EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

Barry J. Long, Jr., AIA, LEED AP,  principal and president of Urban Design Associates (UDA), said a strict building code helps, but it doesn’t ensure a property is insurable.

UDA creates resilient design that helps make properties insurable, while mitigating the costs of insurance in high-risk areas.

After UDA’s work, Paradise adopted its own wildfire ordinance to require that people maintain their lots to reduce combustible material.

“Paradise has very strong code enforcement now.” Long said.

“There is no such thing as a fireproof home,” Long said. “You can harden by having a fire-resistant roof, closing up vents to keep embers out and using windows that don’t melt and fall out.

Fireproofing the lot means nothing combustible within five feet of the structure. Set aside the [aesthetics] of plants and mulch around the foundation, and don’t build wood fences up to the side of a home.”

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

“When you think of just the economic piece—the town of Paradise lost their tax base in a day,” said Barry J. Long, Jr., AIA, LEED AP,  principal and president of Urban Design Associates (UDA).

“They had to get outside funding to backfill their tax roll to 2055.

They had naturally occurring affordable housing in a three-county region—but much of that will be lost because of the high cost of rebuilding.”

Long said building back affordably is a higher priority for disaster survivors than building back to be fire resistant.

He said many cities push back on building codes that require more than the International Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) Code, which sets minimum regulations for safeguarding life and property from the intrusion of wildfires.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

Barry J. Long, Jr., AIA, LEED AP, is principal and president of Urban Design Associates (UDA), a Pittsburgh-based firm that has a national practice of helping communities recover from disaster.

UDA worked to rebuild Paradise, Calif., where a 2018 fire destroyed more than 18,000 structures, including over 14,000 homes, and killed 85 people.

Long noted that more than six years after the fire, Paradise is only about 25 percent built back.

Businesses have been slow to come back, because there’s not enough population to support them.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

“Even before the fires, a shortage of affordable housing in Los Angeles created a pall on overall economic growth …

Renters in Los Angeles County need to earn $48.04 per hour—nearly triple the minimum wage—to afford the average monthly asking rent of about $2,500, according to the California Housing Partnership.

That average is about 45 percent higher than national rents …” stated the report by Costar.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

Costar, a real estate data and analytics company reported “the most destructive wildfires in California history are expected to send insurance rates surging, adding another headwind for owners of multifamily properties in Los Angeles and potentially hindering affordable housing goals.”

The report notes that The American Property Casualty Insurance Association has lobbied Congress to pass more laws to address wildfire risks—such as the Fix Our Forests Act that seeks to increase the pace and scale of forest management and establishes a program to better coordinate federal agencies to reduce wildfire damage to properties.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

Areas devastated by flooding and windstorms are looking to the nature-based resiliency and self-sufficient sustainability of Florida’s Babcock Ranch—which has survived a hurricane that virtually destroyed nearby Gulf Coast communities.

When communities rebuild after wildfires and other disasters, the president elect of the American Institute of Architects and a leading Disability/Aging in Place/Environment advocate, Illya Azaroff, champions the benefits of Universal Design.

Residential and commercial space that is designed to accommodate all ages and abilities adds flexibility, durability and cost efficiency—similar to green building.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

Today, more brutal (in terms of loss of life and billions in property) natural disasters are happening more frequently.

Wildfires, hurricanes, floods and other disasters threaten all that we hold dear.

Planners, architects, builders, developers, REALTORS® and even insurance companies are rallying to get a handle on resilient design.

From protecting individual buildings to entire communities, the professions that shape our built environment and way of life are searching for best practices that will prepare us for and protect us from extreme-weather impacts.

EXPLORING RESILIENCY

AND SUSTAINABILITY DESIGN

For centuries, vernacular building techniques used local materials and a knowledge of local conditions to create buildings that were naturally resistant to disastrous weather.

Somewhere in the mid-20th century, conventional building was reflected in suburban sprawl building patterns and mass production with materials sourced from far away.

When LEED was introduced in 2000 by the U.S. Green Building Council, sustainable building and the long-term financial rewards of investing in sustainable building became part of our vocabulary.

GOING GREEN - 12

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

GREEN REAL ESTATE RESOURCES:

www.patternlanguage.com

www.placemakers.com

www.thewatersal.com

www.cbmove.com/candace.lightner

www.greendcrealty.com

www.greenkeyrealestate.com

www.interorealestate.com

www.TexasHorseAndHome.com

WWW.ECOBROKER.COM

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 11

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

To delve deeply into holistic sustainability, Jumonville suggests architect Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language. The groundbreaking 1977 book, in its own words, deals with “the large-scale structure of the environment: the growth of town and country, the layout of roads and paths, the relationship between work and family, the formation of suitable public institutions for a neighborhood, the kinds of public space required to support these institutions.”

Jumonville, whose email includes a picture of herself with her horse, notes that sustainability reaches far beyond the urban core and suburbs.

“I'm working not only on urban issues but rural issues -- how to make your horse property more environmentally sustainable. For example, it's just as important to site the barn correctly on the property as it is the house. Rainwater harvesting for livestock watering is a no-brainer and using soil biology versus fertilizer/weedkiller is more sustainable long term,” she said. “I'm constantly looking for rebates and other benefits that the utility companies and city, state and federal government offer for clients interested in upgrading their new or existing home to more sustainable standards.”

TOMORROW: GREEN REAL ESTATE RESOURCES

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 10

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

For Realtor Tricia Jumonville, a self described “old hippie,” sustainability has been woven into her life a far back as she can remember.

“An astute Realtor can always help a buyer or seller find affordable ways to add to the sustainability factor of more traditional construction. You can't change the way an existing building is placed on the lot, for example, but you can add rainwater harvesting systems, solar attributes, screening that helps with the energy demands for cooling landscaping to decrease energy usage and quite a few other affordable aftermarket tweaks that will increase sustainability of even traditional construction,” said Jumonville, who works for ERA Colonial Real Estate in rural Texas about a long hour’s drive out of progressive Austin.

“Clearly, energy auditors are going to be an important partner in the Realtor's life in future. As will lenders familiar with the energy-efficient loans that are available that make sustainability more affordable for the average person,” she added. “I'm currently looking for one of each locally to add to my team of home inspectors, mortgage lenders, contractors, and others to serve clients.”

TOMORROW: Christopher Alexander's A Pattern Language

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 9

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Janet Rosenberg, a Realtor with Intero Real Estate Services in Santa Cruz California, lists her EcoBroker certification right under her name on her emails – before the essential office, mobile and fax numbers.

“Realtors are in the perfect position to educate people, and entire communities for that matter, in ways to make homes more energy efficient,” she said. “The reason for this is that in our profession we are talking to home buyers and home sellers every day, and we're also touring homes regularly. With our background as Certified EcoBrokers, Intero Real Estate can offer not only suggestions on areas to improve a home's efficiency, but ways to reduce utility bills.”

Rosenberg implemented into her two offices is by forming a Green business network called Green Performance Network (GPN). The network includes appraisers, builders, inspectors, landscapers, material suppliers, lenders and other professionals who have gone Green.

“I found that I wanted to refer my clients to local businesses that offered Green products and services, and I needed to know who those folks were,” she said. By forming the GPN, I now offer all members a free half page ad in our directory, which is distributed to our clients and in businesses throughout town. This makes my company very visible in the "Green" front, and it builds a referral network back to us.”

Every six weeks, Rosenberg hosts public events that invite community members to introduce themselves and tell about their product or service. Everyone passes out business cards.

“Obviously, I hope that when people are making a decision about Real Estate, they will come to Intero Real Estate Services for help,” she said. “Additionally, we teach Intero Community Classes in my office -- taught by EcoBrokers and are open to the public. The classes are topics such as `Sustainable Building Showcase’ and `Green Living Seminar.’”

TOMORROW: Realtor Tricia Jumonville

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 8

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Bartle’s brokerage recruits highly educated people from a diverse background and makes sure all of them get EcoBroker training. EcoBroker is an on-line training course that allows Realtors to attain Green certification.

“We’re certified Green building specialists -- we want our agents to be Greenest of the Green. We’re in classes learning from architects and builders,’’ he said. ”We’d rather sell a not Green home to a Green buyer and teach them to Green it. We look at Green as being equivalent to high end property.”

“Realtors have great influence on the spending patterns of their clients. The Greening of houses has only been going on a few years. To introduce best practices to our buyers, we need more data,” said Bartle, whose firm gives buyers a certificate for a home energy efficiency and air quality analysis worth $250.

Bartle, whose mission is to make San Francisco the most sustainable city in the world, will soon open branches of Green Key Real Estate in other parts of Northern California plus Seattle, Portland and Boulder, Colorado. The ultimate goal is to sell Green Key franchises to like-minded brokers across the United States.

TOMORROW: Janet Rosenberg, a Realtor with Intero Real Estate Services in Santa Cruz California

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 7

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

San Francisco, known as a hotbed of progressive thinking and acting for nearly a half century, actually has a fairly small inventory of Green houses.

Realtor Chris Bartle, president and broker of Green Key Real Estate, aims to boost the number of Green homes in the City by the Bay as well as nationwide.

“We’re a mission-driven company. Of course we’re about selling houses and making money, but we’re also about also increasing the inventory of Green homes,” he said.

Bartle’s firm works with Build It Green, a California nonprofit, to promote Green building and Green remodeling. He also notes that the California Association of Realtors has a Green Task Force working to create Green ratings for a statewide Multiple Listing Service.

“In an old home, if the client is concerned about energy efficiency, the solution includes double paned windows and energy efficient appliances. That’s not a hard sell – you make a $10K investment now and make it back in five or 10 years,” Bartle explained.

Bartle said sustainable housing goes far beyond a capital investment in energy efficiency.

“People are thinking about indoor air quality, people are thinking of their families,” he said. “A lot of building materials, finish materials, paints, varnish, sealers and cabinetry with particle board held together with formaldehyde -- have toxic elements. That’s not just a horrible paint smell, it’s a chemical that isn’t good for you. We get calls from buyers who have an allergy to formaldehyde or a certain pesticide. Now there are a lot of new products that don’t give off any harmful emissions.”

TOMORROW: EcoBroker

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 6

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

“Even though utility bills are a reflection of lifestyle use, I think it would ultimately be useful for consumers/home buyers to be able to review utility bills before placing an offer on a home," Realtor Michael Keifer said. It is very important for consumers, when working with a Realtor, to ask about such matters and request copies. As you can imagine, when that first month rolls around and the gas/electric /water bills start rolling in -- you begin to realize that owning a home is so much more than PITI.”

To reduce automobile dependency, Green DC Realty gives its clients a Zipcar membership and mileage voucher. Zipcar members can rent automobiles by the day or hour from several urban locations. Zipcar supplements public transit with individual automobiles available for a fraction of the cost of car payment, maintenance, insurance and fuel.

“I look at efficiency as being more than just the home. It’s about evaluating the consumer’s current life and seeing where cost effective, efficient improvements can be made,” he said. In the Metro area, we have ride sharing firms that take the hassle out of owning a car. I continually look at ways of providing home ownership through the removal of inefficient expenditures and proving incentives to the consumer through drive time vouchers as part of the purchase.”

TOMORROW: Realtor Chris Bartle, president and broker of Green Key Real Estate

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 5

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Realtor Michael Kiefer -- founder and principal of Green DC Realty, an affiliate of Keller Williams Realty Capital Properties in the Washington D.C.-Maryland area -- said sustainability requires buyers to look at a bigger picture.

“I believe we are in an era when we will see oil rise to $200 a barrel in the near future,” he observed. “I think part of the problem I am seeing is that the consumer is not entirely sure where to start. Purchasing a home for many is a challenging matter filled with lots of anxiety and since for many it is their first home, they have not been trained to think about what I refer to the external costs of owning a home.”

Kiefer said the shrinking energy supply and rising cost doesn’t have to be all doom and gloom – it can be an opportunity for Realtors to sharpen their focus and add to the crucial information they supply to their clients.

“Most consumers are qualified based upon credit and are given a picture of PITI as part of owning. But from my experience, I know of very few Realtors that ever mention the costs of utilities or home maintenance,” he said.

TOMORROW: Car Sharing

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 4

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Lightner said when going Green, it’s best to speak in plain English.

“We’re doing Realtor roundtable discussions around the country and most Realtors are somewhat aware of the issue of Green or energy efficiency and they are interested in it, but they don’t know what to do next,” she said. “We asked `how many of your clients are interested in energy efficiency?’ and no hands go up. Then we ask `how many are concerned about utility bills?’ and the hands go up -- the light bulb goes off.”

Instead of talking about sustainability and hard science, Lightner suggests Realtors talk to consumers about making homes more comfortable, cost effective, durable, healthy and safer.

”Green sounds too far out there,” she said. “Energy efficient is more interesting, more something you can touch.”

TOMORROW: Car sharing

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 3

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Alexandria Virginia Realtor Candace Lightner, a world-renown leader who responded to a family tragedy by founding Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), is now at the forefront of helping buyers become more energy efficient.

The sales associate with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage gives each buyer a $350 home energy audit.

“I was trying to think of ways that would set me apart from other Realtors,
she said. “I discussed the concept of energy audit and told my buyers if they waited till the close of escrow, it would be my gift to them.”

The energy audit takes about two and a half hours and focuses on identifying major energy leaks in a house. Technicians measure everything from leaky doors and windows to whether insulation has been properly installed in attics, basements and crawl spaces.

The homeowner receives a report that identifies problems and tells them how to fix them.

“Most people here are doing remodeling,” said Lightner, who worked on an efficiency project with the U.S. Department of Energy and started addressing problems in her own 60-plus-year-old house in old Alexandria. “If you plan on being in the home a number of years and if you’re already remodeling, you can do a retrofit to boost energy efficiency.”

TOMORROW: More Green Insights from the Founder of MADD

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN - 2

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Norris believes that sustainability includes energy efficiency within a house’s walls plus a walkable, traditional neighborhood development.

“To me, sustainability means doing things that make sense over the
long run,” he said. “In 1998, I first heard of the Indian principle
that we owe a duty to ensure the survival of the seventh generation
beyond us. It was wise a long time ago, and it still is today.”

Norris said even if gasoline spirals above five dollars a gallon and the price of heating/cooling energy continues to skyrocket, homeowners won’t go broke – they’ll simply learn to adapt.

“Spray foam insulation, energy-efficient windows, solar energy, tankless water
heaters, energy-star appliances and high efficiency HVAC systems are
available to owners of new homes as well as old homes. The combination of these technologies permits us to create zero energy homes,” he said. “The big change will not come from self-interest in the seventh generation, it will come from an economic self interest.”

TOMORROW: Candace Lightner

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com

GOING GREEN

GOING GREEN
What are REALTORS Doing about Sustainability?

By Steve Wright

Going Green.

Saving money.

Feeling comfortable.

Replacing leaky single-pane windows.

Protecting the environment far into the future.

With soaring energy prices and shrinking pocketbooks abounding, sustainability can have a different meaning to every different person – ranging from the simplistic to the transcendental.

Whether sustainability means checking for energy leaks around that craggy old front door, or saving the planet far into the next centuries, Realtors across the nation are taking major steps toward helping their clients to go Green.

Realtor Nathan Norris -- formerly director of marketing and design for The Waters, a New Urbanist community on the fringe of Montgomery Alabama -- believes in an holistic approach to sustainability.

“In our development, we regularly sell people on the value of high-efficiency windows, spray foam insulation, metal roofs and tankless water heaters,” said Norris, now Director of Implementation Advisory at PlaceMakers.
“High-efficiency HVAC systems have been harder (to sell) – nonetheless, 20 percent of our first 100 homes had geo-thermal heating and cooling.”

“Essentially, our clientele look at the long-term ramifications of their decisions. We did an energy audit on the first two years of utility bills and we used the conclusions drawn from that analysis to educate prospective buyers on the items they should include in their homes.”

TOMORROW: Nathan Norris

Wright frequently writes about smart growth and sustainable communities. He and his wife live in a restored historic home in the heart of Miami’s Little Havana. Contact him at: stevewright64@yahoo.com