Sustainable Gainesville Florida Real Estate

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, April 2013

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 04:46:44 -0700

As a Realtor® member of the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors it is my pleasure to pass along an exceptionally well done market analysis for the Gainesville Florida (Alachua County) real estate market. Welcome to the new year for real estate as we get a look at the opening month of the first quarter compiled. A variation in the report at the beginning of the year is the separation of data between Single Family Detached residential and MultiFamily Attached residential. There are now essentially two reports as there are distinct differences between these two local markets. See the Report(s) Single Family DetachedHERE MultiFamily Attached HERE All Real Estate is LocalConsult a Local Professional If you have any questions and are interested in answers, feel free to contact me. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate: The "IDEAL" Home

Sun, 05 May 2013 11:47:31 -0700

Spring. Coming out of the Winter doldrums and looking forward to new possibilities. For home buyers Spring is quite often when the serious home hunting begins. Home builders have been eagerly preparing for them, hoping their new construction project offers the most desireable mix of features. For sellers of existing homes it is a time to finish those strategic updates that will hopefully make the difference between their home being chosen over the neighbor down the street or the new neighborhood being built somewhere out beyond the edge of the city limits. As an Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) I am on the ground touring with buyers and listening to what they have to say about the homes they are seeing and what they are ideally looking for. And while it is tricky sometimes finding the perfect home we do the best we can and most of the time come very close. There are common interests among the majority of the buyers. They want good utility in space with rooms in the house to suit their various needs whether it be number of kids, hobbies, love of cooking and entertainment, how much and how big their current furniture is, an elderly parent living with them......along all those common lines of thought and interests. I listen carefully and we refine our home search process as we look at all the different neighborhoods and possibilities. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) compiles consumer data ongoing year to year in the quest to determine the "ideal" contemporary home. New Home Trends for 2013 Source: NAHB Survey 2012 Interestingly, NAHB research is also revealing that in 2012 a higher percentage of buyers (45%) are indicating an interest in existing home purchases as compared to 24% indicating an interest in existing homes purchase in 2004. I see a number of contributing factors: People are much more budget minded and are forced in to being more practicle. The new residential development is further and further away from the metro "core" of activity where most people work and conduct many other daily activities. The cost of commuting both in time and actual dollars is increasingly impracticle. A new sense of "urbanism" is beginning to gain more and more traction. Well established city services are becoming more important. Existing long term successful (read as best quality) business such as restaraurant, retail, healthcare, and specialty shops along with municipal services are closer in to the metro core. Urban sprawl that long ago placed many residences "out in the boonies" has become less attractive. People are more concious in a negative way about urban sprawl to include the cost to both themselves.....and now their neighbors (read as being more eco concious). Existing homes are of very good (comparative) quality and represent very good (comparative) value at the point of purchase compared to much of what is being produced these days in the way of new construction. In doing those comparisons there are a few exceptions in some of the new construction and you can read and learn about those exceptions.....HERE. Activity space in a home is also important as can be seen in the number one category of interest in the above graphic. Many homes built in the last ten years (out in the boonies) that boast an "OPEN FLOOR PLAN" are frankly boring and do not sufficiently meet the varied needs and interests of the contemporary family. This all combines to create a particularly good opportunity for the existing home owner who is interested in selling. You may be able to accomplish "strategic" updates that will greatly attract the buyer who is now looking for their new home in your area. The single most significant thing a buyer is now interested in is a home that is Energy Star rated. They have learned and are learning that an energy efficient home is *good value*, *less expensive to operate*, *more comfortable* and *has higher resale value to them later on*. A home with a H.E.R.S. rating of 85 or less qualifies for an Energy Star rating and a certified H.E.R.S. rating is sufficient documentation that an appraiser will also recognize and more info on that can be seen HERE. More for the existing home owner seller to consider is the current list of what is HOT as Essential or Desireable in at least 85% of the survey group: Energy Star rated appliances Laundry room Energy Star rating for whole home Exhaust fan in bathroom Exterior lighting Bathroom linen closet Energy Star rated "Low E" windows Ceiling fans Garage storage Table space for eating in kitchen area Walk-In kitchen pantry Outdoor Living...The era of the sunroom has given way to the defined outdoor spaces, ideally including a fireplace and seating with large doorways out into the yard......it might be time to replace those old sliding doors with some nice "Low E" windowed french doors with built-in (enclosed) blinds. Color of the year......Lemon Sorbet If you are looking to buy or sell a home in the north central Florida area.......look me up.....I am easy to have contact with and I answer questions for free. There is no additional cost to the buyer for professional representation and assistance. I help sellers get SOLD faster and at higher prices. Take a look at what my previous customers have had to say......HERE. Best Regards! David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, March 2013

Sat, 04 May 2013 09:24:26 -0700

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, January 2013

Sun, 24 Feb 2013 11:33:12 -0800

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, December 2012

Sat, 09 Feb 2013 02:26:00 -0800

As a Realtor® member of the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors it is my pleasure to pass along an exceptionally well done market analysis for the Gainesville Florida (Alachua County) real estate market. See the Report HERE All Real Estate is LocalConsult a Local Professional If you have any questions and are interested in answers, feel free to contact me. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

#3 NET ZERO, Zero Utility Bills, High Performance Living in Gainesville Florida is HERE!!

Sat, 05 Jan 2013 08:04:32 -0800

A Net Zero (aka Zero Energy) integrates a high performance envelope (the superstructure) and with a HERS rating of around fifty (50) which makes it 50% more efficient (same as higher performance, less costly to operate) than a home built to minimum code standards. Then outfit the 50 HERS rated home with a solar photovoltaic electric energy production system currently at a cost of around $5/watt (and dropping), include a large capacity solar hot water system and a net meter (provided by the public utility) for measuring the electric energy in excess of what the home uses that is being supplied back to (and credited by) the utlity and.....voila!!.....no utility bill in the most comfortable and quiet home a person will ever have the pleasure of being in. What an interesting and educational journey it has been to follow and document a home being built utilizing advanced building science standards and simple quality control measures combined with modern heating, lighting and air conditioning components at very little additional cost to the builder. The result is a very high quality (comparitively speaking) safe, quiet, attractive and economical dwelling that all but pays for itself with government incentives (rebates & credits), ZERO utility bills and a high return on investment at resale. The BIG BONUS on these zero energy homes is the very small carbon footprint and the payback to our environment in the form of reduced emissions......GREATLY REDUCED POWER PRODUCTION EMISSIONS. If it were not for having an internal combustion engine automobile in the garage used to go back and forth to work and the grocery, the carbon footprint on these homes would indeed be ZERO. From this we begin to see the significance of the new emphasis on traditional/walkable urban development linked by efficient (read as usable by you and me) mass transit systems. For every NET ZERO home completed, we are reducing by 25,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. This is a significant achievement all by itself and is aside from the greatly improved indoor air quality and general quaility of life within these dwellings. The ROI comes back to us all in terms of sustainability and if you have not taken the time to look up and do your homework on what sustainability is you should take the time to do that NOW if you care anything at all about this vessel you are floating through space on and those generations of people who will come behind you. Tom Twitchell was not thinking just of himself when he made the decision to build his NET ZERO home. We are all in this together. YOU MAY CLICK ON ANY PHOTO BELOW FOR A LARGER DETAIL OF THAT IMAGE ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THEN JUST CLICK YOUR BACK BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS BLOG ARTICLE.....RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT OFF. An excellent sample of advanced framing technique incorporating some angularity where every space is filled, sealed and insulated. We tracked along and watched advanced framing techniques transform a three dimensional space.... It's what is "behind the skin" with these homes that really makes the difference.... 4500 Watt (4.5KW) Solar Large Capacity Solar Hot Water Air Conditioning system briefing Signing up with utility as a power producer Modern "Net" meter records power going back to grid Final HERS certification.....thanks to Ken Fonorow of Florida H.E.R.O. and RESNET Special thanks to Todd Louis and Tiffany Thomas of Tommy Williams LLC. If you would like to see all the blog posts related to this project in one location go HERE. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, November 2012

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:12:01 -0800

As a Realtor® member of the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors it is my pleasure to pass along an exceptionally well done market analysis for the Gainesville Florida (Alachua County) real estate market. See the Report HERE All Real Estate is LocalConsult a Local Professional If you have any questions and are interested in answers, feel free to contact me. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Alachua County Landscape Changing

Fri, 21 Dec 2012 06:49:13 -0800

County’s Landscape Changing Dramatically in 2013 December 18, 2012 If you thought that 2012 was a busy year for Alachua County economy, brace yourself for 2013. Business and government leaders see even more economic activity ahead in the next year than occurred in the past year. “There’s lots on the table that’s falling into place,” says Mitch Glaeser, the incoming chairman of the Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re seeing results of many people with different interests working together for huge successes.” The Business Report is summarizing the forecast for the coming year regarding the following topics:Major business expansion. New projects are expected across the county, no matter where you turn. For example, Alachua-based Nanotherapeutics is awaiting to hear if it wins a $400 million, 10-year federal contract to develop and manufacture pharmaceuticals. In addition, new industry is considering coming as far east as Plum Creek’s land near Hawthorne and as far west as a 150-acre parcel in Archer.New real estate development. Construction is planned to begin on the 10-story University Corners project scheduled to University Avenue and 13th Street. Meanwhile, plans are being completed for the 100-acre expansion of Butler Plaza. Final designs will be unveiled for the adjacent projects of Springhills and Santa Fe Village, located north of Santa Fe College, which eventually could add 4,000 residential units and 1.7 million square feet of commercial and office space.Expansion of economic opportunities. East of South Main Street, the City of Gainesville expects to continue work on Depot Park and to add more companies to the “Power District,” the 16-acre site that previously housed GRU’s equipment and warehouses. In East Gainesville, officials are working on attracting new business, including ones housed in the Gainesville Technology Enterprise Center on Hawthorne and areas around the Gainesville Regional AirportBiomass plant. As work on the new biomass power plant is being completed, GRU officials are working on ways to keep the impact on rates as low as possible and to sell excess generating capacity to another power company.Addressing transportation needs. High on the priorities of city, county and community leaders is developing a shared vision for improving transportation—one that voters will agree to fund by taxing themselves.Leadership changes. The University of Florida will welcome a new president. Voters will have the chance to elect the Gainesville mayor. The county commission will select a new manager, due to the upcoming retirement of County Manager Rick Drummond. The city will hire a new director for the Community Redevelopment Agency, due to resignation of Director Kelly Fisher, who is leaving because of her husband’s relocation. Major Business Expansion While growth is expected to continue in Gainesville, with the expansion of Mindtree, SumTotal and a broad groups of innovative companies, look for major announcements in outlying areas. In Alachua, biotech company Nanotherapeutics, based in the Progress Corporate Park in Alachua, is competing for a $400 million, 10-year federal contract to develop and manufacture pharmaceuticals that could create the jobs, which would pay an average salary of $90,000, says Edgar Palafox, Alachua County’s economic development coordinator. The Alachua County Commission and the Alachua City Commission each have approved $105,000 in tax rebates to support job training for the project. They would go along with state tax rebates for a total amount of $1.05 million. Nanotherapeutics is interested in locating the proposed plant on a 280-parcel owned by the UF Foundation and next to the Progress Corporate Park, says Bruce Delaney, the foundation’s director of real estate. If it wins the project, the firm has plans for to build a $150 million 145,000-square-foot expansion, according to its application for the job-training tax rebates. Meanwhile, RTI Biologics is planning to construct an additional building in the Progress Corporate Park. The company, which is a leading provider of implants used for orthopedic and dental surgery and other applications, will add to its existing 133,000 square feet of space in three buildings and 38,000 of leased space, says spokeswoman Jenny Highlander. The company plans to release details of the project soon. (See related story on Page x.) Companies Consider Plum Creek Projects Outside companies are showing interest in developing manufacturing plants on parts of land that the timber and development company Plum Creek owns between Hawthorne and Newnans Lake. The Envision Alachua Task Force, which Plum Creek created, is enthusiastic about the prospects of a new plant creating jobs. “The major challenge for me is to contain my enthusiasm,” says task force member Adrian Taylor, senior minister of Springhill Missionary Baptist Church in Gainesville. Archer Attracting Interest In Archer, several manufacturers have expressed in locating on 150 acres with 1,600 feet of rail frontage that Melvin Lauderdale owns, says City Manager Al Grieshaber. The city commission is scheduled to make its final vote on Lauderdale’s request to rezone the land to industrial use on Jan. 14. “I think Archer needs to get back to its roots of using rail to spur economic development,” Grieshaber says. “We’re on the cusp of economic development, with an available labor force and the ability to train workers at the Davis Center of Santa Fe College.” New Real Estate Development University Corners was first proposed 10 years ago, but it was never built, leaving a large vacant lot at the corner of University Avenue and 13th Street. Now, South Florida developer the Swerdlow Group has taken over the project, and it plans to begin construction this summer, if it receives all city approvals. The mixed-use development would include retail space, about 500 apartments or condominiums, a hotel and a parking garage. Nearby, Roger Development Group of Coral Gables plans to start on the six-story One College Park housing and retail project behind Saint Augustine Catholic Church north of the UF campus, if it receives final city approval. “I’m glad to see projects near campus moving again,” says attorney David Coffey, who represents the developers of the both University Corners and One College Park. “It’s exciting to see financing become available for what the market is demanding, highly dense urban development.” At Innovation Square, Trimark Development will begin building its 150,000-square-foot Infusion Technology Center next to the Florida Technology Hub at UF and development of the Ayers Building for innovative companies will continue. Expanding Economic Opportunities Newly elected Alachua County Commissioner Charles “Chuck” Chestnut IV, a former city commissioner, says local government needs to give attention to the needs of East Gainesville. “I have to travel to West Gainesville to eat and shop,” Chestnut says. “Something is wrong. We need economic development on both sides of the county.” Chestnut says he plans to push the city and the county to work together to develop the airport area, including creating a business park at the current fairgrounds site. The county has pursued a new home for the fairgrounds for several years, and it’s now focused on developing a shared site with the Gainesville Raceway. Depot Park and Power District East of South Main Street, the City of Gainesville expects to continue work on Depot Park. A two-acre section of the park and the renovated depot building are complete and three companies have submitted proposals for a restaurant in the building, CRA Director Kelly Fisher says. In 2013, the Gainesville Public Works Department will complete building ponds at the park—which will hold storm water from downtown as well as contribute to landscaping the park, Fisher says. The final Depot Park landscaping will be completed in 2014, and construction of the Cade Museum of Creativity and Innovation will follow. The city is working to add more companies to the “Power District,” the 16-acre site that previously housed GRU’s equipment and warehouses. Prioria Robotics, which make unmanned recognizance aircraft, is the first company in the Power District. It’s renovating a 2,000-square-foot warehouse for its headquarters. Biomass Plant While critics still question the city’s wisdom in contracting for electricity from a biomass plant, construction is expected to be done by the end of 2013. GRU officials are working on ways to keep the impact on rates as low as possible and to sell excess generating capacity to another power company. Mayor Craig Lowe stands by the decision to build the biomass plant. “Any new generation capacity carries a cost with it,” he says. “Our cost is predictable, while the eventual cost of repairing the Crystal River nuclear plant is unknown, and that plant may never reopen.” The biomass plant brings with it an economic benefit because the fuel for it is coming from within the area, Lowe says. “We made a long-term decision that I think will prove to be sustainable in the long run,” he says. Addressing Transportation Needs High on the priorities of most city and county commissioners is developing a shared vision for improving transportation—one that voters will agree to fund by taxing themselves. (See related story on Page x.) Both Gainesville and county commissioners say they don’t want to repeat the split between them over the last year that contributed to a resounding defeat of a transportation sales tax proposal. County Commissioner Susan Baird sees transportation funding as a key to prosperity. “One of the main roles of government is to provide good infrastructure, including roads,” she says. Leadership Changes UF will welcome a new president. Voters will have the chance to elect the Gainesville mayor, with several candidates having announced their candidacy and Lowe seeking reelection. When former County Manager Randall Reid left to become the Sarasota County administrator, Rick Drummond agreed to serve until his retirement, which will occur in the middle of the year. The newly elected county commission will conduct a search to replace Drummond. “The person we select has to be someone who’s innovative in the direction he wants to take Alachua County,” Chestnut says. “The county is at a crossroads, whether we move forward and continue to be progressive or whether we become stagnant and just be a quaint small county.” City Manager Russ Blackburn says he’s sorry to see Kelly Fisher leave as CRA director, a position she has held for the past year. “She did a wonderful job,” he says. The CRA director plays a key role in expanding economic development, Blackburn says. It’s major role is to make available money from increased tax value in certain areas to build infrastructure and underwrite the cost of new buildings. One of the beneficiaries of this funding is the University Corners project. “We help provide incentives for projects that transform the community,” Fisher says. Article originally published by: The Business Report of North Central Florida David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Public Utilities Utilizing HERS Index Scoring to Identify Performance

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 09:20:01 -0800

In achieving energy efficiency and accomplishing higher utilization of renewable/alternative energies under the guidelines set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 the public utilities have a mandate to assist the public being served. Our Federal Government is doing what it is supposed to be doing for the advancement of the greater good with regard to SUSTAINABILITY. Louisville Gas & Electric and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E and KU), headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is the first utility company in the United States to utilize the RESNET EnergySmart Program. The company, which owns and operates Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company, entered into an agreement with RESNET to educate consumers about the benefits of energy efficient homes by marketing the home energy rating system (HERS) Index score for newly constructed homes. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Building Code Jurisdictions Adopting HERS Index Score

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 03:26:57 -0700

U.S. Department of Energy, June 2012:New Mexico has amended the 2009 IECC to allow a HERS Index Score as an option to the prescriptive compliance path. The state has also adopted an amendment that determines climate zones based on altitude in addition to the the DOE latitude map. There is growing momentum among building code jurisdictions and regional utilities to adopt a standardized means by which to measure residential dwelling energy consumption (performance, a.k.a. cost of operation). The HERS rating has emerged as that standard providing a stadardized measurment of the overall performance of a building as an integrated system and taking into account a given climate zone. In the case of New Mexico they took their new process a step further by defining climate zones according to elevations along with geographic latitudes. The climate zone(s) are factored in when measuring for the HERS Index. Because of the changes of elevations within the state of New Mexico they added two additional climate zones. New Mexico went from being climate zones 3-5 to now being climate zones 3-7. See an in-depth explanation of the HERS index.....HERE. See the connection to how this may impact new building construction and existing building rennovation.....HERE. We are going to work our way along as a nation to getting this sustainability thing correct. The U.S. will hopefully become a leader and we will all be the beneficiaries. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Sustainable Building Science as Adaptation to Climate Change

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 12:34:45 -0700

A Historic Opportunity:As of 2010, the total U.S. building stock is approximately 275 billion square feet. During normal economic times, we tear down approximately 1.75 billion square feet of buildings each year. Every year, we renovate approximately 5 billion square feet. Every year, we build new approximately 5 billion square feet. Herein lies the hope. By the year 2035, approximately three-quarters (75%) of the built environment will be either new or renovated. This transformation over the next 25 years represents a historic opportunity for the architecture and building community to mitigate to some extent and avoid to some extent dangerous climate change. Buildings are the problem, buildings are also the solutionCited: Architecture 2030 Sustainable Building Practices:According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration in 2009, the residential and commercial building sector was responsible for over 50% of total annual U.S. energy consumption. The U.S. Department of Energy likewise reported for 2009, that the residential and commercial building sectors were accountable for 74% of total U.S. electricity consumption and that the buildings comprising the sector were "collectively responsible for 39% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emmisions and 7.7% of worldwide emmissions. Greenhouse gas emmissions trapped in our atmosphere remain for 100 years, the cumulative affect is staggering. Moreover, outside their climate change contributions buildings emit other air pollutants and the materials used in their construction and operation contribute to indoor air pollution. GREEN building (sustainable building sciences) becomes the industry and regulatory response to the adverse impact of building and presents an opportunity to make enormous strides toward a sustainable future and at least a chance for our children and their children as we continue to build and rebuild. Herein lies the Historic Opportunity over the next 25 years. You can make an individual difference in the individual choices you make now. We can all get together on this.....and we are. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Federal Government Is "Hands On" in the Shift to GREEN/Sustainability

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 09:54:09 -0700

As the GREEN (sustainable) building products and sciences advance to the extent indoor air quality and comfort is being maximized and utility bills are being eliminated (see Net Zero residential building technology in Gainesville Florida HERE) the federal government is stepping up to assist, protect and support this initiative with the U.S. Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Established in 1901 NIST is one of the nation's oldest physical science laboratories beginning with a mandate from Congress at the dawn of the 20th century to help increase the industrial competitive edge of the U.S. which lagged behind more advanced industrialized nations at the time such as England and Germany. The U.S. lacked proper measurment and standards necessary for more efficient peak industrial output. Today, NIST measurements support the smallest of technologies from nanoscale devices that fit on the head of a pin to the largest most complex human creations to include earthquake resistent skyscrapers and wide body commercial airliners. In keeping with the times and as an indicator of the trend in residential building sciences NIST has built a Net-Zero Energy Test Facility (NZERTF) on the campus of a national technology testing site in Gaithersburg Maryland. The purpose of this laboratory is to test the commerical products dedicated to innovation and sustainability.In this context...."NOTHING LOST IS EVERYONE'S GAIN" Gainesville Florida in Alachua County is already a leader in the field with an already long and distinguished history of "Sustainability Firsts"........see that HERE. And we are already putting the latest in building science technology to practical application with Net Zero homes right here in our community......see more about that HERE. If you are interested in maximum indoor air quality and comfort at the least impact to the environment (most eco friendly) with little or no utility bills (least cost of operation) feel free to contact me. I would be happy to point you in the right direction and also help you along the way. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, August 2012

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 23:46:19 -0700

As a Realtor® member of the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors it is my pleasure to pass along an exceptionally well done market analysis for the Gainesville Florida (Alachua County) real estate market. See the Report HERE All Real Estate is LocalConsult a Local Professional If you have any questions and are interested in answers, feel free to contact me. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Market Watch, July 2012

Fri, 14 Sep 2012 10:24:37 -0700

As a Realtor® member of the Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors it is my pleasure to pass along an exceptionally well done market analysis for the Gainesville Florida (Alachua County) real estate market. See the Report HERE All Real Estate is LocalConsult a Local Professional If you have any questions and are interested in answers, feel free to contact me. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

#2 NET ZERO, Zero Utility Bills, High Performance Living in Gainesville Florida is HERE!!

Mon, 03 Sep 2012 08:37:02 -0700

A Net Zero (aka Zero Energy) home starts with a high performance envelope (the superstructure) and a HERS rating of around fifty (50) putting it at being 50% more efficient (same as higher performance) than a home built to modern minimum code standards. Then outfit the Net Zero home with a solar photovoltaic electric energy production system, a large capacity solar hot water system and a net meter for measuring the electric energy in excess of what the home uses that is being supplied back to (and credited by) the local utlity and.....voila!!.....no utility bill in the most comfortable and quiet home a person will ever have the pleasure of being in. In Episode #1 of this Net Zero series I introduced the Net Zero home Tom Twitchell is building in Longleaf Village with the assistance of builder Tommy Williams as the residential lot was just being prepared. Now we get to see how things have progressed and I am going to do it graphically with a photo essay. Each of the photo's are active (clickable) links to a bigger high resolution image complete with additional information. Simply click on the photo of interest to view more detail and then the "BACK" button on your browser to return to your place in this blog post. Power User TIP: You can also simply hit the BACKSPACE button on your computer keyboard to do the same thing as the BACK button on your browser. From the ground up now..... High performance residential building envelopes (the superstructure) that last a real long time start with a high performance foundation And starting at the ground level the "Advanced Framed" superstructure is carefully and permanently mated to the concrete foundation The advantages of Advanced Framing Technique cannot be stressed enough from a number of different standpoints1. It does not cost more for a builder to utilize Advanced Framing Technique it actually costs less2. Less material required with greater use of smaller wood pieces that would otherwise be scrapped with at least equal structural integrity and more structural integrity in many instances3. Much higher energy coefficientsWELCOME TO MODERN BUILDING SCIENCE....it's not more or more costly it's just better!! As part of a tightly integrated system the roof design, engineering and sturdy (hurricance code) assembly is the backbone of a high performance home here in Gainesville Florida and in the case of a Net Zero home the roof becomes the mounting platform for a power generating plant. Innovative building science, quality and safety combine in every aspect of the Net Zero build Major name brand manufacturers such as Owens Corning™, Dow™ and Johns Manville™ are now producing to very high GREENGUARD certified standards at competitive pricing that disicriminating professionals are using to build out high performance and "in demand" homes here in Gainesville Florida at competitive consumer price points. Supply is meeting Demand. Taking a few minutes to check out the GREENGUARD Certification Program will provide yet more understanding as to why this paradigm shift in consumer demand for higher performance is happening. We now want it because we can have it and what we want is a better way of living today and for our children tomorrow. A major component of an energy efficient Net Zero home in our southern U.S. climate is a properly matched and balanced heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) system. Tommy Williams designs HVAC systems specifically to an individual floor plan and then combines an innovative Fresh Air Return system with the HVAC for absolute climate control and best indoor air quality in these very tightly built and energy efficient homes. Contrary to popular belief bigger (more tons of compressor output) is not better and a high Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) does not have anything to do with maximum number of TONS the AC compressor is rated at. The air conditioning duct system is neatly designed to be within the air conditioned space inside of these new Net Zero homes. Voila!! Another MAJOR component of these Net Zero homes that utilize advanced building science and framiing techniques is the utilization of state-of-the-art insulation systems. The Johns Manville™ Spider® custom insulation system utilizing advance refined fiberglass material meets these very high standards achieving insulation voids of zero percent and ratings as high as R-23. For a look at the fascinating JM Spider® insulation installation process view the Youtube video below (it is a 6 minute video and you can hit pause anytime and continue to the end of this blog post). And as we near completion of the actual buildout phases of a Net Zero home the inner skin (sheet rock) is put into place affectively covering much of the exquisite building science that goes in to a structure such as this.From here it will be fit, finish, paint and trim as flooring, lighting and appliances are installed. Lot 419 in Longleaf Village is now Tom Twitchell's Net Zero home that will soon be ready for move-in. STAY TUNED !! David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

GREEN Renovation of Existing Residential Gainesville Florida Real Estate

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 04:02:18 -0700

All homeowners are keenly interested in what their home is worth. Periodically they ask a real estate professional to help them to know their home value as they attempt to measure their net worth. As licensed real estate professionals we have the credentials, experience and market access to provide this information and while it is usually at a dinner party or a soccer game with the question posed as a favor we normally do this for community members and friends for free. As licensed professionals we can also provide this service for a fee and do so routinely in the form of Broker Price Opinions (BPO) for banks that are in the process of turning foreclosed property over and back on to the market for repurchase. Market access for real estate professionals comes in the form of the multiple listing service (MLS). We are also on the ground and in these properties every day. Additionally, real estate professionals in this context and those that have membership access to the MLS include the Broker, Broker Associate, Sales Associate and private Appraisers licensed in the State of Florida. The local MLS in effect "is" the local real estate market in any given community. The next most common question is what the best upgrade is to do to a home. What is the best upgrade investment for the best return on the dollar for when the home is put on the market and sold at a later time? What are buyers looking for? What will buyers pay the most for?The most common response traditionally has been.....kitchen and bathroom upgrades. Contemporary consumer demand is changing however. Consumers are looking for GREEN/SUSTAINABLE features in a home now. The home is being thought of more as a shelter and a safe place during times of drought and prolonged periods of extreme temperatures. The indoor air quality and environment is becoming more and more of an interest as well among those growing number of people with allergies and asthmatic children. Addtionally the consuming public is looking at cost of ownership, i.e. the cost of operation along with maintenance ongoing. The higher performance homes are also more comfortable, safer and significantly less expensive to operate. In this scenario Energy Efficiency = PerformanceHomeowners looking to upgrade their existing homes now do well to consider 1.) Energy upgrades and 2.) GREEN/SUSTAINABILITY upgrades Technology is marching forward with the demand. The Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors (GACAR) upgraded the local MLS (database) in 2012 to include the latest building technology and GREEN/SUSTAINABLE features available in the marketplace today. This gives the existing homeowners the opportunity to make informed (and contemporary) decisions about upgrades to their homes and that information be captured in the MLS. Buyers searching for these contemporary features and appraisers measuring comparitive value can now find what they are looking for in the MLS.These additions to the Gainesville Florida MLS can be seen HERE. Among the new GREEN/SUSTAINABLE features in the MLS is the HERS Rating for a dwelling along with the year tested. The HERS is a certification now recognized by the Department of Energy (HERS & DOE HERE). The HERS rating is a single number that captures the overall energy performance of a home taking a wide variety of factors in to consideration, primarily air leakage from the HVAC ducts and the superstructure itself. See a complete discussion of HERS HERE. See an actual Gainesville Florida HERS certification HERE. Aesthetics and location is important still but these other factors are being more heavily weighted now in the buyer's home search and represent a rich opportunity for the existing homeowner in terms of upgrades especially now that the MLS will accurately reflect the investment in these newer GREEN/SUSTAINABLE features. Kitchens and bathroom upgrades rank highly still but in different ways. High quality Energy Star certified appliances in the kitchen are a must now. Granite countertops are of less emphasis now with very aesthetically pleasing, durable and interesting materials such as Paperstone and Icestone coming in to play more and more often. There are also LOTS of things being done with concrete these days such as these creative examples below. More and more people are opting for living space with no carpeting and the primary consideration with this is for health reasons. There are some very interesting things being done with GREEN/SUSTAINABLE materials throughout the home from top to bottom these days and it is not more expensive. In many instances it is less expensive and much of the time requires less upkeep and is more durable. GREEN is now TRENDY TRENDY = MARKETABLEMoreover performance upgrades are the new "IN-THING" that buyers are looking for. Better Performance = More Energy EfficientBetter Performance = Better Indoor Air QualityBetter Performance = Better Overall ComfortBetter Performance = Lower Cost of OwnershipSo, if the homeowner is interested in which upgrades are the better choices these days the things to consider are GREEN, SUSTAINABLE AND PERFORMANCE. As a licensed GREEN Designated real estate professional I am involved in the community (23 yrs) and available for further consultation (and a free appraisal) at your convenience. I am also a Broker Associate level experience with the oldest continuously operating (I am pretty sure) real estate firm in the nation, Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors, having celebrated our 100th Anniversary in 2011. You can contact me through my dedicated real estate web site (link below) and you can see a sample of my past client references HERE. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

#1 NET ZERO, Zero Utility Bills, High Performance Living in Gainesville Florida is HERE!!

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 04:26:33 -0700

So now we have a clear equation.....With that Change in Demand comes change in supply and the status quo. The consumer is no longer interested in the McMansion with the $400,$500,$600,$700/month utility bill or what that bill represents in terms of insufficient building performance, indoor air quality and energy consumption. While it is not just about the dollar amount on the monthly bill anymore it does (naturally) come in to play. It is the same as to say....."if I can do better and it cost less too, duh!!, why should I accept anything less?". If we can do better, we should do better. We know that the average existing home has a HERS of 130 We know that the new home built to minimum code standards (the norm) has a HERS rating of 100 We know what the EPA Energy Star Program represents with the new home built to a higher standard and with a HERS rating of 65 to 85. Take a quick look HERE (Back button to return) at the Energy Star impact in Florida alone. What if we could do better and it be cost effective on the supply side to produce and cost effective on the buy side to purchase.....with an average HERS rating of 50? .....would we or should we settle for anything less? I have had the distinct pleasure of assisting Tom Twitchell of Gainesville Florida in his research evaluating his best opportunity for a new home. All the information available today in Alachua County Florida led us to new construction options presented by Tommy Williams and what he was doing with sustainable construction and engineering of various floor plans in Longleaf Village in SW Gainesville Florida. What we learned was: Extremely high energy efficiency = Extremely good construction quality Extremely high energy efficiency = Extremely good indoor air quality with absolute climate control (zero allergens and mold) Extremely high energy efficiency = Much more quiet living environment Extremely high energy efficiency = Significantly lower cost of operation and ownership Extremely high energy efficiency = Superb overall comfort and liveability Extremely high energy efficiency ≠ Higher additional new construction cost Tom and his process of making his choice for a new home defines the Current Demand among the Generation X and Echo Boomers (Gen Y) demographic and it represents a paradigm shift in what the U.S. consumer expects in residential building construction today. And now.....here comes the TRUMP card. Take a well built energy efficient home and add to it a "net meter" as is now provided by the utility under law:In the U.S.A., as part of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, under Sec. 1251, all public electric utilities are now required to make available upon request net metering to their customers.[3]: ‘‘(11) NET METERING.—Each electric utility shall make available upon request net metering service to any electric consumer that the electric utility serves. For purposes of this paragraph, the term ‘net metering service’ means service to an electric consumer under which electric energy generated by that electric consumer from an eligible on-site generating facility and delivered to the local distribution facilities may be used to offset electric energy provided by the electric utility to the electric consumer during the applicable billing period. Next give the dwelling cost effective engineering and the ability to generate it's own power. VOILÀ.....enter the "Zero Energy Home", a.k.a. the "Net Zero" home. the utility bill goodbye. 100% efficiency with a HERS rating of ZERO!! Stay tuned here as we watch Tom's house going up and all the high performance features being built in to it Foundation prep, soil analysis has been completed. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Sustainability is an Action word in Gainesville Florida Real Estate

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 03:57:42 -0700

Sustainable high performance residential building construction utilizing leading edge technology has been going on in Gainesville Florida since well before the term GREEN was the label coined for such endeavors and long before the Federal government began to shake things up with incentives and mandates from the top down to motivate Federal, State and local municipalities along with the general public to conserve energy, utilize more renewable sources of energy and embrace sustainability (see Energy Policy Act of 2005 and Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007). Sustainability is an action word in Gainesville Florida since the mid 1990′s The following is a chronological sampling of sustainable projects clearly demonstrating the accomplishments and early sustainability leadership in Gainesville Florida.. Thanks to Ken Fonorow of Florida Home Energy and Resource Organization (H.E.R.O.) for his long time participation and contribution to this list of achievements. 1997 First Energy Star certified home *To understand the impact of the Energy Star initiative see statistics on 2011 Energy Star homes in all of Florida…..HERE 1998 GRU – First utility to win Energy Star Utility Ally of the Year Award 1999 Ken Fonorow (Florida H.E.R.O.)- First RESNET certified Rater to win EPA Energy Star Ally of the Year Award 1999 First non-utility sponsored home to win – SEBC Aurora Award for Energy Efficiency 2000 First Builders Association in Nation (GBA, now BANCF) to build Energy Star home in conjunction with H.O.P.E. program 2000 HUD Best Practices Award First City owned Energy Star Affordable Sub-division- Cedar Grove II 2000 SEBC Aurora Award for Energy Efficient Multi Housing. First Energy Star affordable apartment complex in the USA- Lewis Place Apartments 2001 NAHB Energy Value Housing Award, Gold Award Winner. First Energy Star Townhouse Development – Monticello 2001 NAHB Energy Value Housing Award, Silver Award Winner. First mixed use Energy Star urban in-fill project – Union Street Station 2009 Gainesville City Commission approves first solar Feed-In tariff program in the nation 2010 Grand Aurora Award Winner Energy Efficient Home Best Energy Efficient Home Tommy Williams Homes and Energy Smart Home Plans, LLC For Galloway Model, Net-Zero Energy Home in Gainesville, FL Team Members: Tommy Williams Homes; Energy Smart Home Plans; Florida Hero – Building Science; Florida Solar Energy Center; ECS (Solar Energy Systems) Our judges were thrilled to see so many builders and designers incorporating green building practices into their designs. From affordable housing to commercial projects the Aurora Awards had its share of exemplary home designs. As one judge stated about the winner of the Special Judges Award, “One challenge facing housing is consumer education regarding green and energy efficient construction. This project demonstrates that green doesn’t necessarily have to be expensive nor do you have to compromise on features within the project.” Another judge commented that “this is exactly what we should be building.“ If you are interested in taking advantage of this leading edge technology for your own home, either in the purchase of a new home or the renovation of existing dwelling so that you too may enjoy the advantages of a much lower cost of living and a much higher indoor air quality feel free to contact me. I am an Accredited Buyer’s Representative and I specialize in GREEN sustainability and all that entails. And if you are interested in following along with the "GREEN SCENE" take a look at my previous blog posts below, keep in mind they are chronologically organized and build upon themselves over time, i.e. it is beneficial to take a look at the earlier posts. You can bookmark this page and come back often. You can also contact me anytime and comment on any post. I am very glad to see the interest and have the feedback. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

What Constitutes an Energy Star Certification for a Home...

Mon, 23 Jul 2012 09:03:52 -0700

With advances in technology, decreased component costs, more experience with building designers and contractors......the guidelines for meeting the Energy Star certification change over time. Version 3 of the EPA Energy Star guidelines have just gone in to affect as of 7/1/12. According to V3 guidelines each ENERGY STAR certified new home is independently verified to be at least 15% more energy efficient (i.e. a HERS rating of 85 or better) than a home built to the 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), and features additional measures that deliver a total energy efficiency improvement of up to 30 percent compared to a typical new home. In the state of Florida alone there were 6,987 Energy Star certified homes built in 2011. Energy Star certified homes built in 2011 are the equivalent of: Eliminating emissions from 3,424 vehicles Saving 20,709,468 lbs of coal (yep, that's eight places left of the decimal) Planting 5,659 acres of trees (acres....not individual trees) Saving the environment 40,615,431 lbs of CO2 {Can we get a......"Gee Whiz!!"} Source: EPA We now have the technology and capability to retrofit and GREEN renovate existing homes (average HERS of around 130) down to HERS ratings in the 65 range. That's a 65% increase in energy efficiency (performance) and a corresponding decrease in the cost of ownership. We have the technology and capability of building new (and really fine) homes to performance standards that correspond to a HERS rating in the 45 range....!!! We are doing both (new and existing renovate) in Gainesville Florida currently. I am available to discuss..... David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

GREEN Sustainable Living in the United States.....THE BIG PICTURE

Sat, 21 Jul 2012 23:39:23 -0700

Rather than slip back in to the Pre World War II depression economy our country went the other way after that war ended. The automobile industry successfully converted back to producing cars and new industries such as aviation and electronics began to grow by leaps and bounds while the number of workers providing services grew to equal and then surpass the number of workers providing goods. The middle class was growing. New inventions such as air conditioning were happening. New phenomenon such as shopping centers began to appear and the automobile took people further out from population centers to places developers were creating called SUBURBS. The postwar baby and housing boom began at the same time. Builders began pumping out site built, framed (2x4 lumber), sheet rocked and shingled homes that were expected to last around 50 years. Energy was cheap as was the fuel used to produce it. It was of no consequence (or so we thought) that the process of burning coal to convert water from liquid form to steam and use steam to generate electricity was only 34% efficient and pumped out pollutants in the form of CO2 and SO2 in to the our atmosphere in the process of generating coal fired electrical power. It also did not matter that the distribution of this power further and further out to the suburbs was dependent on extensive long distance ABOVE GROUND high voltage power line infrastructure also subject to loss of energy in the form of "line loss" not to mention falling limbs and trees. There was no perceptible need to be efficient or cost effective with our use of fossil fuel and energy. Now, some 60 years later things are beginning to really heat up both figuratively and literally while some are saying the balance of nature is teetering on the edge. The cost of the use of fossil fuel [energy production and transportation] in terms of actual dollars, the impact on the environment and the risk to our national security has long since ceased to be cheap. The average year around temperature is now hotter and the weather is more extreme regardless of your beliefs or philosophy on why that is. {U.S. sees hottest March in recorded history}{Past 12 months warmest ever recorded in U.S. History} {watch SUV go airborne on buckled U.S. highways due to extreme heat} {relief from severe July heat now on the horizon but severe weather follows in it's wake}. When we use electricity from a coal-fired power plant we get a monthly bill from the local utility. It includes the cost of mining coal, transporting it to the power plant, burning it, generating the electricity, and delivering electricity to our homes. It does not, however, include any costs of the climate change caused by burning coal. That bill will come later and it will likely be delivered to our children. Buildings in the U.S.A. accounted for 41% of primary energy consumption in 2010, 44% more than the transportation sector and 36% more than the industrial sector. Space heating, space cooling, and lighting were the dominant end uses in 2010. Of the 39 quadrillion Btu's consumed in the buildings sector, homes accounted for 54% and commercial buildings accounted for 46%. Of the energy sources used by the U.S. buildings sector, 75% came from fossil fuels, 16% from nuclear generation, and 9% from renewables. {source: U.S. Department of Energy} Our sitting President along with his Cabinet in the Executive branch of our Federal Government has said that it will be an "All of the Above" policy toward energy independence for the United States. This makes sense in terms of conserving energy overall, reducing the use of fossil fuel and increasing the use of alternative and renewable. As we change the balance on energy consumption and increase the sustainability factor what people want and the way they want to do it is changing accordingly. This is happening now. Opportunity is being created in the process of achieving the goal(s). Modern day energy audits performed by certified professionals reveal that the average conventionally built and normally maintained home will score a HERS rating of around 130 and allow for infiltration/exfiltration (leakage) of air the equivalent of about a 4 foot diameter hole in the wall (i.e. if all air leakage points were consolidated in to one hypothetical spot). Attic space can be as much as 140 degrees above the outside temperature in conventional site built homes creating extreme heat loads on the structure and the climate control system. Builders have been, for the most part, erecting site built homes in much the same way they have been since the beginning of the housing boom after the second world war.......and guess what....there is now a confluence of factors that is changing the long term status quo in the building sector and the change is significant. Building technology and technique now exists at acceptable levels of cost such that homes can be built to perform with HERS ratings at 50 and below. Homes can perform both in terms of energy efficiency (cost of ownership) and indoor air quality (comfort) to an extent at least 80% greater than the average existing conventionally built home. EIGHTY PERCENT!! That's a significant equivalent decrease in cost of operation/ownership and a significant increase in comfort level. Here is to your good health, your wallet, and reduced energy consumption. Here is also to greater independence on foreign oil, greater domestic economic opportunity and global prominence in the energy sector led by U.S. innovation. And here's to a greater sense of satisfaction overall as the U.S. consumer demands (and receives) a better solution for where we live and sleep. High performance homes will last longer (indefinitely) and command a much higher value. We are on the verge of a paradigm shift and it represents significant and multiple win/win opportunities. Stay tuned..... David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

GREEN'ing of the Gainesville Florida Multiple Listing System (MLS)

Thu, 19 Jul 2012 14:18:04 -0700

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is comprised of over one million REALTORS® and represents the largest trade organization in the U.S. NAR is an aggregate of the state associations of REALTORS® and the state associations are aggregates of the local/regional associations of REALTORS® The Gainesville Alachua County Association of REALTORS® (GACAR) is the local/regional self governing body for real estate professionals in the Alachua County, Gainesville Florida area. It is the GACAR multiple listing system (MLS), the REALTORS® database, that represents the Gainesville Florida real estate market for "real property" to include all new residential construction, existing resales, rental property, commercial property and vacant land. To be clear, it is the local MLS that represents the local (any locale) real time and accurate market for real estate values. The public property appraiser understands it, the professional property appraisers understand and use it and the mortgage lenders understand and rely on it. In January 2012 a little over a year of GACAR special committee work culminated with the addition of over 80 new GREEN data fields to the MLS. The debut of these new GREEN features was highlighted by Chris Eversole in his North Central Florida Business Report feature which can be read {HERE} (recommended reading). It is the seller and buyer of real property that the REALTOR® serves and it is to that end that the GACAR MLS was updated to reflect the latest in residential building technology so that the buyer may find what they are looking for and the seller may capture the value in what it is they have to sell. A list of those new GREEN MLS features along with their individual definitions (linked) can be seen below and I am available for further discussion/question. Overall Home Performance Rating HERS Rating (Year Tested) Construction-Exterior Advanced Framing Techniques Foam Block Insulated Concrete Foam Locally Sourced Building Materials Structured Insulated Panels Equipment/Appliances Dishwasher Energy Star Dryer Energy Star Radon Mitigation System Refrigerator Energy Star Washer Energy Star Flooring GREEN Label Carpeting Wood Sustainable Flooring Other Sustainable Flooring Roof Exterior Spray-On Foam Roof GREEN / Living Roof Radiant Barrier Roof Deck Exterior Miscellaneous Drip Irrigation System Florida Friendly Yard Criteria Irrigation w/Sensors Native Vegetation Landscape Rainwater Harvesting System Reclaim Water Irrigation Solar Outdoor Lighting Solar Pool Equipment Variable Speed Pool Pump Heating/Cooling Ductwork in Conditioned Space Fresh Air Ventilation System Geothermal Heat Recovery System Programmable Thermostat Radiant Heat SEER Rating 13-15 SEER Rating 16+ Solar Photovoltaic Electrical System Variable Speed HVAC System Hot Water Source Gas Water Heater Heat Pump Water Heating System Solar Water Heater Tankless Construction Interior Advanced Framing Technique Attic Fan Blown-in Celluloose Ceiling Fan(s) Dual Flush toilets Energy Star Skylights Energy Star Windows Fiberglass Batt Gray Water System High Efficiency Toilets Icynene Insulated Windows Locally Sourced Building Materials Low Flow Faucets Low Flow Showerheads Low-E Windows Spray Foam insulation Passive Solar Features Recycled Building Materials Skylights Smart Electric Panel Tinted Windows Interior Miscellaneous Energy Audit Available Energy Bills Available Energy Star Light Fixtures Enhanced House Filtration Hook up Electric Car Low VOC Paint Low VOC Wallpaper Low/No Formaldehyde Cabinets Certifications Builder Challenge Home (DOE) Energy Star FGBC Bronze FGBC Gold FGBC Platinum FGBC Silver Florida Water Star LEED Gold LEED Platinum LEED Silver NGBC Bronze NGBC Emerald NGBC Gold NGBC Silver Net Zero, Zero Energy Home David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

H.E.R.S. Explained

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 08:27:57 -0700

The acronym H.E.R.S. is now being seen with increasing frequency. It stands for Home Energy Rating System. The Gainesville Alachua County Association of Realtors is now including the ability to record the H.E.R.S. index (now recognized by the Department of Energy) as well as virtually all other modern GREEN features for a residential dwelling in the Multiple Listing System (MLS) as it directly relates to the efficiency of the dwelling. Efficiency relates to performance and performance relates to cost of ownership and indoor environmental quality and it all relates to value. In a recent Gainesville Sun article (read it HERE) there was reference to and an abbreviated explanation of H.E.R.S. that likened it to the fuel efficiency of an automobile in miles per gallon. I would like to elaborate on that to assure full understanding. Think of the home (the building) from a performance standpoint and kind of like a car and it's fuel MPG rating (i.e. city and highway). Thought of another way what is the cost of home ownership or same as....what it will cost you at the pump to operate the car. The H.E.R.S. number is an "index"(on an E-Scale) of the overall efficiency (performance) of a dwelling taking in to consideration the type of construction, the subsystems (windows, flooring, doors, roofing, insulation, etc.) and the engineering (climate control, Plumbing, Electrical, etc.). The integrity of the envelope is also measured in terms of balance and leakage of air within the envelope. Keep in mind that I am not a certified H.E.R.S. rater and one of those folks can give a much better technical explanation but you get the picture. The single overall H.E.R.S. index number for a dwelling is relative to the "American Standard Building" and in our case here in Florida the standard building is in accordance with our local building code. This makes sense. A building in north central Florida is built to perform in terms of energy efficiency in a much different way than say.....a dwelling built somewhere in Minnesota. An existing dwelling that has been upgraded from a performance standpoint and that has a H.E.R.S. index of 90 is 10% more efficient that a new home built to code and 40% more efficient than the average existing home which would normally measure at around 130. The gain in efficiency (performance) equals a corresponding gain ($$ savings) in the cost of ownership. The gain in performance also equates to a gain in the comfort level and environmental quality (indoor air quality). According to the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET): 130 is the average existing home HERS index, built to older, less efficient codes and using less efficient appliances 100 is a new home index built to standard regional home building codes and is the baseline for the index 70-85 is the index range for new homes certified by the Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star program 0 A "net-zero" home designed to balance all of the energy it takes from a utility with an installed rooftop solar array with the capacity to generate the equivalent electricity usage back to the utility grid The Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET) has provided a nice interactive graphical tool that helps represent what the HERS index is telling us. You can take a look and operate that tool HERE. I am available for further discussion. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

What My Blog is About and What's In It For All of Us

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 08:58:14 -0700

I thought long and hard before deciding to dedicate myself to doing something like writing (and maintaining) a blog. To do it right requires an investment of my time and consistency. To do it right is a dedication to you, the viewer and consumer of the information. As a senior Broker Associate with Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors I am a GREEN Designated REALTOR® with an emphasis on sustainability and all that entails. As you learn more about it my guess is that it will garner more of your attention as well. The benefits of doing a blog these days are many fold as more and more people have become accustomed to the internet as a rich information source. I will do my best and you, in turn, can help with the process by rating and sharing these postings if you find them interesting and relevant. By doing so it will hit more people's radar screens (as they share, etc) and the usefulness of the information and value of my time will grow exponentially. The sharing buttons at the top of this page are powerful little automated items. If you are one of millions with a Google+, a LinkedIn or a Twitter account these buttons will automatically share my blog post on your individual account for all your friends and associates to see. All the blog posts are maintained in easily referenced chronological order and they are all searchable. You can come back anytime and instantly find what you want. You can automatically follow my blog posts by subscribing (privately) below and you will be notified whenever I put something new up. And last but not least you can comment on my posts. I will see those comments as will everybody else and we will all be able to respond which includes answering questions and providing more information. All I ask is that you be dignified in your public communications here. Thanks for stopping by, leave your comments and feel free to contact me directly. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

Gainesville Florida Real Estate Introduction to Sustainable Living

Tue, 17 Jul 2012 07:09:13 -0700

When the reporter from the Gainesville Sun newspaper called me for an interview and then the guy from the Memphis, TN utility called me a few weeks later I realized that it may be worthwhile to make a place to correspond about some tangible/pertinent things going on in our wonderful Gainesville Florida community. I am a licensed Broker with the oldest continuously operating real estate firm in the entire nation, Coldwell Banker M.M. Parrish Realtors. We are the number one real estate firm in Alachua County Florida, we have been taking care of people's real estate interests for over 100 years here in Gainesville. I am not that old, I have only been with the Gainesville community for 23 years. I am a licensed professional for a little over 30 years. My latest focus, among several, is in sustainable living. It is just one of the things I have become knowledgeable about and I continue to pick up more useful information on a daily basis. If you own real property or wish to, I think you will be interested in what I put up on this (My) blog site. You can contact me directly anytime you like. Welcome aboard...stay tuned. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed

"How To" Add Flare to Your Blogs with Google Docs!

Sat, 29 Jan 2011 01:44:26 -0800

How to add flare to your blogs using Google Docs.....Seems like once new people have taken the plunge to blog the next thing they want to know is how to make their blogs look pretty!! I have had this conversation I can not tell you how many times, and love it!! I just discovered that I can record video of my screen with Jing, Boy am I going to have fun with that! So without further ado here is my vlog on “how to” create a blog using Google Docs! Unable to display content. Adobe Flash is required. David A. GibbsBroker AssociateGREEN, ABR, EPROColdwell Banker M.M. Parrish RealtorsGainesville Florida Real Estatewww.Your-RealEstatePro.com If you would like to follow along with my new blog articles and be automatically notified each time I put up something new you can click on the RSS button (Really Simple Syndication) usually located in the upper or lower portion of the right sidebar of the web page you are currently looking at. All of my blog articles in chronological order here:www.Sustainable-Gainesville-Florida-Real-Estate.com Follow Dave Gibbs on GOOGLE PLUS here {let's link circles} All information is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed