localgreenspotlight
Trish Sarfert, EcoBroker What is an EcoBroker?
A Certifi ed EcoBroker is a real estate professional who has completed a detailed energy, environmental, and marketing training program that enables EcoBrokers to assist consumers in their pursuit of homes that offer affordability (energy and water conservation), comfort, healthier indoor air quality, and also natural resource conservation. In the Pensacola area, there are currently only two Certifi ed EcoBrokers. This is a designation that requires additional study and education requirements, and is not obtained by many realtors.
What made you decide to specialize in green real estate?
Even growing up, I was always an advocate of natural resource conservation. When I was younger, that meant recy- cling, re-using, and composting, along with backyard garden- ing. Now that I am grown, I still do all of those things. I've added rain barrels and geothermal HVAC, and now I am in a profession that allows me to help others to conserve natural resources by building smarter homes, which at the same time makes the daily cost of owning a home more affordable. You don't have to be a environmental activist to understand the benefi ts of Green building. Everyone can appreciate hav- ing more money left in the household budget every month because they have lower utility payments and fewer trips to the doctor for air quality related ailments.
What is "green" real estate?
Green real estate is a rising star in the housing market for consumers who are concerned with rising energy costs, natural resource consumption, indoor air quality, and water conservation. To build a Green Home means going beyond standard building code requirements and building a bet- ter, more effi cient, cost saving and resource effi cient home. Green Homes come in many forms: 1) Energy Star & Earth Cents Homes—built for saving the homeowner money on monthly utility bills, and for better indoor air quality, 2) Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Certifi ed Homes—
18 NA Pensacola/FWB Emerald Coast
a Green building standard that takes into account the local (Florida) climate and storm safety, as well as building for energy & water conservation and better indoor air quality, 3) National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) Certifi ed Homes & LEED For Homes—National Green Home Certi- fi cations for energy & water conservation and better indoor air quality. There are many other Green building programs nationwide, but these are the ones that you will fi nd most in the NW Florida area.
What are some common misconceptions about Green Homes?
Everyone seems to think that you have to be a totally off- grid, zero-energy tree-hugger to want to own a Green Home, and that it will cost a lot more than a standard code-built home. That's just not the case…you don't have to be off-grid and have solar panels and weird designs to have a Green Home. Most of what makes a home Green is in the choices you make in site selection, material selection and how well the home is put together. You can add extras like spray foam insulation and low-fl ow water fi xtures, and these choices add very little to the cost of construction but yield big savings in the long run. Yes, you can upgrade to the geothermal heating and cooling (which in new construction is well worth the ex- tra cost), but if you need to keep building costs down, a high effi ciency air-to-air heat pump can yield energy effi ciency as well. You need to consult with a builder, architect, or realtor who knows what part of Green Building is the most impor- tant to you. Are you concerned with rising energy costs and looking to save money on utilities? Do you want to conserve natural resources? Do you have health problems or asthma and need healthier indoor air quality? These are all questions that a qualifi ed Green professional can take into account when helping you to buy or build your new home.
www.emcoast.naturalawakeningsmag.com
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