Governor Charlie Baker announced new legislation on Tuesday, April 3rd which would require energy efficiency scorecards to be assessed prior to listing a home for sale in hopes of targeting residential greenhouse gas emission reductions. This proposed energy audit is supported by the environmental community but is generally opposed by realtors as this would impede momentum in this already competitive housing market. This bill should be voluntary, not mandated as this is sure to cause significant delays and increased costs for homeowners to sell their properties.
“This proposal, while well intended by our Governor and Secretary of Energy, is a violation of private property rights and I am completely opposed to it. To think that a homeowner would have to obtain an energy audit and score prior to listing their home for sale is ridiculous. It will cause delays and uneven home values that will severely negatively affect owners of older homes. In Massachusetts, we have the most energy-efficient homes in the nation despite having the second oldest housing stock in the nation. We have achieved this with incentive-based programs such as Mass Save. We do not need mandatory audits as well. It just goes too far.” -Anthony Lamacchia, Broker/Owner Lamacchia Realty
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