Going Green to Save Green
One of my clients who recently bought in the City of Charlottesville sends this note - We are officially a 1-car family now, I sold my car and bought a bike over the weekend. Look for me huffing and puffing up JPA Extended and Alderman…
It All Depends on What you Consider Green
Pulled from the comments ... It all comes down to what someone thinks green means. I guess I have a more stringent idea than the normal Belvedere resident. A house doesn't get close in my opinion without a grey water system, PV system, and passive…
Albemarle now has Curbside Recycling
I ran a poll last year asking how much people would be willing to pay for curbside recycling. Aside from those who thought government services are "free," the predominant response was "Five bucks a week." Private enterprise has taken the lead where government cannot -…
Are Green Homes the new “Trophy” Homes?
That's the question posed by the New York Times a little while ago. There may be some truth to that presumption (and is that necessarily a "bad thing"?) Peer pressure works. There is truth to the trend and perception that more homebuyers are asking questions…
Green Financing reaches possible mainstreaming
I'd love to hear critiques from some lenders and brokers about this program. How long until green developments partner with this or similar companies to offer more affordable green financing? What follows is a press release via EcoBroker I received last night recently - LARKSPUR,…
Curious whether any Charlottesville HOAs restrict solar panels
I haven't yet run into this in the Charlottesville/Central Virginia area; I see that one development specifically allows them, but I'm curious as to whether anyone has had issues locally when trying to install solar panels. From the USA Today - There are no hard…
Monday Reading 04-28-2008
227+ Comments and Counting - The Commission Based Fee Structure - It's Bad for Buyers. Darren the Problogger speed-posted in response to Twitter questions and left readers with a wealth of information EcoTech Daily's Daily Five - Jetson Green's Sprawl Home Discounts, Big City LEED…
Earth Day links
Happy Earth Day. Or - Earth Week in Charlottesville. Tip #1 - go local. Here are a few ways to go green and likely save money. Buy local food. Quench Water-Recycling Shower - Guilt-Free Indulgence? An interesting Earth-Day survey If you're looking to buy a…
CFL Lightbulbs in Plain English
It's about saving money (and the environment) Think about the impact that one million light bulbs would have. When will builders start to put CFLs into their houses as a standard option? Some of the Charlottesville-area Earth Week events can be found at cvillebetty's blog.
Charlottesville Earthcraft Homes tour – and a brief riff on “is blogging advertising?”
This weekend, April 19 and 20 and next, April 26 and 27, fifteen Earthcraft homes in the Charlottesville region will be open to the public. EarthCraft standards and options are factored into every aspect of home building – site planning, building orientation, low-impact construction techniques…