Got a dollar bill nearby? A fiver? Tenspot? Take a look at the back, right in the middle. You'll see the words, "In God We Trust" on our money. Wouldn't it be nice if home building was done the same way? And hey, to be fair, even if the Reader doesn't adhere to any faith, wouldn't it be great if a home could be built with nothing but the highest & best intentions of all involved? Well, it doesn't quite work that way...
The key to having a home built to a high degree of sustainability & energy efficiency, I believe, lies in trusting something; that's for sure! However, it's not who is to be trusted, it's what. Specifically, it's the "specs" signed off on by the builder & home buyer(s) that are to be trusted, right along with inspections throughout the building process. And not just the inspections done to satisy local codes, either! Having a home built "green" requires close attention to detail & follow-though throughout the building process.
I'm pretty familiar with the way things are going at the present time with efforts to get more green building going in new-home construction in the Omaha area. As a member of the Metropolitan Omaha Builders Association (MOBA, moba.com), I am on its Green Building Council. We've held two meetings so far, & out of a collection of total members that would be similar to a small-town phone book's thickness, there have been about 4 or 5 builders present at these meetings, & I've been the only REALTOR (out of hundreds in Omaha) at one meeting & 1 of 3 REALTORS at the other meeting). I also belong to the greenOMAHAcoalition (greenomahacoalition.org), & I participate on its Design & ConstructionCouncil (I am the only REALTOR at these meetings, by the way).
Does the Reader wonder why so few builders & REALTORS are actively involved in seeking greener solutions to home building? I'm not seeking to stroke my own ego because, frankly, it puts nothing in my "pay envelope." Rather, in spite of what readers of this blog are undoubtedly aware of because of what's on TV, in magazines & newspapers, & what readers may already feel somewhat educated about in terms of green home building, the Omaha home-building community is not yet anywhere close to a point where prospective home buyers can be assured that their new home builds will include not just green features but more importantly, a green approach to the whole-building process by all those involved, not just the builder & buyer(s).
If you are reading this & contemplating having a home built in the Omaha area, what do you think can be done, if anything, to ensure that you will be provided with a truly green home build? Do you need to hire an architect qualified & knowledgeable to supervise this process? You could do that & pay handsomely for those services. Should you hire an engineer? Should you consider bringing in professionals outside the Omaha area to work as a team to accomplish your green goals? Should you just wait until Omaha gets "up to speed" on green home building?
Say, wait a minute! Could you utilize the services of a REALTOR who has become educated about the various approaches to green home building, who has his own library of resources & personnel available to consult for your benefit, & who enthusiastically awaits the opportunity to work with you & the builder to accomplish your home-building's green goals?
Let's see...what if I told you that you could take this approach to green home building & couple it with all sorts of services ranging from financing to title work to closing to insurance, all provided to you for your convenience? Wouldn't that make things easier for you?
AND THE BOTTOM LINE ABOUT ALL THIS IS: I DON'T GET PAID UNTIL YOUR HOME IS BUILT & YOU CLOSE ON THE PURCHASE, & MY COMMISSION IS PAID BY THE BUILDER!!!
What are you waiting for? Give me a call at 402-657-3333 or email me at BuildHomeswScott@gmail.com so we can arrange a time for you to visit with me at my CBSHOME Real Estate office near 147th & West Maple Road in Omaha. To me, just talking about green home building is exciting. Can you imagine how much fun we could have getting your home built? I can!
Next Post: "Why Is a Green Home Worth Building, Right Now, Every Day, AND at Resale Time?"
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