green communities: Moving Into Some $$$WEET Music & Green Office Building$$
- 08/20/08 09:43 AM
This isn't really news to those of us who predicted it. But, even on second glance, taking another look at ordinary "non-green" buildings as compared to nearby " green" buildings, still ignites a broad smile on the faces of both REALTORS® and our clients/investors. . What generates that reaction and is $$$$weeeeet Music to my ears ?
Add it up and tell me if it sounds good to you. . ..
Happy inhabitants.Savings in energy costs.Savings in $$$s.
1.Green buildings have higher occupancy rates, and added ROI.
2. Green buildings have lower variability in occupancy and added ROI. 3. Green buildings are … (8 comments)
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green communities: Eco-communities, Organic Farms & Farm Life : #1 in The Carolina Blue Skies Local Color Series. Asheville Area Sustainable Agriculture
- 08/14/08 08:12 AM
When you think about sustainable agriculture, organic farms, eco-communities and quality of life in Asheville and the towns surrounding Her, you may wonder if this post is simply nugacity in an otherwise (hopefully) worthy landscape.
However, some redeeming wisdom possibly survives- especially if you are a lover of guineafowl. So I'm gonna' take the risk, and tell this story . . .
"Which One's the Guinea?" (A Carolina Blue Skies Local Color Story).
Once upon a time, approximately 11 miles from downtown Asheville; or 7 miles from the where bustling Patton Avenue intersects Highway 63; or 5 miles from … (4 comments)
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green communities: Asheville's 434-acre Public Garden Let's Get Together! EVENTS. (A Monthly Series about Asheville, N.C.'s ALLURING ARBORETUM
- 07/18/08 06:46 PM
Asheville's 434-acre Public Garden is a splendid gathering place. If you live in, are relocating to, or simply are visiting Asheville, North Carolina you can expand your dreams and ideas, brighten your days and feed your heart and soul within our eco-friendly community. Because so many of us love the idea of stewardship, this "events" column focuses on positive futures, the expressions of sustainable community, nature and eco-wise development all revealed on a regular basis at Asheville's Arboretum.
I am a member of the North Carolina Arboretum. And, I must admit, am not objective about this amazing place! Once you discover it, … (31 comments)
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green communities: Asheville's Sustainable Communities, a Series. This on Montford & Griffins (2)
- 07/13/08 12:10 AM
This second of the series on ASHEVILLE'S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES, Montford might surprise you ! Some unusual "creatures" "live" in Montofrd--GRIFFINS... well, Griffins as architectural interest points for those restoring this sustainable neighborhood of Asheville, NC .
Much of the Montford neighborhood was designated as an Historic District and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. Since that time, historic restoration has been on the rise. Today the Montford community is home to residential properties and even several businesses. This neighborhood has developed a new outlook centered around the historical restoration projects of a number of devoted stewards of a variety of … (6 comments)
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green communities: Asheville's Sustainable Communities. A Series. 1. Montford, a Charming, Sustainable Neighborhood of Asheville, NC
- 07/11/08 03:33 PM
The Montford Neighborhood ~ Asheville, N.C. ~A Community Embracing a Sustainable Future. Part I.
MONTFORD: Where one picture tells the story. (see photo)
The MONTFORD NEIGBORHOOD in Asheville, North Carolina: Historic and Happening!
Here is a neighborhood of about 300 acres that expresses a rich diversity of architectural styles, most constructed between 1890 and 1920.
Montford, like its residents, is a place of complex overall character.. .Romance and history are in the air, so expect to " feel" the artistic influences.
Even residents of other neighborhoods in and around Asheville find themselves drawn to Montford. Maybe you will see them strolling … (15 comments)
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green communities: Asheville Picnics and Day Trips: Trip # 2 of the Series
- 07/11/08 09:29 AM
Quality of Life. "Green" Communities. Sustainable Innovation in Homes and ECO-Friendly Living. THIS Asheville area picnic (one of a series of picnics planned with all of us in mind) includes all of the above.
It's an Appalachian wonder, all right, where you can just hang out, toss your picnic basket on a rustic table beside the mighty French Broad River (see photo) and really get into a slower pace.
Bring along some homemade peach cobbler, and just "BE" for an afternoon...or longer.
Today I'm taking you with me to a place where the French Broad River runs boldly and small towns … (11 comments)
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green communities: Strong, Caring (and Green) Communities
- 07/08/08 01:27 AM
I'm out on the Land today. I'm out on the Land in an Asheville area eco-development we represent. It has open spaces and forest land and waterfalls and climbing cliffs and streams and an heirloom apple orcahrd now producing juicy specimens you'd love to eat...(see photo) oh it is amazing!
So here I am, out on the Land, feeling very privileged indeed... and thinking.
I'm thinking about a notable quote a real state client/friend here in Asheville sent for my review this morning:
"...we need to grow strong caring communities in which we get more of our human satisfaction from caring … (9 comments)
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green communities: Exploring Green Communities: The Eco Villages and Eco Communities You Could Love
- 07/04/08 09:26 AM
The LOOKS COUNT Series. Urban infill communities. Part III. Re-Development of a Brownfield Area/ The River Arts District.
"The plan celebrates the area's rich past, its present reinvention as Asheville's premiere arts district, and its future as a vibrant sustainable community."
FIRST Imagine
stepped pathways public plazas terraces and courtyards a bowling alley a children's library of art and architecture an artists' cooperative restaurants and shops THEN check this out to see what the developer envisions.
A newsletter containing this artist's rendering from the develpoer reveals that, " ... the ground floors along [the street] and the pedestiran alley will … (6 comments)
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green communities: Green Communities, Eco Villages and Eco Communities in Greater Asheville, NC
- 07/03/08 12:33 AM
LOOKS COUNT Series. Urban infill communities, What's True Green?
The headline read, " Urban Infill Project Embraces Green Building Guidelines." Intriguing, eh? First of all...what are they talking about? 1) What is an urban infill project? And 2) what is meant by "Green Building Guidelines"?
Seems GREEN is red-hot these days, especially right here in Asheville, N.C. But, let's face it, there's small-case green, my friend the author calls this "Faux Green"... and then, well, there's True Green. As Eco Certified® Real Estate Consultants, we are impressed with the WNC HealthyBuilt® Home program. It's checklist of Green Requirements encompasses all … (10 comments)
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green communities: LOOKS COUNT!! ! What We All Can Do About 'Em ( Land Use, and Community Planning)
- 07/02/08 10:11 AM
Land, being mostly privately held, as you know, makes the landowners/stewards, developers, and the local city-county elected officials the land use decision-makers. That's something to consider when it comes to what we all can do in terms of land use and community planning right in our own/combined backyards.
So, bring on the Permaculture Pros, our real estate clients. They explain the above and more... that Permaculture is about designing ecological human habitats and food production systems. (further defined below) We sure have expanded our land use perceptions since we met them....and not only for farmland, but for urban-dwellers.
Our Permaculture … (12 comments)
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green communities: Green Communities, On the Path to Land Planning and Design, Part 3
- 06/30/08 01:37 AM
So...we have touched on Green ECO Communities,and the process of Land Planning and Design.
The initial steps in land planning are so important. Equinox Environmental, is one of a few Greater Asheville Area Firms whose core services can provide land planning for our real estate clients.
The path to land planning is exciting.
( I took this photo at an eco community about 25 minutes from downtown Asheville. Hiclory Nut Forest.)
Oftentimes, our clients use land planning services during the due diligence period and prior to building. . Then the land-savvy professionals may have due diligence deadlines to deal with, but we have … (7 comments)
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green communities: Green Communities, A Party on the Land, Part 2
- 06/29/08 06:16 AM
This is the second of a series of posts on eco-sensitive land development and eco and/ or green communities in the mountains of western North Carolina.
As a point of interest...
Here are a few criteria for such stewardship projects as set out by the Green Communities organization:
Integrated Design Site, Location and Neighborhood Fabric Site Improvements Water Conservation Energy Efficiency Materials Beneficial to the Environment Healthy Living Environment Operations and Maintenance (To learn if your project has the potential for green classification and Green Communities grants and funding, see the full criteria and requirements. Request the Green Criteria.)
In the first post, … (5 comments)
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green communities: A REALTOR'S® Perspective: The Anatomy, Design & Development of an "Infill Project" (2)
- 11/05/07 03:13 PM
UPDATE: After the meeting, clients decided to move forward with looking at various possibilities for this infill project.
SCENARIO: Before deciding how to position an infill project for development and sale, as you may recall from Part I of this series, we decided that very savvy planners, on the leading edge of sustainable innovation and design would be called upon to review "the case"...planning professionals, eco-developers, architects, and so forth ...
. As I mentioned in Part I of A REALTOR'S® Perspective: The Anatomy, Design & Development of an "Infill Project" ..."Let's do a bit of ‘due diligence' before the fact, … (30 comments)
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green communities: A REALTOR'S® Perspective: The Anatomy, Design & Development of an "Infill Project"
- 11/02/07 04:32 AM
Scenario: He found me at Active Rain. He was looking for answers about infill projects, design and development and the new urbanism. He told me he had read my entire BLOG. I was honored. We emailed back and forth a few times. He called to set up a meeting to look at his mixed useproperty. He and his wife, whose life work has been with autistic kids, are ready to "un-retire"...
First Meeting: We sat together in the welcoming kitchen in their home of 20 years. A restored "neo-old-Miami" (I'll have to ask Ines about that) the home has a flat … (34 comments)
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