Real Estate Investing

So if you are a builder, it can be difficult to sell a house right now. That’s a given. Any seasoned veteran is familiar with the old tricks like price reduction or perks like interior design consultation to help move houses. However, the trend of green building has caught on tremendously in California and is rapidly making its way eastward - even into states like Texas, where green building has been embraces with a fairly apathetic attitude.

Simple green building concepts like thicker wallboards, better insulation, more “energy efficient windows” and EnergyStar appliances are being hawked as the new eco-friendly standard. Some home builders even charge extra for this green building package on the basis that it will reduce long-term energy costs. Any extra upfront costs will be recovered within a couple months through drastically lower energy bills, they say.

It’s an interesting concept, one that tends to sit easier with the upper-level homebuyers. Those with good credit and more money can secure extra financing (or any financing at all, for that matter) to be able to pay for energy saving packages. Green building is red hot right now. Some purists would argue whether thicker walls and energy efficient windows truly encompasses green building, as there are countless ways to make a home eco-friendly. However, these simple steps are just one more tool in the homebuilders’ arsenal to try and move houses in a slow market. It may even be worth throwing in for free at this point as a deal closer, depending on the market.

From a homebuyer’s perspective, these simple steps have been getting very good reviews for their energy savings. Don’t be afraid to ask for the energy savings package at no extra cost or a reduced cost. After all, the power is most certainly in the buyer’s hands and the energy savings package should be available to more than just upper level homebuyers for the present time. Helping the earth and lowering your monthly energy costs is certainly a good thing, but ask questions and know what the energy savings package entails. If you are trying to sell an existing home, Energy Star appliances and energy efficient windows can be a selling point. Tomorrow, we will look more closely at this and some other top tips for selling your home in a slow market.