Belize Real Estate Links 
| Belize Real Estate Links | |
| |
|
Real Estate Information |
|
|
|
NAHB's Voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines
The voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are designed to move environmentally friendly home building concepts further into the mainstream marketplace. Currently, there are approximately thirty communities throughout the U.S. that have green home building programs in place or in development. By developing the set of voluntary national guidelines, NAHB intends to help facilitate the adoption of green home building practices and the formation of additional local programs in the parts of the country not currently served by programs. In the spring of 2003, NAHB approved a resolution supporting green building. In response to NAHB member's requests to provide the membership with technical guidance to support the new green building policy, NAHB tasked the NAHB Research Center to manage a project to develop national green home building guidelines. The NAHB Research Center worked together in an open, public process with over 60 Stakeholder Group members from the home building industry to create those guidelines. The guidelines contain six primary sections: Lot Preparation and Design - With lot preparation and design, the builder has opportunities to demonstrate environmentally sensible construction practices. Even before the foundation is poured, careful planning can reduce the home's impact on vegetation, soil, water, plus a home's long-term performance can be enhanced. Such preparation can provide significant value to the homeowner, the environment, and the community. Included for the end user, especially developers, is a Site Planning Appendix that closely mirrors this section and provides additional guidance. Resource Efficiency - This section shows how certain framing techniques and home designs can effectively optimize the use of building materials. Construction waste management concepts are also discussed. In addition, information is provided on how a home's durability and the amount of time and money needed for maintenance are affected by how certain materials are used. Energy Efficiency - This is the most quantifiable aspect of green building. The information on this section will help a builder create a building envelope and incorporate energy efficient mechanical systems, appliances, and lighting into a home that will yield long-term utility bill cost savings and increased comfort for the homeowner. It contains the only requirements to participate in this voluntary program: compliance with the 2003 International Energy Conservation Code, use of ACCA manuals to size HVAC equipment, and 3rd party plan review to verify compliance with the section. Water Efficiency/Conservation - Although, the relative importance of water availability and usage varies from region to region, the concern with adequate supply of water is becoming more widespread geographically. Experience also shows that employing the line items from this section of the guidelines for indoor and outdoor water use can decrease a homeowner's need for water and thus reduce utility bills, regardless of location. Occupancy Comfort and Indoor Environmental Quality - Details in this part of the guidelines will indicate how to effectively manage moisture, ventilation, and other issues in order to create a comfortable indoor living environment. Homeowner Education - Given the level of effort a homebuilder goes through to create a well thought out home system, it would be a shame not to give the homeowner some guidance on how to optimally operate and maintain the house. Line items from this section show a builder how best to educate homeowners on a variety of homeownership matters. Each section contains a set of provisions that explain how a builder can incorporate green building concepts into a project. In addition, local builders and green building program developers may apply points to the provisions to further define green building through a scoring methodology currently being developed. Local homebuilder associations will be given a user guide that will provide additional information and guidance on ways to customize the guidelines to accommodate local conditions. The draft presented at Fall Board in Columbus, OH was a piloting version for dissemination amongst HBAs and builders for accuracy and practicality. A number of HBAs and High Production Builders have expressed an interest in helping NAHB to pilot test the document. The deadline for pilot testing was December 1st and the final version will be rolled out during the 2005 IBS in January in Orlando, FL. Currently, NAHB staff from the Energy and Green Building Dept. are traveling throughout the country presenting the guidelines to builders and HBAs who have expressed an interest in implementing green building in their respective businesses/communities. To date over 20 HBAs have voiced their interest and support, with many more to follow in the new year. In summary, the voluntary Model Green Home Building Guidelines are for the mainstream home builders, many of whom are already incorporating some green building methods and materials into their construction practices. These voluntary guidelines will help systematize the green design and construction process and assist the builder toward incorporating more green building features into homes. As NAHB Research Center data indicates that there is a growing number of green homes built annually, it is expected that these voluntary guidelines will help builders meet the needs of this growing market. Neda Dabestani-Ryba is a licensed Realtor in Maryland. She is a member of the President's Circle of Top Real Estate Professionals. She can be reached at (800) 536-3806 or visit her website for more information: http://neda.dabestani.pcragent.com Prudential Carruthers REALTORS is an independently owned and operated member of Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Inc., a Prudential Financial company. Equal Housing Opportunity.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Understanding Opportunity Cost When Investing In Property While most investors have got involved in property investing because they understand the opportunities to make money through leverage and capital growth or high yields, I still see and hear of many who do not fully understand opportunity cost.Remember anyone that gets into property is usually in it to generate money or income - how many deals/properties you own is insignificant. Property Investment Strategy: Securing Properties with Little or No Deposit Property Investing often requires creative strategies to make it successful. Professional property investors often use the option contract as a tool to develop some useful investment strategies. Property Investing Secrets 4 Property Investing Secrets:How to Sell to 100% of the Market Place Using Lease OptionsWhen property investing, you will find if you make houses easy for people to buy, your properties will become easier to sell. Most people who are selling houses today are selling to the 80% of the population who have good enough credit to qualify for a bank loan. Be A Realtor With Curb Appeal Are you a realtor with curb appeal or are you more of a fixer-upper needful of updating?How you present yourself to colleagues, buyers and sellers, from the very first moment, will influence your sales records as well as the confidence and satisfaction your new clients feel. Even if you're a Realtor in demand, with more listings than hours in a week, you may well find areas that you can polish. Rehab Foreclosed Houses the Right Way and Keep All the Profits! I've been teaching people how to buy foreclosure properties for a long time.And we all make the biggest profits on the deals that we rehab the right way. Water, Water Everywhere on the Waterfront Waterfront living is among the most desirable of locations in our area (Florida). The views and vistas are fantastic, not to mention the ability to walk out one's door to drop a line to fish or untie a line to enjoy boating. Spain Excellent Choice for British SIPP Investors Second homes in favourite holiday destinations such as Spain are likely to be top of the shopping list when the pension rules change April 6th 2006, allowing individuals to invest in residential property through Self Invested Personal Pensions (SIPPs).Research shows that Spain's mature market makes an excellent choice for SIPP investors, with capital growth still high and forecast to grow at 10% a year for the next five years at least. Timing Is Everything When It Comes To Buying Homes The old adage that "timing is everything" especially applies to buying a new home. And trying to be at the right house at the right time and get it for the right price can be tricky. Renting a House Renting a house or a room in your home is a great business that millions of people take advantage of to make some extra cash. While many people rent houses each year, not all of them are successful. The Sadness of Old Buildings From the book No Smooshing!For years, I've carried on a not-so-friendly debate with some of my artist friends from the West Coast about their ideas of what constitutes a good subject. We seem to be able to agree on certain things, like apples and oranges-and even certain landscapes. What is a Home Inspection? Any Sally and Sam Homebuyer can look at a home and decide whether it is attractive. They might notice it is freshly painted in pleasing colors, has the requisite number of rooms, a cook's kitchen and is located in a location with top schools. Rental Property Management - Ten Questions Why hire rental property management? Because doing it all yourself is the surest way to make your real estate investment experience a bitter one. You also have more time to find the next deal when there is someone taking care of the details for you. U.S. Real Estate Sought By Foreign Investors Due to a Weaker Dollar The weak US dollar has been good news for real estate. Taking advantage of the favorable conversion rates, foreign investors are eagerly picking up real estate in major cities across the US. Selling Your Home: The Power of a Great Sales Flyer Even though its importance is often overlooked, a great sales flyer is one of the most effective tools for selling your house. Whether your home is listed with an agent or not, make sure that you have a dazzling flyer. Real Estate Investing In Bulgaria As Bulgaria readies for joining the European Economic Community in 2007, many investors are looking to see if there are real estate bargains to be had there.Other countries have had a big run up before and shortly after joining the European Economic Community. Investing In Real Estate Investors With the never-ending changes in our Real Estate Markets real estate professionals are starting to pay attention to the sound of new commission streams of income. Some realtors have either shied away or ran-away from such terms as "Cap Rate," & "Cash-on-Cash Returns. How to Prequalify a Buyer When You Sell Your Home By Owner One questions many "for sale by owner" sellers ask is "how can I determine if a potential buyer can afford to buy my house?" In the real estate industry this is referred to as "pre-qualifying" a buyer. You might think this is a complex process but in reality it is actually quite simple and only involves a little math. Probate & Obituary Marketing I start my marketing with obituaries followed with probate filings and find it just another effective way to acquire property.Short of courthouse research you can go to your local library and go to the reference department and research using what is called a Polk City directory that will list if the deceased party owns real estate. Rehab Your Way to Wealth: The Quick Way to Fixer-Upper Success Completely rebuilding a house is not necessary to make money in investment real estate. Most times, if you have bought smart, you won't have to make a huge improvements on your investment property. Writing on the Wall - Are REITs a Better Investment for You? When I was a young child I had many annoying tendencies. My mother explained to me that the most annoying was my need to write on the walls of every room.
|
| home | site map | Colorado Log Homes | Homes for Sale in Denver Metro |
| © 2006 |
