John's Blog

Asheville "Scene " Around Town Video Series

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:38:21 -0500

We are so lucky to live in the mountains of WNC.

Thanks for your commentary, janeAnne!

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

Asheville, North Carolina, October, 2009 Eco-Friendly News and Views from "GREEN-O-Lina"

Some people relocate to the Asheville area just so that they can
hike in exciting places
like Craggy Gardens, or Mt. Mitchell.

But once they find a place on the land to call Home,
create, then build an eco-friendly environment
with a nod to Mother Nature,

a simple early morning stroll
can provide sights and sounds
that dazzle.

Come for such a stroll with me.
You will be amazed at what I found this morning
right in my own backyard.

Turn up the volume for a SURPRISE at the close of this short video...
and let me know what you think that honking (hint-hint) sound is!

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__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL &. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Serving Asheville's Eco-Friendly-Home, Relocation LAND Clients.. On the GO 4 Sustainability: "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Creston Preserve Eco-Friendly Mountain Community Near Asheville-Corey's Silver Lining (video series)

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 10:34:52 -0500

Creston is an Awesome place.

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

I get to meet all kinds of interesting people as I visit eco-friendly conservation communities here in the Greater Asheville area. One of my favorites is COREY ATHERTON who is the Project Manager at Creston Preserve. The other day he took me out exploring his favorite sites. Now's your chance to come along with us.

Hickory Nut Forest An Outstanding Eco-Friendly Community

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 09:09:26 -0500

Hickory Nut Forest is a wonderful place indeed.

Thanks janeAnne for this post.

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

Hickory Nut Forest An Outstanding Asheville Area Eco Community

One of my favorite eco communities in the Asheville area (and please note, Asheville is the "hub' of green and sustainable development) is Hickory Nut Forest.Numerous eco-communities are popping up in and around Asheville, but Hickory Nut Forest is demonstrating how to go about creating an eco-friendly habitat. (see video).

THIS evolving "green" community and conservation neighborhood honors the Land and the forests that offer it building materials. (see video). Surrounded on three sides by over 800 acres of conservation land , you can hike out from this community on one of the well-tended trails leading to those 800 + acres and to the adjoining 250 acres. Hickory Nut Forest has set aside a special place for the community/retreat/teaching/learning center. Here is where the new community building is in the process of construction (see video)

Hickory Nut Forest is alive with possibility. EXAMPLE: I was so excited to be able to WATCH how the construction of the new community building happens! ( see video) If you are interested in green building, be sure to check this out.

GREEN Asheville Landscape Architect BRANNON

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:45:30 -0500

David is a great guy too..

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

David Brannon talked about thoughtful land planning at the annual Green Homes Tour -April, 2009. He explained that a general awareness of the need to plan for the future - or at least the acknowledgment of the planning process - seems to be on many people's minds these days. But still, at the local level, a very focused need for of planning is apparent. And though an awareness of planning is fairly pervasive, opinionson just how to go about charting the future for the mountain region definitely vary.

Rethinking traditional development

Brannon. a participating consultant for the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, explained that models of future housing developments offer multiple benefits of shifting from traditional, multi-acre lots to smaller, cluster-type developments. He pointed out that open space could be preserved, views could be shared and communities could be less reliant on fuel for transportation.

Brannon participates as an expert guide on Eco-Steward's GREEN LEARNING TOURS.

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__~o____________
-\_<,
(*)/'(*) .......... ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. ......................... .............with

OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants. Contact janeAnne@janeAnne.com or give a call at 828-255-1082 . Design your dream. Give us your checklist .

ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Curious about sustainable GREEN real estate possibilities ? Register for the Eco Stewards' Learning Tours.

The ECO Certified ® Real Estate Consultants at The ECO Steward Real Estate Firm specialize in working with eco-developers and LAND for sale in the Greater Asheville, North Carolina area. We are excited about value-added, ECO-friendly properties, and focus on positive futures. Our real estate practice inspires property investments for wealth of the generous kind.

GREEN Asheville Landscape Architect BRANNON. Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
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Asheville GREEN Landscape Architect- TUCH

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:43:45 -0500

David is a gret guy.

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

David Tuch, VP at Equinox Environmental has a wealth of knowledge and experience. A presenter at the 2009 GREEN HOMES (and Land) Tour, Tuch is involved in an array of eco-community developments in the Greater Asheville, NC area.

During the presentation time, Tuch, an expert consultant for the Mountain Landscapes Initiative, talked about how we can grow local economies in North Carolina's mountain region without threatening the natural assets that attract new people and new investment. He also looked at how to adjust to change in the mountains without sacrificing community character and sense of place.

Following that thought he asked . . .  "WHERE is the perfect place to construct the green-built home of your dreams?"

If I were to choose, and it would be hard because Asheville is full of possibility, I possibly would choose a building site in one of Asheville, North Carolina's eco-communities.

"GREEN" is the word here in Western North Carolina's mountains.More and more here in Asheville we are noticing a trend toward sustainable environments, and more and more. Asheville is becoming the "hub' of green and sustainable development. Touring various eco-communities in the Asheville, NC areato explore sustainable innovation inour area is what this is all about.

Eco-Stewards' GREEN LEARNING TOURS takes you to one of Tuch's masterpieces of planning, Drovers Road Preserve. (This might just be one of my favorite places. I've spent many happy hours there. Just inside the entrance to this eco-community you can discover a bit of authentic Appalachian history.You can actually see the roadbed that once connected drovers to and from the markets of Asheville's city center. The trail is marked. The mood is set.

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__~o______________
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with

OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants. Contact janeAnne@janeAnne.com or give a call at 828-255-1082 . Design your dream. Give us your checklist .

ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Curious about sustainable GREEN real estate possibilities ? Register for the Eco Stewards' Learning Tours.

The ECO Certified ® Real Estate Consultants at The ECO Steward Real Estate Firm specialize in working with eco-developers and LAND for sale in the Greater Asheville, North Carolina area. We are excited about value-added, ECO-friendly properties, and focus on positive futures. Our real estate practice inspires property investments for wealth of the generous kind.

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
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GREEN ASHEVILLE PROPERTY TOURS: Explore Sustainable Innovation in Real Estate

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:22:32 -0500

I love doing this..

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

N o Pressure, Just Exploring. The Eco Steward Real Estate Firm and Design Team is excited about taking folks out exploring.

ECO-FRIENDLY TOURS that explore GREEN ASHEVILLE and sustainable innovation opportunities in the Greater Asheville area are popular as the season's unfold and more and more people become curious about the trend toward GREEN building and thoughtful land planning. (see photo)

"We love the idea of showing current residents and people who may be interested in relocating here Asheville's newest GREEN offerings, " one of the tour guides told me.

From Green-Built homes to Eco-Communities and Conservation Neighborhoods, from Equestrian Estates and Horse Farms with Trails that lead off into conservation lands, (such as the one in the photo here) from homes for 1st time homebuyers to Historic Properties,

it seems the guides, all of whom are up-to-speed on mountain green news, delight in delivering their Green learning tours. " It is a green adventure for a one or two, or an entire family or a group, "they tell me.

And it is a way, without pressure, quietly to infuse a sense of what's happening in the "green property scene"in the Greater Asheville Area, and put it in the contextof what is meaningful for those on the Green Learning Tour. How that unfolds for each person on the Tour.. . is a mystery.

TOUR GUIDES

Tour Guides are professionals: Eco-Design and Development Experts, Green Builders, Landscape Architects, Sustainable Innovation Experts and Eco Certified® Real Estate Consultants - all of whom are uniquely qualified to interpret information and data, provide commentary and answer questions.

RATES

Eco-Stewards Green Learning Tours vary. Rates also vary. Depending on the Green Learning Tour they range from $20.Hour and up.

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___~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*) .......... ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. ......................... .............with

OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants. Contact janeAnne@janeAnne.com or give a call at 828-255-1082 . Design your dream. Give us your checklist .

ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Curious about sustainable GREEN real estate possibilities ? Register for the Eco Stewards' Learning Tours.

GREEN ASHEVILLE PROPERTY TOURS. Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
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Asheville ECO: Farmland Values Project & The Eco-Stewards' Fiduciary Counsel

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 21:50:41 -0500

Nice article, janeAnne.

Via Asheville's "GREEN "Property Consultants- LAND & Fine Homes :

A Report on Asheville ECO: Farmland Values Project& The Eco-Stewards' Fiduciary Counsel

Offering objective fiduciary counsel to our clients is a lot more than an avocation for the Eco Certified® real estate consultants at our Firm. It means keeping a finger on the pulse of local goings-on here in the Greater Asheville area. When it comes to sustainable innovation in Asheville,  it is an on-going adventure.

Recently, we reviewed findings of potential interest for our clients in search of large acreages. The discoveries came from Farmland Values Project. (see photo of farmland near Asheville)

The Farmland Values Project involved both data collection and research, and a community interaction initiative. It asked the following questions:

      Does farmland in our area affect the quality of life of residents?

      Is farmland of great importance to residents of our area?

      Are residents concerned about the loss of farmland?

      Do residents believe more needs to be done to protect farmland in our area?

      Are both residents and visitors willing to pay to protect farmland in the region?

The information gathered from the study, and our interpretation as "local experts", could have value for our clients.

As land specialists, we notice, more and more, that our clients are demanding wise choices in eco-friendly land use. They want a close-up view on development issues and the tenor of the situation.

The focus of the Project, the results of research (answers to all the above questions are in the affirmative) and local real estate professionals' interpretation of that information can respond to client demand.

(map courtesy of the Project shows area in western North Carolina studied)

The Farmland Values Project confirmed what we at the Firm suspected; that all of the above are tremendously important to Asheville area people and those relocating to the Asheville, NC area. After all, farmland provides more than great organically and/or locally-grown food easy to find at CSAs  and tailgate markets  throughout our region.

Sustainable farmlands also benefit non-farmers by providing flood control, landscapes worthy of the talents of Andrew Wyeth  or John Singer Sargent  and a treasured spirit of interdependence and sense of place.

Click here to LISTEN to one "old-timer" tell the story of that spirit of interdependence. . .look for more on this subject in the near future...and let us know what YOU think and tell me....how would YOU answer the Farmland Values Project questions? ________________________________________________________________________________________________

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............

OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants. Contact janeAnne@janeAnne.com or give a call at 828-255-1082 . Design your dream. Give us your checklist .

ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS. Curious about sustainable GREEN real estate possibilities ? Register for the Eco Stewards' Learning Tours.

The ECO Certified ® Real Estate Consultants at The ECO Steward Real Estate Firm specialize in working with eco-developers and LAND for sale in the Greater Asheville, North Carolina area. We are excited about value-added, ECO-friendly properties, and focus on positive futures. Our real estate practice inspires property investments for wealth of the generous kind.

Asheville ECO: Farmland Values Project & The Eco-Stewards' Fiduciary Counsel-Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
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10 + "Re-GREENs" Breathe New Value Into Old Homes

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 08:44:16 -0600

Here is janeAnne's excellent post.

Thank you janeAnne, you're the best.

Let's upgrade and move into the future.

Via Asheville's GREEN BUYERS' Brokers- LAND & Fine Homes :

When it comes to being an Eco-Starevery home can shine, even an "Oldie but Goodie" like this one in an historic and sustainable community in Asheville, NC.

Simple changes at home can add up to real benefits for your family, neighborhood and contribute to a sustainable community.

Here, for example, are at least 10 "re-greens' ( things you can do) to retrofit an older home that I collected as part of an on-going series I am doing to highlight Active Rain bloggers who have caught my attention with their wit and wisdom(Look for my reBLOGS)

Here, from your AR colleagues at the ECO-All-Stars Group  are examples that represent value-added opportunities for real estate professionals and our clients in terms of sustainable living alternatives.

•1.      Tony ZimmermanReGreen Tips
•2.      Stephanie Edwards-Musa
•3.      Mary Bigelow Energy Efficiency
•4.      Jonathan Blackwell Green Bathroom Renovation
"5.      Deb Hurt Perspective
•6.      Diane Daley Linoleum!
•7.      Tricia Jumonville Which home is Greenest?
•8.      Johnathan Mullaney GREEN Living Tips
•9.      Kimo Stowell Beautiful Revival
•10.    Sharon Simms NEAT Features in Old Homes

OK I'm liking this conversation.!   It's Winter! And I am thinking "Time for Creative GREENING Projects" ...and recycling. Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health we generate about 208 million tons of municipal solid waste a year! That's more than 4 pounds per person per day of   GLUNK!

SO! Recycle and Re-Green is the by-word for 2009. You could  recycle glass bottles, save electricity and create countertops like this one by IceStone    that offers "  an environmentally friendly alternative to natural stone and solid surface materials. The non-porous, durable and heat-resistant qualities make them a good match for kitchens and bathrooms. ... Because the material can be shaped, cut, inlaid or mounted it can used for of applications from backsplashes to countertops to flooring. Due to its high recycled content, IceStone materials can be used for LEED qualification."

By the way! IceStone received a Silver certification from Cradle To Cradle (one of my favorite organizations) for its commitment to environmentally intelligent design."

So here are the 10+++++ (pluses) to add to our Winter Re-GREEN Tip for Older Homes:

1.Tankless water heaters. Very popular in Europe. Hmmmm. Maybe they know more about preserving castles.
2.Compact fluorescent bulbs. You can replace the incandescent bulbs, one at a time as they burn out. John's record for fluorescent bulb: 13 years! (see above)
3.Radiant Barriers. Reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and thus lower heating and cooling costs. The barriers consist of a highly reflective material that reflects radiant heat rather than absorbing it.
4.Solar Panels . Modular panels that can be designed to meet any electrical requirement, no matter how large or how small.
5. Weather stripping. Caulk and check is as needed. And check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your area.
6. Natural stone and solid surface materials. Love this one (See link above)
7. Geothermal Heat Pump Systems. Replace your old one when the time comes. They use 25%-50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems and save money.
8.Task Lighting. Direct light where you need it. Save energy and money.Good for romantic cooking. Better than candlelight they tell me .
9. Renewable Energy.  According to Wikipedia this is "energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes cannot be depleted."   Try solar-powered outdoor lights . Consider, too choosing renewable energy from your utility to even producing solar electricity at home with photovoltaic (PV) cells. Also check out Wikipedia for more info on renewable energy in the form of:

1.1 Wind power   1.2 Water power     1.3 Solar energy use   1.4 Biofuel

1.4.1 Liquid biofuel   1.4.2 Solid biomass   1.4.3 Biogas   1.5 Geothermal energy

10. Sayeth the U.S. Department of Energy

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Curious about sustainable Green real estate possibilities ? Simply pedal on over to Convivial Blogger Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG and SUBSCRIBE

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............

10 + "Re-GREENs" Breathe New Value Into Old Homes. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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The Universe is Conspiring in Your Favour, Part One.

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 01:26:49 -0500

Have you ever heard the saying "the universe is conspiring against me"?

Well, don't believe it. The universe is conspiring in your favour, if you can recognize it. This has generally been my experience.

I suppose sometimes things may seem on the surface to be unfavorable, however, even the seemingly bad events many times probably occur for ones benefit (there are exceptions, as with any other general statement).

The story I will give as an example here is not one of those "bad" experiences but rather a good one.

About a month ago, I started working with a new client, James. Now James has a special situation that is paramount: members of his family have particularly extreme mold sensitivities and chemical sensitivities to boot.

Luckily for James and his family, Asheville is a pretty "hip" place in regard to progressive thinking and practice. This seems especially true when it comes to the use of non-toxic building materials and high performance engineering in residential construction(WNC Healthy-Built, LEED, "green-building", etc.), to create an environment conducive to normal living for those with these types of pollution intolerance.

Well, we toured every one of the suitable candidates, thoroughly inspecting each for the presence of strong smells, particle board, and any signs of condensation being present where it could be observed.

We especially scrutinized crawlspaces and basements.

On the final day, before he had to go back from whence he came, James decided he would like us to visit a builders spec home, a FSBO, which I had discovered during my usual scrounging in the local papers.

I'm the scrounging type, ever looking for the chance circumstance, the perfect place, which on the MLS, there be not a trace (or even on the FSBO sites in this case).

So we went.

We were very impressed with the builders work and especially the clean minimalist contemporary design employed by the architect (the builder is his son).

I was excited to know of something interesting, aesthetically (for me anyway), utilizing green features (especially for James: no VOC coatings and like building materials).

Unfortunately for James, this very neat place with a bit over an acre of lovely south facing land, with nice views, was just too small for his needs and he settled upon another, a WNC Healthy-Built (for more info on WNCHB, please see: wncgbc.org ), in town.

To make this already long story short, the especially fortuitous part for me was feeling so grateful to have made a possibly lifelong connection with such cool, interesting people, James included (this for me goes beyond the promise of monetary gain). After some time, my new friends shared with me news of their neighbor, who was seeking the right person to purchase his beautiful land (25 acres, also a FSBO).

With the universe conspiring in my favour, soon I may have 3 new listings.

There is more than that to this story, however, you get the gist of it.

The land pictured here is the neighbor's property. The home is the spec home. With me being a photographer, of course, I photographed both extensively.

Just one of many sunsets, in which we will all partake.

Stay tuned for part two coming soon-ish..

The Universe is Conspiring in Your Favour. Copyright, 2008, J.T. Narrin Photography, REALTOR

Falls of Discovery

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 00:52:24 -0600

Falls of Discovery

Photo:J.T.Narrin

One of the perks of previewing subject properties for clients has to be the unexpected discoveries.

Obscured from the scrutiny of the ordinary observer, the spectacle. Hidden falls. Silhouetted horse shapes, big blue, orange and pink, heavens, in unbroken confluence with the undulating verdant hills. The land.

Oh my! The time will fly.

Stop. Where is my camera? What! Behind it was left. If you like to capture while you work, don't let this be you.

Be prepared.

Being prepared can really pay off. You could capture a real stopper.

The added benefit for me is, at showing time, I know exactly where to go, and the features to point out to clients.

Capturing some killer images, (if there are some to be had) during previewing, could be informative to the clients as well, at show time, for obvious reasons.

The combination of these things are what make real estate a more meaningful endeavour for my clients and especially myself.

John T. Narrin,

Eco-Steward

Asheville’s Green Real Estate in the Long Run

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:46:20 -0600

Recently, I had occasion to strike up a conversation with a young builder who was interested in letting the Brokers at out Firm know about his work . Looking at his brochure, I mentioned that his work looks like quality. "Anyone using superior walls is a person of good taste, " I told him.

But there is more to it than that.

For us at our Firm here in Asheville, the green features are what our buyers want and/or demand. Some won't mind as much as others about whether it's certified or not. However, many do insist upon certification. For quite a few, the issue is not only efficiency but indoor air quality. Some (clients) may have chemical sensitivities, therefore necessitating building materials and coatings that don't off gas formaldehyde and the like. Since the envelope is so tight with these specs, less toxic materials are preferable anyway (and becoming more and more readily available at less expense).

Asheville green real estate seems to be heading the way/ In fact, most of our people want their dwellings to be WNC HealthyBuilt ®construction. If it costs more, so be it . They realize, in the long run, it will be worth it both in energy savings and in comfort.

In my opinion, it won't be too long before this set of criteria becomes standard practice. Habitat for Humanity, for instance, has made certifiably efficient construction mandatory. All this will be mainstream very soon, mark my words.

Here's a link if you would like more info on the specs. buildingscience.com http://mail.charter.net/do/mail/message/www.advancedenergy.org I'd be interested in what you think about all this.

A special place.

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 20:47:59 -0600

Greetings AR photography group,

Last Saturday, I had another opportunity to participate in showing a special property: Camp Sequoyah. Founded in the mid twenties, the camp motto was/is "Camp Sequoyah: a camp with a purpose". It's a special place & one can sense the history: in the old hand hewn cabins, in the numerous camper folk art door paintings, and especially in the stacks & stacks of hand inscribed plaques, created by the campers & staff over the many years.

Well, I could go on and on as I really love the place and sincerely wish Camp Sequoyah could once again fulfill it's stated mission.

Perhaps you may sense a bit of the essence of this apparent obsolescence in this image I shot.

John T. Narrin,

Broker, Eco-Steward

Asheville Green Real Estate Buyer's Agent

John Narrin (ECO-Steward Realty) — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 08:46:02 -0600

Hello .

This is my first post. I am happy to find out about Active Rain and especially to find all the green and eco-friendly information here. As a "green" buyer's agent and REALTOR in Asheville,NC I spend most of my time in previewing and finding residential properties that are energy efficient and sustainable for clients,but also look for land. Whether finding green homes or land, this is something I can get excited about because everyone benefits.

I have wondered if "green" is as popular in other parts of the country as it is here. Judging from what I am reading here, it seems that Green Real Estate is a trend not only in Asheville, N.C. but across the USA. With this in mind, I look forward to innovation in real estate and lots of good possibilities in 2008 and into the future,but I am wondering if you think this is just a fad, or if green real estate is here to stay.