Hi, I’m Erin.
Founder of AttainableHome.com, serial entrepreneur, finance & real estate investment geek, BPI® Certified Energy Professional and have a passion for the win-win combination of sustainability and investing with real estate.
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Why Did I Start Attainable Home?
In short, I wanted to prove that affordable homeownership, combined with practical sustainability, can be a wealth builder, financially responsible, and environmental all at the same time.
Netzero Home Case Studies
I renovated two regular homes in Florida to be completely netzero, where efficiency and solar power the house and the electric car fully. I wanted to prove that it could be done on a budget as part of growing this company.
The First Netzero Home Renovation
In addition to a regular “fix-n-flip”, the home saves/produces about $2,000 per year in electricity. Did a lot of air sealing, installed new hurricane windows and ties, added a 9.76KW solar electric system, and optimized a lot of other things.
Our Second Netzero Home Renovation
Saves and produces about $1,800 per year in electricity while powering the home and the EV. This 50’s brick home was a big challenge and the most leaky building I’ve ever seen, but we made it work. Read about how it’s now a great netzero furnished cashflowing rental.
So why me?
In short, I’ve been in sustainability my whole life. I’ve owned my own energy-efficient lighting companies, with many failing as well, since 2010. And I’ve been a real estate investor since 2009, with many life lessons learned in between.
A proud Golden Knight and graduate of the University of Central Florida with Cum Laude honors and a full-ride scholarship with a B.S. in Finance and Real Estate, and with a minor in Law.
I knew I wanted to get into solar energy somehow, just getting out of college in mid-2006. I did a lot of research on solar companies and locations around the country. At the time, the best rebates had just started in Denver, CO. So I packed my car, said goodbye to all my friends in Florida, quit my job, and drove out to Denver sight unseen. I knew the company I wanted to work for, so I got a Craigslist apartment rental near their Colorado HQ, and walked in every week for two months until they hired me. My first job was as a solar consultant, where I got to design and sell solar electric systems and learn the ropes.
In 2008, while I was in the solar world, I actually discovered the power of energy efficient lighting projects. LED wasn’t quite around yet as an affordable technology, but the payback on your money, better lighting, return on investment, lower maintenance, and other benefits I discovered about large-scale efficient lighting projects was an absolute no brainer. I was the first employee at this company, and I did everything from payroll, to building financial proposals, to hanging tennis court lights 40 feet up in bucket lifts.
The lighting startup had fallen on hard times, like many of us did in that recession. It ran out of money for a second time, and I got laid off. While on unemployment, I started to bring commercial energy-efficient lighting online with Shineretrofits.com, a lighting eCommerce platform. I just had a real faith, given how low the bar was/is in the contracting world of the lighting industry, that a reputable company that makes it easy to design and ship lighting for bigger projects, picks up the phone, gives line item pricing, and just overall does what they say they’re going to do was the ticket.
Long story short, I was able to build ShineRetrofits.com into a fast-growing seven-figure multiyear Inc. 5000 listed company over seven years. It was a wild ride, and overall went to a great new owner that still runs the company and much of the same team today. I’m incredibly proud of what we all were able to do there.
Started an energy-efficient lighting manufacturing business after the sale of ShineRetrofits.com. In the end it wasn’t profitable, even though it got to mid-six figures in sales pretty quick. The bottom line was that I didn’t focus enough on it. It needed full-time attention.
Starting with my own primary residence when I was 26, I’ve owned several homes, kept a few as rentals, and have ridden the wave up since the crash in 2009. I’m currently invested in my commercial properties, such as multifamily and self-storage, have and manage my own properties, including the netzero home renovation I did in 2022.
I’m a real estate investor through and through. I love speaking the language of IRR’s and ROI, payment, wealth-building, and all things alike. My goal is to bring that knowledge to Attainable Home, so we can help you do the same, with a sustainable twist to it.
Before diving head first into renovating the homes (including the netzero aspect), I took courses at the Colorado Homebuilding Academy, now called BuildStrong. There, we got to learn the basics of construction, along with all aspects of homebuilding. This gave me a great foundation to start the renovations and learn construction.
I have also become a BPI® Certified Professional for building science, energy audits, and their Building Analyst credential, which trains people in building science principles and to become a home energy technician to do official energy audits of homes and commercial buildings.
BPI is the gold standard for doing safety and energy audit testing in existing homes to help save energy and money, increase air quality, eliminate unsafe conditions, and otherwise to make your existing home a much better place to live.
Aside from the professional stuff, I’m enjoying all that Colorado has to offer. That includes hiking, snowboarding, playing volleyball, and lots of other similar activities.
I’ve also done my best to balance the life-work balance, as that can really get skewed when you run your own companies (and not for the better). Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to do a few coliving/coworking trips, which have been my absolute favorite travel experiences.
The memories, deep talks, and life-long friends I’ve met have been incredible, and I consider myself extremely blessed. All of the travel, both professionally and for fun, have really exposed me to a lot. I try to bring these perspectives into the work here, writings, and projects to better help those that are on the same path.
I’m also honored to have recently joined Go Electric Colorado’s volunteer Energy Advisory team, where we help homeowners speed up the transition to fossil-free buildings by conducting home electrification consultations and public education events.
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My Latest Articles:
Colorado’s Best 25 Green Organizations and Resources
6 Downsides of Heat Pump Water Heaters (How to Solve)
Solar Panel Removal and Reinstall Cost Calculator
EnergyGuide Accuracy Personalized Savings Calculator
Simple Heat Pump Water Heater Savings ROI Calculator
Gas to Electric Heat Pump Water Heater Savings Calculator
Simple Solar PV ROI Calculator (Use Your Own Bills)
Insulation Energy Savings Calculator (Use Your Own Bills)
