North Carolina

When it comes to being an Eco-Star every home can shine
...even an old "castle"...

Simple changes at home can add up to real benefits for your family, neighborhood and the world. Here's an ever-expanding list of things you can do to retrofit or GreenUP an older home that Sharon Simms over at the ECO-All-Stars Group started .

Steve Dalton added to it, and that's how the "seed" that Sharon planted began to "sprout". Soon, John Cilladi, REALTOR, EcoBroker, e-PRO told us about a fluorescent light bulb he has had since 1994 that is still going strong after 13 years. WOW! Is that amazing, or what??

OK y'all! I'm liking this conversation.

It's Spring! And I got to thinking "Spring Cleaning" ...and recycling. Did you know that according to the National Institutes of Health we generate about 208 million tons of municipal solid waste a year! That's more than 4 pounds per person per day. GLUNK!

SO! Recycle in your castle. You could recycle glass bottles, save electricity and create countertops like this one by IceStone that offers " an environmentally friendly alternative to natural stone and solid surface materials. The non-porous, durable and heat-resistant qualities make them a good match for kitchens and bathrooms. <S> Because the material can be shaped, cut, inlaid or mounted it can used for of applications from backsplashes to countertops to flooring. Due to its high recycled content, IceStone materials can be used for LEED qualification."

By the way! IceStone received a Silver certification from Cradle To Cradle (one of my favorite organizations) for its commitment to environmentally intelligent design."

Here's the list...so far...
YOU ARE MOST WELCOME to add your Spring GreenUP Tip for Older Homes

1.Tankless water heaters. Very popular in Europe. Hmmmm. Maybe they know more about preserving castles.

2.Compact fluorescent bulbs. You can replace the incandescent bulbs, one at a time as they burn out. John's record for fluorescent bulb: 13 years! (see above)

3.Radiant Barriers. Reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, and thus lower heating and cooling costs. The barriers consist of a highly reflective material that reflects radiant heat rather than absorbing it.

4.Solar Panels . Modular panels that can be designed to meet any electrical requirement, no matter how large or how small.

5. Weather stripping. Caulk and check is as needed. And check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your area.

6. Natural stone and solid surface materials. Love this one (See link above)

7. Geothermal Heat Pump Systems. Replace your old one when the time comes. They use 25%-50% less electricity than conventional heating or cooling systems and save money.

8.Task Lighting. Direct light where you need it. Save energy and money.Good for romantic cooking. Better than candlelight they tell me .

9. Renewable Energy. According to Wikipedia this is "energy derived from resources that are regenerative or for all practical purposes cannot be depleted." Try solar-powered outdoor lights . Consider, too choosing renewable energy from your utility to even producing solar electricity at home with photovoltaic (PV) cells. Also check out Wikipedia for more info on renewable energy in the form of:

• • 1.1 Wind power
  • 1.2 Water power
  • 1.3 Solar energy use
  • 1.4 Biofuel
    • 1.4.1 Liquid biofuel
    • 1.4.2 Solid biomass
    • 1.4.3 Biogas
  • 1.5 Geothermal energy

10. Sayeth the U.S. Department of Energy

Green-o--Lina!

Photo courtesy of our Firm's photographer.

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Copyright © 2007 All Rights Reserved Asheville ECO Real Estate: Trends, Legacies & The Home Place Greenolina

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With a little push , I have been forced to face my selfish comfort zone of living "large" (as in the newfound term Carbon Footprint) and feeling..well..guilty!

I was raised by wonderful parents that instilled conservation on a daily basis- "Turn the light off", "that is enough water" , "dont litter" and "dont waste your food, take what you are going to eat, there are starving children...".

I am sure we all have heard these terms and maybe some of us feel that we contribute to helping the planet by continuing to do these small tasks.. But, seriously, who are we kidding ?

I have taken a hard look at myself. Today I will face my faults, maybe release my fears and very possibly take a stance to make a change in my own life and hopefully set an example for my kids and friends. I will need a push now and then. Human nature is to follow by example. Let the example begin with me.

My children, now in their teens will become consumers of products that will give them choices. I want to be sure they realize their choices can allow them to help conservation. Their participation reflects what I instill in them as a parent. It begins at home.

We Have a Responsibility

• Teach Children Respect for Mother Earth ! It is the future of our co-existence.
• Recycling is fun and is SO Very Easy! Children learn by example. This takes very little effort.
• Conservation is a lifelong adventure. Many, many ways to get involved. One person can make a difference.
• Pay it forward and inspire others to adhere to this idea. One kind gesture leads to another.

So there it is, my confession here in black and white. I am out, and feel empowered to find ways to give back, pay it forward and live in the moment with appreciation for my surroundings.

I am a member of the eco-challenge group and will continue to grow in my leadership and stewardship of the planet we call home.

I considered a number of topics to write about for this contest but finally decided to take a look at the history of the Green/ Environmental Movement and found some interesting historical facts and figures. So here we go on a journey down the Green Memory Lane ....

I found the history of the Green/Environmental really dates back around 270 years ago when 363 members of the Bishnois, caste in India gave their lives in order to prevent trees being cut to provide timber for a kings fort. The story basically goes that when the kings men came to cut the timber, one member of the group rushed out and hugged the tree and said cut me first if you are going to cut this tree. The kings men did just that. When the community saw what happened 362 other individuals stepped up and hugged the tree and were slain. Only when the king himself came and saw the tragedy did he order his men to stop. Whew!! These are the first recorded "tree huggers" in history, and they gave rise to the modern tree hugger. Read on.

In this country the late 19^th century had John Muir and Henry David Thoreau writing about mans relationship with nature that spurred the creation of the first environmental groups including the Sierra Club. Aldo Leopold's book "Sand County Almanac" published in 1949 also appears to have been a huge influence in the conservation field. In 1962, Rachel Carson's book " Silent Spring" detailed the dangers of pesticides(especially DDT). It was here that the pairing of land conservation issues with problems of environmental pollution began and the foundation of today's environmental movement was established.

n April, 1973 a group of villagers again in India began the peaceful disobedience of stopping deforestation in the Himalayan Mountains by hugging trees before they could be cut down. This later spread throughout many of the provinces and began known as the Chipko Movement Almost all of these protests were local in origin and slowly spread as people saw its success in changing policy in India. This is where our modern phrase of "tree hugger" originates with a big nod to the 363 Bishnois you set the example 200 years earlier.

It was also in 1973 that the Endangered Species Act was passed and from there many of the environmental groups we know today sprung up.

Looking at where the Green Movement in this country has come from in the last 50 years is pretty impressive, although there are miles to go before we sleep. But I see an evolution happening in regards to more and more people, businesses, and corporations understanding that the old paradigms are not working any more. Here in Asheville new paradigms are being created every day in regards to Green Awareness. There is the obvious motivation for folks to become more Green due to the high cost of energy. But there is also a greater awareness that Green, Healthy Built homes and offices have a greater payoff in regards to overall health and sense of well being. For businesses this translates into higher profits due to increased employee productivity and reduced employee turnover. For homeowners it means raising children in healthier environments. I believe research will eventually show that these children have fewer health problems and less allergies than those living in what we call a traditional home today.

The Awareness of Green is spreading and growing. When a company like Wal-Mart jumps on board with Green Initiativesyou know things are moving in a totally different direction. Although we have to wait and see if they live up to their goals, other businesses are also jumping on board As janeanne's earlier blog Green Goes Mainstream showed this trend is real . Citigroup has launched a real-estate portfolio review,so that it can investigate what levels of renovation or operational changes are needed to earn LEED ratings (or equivalents) for everything from Citigroup's office buildings to its data centers. The company has also LEED-silver rating as a target for all its new office and operations facilities around the world They have crunched the numbers and for them being Green means earning more Green $$$!

So when the big multinational corporations have seen the Green Light, get ready for a major shift to occur in all segments of our economy because the Green Locomotive is on the tracks and will be heading your way sooon! Many thanks to the people who started us on this path so many years ago, and especially to those brave souls in India who gave me a whole new appreciation for the phrase tree hugger!

The company I was recently affiliated with used call capture. It was provided by the owner of the company.

After leaving them I searched for a new provider and found a good one that is both cheaper and a lot easier to use.

Using call capture in listing presentations makes a unique value proposition to the sellers. I demonstrate it live, right in their living room....you should see the reactions on the faces of the sellers.

Recently I have begun to experiment with using it for converting FSBO's. In my correspondence with them I pre-make a recording and then mail them the "use it for free" letter and then wait to see who calls it and is interested. Now I don't have any statistics yet as these letter should just be arriving at the FSBO homes but I have had one to call the line...how do I know?....it captured their information and sent me an email.

I am really hoping that this will be a positive first step in obtaining more listing clients.

Remember....FSBO

F = Fastest

S = Source

of

B = Business

O = Opportunity

I spent many years in high tech before launching my career in Real Estate. I say this because REALTORS are rappedly ramping up their technical skills to be competitive in the marketplace. One way to increase one's business is to have a blog. Now the big question is: "How do I drive traffic to the blog". I've been doing a lot of reading and their is a techie guru that keeps a blog specifically on online marketing, SEO, etc. I wanted to share a link to his blog: http://www.sethgodin.com/sg/

1. Use lists.
2. Be topical... write posts that need to be read right now.
3. Learn enough to become the expert in your field.
4. Break news.
5. Be timeless... write posts that will be readable in a year.
6. Be among the first with a great blog on your topic, then encourage others to blog on the same topic.
7. Share your expertise generously so people recognize it and depend on you.
8. Announce news.
9. Write short, pithy posts.
10. Encourage your readers to help you manipulate the technorati top blog list.
11. Don't write about your cat, your boyfriend or your kids.
12. Write long, definitive posts.
13. Write about your kids.
14. Be snarky. Write nearly libelous things about fellow bloggers, daring them to respond (with links back to you) on their blog.
15. Be sycophantic. Share linklove and expect some back.
16. Include polls, meters and other eye candy.
17. Tag your posts. Use del.ico.us.
18. Coin a term or two.
19. Do email interviews with the well-known.
20. Answer your email.
21. Use photos. Salacious ones are best.
22. Be anonymous.
23. Encourage your readers to digg your posts. (and to use furl and reddit). Do it with every post.
24. Post your photos on flickr.
25. Encourage your readers to subscribe by RSS.
26. Start at the beginning and take your readers through a months-long education.
27. Include comments so your blog becomes a virtual water cooler that feeds itself.
28. Assume that every day is the beginning, because you always have new readers.
29. Highlight your best posts on your Squidoo lens.
30. Point to useful but little-known resources.
31. Write about stuff that appeals to the majority of current blog readers--like gadgets and web 2.0.
32. Write about Google.
33. Have relevant ads that are even better than your content.
34. Don't include comments, people will cross post their responses.
35. Write posts that each include dozens of trackbacks to dozens of blog posts so that people will notice you.
36. Run no ads.
37. Keep tweaking your template to make it include every conceivable bell or whistle.
38. Write about blogging.
39. Digest the good ideas of other people, all day, every day.
40. Invent a whole new kind of art or interaction.
41. Post on weekdays, because there are more readers.
42. Write about a never-ending parade of different topics so you don't bore your readers.
43. Post on weekends, because there are fewer new posts.
44. Don't interrupt your writing with a lot of links.
45. Dress your blog (fonts and design) as well as you would dress yourself for a meeting with a stranger.
46. Edit yourself. Ruthlessly.
47. Don't promote yourself and your business or your books or your projects at the expense of the reader's attention.
48. Be patient.
49. Give credit to those that inspired, it makes your writing more useful.
50. Ping technorati. Or have someone smarter than me tell you how to do it automatically.
51. Write about only one thing, in ever-deepening detail, so you become definitive.
52. Write in English.
53. Better, write in Chinese.
54. Write about obscure stuff that appeals to an obsessed minority.
55. Don't be boring.
56. Write stuff that people want to read and share.