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<< Previous   of   Next >> Jupiter Images  (click to enlarge) Energy efficiency is an important aspect of green homes. Most such homes have windows that retain heat. (click to enlarge) Sustainable materials such as bamboo, which is used for flooring, are another element of green homes. (click to enlarge) Jupiter Images For a story about the sales of energy efficient homes by Debra Smith for Real Estate on 8/24/08   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Sunday, August 24, 2008 Want to sell your house as green? Best get it certified Green-building proponents want to stem the practice of marketing homes that don't meet the requirements. By Debra Smith Herald Writer Buyers searching for homes with eco-friendly features in Snohomish County may not be able to trust the real estate listings. An investigation by The Herald found the majority of homes for resale marketed as having verified green features had not been certified. While the number of homes mislabeled as green remains small -- 14 resale homes were mislabeled out of 6,054 single-family homes listed for sale -- proponents for green real estate found the errors disturbing. "Either the agent doesn't understand or is intentionally trying to get away with mismarketing them," said Aaron Adelstein, director of Built Green, a certifying agency. "That's a problem we're going to need to address quickly." Green real estate is a fledgling concept in the county. The Northwest Multiple Listing Service, which covers homes in most of Western Washington, added an eCert feature last year so consumers could easily identify homes with green features. Proponents of the plan said more consumers want such homes. The changes were touted as an innovative way for those buyers and their agents to find homes with features such as energy-efficient appliances, bamboo floors or drought-resistance landscapes. Real estate agents can check a box that indicates the home has certifications from one of three environmental programs, Built Green, Energy Star or LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). Certification requires a trained, independent inspector to verify the property meets program requirements. It was this box that was erroneously checked by listing agents. A search on the listing service last week showed at least 18 resale homes listed as having "third-party verified" environmental certifications. Only four of the properties actually had been certified by either Built Green or Energy Star Homes. None was certified by LEED. The mislabeled homes included one Lake Stevens property with an eight-vehicle RV building and a 1980 double wide manufactured home. Another 128 homes marked as eCert were sold between September and May. The majority were new construction homes that didn't require third-party verification. Pam Worner works as an independent verifier. She said it's difficult for the environmental programs to monitor, much less police, the homes that have been listed as certified. "The onus is on the agent to verify any information, just as they should verify how old the roof is or any other information," she said. Connie Redden, an agent with Windermere in Marysville, has at least one "third-party verified" home listed for sale that isn't. She acknowledged that while she is responsible for the information placed on the listing service, she depends on the home sellers to provide correct information. She said she didn't ask the sellers for documentation and that no potential buyer has asked to see it. Redden said she has no idea how many homes she may have marked as "third-party verified." She said the term is open to interpretation. "It's just an interpretation and mine is going to change," she said. "I need to do some research." Real estate agents are legally responsible for the information on the listing service, said Adelstein of Built Green. He said the term "Built Green" was trademarked and a home that might have green features doesn't necessarily make it Built Green. Sometimes homeowners or agents wrongly assume owning appliances with the Energy Star sticker means they have a certified Energy Star home. "We've been working really hard over the past year and a half to provide that education (to agents)," he said. "Ultimately, the accountability for correct listings needs to come from the MLS and the agent. Probably these agents will find they are liable if they've misled the buyer." Cheri Brennan, a listing service spokeswoman, noted that eCert has a feature that agents are supposed to use to upload the certification document. She noted the whole idea is new. "As you are aware, the 'green listings checkboxes' are still a relatively new function, with an ongoing education process," she wrote in an e-mail. "Most violations are simply due to agents misinterpreting or being unaware of NWMLS rules and requirements." If the listing service becomes aware of deliberate violations of the rules, not just those involving the green certification, agents could be fined, she said. Adelstein also said it's impossible for homes older than 1999 to be certified Built Green because the program didn't certify homes until that date. The program does offer certifications for remodeled homes, but Adelstein knows of only a handful of those in Snohomish County. Ben Kaufman, co-owner and managing broker of GreenWorks Realty in Seattle, led efforts to add the eCert options. He said agents handling resale homes in the county seem to be making more mistakes than those handling new construction listings. Different counties have different requirements for green homes, he said, adding, "It's easy to lose track." To be sure a home has been certified green in Snohomish County, buyers need to check the three agencies: Built Green, Energy Star Homes and LEED. The King County program doesn't seem to be plagued with the same problems as Snohomish County, and that's probably because the green real estate market is more mature there, he said. If more agents, developers and architects are educated, "that creates a better chance for the buyer to be educated at the point of sale," he said. Kaufman compared records for eCert homes and regular homes during a nine-month period and found in King County that certified homes sold 18 percent faster and for about 30 percent more. Valerie Steel, an owner of Greening Properties in Everett, the first green-focused real estate office in the county, was dismayed by the errors made by others. She said she plans to offer continuing education classes on green real estate this fall for agents.

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