 Video Clip: Randall Arendt discusses benefits of conservation development.
You can help take conservation subdivisions mainstream
To read portable document files (PDF), you need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Click below to download the free software, install it, then return here to view the information.
Copyright 2007
LandChoices -
All Rights Reserved
|
Advantages of Conservation
Subdivision for Realtors
Make More Money Faster
Why sell a commodity when you can sell a unique place for your customers to live? Conservation development reduces costs compared to traditional subdivision development, and if marketed correctly, creates a more profitable and faster selling development. It also provides for a smoother review process.
More Profitable means Larger Commissions
One researcher recently studied 184 lots in conservation subdivisions and in conventional subdivisions in South Kingstown, RI, and reported the following results:
- Lots in conservation subdivisions carried a 14% premium (about $15,000 more per lot).
- Lots sold 47% more quickly compared with those in conventional subdivisions.
Photo courtesy Tryon Farm, a conservation subdivision near Michigan City, Indiana.
The Economics of Conservation Subdivisions
The Economics of Conservation Subdivisions (PDF)
"The results show that lots in conservation subdivisions carry a premium, are less expensive to build, and sell more quickly than lots in conventional subdivisions."
"Together, the results show that conservation subdivisions are more profitable to developers than conventional subdivisions."
"That lots in conservation subdivisions sold in about half the time as lots in conventional subdivisions must be advantageous to the cash flow of developers."
"These numbers translate into premiums for lots in conservation subdivisions ranging from $13,000 to $18,000 per acre over lots in conventional subdivisions."
Photo courtesy Kirt Manecke
|
 |
Benefits to:
Landowners
Planners
Developers
Neighbors
Realtors
Residents
Smart Investment
for Your Customers
Similar to lake or golf course developments, conservation subdivisions consist of lots that tend to appreciate faster than lots in conventional subdivisions.
(For one study on appreciation rates, reference the book Growing Greener, by Randall Arendt. The book cites a study comparing two subdivisions in Amherst, Massachusetts where homes in the conservation subdivision sold on average for $17,000 (13%) more than homes in the conventional subdivision where lots were twice as large.)
Easier Sales
There is a marketing and sales advantage as realtors can highlight the benefits of open space, trails, views, wildlife, higher quality of life, and investment advantages.
Read about realtor's success with conservation subdivisions: Farmcolony Greene County's Best Kept Secret
Slideshow
Cultivating Natural and Cultural Landscapes through Conservation Subdivision Design (PDF) (Terrain.org, Spring/Summer 2006)
|
Conservation subdivisions allow the same maximum number of homesites as conventional subdivision development.
Photo courtesy Tryon Farm, a conservation subdivision near Michigan City, Indiana.
|
|
