Six Eco Realtors to Watch- Blog Action Day 2009

Blog Action Day 2009

Blog Action Day is held on October 15 every year and bloggers from around the world write and discuss a single topic which changes each year. 2007 was Blog Action Day’s inaugural year, focusing on the environment and blossomed in 2008 as the topic turned to fighting poverty.

Last year at Agent Genius, we began the tradition of profiling real estate bloggers that focus on making the world a better place, highlighting Craig Barrett, Gina Kay Landis, Drew Meyers, Ginger Wilcox, Rocky Turner and Tom Vanderwell.

This year, Blog Action Day focuses on climate change and because real estate is a key industry that can impact change most quickly, this year we profile six eco Realtors to watch from across the nation, all so devoted to the environment (and by proxy climate change), they have studied green living, educate others about net zero energy construction and aim to make this world a cleaner place, one home at a time.

Six Eco Realtors to Watch

Please meet six Realtors from across America that have green real estate practices. They come from varied backgrounds and have unique perspectives but all share a devotion to environmentalism and consistently promote green building and help educate their consumers on their blogs.

Emily Cross from Blaine, WA-

From Emily’s blog:
“I’ve blogged about this before and so forgive me if you’re bored but real estate is NOT a “green” industry in any way, shape or form. It drives me crazy how many sheets of bright white paper we use, business cards, contracts, flyers, vinyl signs etc. etc. etc. The National Association of Realtors, to which I proudly belong, is one of the most powerful PAC’s in the Nation and I would love to see them embrace the “greener” side of life. But, I am just me… just little Emily in Blaine Washington…and, as my former business partner used to say, I can only make a difference in my own little “puddle.” So, that’s what I’m going to do…”

Stephanie Edwards-Musa from Houston, TX-

From Stephanie’s blog:
“The flurry of Green Home Building activity over the past couple of years has been really interesting to follow. When I first started writing about it and getting designations/certifications – Most people still had no idea what it meant. People weren’t tired of the word GREEN yet. But this flurry of activity has brought sparkles to some builders eyes around Houston. Dollar signs in the eyes like in Cartoons – Thoughts of fame and fortune for building the next latest and greatest home on the market. Well folks, it doesn’t really work that way. The truth is, the majority of home buyers that I have worked with over the past 2 years have been Green. Many of them being incredibly Green longing for Renewable Energy, Geothermal, Low VOC paint products and LEED Certifications. BUT, the truth of the matter is no matter how many homes are built green around Houston my home buyers do not flock after them to purchase and brag about. Why is that?”

Betty Saenz from Austin, TX-

From Betty’s blog:
“Did you know that there are EEMs or Energy Efficient Mortgages? These are also known as GREEN Mortgages. An EEM or GREEN MOrtgage is a home loan that gives you extra money because the property you are buying is very energy efficient, thereby saving you money on utilities and allowing you to purchase more house.”

Tim Cahill from Arlington, MA-

From Tim’s blog:
“Massachusetts law provides that solar-energy systems and wind-energy systems used as a primary or auxiliary power system for the purpose of heating or otherwise supplying the energy needs of taxable property are exempt from local property tax for a 20-year period. Hydropower facilities are also exempt from local property tax for a 20-year period if a system owner enters into an agreement with the city or town to make a payment (in lieu of taxes) of at least 5% of its gross income in the preceding calendar year.”

Christina Asad Edwards from Dayton, OH:

From Christina’s blog:
“Read these little known green facts to increase eco-friendliness! Going green starts at home. The word “eco” traces back to the Greek word “oikos”, meaning ‘house’. It is a fact that 70% of home buyers said they were more inclined to buy a green home in a down economy than a non-green home. 62% of all state governments have adopted green building policies (with 18 states coming on board in the last 3 years alone).”

Peggy Roberts from Scottsdale, AZ-

From Peggy’s blog:
“The panelists agreed that in order for the Valley to improve its green home inventory and help put the brakes on climate change, homeowners will need to focus on green renovations vs. “building our way out of it.” I think this will most certainly be a growing trend as energy costs rise and homebuyers begin demanding “healthier” homes with better indoor air quality, efficiency and comfort. Over the past couple of months alone, Glen and I plus three different friends have added photovoltaic solar systems to our homes, generating clean renewable energy from our rooftops. So today, while it’s really tough to find a super green-credentialed home in metro Phoenix, hopefully it won’t be this way for long.”