2022 Boise Idaho Real Estate Blog

40+ Real Estate agents and brokers (including myself) just received their EcoBroker Designation

Class space sells out as Realtors rush to get this timely designation from the National Association of Realtors. Now that I have my designation, I see why their slogan is "EcoBroker is Education that Means Business and Makes a Difference"

The Ada County Association of Realtors sponsored this fast paced training which was held at Pioneer Title Company’s conference room on Rifleman in Boise. EcoBroker's core curriculum offers innovative energy, environmental, and green strategies and tools for real estate professionals and provided 18 continuing education credit hours for those attending.

I was fortunate enough to register prior to the sell out of this great event and found it to be one of the most informative set of classes I have taken recently. As a new EcoBroker^® I am equipped with additional energy and environmental information and tools that will help me provide added value to all of my real estate transactions and clients. We learned the newest topics in real estate, such as "green" home certification programs like Energy Star^® Qualified Homes, energy-efficiency, and sustainable design.

After the class was over, the attendees were still thirsting for more so we arranged a tour of one of the first homes in the State of Idaho built with the intent of obtaining the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum designation. At first it seems this 10,700 sq. ft. (main house 6300 sq ft with a breezeway to the garage and office totalling another 4400 sq ft.)
environmentally friendly home is an oxymoron, but after seeing the site first hand this morning, I suffered a paradigm shift!

This home is like a home attempting to be an Energy Star home on steroids. Probably not a good term to use when the idea is going green and natural but the home truly so far out performs the Energy Star requirements it is amazing. Even Stu Galvis, the EcoBroker instructor, whom represents several builders and developers in Boulder Colorado was genuinely impressed and made numerous "honorable mentions" in class based on some of the features that Bond included that he hadn't seen implemented previously.

This home is being built for Bond Campbell of Bond Campbell Builders for his family on 10 acres out near Firebird Raceway. After having to crawl on my belly like a reptile in other homes to view the crawlspace, I was pleased to see this home built with a 4’ crawlspace with a concrete slab to create a plenum effect (complete with a creeper) to wheel around on to check around as needed. It has a mini-split ducted and ductless system for HVAC complete with 14 separate filters for cleaner indoor air quality. They have even preinstalled a radon gas vent even though the home has never had an issue with radon. There are two Daiken AC units with variable speed fans so they only work when needed and you always have a backup system if one fails. They work with no efficiency loss clear down to 5 degrees below zero! All the windows are low e and argon filled. He used recirculating water lines with tankless water heaters that can actually be activated with the push of a button so you aren’t always consuming energy circulating the water. The roof has spray on foam insulation not only under the roof but an the attic floor as well. He reclaims grey water for exterior landscape watering.

While other builders are complaining about the lack of showings on their model homes, Bond Campbell is having the opposite problem. People are so anxious to see this home that he has to schedule tours weeks in advance sometimes so as not to interfere with the construction process and this home isn’t even for sale. He is blessed with three build jobs currently and another buyer was coming to talk to him as I was leaving this morning.

I think that at least for Bond Campbell, building green will not only let him feel good about his carbon footprint but will also help him take some “green” to the bank. I hope my new EcoBroker designation will help me do the same!

Jim Paulson, CRS, GRI, EPRO, EcoBroker

Owner/Broker - Progressive Realty Corporation

www.Progressive-Realty.info

Posted by Jim Paulson at 8/30/2008 1:32:00 AM

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2022 Boise Idaho Real Estate Blog

40+ Real Estate agents and brokers (including myself) just received their EcoBroker Designation

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