In a recent post there was some talk about whether in the future buyers would pay more for a house that was built to a higher standard. I know at this time it is hard to show value. It was posted that agents didnt care about the energy efficiency of homes and it was all about the granite counters. I pointed out the MLS reflects what the buyer interest demands. As buyers become more interested in a certain item the MLS adds that to the searchable fields so that agents can show buyers homes that include that feature. MLS will show energy efficiency when buyers start looking for it. Here is information on an MLS system that has added energy efficiency to the mix. It will be a slow process but it will grow. I think people will get back thier investment in both energy cost savings and increasing the value of their homes. Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED), the Chicagoland multiple listing service (MLS), has added additional green design, disclosure, and data verification to its connectMLS™ system. Following on the heels of MRED’s overwhelmingly successful integration of Walk Score®, the “green” expansion further enhances the ability of MRED’s real estate professionals to provide the environmental information consumers need and want. MEEA represented Illinois Home Performance (IHP) in this process and is pleased to announce that IHP is among the short list of new green fields that made the cut. Homeowners in Northern Illinois that earn an Illinois Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Certificate of Completion will now gain additional recognition and exposure when it’s time to sell their home. To earn a Certificate, a homeowner invests in a home energy upgrade that results in increased comfort and lower energy bills. Illinois Home Performance is Illinois’ new Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program, which is sponsored by the Illinois Energy Office and delivered by program providers across the state including Illinois’ utilities and Energy Impact Illinois. MEEA designed IHP and acts as Statewide Coordinator, overseeing program development and launch, providing homeowner education, and delivering contractor outreach and training such as one-day BPI CEU courses through the Building Science Training Series.

Here in NYC, energy efficient apartments often sell for a premium of up to 10% over regular apartments. The LEED rating is advertised. But developers have found that families are mostly interested in what benefits their children rather than the lower energy bills - better air and water filters, fewer off-gases from finishes, and the higher quality architecture and roof deck spaces. The Visionaire is a good example, in Battery Park City. Geoff Lynch www.energysipp.com

Here is another sign that energy efficiency is gaining traction.






April 6, 2012


David Weekley Homes Commits to Marketing Their Homes HERS Index Score





Houston, Texas based national production home builder David Weekley Homes has entered into an agreement with the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) to provide new home buyers an important measurement of long-term energy performance of each new home the company builds. The intent of the agreement is to raise consumers’ knowledge of new home energy performance by using RESNET’s HERS Index. Use of the HERS Index will differentiate homes built by David Weekley Homes from other homes.
David Weekley Homes is the nineteenth largest home builder in the U.S. building 14,600 homes a year. The company builds homes in Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, North Carolina, South Carolina and Texas. In 2010 the company built and sold 1,857 homes. The company participates in the Environments for Living and has had all of their homes rated for a number of years. To learn more about David Weekly Homes view their web site at http://www.davidweekleyhomes.com/energy-saver-homes/nc/raleigh
The RESNET HERS Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. The HERS or Home Energy Rating System was developed by RESNET and is the nationally recognized system for inspecting and calculating a home’s energy performance. Certified RESNET Home Energy Raters conduct inspections to verify a home’s energy performance and determine what improvements can be made to increase it. For more information click on RESNET HERS Index
Steve Baden, executive director of RESNET David Weekley Homes’ leadership for improving the energy performance of new homes. “Today’s new homes are much more efficient in comparison to homes built just a decade ago. These homes are more affordable to maintain, comfortable and have a higher value. Thanks to leaders like David Weekley Homes, builders are increasing the energy performance of the homes they build. This is good for consumers, the environment, the local economy and our national security. It is great to have such a large production builder like David Weekley Homes educating homebuyers on the RESNET HERS Index.”

In making the commitment David Weekley Homes has been designated by RESNET as an RESNET Energy Smart Builder. RESNET Energy Smart Builders are leading the transformation of the housing towards high energy performance homes. These leading builders are committed to having all of their homes energy rated following RESNET’s stringent standards and marketing their homes HERS Index.







© 2011 RESNET
Residental Energy Services Network