Green Real Estate Finance & Investment Celebrates and Anticipates New Agenda

How are you spending your inauguration day?

No one here at Galley Eco Capital is bashful about taking personal time to celebrate  the Obama inauguration and mark the day our national leadership moved decisively towards a more sustainable economy.

USA Today confirmed that the celebration sentiment is nationwide:

But because of the special historic significance of Barack Obama’s swearing-in, some employers accept that Tuesday won’t be business as usual…About 5% of businesses are closing altogether, according to the Society for Human Resource Management. That is more than those that close on Election Day and about the same as those closed the day before Thanksgiving.

Green real estate was bolstered in 2008 on Barack Obama’s promise of an agenda that focuses on a green economy. No one really knows what a green economy is, actually.  Everyone knows, however, that commercial real estate is at the center of it.

So what’s different now that our national leadership favors green buildings and energy efficiency?

Two thoughts:

• Less excuses for the laggards. There will be less collective sympathy for property owners who are not employing a green strategy to their portfolio’s.  I think some owners will be surprised by how quickly that sentiment will start to materialize. Also, those that have already been on the green learning curve will be accelerating their pace ahead of the pack — capital markets willing.

• More focus on the nuts and bolts “how-to” instead of the “maybe if” of energy efficiency retrofits on exisiting buildings. We think there will be an explosion in on the ground best practices for property owners that want to retrofit or green their existing properties.  Our particular focus this year will be on financial and  underwriting best practices that help the owners to realize the best returns on their energy efficiency retrofit or green development investment. More about that later.

In the meantime, soak in the history we’ve all created. And don’t be shy about sharing with all of us your thoughts on the following question:

What’s your green real estate burning question in 2009?

Share your thoughts. Great answers will be published here and shared with the rest of the (rapidly growing) Green Journey crowd.

Enjoy the day!