So as the market begins to heat up this Spring with buyers whom have been waiting for the bottom of the market are now realizing that we are in the midst of some the greatest opportunity for home ownership. Just six months ago mortgage rates were around 6.5% and now we are below 5% in a market where property values have begun to stabilize a bit more as savvy buyers enter the market scooping up bargains. In addition banks are now more agreeable to negotiating and responding to offers relatively quick. One caveat to bank properties is that they are almost all looking for that internal bank pre-qualification financing letter for their own review so having all your information at hand is critical because time is of the essence when striking a bargain out there.

Going Green in Columbia Heights

Well we have officially launched Going Green in Columbia Heights Condo Development What is exciting about this effort is that the community of future residents are coming together to work with the developer in a collaborative effort to design out the space making it as green and energy efficient as possible. If interested in this innovative opportunity you are welcome to join us at the next community meeting.

DATE - Monday March 30th

TIME 7pm

MEETING POINT - 2437 Fifteenth Street, NW

RSVP - Is Required for this event!
So this week we will be in previewing some great opportunities for Bank Owned properties out there North of Petworth. This will be a driving tour of properties so we will be moving about by bicycle or car, whichever you prefer!

Petworth Property Tour Single Family Homes

DATE - Saturday March 28th

TIME 1pm

MEETING POINT - 410 Buchanan St. NW

All tour properties are listed with Realtors other than Michael Kiefer and or brokerage Keller Williams Capital Properties

PROPERTY TOUR IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ALL ARE WELCOME

MICHAEL KIEFER REALTOR DC / MD • 801 D St. NE Washington DC 20002 OFFICE 202-243-7700WWW.GREENDCREALTY.COM • 240.481.5041cell phone

Press Release - January 26th, 2009 EYA

Bethesda, January 26, 2009  EYA has begun construction on the nation’s largest LEED for Homes residential for-sale neighborhood at Capitol Quarter in Washington, D.C. Located between the Navy Yard and Eastern Market Metro stations and adjacent to the new Yards development along DC’s Southeast riverfront, Capitol Quarter will feature over 210 for-sale townhomes.  EYA intends to seek LEED for Homes certification from the USGBC for the project.

Seeking LEED for Homes certification at Capitol Quarter is a natural fit.  The neighborhood’s proximity to public transportation, employment centers, parks and neighborhood retail reduces the amount of time homeowners spend in their cars.  Add to that environmentally-friendly building materials such as Energy Star appliances and windows, water saving plumbing fixtures, high efficiency heating and cooling equipment, and low VOC paints and finishes.  The homes at Capitol Quarter provide more energy savings, better indoor air quality, and less impact on the environment than standard new townhomes all qualities that the LEED for Homes program is designed to promote.

Traditionally, LEED certification has been sought by builders for commercial buildings and custom residential homes.  Capitol Quarter will serve as a model for volume builders in how to implement LEED for Homes on a larger scale.  This is a significant step for the USGBC, as the organization continues to attract home builders that increasingly see the value in third-party certification for green claims.

A project of this scale and scope signals to new home buyers that LEED for Homes has become the benchmark for healthy, efficient, durable and environmentally-friendly homes.  Residents benefit from the improved quality of life that arises from being able to live, work, and play in the same neighborhood without having to commute long distances  a smart growth principle that is shaping more neighborhoods than ever.  Certification under LEED for Homes also helps keep energy costs down so that homeowners can afford to stay in their homes.
So what does all this mean?  We are setting the standard for how homes could and should be constructed, with the human element in mind.  As market demand for GREEN homes expands the scale and the pricing will also become a bit more reflective of market value. A proper comparison might be as the price of  hybrid cars become much more competitive so will the price of the hybrid home, until that is all we build!

As we are now hearing the buzzzzzz about stimulus how does this affect your opportunity to purchase? Well the new stimulus bill passed this week creates an opportunity to bridge the divide between a not so efficient home and one that will keep you a bit more comfortable. Although the incentives won’t cover all the improvements you want to make this is the opportunity to negotiate with sellers as prices on homes have rolled back so much in an effort to woo savvy buyers towards them. The ENERGY STAR website highlights what improvements are eligible and their tax benefits.

So how do you determine the efficiency of a home? Well you need to do a little investigating and at Green DC Realty that is one of our primary concerns along with negotiating a great deal for you as the buyer. Encouraging the Home Inspector to really evaluate a homes efficiency is worth every penny of the inspection process.

By joining us this weekend you will see some spectacular opportunities as sellers are now pricing against each other to attract buyer attention through the Spring buying season.

The Saturday Property Tour Begins Again

Capitol Hill Row Home Tour 2-3 bdr town homes

DATE - Saturday February 21st

TIME 1pm

MEETING POINT - 11 16TH ST NE

Sunday Open House 1-4pm at Carbarn 1 bdr Condo

All tour properties are listed with Realtors other than Michael Kiefer and or brokerage Keller Williams Capital Properties

PROPERTY TOUR IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, ALL ARE WELCOME

MICHAEL KIEFER REALTOR DC / MD • 801 D St. NE Washington DC 20002 OFFICE 202-243-7700WWW.GREENDCREALTY.COM • 240.481.5041cell phone

As foreclosure rates continue to reach record highs here in the Washington region and across the country and the global economy reels, many Americans have begun to question whether expanding homeownership is a wise strategy. While there is plenty of blame to go around for this mess, the goal of expanding homeownership is still an important one and should not be sacrificed. Continue……

Sustainable to Attainable
This is the year that living smarter & more efficient become the key phrases for urban developers. So much in the way of urban development has been priced beyond the means of the vast majority of consumers and so as our efforts towards developing “Sustainable to Attainable” gain momentum you as the community in mind win all around.

In bridging this effort the most immediate green living opportunity is a proposal from the The Menkiti Group to develop 16 condominium units situated four blocks from the Columbia Heights Metro at 3318 Sherman Avenue, scheduled to be completed by December 2009. The Menkiti Group would like to develop with the community in mind through the collaborative sustainable design process to create attainably priced 1 and 2 bedroom condos.

The following 5 question survey on Attainably Priced Green Condos will provide the opportunity we have all been looking for!

Thank you and looking to make Washington a bit Greener each day!

Heat Pump Systems Get Down to Earth

When it comes to the Energy Efficiency question…….what should I be looking for in a home?

Well there is a great deal of information out there on green buildings from energy efficiency measures that one can make when you purchase a home  to a turnkey approach and having something already built with an eye towards green.

Where do I get the bang for the BUCK when it comes to targeted efficiency improvements? Well if you have a chance to take  a look at 1025 Kenyon St. NW UNDER COMPLETE RENOVATION ( A fire gutted the property Jan. ‘08 and left behind a clean slate ) you can take a look at the demonstration home like an onion to see where all the various important aspects of energy improvements can be made.

When searching for a home you need to compare all the ASPECTS of the various properties you are considering and determine what makes some a better choice than others.  Such as can you see any insulation, does the home feel drafty, do all the windows open or not, look for screens because nothing beats some fresh air coming into the house and leaving some of Mother Nature outside.

DC Energy Efficient & Green Condos

I am asked all the time where are all the GREEN condo buildings or homes that can boast Energy Efficiency and so it is an ever increasing list of properties out there as we learn the importance of financial & environmental decisions as being one. The Boston House in Dupont Circle is possibly one of the big leaders when it comes to energy efficiency and this recent article in Medill News “Home is Where the Green is” highlights some of the great reasons the condo board there is so proactive when it comes to energy efficiency.  Also Capitol Solar Homes recently enetered the market with their effort at showing how existing DC homes can go green in the Columbia Heights neighborhood.

What are you looking for in a green home?  Are you looking to build one and curious as to where to head?

Our continual efforts to bridge the divide between sustainable to attainable is our main focus in 2009 with the development of Social Networking platforms, Bearden Arts Building that afford the consumer to be the driver in sustainable development as well as the newest effort in Columbia Heights with the Menkiti Group on Sherman Ave NW.

In addition we are continually working with journalists from around the country writing about where real estate & sustainability meet up.  Our most recent 2009 article can be found in Smart HomeOwner, ” Six Green Strategies for Selling Your Home”.

Our Weekly DC Saturday Tour of Homes will be starting up January 17th, 2009 with lots of great new properties on the market!