EcoGreen Educated
ASK Realty’s Broker, Sharon Hawthorne, has several Eco Green certifications…
…first as an EcoGreen Real Estate Agent and finally as a Build It Green Advanced Certified Green Building Professional.
Certified EcoGreen Real Estate Agent required completion of a six-session course…
…approved by California Department of Real Estate on energy conservation and resource sustainability in the context of the built environment. Topics include energy efficiency, water conservation, green building and remodeling materials and practices, indoor air quality and an introduction to Whole House Performance analysis.
After completing this course I wanted to know more.
And clients had begun coming to me for decision-making assistance around how to spend their retrofit dollars and had begun asking for referrals to green building professionals. So, in 2008, shortly after becoming a Certified EcoGreen Agent, I also joined
Build It Green (BIG) is dedicated to the promotion of healthy and resource efficient building practices…
…throughout California. Their initial focus was on working with local government and housing industry stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of green building practices and to develop pragmatic solutions to environmental challenges. They developed a Green Point Rating system, now incorporated as code by many municipalities. They were instrumental participants in the development of California’s Green Building Standards Code 2010 (CALGreen).
Certified Green Building Professional training was developed to educate real estate professionals…
…to knowledgeably assist homeowners or those purchasing a home to better understand the value of green building practices and to educate contractors, architects, engineers, and specialty contractors to more knowledgeably respond to consumers interested in green building services.
BIG’s monthly guild meetings exposed me to a wide variety of related topics…
…from legislative funding policies to specific construction techniques required to qualify for a PassiveHaus certification, plus options for solar hot water, greywater use in existing homes, and designs for greywater reuse in multifamily dwellings of the future. Attending these monthly meetings had the added benefit of helping me to get to know a broad cross section of designers, contractors, policy makers, installers, suppliers and other building industry specialists who shared in this interest.
Given my hands-on remodeling experience and a fascination with construction techniques and design…
…I dug even deeper and in 2010 became an Advanced Certified Green Building Professional. The advanced certification is designed to educate and support building contractors who are interested in expanding into doing energy retrofit remodels and whole house performance upgrades or as a first step in becoming Certified Green Point Raters. Again, I learned a great deal and had the pleasure of getting to know some sincerely motivated building professionals, who care about greening the planet.
What does all this mean to you?
As an Advanced Green Building Professional, I am uniquely qualified to assist home buyers and owners who are interested in energy and resource conservation and reducing pollution. I understand the intrinsic economic value of a well-designed space using durable resource conserving materials and the role played by construction products and methods in determining indoor air quality, energy efficiency, and building occupants’ general well-being.
I can intelligently assist buyers to recognize and compare design and structural components…
…of one home to another and can offer an educated opinion on the merit of green upgrade projects that have already been done or are being considered.
For a seller who has invested in energy efficient products or green building materials and techniques…
…I have the knowledge and credibility to value and effectively market that home (without relying on just price per square foot comparisons — which typically do not accurately represent an energy upgraded property’s value). And I can intelligently respond to queries from both agents and their buyers concerning the merits of a home’s energy efficiency and its green design features.
I enjoy sharing what I’ve learn.
Wondering about the return on investment of a green retrofit? Wondering about the pros and cons of various insulation products? Are you finding that the deeper you dig the more variables you discover? Whether you’d just like to toss around an idea, or if you’re looking for the answer to a very specific question, I welcome your call. If I can’t help you, I can likely direct you to someone who can.