What makes a property green?  

As of August 2008, there are no specific set standards for what makes a property "Green". However, when building a new home or purchasing an existing home one thing to consider when desiring a "Green Home" is energy efficient insulation.

     Every area has its own R insulation   guidelines and requirements. Standard recommendations are to consider an R Factor of R-22 to R-49 in the attic. The higher the R factor the greater the energy savings. If you attic meets the above requirements but your home still feels cold and drafty or your energy bill seems quite high, you may want to consider checking the R factor of your wall insulation. The wall R Factor should be R-11 to R28. For more information on your specific area requirements visit: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation.html

Check out an interactive insulation calculator provided by the US Department of Energy which will allow the consumer (buyer &/or seller) to be educated on what they need. http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html According to the US Department of Energy, heating and cooling account for 50 to 70% of the energy used in the average American home. Inadequate insulation and air leakage are leading causes of energy waste in most homes. You will want to educate your sellers as to why they need to insulate their home to make it standout in a competitive market. The best way to do this is to visit http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html and make this link assessable to sellers from your website. You may also want to consider providing this fact sheet in your listing presentation. 

NOTE: the above information provided in items were updated in January 2008 by the Department of Energy. As a Real Estate Professional it is critical that you continue to update your information. You want to be seen as the "source of the source"..not the "source"! Another recommendation I would offer to GREEN Real Estate Professionals is to include information from http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/ in the listing or buyer presentation. They offer an "energy tip of the month". Subscribing to the weekly e-newsletter at http://www.askthebuilder.com/B165_R_Value_Guidelines.shtml will keep you informed about "green" products, discounts, home improvement tips and more. http://www.energysavers.gov/ will provide information for you and the homeowner &/or homebuyer on how to save energy in your home, your business, industrial plants, vehicles and more. This link will take you to resources available from all the Federal agencies for Homebuilders, homeowners, contractors, realtors, contractors, property managers, and others. www.EnergySavers.gov  will also provide you with information on partnerships for Home Energy Efficiency (PHEE) which helps the consumer (buyer/seller) improve energy efficiency in their housing choices.