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

2012- Looking Ahead  - Supply and Demand
For real estate professionals and our clients, keeping an eye on real estate market trends and how the industry may function in the future can be a  key to success today…and into the future. “We have a limited amount of resources available and more and more people using them up. If we want our future generations to enjoy the same standard of living we've experienced, we need to take action, “ reports the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

NAR suggests a great place start the process is with green building. Whether that means new green construction or an energy efficient (green)  remodel, participating in looking ahead in terms of  sustainability certainly has benefits. “Buildings consume 14% of potable water, 40% of raw materials, and 39% of energy in the United States alone (according to the US Green Building Council). That's 15 trillion gallons of water and 3 billion tons of raw materials each year.”  ( NAR.)

But what about the “appeal” of a “smart”  home?  Here’s a video you may find of interest. http://www.greenresourcecouncil.org/green_videos.cfm

On a personal note: Calculate your carbon footprint here.
http://www.greenresourcecouncil.org/find_your_carbon_footprint.cfm

This North Asheville certified LEED Platinum  home is a dream come true, and it is cost effective, too.

Featured in the Home & Garden section of the Asheville Citizen Times
(see article, Dec 10,2011)  

this “true green” new construction in Asheville is solar-powered and  “hyperefficient.”

According to the happy owners, “ Capturing energy from the sun and managing … utility costs has never been so easy…. solar panels generate clean power and are helping [us] to become energy independent.”

Big News -Consumer Savings

Even on a chilly day, this home is a cozy 74 degrees with warmth coming from the floors (heated by solar panels.)  Solar power provides hot water from the 75 gallon storage tank.

Seems like the happy owners are well on their way to achieving their goal of “net zero” energy-  zero net energy consumption and zero carbon emissions annually.

I met with Hazy Oberski for hot chocolate today. Hazy, one of our colleagues here at AR, not only is a top-producing REALTOR® here in the Asheville area, but a big lover of LAND, as I am.

Hazy  always takes time to express thanks. When I posted recently about the upcoming season of giving, and wondered how to express my thanks to clients and friends, she introduced me to Send Out Cards--eco-friendly greeting cards you can design yourself,  printed on recycled paper, Made in the USA...stamped and sent from the USPS! WOW!!!~ That is quite a gift for my business and personal communications.

THANKS HAZY! Thank you for reaching out to me. ..and for sharing  some time this afternoon…even if only for hot chocolate.

Possibly an attitude of gratitude starts within, and then it just expands….to family…and friends…and neighborhoods…

As I drove home after our meeting, still feeling grateful,  I decided to stop by St. Mary's Church. Constructed in 1914 in the English Gothic Revival style, this building in our North Asheville neighborhood maintains its beauty and welcoming atmosphere. 

 I never fail to enjoy just looking at the red brick church  with that  stone foundation and steeply pitched gabled roof. Something about the windows (pointed arches with leaded glass diamond panes) speaks to me of continuity and hope.  

As such it is just one of Asheville’s inspiring architectural gifts for which I am grateful ....

Wishing Y'all a HAPPY THANKSGIVING

Gratitude on a Sunday in Asheville

This Asheville Sunday, as I look across the mountains— the morning mists veiling bright surprises to come— I pause feeling deeply and gratefully the allure of this natural splendor. I am mindful of the intrinsic joie de vivre that emanates from this Land. And I am grateful for being in this special place.

Visions of great-grandchildren, and even generations to follow, hiking up to the knoll to the south of our cabin to bask in the sunrise come to me now.

We have spent many years watching over this protected valley.

The hawks, the bears and wild creatures have startled us with their energies, providing moments of delight. We are thankful for all of this.

.

Resource: Stewardship- An outstanding natural area

Asheville area Land may qualify for 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.

Asheville Real Estate Journal
Land Planning

  Water run-off takes the line of least resistance on a dirt road. I can say that without a shadow of a doubt as I regard our rain-soaked slope today.  We notice that our road needs a wee bit of old-fashioned TLC. Time to remove obstacles - fallen branches and tumbled debris. Time to fill in the mighty ruts. Time to control the flow of water that can affect those downstream.

Mountain Road Planning and Development- I readily will admit that some of this repair work could have been avoided with the site design and construction expertise of David Tuch. "Even the best laid plans can go awry without proper site controls, documentation, and construction oversight, " David  tells us. His company,  Equinox Environmental    furnishes necessary construction details and documents such as sediment and erosion control plans, grading plans, construction details and specifications.

 Enter local hero, Ray. (see photo) Ray's hard at work on this June morning with mountain mists and a muddy mess as his companions.

________________________________________________________________________________________ 

__~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.Mountain Road Planning and Eco-Sensitive Development

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."

Ashevile Real Estate Journal   

A fluttering movement caught my eye as I sat writing the Asheville Real Estate Journal today. I grabbed my camera ready to capture the movement on the law in video format, if possible. I bounced up from the desk, scampered out the door and,  as I rounded the south railing of the deck,  I spotted what appeared to be a rivulet of brown feathers. Next came the sound of  a mother calling and the flow of wee poults in their mother's wake.  I turned on the video and captured this: a dozen or so wild turkey poults foraging on our lawn-   Can you spot them? They are wee-tiny creatures! (Mother is peeking out from behind the tree)

According to Wikipedia,  "Hens lay a clutch of 10-14 eggs, usually one per day. The eggs are incubated for at least 28 days. The poults are precocial and nidifugous, leaving the nest in about 12-24 hours." 

 

For me it is yet another unexpected Asheville delight....
in yet another eco-friendly neighborhood
Let me know what you think...

(Photo shows wild turkey toms in Asheville turning tail
and heading towards the woods. . . .)

_____________________________________________________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________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. 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

________________________________________________________________________ xo_____

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

"There will be peace in the valley for me, some day
There will be peace in the valley for me...
There'll be no sadness, no sorrow ...
no trouble, trouble I see
There will be peace in the valley for me..."

AS SUNG BY ELVIS

Elvis Presley Peace in the Valley
Written by Rev. Thomas A. Dorsey

Asheville, North Carolina- Sunrise, Memorial Day 2011

__________________________xo____________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________Asheville NC Real Estate Journal. Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  - Asheville NC Real Estate  Asheville - "Peace in the Valley" Elvis© 2011. 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 existing copyright laws. All rights reserved.

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

Flower Drinking Sun - Asheville-Style

_____________________________________________________________

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 existing copyright laws.

All rights reserved.

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

Asheville Real Estate Journal 

Interested in sustainable commercial real estate? Asheville's the place to be a "tyro" - noun: One who is beginning to learn something.- and there is much to inspire that. 

Take for example, this week's offering from Assistant Professor of the UNCC School of Architecture, Kyoung-Hee Kim. She holds a Ph.D and M.Arch from the University of Michigan and degrees of Bachelor of Engineering and Master of Engineering in architecture from the Chonbuk National University, Jeonju, Korea. 

Kim teaches in the community as well, focusing on the integration of art and building physics, performance based design, and climate responsive building envelope within a sustainability framework.  She will be teaching a Lunch and Learn for the AIA tomorrow (May 25, 2011) - entitled  Designing a More Sustainable Building Envelope.
___________________________________________________________________

__~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________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...."  (  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 existing copyright laws.

All rights reserved. Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  - © 2011.Asheville Sustainable Lifestyle Asheville NC Real Estate ... 

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

A "Kiss" in the Clouds- Asheville Style

___________________________________________________________________

 __~o
 -\_<,                                       
(*)/'(*)   ________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...."  (  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 existing copyright laws.

All rights reserved. Eco-Friendly Mountain Homes and Land Legacies-  - Asheville NC Real Estate  © 2011. ________________________________________________________________________

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