Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog

Mountain View "Land For Sale 43 Acres! "  read the FSBO (owner's) hand-painted sign tacked to the fencepost next to the property my client and I had come here to see.

We looked at each other. "Should we?" we asked in unison. "Seems like we outta'... " And so we stopped in our tracks on that country road.... I'm still recovering from my broken shoulder, so my client had to steer as we backed up... carefully.

Just then, who should arrive at that very FSBO Land for sale sign but a man whose blue eyes you could see twinkling from across the road.  "You folks need help?" he asked, engagingly. "Do you happen to know who owns this property?" we asked.  "That would be me" he replied with a chuckle.

And so began the saga of a fabulous afternoon in the mountains near Asheville, NC, as we explored this land for sale by owner.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Scouting the Asheville mountain area for land for sale  is always an adventure, especially if it is mountain land for sale by owner.  This time, I felt a "nudge." Over the years, I have learned to pay attention to such things. If you have ever walked land that simply "speaks" to you, you will know what I mean.  My generously understanding client, who may have  known first-hand the complications of a shoulder injury, grabbed the steering wheel from the passenger side and took charge of directing the back up on this mountain road. It looked as if he actually was having fun. He will relocate to Asheville when he finds the "right" acreage. I figured he might appreciate the synchronicity...and a fortuitous detour.

If you like the idea of investing in land legacies,  immediately you could see the potential for a gorgeous

eco-development...
or a private estate...
or a wee organic farm...
or acreage in trust with tax advantages...
or a horse ranch...
or an equestrian community since trails, we discovered, are already in place. ..
or an artist's haven...

There are numerous sunny garden spots, (see garden shed close by in this photo with mountain views.)

The creek (see photo above) is ripe for family fun,  and there is a great watering hole for horses....

and ..yes!...there is even a campy cabin with a view to distant mountains. (see photo below)

Later the owner of this beautiful acreage emailed me this note (I could almost see his blue eyes twinkling as I read :

Hi JaneAnne,

I hope your shoulder is feeling better. Thanks for taking the time to show your client our property.
(SEE PHOTO LINK) 

That's right!!! This parcel is under priced as raw land but is improved and being groomed as a horse or cattle ranch. Build your dream home or[eco] subdivision here. This would make a phenomenal Horse property with many riding trails and almost completely fenced.

Plenty of privacy. Great infrastructure, marketable timber, pretty meadows, nice roads and cool paths on this 43 acre parcel with tons of extras. 2/1 Mobile with underground electric, well, 4 bedroom septic, outbuildings and more.

Bonus rustic cabin (see photo) with wood stove for your campy guest or would make nice big playhouse. Goldfish pond at Cabin could be used to water livestock. Good roads and paths. Gorgeous park like meadows with breath taking MILLION DOLLAR VIEWS. Nice woods and abundant wildlife. ... Great creek runs along property at the garden barn. Plenty of deer and turkeys. ... nature lover's paradise....Great location, Nice neighbors, Lots of Privacy.

The sale of land is a unique activity in the practice of real estate.   There's much to consider including that "nudge" that has something to do with a sense of place.  But what does one look for when hunting for "the right" acreage?  Here is a partial list of things to take into account:

Appraisal -time for and costs
Survey -time for and costs
Utilities - availability to/at the land and private/public and costs
Sewer/Septic/ Well - availability to/at the land and private/public and costs
Water Quality and Availability - private/public and costs
Air Quality, Sights, Sounds and Smells
Lay of the Land and Soil Quality Evaluation- and costs
Solar Orientation
Elevation
Natural Hazards
Zoning Requirements
Deed Restrictions
Easements and Right-of-Ways
Financing
1031 Investment Potential
Conservation Land Stewardship Programs and Tax Advantages

So, we recommend objective counsel from local real estate experts, (the Eco Stewards) and consulting with land professionals if you spot a sign that says, "Land For Sale By Owner."

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............" We are on the roll  for  sustainable  innovation."  Unauthorized reproduction of any information on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws. All rights reserved. - Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-Asheville NC Real Estate  Land For Sale by Owner Asheville© 2011.  

 As a  REALTOR® dedicated to the concept of enduring excellence and sustainable innovation,  and as an old schoolteacher, I’m always excited about improvements in education.  

To have an opportunity to visit an educational facility that combines both, I am nearly ecstatic!. And I’m beaming because I,  and others,  just received an invitation from Architectural Design Studio, PA, Asheville, NC. to make a site visit to their project.

 This is a new Intermediate School where a conscious decision to raise the bar includes the use of sustainable design practices to levels that will earn U.S. Green Building Council recognition. Consider these benefits:

Bus and automobile entrances are separated for safety and controlled access
The building is oriented for gathering light from due south.
Site features include the Art courtyard,
the Farm,
Water retention features,
Amphitheatre,
the North Hemisphere,
The Planets and
Recycle areas 

all of which contribute to the school's LEED qualifications and support the learning program.!!! Can you tell I’m thrilled??!!! Well, if there’s any doubt, I am. This old teacher is smiling right down to the middle of my heart as I read my invitation: 

  “The floor plan is organized along a central “main street” corridor, and primary common-use spaces such as the Cafeteria, Media Center and Administration are immediately accessible from the stair tower at the building’s core.  

Regular classroom wings are paired at either end of the building, providing each grade level its own space and identity.  

Interior partitions of braced metal studs and reinforced gypsum board give added flexibility for reconfiguring learning spaces to meet future changes in educational programming.” 

Do you know how great this is??? Oh! I’m almost ready to head back to the classroom- set up my bulletin boards and enjoy the atmosphere:  

“Classrooms and core spaces make extensive use of daylighting and soundproofing to provide an optimum environment for learning.  

The HVAC system utilizes a high-efficiency boiler and chiller, domestic hot water is pre-heated in solar collectors, and rainwater will be harvested for use in site irrigation. 

 Other sustainable strategies employed include the use of recycled and recyclable materials, installation of highly efficient electrical and plumbing fixtures and maximizing the development of open green space on the sites.”  

AND this new schoolhouse is currently on track to receive LEED Silver certification. YES!!!!

_________________________________         xoxo        ______________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ~~ Asheville NC Real Estate Journal for Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville 1031 Realty© 2011. My Designations: NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant, ePRO®. Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos and graphics on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

* INFORMED CHOICES* THOUGHTFUL ADVICE* DATA INTERPRETATION*
 Email me janeAnne@janeAnne.com  or give a call at: 828-776-0773

-Timely Real Estate Talk- The School to Which You'd Sure Like to GO- GREEN Asheville Style Back to School-GREEN Asheville Style
Asheville 1031 Realty, Inc © 2011.

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MKS

Asheville Real Estate Journal
REALTORS®-- If Gas Mileage is important to you andyour clients, check this way to get 40 MPG out...

So you desire 40 miles per gallon(40 !! MPG) ? I have an answer for you, and,  it can come from your local restaurant.

North Carolina is fifth among the 50 states in use of biodiesel-  And in Asheville, NC this July,Blue Ridge BioFuels  opened the only commercial biodiesel pump in Western North Carolina. I asked them about their source for this fuel and discovered it comes from Asheville area restaurants' waste vegetable oil. Good thing about it? It burns cleanly in any diesel engine., " reported Brian Winslett, who "walks the walk" when it comes to being eco-friendly. Brian's goal is to produce 500,000+ gallons a year.

Blue Ridge BioFuels has a two-fold objective:

1) Educate potential users 
2) Bring locally produced clean-burning products to Asheville and Western North Carolina.

" I mostly try to ride a bicycle,"  said Brian Winslett, the almost 30-year-old general director and part owner of Asheville-based Blue Ridge Biofuels Cooperative.

 But when he has to drive, he uses the

nonpolluting biodiesel fuel that his company makes from used cooking oil.

What kind of gas mileage?? "Forty(40 ! )  miles to the gallon."

xoxo

BusinessNC.comreports:  " Customers bought about 1,000 gallons each week in the first six weeks. Blue Ridge Biofuels gets used cooking oil - most of it free - from 25 restaurants and filters out particles and water. The oil is then heated, and lye and alcohol are added. Every gallon of filtered vegetable oil yields a gallon of biodiesel, and nontoxic glycerin is the only significant byproduct. No engine retrofitting required .

FYI: 
1. Biodiesel can also replace heating oil! 
2. If you join the boiodiesel coop, you can get a discounted price on the fuel.
3. Blue Ridge has five employees, 100 member-owners and a nine-person board
4.Customers include Warren Wilson College and UNC Asheville. 

See my first post on Blue Ridge Biofuels

 ________________________________________________________________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Email me  janeAnne@janeAnne.com Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  Forty (40 ) MPG© 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MKS

Asheville Real Estate Journal

Froehling & Robertson, Inc. will present an AIA approved presentation in Asheville July 20, 2011. Entitled "Addressing Code Compliance"  and the "SIGNIFICANT CHANGES"in the updated International Building Code (IBC,) the  presentation will  familiarize design professionals, building officials, plans examiners, special inspectors, contractors, construction managers, and others in the design and construction industry with the some of the more important code changes.

  Subjects /'Reference Materials  

(photo shows local Asheville eco-savvy builder explaining green-related building)

• Institutional Occupancy Code - What are the changes in IBC 2009, Table 1604.5?

• Group R-3 Special Inspections Exemption - For which projects has IBC 2009 deleted this exemption?

• Code Clarification - How does it affect stability analysis and load combinations for retaining walls?

• Structural Steel Table 1704.3 - How does the code update expand the language on snug tight bolts and trusses?

• Concrete Table 1704.4 - The updated guidelines regarding anchors installed in hardened concrete.

• Masonry Table 1704.5 - How was it expanded to incorporate and clarify new ACI 530-08 and 530.1-08?

• Changes to the Soils Section - How do they affect geotechnical reports and contract documents ?

• Helical Pile Foundations - A new addition to the Code.

• Sprayed Fire-Resistive Materials - What's new?

• Geotechnical Criteria - How has it been reorganized and clarified in Sections 1803-1804?

• Section 1705 Statement of Special Inspections - The addition of seismic-force-resisting systems to the Code.

• Deep Foundations

Contrasts Work Together

we are the same.
and we are different.
all of us.
yet, together we can take wing,
fly to the east
with the clouds.

~wind-in-the-feather~

__________________________________________________________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Email me to request a copy of EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit- janeAnne@janeAnne.com  Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MKS

Asheville Real Estate Journal
Invest in What is Important to You via 1031 

1031 investors not only have latitude, but an intriguing menu from which to choose not only here in Asheville, but across the USA via the 1031 Exchange Plan. So the question becomes: What really matters to you? Convenience? Room for growing? A place to save for your grandchildren- a land legacy? An outstanding natural area? 

Convenience
Several years ago, an eco-minded 1031 investortraded her beachfront resort condo with its cumbersome property management woes, for the relative freedom of a land purchase. It may be half an hour in to downtown Asheville, but the "convenience factor" of  low maintenance is important to her. A fifty-plus (50+) acre tract with incredible natural features, this mountain beauty demands only that she remember to bring a picnic basket, "set-a-spell" by its waterfall... (see photo)

 1031 and Room for growing
She can see her children and grandchildren and even generations to follow hiking up to the knoll to see the sunset, staying to camp out with her under the stars - or there may be plans to build a small home....  

A place to save for your grandchildren- 1031 or land legacy
his land-gem could qualify as an "outstanding natural area." To watch over it for generations to come, this eco-savvy investor could create a private land trust with protective covenants.  Now she would be looking at additional tax advantages.  

An outstanding natural area
Acreage must qualify as an "outstanding natural area," under the U.S Department of Interior's Land Management program. http://www.blm.gov/wo/st/en.html  It must have particular features and natural character:

It must either provide habitat for rare or endangered species of plants or animals, or have scenic or other features of scientific or educational value. And should it turn out that our 1031 green investor chooses to build there in the future, a conservation restriction she can impose at the time of purchase, customized to the needs of both the buyer and the land, will allow for  limited construction under strict guidelines that protect the property's natural assets.

 _______________________________________________________________________________________

 __~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Email me to request a copy of EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit- janeAnne@janeAnne.com  Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence

AH! :Life on the edge of the storms near Asheville this week!  Check out the mountain views right from our cabin door here in North Asheville (see mini video.) You may find yourself adventuring with those majestic cloud creatures who travel from west to east, looking for wildlife and enjoying the sights and sounds above the land.

There are numbers of amazing and eco-friendly residential and building sites here in the mountains within minutes of downtown Asheville. One, like this,  may be yours!

I SAW THE VERY EDGE OF THE STORM IN THE SKY TODAY

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE.
Email me to request a copy of EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit- janeAnne@janeAnne.com

Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos and videos on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MKS

Asheville Real Estate Journal
1031 Like Kind Exchange and LAND for Eco Development 

Recently, a large acreage investor and I were talking about "green" investment strategies and concerns about the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange process. He had heard by the grapevine, and mistakenly believed, that he absolutely had to acquire property exactly like the property he was about to relinquish. 

In searching for a 1031 Like- Kind Exchange he was puzzled when it  came to  how he would be able to locate an eco-friendly exact match for here the Asheville, NC area for his three-story brownstone back East.

Finding an exact match when you are looking for land for an eco-sensitive development is not required, I assured him. And so we went exploring...and found this!

Photo  at Hickory Nut Forest Eco-Community Near Asheville

And while we may have a limited supply of three-story brownstones, he could select from is a wide variety of exchange properties. Eco-investors not only have latitude as far as choices go, but a "cascadding" menu of land for eco-sensitive development and/or conservation from which to choose under the 1031 Exchange Plan.

 ________________________________________________________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Email me to request a copy of EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit- janeAnne@janeAnne.com  Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville 1031, The Eco-Steward Real Estate Firm, Inc.  © 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________ xo-----

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MBS

In Part 1of this series on investing in eco-friendly land purchases,I mentioned that an investor might set aside 1,900 of 2,000 acres of rural land to protect a watershed, to create a trail system for hiking and equestrian pursuits.

A conservation-oriented group might also restrict use on 200 acres of such a parcel for a nature-education center for the public.

Or an investor might designate a 15 acre parcel for a green-built cluster home ecovillage.

 Becoming more and more popular these days is the Audubon sanctioned golf course...so investors might envision a LEED Certified Golf Course like Justin Timberlake recently re-built near his home town.

That's rural land...now what about urban land...

***

 An eco-friendly urban land investormight envision a LEED Certified, "green" office building, multi-family, or planning an affordable housing project.All of these options are mighty attractive! Eco-minded families, who have lived in our bioregion for a very long time, "green" builder-developers, and newly arriving sustainable property investors, carry in common the desire to take good care of their surroundings while enjoying prosperity.  

Bottom line-it's about the very special reward that is mutually beneficial and stewardship.  

For the eco-wise investor who has done the land use and envisioning homework,, there are so many exciting ways to produce positive outcomes including the possibility of tax advantages such as those available through Federal and State programs and the 1031 Like-Kind Exchange as defined by section 1031 of the Internal Revenue Code, 26 U.S.C. § 1031.

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________The Asheville NC Real Estate Journal . Mountain Homes and Land Legacies- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE.  Email me to request a copy of EPA's Sustainable Design and Green Building Toolkit- janeAnne@janeAnne.com

Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of existing copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011.
828-776-0773

________________________________________________________________________

"This professional REALTOR® has an eye for extraordinary value
in Mountain Homes and Land Legacies, green-living communities,
and properties of enduring excellence."
 ~ MS, Asheville, NC