VITAL COMMUNITIES
Green BUYER Guide
Tools & tips for low energy bills and year-round comfort in your new home. Learn more >
Courses for Real Estate Agents
Green Real Estate Crash Course
3 elective credits in both New Hampshire and Vermont
✔ 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
This is NOT your average CE course for Realtors. Designed with input from Upper Valley Realtors, Vital Communities, and Efficiency Vermont, this 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:
- 104 real estate agents
- 3 mortgage officers
- 2 property managers
- 1 appraiser
Green Real Estate Case Study
2 elective credits in both New Hampshire and Vermont
The Green Real Estate Case Study follows one average Northern New England home through the process of being purchased (for $229k) 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. This course is meant to complement and reinforce what students may have learned in the Green Real Estate Crash Course and/or NAR Green Designation Course.
Instructors: Lynne LaBombard, Green Designated Realtor® and licensed instructor, and Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager at Vital Communities
Trainees to Date:
- 123 real estate agents
- 1 appraiser
- 1 property manager
Upcoming Course Dates
Vital Communities will NOT be offering courses between March 15 and August 31, 2020. Please check back for more course offerings in the fall.
Four Reasons Buyers Care about Energy
1. The Upper Valley is home to some of the oldest housing stock in the nation
2. Energy is often the second highest cost of home ownership (behind mortgage/taxes/insurance)
3. $6,000-$8,000 of air sealing and insulation can reduce energy costs by 20-25% and improve home comfort
4. Rebates and financing programs exist to help residents pay for energy improvements
Why Time of Sale?
Homeowners who plan ahead for energy improvements within the first year of home-ownership maximize their return on investment in terms of both cash savings and home comfort.
Buyers can use the home-buying process to gather information they will need to pursue energy efficiency improvements, including fuel use record from the seller to help the buyer qualify for rebate programs.
If buyers are already planning other home improvement projects, coordinating with a trained energy professional can ensure obvious and cost-effective opportunities for simultaneous energy efficiency improvements are not overlooked.
Staff
Ana Mejia
Climate Projects Coordinator
Transportation, Energy
Transportation, Energy
— Ana Mejia, Climate Projects Coordinator
Ana Mejia is the Climate Projects Coordinator at Vital Communities. She is a Southern California native and first arrived to the Upper Valley in 2018. Ana received her Bachelor’s degree in Geology from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and her Master’s in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary, where she wrote her thesis on solar home affordability and energy efficiency programs for low income families. When she is not actively working towards creating sustainable communities, Ana enjoys swimming, cross-country skiing, birding, and trying out new dessert recipes with her KitchenAid mixer.
Julia Guy
AmeriCorps VISTA Energy Savings Outreach Specialist
Energy
Energy
— Julia Guy, AmeriCorps VISTA Energy Savings Outreach Specialist
Julia Guy is the AmeriCorps VISTA Energy Savings Outreach Specialist at Vital Communities. A frequent visitor, Julia is glad to make the Upper Valley a home. Originally from Binghamton, New York, Julia graduated from Skidmore College in 2019 with a Bachelors of Science in Theatre and a minor in Environmental Studies. Before moving to the Upper Valley, Julia was working for a low- waste, plastic-free home goods brand in Brooklyn. When she’s not fighting climate change, you can find Julia hiking and afterward indulging in a soft pretzel with plenty of mustard.
Sarah Brock
Energy Program Manager
Energy
Energy
— Sarah Brock, Energy Program Manager
Sarah Brock joined Vital Communities in 2013 as our Energy Program Manager. Through her work Sarah provides support for our region’s 40+ local energy committees, engaging with dozens of volunteers and clean energy businesses in programs like Solarize Upper Valley, Weatherize Upper Valley, and the Upper Valley Green Real Estate Network. Prior to joining the Vital Communities team, Sarah was an Environmental Philanthropy Associate with the High Meadows Fund, a supporting organization of the Vermont Community Foundation. Sarah lives in Warner, New Hampshire, with her husband and daughter. When she's not busy advocating for energy efficiency, Sarah enjoys playing the trombone and taking walks in her backwoods to look for signs of New Hampshire's abundant wildlife.