Luxury Green House Plans - By CHB Eco Custom Homes

Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Over the years working as a Realtor I have seen numerous home buyers as well as other Realtors try to use dollars per square foot as a good measuring stick for market values. Sorry folks but that is a very poor way to analyze value.

There are a number of reasons why this is the case but lets just start with individual homes themselves. If you look carefully at housing characteristics you can basically break down a home into one of four categories.

Economy~ Economy would be characterized as building a home in the most cost efficient manner. The materials used in constructing a home in this category more often than not will be cheaper than other categories of homes. The goal is to deliver a home that would be affordable to those buyers on a lower income. If you looked in a catalog of materials such as cabinets, flooring, lighting and plumbing fixtures you would see the lowest grade used in this category.

In Thomasville, GA these are the type of homes being built and sold "ECONOMY" with an "ECONOMY" home you also get the cheapest materials and labors the builder or unlicensed person claiming to be a builder can find. These homes are also built to minimum bare to low building code. So if you are looking for the cheapest homes for square footage price then these homes can be found in Thomasville, GA. So do not complain when these type of home ends up costing you more money on the long run, like water bill for one person over $100/per Month and other things going wrong or braking down.

Standard – A home built under this category would be a step up from an economy home. A large percentage of homes would come under this category. You would expect to see the quality of the home jump from an economically built home. With a standard built home you may see some construction items that could also be found in both economy and custom categories.

Custom – In a custom built home you are bound to see things that you will not find in either an economy or standard home. The quality of the materials used to construct the home as well as the amenities inside are going to be different. As an example you may see a higher level of finish woodworking, cabinetry, flooring selections and hot buttons like granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances. Custom homes are more unique and may have other architectural characteristics that make them more expensive to build such as intricate roof lines and higher end materials used on the facade such as stone or brick.

Luxury – A luxury home is the creme de la creme. These are the homes that are built with the highest grade construction materials. There is no expense spared on anything and the amenities seen inside the home are sometimes enough to make your mouth drop! It is not unusual to see such things as home theaters that rival going to the movies, indoor swimming pools, wine rooms and other such amenities.

Of course it is possible for a home to fall somewhere between each of these categories but the four categories are enough to show you why using price per square foot to determine a homes value is a very poor measuring stick.

Lets look at a quick example of two homes that are both 3000 square feet. They are both a year old.

House “A” has the following amenities:

■Granite counters and stainless appliances

■A custom tile shower

■Hardwood floors throughout the 1st floor

■Raised paneling and crown moldings

■A brick walk way

House “B” has the following amenities:

■Formica counters and white appliances

■A standard shower

■Carpets through out the 1st floor

■Plastered door openings with no molding

■A dropped flagstone walkway

How about a quick guess of which home is going to be worth more on a dollars per square foot basis?

This example clearly shows that you can not take the average price per-square-foot and multiply it times the square footage of the home you are thinking about buying. There are far too many variables involved with the characteristics of a home to make a generalization like that. It just doesn’t work that way. The pricing per-square-foot simply gives you average or median ranges; it shows you trends in the market. It does not compute value!

The comparison above only touches on one reason why cost per square foot is a poor indicator. There are others including the fact that prices per-square-foot can vary based on the homes location, improvements, condition, age and updates, including lot sizes, and whether it’s a one-story, two story or split-level home, among other things.

I think it is easy to see that if home “A” was also located in the best part of town and home “B” was not, the disparity of the selling price is going to be even greater which would change the price per square foot between the two homes.

One of the best reasons for even looking at the price per square foot of a home is to see what the trends are in an area. You can look at the average price per square foot over a given time period and see whether overall market are values going up or down.

In Massachusetts one of the other factors that can really skew the averages on the price per square foot of a home is how the square footage is actually calculated. In the Greater Boston MLS there is a big disparity on what agents include in the gross living area of a home. You will see that some homes include finished basement space and others do not. This can cause quite a fluctuation in how these figures appear when doing an analysis on square footage value.

As you may realize, finished space below grade is far less valuable than above grade living area. When these figures are mixed together it makes a straight line comparison much more difficult.

I have run into plenty of buyers agents over the years that try to present a case of why their clients offer is a fair one. When they start talking about price per square foot I usually end up giving them a lesson in proper market evaluations:)

Real Estate News and Views for Metrowest Massachusetts. Published by Bill Gassett RE/MAX Executive Realty

http://massrealestatenews.com/price-per-square-foot-is-misleading-for-real-estate-values/

The greatest health risks from open burning is smoke inhalation. Smoke is largely made up of air pollutants known as particulate matter. These pollutants are small enough to invade our respiratory system as we breathe in polluted air. They can damage lung tissues when they reach the alveoli, which are the tiny air sacs where we take in oxygen and unload carbon dioxide (see image below). This reduces your lung capacity.
When trees are burned, the carbon is released into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas which means it absorbs heat. This absorption of heat is called global warming and has serious environmental and economical consequences. It increases the earth's temperature, thus causing glaciers to melt and sea-levels to rise; it disrupts earth's weather patterns. For example, droughts, massive floods, and extremely powerful hurricanes are just some of the effects of global warming.
http://www.scdhec.gov/environment/baq/OpenBurning/health_effects.asp#

Builders in thomasville GA - Buying A Standard home Vs. A Custom Green Home?

2011-12-17T10:27:00.000-08:00

Realtors are not the only ones looking for creative way to sell homes. We can not leave out those builders that are making the most of minimum code.
An energy efficient (Green) home is a better built home. A green custom built home has to follow strict guidelines by the EPA and other green programs like LEED or NAHB Green. These guidelines are set so the outcome of a green custom home is a home built above minimum code, and a healthy home built above minimum code will save you 40% to 50% on your energy bill. A standard built home has no guidelines has no restrictions. A standard built home can be built with cheap materials, cheap labors, and built below or to bare minimum code and in my area these are the type of homes being built and widely shown for a quick sale.
These homes were advertised as quality built, but changed to luxury. I guess the quality work was left out and someone pointed this out. Do the math, buying a cheap home / non green home will only cost you more money in the long run. See a few listed examples below.

Example-1: Wrong size A/C unit = If the A/C is to small it will work overtime to cool the house and if the A/C is to big your home will have too much Moisture in the house and to much moisture creates mold.
Example-2: If the roof is not vented properly all that heat will not escape again A/C unit will be working overtime and in winter the cold attic will take longer for the A/C unit to warm the house.
Example-3: Improper use of valley metal or no valley metal and the improper use of roof paper. All have a good potential for a roof leak.
Example-4: Holes in the sheathing or big gaps is a good way to get cold spots in winter and A/C leakage in the summer, Also A good potential to keep the pest control companies in business. Big problems, in my part of town.
Example-5: We can go on listing all of the non benefits of building a cheap home or non green home, but hopefully you get it.
Example-6: Felt paper. As warm moist air rises the felt paper allows the moist air to pass through, but if some of the moisture condenses on the underside of the shingle, the felt paper keeps that condensed moisture from touching the wood.

Analyzing whether or not green certified homes are worth more

2011-07-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Analyzing whether or not green certified homes are worth more

If my home was built by a non licensed contractor is he still responsible for bad work?

2011-05-10T15:41:00.000-07:00

I had a new house built by a non-licensed person. My roof leaks, is this person liable for repairs?

Thomasville, Georgia is well known for non-licensed builders or builders working under someone else’s license with NO EXPERIENCE on how to build a home correctly. I would suggest you do your homework if not you are going to end up with not a big home build right but a big square box with holes were your money well be going.

Ask Your Realtor You Would Like to Meet Your Builder Then Ask him to show you have License. You will see that he personally does not have one.

02/01/2007 - Contractors - State: ALL #1449

Home Inspectors Under Scrutiny For Payments To Realtors - Omaha News Story - KETV Omaha

2011-05-01T14:18:00.000-07:00

Home Inspectors Under Scrutiny For Payments To Realtors - Omaha News Story - KETV Omaha

HOME BUYERS FIND YOUR OWN INSPECTOR................

Thomasville, Georgia - Good ol' boy network - Alive and Well

2011-02-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

Good ol' boy network and its meaning:, or "Good old boys", describes a system of social networking alleged to exist among communities and social strata. These networks are assumed to be located throughout the world and very prominent in small towns like Thomasville,GA. It is sometimes taken to refer to informal legal, judicial, social, religious, business, and political associations among members, ("good ol' boys").

Some negative effects of the good ol' boy network are its exclusion of others, leading to possibly limiting business transactions to other elites or to friends or acquaintances from within the network, to give friends better deals, and generally to reinforce traditional power structures over any other elements in the society.

Most consumers and sellers do not realize that some real estate agents and brokerage offices supporting these low to bare minimum code homes knowingly and pushing these homes to consumers are only doing so for its easy sell while many listings sit un shown for years and sellers jumping from brokerage companies in hopes that their properties are shown more often. While these new under minimum code homes are pushed to consumers for being the best of the best other home sellers sit listening to their listing agents advise them to lower their selling prices because new and bigger homes are being sold for rock bottom prices and these prices are possible because of cutting corners in building cost. Our building inspectors should be vigilant to these practices in order to protect the consumers in order for them to utmost acquire a home built to minimum code.

It's becoming more and more common to find misrepresented listings and claiming the properties to be more efficient and misstating their square footage in order to manipulate the price/sq. ft. and by using the words (By Owner) as a loophole for the real estate agent and is sadly tolerated while the consumer gets mislead only to find out they ended up on the shorter end of the deal.

Whatever happened to looking beyond the square footage and weighing in the amenities of each property and negotiating and comparing property amenities and their individual situation for their low sale? Why is it that certain Realtors have their hands in the home building industry and their personal listings selling for full price or very close to listing price and others have to sell below apprised value? Is your Realtor telling you that your home is overpriced? One possible reason is that Realtors are pushing homes under $300,000 thousand with more then over 3,000sq.ft. being built to bare minimum code and possibly even below code and comparing all homes to these SQUARE FOOTAGE. Agents bringing buyers to these homes everyday while others trying not to loss their home are not getting shown. What type of service are these dual agents providing to all their sellers and not to mention their buyers? Consumers did you know that a dual agent is not allowed to negotiate for either party in this capacity? They would be breaking the law if they did. Why would you deal with an agent in this capacity? I pose this question. Would you hire a divorce attorney working for you soon ex-husband? same scenario.

The following is a True Story experienced by our company in this small town and evidence of the Good 'O Boy network in action:
We began building custom homes in Cairo, GA and offering features that were not being offered by no other local builder in effort to provide home buyers with a higher quality home with luxury features specific to each home we built. As a new company in the area and in a small town, we wanted to hire local quality companies. We visited many construction sites in search for these companies since we did not find many companies in the traditional way through advertisements. We visited many construction site in Thomasville, GA looking at different subcontractors and their workmanship. “Mind You” Cairo GA. is a small town and it is approximately 10 minutes from Thomasville, GA. We were searching for a good local trim company and wanted to have the opportunity to see the trim work as well and we noted some work being done on a new home being built. As we visited the site to look at the workmanship in order to consider the trim company, we spoke with the person doing the trim work which was a small one man operation local company. We looked around the home and liked their detailed work and we asked him if he would be interested in doing some work for us up in Cairo GA. The gentleman replied “sure he would love to do the work” We gave him one of our business cards and asked him to call us. To our surprise when he took a look at our business card and saw our company name he informed us that he would not be able to do any work for our company and if he did the Good old’ boy Network would not give him anymore work in Thomasville, GA. Mind you these times where booming with home sales. At that point we realized that the small town of Thomasville did not receive new comers in the real estate business very well and to our astonishment could not believe these form of band existed in today's day and age.

So, it makes you think who is manipulating the real estate system? Sellers and buyers do not realize what really goes on behind the scenes until they personally have been affected by the same systems that placed them in their homes but by then it is to late and a bitter experience is achieved and all Realtors are grouped with the bad apples in the industry. We have spoken to enough people to know that there are many with the same sentiments but do not have the means to publish there opinions. Many in the industry are not very happy with our strong opinions and bringing these issues to light.

But these blog's are meant to educate consumers with our experiences and knowledge of what we see happening in our community. If you the reader feel differently and do not care for the information you are more then welcome to exit this web page and we want to thank you for your visit but we like to express our freedom of speech which is one of our countries greatest rights.

Izzy Bienes / Builder / Developer - Holds a Florida & Georgia Real Estate License
http://www.trulia.com/blog/CHBEcoCustomHomes/2011/02/thomasville_georgia_-_good_ol_boy_network_-_alive_and_well

Capital Home Builders - Top Merchant Recognition

2010-12-11T06:26:00.000-08:00

Capital Home Builders would like to thank Merchant Circle for this Top Merchant recognition on my devotion in providing consumers with a valuable service. Merchant Circle has been a great venue for our Business.

CHB Eco Custom Homes

The New Energy Saving LED Bulb!

2010-11-18T11:07:00.000-08:00

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Do some brokers cheat when listing square footage?

2010-11-10T05:50:00.000-08:00

Do some brokers cheat when listing square footage?

Square footage is a big problem in Thomasville, GA. with bonus room being finished without a permit or outside areas being included under A/C.

Thomasville Real Estate Reality

2010-10-31T11:41:00.000-07:00

Marlene's Blog

Through my weekly readings, I came across some overwhelming information from no other then our President Obama and his new Home Star program incentives that are offered to homeowners to make their homes more energy-efficient, saving families several of hundred of dollars on their utility bills.

In reading these articles, which I have linked here in order to educate the consumer and more so people in the real estate industry that are still in denial about the energy-efficient qualified new home construction that many cities, counties and states are on a fast track in building and selling. I was just tickled to death, when I read all this information about energy efficiency and how it is affecting major industries especially the real estate industry. This is something I have been preaching for about the past three years and many in the real estate community just saw it as a marketing gimmick or just did not get it or for some odd reason, from lack of knowledge, assumed that these high performance homes just needed to be comparable to minimum code built homes. Although, more of them are using illusory words to attract the environmentally concious consumer to their products practicing GREENWASHING. These swindlers will soon be slammed with reprimands not only from authorities from their own organizations but from the government. Consumers need to be protected in many ways then one because buying real estate is a big investment that buyers can't just turn around and get rid of so quickly.

Cracking Down on GREENWASHING (Government driven)

The Green MLS Tool Kit ( Guidelines from NAR)

Who are "Green" Buyers and Sellers?

How about Some "GREEN" on the MLS?

Why Green Building

Cost of an Energy Efficient home versus standard spec home

In today's real estate market, energy-efficiency is seen everywhere you turn. This is an issue that can be avoided but soon will be hard to ignore. For those who think it is just merely a trend of today will soon see it as the norm of tomorrow. We even see it with auto makers putting out energy-efficient cars because it is mandated by our government. Consumers can now have the option to buy a car which due come at a premium with higher fuel standards saving consumers at the pump and receive government tax credit for their purchases offsetting consumers investment and saving them for years to come.

Homes are no different. Homes are a major contributors of greenhouse gas emission and through programs like ENERGY STAR, LEED, HOMESTAR, and many others out there qualifying new and retrofit home construction adhering to higher standards,being sustainable, kind to the environment as well as providing a healthier more comfortable home and saving homeowners money on their utilities bills. Yes, I do understand that some people do not care for this and the larger the home and cheaper they pay for them is their thing and that is great different homes for different folks,right.

Now, I ask you, who in the world doesn't want to save money? Being in the real estate industry, I hear people say how much money they are spending on their utility bills and I ask myself "am I the only one listening to these people?" On the other side, I constantly hear these energy efficient homes being called "homes that don't fit in", "homes that are overpriced" or "homes that are bullies" bluh, bluh, bluh and all these comments coming from no other than professionals in the industry that sadly refuse to either educate themselves on what the overall benefits of these homes are or just do not want to admit that "they" themselves do not "fit in" to the real estate market of "Today" and understanding the aspects of the new era of building and retrofiting to energy-efficiency. Professionals that refuse to admit to the changing market will soon stay behind in the real estate of yesterday and as consumers become more savvy buyers will steer to professionals that are better educated in the modern real estate industry.

I will say this to consumers and to my peers soon we will see steps taken mandating improvements in building efficiency by 50% through our building codes. There has been improvements in the residential sector with the IECC 2009 but sadly to report that this 30% improvement by the Energy Efficient Code Coalition is ONLY voluntary to be used by cities, counties and state authorities. These authorities more often than not will give their dumbs down due to their local politics and deep concerns in adding new building codes because it will be harder to get builders to get the proper training.

So, many elect to ignore it, turn a blind eye and believe they can live in a shell and avoid change or fear of the unknown and the effect it may have in their lives, and the way they do business and I completely understand but, whether you want to admit it or not this trend will become the norm forcing all of us to make a change.

What's your take? I would love to hear your views from your neck of the woods and your experiences in your market.

Green Homes Sell For More and Faster Than Other Homes:

2010-10-01T05:37:00.001-07:00

Green homes sell for more and faster than other homes

The homes that underwent the strictest certification, being tested by third parties, and thus likely to be the "greenest" did even better. They commanded prices 25% higher than regular homes, says the ECert report by Seattle-based GreenWorks Realty. It evaluates data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which began allowing real estate agents to mark homes as eco-certified in 2007.

NOT, In Thomasville, Georgia Realtors here say that green homes need to be compatible to standard spec homes. It looks like the real estate market and realtors in Thomasville, Georgia are lost in the corn fields of reality when it comes to green homes.

Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

2010-10-01T04:57:00.001-07:00

Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

Are You Over Paying per square foot in Thomasville, Georgia:
Some agents are adding hundreds of square footage to their listing and then claiming "as per owner". I am assuming as a real estate agent, a professional, would address this discrepancy and not pass the buck as to they would not be responsible for the listing they represent. Here we go again with assuming, you know what they say about assumptions! Always ask your agent (a real estate professional) were did the added square footage come from. If she/him claims it came from the owner, I would ask them for documentation justifying the added square footage. Because once you buy the property it is your problem to resolve and for future resale. Remember that the listing agent of any property is working for the SELLER NOT YOU THE BUYER….. And if they are working for the buyers as well they are acting in a dual agency. Ask yourself this Question: Would you go to the same attorney performing a divorce for both husband & wife? Well this is the same thing.

Realtors misrepresenting listings as Energy efficient:

2010-09-21T06:34:00.001-07:00

When looking for Energy efficient property in the Thomasville, Georgia area they are a few things to lookout for. Misrepresenting a listing and selling that listing on false pretense is a lawsuit waiting to happen for the agent or brokerage office.

1. Ask for certifications. If the home builder or Realtor does not belong to a nationally recognized organization, ask how and why they are making an eco-friendly claim. If they are certified, don’t immediately assume their paperwork is legitimate. Do some digging of your own to verify their claims, and the validity of their certifications. Realtors claiming Energy Efficient homes in Thomasville, Georgia better have third part verification documents to back it up or buyer I would file a lawsuit against the agent and brokerage office for misrepresenting that listing.

2. Don’t be an undereducated consumer. Do some investigating of your own to confirm that what they’re telling you is actually true. If you’re about to make an investment of several hundred thousand dollars, shouldn’t you get the maximum value for your dollar as possible?

3. Don’t fall for the window dressing. Just because they use nontoxic paint or installed insulation with a R-value above what the local building code requires, don’t assume the house is 100% green. Very few homes (if any) can be 100% green, so when you’re listening to a long list of stats about how great their product is, keep your suspicions up. Taking notes might help too.

4. Energy efficient products alone isn’t enough. Quality and workmanship are always paramount when buying a new home. So it’s entirely possible to have the best insulating triple paned windows on the market, but a small leak around the windowsill will negate their efficacy. It’s best to think of your house as a energy efficient system, rather than a combination of green products.

http://www.grec.state.ga.us/consumer/complaint.html

Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

2010-09-18T07:21:00.000-07:00

Price Per Square Foot is Misleading for Real Estate Values

Meeting building codes is not enough - THOMASVILLE, GA - BUILDERS, REALTORS TRYING TO BE BUILDERS, FLY BY NIGHT BUILDER

2010-09-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

When buying a home in Thomasville, Georgia you need to do your homework. We have realtors, and fly by night non-builders building minimum Code Homes. Here is what you need to look for.

1) Ask who are the seller and the builder. You just may find it is the same person.
2) Ask to show you photos of the interior wall and framing.
3) Ask If they USED WET-CELLULOSE IN WALLS IN Thomasville, Georgia 99% OF ALL BUILDERS DO because IT IS CHEAP and after it is installed they install the drywall. THIS IS A NONO. THIS DOES NOT GIVE THE INSULATION TIME TO DRY. BY DOING THIS YOU ARE CREATING MOLD. NOT HEALTHY AT ALL.
4) MINIMUM CODE CONSTRUCTION. Building codes are the bare minimum that you have to meet simply to avoid breaking the law.
5) IF IT IS TOO CHEAP TO BE TRUE IT PROBABLY IS.
6)Not sure what type of builder would sneak into a home built by an appraiser and tries to pick a realtors lock to look around to copy the interior look of that home, P.S. Was not able to get in, but looked in the windows, only in Thomasville, Georgia.
7) Hearing Subcontractors without insurance or licensed
8) YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR.
9) MUCH MORE TO SAY BUT YOU GET THE IDEA.
10) GOOD LUCK HOME BUYING IN THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA

Thomasville, Georgia Real Estate Agents Boycotting Green Homes and green home builders.

2010-09-13T10:35:00.000-07:00

Small town does not embrace green building.

Green Building: The Future has Arrived

It is the twenty first century and the concept of green building—which may have sprouted as a trend from a select group of forward thinkers—is slowly becoming standard practice. If going green is the future, it seems that the future has arrived. And it is here to stay.

According to McGraw-Hill Construction’s 2009 Green Outlook, “The overall green building market (both non-residential and residential) is likely to more than double from $36-49 billion in 2009 to $96-140 billion by 2013.”

The report says that 70 percent of consumers report they would be more inclined to purchase a green home in a down market.

“It is likely that green will reach the mainstream of the global marketplace and achieve critical mass.”

So why is green building growing so rapidly?

It seems the awareness of climate change, with eyes also focused on other pressing environmental issues, is driving society to find a sustainable way of living, and fast.

This heightened consciousness, coupled with the facts—that green building saves on energy costs while creating a durable, healthy and higher quality home—draws many closer to the green building industry.

It doesn’t hurt that architects and design companies are catching on and creating attractive options for consumers, such as prefab homes, green communities, and apartment complexes.

While some of these projects may first seem costly, they not only offer a high quality of construction, but also help save on long term energy costs—which in the end balance out with original overheads.

Additionally, green rating systems, such as LEED for Homes and Energy Star, have become more prevalent, making it easier for those interested in meeting green standards to succeed in their mission.

Today, the demand for green building is high and continues to rise, growing simultaneously with society’s dependence on fossil fuels, elevating again and again with each bump up in fuel prices.

So, yes, green building is good, but what exactly is it?

Energy wasted
While this question requires a thorough answer, this article can only highlight the basics:

Green building implies a process of designing and constructing a home that is energy efficient, one that uses fewer materials while making better use of the materials purchased. The building shell, or envelope, is the most important factor as this determines most of the energy flow.

“We waste 50 to 90 percent of energy in our buildings,” award-winning architect Michael McDonough said. “Energy use per square foot has gone up 14 percent per year in buildings over the past 10 years.”

Green building needs to result in a highly durable home that saves on energy costs, provides a healthy life for those inside it, while minimizing the home’s footprint on the environment.

A green home strives to have high indoor air quality; what is inside the home—from building materials to furniture—should not add toxins to the air. Products that do not emit VOCs (volatile organic compounds) should be used as much as possible.

A green home should save on energy and resources such as electricity and water. If the building envelope is constructed properly, the energy needs of a resident can decrease up to 80 percent. McDonough recommends autoclaved aerated concrete for the shell.

It is airtight; and with its thermal properties, it can save up to 50 percent of energy used for heating and 75 percent in air-conditioning energy use.

Solar power for hot water is also a great advantage. Water consumption should be minimized by using low-flow shower heads, high-efficiency toilets, and high-efficiency or tankless water heaters.

Recycled materials or materials that can be recycled should be used, as should products that are locally made. Products should be resilient to avoid unnecessary replacement and repair.

Whether building a home or remodeling, there are many ways to go green. It begins by thinking green—understanding the advantages of life inside a green home as well as its benefit to the environment all around.

By Adam Miller

HOW WELL IS YOUR HOME INSULATED?

2010-09-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

99% OF ALL THOMASVILLE, GEORGIA BUILDERS USE CELLULOSE INSULATION IN ALL NEW AND OLD HOMES. ALWAYS ASK WHAT’S BEHIND THE WALLS.

Disadvantages

• lower R-value per inch than most other insulation products in use today
• losses it R-value when wet and does not recover well if saturated wet
• tends to settle in attics and when blown into walls without binders (glue), losing R-value
• does not provide an integral vapor barrier

According to the University of Massachusetts Building and Construction Technology department, wet cellulose takes a long time to dry. While fiberglass may be faced with drywall as soon as the insulation is installed, wet cellulose must lose at least 75 percent of the water in it before installing drywall. Depending upon humidity, spray cellulose insulation may take weeks to dry, and professional sprayers will use space heaters to speed up the drying. From what I have seen in Thomasville, Georgia the day after insulation is applied the drywall goes up.

We spray Icynene and occasionally lose jobs to wet spray cellulose. I've used an infrared camera to look at walls of two existing homes that had wet spray cellulose applied. There were many cold spots, some apparent voids, and some settling. We have "dumped" a stud cavity of freshly applied wet spray cellulose onto poly, weighed the material, and dried it. There was approximately 0.9 gallon (ca. 7 pounds) of water in the cavity. We have been on a job site the day after the application of wet spray cellulose and have seen the sagging, settling, and falling out of the cavity. Sheet rock is typically applied within a day of application of the wet spray cellulose. I cannot comprehend the use of a wet product in a wall (wet things tend to shrink, settle, and sag) and then covering it up immediately (probably good practice from the perspective of the wet spray cellulose applicator). I would like your perspective/experience with wet spray cellulose and would like to find some "science based" studies on wet spray cellulose and other insulation products.

Concerns that have been raised about wet-spray cellulose Insulation and its effectiveness.

Are Bigger Homes a thing of the past?

2010-09-03T05:41:00.000-07:00

Real estate expert Barbara Corcoran explains why the average size of a new American home has shrunk by 300 square feet and discusses what this shift away from the opulent means in the housing. NOT in Thomasville, GA. You can get a really cheap home with big square footage and a big electrical bill too.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Fair Green Value

2010-08-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Here’s how to get your next green home appraised to the hilt.

Building sustainable homes today makes sense: consumers want them, you know how to build them, and many municipalities demand them. The last frontier to full-scale green home acceptance, however, is financial: specifically, it’s making sure a home will appraise for its full value.

The Appraisal Institute is working double time to catch up to green building practices while addressing other issues within its industry, such as the inflated appraisals that contributed to the housing bubble.

In fact, a law put in place in May 2009 in response to escalating foreclosures actually works against green appraisals, explains Sandy Adomatis of Adomatis Appraisal Service, Punta Gordo, Fla. Called the Home Value Code of Conduct (HVCC), the law prevents lenders from putting undue pressure on the appraiser to inflate a value.

Because of this law, a third party must order an appraisal for a home, and these companies often hire appraisers on a rotational basis. So the appraiser sent out to look at your home may not have any experience assessing a green home (and was probably hired because he had the lowest fee and the quickest turn time).

“The green property needs an appraiser that has knowledge of the product to provide a credible result,” says Adomatis. “ Many builders are under the impression they cannot talk to the appraiser. But that is not true: The builder, realtor, homeowner, and appraiser need to communicate on all assignments.”

According to Adomatis, builders must request an appraiser who specializes in green and should do so at the beginning of a project. If an appraisal comes in lower than expected, builders should request a copy of it. “If it doesn’t talk about green or energy efficiency, you can appeal,” she says.

Adomatis, who wrote the seminar, “Inspecting the Residential Green House,” suggests that builders who want a smooth appraisal process to be prepared with the following:

1. A HERS rating: This is an estimate of the rating expected on completion. The appraisal should be subject to this estimated rating at or above the estimate. The HERS rating should include the Fannie Mae Energy Report that provides a contributory value of the monthly energy savings.
2. Construction costs. The breakdown of additional costs relating to green and energy-efficient items.
3. If building to LEED-H or NAHB’s National Green Building Program, provide the approximate rating expected. The appraisal should be subject to this rating at a minimum.
4. Blueprints. These should be detailed with attention to the energy efficient and green products noted.
5. Detailed specs. Address energy efficiency and green construction products.
6. Incentives. Provide a list of incentives that might include rebates from the power company, federal or state governments, lender, or local sources. The appraiser should address the incentives in the report.
7. Local code information. Provide a table comparing the local building code to the subject product. This document is invaluable in documenting an appraisal to the lender and supporting potential additional costs in the cost approach. This is also helpful in comparable selection and adjustment process.

While this information will help you get the full value for your homes, you need to explain some green choices to your clients, so they will understand what does and doesn’t add value to a home.

Adomatis points out that energy efficiency and in some places water efficiency are a plus in terms of cost versus value. But say your buyer wants a recycled countertop versus granite. If the green top costs double the granite, the appraiser is not going to factor that into the home’s value. This holds true with other recycled products, such as flooring, wall coverings, and fixtures.

Adomatis believes that as a general rule energy efficiency will grow in importance as utility bills go up: think low-E windows and solar hot water heaters. She notes that other green features such as graywater systems and cisterns don’t add value today, but in water-strapped areas, that could change. “Eventually, we’ll see some number put to those systems.” For solar, the value is dependent on the capitalization, what it provides in kW hours and the life of the system.

John Freer, a consultant and president of Riverworks in Missoula, Mont., is a LEED AP and a verifier for the NAHB National Green Building Standard. He points out that sustainable houses don’t have to cost more. “There is a misconception that a green home has to have geothermal or PV or it’s not green, and that becomes a challenge with the appraisal process because those things are more expensive. But truly building a quality product that addresses indoor air quality, resource efficiency, and energy efficiency holistically at design is not necessarily going to add costs.”

Freer points out that many builders are offering a green product even in the entry level market by selectively choosing the green attributes that will not only sell well but that will also appraise well.

“Lending and appraisal doesn’t get it,” he laments. “Until there is a certification [in the appraisal community] that is like the ANSI standard green code they won’t think a green home is worth more.” (Of note, the Appraisal Institute has designed a certification program, but it won’t roll out until 2011.)

“All parties involved in the green process from design to the appraisal have a part in the miscommunication currently in the industry,” summarizes Adomatis. “The appraisers are always the last to be involved in the process, and yet should have been involved from the beginning along with the third-party rater, designer, builder, architect, and so forth. If they were involved in the planning process, the parties would have a better idea of valuation issues up front. It’s time to turn things around and for all parties communicate.”

By Cati O'Keefe 7/29/2010

Custom Designed Green Home Plans

2010-08-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

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