Selling clients on the environmental benefits—rather than the added value—of green homes is akin to asking them to write a check for charity. That wake-up call was delivered in a Greenbuild education session by Kathy Spence, LEED AP and marketing and sustainability director for Charlotte, N.C.-based Banister Homes. In the session, Spence discussed how to show clients that a sustainable home can save them money and improve their lives. » Read more: 4 Green Features Customers Want – EcoHome Magazine

U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) and Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) introduced a bipartisan bill that would enable better mortgage underwriting, reflect the value of energy performance in the appraisal, encourage investments in energy efficient homebuilding and create more than 80,000 construction jobs.

Under the Sensible Accounting to Value Energy (SAVE) Act, federal mortgage loan agencies would consider a homeowner’s expected energy costs when determining the homeowner’s ability to make monthly mortgage payments. » Read more: Bipartisan Bill Introduced in the U.S. Senate to Account for Energy Costs in Mortgage Underwriting

Representing major headway in gaining fair appraisals for green homes, the Appraisal Institute has introduced a new form to help analyze values of energy-efficient home features.

The first of its kind, the three-page Residential Green and Energy Efficient Appraisal Addendum is intended to be used by appraisers and is designed to be attached as an optional addendum to Fannie Mae Form 1004, the appraisal industry’s most widely used form for lending purposes. » Read more: Gaining Fair Green Home Appraisals Sees Major Headway in New Appraisal Form