Green real estate and construction trends

Since the last few years, the word Green has been creating a big buzz worldwide and real estate is not an exception to it. People now prefer Green homes nowadays. These environmentally friendly houses offer numerous benefits. New technologies are emerging every day and are complementing the use of Eco friendly materials and resources. If you are planning to build environment-friendly green houses, you should be well aware of the new construction trends. Read on to explore more about an eco-friendly house.

Green buildings integrate various sustainable features including energy efficiency, use of recyclable/recycled resources and materials, efficient use of water, effective building management systems, use of landscapes, improved indoor quality for health, etc. Looking at the present scenario, sustainable green homes have become a necessity to protect our environment. It is true that green homes are slightly more expensive; however, multiple long term benefits offered by green homes are worth the investment. Effective use of resources and proper planning can help lower the cost of green buildings. If you want to ‘Go Green’ with green homes, then you need to do adequate research.

When it comes to the concept of Green building, the biggest decision is the orientation and shape. As the main objective of this concept is to use natural resources efficiently, the building should be oriented to take advantage of natural sunlight and ventilation. Better energy efficiency can be achieved through correct shape and orientation.

A roof is the most important part of a house and green real estate features solar panel roofs mostly. These panels facilitate conversion of sunlight into electricity. This helps you maintain the power of your house and reduce costs for energy. By using such panels, you can make your house self-sufficient. This ensures that you will get the most out of your investment. Green roof tops last for longer.
The roof garden is the latest trend being used in most green real estate properties. Today, numerous houses feature their own garden on their rooftop. Greenery around you will keep you fresh and healthy by reducing the carbon in the air. You can grow different herbs and spices needed in daily life and save more money. You can also get a place to relax and enjoy the natural breeze.
Eco-friendly paint is another option used by many people. Numerous different sorts of paint are available in the market; however, if you intend to build green homes, look for the one that absorbs carbon in the air. It offers numerous health benefits. You will need to pay more for such paints, but the results you can get from it are worth more than the money that you are going to expend for the special paint.

Before developing the right building architecture, one should keep in mind that the correct construction plan and the use of the right resources could help save water and energy efficiently.

The green real estate trend grew out of a worry for the environment. The main objective was to conserve naturally occurring resources and scale back the negative impacts. Today, various green design features are implemented, like recycled materials, bamboo flooring, energy efficient appliances, low E insulated glass, low VOC materials and low flow taps and toilets, etc. Roof-mounted turbines are also used for electricity. Kitchen appliances are a top concern. Relying on the amount of energy saving enhancements and green features on a house or apartment, it might take anywhere from 10-15 years to get back that investment; however, the savings would continue long after the implementation.

If you want to be a part of Green real estate, invest your time in researching and understanding current Green real estate trends. Get ready to enjoy numerous long term benefits with Green buildings now.

© Global Realty & Investment Corp 

Explore more about green homes

Have you heard about green buildings? Do you know what this term means exactly? How expensive are these green building technologies? Why use such technologies? All these questions are buzzing around us. Well, Green building is a concept catching the fancy of people worldwide. Let us explore more about this innovative concept.
A sustainable building, also known as green construction or green building, is the practice of using environmentally responsible processes and resources for developing structures during planning, construction, operation, maintenance, renovation, and deconstruction.
The main objective is to lessen the overall impact of the built environment on the natural environment and human health by:

·         Reducing environmental degradation, pollution and waste.

·         Using water, energy and other resources efficiently.

·         Improving employee productivity.

·         Protecting the health of occupants.

·         Heat reduction with insulated walls and roofs.

·         Cross ventilation with fresh breeze.

Natural building is a similar concept on a smaller scale. It generally tends to focus on the use of locally available natural materials. Energy efficient buildings, green architecture, sustainable designs are other related topics. New technologies complement current practices in creating greener structures.
The green building movement evolved due to the desire and need for environmentally friendly and energy efficient construction practices. The concept of green building has numerous motives including social, environmental and economic benefits. Green building brings together different techniques and practices to lessen and ultimately eliminate the impact of buildings on human health and the environment. It involves the use of renewable resources, like using sunlight through photovoltaic, active solar, passive solar techniques or using trees and plants through rain gardens, green roofs, etc.
The technologies or practices employed in green building are continuously evolving and may vary from region to region. However, there are basic principles-

·         Water Efficiency

·         Energy Efficiency

·         Siting and Structure Design Efficiency

·         Indoor Environmental Quality Enhancement

·         Materials Efficiency

·         Toxics and Waste Reduction

·         Operations and Maintenance Optimization

The core of green building is an optimization of one or more of these principles. When it comes to the aesthetic side of sustainable design or green architecture, the idea is to design a building, which is in harmony with the natural resources and features surrounding the area.
Benefits of Green Homes
A Green Home features both tangible and intangible benefits. The most tangible and immediate benefit of this concept is the reduction in operating energy cost and water. Let us have a look at its benefits-
Tangible benefits -
Water savings : 30 to 50%
Energy savings : 20 to 30 %
Intangible benefits -
Conservation of scarce national resources,
Excellent day lighting,
Improved air quality,
Enhanced Health of the occupants,
Green Building Materials


The concept of green building includes and integrates numerous strategies during the design, construction and operation of the building. Using green building products and materials is one of the important strategies in the design of a building.
There are multiple benefits of green building materials:

•         Greater design flexibility.

•         Energy conservation.

•         Reduced replacement/maintenance costs over the life of the building.

•         Lower costs associated with varying space configurations.

Research shows that every year, construction and building activities globally consume more than 3 billion tons of raw materials. The use of green building products and materials promotes maintenance of declining nonrenewable resources worldwide. Further, incorporating green building materials into projects can help lower the environmental impact associated with fabrication, installation, extraction, processing, reuse, transport, recycling, and disposal etc.
All in all, with this ‘Go green’ endeavor, we can enjoy the lifelong benefits at small makeup costs. Get ready to enjoy various benefits including healthy living, eco-friendly infrastructural facilities, efficient waste segregation and innovative solid waste management.

© Global Realty & Investment Corp 

The Importance of Home Inspection for Buyers

Purchasing a house is an exciting experience, but many times it can be overpowering simply because there are numerous things to see and think about: assembling a finance, making regular deposits, searching an attorney to work the closing and organizing for a home inspection. The buyers have to keep ready all the cash and be ready for all the formalities, before signing the contract. The time period post signing the contract is much less.

A home inspection generally consists of an assessment of the entire house including:

• Structural and foundation integrity
• Windows and Doors
• Exterior Walls and Roof
• Plumbing
• Electrical mechanism
• Air conditioning and Heating systems
• Surrounding of the home and many more factors

In almost all states, sellers are required to reveal any known material damages like an unbalanced foundation or a sagging ceiling. These are noticeable damages and easy to be noticed. Sometimes, though, a home has an important damage which is not easily seen, and the seller is also legally unaware, such as under the wallpaper mold or an asbestos lining inside the furnace box, which is very harmful to housing and health of the occupants. At such times, a good home inspector knows how to inspect the house and get a hold of any underlying damages which are dangerous and damaging.

You can obviously buy a house without a home inspection, but it is very risky. If you discover any damage later, then you will have to renovate it at your expense or hire an attorney to get advice. But all this is very time consuming and depressing. Therefore, as you know, prevention is better than a cure, you must do a home inspection before you buy a house.

Hiring a good home inspector could be very helpful to analyze the housing property condition. In a market, generally the buyer has to pay for the home inspector, but it can happen that a seller will provide you an inspector as an incentive. This can happen if the market is slow and in favor of a buyer. If you want to hire an inspector then you can negotiate as to who will hire the inspector. If the price is in favor of the buyer, then a buyer can hire an inspector to check the house, and if the price is a litter higher than a buyer can at least ask a seller to pay for the home inspection visit.

The home inspection plan is scheduled after the buyer has signed an agreement to acquire the house with the seller and secured the agreement with a first deposit. Generally, the arrangements are made quickly, as the deal has to complete in time and the seller has also moved out of the house. The market position is also a crucial factor to consider, which drops down or goes up on a daily basis.

Home Inspection for sellers:

It is a benefit to sellers before he or she puts the house on the market. You must inspect your house thoroughly and finish all the required fixes and/or repairs. This increases the quality and the price of the house. This will give an attractive look to your house and increase the pool of potential buyers.

You can give your home inspection report to the buyer, this will increase the confidence and trust of the buyer and the seller. Good home inspection and finished repairs will increase the valuation of the house and an appealing house will leave less chance of hard negotiations on the buyer’s part.

Home Inspection for Buyers:

If the seller has not done a home inspection, or if the report is incomplete, then a buyer can choose to complete the home inspection. It is in favor of the buyer and the buyer will know the actual condition of the house and how much maintenance it requires. A buyer must be knowledgeable about three things, which are:

• Assurance
• Maintenance
• Value

These three things can be well known through home inspection. The usual cost of an inspection differs on the basis of the size, area, and services given by the inspector.

© Global Realty & Investment Corp 

Real estate career options

There are numerous career options, if you are interested in the real estate field. The most apparent real estate career is that of a broker or an agent. The profits from these jobs generally depend on the commission from sales and may differ hugely.

Brokers and agents should have a license approved by the state, and have to meet the particular educational need for initial licensing, and also other continuing educational requirements. There are 2 basic sources of real estate commissions: sales and listings.

You need to have training for a particular number of hours in real estate. Depending on the laws governed by the state, these hours may vary. More commonly, you should be a minimum of 18 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent certificate. Many states will require a background check or a fingerprint card; therefore, a good character is very important. Real estate syllabus is accessible through internet online schools of real estate, which gives access to the syllabus and course materials all the time. Based on the amount of time and study you dedicate, you can complete your course in a time period of some weeks or months.

While completing your college education, you also have to work to pay the bills. It takes years to get a degree, you need extra classes and a job to withstand these expenses. Working along with education is very tough to handle. You need to schedule your job requirements around your class timings. There are huge amounts of money required as an education loan and to start a new career. An untoward fact in this economy is that college graduates are unemployed today and are finding it difficult to get good jobs. Real estate is one industry that experts expect will have progressed over the next decade and generally does not need a college degree to start out in the business. All you need is a real estate license to start in the business. It is a great opportunity to earn a good amount of money.

Real estate coursework is now accessible on the internet and also on mobile in many states. This technological revolution has added a new dimension to our study pattern. There is huge flexibility to acquire knowledge and get a real estate license with schools providing online real estate courses. You can receive it on your mobile device and an internet browser. The expenses connected with getting a real estaate license is far less than any regular college. You can start your business as soon as you get a license and you start earning from commissions and sales as a real estate agent.

Real estate careers give matchless earning potential with a nominal investment of money and time and a surprising level of convenience and flexibility in starting your business. In today’s strangely uncertain economy, the real estate business can be a life saver. You have to acquire a license and you may then pursue a lucrative career option.

You must have, or can develop, certain skills to be successful as a realtor. You require certain skills to become a real estate agent. You will have to face difficult conditions. You must have the knack to convince people and negotiate deals. There are formalities like legally required disclosures and inspections, which can create hurdles in getting the deal done. You must have patience and communication skills to soften this process.

Different real estate organizations have different working cultures. Some may be following a more professional approach and some may be very flexible and easy going. It is essential to get a good match depending on the buyer or personal nature. The real estate agent should be able to understand the nature of the client and, depending on that, the agent must handle the deal.

Realtors must build their particular image in a society. They have a specific dress code and body language. They should be tidy and well maintained and must have a good car to show their clients around.

How to find the best listings in your area

In today’s declining economy, it has become hard to earn a decent amount of money from commissions and sales. You must take wise steps to be successful in such testing times. Today, sellers are choosing their real estate agents depending on the lowest commission or the highest price  on their house.

Know the right list provider:

You must find the correct list provider without getting cheated. Generally, the seller desires to have a high price on their house with the lowest possible commission. These two things are never matched and these things are also not as important as they seem to be.

Best listing prices: You may come across agents who will promise good valuation on your home. The fact is that the agents cannot fix the selling of your house. The agent can show comparative prices in the market, active sales, pending sales to get a generalized idea. Depending on that, you can choose a practical price for your house.

Overcharging: There is no need to pay thousands of dollars for the listings in the area. If you are doing the same, then you are being overcharged. You can get important data and listings for less than $200 with good information. Also do not go for very cheap lists, as they can have false information. You can use an email and online system, which will further reduce your cost on listings.

Custom Made Lists: A good list providing broker can give you a huge number of lists depending on different demographics and needs of the customers.

Different range of listing: There are different price ranges which could be as high as $10,000 and lower than that. Different factors decide the price range, depending on location, market, improvements, facilities in the area, etc.

Deciding the price: The best time for selling is in the first 30 days on the market. If the house is priced correctly, you will get an offer immediately. If it is overpriced, you may not get the buyers very easily and then you end up reducing your price, which will create an environment of apprehension within the buyers.

All the agents in real estate are not same, each has their unique expertise. Some are very good and some are okay. Depending on their work their pricing is different. They have their own marketing skills and advertising budget. By opting for an agent with a huge advertising budget, you can get more exposure to buyers. It is important to reach out to a greater amount of buyers, as this creates more opportunities to negotiate price for your benefit.

When a broker gives a discount in their fee, there is always a reason behind it. In today’s fierce competition, the agent has to be flexible in their fees. It allows them to get more customers. It is the way to get more business and long term business at low rates. You must check the background of the agent who is demanding a low price.

Sometimes the full service agents will ask for lower commission under good circumstances like:

You are buying a house and selling a house simultaneously, this gives an agent two transactions; therefore, giving the agent two commissions at the same time.

You have agreed to do all the advertising, legwork, marketing, and pay for costs associated with the sale.

You make an agreement orally, to give the agent references for more business, this will give an agent more transactions.

You are selling more than a single home.

You do not have enough shares to pay for full commission.

The agent agrees to work withyou on a pro Bono condition.

The agent wants to have this listing in order to match with the competitor's fee.

Therefore, see whether the listings in the areas you are getting are not overcharged. If the agent is asking for cheaper rates, then check the background to look for any genuine reasons.

© Global Realty & Investment Corp