News and Insights

A new Freddie Mac study, “Energy Efficiency: Value Added to Properties and Loan Performance,” provides more evidence that energy efficiency features can boost home values. 

The study used a national random sample to examine energy efficient homes rated between 2013 and 2017. It looked at 70,000 HERS-rated homes and 6,500 homes with the DOE’s Home Energy Score. Freddie Mac also gathered data from a major credit bureau to, understand the value and the loan performance associated with energy-efficient homes to support the consideration of energy efficiency in mortgage underwriting practices.” 

If you’ve been procrastinating about making reservations for the 2019 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco, procrastinate no more. 

The event is just weeks away. 

The conference runs from Nov. 8-11 and the Expo from Nov. 8-10. 

You can expect a robust schedule of green education, events, networking, and fun. 

The 2019 Remodeling Impact Report from the  National Association of Realtors®, with insights from the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, provides a cost recovery estimate for representative remodeling projects and how much joy a given project brings to homeowners. 

Right about now, as the chill sets in, your clients may start calling you about their drafty windows.  

It’s a perfect opportunity to review your green course materials so you can give them the best advice about whether doing a window replacement will solve their problems and make their home more comfortable and less expensive to operate. 

In his role as CEO of the Traverse Area Association of REALTORS® (TAAR), Traverse City, Mich., Kim Pontius has always looked beyond the day-to-day operations of the association to imagine where the industry and the world are headed and how best TAAR members and the larger real estate community can respond to emerging challenges and opportunities.