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