily and it easy to apply. It also stops the window rattling. The other is the plastic window sheet that is taped and blowdried to finish. This method is less easy to take out and often the tape will take off the paint.

High performance Green Building policy~ public comments wanted

2008-12-04T10:11:00.000-08:00

The High Performance Green Building Policy proposal will be posted for public comment starting tomorrow and continuing through January 20th, 2009:

www.portlandonline.com/osd/gbpolicy

Please contact Vinh Mason vinh.mason@ci.portland.or.us
or Michael Armstrong marmstrong@ci.portland.or.us if you have any questions regarding the policy proposal or supporting materials. Also, on Tuesday, January 6th, from 3:00 pm to 4:30 pm, we will present the policy proposal to the general public in The Portland Building Auditorium, 2nd floor, 1120 SW 5th Avenue , Portland .

http://www.sustainableportland.org

Energy trust has a good video on why to build green

2008-11-15T16:01:00.000-08:00

http://www.energytrust.org/residential/enh/home_tour/index.html

The greening of the national real estate markets

2008-11-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

It seems every week someone calls with a questions about greening the real estate market. I got a call about creating a course for Realtors to educate them about sustainable building practices. I find this all very exciting! I do feel it is important to have educated Realtors and appraisers. Fortunately lots of other people do too.

National Association of realtors has a Green designation

2008-11-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

There is a new certification out there for realtors nationally through NAR. That is our parent organization. Now that NAR has made a designation for this I can't help but think the next step will be that more multiple listing stytems will encorporate green features.

Toxic Air Purifiers???

2008-10-31T17:30:00.000-07:00

I have been aware for a while that there are "air purifiers" out there that actaully make ozone. There advertising is good and suggests that the oxygen it puts out will somehow detoxify everything. The o3 oxygen has an extra electon that is looking fo unattached electrons. Who knows what it will hook up with but do you want to pay with your health?

http://www.arb.ca.gov/research/indoor/ozone_gen_fact_sheet-a.pdf

This is a good source of info on it. If you need further convincing please goolge O3. If you or someone you love is considering buying an Ecoquest or an Eden Pure etc please educate yourself and don't buy them. See a complete list on the link