For those who say that social media is a fad might want to rethink their viewpoint the next time they sell their home.
LinkedIn has partnered with Rofo.com to create a real estate portal on LinkedIn, steering the real estate industry into social media. The app will be called “Real Estate Pro,” and can be used by any agent with a LinkedIn profile.
“Real Estate Pro” displays residential and commercial listings and recently finished deals, but also posts market data within an agent’s local area. Launched on the 23rd, “Real Estate Pro” creates a localized marketplace for brokers, and updates directly on the profile page of the user.
View the video below to see more about how this new app works.
LEED homes are at the cutting edge of green home development, and now Habitat for Humanity is getting in on the action. The Habitat for Humanity covering the Greater Indianapolis area just launched a six-week build of a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified home on Wednesday. Located on the 1300 block of Ninth Street, this new endeavor will be Habitat’s first platinum-standard LEED house. This new project will include products such as “25-year asphalt shingles, compact fluorescent light bulbs, a tankless water heater, and a solar-powered attic fan.”
Energy efficient products are used in Habitat for Humanity builds because all Habitat homes meet at least the gold-standard requirements as set by the U.S. Green Building Council. This means that all Habitat homes have received between 75 and 89 points (based on a 100 point scale) also set by the USGBC. But this new platinum-standard home has raised the bar, earning 90 points or more. Its future owner, Lori Pye, did not specifically set out to live in a green home, but claimed, “I picked my three favorite, and then I just happened to pick that one (the LEED house).” Lori will enjoy her new home come September 3rd when she officially moves in and becomes an active member in the ever-growing green campaign.
For more information, visit http://www.indystar.com/article/20100722/LOCAL18/7220414/Habitat-for-Humanity-takes-green-to-new-level
In a fit of clarity and logic, the EPA will delay enforcement of a rule requiring contractors to take additional precautions when renovating houses where children could be exposed to lead dust from old paint until Oct. 1. Although the Senate passed a much-needed delay of the $37,500-per-day-per-incident fine, there are still more onerous points to the lead paint debate to hash out.
The NAHB said the delay will give contractors and remodelers much-needed time to get the training to meet the stricter requirements. “EPA listened to our concerns and did the right thing,” said NAHB Chairman and Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Builder Bob Jones.
So that’s a bit of good news. Outcry and pressure from the industry worked. Now that we have breathing room on the enforcement side perhaps we can take a look at some of the recent changes to the lead paint rules. One aspect of the bill that has been getting some attention is the proposed Renovator Rule. If enacted, the latest EPA-backed revision will require laboratory-level dust clearance for many small jobs, at a cost of hundreds of dollars per job. Worse yet, the proposal also makes it illegal to use most of the HEPA vacuuming systems recently purchased for this EXACT purpose.
We’re not ones to say that lead paint isn’t dangerous or that the legislation isn’t necessary. According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 30,000 children in the United States tested positive for lead poisoning in 2007. That is unacceptable. But as of May of this year there were 212 training providers with 10,000 courses offered, and more than 230,000 renovators had already been trained. However, we don’t need to look very hard to tell the number of teachers available have been far too few to make a dent in the numbers of contractors who can potentially work on pre-1978 homes — including roofers, plumbers, painters and general contractors.
As of April 22, any person being paid to work in a home built before 1978 must be certified. Homes built after 1978 do not have lead paint in them. A provision in lead paint rules has allowed owners of older homes to opt-out of the lead-safe work practices mandated by the rule if no children under six or pregnant women resided in their home. That came to an end on July 6th.
The rule also requires contractors to post informational signs, use work-area containment measures and waste handling/cleanup measures. Work practices such as open-flame burning of lead based paint are banned (not that you’d want to do that anyway, right?) and limits machine sanding or grinding. The rule applies to projects in all states that do not already administer a similar EPA-authorized Renovation Rule.
Marketing Home Products is what I do. This blog covers marketing strategies, brand development and communication tactics and smart business practices as they relate to the home and building channel.
My company, Kleber & Associates, works closely with clients helping them to build brands that build a better home.
For those who say that social media is a fad might want to rethink their viewpoint the next time they sell their home.
In a fit of clarity and logic, the EPA will delay enforcement of a rule requiring contractors to take additional precautions when renovating houses where children could be exposed to lead dust from old paint until Oct. 1. Although the Senate passed a much-needed delay of the $37,500-per-day-per-incident fine, there are still more onerous points to the lead paint debate to hash out.
