Across the country appraisal companies and lenders have been slow to acknowledge builders, buyers, and owners of high-performance homes. Many builders are fed up with a financing system that doesn’t put enough value on sustainable features and the savings they yield for homeowners. For example, appraisers’ 1004 form provides a mere two lines for information about energy-efficient or other high-performance features.
Builders, developers, and Realtors are working to advocate for a system that gives credit to high-performance houses. Many support a green MLS system and the SAVE Act, which aims to improve federal mortgage underwriting by including a home’s expected energy cost savings when determining the value and affordability of energy-efficient homes.