Owners of apartment buildings and cooperatives may be eligible for loans with reduced interest rates for upgrades that reduce their energy or water consumption by at least 20%, under a new Fannie Mae refinancing program.
A property owner seeking to refinance a $10 million loan with the new Green Rewards for Multifamily program could receive an additional $250,000 in a loan to make energy- and water- saving improvements that would reduce annual $140,000 energy and water costs by 30%. The owner could qualify for an interest rate reduction of 10 basis points, which would yield a savings of more than $98,000 in total interest over 10 years.
The program is intended for property owners to make smart investments that reduce energy and water expenses, generate electricity or result in a third-party green building certification, including installing ENERGY STAR certified HVAC systems, electricity-generating solar panels, water-reducing irrigation systems, or applying for a Green Building Certification, such as ENERGY STAR or U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, according to Fannie Mae.
Earlier this year, Fannie Mae unveiled another program that offers financial incentives to multifamily developers who build green properties. The Multifamily Green Building Certification Pricing Break reduces interest rates on refinancing, acquisition, and supplemental loans by 10 basis points for developers whose buildings qualify for LEED, Energy Star or Enterprise Green Communities programs.
Related Stories
| Feb 25, 2013
10 U.S. cities with the best urban forests
Charlotte, Denver, and Milwaukee are among 10 U.S. cities ranked recently by the conservation organization American Forests for having quality urban forest programs.
| Feb 21, 2013
Holl videos discuss design features of Chengdu ' Porosity Block' project
Architect Steven Holl has released two short films describing the development of Sliced Porosity Block in Chengdu, China.
| Feb 21, 2013
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
Construction team chosen for world's tallest building in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
| Feb 20, 2013
Group of West Coast civil engineers developing building standards for tsunamis
A group of civil engineers from around the western U.S. is developing additions to the building code to address the threat of a tsunami.
| Feb 19, 2013
Luxury multifamily project under way in Atlanta; 215 residences planned
Hines Multifamily is building @1377, a luxury complex comprising 215 "urban-style residences" in Atlanta's Brookhaven neighborhood.
| Feb 18, 2013
Top 10 kitchen and bath design trends for 2013
Gray color schemes and transitional styles are among the top trends identified by more than 300 kitchen and bath design experts surveyed by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
| Feb 15, 2013
Could the student housing boom lead to a bubble?
Student housing has been one of the bright spots in the multifamily construction sector in recent years. But experts say there should be cause for concern for oversupply in the market.
| Feb 13, 2013
China plans new car-free city
A new urban development near Chengdu, China, will provide new housing for ~80,000 people, surrounded by green space.
| Feb 13, 2013
'Vegetative tower' apartments to revive NYC site
A Manhattan site formerly slated for development with a "tower of cubes"—a now-defunct project by Santiago Calatrava—will be revived with a 998-foot, 300,000-sf apartment building by Morali Architects.
| Feb 5, 2013
8 eye-popping wood building projects
From 100-foot roof spans to novel reclaimed wood installations, the winners of the 2013 National Wood Design Awards push the envelope in wood design.
