PORTLAND, Ore. June 10, 2009 -- Earth Advantage Institute released a report today that documents the superior market performance of third-party certified homes over noncertified homes.

The findings are based on an analysis that directly compares homes that were certified with appraiser-approved comparable homes. Home certifications included Earth Advantage®, ENERGY STAR®, Built Green®, and LEED® for Homes. Certified homes in the four-county Seattle metropolitan area sold for 9.7 percent more than noncertified homes.

In the five-county Portland area, homes also achieved a price premium of 3 to 5 percent more. Homes with an Earth Advantage or comparable certification also sold more quickly in the Portland metro area by about 18 days.

"This investigative research demonstrates the clear value of certified homes to homeowners and professionals in the home construction and sales industry," said Sean Penrith, executive director of Earth Advantage Institute. "The results of this study will help us in our certification outreach efforts by supplying our constituents with specific data on the value of sustainable home standards."

The report, Certified Home Performance: Assessing the Market Impacts of Third-Party Certification on Residential Properties, also features home builder interviews and consumer surveys.

Certified Homes Sample

The comparable property analysis was based on a sample of 92 certified homes in Portland and 68 certified homes in Seattle. For each certified home, 2 to 7 comparable homes were identified. Taylor Watkins of Watkins & Associates was the project appraiser. The comparable home methodology allowed researchers to identify sustainable certification as the primary factor impacting market performance.

The majority of the homes in the Oregon sample (90 percent) were built between 2005 and 2008, and sold for an average of $474,000. All of the homes in the Washington sample were built in 2007 or 2008, and sold for an average of $523,000.

Green Building Leaders' Efforts

This investigative study is part of a larger regional effort conducted by nonprofit and local government organizations. These efforts have involved some of the leading green building organizations in the Pacific Northwest, including Built Green Washington, Cascadia Region Green Building Council, Earth Advantage Institute, Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties, Master Builders Association of Pierce County, the Northwest Eco-Building Guild, Olympia Master Builders, and Washington State Department of Ecology.

In the coming weeks, the report will be followed by the release of related research reports, including a commercial case study report to be published by Cascadia Region Green Building Council and a residential case study report to be published by the Northwest Eco-Building Guild. The commercial case study report is available on the Cascadia Regional Green Building Web site www.cascadiagbc.org, and the residential report will be available on the Built Green Washington site www.builtgreenwashington.org.

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About Earth Advantage Institute

Earth Advantage Institute works with homeowners, homebuyers, builders, and developers to bring the most energy efficient, sustainable, and healthy homes to the market. The organization is an independent, nonprofit resource group that certifies homes and communities based on conformance to ENERGY STAR®, Earth Advantage®, or LEED® for Homes standards. Earth Advantage Institute also offers education classes and has a showroom at its national center in Portland, Oregon. Earth Advantage Institute has certified more than 11,000 new homes.

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Earth Advantage Inc. proudly offers the following green building programs:

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Efficient New Homes Program

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