As rising energy costs and global warming concerns impel more consumers to make money-saving and green choices, home buyers in Oregon and Southwest Washington soon will be able to shop specifically for energy-efficient and green home features. Oregon's Regional Multiple Listing Service (RMLS(TM)) Board of Directors recently agreed to expand its database to include information on energy-efficient and green home features by spring of 2007, making this region one of the few in the nation where this service is available. RMLS(TM) forms will soon include: -- Home performance and green home certifications such as ENERGY STAR(R), Earth Advantage(R), LEED For Homes(R) and others -- High-efficiency 90 AFUE furnaces -- ENERGY STAR appliances -- Source of electrical power, including specific utility service and solar features -- Additional home modifications, including sustainable materials, water filters, rain collectors and solar tubes "Green and energy-efficient features have emerged as some of the most important and sought-after by buyers in our RMLS(TM) service area," said RMLS(TM) CEO Beth Murphy. "With the help of their REALTORS(R), homebuyers now will be able to pinpoint homes with those features." Given the rising popularity and significant benefits of energy-efficient and green home features, these new RMLS(TM) capabilities will formalize the additional value these features bring to a home. In particular, potential buyers will be able to easily identify homes that incorporate a comprehensive suite of energy-efficient and green features that are third-part certified to save energy, money and natural resources. Everyone involved in real estate transactions will benefit from the RMLS(TM) additions, including home buyers, builders of new homes, sellers of existing homes, real estate agents and appraisers. RMLS(TM) is the Multiple Listing Service for the Portland Metropolitan area and Lane, Douglas, Curry, Coos, Hood River and Wasco Counties in Oregon as well as Clark, Skamania and Klickitat Counties in Washington. Their mission is to provide REALTOR(R) members and the real estate industry with accurate and timely information and produce services that are cost effective, efficient and uniform. ENERGY STAR Homes Northwest is a program administered by the Northwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, a non-profit corporation supported by the Bonneville Power Administration, electric utilities, public benefits administrators, state governments, public interest groups and energy efficiency industry representatives. These entities work together to make affordable, energy-efficient products and services available in the marketplace. For more information, go to www.northwestenergystar.com Earth Advantage, Inc., a non-profit, is a leader in the sustainable building industry in the Pacific Northwest. Earth Advantage homes are designed for overall sustainability and use at least 15 percent less energy than houses built to standard code practices. The corporation offers a premier suite of residential green building programs -- Earth Advantage, ENERGY STAR and LEED for Homes -- which incorporate energy efficiency, indoor air quality and environmental responsibility measures. For more information, visit www.earthadvantage.org The LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System(R) is a voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings sponsored by the U.S. Green Building Council. The LEED for Homes program is a voluntary initiative promoting the transformation of the mainstream home building industry towards more sustainable practices. For more information, go to www.usgbc.org
