Posted on September 2, 2010 by Davis Wright Tremaine

LEED vs. Passive House: What's the difference?

Authored by:  Monique Hawthorne

As published in the Daily Journal of Commerce

As a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Accredited Professional, I readily defend LEED’s standard and certification to critics who question its alleged greenness and whether it lives up to its hype.

"You get points for including bike parking spaces?" they protest. "C’mon!"

Nonetheless, I stand by the usefulness of LEED certification and believe it serves a useful purpose even if it only increases dialogue and awareness about sustainable building.

With that said, recent conversations have led me to explore other types of sustainable building standards and methods. I have been very impressed with Passive House (aka Passivhaus), a building standard from Germany that is an exciting option for builders, homeowners and developers.

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Posted on September 2, 2010 by Davis Wright Tremaine

Seller financing - An Option That Requires Careful Review

Authored by:  Gene Grant and Monique Hawthorne

In such times, seller financing can be used to obtain a premium purchase price. Not only are the underwriting process and financing fees and costs avoided, but the seller often will finance a much higher percentage of the purchase price than would a typical mortgage lender. If and when interest rates increase, sellers can benefit by providing seller financing at a lower rate.

Seller financing has become something of a lost art. Following is a brief review of major issues that should be resolved carefully and that typically require the assistance of a real estate attorney.

 

 

As published in The Daily Journal of Commerce

Real estate prices today are historically low because there are far fewer buyers than sellers. Foreclosures continue to flood the market with bargains. But people seeking to buy real estate during a severe recession often are unable to qualify for financing even though interest rates are enticingly low.

 

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