A new book published by the Appraisal Institute helps shed some light for appraisers on how to estimate values for popular “green” home features, such as energy-efficient appliances, toxin-free flooring and insulation and vegetated roofs. In An Introduction to Green Homes, author Alan Simmons, SRPA, LEED AP, provides an overview of the programs, organizations and products fueling the current surge in environmentally responsible building and remodeling. He also offers detailed descriptions of LEED and Energy Star green home and product certification programs and gives updates on environmental organizations that are leading the way in sustainable building.
“An Introduction to Green Homes provides a solid foundation for residential appraisers to diversify their practices and become knowledgeable about one of most important forces influencing today’s housing market,” Appraisal Institute President Leslie Sellers, MAI, SRA, writes in the book’s foreword.
The book also includes detailed case studies focusing on various attributes of green homes, insights on how green features affect the value of homes and methodologies that can be applied to measure this increment of home value.
“Green homes present new opportunities to residential appraisers. As the presence of green homes increases in the housing market, appraisers who are knowledgeable in all things green can gain an edge on the competition,” Sellers wrote in the foreword.
Simmons was a real estate agent for 12 years and an appraiser for more than 30 years. He now is a real estate education specialist, working full time in teaching and course development. He spent most of his life and working career in New York State but now lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Union College. Simmons has taught in 43 states, primarily for appraisal organizations, but also has instructed for real estate and assessor organizations and private schools. He is a Certified Distance Education Instructor and a LEED Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council.
For more information, visit www.appraisalinstitute.org.
