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GOING GREEN is really catching on. Buyers are realizing that "GREEN" is another word for SAVING MONEY on utilities etc. Let us HELP you understand!
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Tim and Nancy Schmidt Real Estate Brokers WE COULD USE YOUR HELP If you have any ideas or questions, please go to our CONTACTS page and send us an email. We would really enjoy any input from viewers. Thanks. "GO GREEN"!!
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FIND AN ECO-BUILDER, FROM THE GROUND UP Making your existing home more green is one thing. but doing it with a home that you’re building from scratch is another. The possibilities are endless… but don’t let that overwhelm you. “If you’re only comfortable taking a small step, and your neighbor is taking a small step, it all adds up,” says professional house planner Jack Thomasson, who worked on the HGTV Green Home near Hilton Head, S.C. (You may enter to win this eco-friendly dream home until May 9 at HGTV.com.) “There’s a cumulative effect of small steps.” Suggestions for Green Construction: - Find a Builder Who Recycles:
On the site, Thomasson used separate Dumpsters for metal, plastic and wood, plus one for miscellaneous materials. Scrap wood was used to make the bed in the master bedroom and the bunk beds in the second bedroom. Pipe routes that go directly from the source to the fixture increase overall water efficiency. Thomasson used spray foam insulation because it fills every crevice, keeping in air that has been heated or cooled. - Go for Long-lasting Materials:
If a product is durable, you won’t need to replace it as often, meaning you use fewer resources and less energy. From GreenSmart by Natalie Ermann Russell in the USA Magazine in the Weekend Grants Pass DAILY COURIER of 05/03/08.
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GETTING A GREEN MORTGAGE Green mortgages, or energy efficient mortgages, allow homeowners to use their commitment to the environment to leverage bigger loans. The green mortgage was born in 1979 when President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order directing federally sponsored secondary market institutions to offer consumers incentives for energy-efficient homes. The concept is based on the premise that a more energy efficient home will have lower utility bills. That savings can be considered income, allowing a homebuyer to qualify for a bigger loan. To apply for one, you'll need to provide a Home Energy Rating System report. HERS reports indicate that your house meets all energy efficiency guidelines. Homeowners looking to upgrade their home's energy efficiency can commission a trained Energy Rater to issue a HERS report suggesting efficiency improvements, and estimate the cost of those improvements, as well as the savings. (The cost is usually a few hundred dollars.) A builder can provide proof for a new home. From: USA Magazine as part of the Weekend Grants Pass DAILY COURIER, April 12, 2008 issue.
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BUILDERS GET CREATIVE TO LURE BUYERS! Median home price up a bit in February. The real estate ad in one Saturday's DAILY COURIER - headlined "Best Value in the Valley" -- caught several people's attention. Some are curious how a yet-to-be-built, 1,854 s.f. "Classic Craftsman" home will cost a buyers just $204,900. Veteran Grants Pass home builder Dwight Faszer says the ad is correct, and he's ready with plans to build a home that just a year ago might have cost at least $50.000 more. He's reserved six city lots in a Redwood area subdivision where he can build houses at that price. "My objective in designing and sizing and pricing this home was to bring a more attractive, entry-level home to the market for less money," Faszar says. He can do it, he says because building material costs right now are relatively stable. With less demand, prices haven't gone up. Also, "My subcontractors are very anxious to keep food on the table." Faszer adds. "This way, we all make a living. We can deliver a product that sells, and we all make a little profit." Faszer is among home builders getting even more creative this spring to attract buyers. They, along with brokers, are hoping spring buying fever infects fence sitters in a still-slow real estate market... from the Grants Pass DAILY COURIER, March 21, 2008 issue.
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GOING GREEN GAINS MOMENTUM IN TOUGH REAL ESTATE MARKET Green building is coming of age! Question: Who thinks the new world of green building and "going green" has the capacity to rescue today's real estate market?
Answer: Anyone who manufactures, sells, processes and represents any products or systems that use renewable energy for their main source of power. Add to this any service or business dedicated to creating a better living space for the occupants of our build environment, whether it be residential or commerical. Today, even as we are seeing many lose their homes, or "going under" because of slowing sales in the real estate sector, there is a quiet revolution happening for all to join in and prosper from. The new world of "going green" is crating as much opportunity as the historic gold rushes. We consumers are smart today. You cannot simply sell us any home. It has to produce better and more lasting results for lower utility bills in the near future. It must be better for ourliving environment. A property must not only meet our needs, but more and more consumers are demanding that they exceed those needs. We used to move every 5 to 7 years. But experience makes me feel that consumers want to stay longer. The home they buy or rent must be healthier. Similarly, to keep employees happy and coming back, our workplaces must offer more. Our lifestyles are changing, and this is reflected in our ideas of home purchase, or when corporations decide to move their offices or build branch visibility. Today we know that green buildings boast documented higher productivity and lower absenteeism rates, which follows from the healthier materials used. Many more people are beginning to accept the fact that first costs are not the only factor to consider when building or renovating. It is the life of the structure that is being considered. And so I encourage everyone to join the new revolution. Everyone must begin to make a difference. As consumers, begin to look at the long-term value of the renovations you invest in. In the long run, you will see a difference in your bottom line. Kerry Mitchell is the founder and course developer of GREEN REAL ESTATE EDUCATION, which if on target to educate more than 20,000 real estate professionals in going green by 2009.
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6 WAYS to teach your kids how to be GREEN! Children are never too young to treat the Earth with care. Here are tips to help them learn. Few things are more exhilarating to a child than nature (think mud pies and fireflies. And you can help them appreciate it. Giving your children organic foods, toys and clothes is one way to teach environmental lessons. But there’s a lot more to raising green kids. Read on for surprising tips and ideas: Read your kids books with “green” themes. Good for the environment: Early lessons teach kids to act conscientiously as adults. “There’s always the classic THE LORAX by Dr. Seuss, whihc is about saving the trees,” says Jen Boulden, co-founder of eco-lifestyle site IdealBite.com. Two more good ones: OUR TREE NAMED STEVE by Alan Zweibel and THE GIVING TREE by Shel Silverstein. Good for you: Reading with your children is great for bonding, especially when there are lessons learned. Bring your kids to the farmers market. Good for the environment: Kids who appreciate what the Earth can provide will take better care of it. Good for you: Free Knowledge. “Farmers markets are places to learn. They’re the new public squares,” says Michael Pollan, author of THE OMNIVORE’S DILEMMA, who often takes his 15-year old son to them. “I want him to know farmers and understand that carrots are a root and not a glossy orange bullet that comes in a bag. And I want to teach him not to waste food, because he sees where it comes from and how much work goes into producing it. Use flushable diapers. Good for the environment: Each year, 3.5 million tons of disposable diapers are put in landfills. The Environmental Protection Agency found cloth diapers to be less expensive (even considering all the washings), but they aren’t convenient for most parents. The new solution? gDiapers’ flushable diapers, which are safely reabsorbed into the ecosystem (gdiapers.com). Good for you: No buildup of stinky disposable diapers in the trash can. And no loads and loads of wash from cloth diapers. Don’t brown-bag it. Good for the environment: Pack a reusable insulated bag with lunches instead of a paper bag that will get thrown away (more trash!). Good for you: “Insulated bags can be rolled up and tucked away,” Boulden says. And because they’re insulated, they’ll keep that yogurt chilled. From an article in USA TODAY from the Grants Pass DAILY COURIER of 12/28/07.
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WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL? It's a little cliche but true nonetheless, your children and your children's children will inherit the world that we create today. So, the child will, more likely than not, chew everything edible and non-edible in his/her sight. Now there's motivation to make sure your child's playthings are green and healthy! Here we'll give you the scoop on how to find more sustainable and less toxic toys for your little TreeHugger so you can do good for your child and the environment. TOP 5 TIPS Here are 5 highly effective ways to go GREENER. Hit it! 1. Look for PVC-free: PVC (aka polyvinyl chloride) seems to be everywhere we look. Some beach toys, teethers, dolls, and even (gasp) rubber duckies are cheaply namufactured with the environmentally dubious material. A dioxin-producing powerhouse, PVC releases toxins into the environment all the way through its lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal. Many PVC toys also contain phthalates, chemical compounds that make the PVC plastic more flexible, which initial studies have linked to both cancer and hormonal disruption. Although the long-ter m effects of phalates on youngsters is not fully known, we fully subscribe to the idea of an ounce of prevention now over a potential pound of cure later. 2. Wood is Good: Look for FSC-certified wood to find sustainable toys that will last generations longer than the cheap plastic stuff. For the little ones, untreated, unpainted wood is safe to chew unlike plastics tha contain PVC. When you child is done, wooden toys can be passed on to a relative, friend, or even sold on eBay or Craigslist to give it a second life. The FSC certification is important, it ensures that the wood you buy has been forested responsibly, allowing for sustainable growth. 3. Power down: Batteries have become second nature in most toys today. Not only is this a terrible problem when these toys get disposed of, who wants to give their child the opportunity to chew on a battery? For the young ones, decide if all the battery-powered noise is worth it. Could you child stay just as entertained with a simpler toy, one that might even let you keep your sanity. For the older ones that absolutely must have the newest electronics, look into rechargeable batteries to eliminate waste. 4. The great outdoors: The most rewarding toy may not be a toy at all. It might be the act of planting a tree or a vegetable garden. Want a truly carbon neutral activity for your kids? Play tag or hide and seek. Getting your wee ones outside provides them with abundant opportunities to run around, have fun, get exercise, and learn about the urban and natural environments around them. You probably remember time spent outside with family and friends in your youth...your kids will too. 5. Second-hand magic: Just because a toy has been used once doesn't mean that it can't be just as much fun the second time around. Check out eBay, Craigslist, Freecycle, yard sales, or your local classifieds for perfectly good toys that have simply been outgrown. And, don't forget that you can always give that some toy a third life (and recoup some of the cost) by putting it up for sale right where you found it. BY THE NUMBERS Want the real deal? Here's where the rubber meets the road. 1. Americans purchase around five billion batteries each year and leave behind a minimum of 146,000 tons of battery waste annually. 2. One fourth of total pesticide production each year is used on conventional cotton crops. 3. In 1999, the European Union banned six phthalate plasticizers from children's toys designed for kids younger than three. The legislation became mandatory in 2006.
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