Bill's Blog

Baby Boomer and Nature Lover? Turn your 1031 into Eco-Friendly Creative Retirement Living- Asheville NC's Hickory Nut Forest.

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 16:26:40 -0700

Via janeAnne, "Green-o-Lina" e-PRO, ECO, Owner/Broker:

Looking for Creative Retirement? Baby Boomer and Nature Lover? If you are "at one" with nature- the woods, the hills, the shades of leaves of Autumn, the waterfalls- now could be just the right time to RELAX and turn your 1031 into Eco-Friendly living in Asheville, NC.

Just this week we were out on our annual Fall Leaves photo shoot .

We meandered up the paved drive (see photo ) and into the woods. The sound of Hickory Nut Creek and distant waterfalls kept us company. Rustling leaves and songbirds chimed in. And then the music of the wind played in the forest.

And it brought with it another kind of music, the laughter of grandparents, kids and grandkids in the heirloom orchard at Hickory Nut Forest eco-community.

So! It wasn't yet time for the annual "Monster Jam".  What could the cheery sound be?

I looked at my companion and remarked, " AHA! Must mean the apples are ripe and ready to eat right off the trees!" (see photo)

No chemicals used here. This is an organic orchard. The juice from the apples is the kind of treat that makes you want to live right in the orchard.   If you are the kind of person who, like me, enjoys mingling with other eco-friendly folks, you will love such gatherings at Hickory Nut Forest Preserve.

The benefits of camaraderie make me want to build my green-built dream home at Hickory Nut Forest Eco-community.

Important to Note: Hickory Nut Forest's very foundation rests on maintaining a healthy, diverse ecosystem. This is a place where people can choose to live among caring neighbors, sharing their inspiration and enthusiasm, a sustainable community that powers the homes by unleashing the renewable energy inherent in the land, the water, the wind and the sun, and a thoughtfully-planned neighborhood, where green-built homes are designed with natural, non-toxic materials to be safe, healthy, and energy efficient, built to the highest green building standards.

Hickory Nut Forest is an Evolving Eco Community  where Baby Boomers will find much to appreciate:

Beautifully Landscaped (Native Plants) and Hand-Built Rockery Entrance
Earth-Friendly Chip and Seal Paved Roads
Miles of Walking and Hiking Trails that Lead to 1,000 + Acres of conservation land.
15 Waterfalls on the adjacent conservation land.
Community Electric Vehicle and Net Zero Energy Plan is definitely in place as is the Meeting/Conference Center . Creative Retirees can look forward to Special Conferences for Eco-Friendly Audiences.

Personally give me the Nature Parks and Trails. They are designed for All Ages. However, according to RETIRE.NET creative retirement at Hickory Nut Forest includes:

Pools/Spas Natural pools in Hickory Nut Creek allow brisk dips in mountain "swimming holes," while at nearby Lake Lure, beaches are open for summertime swimming. Part of the common area has been set aside for a future private swimming pool for homeowners.

Outdoor ActivitiesHiking trails wind up Little Bearwallow Mountain and down to beautiful waterfalls on Hickory Nut Creek. Another 5 miles of trails will connect to the Florence Preserve and eventually are planned to extend the length of the gorge to the new Hickory Nut Gorge State Park at Lake Lure.

Golf 15 Golf courses are available within a short 25-minute drive of Hickory Nut Forest.

Tennis Two outdoor hard tennis courts are adjacent to the common area.

Water/ Marina/ Boating A variety of boating opportunities and a marina are located just 10 miles down the gorge at Lake Lure.

Equestrian facilities are available at Hickory Nut Gap Farm just a few miles away.

As we completed our photo shoot, we discovered all of this to be spot-on! In fact, a forever-wild land conservation easement surrounds the Hickory Nut Forest Community. This means that the developers have chosen never to allow the land to be developed. Because of this, the forest around your home will always be in its natural state for you and your family to enjoy for generations to come!

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Read  GREENOLINA'S news about mountain and valley neighborhoods, real estate, local day trips, picnics, and ecotourist attractions you'll just love.   Curious aboutgreen building, remodeling and eco-communities ? ...Subscribe to Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG.

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. .........................    .............

Baby Boomer and Nature Lover? Turn your 1031 into Eco-Friendly Creative Retirement Living-Asheville NC. .The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved

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Welcome to Downtown Asheville

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:18:44 -0700

The single most important driving force in the Asheville, North Carolina market today is this: How close to downtown Asheville do you want to live? The answer to this question usually influences many other decisions that buyers will make about purchasing a home or land since proximity to downtown goes hand in hand with price points. The other important issue now affecting buyers is gas prices, with many clients considering living right in the downtown area in any number of the new green condos being built.

So what does draw soo many people to the downtown Asheville area? I know there are plenty of answers to that question so I will just list some of my reasons why I thoroughly enjoy a visit to downtown. First is the walkability of the area. There are at great streets that you can leisurely stroll shopping at unique retail shops, cultural exhibits and galleries, a variety of fantastic restaurants and of course, the Grove Arcade. My favorite streets are Haywood Ave., Battery Park, Lexington Avenue, Broadway, and Wall Street. During the spring, summer and fall you can listen to a variety of musicians playing on the sidewalks. They even play classical music from time to time (see photo). The library and Civic Centerare also on Haywood Ave right next to each just down the street from Malaprops Bookstore. The Civic Center has a variety of different performers and musicians scheduled throughout the year with this month featuring Kenny Rogers, the Asheville Symphonyand Loreena McKennitt All of downtown also has free Wi-Fi. There are also a variety of outside eating areas in different restaurants and coffee shops so that you can sit among the trees, sip some latte, surf the web and watch the world go by.

The city is also looking to cash in on a state offer and turn its public transit system into one of the greenest in the state. City leaders hope next year to use state transportation money to start converting Asheville's fleet of diesel city buses into diesel-hybrid vehicles. This order would give Asheville one of the biggest hybrid city bus fleets in the state.

There are also several art galleries in the downtown area with the most unusual being the Woolworth Walk , where 150 local artists have their creations featured in an old remodeled 1938 Woolworth store. You can easily spend a hour or two walking through here taking in a variety of different artists ranging from sculptures and paintings to fashion design and beautiful photography of the Western North Carolina mountains.

I guess my favorite store is Malaprops Independent Bookstore. This was the first place I visited when I came to Asheville. It has a potpourri of various authors visiting on a monthly basis for readings while also offering a great range of books on many diverse subject matters. It also has a great cozy coffee shop that you can enjoy without even going to the bookstore.

The City Council of Asheville is also considering a new master plan that would divide the downtown area into five distinct districts. The plan is still being developed but this would give everyone a better sense of how development in the downtown area will occur in the future.

Humanitarians and REALTORS®

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 13:57:40 -0700

I really liked this post by Janeanne. It helps you think about some other important issues that are involved in our business.

Via janeAnne, "Green-o-Lina" e-PRO, ECO, Owner/Broker:

I was just 21 and getting ready to vote for the first time when Dad revealed his take on the "dense forest of politics" and how to decipher what "branches" are in play when the game is all about dispensing power and money.

"Just remember two things," he said, "First, know your own philosophy of life. Be able to say what it is in a short sentence, and act on it; and second, do your homework on the candidates using objective resources. Then pick the one most in line with your philosophy"

"I don't know if I am a Republican or a Democrat, or an Independent, " I told him.

Dad smiled ... "You are a HUMANITARIAN," he informed me.

That's what I was, all right, and what I still am (at least trying to be) today.

According to Wikipedia, humanitarians believe that " all human beings deserve respect and dignity and should be treated as such. Therefore, humanitarians work towards advancing the well-being of humanity as a whole. [Humanitarianism] is antithesis of the "us vs. them" mentality that characterizes tribalism and ethnic nationalism. Humanitarians abhor slavery, violation of basic and human rights, and discrimination on the basis of features such as color of skin, religion, ancestry, place of birth, etc. Humanitarianism drives people to save lives, alleviate suffering and promote human dignity in the middle of man-made or natural disasters."

Humanitarianism is embraced by movements and people across the political spectrum. The informal ideology can be summed up by a quote from Albert Schweitzer: "Humanitarianism consists in never sacrificing a human being to a purpose." SO...my philosophy, stated succinctly is never to sacrifice a human being to a purpose.

Sometimes I think that if we don't start talking with one another, we will go on forever sacrificing human beings to the gods of superiority and greed.

Still, I cling to the notion that there can be a collaborative solution to human misery .

I deplore the prospect of one or two thousand more years of the outmoded "us vs. them" gig.. I think we can do better than that. And, I have reason to hope that's possible, you know!

Seems collaboration has been catching on more and more these days, whether in the practice of real estate, education or science and technology.

For example, interdisciplinary teams of scientists, clinicians, technicians and other experts have pledged to work together to accelerate ground-breaking cancer research.

And just this September, an unprecedented collaboration brought together the major television networks, entertainment industry executives, celebrities and prominent leaders in cancer researchand patient advocacy where ABC, CBS and NBC donated one hour of simultaneous commercial-free primetime for a nationally televised fundraising event that aimed at rallying the public around the goal of ending cancer's reign as a leading cause of death.

I'm impressed. Does this mean that we are getting that dusting out the old us vs. them win/lose "crapola" doesn't cut it when there is no win or lose ... Just lose?.. Can we hope for the understanding that within the tight confines of diplomacy there is little room for flaring tempers and threats? Humanitarians, let's just see how the 2008 US presidential election plays out and evaluate our progress then.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Read  GREENOLINA'S newsabout mountain and valley neighborhoods, real estate, local day trips, picnics, and ecotourist attractions you'll just love.   Curious aboutgreen building, remodeling and eco-communities ? ...Subscribe to Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG.

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. .........................    .............

The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

Asheville Eco-Drama: How Would You Create an Eco- Village on 52 acres?

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:41:39 -0800

My last two blogs were about a seller of 52 acreshere in the Asheville real estate trying to sustainably develop his property without having to sell to a buyer who wants to do a traditional development of singe family homes with 4 homes on an acre lot. Bill, the owner has created several different options of how the land might be used as a green development, but as I indicated my boss Janeanne and I did present him with one other option and that was to create an Eco-Village or Conservation Subdivision on his property. Bill has studied these type of development concepts over the years but is somewhat hesitant to create an Ecovillage plan because there are so many potential variations of this design that someone would like. His initial strategy is to let potential investors decide what they would like - the blank slate approach. I told him that investors would like to see what is being proposed, the vision of a community and then decide if that is place for them.

We would include the core concepts of an Ecovillage (from the Wikipedia definition) some of which are

"Green" infrastructural capital;
autonomous building or clustered housing, to minimize ecological footprint;
renewable energy;
permaculture;
cohousing or other forms of supportive community.

The goal of most ecovillages is to be a sustainable habitat providing for most of its needs on site. Its organization also usually depends upon some instructional capital or moral codes - a minimal civics sometimes characterized as eco-anarchism:

local purchasing so as to support the local economy;
local food production and distribution;
moral purchasing to avoid objectionable consumption;
consensus decision-making for governance;

a choice to respect diversity

Some examples of current eco developments around the country include: Sawyer Hill, Berlin Ma , Ecovillage at Ithaca, NY, the Columbia EcoVillage, Portland ,Oregon. Feel free to post any other others that are your favorites.

Given all the above, Bill already is assuming that there would be a large area for organic gardens and an area for small farm animals ( i.e. chickens, goats, alpacas ,etc). as well as the ability for residents to have horses.

So there are a wide variety of EcoVillage designs and concepts floating around out there, what would your top 3 design features be for such a development were one to be built in your area?

I offered my top 3 choices to Bill that I would like to see in his Asheville Eco Village:

Having some or all of the green homes equipped with green roofs. A fair amount of gardening can take place on these and they also help offset the impervious footprint of roads and home foundations. Green roofs also cut heating and cooling costs.
Doing a major solar energy concept plan that could provide a sizable amount of energy for the entire community. There are many new and effective solar technologies on the market from solar roof shingles to the solar film technology. Being able to say that the community is getting a lot of energy off grid will also be a great selling feature. You can look at individual unit features and upgrades to solar collector panels for each knoll. I know this may add to costs, but it is something I think needs to be looked at now in this stage of your thinking.
Installing or having available as an upgrade a grey water system to recycle water used in the house for irrigation purposes. (there are other variations as well). I have a client who is installing the first such system in his Asheville home and the inspectors have approved it, although admitting they know little about it. The plumber putting it in is training the permitting inspectors on it. With water issues being what they are with the drought, this will be seen as a really important green feature.

So what three great features would you put in such a development? I will pass everything on to Bill for his consideration. In the meantime here are the particulars and a update on Bills 52 acres:

Asheville Eco-Drama Part II – How many ways can you divide 52 Acres?

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 19:39:28 -0800

The first part of this blog began with my finding some very beautiful property in the Asheville, North Carolina real estate market for clients who are looking to build a green, dog friendly community. The owner, Bill, very much wants a conservation subdivision on it, but has serious cash flow problems and is facing having to sell to traditional developers who will build homes on quarter acre lots. To make matters worse, Bill and his wife, their children and families all live on property adjoining the land that is for sale, so their view-shed and neighborhood will be directly affected by any development that occurs on the land.

So Bill is effecting stalling the potential traditional developer while he and I start to think of other potential ways the land could be used. One scenario has his 52 acres up listed at 3 million dollars. Dividing the land into 3 estate size lots utilizing the three gentle knolls on the property while keeping about 17 acres in green space is another scenario Bill starts to consider. A third possibility arises with dividing the property into 8 lots, with 18 acres of green space and making it an exclusive green equestrian community. Here is the link to Horse Haven. What makes this attractive as a horse community is an adjacent 75 acres of pasture land with a 12 stall horse barn that will be part of the developments facilities. Miles of riding trails on and off the property help as well.

So Bill is out there trying his best to get at least one buyer to come and fall in love with the land, and buy any one of a number of different lots ranging from 2 to 29 acres to help him stave off selling all 52 acres and having the land traditionally developed ( I am being kind in my description here). Janeanne, owner of EcoSteward Realty (whose computer motherboard has crashed, yikes!) had a potential buyer out this weekend with two more slated to come over the next few weeks. It is now a race against time.

But while Bill waits for a buyer to appear, Janeanne and I put yet another idea in his mind about how the land may be best developed ....

Asheville Eco Drama Part I

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 15:17:58 -0800

It all started out innocently enough. I had some clients that were looking to build a green conservation development that would also be very dog friendly. These buyers were interested in obtaining a piece of property of at least 20+ acres fairly close to downtown Asheville owned by a seller willing to do some owner financing.

I found a very nice 29+ acres in the town of Weaverville located only 15 minutes from downtown that bordered an existing 52 acre, 50 lot green subdivision, meaning all homes there would be built to Healthy Built Home standards( not crazy about the density of this subdivision, but more on that later). Asking is price 1.9 million. The land is rolling with two distinct knolls that have great views to the east, south, and west. In addition, the seller also owned the subdivision next door and also indicated that he was open to doing some financing. So far so good.

I went out to preview the property and met the owner, Bill, who is also a Realtor/builder/developer. Bill has already built two luxury green model homes on the property, with one having sold for about 900K . The other is listed for 1.5 million with way too many green features to list. It has high end custom craftsmanship evident in every room and is a wonderful house to walk through. Things are looking even better now since my clients will be next to a green subdivision with a seller living next door who is all about sustainable development.

But then I start to get a lot more information. Bill is apparently experiencing some severe cash flow problems due to the lots in the existing subdivision not selling. And then comes the cruncher, he has a firm offer from an out of town investor for 52 acres ( Bill has another adjoining 23 acre parcel up for sale as well, but not listed) who wants to put a minimum of 4 lots per acre on this property. The kicker, though, is that the Bill also owns 65 adjacent acres(up the side of a mountain) to the entire 52 acres where his home is located, along with the homes of his 3 children and their families. He will be looking out over this densely developed subdivision should he decide to sell to out of town investor. Bill and the other agent representing the investor have already agreed on a price and are negotiating the terms of the offer. Bill tells me that he listed the 29 acres in the hopes that some sustainable development buyers might magically appear and bail him out of the ecological dilemma he is facing. He is ideally looking for someone to build a mountain conservation community or similar eco-development. Bill believes that the Asheville real estate market is prime for this type of green development. I tell him I understand his problem and as I am leaving ask him if he ever considered selling a 5-10 acre piece of the property. I happen to have several clients looking for something like this willing to pay anywhere from 400-500K for the right parcel. Bill indicates he had not thought of that, but will percolate on the concept. So we part ways.

I later convey all of Bill's problems to my buyers who understand the issues but as fortune would have it are in the process of moving to Asheville to a home they have just purchased with my assistance. They meet with Bill who indicates that he needs 500K down and he will carry the rest of the balance at 12% interest for 12-18 months. He stipulates that the deal does need to be done ASAP. Normally these are terms that my buyers would find reasonable, but due to their moving find themselves not in a position to do anything until late March at the earliest. Bill indicates that he does not know if he can wait that long. He likes my clients a lot though, and their plans for the land. So Bill starts to implement plans to try and stall the other buyer, who seems very eager to buy the property.

To Be Continued ...

Home Depot Selling Solar Power Systems

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 08:22:23 -0800

I was just reading in USA Today that Home Depot is selling solar power systems made by British Petroleum. Here is the link. Here is the info on the system from BP:

The BP 3125 photovoltaic module is designed to provide superior value and performance for remote home, industrial, and residential use. With time-tested multicrystalline silicon solar cells and 125 watts of nominal maximum power, it provides cost-effective power for DC loads or, with an inverter, AC loads. With 36 enhanced-efficiency cells it charges 12V batteries (or multiples of 12V) efficiently in virtually any climate. Its unique IntegraBus^TMtechnology provides added reliability through reliable outside bussing and by reducing diode and module temperature during module shading. The BP 3125 is used in remote systems for applications including telecommunications, pumping and irrigation, remote villages and homes, and land-based aids to navigation. It is also used in utility-grid supplemental systems for residences and commercial buildings.

Available versions include:
BP 3125U - Framed module with high capacity junction box
BP 3125S - Framed module with polarized cable connectors

The article says the cost is about 45K but with tax credits and incentives bringing the price down to 25K. Does anyone have any feedback about this system or know someone who has had it installed? I don't know alot about electrical characteristics so don't get a sense of how much power this would supply to an average home.

100th Green Home Certified in Asheville Region

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 16:03:54 -0800

While home sales keep slumping nationwide, the Asheville real estate market keeps creating homes that can save money for homeowners and are environmentally friendly. The 100th N.C. HealthyBuilt home in Western North Carolina was recently completed in Black Mountain. Homes earn the certification by fulfilling a long checklist of details that include raising energy efficiency and using recycled materials while cutting down on waste and damage to the environment.. HealthyBuilt homes in the region priced from $150,000 to $1,000,000 and tend to stay on the market a much shorter time than traditional residences.

While the NC HealthyBuilt Homes Program covers the entire state, the Asheville area has the lion's share of the energy-efficient residences, according to the Western North Carolina Green Building Council. With another 450 houses under construction and waiting to be certified, the HealthyBuilt program is trying to meet the demand in the Asheville area for more energy efficient and comfortable housing.

Asheville Green Dream Home

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 13:54:25 -0800

Picture from Cover of book " Your Green Home: A Guide to Planning a Healthy, Environmentally Friendly New Home (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series) (Paperback)

This blog is in response to the Pink Challenge Contest going on at the Eco-All Stars groups. The basic premise is this: If money were no object what 5 Green Home features would you include in the design of your new or existing home. I only read a couple of entries before writing this because I did not want to be unduly influenced by what others were putting in the green homes. This 1800 square foot home would be located near Asheville, North Carolina in the mountains on a south facing parcel of land, with a year round creek on at least 100 acres. The majority of land would be in conservation easement. An alternative site would be on a small lot close to the downtown area, with easy access to shopping and public transportation. So here goes...

Number one Green Home Element would be a Green Roof In the Asheville area storm water management is becoming a serious concern as more homes are being built on the sides of mountains. Some of the other benefits of a green roof besides reduced storm water runoff include: longer life span for roof, reduced cooling and heating expenses, decrease in the levels of water borne pollutants , and improved air quality Plus I just like the way they look!

Number two would be Radiant Floor Heating(RFH). RFH is much more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because no energy is lost through ducts. The lack of moving air can also be advantageous to people with severe allergies. The water based systems use little electricity, which is a benefit for owners of homes off the grid or considering it. This system can also be heated with a wide variety of energy sources, including standard gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters, or some combination of all these heat sources. And of course, it feels wonderful walking on these floors during the winter season.

Number three is Pervious Paving System like Turfstone in order to increase the amount of pervious surface for water drainage and runoff. Aside from cutting down trees and I think one of the most environmentally damaging aspects of building new homes is the amount of impervious surface we create with driveways and roofs. Minimizing this condition is a great benefit for storm water management while also cutting down on soil erosion. These two issues are increasing prominent in the our area with many homeowners in lower elevations experiencing damage to their property and homes form improper development in the mountains directly above them

The fourth element I would incorporate into my green home would be decking and flooring made from Sustainable Building Materials or Recycled Materials. I would use recycled wood either from older buildings (i.e. reclaimed wormy red oak) that have been demolished, pallets(i.e oak), or wood that has been found submerged in water (i.e heart pine, cypress). I would also use cork floors in certain areas like bathrooms. I know there are special design concerns using radiant floor heating with wood floors but the research seems to be out there to handle this issue.

And last I would use an array of Solar Energy Technologies that would include a: solar photovoltaic system for electricity, solar collectors for heating of water and air, and solar lighting technology (remember money is not a concern).

There are, of course, many other features I would also want in this home, but this was a good exercise to help me prioritize what are my most highly valued green features. Thanks Janeanne and Dena!

. .

Asheville Becoming Synonymous with Green and Sustainable Development.

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 17:26:11 -0800

Advantage West ,an economic development group will be hosting a conference Thursday, December 6th that focuses on the recruitment and expansion of jobs and investment associated with environmental-related enterprises in the Asheville and surrounding region. Workshop topics will include investment and job-creation in: Environmental Reclamation, Green Construction, Environmental Sciences, Alternative/Renewable energy, and Environmental Conservation. There will be two workshop tracks for the conference one on Green Building and the other on Renewable Energy. Click here for a complete conference agenda.

This looks like a great conference. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend. But this is the type of forward thinking that is appearing in many places around the Asheville area. There are a great many jobs to be created by the up and coming green and sustainable building industry in mountains of Western North Carolina. This is a great place to live with incredible eco-investment opportunities in both real estate as well as other environmentally sustainable areas.

How to Kill a 2 Million Dollar Deal

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 12:46:48 -0800

I recently had a couple in town, Sam and Karen who were looking for some eco-investment real estate in Asheville. Karen, however, had also seen a home she wanted to check out which was listed at 2.3 million. The home was situated on 5 acres surrounded by 75 acres already in a conservation easement. about 30 minutes from downtown Asheville. It was a truly gorgeous home, 6000 square ft, custom designed with high quality craftsmanship, views of 7 mountain ridges from a wrap around deck and wonderful solarium. There was a fantastic gourmet kitchen, double fireplaces between the dining and living rooms, radiant floor heating, a beautiful formal living room with cathedral stain glass windows on either side of a walnut mantled fireplace. This opened to a huge library/office with built in cherry bookcases. Upstairs were the master bath and bedroom with similar views as below with a stone fireplace and balcony, along with another bedroom and full bath. A billiard room also was on the second floor. The third floor hand 2 more bedrooms and a bath. I could go on about the house because it was one of the most beautiful and unique homes I have been in. Sam and Karen felt the same way and immediately fell in love with it.

The agent showing us the property appeared to know it well and gave us a bit of history about the owners and why they were selling. He also told us that the sellers would most likely sell all the furniture with the house since they were already living in another location. So I prepared an offer at 1.8 million ( you have to start somewhere) including the furniture. The buyers also wanted to do some seller financing which the listing agent indicated was OK with the sellers. The counter comes back at 2.2 million, different financing terms but no furniture was going to be conveyed. At this point Karen and Sam start to get focused on the furniture, They went up to 2.1 million but still wanted the furniture since they would be selling their home furnished and don't want to go through the hassle of furnishing a 6000 sq..ft house. The counter comes back at 2.1 with no furniture. The listing agent finally tells me the sellers really want to keep all the furniture and are not interested in selling it at any cost. Now my folks are starting to get upset because they were given wrong information from the get go about the furniture. We counter back at $2,025,000 with no furniture. The offer gets rejected outright with no counteroffer. The listing agent contacts me in a couple of days and says the sellers will give her their final offer in 3 days. Sam and Karen ask what I think it will be and I of course say 2.1million with no furniture which they end up agreeing to. I write up the offer but advise that they wait to see what the counteroffer actually is, which they also agree to do. But at this point they have started looking at other potential properties just in case and lo and behold they find another home they are interested in.

But by now Sam and Karen want to come back up to Asheville and look at this other property along with the first one. The second home is also 6000 sq.ft, on 56 acres, good views, about 20 minutes from downtown Asheville with an asking price of 2.8 million. It was also custom built and very nice, but the home and the views really do not compare to first home. But I already know they are probably going to be leaning toward this property because the vibe has changed on the first home. When they get to meet the owner of the second home and spend an hour walking the trails with him on the property I figure the die has been cast.

We finally get the counteroffer back, 2.1 million no furniture. We go back and visit the first home and its obvious that while they still really like it, the love has faded. In the final analysis they chose not to go with it because Sam wanted to be closer to Asheville. Sam and Karen end up buying the second home for 2.7 million.

It always amazes me how deals can get undone. In the grand scheme of things this furniture was maybe worth 50K, and most of it held no sentimental value to the sellers. If we knew up front that the furniture could not go with the house Sam and Karen would most likely have bought this home. They are happy with the second choice, but the first home was really one of a kind. So, if you know of anyone looking for a elegant 6000 sq.ft. custom home with killer views, surrounded by 75 acres of preserved land, 30 minutes from downtown Asheville give me a call. And by way, don't even think about getting any of furniture.

Asheville has 9th highest Home Appreciation Nationwide

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 17:02:38 -0800

Home price figures just released from the federal government show what many of us at EcoSteward Realty had suspected, namely that while sales volume of residential homes is down compared to last year, home prices in the Asheville area have kept appreciating.

Asheville area homes had the ninth-highest appreciation rate in the country over the past year, according to federal figures released Thursday. The rise in values comes despite a sharp drop in the number of homes sold. Single-family homes in the Asheville metropolitan statistical area - Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson and Madison counties - increased 9.4 percent in value over the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, according to figures from the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight.

So while the Asheville market is seeing a slowdown like much of the country, this area remains one market that many people are still wanting to live and/or invest in. My sense that the primary reason we are seeing a slowdown in home sales is that many folks who are wanting to move here from other areas in the country are unable to sell their existing homes. Once the national market begins to pick up, I believe we will see a huge increase in home sales and prices.

At EcoSteward we have not really seen any drop in clients looking for land. A quite a number of customers are looking to buy now and build in 2-5 years for retirement or a vacation home. If you can swing a deal like that now, GO FOR IT, the timing is perfect!

Asheville Dowsers Help Support Sustainable Development

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 07:41:14 -0800

I was invited to give a talk a couple of weekends ago to the Appalachian Chapter of the American Society of Dowsers . about sustainable development in the Western North Carolina mountain region. Dowsers are folks who among other things find places on land where wells can be dug to access water. There are way too many links to pick from so just Google dowsing and see what comes up. Many well drillers use dowsers to help them find sites before they start drilling. If fact the first speaker of the day was Lee Barnes, a real estate agent in Waynesville who does water dowsing.

The Appalachian Chapter was interested in letting its members know what was happening in regards to the rapid development going on in Asheville and the surrounding mountains as well as some ways they might be able to get involved in the effort to influence how development will occur over the next several years. My talk to about 40 folks focused on some of the positive things that had occurred in the past year like the implementation of the steep slope ordinancein both Buncombe County and Asheville as well as a storm water management ordinance for Buncombe County.

The primary negative aspect concerning these ordinances was that 23 developments were allowed to be grandfathered before the deadline, in some cases with just a note a single piece of paper indicating that a developer planned on doing a project at some point in the future. Right now many of the environmental groups that have organized in the recent years are rightfully concerned about the scope of some of these developments. I did hand out a list of some of the more active groups in the Asheville area that included: Stop the Cliffs Coalition, , Mountain Voices Alliance, Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy, , People Advocating Real Conservancy (PARC), The Western North Carolina Alliance, The Canary Coalition, and the WNC Green Building Council, .

I urged those that were interested to check out what each of these groups had to offer and get involved with the ones that they liked. I did give my usual caveat though that trying to stop development and growth was like standing on a train track trying to stop a locomotive, it aint going to happen. A much better idea is trying to influence how growth occurs by supporting sustainable development . I gave a brief overview of this concept and then discussed other aspects of dowsing that I was involved.

The audience seemed to enjoy my presentation and I stayed a while longer to participate in a panel discussion with the other two speakers of the day. What was really neat though about the whole experience was that the audience came up with the idea of having a ceremony honoring all the work the different community groups were doing to help protect the mountain environment. I thought that was a cool idea since many of the groups do not network enough with each other. So the idea that they would all get together because of an outside group wanting to honor them could really help out both the environment and the groups working to protect it.

Flat Rock Music Festival – A Laid Back Musical Happening

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Thu, 08 Nov 2007 12:10:52 -0800

We went to the Flat Rock Music Festival at the end of September and were pleasantly surprised to find this one of the relaxing music festivals we have attended in the Asheville area. While other festivals like Lake Eden Arts Festival attract more crowds and have more stages of ongoing musical performances, Flat Rock offered a beautiful setting at Camp Ton-A-Wandha with only two stages an indoor one( for solo and smaller acts) and outdoor( for larger acts) both located right off a beautiful lake. Our favorite artists were the Near Misses Steve Simpson, and Mieka Pauley,

It was an easy walk or shuttle ride from parking to the festival. They had a small but select collection of eateries serving some of the best festival food we have experienced. Attendance at the festival probably numbered between 1500-2000 which is well below the large crowds seen at other events. We never had to stand in line for anything including food, restrooms, or shopping. There were 3 local massage therapists though that were booked for the entire weekend by Friday night.

The proceeds from the festival go to help children with cancer attend Camp Merry Times. The week long camp gives these children an opportunity to have a summer camp experience that they may not otherwise have. It also affords them the ability to do just what every other ordinary child does at summer camp - and that's the most extraordinary thing of all. Camp Merry Times is held at Camp Ton-A-Wandah in May, every year.

So if you happen to be the Asheville or Hendersonville North Carolina area around April 19, check out their Springtime Benefit . And definitely try and make next years festival, the last weekend of September, 2008. You wont be disappointed!

Green Well Casings - Are they out there?

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:52:09 -0700

I have a client that found a lot near Asheville in the Creston Eco-Development. They are going to be drilling a well, depth unknown at this point, and they are skeptical about using PVC for the well casing. Aside from steel (stainless or galvanized) are there any other options that anyone has heard about? A quick google check does not really bring anything up. Thanks!

More Outstanding Active Rain Green Connections

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:24:24 -0700

I know I have not posted much over the past several months as life lessons have taken center stage for a while. But I did want to comment on the fantastic network of connections that Active Rain has continued to provide over the past six months. I did an interview for Realtor Magazine back in the Spring on different green home features I saw being used in the Asheville area. The article just came out in their September Issue. The magazine found me and our agency EcoSteward Reality through Active Rain. It never ceases to amaze me just how productive and wide reaching my little Active Rain blog can be in regards to getting the word out about so many important real estate issues, but especially on healthy and energy efficent building information.

Of course, I really think that Green Buidling is starting to go mainstream if the Realtor Magazine is featuring these types of stories. The high cost of energy is, of course, a driving factor in the highlighting of energy efficiency construction and building techniques but I believe that this trend will continue in regards to other healthy and environmentally beneficial aspects of green building such as the use of No VOC paints or unhealthy glues, sustainable floor, countertops, and cabinets materials.

Of course the Home and Garden TV Network has also begun to embrace Green Building in a big way. As Janeanne mentioned in an earlier post I also had the wonderful opportunity to participate in a filming of a House Hunters episode on Green Homes this past July (that is another blog!). The House Hunter episode was also a direct connection from Active Rain as that is how they found me. So, Active Rain continues to provide outstanding networking connections as they help the Green Movement go mainstream! What more can you ask for!

Green Bathroom Inserts - Any Ideas?

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 20:58:15 -0700

I am working with my buyers who are doing the green retrofitting of the Asheville home they boughta while back. They have run into a bit of a brick wall when dealing with bath/shower inserts for the bathroom they are redoing. They have been told when it comes to picking a green insert their only choices are ones made out of acrylic or fiberglass, both which will apparently off gas to some degree. Does anyone know of any other green alternatives in regards to these types of inserts. They are really do a bang up job of getting this to be a green home. Thanks!

City of Asheville Bans Gated Communities

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:13:22 -0700

The Asheville City Council voted last Tuesday, June 12th to forbid new gated communities, following through on concerns that these developments make the city less of a community. The ban passed by the council on a 5-2 vote applies to future developments, which would no longer be allowed to restrict access to only residents and their guests, done usually with gates or security workers. The council action also forbids new gated developments just outside municipal borders where Asheville exercises zoning control. It does not affect existing gated developments or those already approved by the city.

This has been a much debated issue in Asheville with many residents expressing concerns that gated communities work against the concept of developing a community with many believing the term "gated community" to be an oxymoron

Sometimes the Clients Aren’t Just For Us

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:40:26 -0700

I had a heck of a Memorial Day weekend (May 25^th -27^th) several weeks ago and was getting ready to blog all about it. I had three clients scheduled one on Saturday, Sunday and Monday all looking for land for sale in the Asheville area. Luckily I had all my previewing of property completed early and had my itinerary complete for each day for each client. Then late on Thursday evening I get a referral for a couple from Texas looking for a historic home close to Asheville in the one million to 1.7 million range. They would only be in town a short while on Sunday afternoon 1-6 pm, as they were looking at several other properties in Western North Carolina area.

After taking several deep breathes I did some creative rescheduling with my existing clients and set up some previews of homes that meet my couples' home criteria. Of course, many of these homes required that a listing agent accompany me on the preview which also required some creative scheduling since it was Memorial Day weekend and several of the agents were a bit annoyed I was coming in so late. So Saturday evening after looking at land for 7 hours during the day I started a half an hour late previewing 6 historic Asheville homes in 2 hours in coordination with all the respective listing agents.

Now I usually call my mother every Sunday morning and knew I would not be able to do that this weekend so I called her while in my car driving from house to house. My mom has probably looked at over 1000 homes in her day and is what we would call a professional looker. She loved to look for her dream home but something would always not be just right. Anyway, my mom thoroughly enjoyed every detail of each beautiful home that I previewed that evening and I could tell that she wished she was with me going through each home. The conversation also helped me remember what I had just seen since there was not a lot of time to take notes. I finished just at dark and had some remarkable properties to show on Sunday afternoon.

The call came Sunday morning the 26th while I was out showing property. The Texas couple had found another community they liked and would be buying a home there. This is a roller coaster business and of course was disappointed, but had to put on the game face since I was with my Sunday clients. I saved it all up for when I got home and my wonderful wife got to listen to mt tale of woe, even though the Texas couple told me up front that they were looking at other places as well. So in the end I chalked the whole experience up as a learning experience and went on my merry way until the next week.

Next Sunday morning, June 3rd I called my mom to tell her about the weeks events and discovered that she had just passed away, something that was totally unexpected. Needless to say the last two weeks have been extremely rough and the fog is just starting to lift a bit. But one of the things that helps me out when I am feeling sad about her being gone is knowing that the last talk I had with my mom was about something that made her extremely happy and that is a memory that I will always hold to and cherish. And I do give thanks to that couple from Texas who briefly came into my life that Memorial Day weekend because I know they were never meant to be just my clients but were sent specifically for my mom and myself. The Universe does unfold exactly as it should ... even if we do not realize it at the time. Thanks for listening.

Lake Eden Arts Festival, Asheville, North Carolina

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 14 May 2007 11:06:02 -0700

Often times when people are looking real estate for sale in the Asheville, North Carolina events that the area has to offer. Asheville and Western North Carolina do have a tremendous variety of gatherings, festivals, and events occurring throughout the spring, summer and fall. One of the most popular spring gatherings is the LEAF Festival. . It is a three day events that offers an incredible variety of musical performers, many local talented artists and healers, and wonderful culinary delights all taking place in a gorgeous mountain lake setting,. LEAF is also extremely child and family friendly with one of its major goals being the enhancement of the arts in local schools and community centers. My wife and I had the opportunity to attend LEAF this year and were not disappointed.

LEAF( from their website) is a non-profit organization established to enhance people's lives through creative expressions, the arts, dance and music from a variety of cultures. They seek to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation of cultural traditions and the arts in Western North Carolina and beyond. They promote heritage preservation, multi-cultural education, community outreach, and connecting children and families to the arts.

One of the unique things about LEAF is their focus on educating and involving youth in the arts. They have their own Kids Village and Artspace Creativity Zone where a wide variety of activities for both young and older youth occur onstop for three straight days. Many of the musicians playing at LEAF also have at least one concert at the Kids Village and many also do workshops with the youth in attendance, There are also poetry slams, puppetry workshops, break dancing, and a Kids arts and Crafts section where items that youth have made on put on sale. See picture.

As for our day, we arrived at about 10am (parking and shuttle only $1) and after walking around looking at the various artists wares and sampling some of the wonderful cuisine at the Sugar Shack( the Veggie Thing was unbelievable. Contact we for ingredients). There was a wide variety of food vendors and keeping with Asheville tradition, many offering delicious vegetarian offerings.

After eating it was on to some African Drum Dancing and River Art Creations. How do they do that?

The musical portion of the day and eveneing wer now upon us and we began the journey listening to wonderful Russian Folk Singer, Jamuna ( the one with the orange hair).

Sundance Power Systems sponsored this tent stage and a really cool looking tent venue.

Next up was a group called the Carolina Chocolate Drops an African American String Band. We bought CD's from both performers and you can listen to samples of the music on their websites. About 2:30pm with rain lurking we headed back home for a little R&R and arrived back for evening festivities around 5:30pm. First up was the DUHKS ( pronounced Ducks) who were nominated for a Grammy last year. Yep, bought another CD. We then moved from stage to stage throughout the night listening to three more wonderful bands, Rising Appalachia, The Be Good Tanyas and Sol Driven Train . We ended the night at about 11:30pm sitting outside a little jam tent listening to local banjo and fiddle players jamming nonstop.

I was going to try and sum up our entire experience at LEAF but then I saw these quotes and thought they said it all.....

"The best multicultural mix and match festival. Mountain music meets world music, blues, zydeco, and more." - Washington Post

"an exquisite torture of having to choose between four different types of music and dance in any given hour. If one tires of music and dancing there are workshops on yoga, fiddling, waltzing, drumming, Latin dance, building green homes, massage, sonic healing, herbal medicine, poetry ‘slams' and a hundred other life affirming activities. Each night a massive drum circle echoes from the hills. The whole festival is wrapped around a beautiful series of cascading swimming, boating and fishing ponds-yes indeed, Lake Eden."
- Blair Pollock

LEAF puts on two festivals a year in Spring( new leaves) and Fall( old leaves). Dates for the next LEAF are October 19^th - 21^st which just happens to correspond to beautiful fall mountain LEAF foliage. LEAF is just one example of the rich cultural and musical offerings that area has to offer and is one of many reasons why people are drawn to buy real estate in Asheville either for a second home or to live year round. Hope to see you this fall at LEAF!

Check out more pictures of LEAF at localism.

Active RainPower

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 09 May 2007 07:50:32 -0700

You know sometimes I am amazed at the power of this network. The Asheville City Council is meeting today to discuss potential revisions to the steep slope ordinance that the city is planning implementing. The main sticking point is that whether to have the ordinance cover property beginning at 2200 feet elevation ( backed by many environmental and citizens groups) or go up and begin covering property at 2500 feet elevation(backed by many developers, builders, and an affordable housing coalition). There is a concern that by going to 2500 feet that little of the property in City of Asheville will be covered by the ordinance and that many new homes for sale could be sited on slopes that really do not warrant that level of development.

So I had sent am email to the mayor and all council members before the April 24^th Council meeting to express my support for the 2200 feet plan. The vote was postponed though until today May 8^th. I sent another email again to the Mayor and City Council members but this time included a link to my blog "Is the Green Movement Anti-growth" I also inserted the picture of the sustainable development model I had seen on Wikipedia to just make the point that there was a model of sustainable development I was working from.

So off the email goes and within an half hour I have gotten a reply from the mayor thanking me for my detailed email and asking if I have any pictures of landslides from the area because she and her staff would like to see them before the meeting. Now I did not say anything about landslides in my original email and can only surmise that the mayor somehow got to my comments on Janeannes landslide blog and figured I had access to some pictures which of course I didn't. But I made a quick call to Rick Wooten of the North Carolina Geological Surveyand he provided up to date information about landslide issues and some pictures which I forwarded to the mayor. So we will see what happens tonight, but the RainPower of blogs and comments was plainly evident for me to see today. Cool!

UPDATE: It looks like the steep slope issue was delayed again, No coverage in the local media so that means more time to educate. The issue is complicated by the fact that the affordable housing folks fell this ordinance will limit areas where affordable housing could be sited. I have to explore why the city could not grant exceptions to the ordinance for developments that meet HUD affordable housing criteria. Its not like there will be a sprawl of affordable housing developments popping up in our community with land prices being what they are.

Solar Power Bill Makes Way Through Congress

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Mon, 07 May 2007 11:10:46 -0700

During the late 1970's the Carter administration began the first full fledged governmental effort to support solar powered energy by extending tax credits to homeowners who installed solar systems in their home. The solar industry started to take off then as more people began to explore and use this new technology. During the Reagan years, however, the tax credits were abolished and the solar industry went bust. Today there are only some limited tax credits for homes ( $2000 per system for residential homes) and commercial properties that are set to expire 12/31/07.

But now Congress is attempting to re-institute robust tax credits and rebuild the market for solar energy that existed 30 years ago. The Securing America's Energy Independence Act of 2007 (H.R. 550 and S. 590) greatly increases the available federal tax credits established in 2005 for homeowners who choose solar energy. Originally capped in 2005 at $2,000 per solar energy system, the new bills would remove the cap, offering $1,500 per half-kilowatt of energy a system can produce. (A single-family household installing a photovoltaic system of around 5 kW would then be eligible for a generous credit of $15,000. WOW!) What's more, the bills extend the credits' deadline to the end of 2016, To spur development in the industry, experts say that long-term credits are key, and that short-term credits like those passed in 2005 create a "boom and bust" effect within industries, triggering demand for only a short time, before the bottom falls out.

Key Details of the Bill

• Extends the Investment Tax Credit

(ITC) for all residential and commercial solar and fuel cell equipment for 8 additional years (with the commercial solar ITC reverting back to 10% in 2017).

• Modifies the residential and commercial tax credit for photovoltaics to $1,500 per half kilowatt,

• Removes the 30% cap for commercial photovoltaic installations and the $2,000 cap on residential photovoltaic installations.

• Provides 3-year accelerated depreciation for commercial solar and fuel cell projects.

The 8 year extension is critical because it provides for more lead time for development of larger solar systems. Similar to other emerging energy technologies such as clean coal and nuclear, large-scale concentrating solar power (CSP) plants and new solar and fuel cell manufacturing plants require long lead times that far exceed the 2-year time period remaining from the 2005 energy bill and 2006 extenders act. Development of a CSP plant can take 3-6 years, while new PV and fuel cell manufacturing facilities require 3-5 years to be completed.

The solar industry is starting to gear up and attempt to generate power at a price equivalent to fossil fuel prices by the year 2015. Right now generating electricity from photovoltaics costs between 18 and 23 cents a kilowatt hour. It is projected to go down to 11 to 18 cents by 2010 and then to 5 to 10 cents by 2015, according to the National Renewable Energy Labs. By contrast, electricity in the U.S. costs between 5 and 18 cents per kilowatt hour, according to the Energy Information Administration.

I think if these bills pass many more home buyers will decide to install solar power systems in their homes to provide most if not all of their energy needs. I know that there will be a large increase of these systems in new homes in the Asheville, North Carolina market since we already have a lot of solar power system installers in our area. I also believe that more existing homeowners will also think about the benefits of retrofitting their homes with solar systems as well given the potential size of the tax credits.

This is a bill that many eco real estate agents should find easy to support. If you feel so disposed please contact your local House Representative and Senator to indicate your support or these bills.

Green Home For Sale, Ft. Myers, Florida

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Sun, 06 May 2007 14:48:25 -0700

Here is a great example of a Green Home. See my other blog about Green Home Appraisals for more info.

Photo And Basic Information:

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Address:	20150 N River Rd , Alva FL 33920
Price:	$895,895	Property Type:	Single Family
MLS Listing ID:	200709559	Description:
City:	Alva	County:	Lee
Zip Code:	33920	State:	FL
APN:	21432700000010070

General Information: On creek

Bedrooms:	3	Full Bathrooms:	2
Half Bathrooms:	1
Building Square Feet:	2342, 4658 total finished	Year Built:	2003
Lot Square Feet:	9	Acres:	9.04
Lot Dimensions:		Taxes:
HOA Fees:		Swimming pool:	No
Last Update Date:	05/05/2007

Remarks:

SW Florida's Finest GREEN HOME! Real technology showcase property with 9.04 Acres with 600 ft. on beautiful Cypress Creek. Kayak/Canoe access to Caloosahatchee River!! Masterpiece of engineering and design for energy-efficient, low-impact lifestyle. Ultra-pure Water, Super-clean Air Quality, Allergy-free Interior. Home is bathed in soft light from cupola/tower, has lots of wide-open spaces, great kitchen with top-line appliances, 2 pantries, built-in dinette, and adjoining screen porch! Beautiful custom cabinetry and custom built-ins thruout! Three very spacious bedrooms with master featuring private bath and lge walk-in closet. Queen-size laundry/sewing room off relaxing screened breezeway. Huge finished garage w/workshop, attic storage, and its own 1/2 bath. Attractive outbuilding/extra garage w/full power & 2 doors. Fenced organic garden areas for fruit, herbs & veggies--inground watering too. Superb location near 1000+ acres of wooded parkland, with river access for boating & fishing all within 5 miles. Amazing Home!

Green Features Include:

Rainwater harvesting with 10,000 gallon cistern for main water supply with well backup provides pure drinking water via reverse osmosis filtering
Solar hot water heater
On demand hot water circulating system to minimize wasting water
Energy efficient - average montly utility bill for past year = $91
Marmoleum (made for the sustainable flax plant) over cork flooring in kitchen, hallway and baths
Low allerginic recycled soda pop bottle carpeting
Cupola for natural lighting and natural cooling
Water-cooled highest efficiency AC
Heat Pipe dehumidifier
Electrostatic air filter
Hurricane glass throughout
Zero VOC paint throughout to minimize harmful fumes
Sky tubes to let in natural light without heat
White metal roof to reflect sunlight and ideal for rainwater harvesting

Property Features:
Water Features:	Gulf access, Waterfront property, Waterview
General:	Pets allowed
Location:	Southern exposure
Community :	Community park(s), Extra storage available
Recreation:	BBQ
Lot :	Landscape sprinklers, Oversized lot
Landuse :	Horse(s) allowed
Parking:	2 parking places, Automatic garage door, Detached parking, Guest parking, RV parking
Roof:	Metal roof
Exterior:	Enclosed porch, Patio, Storage/out-building(s)
Energy:	Insulated windows, Solar water heater,
Heat/Cool :	Central air conditioning, Central heat, Gas heating(fireplace), Dehumidifier
Interior:	Breakfast bar, Cathedral ceilings, Ceiling fan(s), Pantry, Skytube(s), Walk-in closet(s)
Flooring:	Carpet, Tile flooring
Win/Doors:	Hurricane Glass
Fireplace(s):	Fireplace(s)
Rooms :	Breakfast area, Eat in kitchen, Extra room, Foyer, Guest room, Library, Workshop
Laundry:	Laundry room/area, Laundry sink, WasheSeptic sewer system,r/dryer hookups
Utilities :	Rainwater harvesting with well backup,
Inclusions:	Dishwasher, Disposal, Range and oven, Self-cleaning oven, Water filtration system

Courtesy Of:
Agent Name:	Michael L. Townsend	Office Name:	Realty Corner USA
Agent Phone:	(239) 340-3400	Office Phone:	(239) 454-4200
Agent Fax:		Office Fax:	(239) 415-4202
Agent E-mail:	mailto:midwest2mike@yahoo.com	Office E-mail:	mailto:Sheri@SheriBarryTeam.com
MLS:	Greater Fort Myers and the Beach

Asheville Mountain Sports Festival May 4th, 5th , and 6th

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 02 May 2007 19:12:38 -0700

The Asheville Mountain Sports Festival is just what it sound like, a rousing and rollicking combination of a variety of different sports competitions, along with music and demonstrations designed for the whole family to have some fun. The premier events include:

The Sunset Stampede 10 mile run consists of three running races in downtown Asheville. The Stampede includes a ten-mile race, five-kilometer race, and kid's one mile stampede. The race course leads runners through downtown Asheville with beautiful views of the mountains and Asheville at sunset.

The Town Mountain Hill Bike Climb with the race starting from downtown Asheville for a five-mile climb to the crest of Town Mountain. The race has lots of uphill, mixed with level and downhill sections. There is even an added bonus this year of a $500 award for new male or female course record. I can't even contemplate how hard this event must be!

Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race - Teams of two riders will race to reach 4 of 5 checkpoints, in any order, and return to the start/finish. Checkpoint locations will remain secret until start time. Routes will vary between 50-70 miles, will include 9,000-15,000 feet of climbing and should take 6-12 hours to complete. Double Ditto my comment above.

Rock 2 Rock Trail Run- A 10k trail run held at beautiful Camp Rockmont. The entirely dirt trail course will climb and take in views of the entire Swannanoa Valley and Black Mountain range before plunging back down to the start/finish at picturesque Lake Eden.

For a full schedule of all events click here.As you can see there are events and demonstrations for the whole family and kids of all ages.

Community Memories

Bill Westel, ECO (Eco-Steward Realty) — Wed, 02 May 2007 12:23:46 -0700

I was at a meeting with a group of concerned citizens in the Fairview community a couple of weeks ago listening to the woman who had organized the effort ten years ago to get Charlotte Highway (the main road running through Fairview) designated as a North Carolina Scenic Byway. This designation basically means the state views the road as scenic and prevents billboards from being placed along side the road. This lady was an ordinary mother and housewife but somehow ended up spearheading this huge community effort to save a highway from being sullied with billboards.

The story was really inspiring as the bureaucratic mountains that had to be overcome were incredible especially when working with the Department of Transportation and county officials. After all their time, work, and effort this group of citizens put in over the course of a year , the decision to get the Scenic Byway Designation came down to having 24 hours to get 350 Fairview citizens to call their local legislators and DOT officials in order to get the measure put in a bill so it could be voted on. It was truly amazing story to listen to.

Asked how she came to get involved in such an effort the woman told us the story of her own childhood growing up in a nearby town. Her family lived in the city and were good friends with a family who lived what was then) out in the country on a dairy farm. Every summer the family would exchange children so the farm kids would get some exposure to living in town and the city kids would get the experience of living on the farm. All the children in both families loved this arrangement. But then one year it all stopped because Interstate 26 was built and ran right through the middle of that dairy farm effectively shutting it down. She had tears in her eyes when she was telling us this part. But she said that she always remembered that Dairy Farm and how good was to be out there, so when she heard about the Charlotte Highway idea something clicked in her that brought her back that old dairy farm and she knew she had to get involved.

I have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for this woman both for what she accomplished as well as for sharing her thoughts and feelings about it ten years later. When I ride on I-26 now I always think about and look around for where that dairy farm might have been.

It also got me to thinking about my own childhood memories and how they have influenced by beliefs and actions today, but that's another blog.