In the “not all publicity is good publicity department”:Rarely have the words “shameful, ” “greedy,” “sad” and “health hazard” been used to describe a project positively, and this is another such case. Is clear-cutting and burning “green”?Good discussion at CvillenewsThe Daily Progress today notes the burningBut …… Other developers should take heed.Stonehaus donated the land to SOCA for its project because “we appreciated this European model where soccer would be … the center of a community…. These reports temper the excitement I, and surely my clients and buyers, feel, and perpetuate the “business as usual” opinion of developers.
Browsing Category Green
Three thousand square feet
That could be the threshold after which homeowners start to lose their mortgage interest deductibility…. Dingell’s bill would:Phase out the mortgage interest deduction on large homes. These homes have contributed to increased sprawl and longer commutes. Despite new homes in and of themselves being more energy efficient, the sheer size, sprawl and commutes lead to dramatically more energy use – or to put it more simply, a larger carbon footprint.He has a point.Specifically, the proposal:Phases out the mortgage interest on primary mortgages on houses over 3000 square feet.Exemptions for historical homes (prior to 1900) and farm houses.Exemptions for home owners who purchase carbon offsets to make home carbon neutral or own homes that are certified carbon neutral.An owner would receive:- 85% of the mortgage interest deduction for homes 3000-3199 square feet- 70% for homes 3200-3399 square feet- 55% for homes 3400-3599 square feet- 40% for homes 3600-3799 square feet- 25% for homes 3800-3999 square feet- 10% for homes 4000-4199 square feet- 0 for homes 4200 square feet and upFor a summary of the bill, go here.Hmmm3,964 single family homes have sold in the region* since 1 January 2006.
The HooK’s Green edition
The HooK steps up this week and has a special green pull-out in addition to their normal issue. The HooK’s new site design makes it a bit more challenging for me to find their green stories directly, but thanks to a smart search set up on Yahoo, the green stories popped up in my feed reader.Has C-Ville become G-Ville?Editor’s NoteEven more on Stonehaus’ Belvedere development and even more here.Mr. GreenThe Green category on RealCentralVA.com.Some of my favorite green posts:How do you get a Green home in Charlottesville?Green Homes = Common SenseHybrid Home completely off the gridGreen BuildingFrom a story early in 2006:I was talking to somebody last week who asked me why I had gotten my EcoBroker certification, was I doing it simply to be altruistic and good for the environment?… I’d rather be on the front end of the curve and be a market leader rather than a follower.If you’re interested, here is the OMPL file to import into your feed reader (Google Reader, etc.) of many of the “green” blogs I read.
Green Links for Thursday 30 August
The complexities of building greenA new study shows that the environmental impact of shopping for stuff, from from food and clothing to CDs and electrical appliances – far outweighs any efforts to save water and power in the home.Building green doesn’t cost more greensWill going green help you beat the slow housing market? It certainly can’t hurt.
Monday links 26 August 2007
I’ve been looking for this for some time – a way to capture the water from an air condition’s condensate drainNow, if only I could install a revolving door on my house.Why do kids feel so entitled?The “Right to Dry” (clothes in your backyard)Where is Albemarle growing as of 2nd Quarter 2007? Building permits seem to be returning to more stable numbers (look at 2002 and 2003).I love this analogy – a blog handshake.Three simple ways to use solar power at homeProperazzi – what will the MLS landscape look like when they come to the States?
Blog Action Day – 15 October 2007
Normally I don’t buy into these things, but this one seems worthwhile and credible:Blog Action Day (and their blog)On October 15th, bloggers around the web will unite to put a single important issue on everyone’s mind – the environment. Every blogger will post about the environment in their own way and relating to their own topic. Our aim is to get everyone talking towards a better future.As I have written many times before, being mindful of our impact on the environment ought not be a political issue; conservation makes sense (particularly now in the midst of a drought)…. Living green is easier than ever.Start learning more:TreehuggerWikipediaDiggGreen TVWe can live greenGreen moviesThere is real momentum to the green building trend:Thanks to Lani, Copyblogger and ProBlogger for the heads-up.Any other blogs in the Charlottesville area planning on participating?
Charlottesville is Green
In the “better late than never” department:Charlottesville’s Newsplex reports today that Charlottesville is the #6 Greenest Place to Live. Had you been reading RealCentralVA, you would have learned that in March and April. Good timing however in light of the City’s approval of their Sustainability Comprehensive Plan.Finally, government leading in a category other than wasting public funds.