Wearing the Green For Life……No Blarney ! I thought in honor of good ole St. Pat’s Day instead of telling you all about the party spots and celebrations here in Austin , I would touch on “Green for a Lifetime”.
You can “green” up your life in countless ways from the food you eat to the roof you put on your house. I am not going to try and tell you about every aspect of green living, I am a real estate professional not an environmentalist. I simply know that green living is becoming more important every day and a growing movement throughout our nation.
Green living means having the opportunity to live a better quality life while taking care of our environment. The Native American tribes in our country lived a very good life while practicing this principal. It has taken the rest of us several centuries to get it.
Green living is one place where you, the individual, really matters. This is one area in which “one small step” is a “step for mankind”
There is a new wave in home and commercial building to be more environmentally aware and to build accordingly. Steel roofs may be a thing of the future; bamboo and cork flooring are becoming more popular. Straw Bale buildings are also new on the market. There is even a new company which offers glass countertops made from recycled glass that is reported to be better than granite. Energy efficient appliances and lighting have almost become a standard in new home building. Solar systems are once again gaining attention. Waterless water heaters are also gaining favor in the market place.
Cities and water companies are offering free information on how to design beautiful landscaping that is water efficient. Many utility companies are offering discounts and rebates when homeowners upgrade their appliances, heating and air systems. Some will weatherize their customer’s home or give free consultations .
Green living may also become a marketable feature for resale homes. Before your next improvement project, you may want to look at the various alternatives being offered today to make your home more marketable in the future.
Speaking of improving your home, the next time you paint you may want to consider paint that has insulation added to it and remember to only buy what you need.
I am proud to say the City of Austin has established the Austin Sustainable Communities Initiative (aka SCI) among its goals is to attain ecological health both on a global level and locally. There is also Austin ’s Energy Green Building Program which has been named as the nation’s most successful utility-sponsored sustainable building program.
This is Shay signing off until next time.
If you are looking for a forward thinking and green thinking community then think about Austin Tx homes. Moving across the street or the nation I will be honored to help.
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