Great story on Belvedere in Charlottesville
This is a significant story in this week's C-Ville not only because it features my clients, (their blog about Belvedere is here) but it highlights one of the (potentially) best developments (that happens to be green) in the Charlottesville area. Five years ago—heck, two years…
Why Belvedere?
I'm going to keep highlighting Kate's blog about the Belvedere development as long as she keeps writing as well as she does. If I understand it correctly, Belvedere is about community, it is about people, children, nature, healthy living. There is a sound philosophy of…
Turn out the lights tonight
Google's doing it, so it must be ok. Turn off your lights at 8pm EDT - It's symbolic and probably won't really save much energy, but right now, every nickel counts (and it's probably not too bad for the environment). Step outside, look at the…
Building a home in Belvedere
Follow the experience of buyers who are building a house in the Belvedere community off of Rio Road. A sampling: Stonehaus has very much impressed me with their commitment to reaching all their goals. I think it is a most unusual development firm, one that…
Buy Local, save money (and energy)
The Charlottesville area offers quite a few options for buying local, including the City Market; who knew they consumed as much energy as 18 homes? People will buy local when it makes economic sense - and right now, buying local makes a lot of sense.…
Seriously, green homes make sense
Sent to me by a client, this article is outstanding on a number of levels: "I've lived through seven cycles in the housing industry, and this is one of the worst. But every time we come out of one of these cycles, consumers want something…
Location, location, location
It's not just the type of house that you build that makes it green - it's also where the development's located. Contrary to popular belief, the pace and proximity of urban living can actually contribute to more healthful lifestyles, while lower-density communities tend to have…
Environmentalists with a sense of humor
As the number of green homes in the Charlottesville area continues to creep upward, the folks at Treehugger remind us that one can never set our sights too high. "LEED has unveiled a new level of certification, Protactinium. In order to qualify for the standard,…
Banning plastic bags in Virginia?
Not real estate related, I know, but still interesting. This bill was introduced yesterday. I'll wager that if it gets passed, the City of Charlottesville will try to enact such an ordinance. § 15.2-977. Plastic carryout bags. Any locality may, by ordinance, provide that a…