Appraising Green Homes: Construction Methods and Trends

This course does not qualify for appraiser continuing education credit.

This course, presented by Earth Advantage, will provide information on the rapidly expanding field of green building and introduce participants to all phases of green residential construction, from proper siting of a home to finish material selection. Participants will gain up-to-date info on this rapidly expanding field and an in-depth understanding of the 5 pillars of green building and third party certification programs in order to equip yourself to competently analyze these properties in appraisal assignments.

This course comprises Module 1 in a series of two training courses that allow appraisers to earn the Accredited Green Appraiser (AGA) designation. Participants will need to complete both trainings and pass the accreditation exam to earn the AGA designation:

• Module 1 - Appraising Green Homes: Construction Methods and Trends
• Module 2 - Appraising Green Homes: Valuation Techniques and Applications

Course Topics

This course will help appraisal professionals to:

• Understand the foundations and history of green home development.
• Understand recent housing market forces and how they affect appraisers.
• Identify the different methods and trends of residential green construction per the 5 pillars:
  1. Land Use and Development
  2. Water Conservation
  3. Energy Efficiency
  4. Materials Selection
  5. Health and Indoor Air Quality
• Differentiate between various green building certification programs.
• Utilize the Appraising Green Homes course manual and resource guide as reference tools.

Accredited Green Appraiser (AGA)

Become an Accredited Green Appraiser (AGA) and join a nationwide network of appraisers that have completed our AGA course series in order to stay ahead of the next wave in residential construction. Our AGA program provides professionals with the opportunity to enroll in coursework that will both strengthen their expertise and promote their green appraisal qualifications to lenders and AMCs who are seeking "competent" green appraisers. AGAs benefit from professional differentiation by leveraging marketing support from Earth Advantage in the form of AGA logos and an online listing in our registry of designated professionals. Appraisers must earn 4 CEs in green real estate education every 2 years to maintain the AGA designation and can do so by completing additional green coursework offered by Earth Advantage or other providers.

Did you know the secondary mortgage market (Fannie, Freddie, and FHA) and Appraisal Foundation guidelines require "competency" in this topic area prior to accepting an assignment on a green or energy efficient home? Become one of the appraisers in your area that lenders and AMCs can turn to who meet this standard. Our AGA program has been recommended as qualifying green home valuation education by the Appraisal Foundation. AGA has been offered live across California, Maryland, Massachusetts, Virginia, Washington and Alabama.

Course Content

This online course is approximately 7 hours long. It consists of 3-5 minute video presentations divided into 7 chapters. Users can start or stop their viewing at their own pace and easily resume the course at another time. Short quiz questions and activities may appear between video sections to help you remember the content covered in the videos.