Appraising Green Residences
Chapter Quiz Answer Key
Chapter 1 Quiz
1. The source of the largest energy use in the average American home is for
a. cooling.
b. heating.
c. lighting.
d. refrigeration.
Correct Answer: b—See graph on page 10, which shows the energy usage at 45% for space heating.
2. The most common gas found between panes in thermal windows is
a. argon.
b. helium.
c. kryptonite.
d. radon.
e. Correct Answer: a—Page 8 “The gas…is most commonly Argon”
3. With respect to the U-value of windows, which is correct?
a. The higher the U-value, the higher the energy efficiency.
b. The lower the U-value, the higher the energy efficiency.
c. The lower the U-value, the more likely the window is to leak.
d. Windows are rated using R-ratings.
Correct Answer: b—Page 8, “Unlike R-values, where the higher number indicates better insulating properties, in windows, the lower the number, the better insulating the window is.”
4. A home has poor indoor air quality. Which of the following most likely did NOT contribute to the poor indoor air quality?
a. electric on demand water heater
b. owner’s smoking of cigarettes in the house
c. use of VOCs in building materials and furnishings
d. wood stove in the basement
Correct Answer: a—cigarettes, VOCs and wood stoves all cause indoor air pollution; electricity does not cause air pollution inside a house IAQ discussed on page 10.
5. Ground source heat pumps work on the principle that, throughout the United States,
a. hot springs and geysers are present to provide heat.
b. ponds are available for an open loop system.
c. the temperature below the frost line is an even 50º.
d. the temperature below the frost line is constant year round.
Correct Answer: d—Page 4 “ground source refers to the constant temperature of the earth at certain depth year round”
6. A buyer is considering buying an older home but is concerned about the energy use. Which of the following would be MOST useful to the buyer?
a. all-inclusive energy audit, including an infrared camera use and a blower door test
b. evaluation of the current owner’s utility bills
c. online review of the house via website
d. visual inspection by the appraiser or agent of the property
Correct Answer: a—see discussion of blower door tests and infrared cameras, both of which are used to perform an audit. B is incorrect because the current owner’s lifestyle will influence utility use; an online review via a website is not as thorough as an on-site inspection; appraisers and agents are not trained to be energy auditors, so d is incorrect.
7. Which of the following types of insulation would BEST be suited to an area where the insulation needs to go around existing barriers, and fill an irregular space?
a. batts
b. blown in
c. ICFs
d. rigid foam
Correct Answer: b—See pages 7 and 8 where types of insulation are discussed. Batts are used on unfinished walls, between studs; ICFs are for unfinished walls in new construction only; rigid foam is placed on walls, especially exterior walls.
8. One of the down sides of photovoltaic shingles is that they
a. do not blend in with the other shingles.
b. do not work.
c. produce DC current, which requires an alternator on site to convert to AC current.
d. require maintenance.
Correct Answer: c—See page 6, “The electron produces an direct current (DC). Because most homes and businesses run on alternating current (AC), an inverter must be installed to convert the energy for use.” A is incorrect because. they blend in fairly well ; b, they do work; d, unlike solar panels, they do not require maintenance.
9. Currently, which of these is being phased out by the U.S. Government?
a. coal stoves
b. fluorescent lights
c. incandescent light bulbs
d. tanked hot water heaters
Correct Answer: c—Page 12 “As most readers know, the US Government has been on course to phase out incandescent light bulbs”
10. A double pane, low-E window with a 1/2” space filled with argon is ____times as efficient as a single pane window in an aluminum frame.
a. 2
b. 2.5
c. 3
d. 4
Correct Answer: a—See page 8 and 9; single glass in an aluminum frame has a U value of 1.30; double glass, low-E with a ½” space filled with argon is a .64 U value; .64 x 2 = 128, just about exactly 2 times.
Chapter 2 Quiz
1. Jose is in the market for a new home, and has narrowed his choices down to two. One has a ground source heat pump, and the other has a conventional heat pump. The homes are identical except for this feature. The cost of the ground source heat pump is an additional $4,000. The estimated energy savings provided by the ground source heat pump is estimated at $67 a month. What is the anticipated pay back time for the upgraded heat pump?
a. two years
b. four years
c. five years
d. ten years
Correct Answer: c—$4000 ÷$67 = 59.70 months; round to 60 months; equals five years.
2. An advantage to a “Green” MLS is that
a. every agent uses it.
b. it is paperless.
c. it provides known adjustments for green features to appraisers and agents.
d. it provides more information on green features in homes than typical MLS services do.
Correct Answer: d—we discuss the Green MLS in the chapter, and it is identified as one which provides more information on green features. A is incorrect because we have not discussed at all which agents use the MLS: b is incorrect, because we are not discussing green in terms of paper printed; c is incorrect because MLS systems do not provide adjustments
3. Karl, a buyer, is looking at new homes. Karl anticipates he will be in this house no more than 5 years, because of his job. Below are four options for energy efficient upgrades available to him, the estimated cost of the upgrade, and the energy savings per month. Based on that, which of these features would make sense for Karl to invest in?
a. high energy gas furnace versus regular gas furnace – it’s $2,000 more with anticipated energy savings of $1,500 per year
b. extra insulation package –it’s $2,000 more with anticipated energy savings of $30 a month
c. on demand gas hot water heater – it’s $5,000 more with anticipated energy savings of $300 a year
d. triple pane windows – it’s an additional cost of $3,600 with anticipated energy savings of $17 a month
Correct Answer: a— Karl’s time frame is five years a. is correct because he spends $2000 more, but will save $7500 ($1500 x 5) over the next five years, for a net savings of $5500; b is incorrect because he would only save $1800 over 5 years ($30 x 12 x 5); and the improvement costs $2000; c is incorrect, because he would only save $1500 over 5 years, and the improvement costs $5000; d is incorrect because he would only save $1020 over the next 5 years ($17 x 12 x 5) and the cost is $$3600.
4. A relevant characteristic is
a. any difference between the subject and a comparable.
b. any item unique to a home.
c. one defined by USPAP as being relevant.
d. one which impacts the value of the property.
Correct Answer: d—The definition at the beginning of the chapter states: Relevant Characteristics Those characteristics of a property, whether location, physical, legal, or economic, which affect value. In the chapter we discuss that not all differences are relevant (makes a and b incorrect) and that c requires the appraiser to identify the relevant characteristics.
5. Which of the following features would most likely appear in an MLS system which has been “greened”?
a. number of bathrooms
b. on-site energy producing items
c. type of heating
d. type of roofing material
Correct Answer: b—discussed on page 24 and 25
Chapter 3 Quiz
1. Which certification/designation would be available for those in the real estate industry who are NOT builders?
a. LEED® AP +BD + C
b. LEED® AP Homes Credential
c. LEED® Green Associate
d. LEED® Fellow
Correct Answer: c—see page 37, This credential is designed for professionals who want to demonstrate their green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice
There are several certifications available from LEED, but as the definitions for the various certifications indicate, this credential is for professionals who want to demonstrate their green building expertise in non-technical fields of practice, which would include appraising and selling, not building. A. is incorrect because “AP + BD +C” is “Designed for professionals who participate in the design and construction phases of environmentally sound commercial, institutional, and high-rise residential buildings”, which would not typically be those in real estate; b is incorrect because LEED AP Homes Credential is for “- Designed specifically for single family residential real estate. It provides a standard for professionals participating in design and construction of high-performance green homes;”—again it specifies design and construction; and d, “LEED Fellow” is incorrect because this is an honorary designation, given to those who already hold a previous designation.
2. Energy Star estimated that typical utility costs for a home annually are
a. $2,200.
b. $3,600.
c. $4,000.
d. $5,200.
Correct Answer: a—See p. 31 “Per Energy Star’s website, typical utility costs for a home are $2,200 annually” This makes a correct, and b, c and d incorrect.
3. The vast majority of green certified single family homes are certified by
a. Energy Star.
b. HERS.
c. LEED®.
d. NAHB®.
Correct Answer: a—Page 33: Energy Star is universally acknowledged to be the most popular home energy rating system of the three mentioned earlier. b is incorrect because HERS is the name of the rating system; c is incorrect because, quoting from the text: “According to the Green Building Market and Impact Report, the estimated LEED® Certified Homes for 2007-2011 included:
• Total units: 15,966
• Single-family (attached and detached): 6942
• Multi-family (including duplex and triplex): 9004”—these numbers, for a several year period are significantly lower numbers than Energy Star for one year;
and d is incorrect because NAHB, per the text: The National Association of Green Builders does have members. “They claim a membership of 235,000, or about 80 percent of the homebuilders in the US. From 2004-2007 about 36,000 homes were certified (nationwide) under green guidelines by local builders’ associations.” Again, in a several year period they certified substantially fewer homes than Energy Star.
4. The National Green Building Standards were developed by
a. LEED® and Energy Star.
b. NAHB® and ICC.
c. NAHB® and LEED®.
d. RESNET and NAHB®.
Correct Answer: b—Page 33 “Since 2004, the NAHB® and ICC have developed and published the NAHB® National Green Building Standards”In 2007, NAHB® partnered with the ICC to develop a nationally recognized standard of green building. This is known as the ICC 700 Green Building Standard.
5. NAHB® requires an “owner’s manual” for a Green certified house at which level of certification?
a. Bronze
b. Emerald
c. Gold
d. Silver
Correct Answer: c—Page 34, One of the interesting requirements at the Gold level is that the buyer gets an “owner’s manual” from the builder. This contains basic information about the certification level of the home, maintenance and operation, warranty manuals.
6. The ratings produced by RESNET are
a. Gold.
b. HERS.
c. LEED®.
d. NAHB®.
Correct Answer: b—The ratings produced by RESNET are Home Energy Rating Systems (HERS) ratings. HERS (Home Energy Rating Systems) is the index used by Energy Star Certified Raters. In the HERS rating system, 0 = zero net energy home; the higher the score, the less efficient the home is. A. Gold is a rating produced by LEED; LEED is a rating system and NAHB is a group which performs ratings.
7. A commercial tenant who is remodeling his space and seeking a green certification from LEED® would probably seek
a. CI.
b. CS.
c. EB.
d. NC.
Correct Answer: a—Commercial Interior page 36, list at top Text says: Non-residential LEED® categories are shown below, with the associated abbreviation (if any) used by LEED®:
• New Construction (NC)
• Core and Shell (CS)
• Commercial Interior (CI)
• Existing Buildings with limited construction (EB)
• Schools
• Neighborhood Development
8. The benefit to real estate appraisers regarding any of the three most prevalent rating systems is that they
a. are all the same.
b. demonstrate their value in the marketplace.
c. provide quantitative analyses of homes and buildings.
d. provide qualitative assessments of homes and buildings.
Correct Answer: c—As we touched on in the last chapter, appraisers are concerned with quantitative data and adjustments which makes c correct; we explain the differences among the 3, which makes a in correct; their value in the marketplace was not discussed; and their assessments are quantitative, not qualitative, which makes d incorrect.
9. HERS levels are based on a HERS index of
a. 0.
b. 75.
c. 80.
d. 100.
Correct Answer: d—RESNET specifications are set to a reference house, which has a HERS index of 100, based on the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code. A net zero energy home has an index of zero. Each point on the scale represents 1 percent (1%) of energy efficiency. For an appraiser, this is a reference point which is quantifiable, as in “This house has a HERS rating of 50, and comparable #1 has a HERS rating of 75”.
10. For sixteen states, which is the minimum code compliance with respect to energy-efficiency?
a. Energy Star HERS rating
b. LEED® certification level of Silver
c. NAHB® certification level of Bronze
d. net zero HERS rating
Correct Answer: a—A RESNET Energy Star rating is also the minimum code compliance with respect to energy efficiency for sixteen states. Nowhere in the text are b, c. or d mentioned as being required.