Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog: North Carolina: Asheville: Fairview

REALTORS® are paying attention to the green building trend sweeping the country. Our Asheville real estate clients are demanding eco-friendly quality and we are listening.A National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) survey points to the eco-friendly trend in building as one  "which applies innovative and environmentally sensitive construction techniques and products to reduce energy and water consumption and improve residential comfort and safety."

Indoor Air Quality- A Safety Issue?

"Safety" frequently is thought of as an out-of-doors consideration. But indoor air quality (IAQ) -   removing harmful air-borne elements from indoors- from stale air, to toxic pollutants given off by building materials, and possibly radon gas which seeps into buildings from soil through small openings in foundations - can be a very serious issue as well.

Think of  IAQ in terms of homes sealed tightly: windows closed to retain heat or coolness and cut down on energy costs, and you will see what makes IAQ a potential safety issue.

This week in Asheville, AIA is offering a Lunch and Learn (June 8-Contact AIA) on how indoor air quality can be enhanced. Here is continuing education and insight on how daylight from above can help overcome modern design challenges when applied correctly, while also providing major green benefits.

 Sustainable and Green Building - utilizing solar technology, improving indoor air quality, and improving energy efficiency
 Daylighting - control, product selection, and code compliance
 Building Trends - roof lines, building materials, and overall home construction
 Overcoming Design Challenges -  achieving balanced light, and lighting the core

Natural light from above can reduce energy costs and make living spaces more attractive and enjoyable- something both REALTORS® and our clients appreciate!  
Further ?:  IAQ and Natural Light Kudos

Light Pollution
Allergies
Beneficial Plants  

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(*)/'(*)   ________Asheville NC Real Estate Journal. Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  - Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011. "...only one in three million citizens can provide thoughtful advice to a fellow human being instead of immediately shifting the topic to their own personal issues or what they had for lunch...."  GREEN-FRIENDLY :81% of homebuyers would prefer to buy an eco-friendly home rather than a standard home.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  
- Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011. 828-776-0773

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

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 Asheville Real Estate Journal

As I pondered the items on one of my Listservs the other day, I came across a simple but elegant "ad" from a land-buyer here in Asheville. Originally written in  prose, the words, the tempo, and the sentiment were so lyrical that they called to my heart. I translated these to verse and asked permission to share it then with you...and here it is...one of the most beautifully -written ads I have ever read...

... looking to live our lives simply ...
                       ~ KJ Laurro

... looking to live our lives simply ...

on two-plus acres of land
with a small simple home
a creek or stream
 
a few outbuildings. Flat land to garden
and have some animals.
Some trees also.
 
If someone has something like this,
and it means something to them
to know
 
that we would tend the land with a gentle hand and care for it with our hearts
fully invested in creating a way
 
to walk lightly and organically
and lovingly-
then please contact us....
 
 
We are eager to live within easy-reaching distance of Asheville . . . .

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(*)/'(*)   ________Asheville NC Real Estate Journal. Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  - Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011. "...only one in three million citizens can provide thoughtful adviceto a fellow human being instead of immediately shifting the topic to their own personal issues or what they had for lunch...."  (  the reason why my Team and I choose to work only  with "Grownups".....)  -GREEN-FRIENDLY :81% of homebuyers would prefer to buy an eco-friendly home rather than a standard home.  NAR GREEN®, EcoBroker®, Eco Certified ®Real Estate Consultant. INFORMED CHOICES. THOUGHTFUL ADVICE. Unauthorized reproduction of any information including photos  on this site is a violation of exi

sting copyright laws.  All rights reserved.

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

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

Can a "Luxury" Home also be "Green"?   If you think that it is possible for a home to be both a "luxury home" and  eco-savvyyou are one person who has given some thought to how the building is to be used.

Flexible design a key feature in green-built homes. Size and function matter when you are talking about environmental impact. In fact, size can be quite a lively, if not controversial subject with our green buyer clients and eco-friendly builders and developers.

Can a "Luxury" home also be "Green"?

As you consider  your answer, you may want to take into account the relationship between size and  sustainability.

After all, some people will tell you that  "luxury" real estate may come in many shapes and sizes. There are small footprints with three-stories rising in the trees and lots of square footage, there are larger footprints set neatly into the landscape.  

And then , too, you have to think about the green features. There are homes sited to take advantage of solar benefits.  And, there are those very large homes designed to take advantage of nature, or privacy, or  architectural excellence; signature homes that may, in some cases, offer eco-savvy features.

 Can a "Luxury" Home also be "Green"? YOU DECIDE.

I'm going to tell you about one of those cases right now; one that involves Amazing Views, Green Design & Ideal Location . I am going to tell you this story from the point of view of the artist/builder, a custom, eco-informed builder  in Asheville, NC.  And I will share a list of green features so that you can decide if this home, considered by many to be "luxury home" is eco-savvy...

What the green builder will tell you: "The home takes advantage of desirable Southern exposure, a passive solar design, and a large covered deck which maximizes the visual connection to nature on 3.5 acres of pristine forest with commanding year round mountain views.

The home was built using green design principles ensuring energy efficiency, health and low maintenance while providing an elegant ambiance and a close relationship with the surrounding environment. The home was sited to maximize the mountain views and the preservation of the existing hardwood trees and the flowering rhododendrons. Hiking trails and the best that nature has to offer await right at your back door [and there is ]  a beautiful and edible landscape featuring strawberries, blueberries, fig & cherry trees." 

GREEN BUILDING Specs:

 Green Building Attributes: 1. Passive solar design 2. low maintenance exterior 3. highly insulated exterior walls and roof 4. high efficiency variable speed heat pump 5. recycled kitchen cabinets 6. milled on-site cleared and wind-falling trees 7. recycled greenhouse plastic vapor barrier under cement pad 8. natural boric acid termite treatment 9. foiled faced rigid insulation on roof 10. low VOC sub-floor and interior paint 11. low maintenance native and eatable landscape 12. landscape rocks (walls and paths) were obtain on-site and within 1 miles of building site. 13. Over 90% of lighting is fluorescent 14. Grided and finished cement floor adds thermal mass and low maintenance 15. tight high quality Hurd windows 

Design: The main objective was to preserve the mature hardwood trees and rhododendrons while taking advantage of the southern exposure with good "green" and passive solar design. A significant design element is the large south facing sliding glass doors in the great room and bedrooms. This design configuration brings daylight deep into the house, connects the interior space to native hardwood trees, offer pristine views of the mountains, while the southern exposure allows for solar energy gain.

 
The kitchen, living, and dining areas are one big space with large areas of glazing on south side. These windows are protected during the hot summer months by the mature deciduous trees, adding to the house's overall energy efficiency. The north and west face has minimum window area. The color palette (bronze) of the exterior surfaces are dark, absorbing solar energy during the winter months. The abundance of hardwood trees around the house keep it cool during the warmer seasons while also maintaining complete privacy. The net result is extremely low energy use with an average utility bill of less than $50/month. All domestic energy demands are 100% electric supplemented with a wood burning stove. 

Construction: The house is built using basic stick framing with low maintenance cement board siding trimmed with western red cedar. A maroon-color standing seam metal roof adds aesthetic qualities while contributing to the sustainability and low maintenance of the exterior. The interior woodwork is highly crafted of fine hardwoods milled on-site. 

Landscape Design:The 3.5 acre site is blessed with an abundance of mature hardwood trees, native rhododendrons and mountain laurels. The house site was carefully placed on top of a sloping knoll so as to maintain the largest oak, hickory, and maple trees and the many native (flame) azaleas. After careful thinning of the wooded area, native plants were incorporated into the landscape, such as oak leaf and flowering hydrangeas, ferns, dogwoods, hemlocks, rhododendrons, hollies, irises, daylilies, laurels, hostas, etc. Many low maintenance edible fruit bearing plants were added including blueberries, strawberries, cherry trees, service berry and herbs. Finally, an area was designated to accommodate a vegetable garden. All planted vegetation is grown organically utilizing the site's top soil supplemented with organic fertilizers and generous amounts of on-site produced compost. 

HVAC:Force air heating and cooling- Trane high efficiency heat pump 14 seer rating, 34,000 BTU/HR Max Blank (Mfg. in Germany) woodstove with baking oven. All HVAC duct work and air handler are within the insulation envelope of the home.

Site: A beautiful south facing mountain property was an opportunity to design a contemporary passive solar home that limit the disturbance of native vegetation while maximizing visual connection to nature. The 3.5 acre site is located  just a 15 minutes from downtown Asheville and 15 minutes to the regional airport. ..and offers complete privacy, sloping land, mature hardwood trees, southern exposure, and 180 degree pristine mountain year-around view. 

Exterior Materials:Hardi panel cement board accented with Vermont slate roofing shakes, vertical grain western red cedar and mahogany, standing seam metal roof, ipe (ironwood),
white oak and locust decking (milled on-site), stainless and galvanized steel fasteners. 

Interior Materials:Painted drywall, quarter-sawn white, red oak and hickory floors, quarter sawn oak, walnut, and cherry trim, white oak/steel tubing baluster, split-face block, granite counter top and hearth, stainless steel counter tops, and T&G spruce cathedral ceiling in great room. All hardwood flooring and trim were milled (quarter-sawn) on-site from building site trees and wind fallen trees found near the site. 

Cabinetry:Custom built and recycled kitchen cabinets (birdseye maple faced drawers and doors featuring Blum hardware with full extension under-mount slides and soft close blumotion). Bathroom cabinetry utilizes black cherry, mahogany, white oak, black walnut, and stainless steel.

Windows:High Efficiency Hurd sliding doors and windows. Anodized bronze aluminum cladding with wood interior. 

Insulation: Formaldehyde free fiberglass wall insulation R19 and R30 (1st level). Foil face polyisocyanurate foam insulation under 1st level cement floor R14, behind block walls R17, and roof R42

Now to your evaluation and your answer to the question. For sure, this home is a LUXURY HOME.
So- Can a "Luxury" home also be "Green"?  
Let me know what YOU think. . .

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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 

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(*)/'(*)    ..........      ............to keep on rolling into the sustainable  world you can create today and tomorrow!. .........................    .............

Can a "Luxury" Home also be "Green"? .The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants!  Copyright © 2009 All Rights Reserved.

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Asheville Area Neighborhoods:  Fairview Forest and the Asheville NC -Fairview Community

        Asheville NC's  neighboring FairviewCommunity boasts a sumptuous mix of desirable homes and land. Take, for example, theprivate community of FAIRVIEW FOREST. It enjoys approximately 700-800 acres, almost a hundred homes, and nearly ten miles of roads. Such are the dreams of golfers, retired executives, and investors in second and vacation homes.  Here a diverse group ranging from young families to retirees which includes writers, artists, consultants, service providers, and administrators enjoy a sustainable, eco-friendly community.

Ask me why I loveI love the Fairview NC area and Fairview Forest. I love it because homes are sited to takea dvantage of views and passive solar opportunities. I love it because the Green Space situates itself to maximize the sense of place and community. I also love it because it may become an intriguing investment opportunity and a boon to my clients who own a second/vacation home there.

Tiger Woods' Golf Course Adjoins Fairview Forest

          1. What impact will the new golf course community have on the immediate area?

          2. Will the new community, and "upscale development" take into account
              the principles of sustainable design and development as Fairview Forest has?

          3. Will there be damage of consequence to theenvironment and the view-sheds
                  that make Asheville and surrounding areas do desirable?

          4. Will the developers use eco-wise site practices?

          5. Are trend-watchers predicting home and land appreciation in adjacent neighborhoods?

To answer those questions, community members attended a review of the new golf course development at a Buncombe County Planning Board meeting in downtown Asheville. Of course, volunteers on the Green Space Committee who look after the hiking trails and areas of the green space in FairviewForest were plugged in to that meeting. ...More about the outcomes and the the 2010 opening of High Cliffs Carolina.            

In the meantime, what if you saw the investment opportunities and were looking for a well-priced second/vacation home in Fairview? If you were, I happily would introduce you to Head Football Coach Bill" ("most winning coach -EVER" and about to receive a lifetime achievement award from the university at which he taught for many years) and his talented wife, "Sue". The couple invested in a second/vacation home in Fairview Forest and found they loved Asheville so much that they decided to make it their permanent home. I asked the couple about their mountain "digs" when I listed the property this week.

     "People tell us the home has the feeling of a sanctuary-camp with plenty of room for entertaining family and friends to visit. And also plenty of room to get away," they laughed.  

Bill, whose trophies decorate the ground floor offices and additional guest spaces, loves the outbuilding with electricity for his wood-working projects. Sue, with her skill for interior design, has just put a fresh coat of "neutral tone" paint on the walls, and new carpeting in the bedrooms. The fireplace is glowing. The hardwoods are shining. The smell of apple pie baking fills the open, eat-in-kitchen, and the wrap-around decks sparkle in the sunlight. 

          How can y'all leave this gem filled with such welcoming ambiance?" I ask.

         "Although we sure are going to miss this place, wea reready to settle down on a little more Land," they tell me.

         "It has given us privacy, the mountain views we wanted, time to consider, and a wonderful place for our pets- and visitors. We've enjoyed life on the mountain and this community. And knowing that Tiger Woods has decided to design his first American golf course right next door, we are excited about the investment prospects for the Fairview Community and Fairview Forest.  

         "Tell me a little bit about Fairview Forest,"I ask in hopes of better understanding the
          special nature of this community they obviously love.
          (and you can look for more information on my personal website)

About Fairview Forest
According to HOA information, "Fairview Forest is made up of a private-sort of folks who are informal, want their privacy and who are friendly and available in time of need. It is not a close-knit community as you might find in the typical suburban development of formal streets, manicured lawns, and country-club type setting. The residents are a diverse group ranging from young families to retirees which includes writers, artists, consultants, service providers, and administrators."

Bill tells me, "Of course, stories about Tiger Woods' Western North Carolina endeavor have played form Ashevilleto new York, to England and Australia. Look at this articlein the Mountain Express."   

Stories"... shine a bright spotlight on our town. .. It's bound to generate some interest when the best golfer in the world says the decision to design his first U.S. course here was ‘a no-brainer'... [According to Tiger] ... ‘You just have to experience the property... Even an idiot can't mess this up.' In addition, if anything will, a Tiger Woods-designed course should seal the region's reputation as a Mecca for Golfers. Besides Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Tom Kite and Phil Mickelsonare all involved in designing courses in WNC. "

Now, as I sit with my clients, I am thinking ....WOW! Put this all in the context of Bill and Sue's 3 bedroom two-and-a half bath "gem" and you can see nothing but pure potential! Thoughtfully sited on 2.78 acres, it takes advantage of huge shade trees, and affords that exact mixture of privacy and mountain views that attract very smart people!"  

Who could ask for anything more? How about.... a FairviewCommunity Energy Smart Home on Land and Stream   or a Second/Vacation Home with a "Social" Kitchen??  

Contact me  or visit my website for real estate information about the Fairview Community, Equestrian and Golf Propertiesand Asheville's Fairview Forest.

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