Green Homes Pittsburgh

As I build my business servicing clients that are looking for green and energy-efficient homes I keep bumping into the same problem…I have the interested client, they want a green home and I just don’t have much to show them.

This is especially true for those that are looking for truly green homes, not just energy-efficient homes. I’m talking about homes that use sustainable and low-VOC materials, homes that consider indoor air quality, homes that include ecologically sound features like rain barrels, native landscaping even attention to details like composting areas and recycling space. And of course energy-efficiency, water efficiency and daylighting to reduce energy consumption.

Of course many of these features are available in a custom build home and there are some great green custom builders in the area. But the affordable options are limited. A house here… a development there… but nothing on a wider scale.

When a clients says they are looking for a green home in a specific area most of the time all I can do is explain that the green homes that are available are in specific places in the city, but not in the one they are looking for.

The clients are there, everyday I have requests and no way to fill them. It’s frustrating and that’s why I am writing this post.

If you are a builder, developer and renovator in this city consider making your projects green. Specifically, I am looking for:

• Older green renovated homes with character in walkable communities
• Newer green homes that are priced from $150K to $300K
• Affordable green homes with a more modern style
• And I need them in locations all around the city and out into the suburbs.

If you are building these kind of homes let me know and if you are thinking about creating these kind of homes, I’d love to talk.

Existing-home sales fell as expected in December after first-time buyers rushed to complete deals during the months leading up to the original November deadline for the tax credit. However, prices rose from December 2008 and annual sales improved in 2009, according to the National Association of REALTORS^®

For most of the past year there has been a lot of talk about where the “bottom” of the market is. In my interpretation, it may have been in November. This week NAR published data, quoted above, that shows prices beginning to rise. It is true that activity went down in December, but I personally see that as a result of the extension of the tax credit and the lessening of the urgency to buy and close before December.

As the year turned, activity also seemed to pick up. A few good signs in the economy, low interest rates and the tax credit have gotten people who were on the fence and waiting to buy into the game. Right now prices are still low but as seller start to feel better about the activity in the market there is no doubt they will begin to hold their line on prices, even opting to price them a bit higher.

Sure a downturn in the economy could slow things down again, and if you are unsure about your financial condition you should proceed with caution but signs seem to indicate that the worst in the residential market may be behind us.

I got the opportunity to talk to a reporter from the Associated Press this week who was writing a story on Northeast home sales. She was interested in finding out what was going on in the Pittsburgh market and I was happy to oblige. As I told her, Pittsburgh has done very well compared to other areas of the country. One thing that seems to be driving our resilience is the low cost of living and low cost of homes.

You can read a few of the stories, that feature a quote from me , at the links below. Such Good news is a Great way to start the New Year!

Northeast home sales climb 55 percent in November

Buyers snap up homes in Nov.

Start your New Year with a New Home in the Pittsburgh area! Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.greenhomespgh.com.

There is an excellent story in the City Paper about the overgrowth and new “smart growth” development going on in Cranberry Township that is worth a read.

REPLANTING CRANBERRY, PITTSBURGH CITY PAPER

Most of us from the Pittsburgh know that Cranberry may be the poster child for suburban sprawl, but you have to at least give the area credit for trying to get that problem under control by developing new housing options that have less impact on the environment. As someone who grew up in North Pittsburgh I remember the area as rural countryside. Even though I spend a fair amount of time at RE/MAX Select’s home office in Cranberry I am still shocked by the amount of development that has taken place in the last 20 years.

I particularly appreciate Ken’s mention of mountain biking in Cranberry. For those that have been around the Pittsburgh MTB you may remember the Knob Hill Month of Mud course. I think the park is still there, but most of the trails are now underneath a corporate park. Same with the Brother’s Grimm course that is now underneath the Mall at Robinson. Is sort of sad when I think of how much fun we had on trails that are now gone.

Park Place in Cranberry is one of the newest developments in Cranberry with plans for a mixed use residential and retail community, complete with green space. This neighborhood will offer traditional homes starting below $200K with very up to the minute energy efficient features and floor plans.

Find out more about buying and living smart in Cranberry Township, PA. Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, your certified green agent and RE/MAX green specialist at 724-933-6300 x214 or visit my website at www.greenhomespgh.com.

There’s an old joke here in Pittsburgh that when the world ends we’ll still have 7 years left. I’ve even heard people talk about how the recession really hasn’t hit Pittsburgh yet. I don’t agree.

In my opinion, Pittsburgh has been able to weather the downturn because it is a stable, down-to-earth city that already went through the bad times. It was able to diversify it’s economy and attract new investment. Like the rest of the country we saw a decline in home prices but nothing like the huge drops that were happening in other areas, just a few percentage points. Even better, last week’s report showed gains over a year ago.

Then we get some really good news, According to Forbes Magazine, Pittsburgh is one of the cities leading the country out of the recession. As the 4th Fastest-Recovering City in the U.S., Pittsburgh is showing how a mid-sized, northeastern city can chart a course to recovery.

Five categories were used to determine rank, unemployment rate, GMP (a measure of the size of a city’s economy), foreclosures, home prices and sales rates. Pittsburgh scores best in the housing categories. Of the largest 100 cities in the study, Pittsburgh was ranked 2nd for home price, 5th for sales rank and 12th for foreclosure rank.

Read the entire story here.

Now is a great time to buy a home in Pittsburgh! Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.greenhomespgh.com.

It’s not uncommon to be asked how the real estate market is, and the good news is that it’s getting better. But depending on which side of the equation you are on, the answer really is “It’s great”.

Investing 101 will tell you to “buy low and sell high” but reality tells us that most people do the exact opposite. When the market (real estate or stock) is booming, everyone wants to get in, so they buy, which drives the market higher, which makes more people want to get in, and drives the market higher and so on. But what those people really did was to buy at the top of the market, when prices are high. Then when the bust came, everyone wanted out so they sold, low. And the worse it gets, the more they want to sell and the lower the prices go.

I don’t claim to be able to tell the future but since we are sitting at what many people believe to be the bottom of the real estate downturn, or hopefully the very beginning of an upturn, if your goal is to buy low, now would be that time.

Of course, there are many reasons that people are not scrambling to buy. They could be dealing with unemployment, concerned about the security of their job, trying to save money or pay off bills. All very valid reasons not to buy a home right now. But if you are not in that situation, now could be your time.

Interest rates are low, the tax credit has been expanded and home prices have come down. If you are a seller this isn’t exactly good news, but for buyer’s it is great.

Last week it was announced that home sales in Pittsburgh increased 7.4 percent, median price rose by 3.4 percent, and foreclosures are down for October 2009 vs. October 2008. That’s good news. Hopefully it means that a recovery is on its way, but it also means that prices are starting to creep up. So if your goal is to get a great deal then now may be the best time to buy a home!

Now is a great time to buy a home in Pittsburgh! Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.greenhomespgh.com.

Ready to sell your home? Be sure your agent gets your home sold and seen online. Here are a few facts to consider:

• 87% of all buyers used the Internet as part of their home search
• 94% of 25-44 years old buyers used the Internet as part of their home search
• 33% of all buyers looked on-line for property as the first step in the home buying process
• 99% of buyers found the Internet “Useful” or Very Useful”
• 98% found their agent “Useful” or “Very Useful”
• 29% found newspaper or magazine ads “Very Useful”
• 34% of buyers found the home they purchased through an agent
• 32% found the home they purchased through the Internet
• ONLY 4% visited an open house first
• ONLY 3% found the home they purchased through a newspaper or magazine ad

Ask your agent:

• What sites will my home be seen on?
• How will my home be found on those sites?
• Do you use showcase or featured property upgrades on REALTOR.com?
• What social networking channels do you use to market my home?
• Do you have your own website?
• Will my home have photos posted online? How many?
• Will my my home have a virtual tour posted online?
• Do you write blogs? Twitter? Facebook?

With so many people starting their search online you can’t afford to work with an agent that isn’t getting your home seen.

List your home in Pittsburgh with a real estate agent who knows how to get your home found online! Call Christa Ross from RE/MAX Select Realty, at 724-933-6300 x214 (office) or 724-779-1437 (direct) or visit my website at www.greenhomespgh.com.

Home sales in Pittsburgh region up 7.4 percent in October – Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.

Join me tonight at 1611 Meadville Street in Fineview for an amazing view of the city and a look at these great ENERGY STAR homes!

Fineview City View from the Overlook

Open from 5 to 7 and then you can head down to the Roberto Clemente bridge for the Light Up Night Bridge Party and fireworks at 8:30pm.

For more information go to
www.fineviewhomes.com

or Contact Christa Ross, RE/MAX Select Realty, 724-933-6300 x214 or direct at 724-309-1758.

Deal struck to extend and expand home-buyer tax credit until April 2010. Stay tuned…http://bit.ly/E4dAs