Asheville, NC

Is it time to start buying real estate in the much sought-after Greater Asheville, N.C. area ? Are you looking at 1031 Plan and thinking that a slow-down in the real estate market means watch out? Wrong! For our eco-savvy clients, seems to me there's a river of pure potential just beyond the brambles (see photo) and an exciting ride to "green" investing with lots of GREEN in sight.

It's all about sailing with your 1031 Toolbox in tow. Those tools: 1) Intuition-You have to be able to intuit where the basement is in a local market, 2) Timing- you have to buy at the "right" time, 3) A "Good-Eye" when it comes to buying/selling/holding in terms of real estate market trends, and 4) A Gift for Asking Spot-On Questions

True, the handy real estate investor needs to be able to accurately calculate the value of a property in a given neighborhood and maximize a property's appreciation, now and into the future (say 1 to 7 years). ( We can help!) But it is just as important to be able to intuit/predict where to unearth financing when lenders are dealing with icy to nearly frozen credit waters so as to enjoy a maximum ROI. (Again, we can help.)

I've been following real estate trends for many years. And I still believe that, over the long term, investing in real estate is a sound and valid undertaking if you are conscientious. The S&P/Case-Shiller® Home Price Indices paints a pretty grim picture, on the other hand. However, if you take into account the Baby Boomer Marketand the hunger for retirement mountain homes and land legacies in the incredibly beautiful Asheville, N.C, and combine that with a history of appreciation, and the HUGE demand for green-built homes in the Greater Asheville area, you may agree with me.

Investors, I see pure possibility for you. After all, in this real estate market, with the current slowing trend, you hold the reins. Here, for example, is something you would not have expected to find just a few months ago, a unique mountain home close to shopping, restaurants, downtown and not too far from the river you see in the photo, or the airport. This home started out at over $1,000,000. and the sellers are now asking less than $700K. The path that leads from this home takes you to ten acres of green space. Tell me- is this an amazing "bargain" for the discriminating 1031 or Baby Boomer Buyer-

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Read GREENOLINA'S newsabout mountain and valley neighborhoods, real estate, local day trips, picnics, and ecotourist attractions you'll just love. Curious aboutgreen building, remodeling and eco-communities ? ...Subscribe to Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG.

__~o
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(*)/'(*) .......... ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. ......................... .............

Buy Green Real Estate in Asheville? What's in Your Eco-Savvy 1031 Tool Box? The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved

Living "Green" seems to be about the positive momentum for Baby Boomers with 1031s .

I asked one of my 1031 Baby Boomer clients, who is a Big Fan of sustainable develpoment, what "living green" given the current economic climate meant to him.

He smiled.

A 1031 investor who drives a car powered by biodiesel, (see photo) he has been into low-impact living for some time. In fact, over the years, he has built up his 1031 investment nest egg in conservation real estate.

Still smiling, he confided that it means many things. Given the economic situation as of October, 2008, his 1031 timetable may be bumped up a year! He explains:

"Seems to me this is a time to advance (as opposed to retreat) due to 'bargains' I may be able to acquire in acreage. "

"Well," I have to tell him, " As a LAND Specialist, I've been watching LAND prices in Western North Carolina over the past many years. There may be a few bargains, but I have not seen a substantial drop in the price of large acreages. After all, LAND is a finite commodity, and LAND in Western North Carolina, one of the most beautiful places on Earth, is a treasure. "

My 1031 Baby Boomer client may do better to look at the 1031 possibilities in terms of eco-development on smaller. close-in acreages. He might be able to acquire a 10 AC parcel, for example, where he could drop in a good number of wee green homes with tiny footprints while leaving 8 acres as green space for community gardens, edible landscaping and perhaps a greenhouse.

For the 1031 Baby Boomer investor who wants to make something "Green" happen from his 1031 Exchange venture, here's a list

1) Take eco-friendly and considered action.
2) Include compassion for all living things.
3) Reducie impact ..low impact living.
4) Engage in a sustainable lifestyle.
5) Make eco-wise 1031 choices.

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Read GREENOLINA'S newsabout mountain and valley neighborhoods, real estate, local day trips, picnics, and ecotourist attractions you'll just love. Curious aboutgreen building, remodeling and eco-communities ? ...Subscribe to Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG.

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*) .......... ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. ......................... .............

1031s, Baby Boomers, and Living Green.The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) recently instituted a "GreenSteps" initiative with a series of instructive videos available for architects, other professionals and the public.

"There's been a lot of talk about changes in our climate lately. CO2 emissions, dwindling resources, and energy usage are growing concerns in every walk of life, " a spokesperson for the organization reported.

" AIA Architects, in particular, want to address those concerns. We strongly believe that the time for talk has passed, and now it is time to walk the walk. "

Photo courtesy of AIA

Living here in Asheville, NC, where real estate professionals and our clients more and more are in the know, and are demanding green-excellence in housing opportunities, I could guess that nowhere is that green-excellence more visible than right here in our fair city.

Certainly, the local Asheville, AIA Chapter actively is seeking to " work together to address issues of concern for our region such as historic preservation, smart growth, sustainability, green building, affordable housing and more."

** Here in Asheville, we have seen that sustainable design makes an impressive difference. We have also seen that it is important to feel knowledgeable and confident when exploring the Green issues including costs and design.

Many of the purveyors of green-excellence here in Asheville consider an historic effort by the American Institute of Architects, a boon. It comes in the form of a series of videos now available online called, " Green Architecture Resources for Clients." Researching these webpages I found information on

1) costs, including information about tax breaks and rebates, lower construction costs, reducing or eliminating the need for heating and air-conditioning equipment and the associated costs of purchase, maintenance and electricity, and on cutting energy and water bills by as much as half-

2) what actually makes a green building "Green" and

3) ROI tables where you can share the © GREENandSAVE RIO tables
with other people via the code provided.

...good info if you are interested in planning new buildings or the renovation of existing buildings-and have "green concerns". . .

GreenStepand the multipart video series on the benefits of green architecture are HERE> . Most of the series is already available and you can look for completion by the end of the year.

• Greenstep 1: Water Conservation - already posted.
• Greenstep 2: Smart Controls - already posted.
• Greenstep 3: Radiant Heating and Cooling - already posted.
• Greenstep 4: Vegetation for Sun Control - already posted.
• Greenstep 5: The Whole Building Approach - already posted.
• Greenstep 6: Green Tags - already posted.
• Greenstep 7: Energy Modeling - September 29
• Greenstep 8: Green Roofs - October 13
• Greenstep 9: Daylighting - October 27
• Greenstep 10: Choosing Green Materials - November 10
• Greenstep 11: Carbon Offsets - November 24
• Greenstep 12: Deconstruction - December 8

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Read GREENOLINA'S news about mountain and valley neighborhoods, real estate, local day trips, picnics, and ecotourist attractions you'll appreciate. Curious aboutgreen building, remodeling and eco-communities ? ...Subscribe to Greenolina's "Green Wheels" BLOG.

__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*) .......... ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. ......................... .............

The American Institute of Architects "GreenStep" Initiative. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved.

It is hard to say exactly what a "healthy" real estate market should look like. Prices and inventory seem to set the theme and "location, location, location" is not always the final judgement of health or desirability.

In a "normal" real estate market it is estimated that the housing inventory of homes for sale should be somewhere around 6 to 7 months supply. Asheville and Buncombe County are holding steady at about 15 months supply, on average.

The news nationally, almost constantly, is about the home prices going down as inventory goes up.

In Asheville, we are just now seeing a slow reduction in home prices, as the inventory sits at the top of recent high numbers.

The real area of concern appears to be on homes over $400,000. The worrisome market is the homes at or over $1 million. The number of sales per month compared to the existing inventory suggests a rather long term for that inventory to either shrink or see prices drop by large percentages.

Sales of homes under $285,000 seem to be stable with only a small excess in inventory. This would indicate that the "average" buyer has plenty of homes to choose from and most of them are at fair market value.

The question is....where are the buyers? It looks like September is going to be one of the worst months this year for unit sales, and the inventory usually picks up a little until November.

Residential Properties = Single Family Homes, Condos, Townhouses & Mobiles on Owned Land

An Energy Wise True or False Test was delivered with a smile to our client who purchased a wee rustic cabin in the mountains near Asheville with an energy-efficient mortgage.

Certainly, the place was in need of updating. The appliances were about as old as the structure itself, which is to say at least as old as your Great-Grandma, and so our buyer intended to replace them, immediately.

She wanted to know
1) what she could do to find out more about the various appliances on the market, and

2) for what she might be looking . . .

We had checked with the lender hoping that they would pay for an energy rating as part of the costs , but that didn't work out, so, as a closing gift, we gave her a gift certificate for services from a professional Home Energy Rater who could offer her the expert opinion she needed.

We pointed out that according to the US Environmental Protection Agency, "When buying an appliance, remember that it has two (2) price tags: what you pay to take it home and what you pay for the energy and water it uses, and, that being said...just for fun, in her gift card we also placed an amusing
Energy Wise True or False Test. (see below)...

Here's the test....Let me know how you do. I'll come back in a bit and place the correct answers in the comment section.

True or False

1.Federal law requires EnergyGuide labeling of many home appliances
T ____ F _____

2 ENERGY STAR qualified appliances incorporate advanced technologies that use 10-50% less energy and water than standard models.
T ____ F _____

3. Top-freezer models can use as much as 10-25% less energy than side-by-side refrigerator/freezers.
. T ____ F _____

3. Self-cleaning ovens are more insulated than other models , but will NOT save on utility bills. . T ____ F _____

5. Front-loading washing machines use approximately one-third of the water that conventional machines use to wash the same size load of clothing.
. T ____ F _____

6. Gas ovens and ranges use less energy than comparable electric appliances.
. T ____ F _____

7. The EnergyGuide label gives two pieces of information you can use for comparison of different brands and models when shopping for a new appliances.
. T ____ F _____

8. Appliances consume a significant portion of energy in the home.
. T ____ F _____

9. Appliances account for over 80 % of a home's total energy costs.
. T ____ F _____

10. The Energy Star^® label indicates that an appliance exceeds federal minimum efficiency standards by a specific percentage (15-20% depending on the type of appliance) or consumption level.

T ____ F _____

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__~o
-\_<,
(*)/'(*) .......... ............and always remember that " poets are soldiers that liberate words from the steadfast possession of definition." -Eli Khamarov ....... We are in a sustainable world, so grab hold of your Muse... dream that world... and make it happen!. ......................... .............

An Energy Wise True or False Test. The Eco-Steward Firm, ALL Eco-Certified® Real Estate Consultants! Copyright © 2008 All Rights Reserved

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