Where I am at and who I am does't change the facts. If you want create a "get to know each other thread" and please stop throwing mine off topic.

Agreed, we already have too many anonymous company bots on this forum posting jiberish and advocating their companies. So proving where you are and who you does matter if don't want to be ignored manually or automatically by rules.

We're squeezing about 20 percent from my son's estimate using the internet, wholesale outlets and my Mennonite friends to source finish, fixtures plumbing and hvac, or more than enough to put up foam sheathing. We're obliged to fetch it. The builder gave us the option of shopping on our own vs his discount at named suppliers although it looked like our choice came as a surprise. It's a winter scheduling place holder kind of deal so we got minimal push back. A FPSF would have saved another 10 percent but the builder clearly was not comfortable with the option . My philosophy is use the online design tools and beef it up by 10 or 20 percent. Hey, it's reclaimed foam.

There is nothing nebulous about green. Consult LEED's categories.There's embedded energy -- the materials cost in btus plus shipping -- and then there is operational efficiency. Reuse gives you a crack at getting the second for little or no premium.

I just refinanced. The assessor asked for our HERS cert . The comps were other homes with similar energy ratings. I don't know if that really answers the question but it's 1 way of getting the value of your energy savings.

patonbike: You're lucky to have recorded HERS scores, and that they are low enough in your area to help out!

Resnet.us says the average cost of a HERS analysis is $450. That's not much for folks who shelled out for triple glazed windows I suppose, but for me, it is 6 to 9 months of power bills in an all-electric house. Worse, HERS would dock me for uncoated glass and lots of it, purposely chosen in a passive solar house for its SHGC of 62. It probably would not give me credit for normal duty cellular shades plus "nuclear winter" blinds pulled down over those on cold nights, for a combined R7. Nor would HERS give me credit for the fuel that falls from the sky in my neck of the (literal) woods, which is why FirstEnergy will never get rich on my business.

Yes, there is no guarantee that the stove will be fired or the curtains drawn, but it's always nice to get the benefit of the doubt (aka respect.) Choice would be nice, too. The other thing about WindowQuilts, besides superior performance, is that you can add them next year when the lender is history.

Been looking at the US market a little closer today. ACEEE has this map of the best green states with incentives for it: http://aceee.org/state-policy/scorecard

Check out which need to the most permits as of Q4 2016: http://www.realtor.org/news-releases/2016/09/nar-identifies-top-10-markets-in-dire-need-of-more-single-family-housing-starts

I read about Dallas on Metros site......they need homes less than $200K to fill most of those 132 K permits, not the best green state lots of sunny days tho. Only rebate utility I could find has a waiting list @ $500 KW for solar. Austin is more green, they cost more needing homes $250k-300K+.
http://www.metrostudy.com/about-us/metrostudy-markets/

Denver is green busting at the seams with home shortages and at the peak of cost $4-500k selling. Now the heart of the Rockies has resorted to tiny home rentals for high density housing which others are needing to look at.
http://www.denverpost.com/2016/11/16/salida-community-tiny-homes-housing-crunch/

One thing they all have in common is a shortage of labor causing schedule slides and the price of matls and land is digging deep into builders pockets to meet buyers price points. There is a ratio of home sales price/average salaries most at too high.

I would think a lower utility bill green home fits in here somewhere if the infrastructure supported it. Hard to find except perhaps in the top 10 green states. Most of CA hot spots like San Diego, CA is built out with ave home prices above $350K. They are practically giving PV away: http://thesolarinstitute.org/local-power-corps-tsi/?s1=f_ca_v_sd&voluumdata=BASE64dmlkLi4wMDAwMDAwYS01NjRkLTQ5YmItODAwMC0wMDAwMDAwMDAwMDBfX3ZwaWQuLjY1MTJkODAwLWIxMDctMTFlNi04M2Qz

Financing for start up builders is another common obstacle, even if they have a better green product. I did not read much about the green factor in any of it from the big economic analyst Hanleywood/MetroCompany. Just when I thought the grass might be greener elsewhere, well maybe or maybe not, depends.

Interesting that Parahomes starts this thread and tells everyone on it that they are wrong, and in every other thread acts like he is the expert. But admittedly can't get a loan because he admits the Banks don't like his lack of experience. You seem to know what everyone including the industry should be doing and even the direction this site should be doing. I will be more blunt, You are an ass, and obviously others have seen it, including lenders.

Seems some just cannot get their head around what is going on in the green industry. The Green Building movement on a national level is not doing that great. One of the biggest reasons for that are appraisals, to a least extent short term construction money, to a larger extent long term permanent financing (EE mortgages, etc) for builder’s clients, and a lack of robust cost effective designs/knowledge. One-off DIYs internet designed are not going to move a lot of “green money” lending nor sell lot of products on green sites. Spec designs will. A net zero spec vs “DOE net zero ready” can potentially move more green money since there are opportunities for local banks to finance solar (see below) and production designs. SPECs may be able to profit by providing solar depending on the present value of the local production. That takes energy modeling, PV watts, SAM, or tools like PV Value. That financial model should only get better as it seems, despite Trump, PV cost will continue to plummet.

In order for local banks to fund “green specs” whether net zero ready or not, takes a local market start-ups, very challenging with no comps, so analytical tools/knowledge are needed. A local market start-up requires specs/models, local professionals with “financial/risk skin in the game” profiting, that is whom the banks with the $$$ look to for larger “green” down-payments due to an unknown market, as does the local BSO, not the internet. In order for local markets to continue to grow green and sell green, requires good design and build practices by again, the proper design tools by local professionals. A green cost structure that exceeds the local market due to bad designs or excessive green building failures, that are not valued properly fail the market. Proper design tools for High Performance Passive building’s in the US is PHIUS, WUFI, not the internet. At the end of the day, a building is only worth what a market is willing to appraise at, pay, or lend, hence the risk.

The best thing to do before building a green home, DIY or Pro, Passive or not, is look for appraisers that are on and practicing “Valuation of Sustainable” buildings & have taken courses taught by Sandra Adomatis and are listed on AI’s website. She web trains local banks and appraisers IF they are willing, another challenge. Most have to take it by Directors, perhaps annual committees for approval and most banks will not work outside their approved appraisers. Some may have internal valuation tools.

To establish a market for future sales, make sure the value of the design is being captured in the appraisal including cash flows from lower utility bill saving’s so it sells for what it is worth. That will help national markets, the biggest impact and most challenging larger banks that lend in multiple states. Failure to do so will more than likely not increase the value despite all the misleading hype on the internet. To do a proper cost analysis and export compliance certification reports again requires the proper tools (eg: Energy Models, AGREEA, MLS, Location, etc).

As US homes move towards Green or Passive Certifications, another metric indicator to watch besides a growing national AI list is a measurable growing demand for good WUFI modelers as more than likely seen on their current low traffic forums.

http://www.myappraisalinstitute.org/findappraiser/green_sustainability_residential.aspx

http://solaroutreach.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Local-Lending-for-Solar-PV-Final-Feb-2014.pdf

lalala