This weekend, April 19 and 20 and next, April 26 and 27, fifteen Earthcraft homes in the Charlottesville region will be open to the public.
EarthCraft standards and options are factored into every aspect of home building – site planning, building orientation, low-impact construction techniques and materials, energy efficiency – for a constant effort to lower the environmental impact of building an EarthCraft home and lower the energy costs and water usage for its future occupants.
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Will an EarthCraft home look “different†than conventional homes? Absolutely not!. EarthCraft focuses on building materials, installation and sealing techniques and minor modifications in construction – all things that disappear inside the walls as the house is completed. That’s the reason why this tour features houses currently still in some phase of construction so that you can see the differences before they disappear behind drywall. The only time you’ll see the difference is when you look at the energy bills on an EarthCraft home – 30-50% lower than conventional homes.
In a lot of ways, Earthcraft represents simply good building.
This map has all of the houses on the tour –
Better yet, plan your itinerary using the Maptimizer, presented in partnership with the Virginia Association of Realtors.
And now the riff …
After a long conversation this week with an attorney about real estate blogs and the perception/belief by the Virginia Real Estate Board that any writing that could “induce business” is considered “advertising” … here is my disclosure. I am intending this post as an informational post that, while some may choose to contact me because of it, is not designed to solicit buyers or sellers to reach out to me. It’s news. It’s timely and it’s information that people want. If they choose to contact a perceived credible source for more information, is said credibility something that could “induce business”? Better yet – could a quote in a newspaper be considered “advertising” as it might “induce business”? More on this subject in a later post.
This is information that people want; it’s information I’d like to present. If someone chooses to contact a perceived credible source for more information, is said credibility something that could “induce business”? Better yet – could a quote in a newspaper be considered “advertising” as it might “induce business”? (the answer is ‘maybe’) More on this subject in a later post.
Now – if I were to say “search the Charlottesville MLS for Green Homes” – that is a sentence that might induce business. 🙂
Either way, learn more about the Earthcraft Green Home Tour at the Blue Ridge Home Builders’ site.
So is VAR going to insist you make that type of disclosure for every post on your blog?
Just curious.
Charles, I think you mean VREB. VAR doesn’t “regulate”. I think it’ll be interesting if VREB starts requiring the disclosure in every post, seems like a little poke at freedom of speech to me. I agree with Jim, what about REALTORS quoted in newspapers or better yet the ones that become the subject of TV stories/ segments because of their expertise. As a former reporter (both TV & print) I know I’m not going to waste a column inch or 30 of my 120 seconds in a story for a disclosure. Why should Jim have to do this on a blog? (I’m no real estate expert so there may be an answer somewhere)
Ok, VREB then. Regardless of who is asking for it, I agree that a disclosure in this context is ridiculous.
And why is it not ok to induce business from marketing activities.
Sorry I have been neglecting the conversation.
We are dealing with uncharted and untested waters being regulated by a body that is unfamiliar with the forum and format of blogs.
It’s ok to induce business from marketing activities, sure, but my question is – if a Realtor is part of a news story, and from that story they might gain credibility and therefore a buyer – would that necessitate disclosure? My understanding remains “maybe.” And that is silly and archaic.
The law is based on (relatively) conclusive facts and tests – right now in this evolving medium of social media, it’s moving too fast.
Stooping to the Lowest Common Denominator lowers the bar for everybody.
Good Monday morning to All,
I’m a local Realtor who is marketing The Glenn in Greene Co. We’ve got 1 home on the tour and 3 others that are either EarthCraft or Energy Star rated homes. It’s been interesting and educational to speak with folks who’re taking the tour. While our conversations center around the homes and their features, the “green” chat quickly turns to fuel prices, food prices and folks general uneasiness about our future. It’s reassuring to know that buyers are concerned about energy costs and how they can reduce them.
State real estate commissions are far behind the curve in things Internet.
I’m not soliciting business here but if some Knoxville area buyer or seller wants to contact me then that’s OK with me. ;->
Hi , I am working as a realtor in Toronto and I am not really understand what is a problem with an inducing of a business. There are many blogs were people are asking or complaining about practices of realtors. Of course I always put in link to my webpage if I join the discussion. It should just show who I am or somebody is thinking that I can induce some business here in Toronto just thanks to this comment?
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