The Upper Valley is home to some of the oldest and leakiest homes in the country. For many, energy is the highest cost of home ownership after mortgage, taxes, and insurance. Fortunately, cost-effective air sealing and insulation upgrades can lower heating and cooling bills and improve comfort year-round. Together, we can help home buyers invest in energy savings within their first year and sellers make energy efficiency a selling point.
Buying a home? Heating, cooling, electricity, and commuting costs will be a major monthly expense. Energy efficiency improvements within your first year of home ownership can save you money, protect your home, and make your family more comfortable for years to come. Learn what to pay attention to during your home buying process to avoid high energy costs and plan ahead for energy savings.
Selling an energy efficient home? Solar panels, a super-tight building envelope, high-efficiency appliances, and other green features can help your home stand out in a crowded market. This guide will help you list, market, and maximize value when selling a green home.
Vital Communities is not offering courses through at least summer 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Please check back later in the year for information about future course offerings. Contact energy@vitalcommunities.org with any questions or to request we contact you when courses become available.
✔ Why “Green” matters in real estate | ✔ Home energy efficiency 101 | ✔ Working with green buyers | ✔ Listing green homes | ✔ MLS green fields | ✔ Appraisal Institute Green Addendum | ✔ Hands-on examples
Designed with input from Upper Valley Realtors, Vital Communities, and Efficiency Vermont, this three-credit course is fun, practical, and hands-on. The Green Real Estate Crash Course and its accompanying resources expertly boil down the topic of energy efficiency to give you exactly what you NEED to know to help your clients, and no more!
Instructors:
Lynne LaBombard, Green Designated Realtor® and licensed instructor, and Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager at Vital Communities
Trainees to Date:
This course is not currently being offered.
This two-credit course for Realtors follows one average Northern New England home through the process of being purchased (for $229k in 2017) by a green-conscious buyer client, audited by a certified energy contractor, retrofitted for energy efficiency, and listed for sale as an energy efficient home.
Instructors: Lynne LaBombard, Green Designated Realtor® and licensed instructor, and Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager at Vital Communities
Trainees to Date:
This course is not currently being offered.
