Like everyone else, I get random emails from unsolicited strangers. Today I received one from a local inspector who had a prety good article on green building. I am going to hit the highlights of his email with this post.
According to a recent study, green home building is going to see an increase of about 10% in the next few years. The two biggest reasons for this are healthier indoor air quality and energy savings.
The primary benefits of owning a green homes are that the building materials are toxin free, more energy efficient and sustainable. Owning a green home is cheaper, for an enegry stand point, than a typical home because there is less consumption of energy and water, thus saving homeowners lots of money over the years of ownership. Insurance companies are offering discounts to buyers of green homes and even a few mortgage companies are jumping into the fray with discounted loans for green buyers.
Why the sudden interest in green homes?
A green home is much more durable due to the materials used and will require less maintenance and repairs over its lifetime.
The value of a green home is greater than a typical resale and it’s expected for that trend to continue.
Tax breaks, from federal, state and local municipalities, not only for a new construction of a green home but also for remodeling a current home and making it more energy efficient.
Features of new construction green homes are:
efficient plumbing fixtures for water saving.
drought tolerant plants so there is no use for sprinkler systems or yard watering.
recycled materials.
paints and finishes that are low volatile organic compounds.
more energy efficient doors, roofs, windows and insulation.
I love to read and learn new things and my choice to go green is giving me ample ways to do this. I have visited so many blogs and sites in my quest to find new, energy and cost effective ways og doing things. A few days ago I posted some that were my favorites. But I keep going back and back to one in particular and I want to share it with you.
The link is posted a the end but the one that really has captured my attention and inspried me is “No Impact Man.” I have begun following him on Twitter and amazed at the commitment he has made to his two year project. In short, he and his family decided to live for two years in Manhattan without leaving a net carbon footprint. His blog is about their journey. (Ladies, you have to read this and then imagine what you would do if your husband commited you to it.) They have used nothing disposable, no electric, purchased nothing new and have consumed only locally grown, seasonal foods. The blog is fascinating and I have just gone back and began to read from the beginning in February of 2007 until now. He has a book and documentary coming out about the project and it looks really good. I don’ think I could totally immerse myself in green like he and his family have but I can certainly appreciate their dedication. Can you imagine a family of three and a dog living in a 750 square foot apartment in Manhattan not using electric? Toilet paper? Anything disposable? Your transportation being only walking or riding your bike? Follow the link below and read how a truly green family does it. You will not be disapponted!
I never really thought about being green and the choices it involves until I recently received my Green designation from the National Association of Realtors. And then it was like the blinders fell off. I knew I was wasteful with some things, could have made better choices on others but really never considered it to be a big deal. But those days are over with, brothers and sisters! I’ve had so many fellow Realtors ask for some examples of what they can do in their own business that I thought I would pass along five, a mere five, helpful hints to be greener. These work for any profession, not just real estate. And for the four of you the vast number who actually read this blog, feel free to pass along any tips you have that I can further incorporate.
Reduce and reuse all that paper. Ever thought about how much stuff you print everyday? I didn’t until I sat every piece of paper I printed in one day on the floor. I could not believe how much useless printing I did. Now if I print, I save it and use the back for notes, scribbles, lists, blog ideas, whatever. As Realtors, a lot of us lead generate off expired listings. Don’t print these, pull them straight off the computer. A pain in the butt? Yes. Better for the environment? Much! White paper can be recycled so when you are done with it, recycle it!
Plan your trips. I have no sense of direction and any client who has ever been in the car with me can vouch for that. I spend so much time lost and driving around it is crazy. No more wasting gas and sending all those harmful emissions into the air. Plan your trips, Realtors! Microsoft has a program, Streets and Maps, that is good for this. Or, when you’re out running errands, drive it the night before. Be sure each trip you make is fruitful and productive.
Make sure your tires have the correct air pressure. Did you know that low pressure in tires causes you to consume more gas? Get them check and make sure you keep them filled.
Empty out the crapola. If you’re like me, you have fourteen for sale signs, twelve sign riders, eight directionals and God knows what else in the back of your car. Get rid of the stuff that you don’t need. A heavier car uses more fuel less efficiently. Combine a car loaded with crapola and a poor air pressure and I will have to call the green police on you!
Schedule a no power hour. My office is at my house so this is a little easier for me but for one full hour, I turn off everything I can. David is down in his man cave using Lord only knows how much energy, but I have the upstairs and main level claimed. I turn off everything and unplug. Computer, laptops, cell phone chargers, printers, fax…for one hour a day I shut this whole place down. It’s nice, actually. And who couldn’t use an hour of down time? Anyone can do this and you’ll be surprised how much you come to really loving the quiet.
There you go, five little ways you can green it up. I hope it helps!
Well, the Spann family has officially made it through one week of conscious greening. We made some changes in our day to day lifestyle, nothing expensive or hard but changes that we catch ourselves stopping and thinking about. (Or sometimes answering Hailey’s plaintive cries of “why are we doing this?”) I signed up for the trash company’s recycling program and cannot believe how much stuff we used to just throw away. Now we have two trashcans in the pantry; one for trash and the other for what can be recycled like aluminum cans, glass, white paper and plastic. This week was grocery week and I tried to be more conscious of the purchases we made. No more buying three cases of water bottles, no more dusting wipes or Lysol wipes or paper towels. We saved money and were better to our environment, a win/win. I am using t-shirts and cloths to dust and wipe down the kitchen and found a pretty good green cleaner that was healthier than what I had been using. David went along to the grocery this week, an exercise in patience for both of us, and we took nine resueable bags so that we brought home no plastic ones. Small changes but big results. We were careful to combine trips and try to get as much done as possible with one car out at a time. The weather has been nice so hopefully we will soon be able to turn off the air conditioning and sleep with the windows open. And I am trying to shut off everything possible at night to conserve.
It’s a different mindset, granted. But I take comfort knowing we are doing our part saving both natural resources and money as well.
I’ve been trying to do this green thing for couple of weeks now. I learn something everyday and I’m absolutely amazed at all the resources there are to continue my learning. There are numerous blogs, sites and discussions groups out there and the information is staggering. But the bottom line is that if I can learn and implement one thing a day to do my part, well, that’s a good thing.
I’ve learned there are some things you can do and some you want to do but for some reason can’t. I’ve learned that has much as I love doing this blog, I cant do it everyday. I’ve learned that for a family of three, we produce a huge amount of garbage and waste but we can work on that. We signed up for our trash company’s recycle program and for the one week we have recycled I am aghast at the amout of stuff we have saved from the landfill. Then I think about all the years we haven’t recycled and I feel guilty. I’ve learned ways to conserve and save energy which comes in very handy now that my husband has been laid off. I see what a true difference that reduce, resue and recycle makes. I see vast opportunites for me to be involved in the community and that one person really can make a difference.
This green thing is fun, exciting, rewarding, different and most of all important. I love being green. And I am passionate about sharing it and changing the world.
I try and spend at least one hour a day now reading green information and researching green sites. Let me tell you guys and gals, there is a lot of information out there! It can be overwhelming at times but it is always useful and I somehow manage to learn at least one new thing. I found a great site the other day, one I had heard about but hadn’t had time to visit. There is tons of useful, fun information here and you can even do an energy audit of your yearly utility bills. See what you think…visit:
There are seven kinds of green consumers out there moving around and being green even as we speak. If you’re a business person who seeks to work with a green clientele, it’s important that you recognize which type you’re dealing with. And if you’re trying to be more conscientious about being green, it’s good to understand your underlying motive. Here are the seven types of green consumers and a brief, somewhat funny, description:
Economizers: Basically, these are your cheapskates and Dave Ramsey fans. Not that there is anything wrong with that because I happen to be both. They like the green products for their home because they are more efficient, save money and lose less energy, thus saving them money over the long haul.
Investors: The eggheads and pencil pushers who can convert the square root of a seven digit number in their head and divide by four to find the quandrant. Whatever. These guys and gals are green and loving it because they are extremely interested in what is called the life cycle cost analysis and value proposition of various green features in an office buildig or work space. Picture your economizer on meth and you have the investor.
Health Conscious: Some of these greenies are truly justified and some are just hypochondriacs on a new kick. For whatever reason, they have seen and heard the advantages of being green and desire a better way of life from a health stand point. They or someone in their family may have severe allergies or illnesses that necessitate the green lifestyle, making it for them a better quality of lfe.
Idealists: These are either your environmental whacko’s or your tried and true firm believers. They are dedicated to social responsibility in conserving our natural resources. They will sacrifice for green by shopping locally and organically and will grow their own vegetables. They are also huge supporters of green vendors.
Life Style Focused: I am an economizer but also a life style focused greenie as well. This type of green believes that doing your part in reducing, reusing and recycling will contribute to a more meaningful presence here, that by doing you are really making a difference.
Eco-Chic-Think Paris Hilton, George Clooney and Leonardo DiCaprio. They talk the talk but don’t always walk the walk. I love it when these guys talk about conserving and saving and how bad the Republicans are to the environment but then jump on their private jet to go an hour away to party for the weekend. Don’t get me started…
Skeptical and Unaware: I admit it, this used to me. When we last bought our washer and dryer I was all up in arms over what an idiot Al Gore is. (Notice I didn’t say was.) Anyway, I picked out the washer and dryer with the HIGHEST estimated cost to operate because I though all of that was just silly. Now who is silly?! I have a washer and dryer that is only two years old and costs a lot to run all because I had my panties in a wad over Al and was SKEPTICAL AND UNWARE. Learn from my mistakes, OK?
So, go green, be green and enjoy but understand why you’re green and work to bring others over to the green side.
I received this tip from one of my vendors in an email this morning. This is full of good suggestions so I thought I would pass it along. If you have something useful you would like to share, please forward it to me and I will be glad to post it and give you a shout out!
You may love the forceful flow of water at your faucets, showerheads and toilets, but did you know that installing low-flow aerators could cut your annual water consumption by more than half? You can also conserve water and save money on your water bill just by adopting a few new habits:
While waiting for water to warm up, catch excess water in a bowl or bucket and use for houseplants or pets.
Only run the dishwasher when it is fully loaded.
Instead of using the in-sink garbage disposal, compost your food scraps.
Simply cutting your shower by 2 minutes will save 1,000 gallons a year!
Turn off the water while you brush your teeth, shave, and while you lather up when washing your hands.
Hailey is actually starting to talk about picking out a college. (Thank you, God!) After sitting in my fabulous class last week to get my Green designation from the National Association of Realtors, I told her that the next wave of jobs will be very green. She is sort of interested in engineering and there is so much potential out there from a green perspective. And lo and behold, I stumbled upon this information from our local NBC affliate. If you’re out of work, got a child who will soon be thinking about college or just want a change for yourself, check this out.
Wow…going green….what does that mean exactly? After sitting in a National Association of Realtor’s class to earn my Green designation, I was absolutely astounded at what green is and isn’t. Green is more than just paint choice and which appliances you use, Green is about doing one simple thing to save energy, reduce our carbon footprint and make better choices in our everyday life. It’s about reduce, reuse and recycle. And it’s easily incorporated into the things we do every day.
My goal is to add a green hint, article, video, something, anything, everyday; something you and your family can do easily and get involved. It doesn’t matter why you do it, just do it. You could make the decision to implement green because it saves you money or because your socially conscious. Maybe you’re just a trend rider and this is the new thing so you’re jumping on board. As long as you’re doing it, it will make a difference. So, as Nike famously said all those years ago, “Just Do It!”
Here is a short list of things you can do TODAY to make your world greener:
Switch out your normal bulbs to CFL’s.
Buy an insulating blanket for the hot water heater.
Install a rain barrel onto a gutter or out in the yard to catch and reuse rainwater.
Make sure your tires have the correct air pressure.
Use canvas bags at the grocery, not plastic.
It if’s plastic or tears, recycle it!
Program your thermostat. If your bedrooms are all upstairs, have the downstairs set at 80 during the hours you are asleep during the summer. Adjust that in the winter.
Only run the washer, dryer and dishwasher with full loads.
Short, sweet and easy. Just try to add one thing from this list into your everyday life. You’ll see the savings and you’ll be making a difference!
Ever had this thought? I have! What the heck is compost, where does it come from and what’s the big deal with it? This video will help get you started. A discussion on composting tomorrow, so check back!
Hope you saw the video on yesterday’s post about how to compost. You’ve probably composted at one time or another in your life and just didn’t realize what you doing. And you’ve probably heard of composting but have no idea what the big deal is.
Let me educate you, my friend!
Composting is a natural way to eliminate some of the waste that goes into the landfills everyday. It’s a greener way to reduce and reuse. You have lawn clippings and leftover food scraps everyday that you throw away. (Remember you can’t use meat or dairy items in composting.) Or, if you’re like me, stuff down the sink into the disposal that starts off an extentsive argument with your spouse over the fact that you are or are not going to tear the darn thing up and then arguing about who’s going to pay for it once it happens. Instead of doing that or carting off into a plastic (God forbid!) sack, save it and start your own compost pile. You can start by buying a compost bin or barrel at Lowe’s or online or just by picking a special little patch in your yard. Daily add your composting items. If using a container, be sure and turn it each time you make an addition. After it sits for the recommended time, pour it directly onto the ground as a natural fertilizer or in a place you grow a vegetable or flower garden. It will help put more nutrients back into the soil, eliminate waste going to the local landfill and save a small area that would you might otherwise consider using harsh or unnatural chemicals on. In short, you’re taking your own kitchen and yard waste, reusing it and making your soil better and more productive. And making you greener.
I have warned gently spoke with my family that this week we are really going to push the green thing. They are skeptical and think that Mom is in the middle of some trendy movement that will eventually pass but I know in my heart this isn’t so. It’s a commitment, a commitment to being a better steward and consumer, to be better to my environment and to try and save a little money. With David just starting up a new business, this is a great time to be green, not only to give back to this wonderful planet and make a difference but to save another kind of green along the way.
We plan to make three small changes this week as a family to be greener. They are:
No more plastic bottles of water, Gatorade, Juicy Juice, etc. I am purchasing the huge plastic (ugh) water bottles but these will be refillable. We purchase at least five cases every two weeks of water alone, twenty four bottles in each case and throw those out. No more. I will be saving money on our grocery bill and reducing our carbon footprint.
Really scruntinzing our energy bills. For the last two months we have had an electric bill of at least $250.00. Our water bill was over $300.00. So, today we got busy. We turned off the sprinkler system for the yard and plan to run it only once a week instead of once everyday. We have reprogrammed the thermostats. especially for our main level of the house during the hours of 11 pm to 6 am. And we (read me) are going through the house and unplugging things that don’t have to be plugged in all the time like cell phone chargers, computer chargers, printers, fax machines, etc. The coffee pot can be unplugged after 7 am each day. Little things make a big difference.
Being conscious of turning off lights and the TV when we leave a room. This is embarrassing to admit but we have three people in our family and nine TV’s. That is crazy! And even crazier is the fact that my family will turn one on, walk into the next room turn on the other then go down to the basement and flip the one there on. No more. I may have to be a screaming maniac the first few days but if no one is in the room, the TV is not going to be on.
Three easy things that will make a difference. Care to join me in the journey?
