CHICAGO (June 2, 2010) – A new book published this month by the Appraisal Institute helps appraisers estimate values for popular “green” home features such as energy-efficient appliances, toxin-free flooring and insulation and vegetated roofs.

The Appraisal Institute is the nation’s largest professional organization of real estate appraisers.

In “An Introduction to Green Homes,” author Alan Simmons, SRPA, LEED AP, provides an overview of the programs, organizations and products fueling the current surge in environmentally responsible building and remodeling. He also offers detailed descriptions of LEED and Energy Star green home and product certification programs and gives updates on environmental organizations that are leading the way in sustainable building.

“‘An Introduction to Green Homes’ provides a solid foundation for residential appraisers to diversify their practices and become knowledgeable about one of most important forces influencing today’s housing market,” Appraisal Institute President Leslie Sellers, MAI, SRA, writes in the book’s foreword.

The book also includes detailed case studies focusing on various attributes of green homes, insights on how green features affect the value of homes and methodologies that can be applied to measure this increment of home value.

“Green homes present new opportunities to residential appraisers. As the presence of green homes increases in the housing market, appraisers who are knowledgeable in all things green can gain an edge on the competition,” Sellers writes in the foreword.

Simmons was a real estate agent for 12 years and an appraiser for more than 30 years. He now is a real estate education specialist, working full time in teaching and course development. He spent most of his life and working career in New York State but now lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Union College. Simmons has taught in 43 states, primarily for appraisal organizations, but also has instructed for real estate and assessor organizations and private schools. He is a Certified Distance Education Instructor and a LEED Accredited Professional through the U.S. Green Building Council.

“An Introduction to Green Homes” (ISBN: 978-1-935328-09-4) is 145 pages and is offered in soft cover. The book is available for $45 ($35 for Appraisal Institute members) at https://www.appraisalinstitute.org/store/p-216-an-introduction-to-green-homes.aspx or by calling 1-800-504-7440.

The Appraisal Institute is a global membership association of professional real estate appraisers, with more than 25,000 members and 91 chapters throughout the world. Its mission is to advance professionalism and ethics, global standards, methodologies, and practices through the professional development of property economics worldwide. Organized in 1932, the Appraisal Institute advocates equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in the appraisal profession and conducts its activities in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Members of the Appraisal Institute benefit from an array of professional education and advocacy programs, and may hold the prestigious MAI, SRPA and SRA designations. For more information regarding the Appraisal Institute, please visit www.appraisalinstitute.org.