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Greentopia Winter
2007 Newsletter - Green Living - Green
Real Estate - Green Building
Download Newsletter (PDF)
Green Real
Estate - Getting the Eco Advantage For
Your Home
Ever wonder if making green choices for
your home could yield a better advantage
in the real estate market?
According to
The Daily Green, greening your home
could attract more buyers to your home.
Walter Molony, a spokesperson for the
National Association of Realtors, said
he believes green features may help
homeowners stand out from the
competition. "People definitely value
energy efficiency," Molony said via
telephone from the NAR's LEED-certified
green office building in Washington, DC.
“As utility costs continue to rise, it
becomes greater value in people's
minds,” he added. “ (www.thedailygreen.com)
In today’s market, the buyers are not
only a little shy to enter the market
but are in a better position to
negotiate and get more home for the
money. More and more buyer’s are
requesting healthy, green / energy
efficient and/or solar powered homes.
Energy efficiency and healthy homes are
becoming things that buyers want to see.
Even though the housing market has seen
better days, the Green Building Market
is booming. The idea of not just owning
a home that pleases the eye but a home
that is healthy and energy-efficient is
the way the trend is going. Greentopia
Realty can help you sell your home by
giving you the Eco- Advantage over other
homes.
When working with Greentopia Realty we
can consult with the seller on ways to
improve the “green” value on their home.
This consultation is free when you
decide to sell your home with Greentopia
Realty. We will help you every step of
the way. Sellers and Buyers can have the
confidence of using not just a Realtor,
but a Realtor with the EcoBroker™
designation. It really is time to start
thinking about healthy environments
through sustainable solutions for our
homes. After all, your home is where
Green Living Starts!
Buyers don’t be shy and let Greentopia
Realty help you find your perfect home.
We can help to look for the details of a
home that provide things such as energy
efficiency, solar, and more.
Ask the EcoExpert - What is a Green Home?
Green Homes are actually few and far
between but there are definitely varying
shades of green homes. The deepest shade
of green would be a home that is rated
by a third party such as LEED for Homes
or Energy Star HERS rated homes. Lighter
shades of green would be home that may
be energy-efficient or have introduced
solar panels or have updated their homes
using sustainable and non-toxic
materials. But any step in the
sustainable direction is the right
direction towards a green home!
Global Green USA— Top 20 No or Low
Cost Green Building Strategies
Energy
1. Orient building to maximize natural
daylighting
2. Place windows to provide good natural
ventilation
3. Select a light colored roof
4. Provide overhangs on south facing
windows
5. Install whole house fans
6. Eliminate air conditioning
7. Provide combined-hydronic heating
8. Install energy efficient lighting
9. Install high R-value insulation’
10. Select Energy Star appliances
Water
11. Design water efficient landscapes
12. Install water efficient toilets and
fixtures
13. Use permeable paving materials
Materials
14. Use 30-40 % flyash in concrete
15. Use engineered wood for headers,
joists, and sheathing
16. Use recycled content insulation,
drywall, and carpet
Indoor Air Quality
17. Use low or No VOC paint
18.
Use formaldehyde free or fully sealed
materials for cabinets and counters
19.
Vent range hood to outside
20.
Install CO detectors
For more information visit:
www.globalgreen.org
Featured
Product - IceStone - Recycled Glass and
Concrete
IceStone is a durable surface made from
recycled glass and concrete. The other
amazing facts about this product is that
it is Cradle to Cradle certified which
means, “ using environmentally safe and
healthy materials; design for material
reutilization, such as recycling or
composting; the use of renewable energy
and energy efficiency; efficient use of
water, and maximum water quality
associated with production; and
instituting strategies for social
responsibility.”
IceStone is VOC free and made of high
recycled content. Did I mention that you
can use it for many different
applications? Try kitchen countertops,
backsplashes, vanities, floors, and so
much visits. For more info
contact us or
visit
www.icestone.biz
Enjoy this Winter Recipe
-
Eggplant Sandwiches
Ingredients:
- 1 small eggplant, halved and sliced
- 1 TBSP of olive oil
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 French sandwich rolls
- 1 tomato, sliced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
- 1.4 cup basil, chopped
Directions:
Preheat ovens broiler. Brush eggplant
slices with olive oil, and place on
baking sheet. Place pan about 6 inches
from heat source. Cook under broiler for
10 minutes, or until tender and toasted.
Split French rolls length wise and
toast. In small bowl mix mayonnaise and
garlic. Spread mixture on toasted French
rolls. Fill the rolls with eggplant
slices, tomatoes, feta cheese, and
Basil.
Happy eating!
Kidztopia– GreenDay!
Did you know children that spend more
time outdoors are healthier then the
children who don’t? According to Richard
Louv, author of Last Child in the Woods,
there is a disconnect between nature and
children which results in “ nature
deficit disorder.” American children
average 6 hours a day in front of the TV
according to a Kaiser Family Foundation
study. Too much TV for children can be
linked to child obesity, violence, and
lower intelligence!
The National Wildlife Foundation
recommends children have a “GreenHour”
of unstructured play outdoors in a
natural environment a day. They suggest
areas such as the backyard, a local
park, or even growing a garden together.
Some of the benefits of unstructured
play outside are:
- Experience fewer symptoms of ADD and
ADHD
- Lower stress levels
- Play more creatively
- Develop stronger Immune systems
To find out more check out
www.greenhour.com
Food! The Number
ONE Least Recycled
Product
Composting is one way that we, as a
community, can help reduce landfill
space. Landfills are not necessarily
bad. It’s the organic materials mixed
with all the other stuff that produces
the methane which contributes to
greenhouse gases. Composting is a great
way to reduce our landfill by taking our
organic scrapes and composting them
instead of throwing them into the land
fill. What are these organic materials?
They are foods scraps, yard waste,
paper, wood chips, sawdust, and dead
leaves. For those of you who are
envisioning a stinky bug infested
compost pile in the back of your yard,
No problem. They make Automatic Indoor
Composters. NatureMill makes them and
they have really made it user friendly!
You just add your food scrapes and
shredded paper and the NatureMill
composter does the rest. When it’s done
a red indicator light will come and it
takes about two weeks. Is that cool or
what? Visit Greentopia's
EcoShop
today.
For more
information on composting check out
www.solanacenter.org
Indoor Air Quality: Is it Important? You
Decide
Growing scientific research has
indicated that indoor air is more
polluted then outdoor air. On average
people spend 90% of their time indoors.
Indoor air quality for the home can have
several sources and in turn also cause
several symptoms.
Some sources of pollution within a home
are Radon, cigarette smoke, biological
contaminants, household products,
formaldehyde, and pesticides to name a
few. Some symptoms of exposure can
happen soon after exposure or could take
years to manifest. According to the EPA
there are three ways to improve the
indoor air quality in your home.
Source Control– This is the most
effective way to improve indoor air
quality
Ventilation Improvements– Increasing
ventilation from the outdoors by simply
opening a window for a small amount of
time. Most heating and cooling
mechanical systems do not bring fresh
air into the home.
Air Cleaners– These products range from
tabletop to expensive whole house
models. We recommend the Austin Air
family of air cleaners. Visit
Greentopia's
EcoShop today.
Reference
www.epa.gov
Green Tips!
- Carpool! Save money on gas!
- Use green cleaning products! Many stores
are carrying them now
- Plant an organic vegetable garden
- Try native California plants or drought
resistant plants when doing landscaping
projects
- Get your furnace a tune up, clean the
air ducts, and change out your filter
- Use shade trees or awnings at the South
or West facing windows
- If replacing appliances go with Energy
Star appliances, consider a solar or tankless water
heater
- Support your local Farmer’s Market
- Try zero VOC or low VOC paint.
- Turn down the thermostat
- Take your own coffee or tea mug to
Starbucks!
- Take To-Go Ware when
eating out or pack your
lunch in it! Visit
Greentopia's
EcoShop today.
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