asheville green real estate: “How many miles per gallon does this home get?” The Home Energy Rating (HERS) Test.
- 10/23/06 01:10 PM
One of my clients was in the market for older homes last year, but she was concerned about how these homes would stack up in terms of their home energy rating. As part of her investigation, she made it a point to discover if a home she might be interested in had a home energy rating. (HERS) Knowing that the home energy rating evaluates and measures the home’s energy characteristics, she could then easily compare the energy costs for the three or four homes she was considering.
A local Asheville company, Home Energy Partners had told my client, “The HERS rating is … (16 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Great Link to Find Your Personal Environmental Impact
- 10/22/06 03:47 PM
In Asheville, N.C., with our population of about 80,000, currently 34 active,standing boards and commissions serve in the capacity of addressingthe complexities inherent in our vibrant city. There are any number of very viable pathways to sustainability. You can look at culture, population, environmental conditions,and available technology.You can research the rankings explain how people’s quality of life and city economic and management preparedness are likely to fare in the near future...
But first you may choose to look in the mirror.Here is a link where you can calculate your personal environmental impactand discover ways of reducing that impact. Take the Ecological Footprint Quiz … (7 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Real Estate Practice and Service to the Community of Asheville
- 10/22/06 03:13 PM
Our real estate practice thrives not only because we are in the hugely desirable location, Asheville, North Carolina, but because we offer extensive service to our clients. That service extends out to the community.Back in 2006...we decided to open a portion of our building as a community meeting and learning place.
Our lively group of real estate professionals began talking about the benefits of an educational forum, and this has turned out to be an exciting new direction at The ECO-STEWARD Firm here in Asheville.
In 2007, we have utilized our new facility,the totally renovated 1923 Craftsman brick bungalow,(seen in the photo I took to the … (3 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Hot GREEN Grants
- 10/22/06 02:37 PM
Exciting new grants that real estate professionals as well as those in the sustainable communitywill want to note currently are available. Having to do with Sustainable Community Innovation these grants support creative cooperation of new community development strategieswith sustainable agriculture practices.
The tap root of quality of life throughout the global community is vigorous agriculture…strong farms, farming enterprises, interactive communities. Innovation and dialogue can help find connections between all of these that will lead collaborative problem solving. ECO-friendly real estate p[professionals, whose focus is the "green" market niche are in a position to act as a liaison.
We could enhance sustainable community … (1 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Asheville Real Estate 2007-2010: A "GREEN" Market ?
- 10/20/06 03:03 PM
Markets stats say that a trend toward sustainable housing , the so-called "Green Market" is assured. Possibly this has a connection to "a common good”, and/or possibly we are looking at dollar opportunity in the form of a growth industry similar to the computer industry 20 years ago. That industry produced more jobs, more income, a healthy economy. If I were to predict the direction of 2007 and beyond, I would be looking in the areas of environmentally conscious endeavor.
So, I'm looking out my lace-curtained windowrealizing it is not always easy to predict the "true colors" of the future,and thinking this could … (0 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Asheville, North Carolina Real Estate Turns Toward Green
- 10/19/06 12:05 PM
Although I am a Land Specialist in the Asheville and Greater Asheville, N.C. area — (I focus on conservation developments/Preserves such as Creston Preserve and the ECO Horse-Friendly Walnut Creek Preserve as well as other “ECO conscious” investment real estate)— at least once a quarter I amble on over to take a peek at what’s happening in residential sales in our area here in Western North Carolina. I don my (green) glasses and wander through the stats and then start a dialogue that is usually VERY interesting!
Here's the scoop from my research: Residential Sales in the Asheville and Greater Asheville Area – First Three Quarters+ 2006North … (3 comments)
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asheville green real estate: The Uncommon Advantages of the Unique Market Niche in Your Real Estate Practice
- 10/17/06 05:49 PM
Have you ever wondered what the secret of longevity in the practice of real estate IS? I have. I have spent many long hours pondering how to make my career prosper (and me , too) and have come to the conclusion that there are uncommon advantages in capturing unique the market niche, especially in my home town of Asheville, N.C.
First of all…a question…how do YOU pronounce “niche”?...Is it “neeesh”..or “nitch”..Last week I distinctly heard Candace Bergen pronounce it “neeeeesh” on Boston Legal…Oh well, it matters not how we pronounce it, really.. because the point is, finding a niche that works for … (7 comments)
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asheville green real estate: 1031 Like Kind Exchanges..7 DO NOT DOs
- 10/13/06 12:55 PM
7 "DON'Ts" 1031 EXCHANGERS Should KnowOver my years as a REALTOR® in the Greater Asheville, NC area, I have seen strong appreciation in the real estate market.
During that same time, I also have noticed with interest the increasing number of clients who are approaching creative-retirement ...the famous (or maybe infamous) "baby boomers".
I don't know if there is a connection between the baby boomers and 1031 investing in Asheville, but, just in the past few years, I can tell you for sure that the demand for information about 1031 Tax Deferred Exchanges under Carolina blue skies has "flowered".
( Carolina blue skies and flowers photo,by Green-o-Lina)Also, … (22 comments)
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asheville green real estate: 1031 Could = Pure Possibility for ECO Investors
- 10/11/06 11:47 AM
OK! What Are These 1031 Exchanges...REALLY!?? Some Say "Pure Possibility!"
We all may be familiar with the standard definition...."The 1031 Like Kind Exchange is a transaction that involves property held for productive use in a trade or business or for investment (except inventory and stocks and bonds) for property of the same type."
These little tax-deferral treasures have various monikers:"1031s", "Like Kind Exchanges", "Starker Exchanges", "Deferred Exchanges", "Land Swaps", "Trades". OH! and the 1031s can include real property, fleets of equipment such as airliners, trucks, buses, and so forth.
Maybe that's why I have met a few people who just worry and wonder about this tax … (3 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Land and What You Might Find There
- 10/10/06 12:44 PM
We were out previewing LAND this week. My Field Coordinator and I love this part of our work because, in part,we never know what might show up on our treasure hunts…
There could be a rutted mountain road –all dirt and wet leaves, tricky as all get-out to navigate, there could be snakes in the meadows there could be a breath-taking view all the way to Tennessee. So we follow the maps, find what we're looking for, and along the way get a sense of place and community. I, for one, enjoy the feeling of connecting I get when I walk the LAND and relate to … (7 comments)
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asheville green real estate: The "Broader View" Scenario in Value-Added Real Estate (part 2)
- 10/08/06 08:35 AM
Tonight I am writing about the "broader view" in value-added real estate investing- it includes natural capital.
I have seen many situations in which a real estate portfolio has grow via the 1031 Like Kind Exchange while it also was creating positive possibilities now and into the future . . .Here is one example . . .
A husband and wife team developed a plan for ecological land use in a Private Land Trust/Preserve.Throughout the thousand-plus acre Preserve they carefully, and over a period of years and by hand, carved out horse-friendly trails through connected wildlands.They then created picnic spots along the way where mountain laurels … (6 comments)
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asheville green real estate: ECO-WISE and Wonderful Real Estate Professionals, Resource for the Resources
- 10/05/06 03:12 PM
ASHEVILLE, N.C. (Buncombe County), 2007
We live in the mountains, a“sweet spot” for people who make choices for quality of life…..
Our view-sheds, valleys, waterfalls are natural gifts in-which to delight. And not only a sens of place, put the sense of community,an uncommon blend of neighborliness with “cultural progressive” verve, prevails here.
Possibly it's a magical blend of heritage of the indigenous peoples woven into the kilts of those who followed.
Like the Big Laurel River, a beautiful,” intact example of a healthy high mountain riparian ecosystem” where children play and churches baptize , and fisherman, paddlers, and grandparents converge, Asheville holds the promise of welcoming … (3 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Asheville GREEN Real Estate, The Buyers' Broker & Real Estate Relationships- Three Phases of Caring
- 10/04/06 04:30 PM
Real Estate Relationships. I think they are an art form! Do you?
Clients who are attracted to sustainable, value-added properties generally have “done their home work” and expect a certain level of attention and mutual interest. Maybe that's why, at our Firm (as seen in the photo here) we tend to start out by sitting around the table to talk about those mutual interests . .
Successful real estate relationships often not only revolve around locating and securing properties and/or marketing “them, but in recognizing that each relationship is as unique as each person is…
Over the years, we have come up with a formula that seems to … (2 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Asheville Development, Travel Patterns and Community Leadership
- 10/03/06 04:35 PM
I have a stake in what happens in my community. I am one person at work with my neighbors to make sure community leadership is responsible to me/Us. I know that public action can influence City Council.
Case in Point: Just this past month, right here in Asheville, a group of neighbors got together when we discovered that a developer was seeking permission to build 150 homes and route trafficdown a two-lane country road, already mighty dangerous. The neighbors held garage and bake sales, hired an attorney and used some legal clout to which city council responded.
Speaking of roads. . .As a REALTOR® I’m always … (0 comments)
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asheville green real estate: a closing gift that says I care
- 10/01/06 09:53 AM
" Welcome to Your New Home!"
Here's a closing gift I enjoy giving my clients as an expression of my appreciation. (see photo)
Iit will stay around and remind them of how much I care about them. Plants are special that way. I want a plant I give as a closing gift to stay healthy and around, so I usually include an "owner's manual" on the care and feeding of plants.
I call it The Unofficial Owner's Manual on the Life and Breath of Plants. And my Unofficial Owner's Manual is an odd mix of fact and hearsay with best wishes for long term survival in … (10 comments)
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asheville green real estate: green as green can BE, you see (part 2) remedies
- 09/30/06 04:31 AM
Yesterday I wrote about toxic glopp in indoor spaces and promised that today I'd get back with you to tell you about Simple Remedies.
Remember when you were in Fourth Grade and your teacher taught about plants and their amazing ability to absorb carbon dioxide and turn it into oxygen and carbohydrates? For those of you who guessed that the Green Remedy at hand is PLANTS (thanks for your comments) you get a big Green Star. Right on!
Plants have long been known as nature's air purifiers.
They maintain the oxygen supply on this planet…inside and out. In addition, NASA scientists discovered that indoor plants … (1 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Carpenter Bees. Watch Out!
- 09/28/06 01:51 PM
Recently, while touring properties with my agents, we noticed that several vacation homes had at one time been occupied by other than their occasional human residents. The tell-tale signs were obvious… the remains of the formidable carpenter wood-devouring bee. Carpenter bees are prevalent throughout the United States, so you may already be familiar with them. But just in case you aren't, here's a photo of one supplied by Wikipedia.
Here in Western North Carolina, you may find them foraging around flowers, shrubs and under the eaves of buildings. This bee even will bore into wood to make its home. And unlike bumble … (3 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Greater Asheville and of Western North Carolina -"We're Talking Sustainable!"
- 09/25/06 03:29 PM
The Greater Asheville and Hendersonville areas of Western North Carolina have seen an influx of people investing in real property, both land and second home investments, in recent years. As you can imagine farmland is disappearing at a rapid rate as the land opens to new development. Land-of-Sky Regional Council Fosters desirable social, economic, cultural and ecological conditions in the Greater Asheville and sustainable development.
Where “working the land” used to mean laboring to harvest corn, tobacco, hogs, cattle, sheep, and native plants, “working the land” now calls to mind bulldozers, cranes, and construction crews erecting residential properties.Still farming, noted for … (1 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Allergies and Your IAQ!(AKA ~ A B I G Sneeze from the Little Guy)
- 09/25/06 02:58 PM
Recently, on a family vacation to the ocean, one of our family members—we’ll call him “Q”— was overcome with a fit of sneezing upon entering the home we had rented for our stay.
The sneezing continued with little relief for what seemed like HOURS!. The poor guy couldn’t seem to stop sneezing and wheezing. Finally we headed over to see the Doc. The diagnosis: “Extreme Allergies”… “Take a look around the place for culprits: carpet, fabric, bedding,” we were advised.. “There are hidden toxins in every living space.”So, we were in the realm of indoor air quality and wondering where to … (2 comments)
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asheville green real estate: Remodeling with Light- Then and Now- Oh! The Solar-powered Delight.
- 09/24/06 04:28 PM
Remodeling is nothing new. Back in the mid-1700s Queen Maria of Portugal was into it...on a grand scale.
This portrait, courtesy of Wikipedia , seems to reveal a woman ready to make changes in her home... And indeed, Queen Maria began making sweeping changes in one of her castles built in the 1600s. This was to be the royal family's "Country House" and a summer residence. The palace would be her escape from the burdens of her work and a place where she could relax and enjoy life. It didn't happen overnight, but after many years, her place in the country, AKA "Second/Vacation Home" underwent a … (2 comments)
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One of my clients was in the market for older homes last year, but she was concerned about how these homes would stack up in terms of their home energy rating. As part of her investigation, she made it a point to discover if a home she might be interested in had a home energy rating. (HERS) Knowing that the home energy rating evaluates and measures the home’s energy characteristics, she could then easily compare the energy costs for the three or four homes she was considering. 
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