Having lived in Cincinnati for almost all of my life, I know that there are many people out there that think our city isn’t as progressive as others. All throughout my adult years I’ve seen friends leave and or complain that our city just wasn’t as “cool” as other cities. I regretfully admit to being guilty of this up until my return from college a number of years ago. That’s when I discovered Cincinnati and all of its charming urban glory! We have so much to offer that cities of similar sizes don’t have. I now find myself trying to stop the exodus of post college graduates and give them reasons to stay. One of our city’s most progressive areas is in the environmental arena. Cincinnati is one of the most progressively green cities in the nation! From the mayor’s new Climate Protection Action Plan, to our public school systems going green and our aggressive 15yr tax abatement program for LEED homes, everywhere I turn, the citizens of Cincinnati are making a difference and doing their part for the environment.
It is great to be able to take the city’s momentum in this area and use it in my everyday business, real estate. For years now we’ve seen the commercial real estate industry going green. With all of the federal and local tax incentives, it only makes sense. We are now seeing this trend trickle down to the residential housing market in a very big way. From building new LEED certified green homes to “re-greening” the old ones, the incentives and the desire are everywhere I turn.
This is great news for buyers and soon-to-be-sellers. In the past home buyers looked at taxes, interest and insurance rates when making a decision on which home to purchase. In today’s ever competitive market a home buyer is factoring in the average utilities of a home as well. With rising energy costs, who can blame them? This is not so good news for sellers who live in old drafty homes and have only updated the cosmetics of a home. In the past some sellers never thought about that old Williamson furnace sitting in the basement or the uninsulated attic that can cost very little to insulate and could save them hundreds a year! But it is good news for those sellers down the road. They can start planning their home improvements and energy saving upgrades to fit their time from for selling. Not only will they reap the rewards right away, but it could also give them a competitive edge when they finally do go to sell their home.
Having a background in biology and a love for conservation, I get a lot of satisfaction helping buyers and sellers realize that there are inexpensive energy saving options for older homes that can actually add instant value to their home, if marketed correctly. Its fun to show them how even small lifestyle changes can affect not only their bottom line, but help them feel like they’re a part of something bigger than themselves. I continue to look eagerly into the future and head willingly down the progressive road our city is paving. It’s exciting to be apart of this time!
Jami Stutzman
Sibcy Cline Realtors
Environmentally Conscious Real Estate of Cincinnati
Environmental blog: www.encorecincinnati.com
Real Estate Blog: www.livingcincinnati.com