CONCRETE Innovations and Design Trends

Asheville NC Real Estate - Smart Renovations 2010  include. . .  CONCRETE!

In the Asheville NC real estate market , where eco-friendly features such as concrete innovations and design trends add-value to residential properties, I have been asking, " Are you ready to discover one of the newest design trends that actually is as old as the Roman Empire? " 

Discovery :: The "New Concrete"- colorful, fine-fashioned, and with shining surfaces, the new concrete offers solutions in sustainable innovation that  I daresay could have astounded Caesar himself.  According to Wikipedia,  in the Emperor's day,  the "Concrete Revolution, freed Roman construction from the restrictions of stone and brick material and allowed for revolutionary new designs both in terms of structural complexity and dimension."  

Today, in that same spirit, revolutionary new designs in custom concrete provide solutions --
"stadiums-full" of property owners can applaud. Solid, dependable, "concrete solutions" that make sense for both indoor and outdoor use.   

Speaking of stadiums, how about this concrete solution from Elite Crete?

stadium   decorative concrete

Exciting :: Kitchen remodeling ideas that include concrete countertops with integral sinks and backsplashes, kitchen islands, fireplace surrounds, concrete patio designs and walkways- and more...read on with the next installment of this series as I take you on a tour ...

AshevilleNC Real Estate:     LAND in  Asheville . Going Green Properties. Expert Tools for Sellers and Buyers of  Mountain Homes and Land Legacies. "On the roll for  sustainable  innovation." See also our Mountain Homes and Land blog. http://landlegacies.blogspot.com/ 
Copyright
© 2010. All Rights Reserved. Asheville NC Real Estate       __________________________

HOME SWEET GREEN HOME HOLIDAYS

HOME SWEET GREEN HOME HOLIDAYS

There's no place like home, especially during the holidays. And best of all you can save time, energy, and money by "traveling" your own neighborhood. Think of it this way... everything you need is right at home. And you and your family can pretend you're a tourist visiting your own town. 

Here in Asheville the Biltmore Estate is one place we plan on visiting. Did you know that .if each family reduced holiday gasoline consumption by one gallon (about twenty miles), we'd reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one million tons?

Here's a list of neighborly going green savings tips: 

  • Rather than piling up "stuff" under the tree, think about what friends and family really want or need. Try giving gift certificates if you don't know what someone wants, or simply make a donation in his or her name to a favorite charity. 
  • Give gifts that encourage others to use less stuff, like a book about making crafts from reusable items, cookbook for leftovers, reusable tote bags.
  •  We love homemade food or something our neighbors made from reused items. 

What would you add to this list? 

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............ green real estate Asheville: GOING GREEN: Mountain homes and land legacies, socially conscious investing, rolling into a sustainable  world. Create it today for tomorrow. Find eco-friendly LAND. Build a green home. GREEN Real Estate, Retrofits and Relocation: ECO HOMES AND LAND. Serving Asheville's Eco-Friendly-Home, Relocation LAND Clients. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  http://landlegacies.blogspot.com/

Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved the green real estate Asheville Journal

Neighborhood Infusions -One Sunday in Asheville

 Neighborhood Infusions 

These are my favorite neighborhoods,       
the out-of-the way bits
guarded by ancient oaks,
and here and there, distinguished with
a friendly fence someone recently painted-
not white, but with an infusion of color: lavender
to grace the red-to-orange geraniums
in terra-cotta pots
that hang out on the other side. 

I like the histories: The foot trail wide
and so well-worn
that runs along a stream
and leads back, in human-time,
to seventeen and ninety-four
to a Cherokee
who walked this way, like me,
but then it was a narrow trading path.

And if I turn my head just-so as I meander,
a Rose-Breasted Grosbeak or a
Scarlet Tanager
, or a
Yellow-billed Cuckoo, or a
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, or even a
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
may call out in the same song
my fellow traveler heard so long ago
and, with this particular infusion of "color"
bridge  two hundred years and more,
so we can meet.

Now the days are wrapped in bone-cold chill,
the mountain mists press down upon my rooftop.
Should others cover up in blankets or in scarves
hand-woven in grey and purple and plaid,
I will not.  I have seen how muses paint
in shades of true.
I will relish the first bite of winter
bare-headed, though bald I am,
immerse myself in an array
of hues and never-ending colorful infusions.
And I shall greet each passer-by
with at nod that says,
 "All's Well!"

bald and beautiful

 for Jack and Ginny

 Thymoma Cancer Information

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

an infusion of color, ASHEVILLE NC   

~^~ jA Narrin, Wind-in-the-Feather Asheville, NC, The Spirit Ridge Collection  Asheville, 2009 

 

 

for healing a THANKSGIVING

 

Photo taken at Hickory Nut Forest,
Eco-community
,
as I walked the trail.

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

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great paint without the poisons! Asheville-based company news

Not long ago, Tom Rioux came to talk with us about PAINT.  No ordinary paint, mind you. This is elegant paint and no wonder. Tom is an elegant person.

I am not saying this because he dresses in Armani , which he does not. I am saying this because he is a class act. And I am saying he is a class act because Tom shows impressive and stylish excellence as he walks his talk.

I have the impression other people are a lot healthier because he has invested his time and energy for that purpose. Yes! You can have great paint without the poisons! 

Beauty. Strength and Sustainability all wrapped up in his creation which is known as  EARTH PAINT.  According to Tom, who knows first-hand what the chemicals in everyday paint can do to the immune system,  

Beauty is about

  • Natural Sophisticated Elegance.
  • Color, using standard or our No VOC (retailers) colorants

Strength is about

  • Old style longevity with today's Green Movement consciousness
  • Long Life Cycle factors

Sustainability encompasses

  • 100% Wind Power Energy!
  • Biodegradable
  • 100% Wastewater Recycling
  • Competitive Pricing / Fair Wages
  • No materials from overseas

Our colleague Mary Bigelow  will be excited to know that Earthpaint is the first paint company to use 140% Wind Energy offsets! And now you have the opportunity to be impressed with Tom ,too.Here he is on video. Let me know what you think....

  

  

  

____________________________________________________________________ GOING GREEN: socially conscious investing keeps on rolling into a sustainable world you can create today and tomorrow with eco-friendly land where you can build a green house and then help the environment by recycling. GREEN Real Estate and Relocation: OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL ECO HOMES AND LAND LEARNING TOURS. Serving Asheville’s Eco-Friendly-Home, Relocation LAND Clients.. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

Asheville "Scene " Around Town Video Series

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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Asheville Area Fall & Sustainabilty Workshops

Dateline Asheville, North Carolina, August, 2009Fall in Asheville
Real Estate News and Views
from Green Asheville's
"On the Go 4 Sustainability" Eco-Steward

You can expect more than a color tour when you visit/relocate to Asheville this Fall.

Check out The Ashevillage Institute"colorful" array of Fall offerings. Today they announced the Fall Series of upcoming workshops . The workshops cover various areas of interests, but all pertain to sustainability.

They are:

Bee-Keeping - August 29 & 30 
Natural Building, 5 day - September 9-13 
Natural Building, 3 day - September 24-26
Backyard Sustainability - October 3 & 4
Urban Aquaculture - October 12 & 13
Natural Building, 2 day - October 14 & 15
Rainwater & Greywater Catchment - November 6 & 7
Natural Finishes: Plasters & Paints - November 13 & 14


I know which one I'm going to for sure, How about You?? All workshops are held near downtown Asheville at the Institute. DETAILS and registration at http://www.ashevillage.org/avi/events_projects.php

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__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............with OBJECTIVE FIDUCIARY COUNSEL & Asheville Short Sale Consults. ECO STEWARDS' LEARNING TOURS.Serving Asheville's Stay-in-Your-Home, Relocation LAND Clients..

On the GO 4 Sustainability:  "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved

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Asheville's GREEN Home/LAND Tour of 2009

The 2009 Buncombe Green Home Tour was a lively happening on the last Sunday of April.  The tour , whichasheville green home tour starting point is  self-guided included about 50 Healthy-Built homes. Interested "tourists" picked up brochures at Board Office or simply downloaded the Green Home Tour's brochure from www.green-hometour.com. (You may want to take a peek at that!!)

FEATURED on the Green Home Tour -Asheville's  existing green homes for sale and pre-construction green developments.  

ALSO those attending could opt to learn about eco-friendly LAND USE.   

David Brannon,  Landscape Architect, SiteRhythms  and David Tuch Landscape Architect, Equinox Environmental  gave stellar presentatations on a variety of topics from sustainable land planning to environmental resource assessment during the tour.  Those topics included:

•. LAND Planning & Design Land Suitability Analysis •  Site and Eco-Friendly Building Design  •  Site Resource Assessment •  Site Development and Our Steep Slopes  •  Green  Buildings & Communities  •     Mountain  Ecosystems You Must Consider  • Tree Protection and  landslide Protection... • Conservation Easements & Private Land Trusts   Purchase of Development Rights  Farmland Preservation and more

                    

group explores GREEN HOME

                                              

  We are excited about the turnout for this tour and the obvious interest in green land planning, eco-wise development and green-built homes.

(photo shows a green home being visited.)

We hope to see you in 2010..or BEFORE!

at one of Eco-Steward's GREEN LEARNING TOURS

 

 

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________

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

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

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

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

Asheville's GREEN Home/LAND Tour of 2009A. sheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
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Asheville NC Neighborhoods -Albemarle Park: Favorite READ ABOUTS Series. Part 1

From the ASHEVILLE AREA NEIGHBORHOODS TO LOVE Series : ALBEMARLE PARK (Part 1)

Let me start by saying...  Once upon a time, approximately 11 miles from downtown Asheville; or 7 miles from the where bustling Patton Avenue intersects Highway 63; or 5 miles from dear "Green Asheville's" city limits; or 1/2 mile from the new Leicester Post Office, there was a beautiful organic farm-  

HOWEVER......for those of you who want a glimpse CLOSE IN before we head out there here the first of our series on  ASHEVILLE AREA NEIGHBORHOODS TO LOVE...CLOSE IN neighborhoods and their parks...ALBMARLE PARK

ALBEMARLE PARK of which Cottage Living says, "Like Cheers, the famous TV bar, Albemarle Park is a place where everyone knows your name. A mile from downtown Asheville, Albemarle is equal parts refuge, extended family, and happy hour. Each of the storybook homes has a name, such as Dahlia, Fox Hall, and Chipmunk..."

Homes: Thoughtful sustainable design and "green up-fitting"represents the character of Albemarle where tree-lined lanes accentuate a cottage scale, and street signs that make your on foot or fuel-efficient vehicle over approximately 42-acres a delight.

Sloping land leads to charming cottage-style homes. These may be rustic bungalows or shingle-clad Dutch Revivals, yet, while styles vary, design consistency-in the building materials, cottage scale, and street signs-graces Albemarle Park with a unified feeling.

Neighbors: Like most neighborhoods in Asheville, NC, the folks who live here (many of whom are "Cultural Creatives  -- architects, designers, teachers, authors, doctors, poets, lawyers, and gallery artists) are known for old-fashioned neighborliness. Here you can meet neighbors at the Autumn chili supper, Earth Day cleanup and brunch, and Easter parade.

Shops and Hangouts: Walk on over the short distance or ride your bike to the excellent Charlotte Street City Bakery and watch the on-going the historic restoration in the building in which it is housed. Or you can go a few blocks closer in to downtown for a Late at Starbucks.  The Asheville Board of REALTOS' HQ is right around the corner from City Bakery.  Collect a picnic at the Bakery and meet us for a tour of Green Homes nearby.

 

 

Neighborhood Parks Greenspace: (see photo) Right at Albemarle's center is a unique neighborhood park called The Circle.  Thomas Wolfe once performed there. During winter, families meet there to sled; in summer, neighbors hold a concert series, and oh my the colors of Autumn call to residents and visitors, alike....for an after work ramble with their dogs.

Pet Friendly: Yes!

Price Range: $500,000 and Up...NO  homes available at this time
____________________________________________________________________________________ 

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

Asheville NC NEIGHBORHOODS Favorite READ ABOUTS - 2009  .The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved.

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A Note to Buyers and Investors.

FOR OBJECTIVE REAL ESTATE COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants contact our Eco-Friendly Team via email links here, or at 828-255-1082 . ... design your dream , give us your checklist , or start by simply seeing   Asheville, North Carolina on one of our GREEN ARROW "Just Looking" "green" LIMO Tours .

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

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: MARKET OUTLOOK-It's GREEN (Part 4).

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: MARKET OUTLOOK-It's GREEN (Part 4).

Cloudy days in the real estate market? Not so for eco-friendly buyers isunny days in ashevillen the Asheville, NC area. ... 

 "Sunny days" (see photo )are still to be had. And, as I  reviewed the happenings in the real estate market here in the Greater Asheville area, I recognized bright trends and forecasts. 

Yes, to some extent, we have felt the effects of credit tightening and the sub-prime mortgage crisis.

But consider this:  Demand for green built homes has only increased.

And, in Asheville, it seems to help drive our market in a healthy trajectory.

For those relocating to Asheville:

Appreciation figures for  real estate markets across the U.S. can be found at the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight  but  there follows data I have collected for our very special area of interest in the
real estate market here in Asheville: GREEN REAL ESTATE. . .I've compiled data (below) for "GREEN-Built" Homes, ECO-Friendly Developments/Lots, Farms & Land /Acreage (20-100 Acres), Farms & Land /Acreage (100-500 Acres), Horse/Equestrian Properties w/ Residential Amenities, Luxury Residential and Second/Vacation Properties on at Least 5 Acres, and Special Gems for Baby Boomers.

2007-2008 to  2009  Real Estate Market Review & Trends ECO-Friendly Market Niche
Buncombe County & The Greater Asheville, North Carolina Area

"GREEN-Built" Homes and/or Energy Star
Closed in 2007- 2008  Eighty-two ( 82) 
470  NEW NC Healthy Built Homes ...

NEW CONSTRUCTION due shortly in 2009 
Six hundred eighty one (681)

                  
Currently
Available Over $1M:  14
Available  $500- $1M :  20
Available  $300-$500K: 46

Available  $200-$300K:  58
Available Under $200K: 16

NOTE: "GREEN" NC Healthy Built Homes...DUE in 2009  681


LAND /Acreage (20-100 Acres) :                   
Currently
Available Over $3M: 16

Available  $1M- $3M: 124
Available  $500- $1M: 132
Available $ 300-$500K: 115
Available $ 200-$300K: 83
Available $ 100-$200K: 36
Available Under $100K : 3

Look for Part 2 of this report SOON. It includes stats  and news about

  • Horse/Equestrian Properties w/ Stables & Residential Amenities
  • LAND /Acreage (100-500 Acres)
  • Luxury Residential Properties on at Least 5 Acres and Second/Vacation Homes in the Mountains
  • Special Gems and Tax Incentive for 1st Time Home Buyers...Just FYI
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Curious about sustainable Green real estate possibilities ? Simply pedal on over to  Convivial Blogger Greenolina's  "Green Wheels" BLOG  and SUBSCRIBE 

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

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: MARKET OUTLOOK-It's GREEN (Part 4).The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Note to Buyers and Investors.

FOR OBJECTIVE REAL ESTATE COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants contact our Eco-Friendly Team via email links here, or at 828-255-1082 . ... design your dream , give us your checklist , or start by simply seeing   Asheville, North Carolina on one of our GREEN ARROW "Just Looking" "green" LIMO Tours .

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

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate Market Outlook-It's GREEN (Part 3) "GREEN" Financing and Tax Incentives (Part 3)

Asheville "GREEN" Real EstateMarket Outlook-It's  GREEN (Part 3) "GREEN" Financing and Tax Incentives (Part 3)

 There is a bright outlook for home and land buyers here in the Greater Asheville area.

asheville nc outlook

Take for example the financing power in terms of energy efficient mortgages. ..and Tax Incentives.

 

(photo is one I took of the Asheville sky line...there is a bright outlook here)

According to the Residential Energy Services Network  An energy mortgage is a mortgage that credits a home's energy efficiency in the home loan. There are two types of energy mortgages:

  • Energy Improvement Mortgage - Finances the energy upgrades of an existing home in the mortgage loan using monthly energy savings
  • Energy Efficient Mortgage - Uses the energy savings from a new energy efficient home to increase the home buying power of consumers and capitalizes the energy savings in the appraisal  

An energy mortgage is credits a home's energy efficiency in the loan.

Not long ago one of our clients obtained such a loan through a lender who is on the Green Referral Team we enjoy working with here in Asheville.  The home they chose went through a HERS Rating process and was shown to be energy efficient. That meant that they could buy a higher quality home because of the lower monthly costs of heating and cooling the home.

On the "green upFit" side another client chose to purchase a home where the energy efficiency was just calling out to be improved. In that case, the loan concept allowed for money saved in monthly utility bills to finance energy improvements. 

2009 Obama Stimulus Package according to Earth2Tech means thisfor eco-friendly buyers and investors:

  1. The stimulus package expands tax credits for more energy-efficient appliances and insulation improvements, for a value of $2 billion over 10 years.
  2. It also provides $300 million in matching funds for state rebates on energy efficient appliances and increases government spending on weatherization for low- and middle-income homes (annual income of $32,000 or so for a family of four, depending on the state, according to CNNMoney) to $5 billion, up from the current $500 million per year.
  3. Public housing projects get $250 million for energy-saving upgrades.

2009 Obama Plan according to Energy Star  offers credits for energy efficient home improvements

The highlights are: The tax credits that were previously effective for 2009, have been extended to 2010 as well.  The tax credit has been raised from 10% to 30%.    The tax credits that were for a specific dollar amount (ex $300 for a CAC), have been converted to 30% of the cost.  The maximum credit has been raised from $500 to $1500 for the two years (2009-2010). However, some improvements such as geothermal heat pumps, solar water heaters, and solar panels are not subject to the $1,500 maximum.    The $200 cap on windows has been removed.

 Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency includes: Tax Credits for Consumers                                   Home Improvements   Windows and Doors   Insulation       HVAC                                                 Geothermal Heat Pumps    Water Heaters  Biomass Stoves   Solar Energy Systems                                  Small Wind Energy Systems   Fuel Cells

 All commercial and private buildings are eligible for a 10% grant in lieu of tax credit for the total cost of installing geothermal systems

But how does it affect you?  Let me know....and look for Part 4 for more on this subject
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Curious about sustainable Green real estate possibilities ? Simply pedal on over to Convivial Blogger Greenolina's  "Green Wheels" BLOG  and SUBSCRIBE 

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

Asheville "GREEN" Real Estate and Relocation: MARKET OUTLOOK-It's GREEN (Part 3).The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved
___________________________________________________________________________________________________

A Note to Buyers and Investors.

FOR OBJECTIVE REAL ESTATE COUNSEL from Eco Certified ©Real Estate Consultants contact our Eco-Friendly Team via email links here, or at 828-255-1082 . ... design your dream , give us your checklist , or start by simply seeing   Asheville, North Carolina on one of our GREEN ARROW "Just Looking" "green" LIMO Tours .

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