 Feature |
Application Period Now Open
The King County/Seattle Built Green™ Incentive will again be available in 2008 and the first round of applications for funding is now open. The Built Green Incentive provides funding for single-family residential, town home, community development, and now multi-family development projects to certify at the programs higher 4-Star and 5-Star levels. The funding is intended to help offset the cost of certifying and designing innovative projects that meet green building standards. Eligible projects may receive between $2,500 and $20,000 depending on the project type and level of green design and building elements employed.
Now that Built Green is nearing the launch of 4 and 5-Star certification for multi-family high-rise, mixed use, and stacked flat buildings, we are excited have extended the incentive to include condominium and apartment projects as well.
The King County/Seattle Built Green™ Incentive was established to encourage developers, builders, and residents building new homes to use green building standards while attempting to address barriers such as higher upfront costs for projects. Grant award projects will serve as demonstrations of high performance, replicable, green housing for the region.
The Built Green Incentive application period opened on May 1, and will close on May 30 at 5:00pm (PT). Application and instructions available online.
| Letter from the Director |
First MLS Analysis Shows Certified Projects Carry Higher Value
A new analysis of MLS green home sales data done by Greenworks Realty shows what may be a bright spot in today's real estate market. Between September 2007 and March 2008, environmentally-certified homes sold for 4.8 percent more and stayed on the market for 24 percent less time than comparable homes sold last year.
In the first year since it began tracking environmentally certified homes, 19.8 percent of new homes in Seattle sold on the Northwest Multiple Listing Service (NWMLS) were environmentally certified. These homes (which include townhomes as well as single family homes) averaged 1,477 square feet, just slightly smaller than the 1,492 square foot average for all new homes sold. On a square-foot basis, this means green homes sold for a 5.9 percent premium. Green homes certified by a third party such as 4-Star and 5-Star Built Green homes sold for a 10.5 percent premium on a square foot basis.
In King County, 13.5 percent of new homes were environmentally certified. These homes had 21.5 percent less square feet and sold for a 1.2 percent premium. On a square-foot basis, this means green homes sold for a 28.9 percent premium.
"In today's changing market, this is an important finding for homeowners to consider," noted Ben Kaufman, founder of GreenWorks Realty. He added, "environmentally-certified homes offer homeowners a way to get the most value and sell faster."
Environmentally-certified homes include those certified by Built Green®, Energy Star® or LEED for Homes™. From Sept. 1, 2007 to March 31, 2008, 168 environmentally-certified, single-family new homes were sold in the City of Seattle out of a total of 848 new homes sold. 285 environmentally-certified, single-family homes were sold in King County out of 2,109 new homes sold.
Between the three programs, 241 homes were certified through Built Green, 106 through Energy Star Homes Northwest, and 4 through LEED-H.
Until now, the idea that people are willing to pay more for environmentally-certified housing has been based on consumer surveys and our expectations. Now, for the first time anywhere in the country, we have hard sales data to back up what many of us have believed– consumers value green homes more.
So now homebuyers have one more reason to by a certified green home, they carry more resale value in addition to the many other benefits. It seems more people are realizing that sound financial planning and environmental stewardship can be one in the same.
| Classes |
Classes listed below are approved workshops for fulfilling the annual Built Green education requirement for certifying projects.
Monday, May 12, Seattle
Healthy Home Series brought to you by
GreenWorks Realty
Course Description: Designed for Real Estate Agents/Sales, Appraisers, Home Inspectors, Investors, and Homeowners.
A series of 6 unique classes committed to exploring the environmental real estate sector through engaging discussions that will define the different shades of green building practices, examine the primary environmental certification programs, and offer tools for navigating the expanding green niche market. These classes are designed for Real Estate Professionals and Service Providers. Homeowners are welcome!!
Course Sessions - 6 Sessions in the Series
- Introduction / Unlocking the MLS
- Who's Buying that Green House? / Demographics and Upselling the Green Potential
- Green Building 101 / Features that Sell for Every Demographic
- Building Your Community / Working with Industry Allies
- Building Blocks / Understanding the Elements of Sustainable Building (2 sessions)
For more information on time, location, and registration, please visit the website.
Tuesday, May 13, MBA Housing Center, Bellevue
Introduction to Built Green®
This seminar provides an introduction to the Built Green program from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on Tuesday, May 13 at MBA Housing Center, 335 116th Ave. SE in Bellevue. Learn how to certify a project and use the checklist, how to join, how the program works and other resources. The seminar presents examples of projects and covers how to fill out the Built Green checklist. This orientation has a cost of $30 and is required in order to certify homes as Built Green. To register, contact the MBA University registrar at education@mbaks.com or go online.
| Events |
Visit the Built Green Washington website for green home building courses and events across the state of Washington.
Thursday, May 8, Sacramento
The Sacramento Green Home Expo
The Sacramento Green Home Expo will be conducted Thursday, May 8 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Sacramento City Convention Center. The Expo is an initiative of The North State Building Industry Association. The expo is a trade show and education event showcasing the latest environmentally friendly products and services used in the homebuilding industry. This is your opportunity to promote your products & services to both builders and consumers. Sponsorship and limited trade show vendor opportunities are available. For more information on the expo please visit the event website.
Tuesday, May 13, Online
2008 Green Real Estate Guide: How to Find the Space, How to Make the Case
Time: 10 to 11 a.m. PST
Join Sustainable Industries for a free one-hour Web conference focused on the West Coast's fast-growing green real estate market. Is it the right antidote to the skittish real estate climate? Two industry experts discuss the hottest trends in the green real estate market, including the components of a green lease agreement.
To register go to the website.
Download Sustainable Industries Green Real Estate Guide 2008.
 December 8-10, Meydenbauer Center, Bellevue
Save the Date for the Northwest Builders Show
David Johnston will return to the show and offer a training and certification course on green building December 8. The class is designed to provide in-depth knowledge of the latest in green building practices, technologies, and techniques. David Johnson is the leading thinker behind the sustainable building movement and the recipient of the 2007 International Sustainability Pioneer Award. This class will be offered in conjunction with several other notable speakers addressing energy efficiency, solar energy, and how to build and finance environmentally friendly structures.
Save the date and watch for more valuable information on the show website.
Contact Lesley Odland for additional information.
| Built Green Reading |
 The Northwest Green Home Primer
by Kathleen O'Brien & Kathleen Smith
Now in bookstores!
Packed with hundreds of ideas, checklists, tips and resources, The Northwest Green Home Primer is the perfect book for anyone looking for strategies on building, remodeling, or buying a sustainable home. Even better, the book focuses on the Cascadia region, which includes British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Northern California.
Visit www.greenhomeprimer.com for more information.
| Job Postings |
Case Remodeling
Remodeling Administrator / Project Coordinator
An excellent opportunity to start with a great company and build a long term career!
CASE Remodeling is a leading national full service residential remodeling company. CASE has been in business for over 46 years and has been recognized by Remodeling Magazine as the #1 remodeling company in the USA.
CASE, headquartered in Redmond, is recruiting for the full-time position of:
Remodeling Administrator/Project Coordinator
To find out more about the position, or to submit resume,
please email.
| Puget Sound Energy |
BUILDERS: SAVE MONEY!
Look for Puget Sound Energy's new rebate offerings. Approved products installed as of January 1, 2008 may qualify.
Puget Sound Energy's Single-family New Construction Rebates are offered to help offset the cost of installing higher efficiency measures into the homes you build. New measures and more money are offered this year to help protect your bottom line.
Single-family rebates depend on installed equipment efficiency and energy type provided by PSE. These rebates apply only to single-family detached housing or attached housing with four units or less. Apartment buildings are not eligible for these rebates, but may qualify for incentives through PSE's Multifamily Program. Installing energy-efficient products can earn credits for Northwest ENERGY STAR® Homes certification and various Built Green&trade Programs.
To get started:
If you have any questions regarding our builder rebates, or would like more information, please call a PSE Energy Advisor at 1.800.562.1482 or e-mail.
Going Green Northwest
Northwest ENERGY STAR Homes and Puget Sound Energy in partnership with Bennett Homes, Schnneider Homes, CamWest,and Burnstead Homes. Through June you can spot commercials being aired on KIRO 7 highlighting these ES Home builders.
Goal:
To increase consumer awareness of benefits in purchasing an ES Certified home. To see more login to www.kirotv.com/goinggreennw
| Contact
Built Green |
 Master
Builders Association
335 - 116th Avenue SE
Bellevue, WA 98004
P:
(425) 460-8238
F: (425) 646-5985
builtgreen@mbaks.com
www.builtgreen.net
Master
Builders Association Calendar of Events
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Built
Green | Phone
(425) 460-8238 | BuiltGreen,
335 116th Avenue SE, Bellevue WA 98004
