After the short trek the other EcoBrokers and I were treated to refreshment and organic munchies at Stella Italian Trattoria located on the street level of the development. Alan Altman and Valencia Justice of the on-site sales team were our gracious host and hostess and made the tour very enjoyable.

The first thing I noticed when entering the residential area was the lack of the typical new construction smell due to the use of low volatile organic compound [VOC] paints, adhesives, sealants and carpeting throughout the building. Typically my eyes would have been burning within minutes of walking down the carpeted hallways. Improved indoor air quality is a primary benefit of LEED construction. Other eco-friendly features of the homes include:

• Operable, low-emittance, double-paned windows
• Bamboo flooring in kitchen and living areas
• Dual flush toilets and high performance plumbing fixtures
• Energy Star appliances
• High efficiency heating and cooling
• On-site recycling center
• Steel and concrete construction
• Drought-resistance landscaping
• Moped/bike racks

Premium amenities include:

• Dramatic community rooftop sun-deck with barbecue and stunning city skyline views that will never be blocked [because of the cemetery]
  
• Controlled access parking deck
  
• Free high-speed WiFi throughout the property
• Fitness center
• Deep private balconies and patios
• Grant Park location

 
Logical, Location-efficient Living

It's logical that people are moving inside the Perimeter, back into the city of Atlanta. People are seeking alternative transportation solutions as gas prices, commute times, carbon dioxide levels, and global temperatures continue to rise.

With gas over $4 per gallon and rising, location-efficient living near a MARTA station makes more sense than ever, especially if you work near one.

People are starting to realize that the old complaint that MARTA "doesn't go anywhere" isn't true anymore as places like Decatur, Arts Center, and Perimeter Center continue to evolve into thriving, vibrant transit villages with homes, businesses, shopping, and entertainment within easy walking distance of their respective MARTA stations.

The BeltLine, Atlanta Streetcar, the Atlanta-Griffin Commuter Rail and other planned rail initiatives promise to extend the reach of MARTA even more with Atlanta being transformed into a world-class transit metropolis.

We at Green Nest Realty are passionate about the lifestyle opportunities these transit trends represent and are eager to help those wishing to buy or sell near MARTA stations achieve their goals.

The New and Improved Rail Estate Rebate^TM

My goal is to live greener, cleaner, and leaner and I appreciate the opportunity to work with those kindred spirits out there whose aim is the same.

Homes within 1/2 mile of MARTA stations -- what I call "Rail Estate" -- give their residents an alternative transportation option that allows them the opportunity to reduce car emissions and congestion on our streets, reduce their car-dependency and fuel bills, and live healthier lifestyles.

And I dig that.

For those wanting to live near MARTA I offer a special incentive: Partner with me on your home search and I'll share my commission with you. I call it the Rail Estate Rebate™.   

The Rail Estate Rebate™ means I share up to 1/2 of the real estate commission I earn when you buy your home. As an example, on the purchase of a $300,000 home, you could receive up to $4,500 in cash after closing. Some conditions apply. Email me or call me at 404.421.9968 for details.

1/2 of a sales commission is an economic stimulus I am willing to share in order to help juice greener, sustainable lifestyles. I just ask that you please refer me to your friends and family if I provide you with outstanding service!

In a typical real estate transaction, the amount of paper and other resources used is staggering. Across the industry, depending upon the type of transaction, approximately 460 pieces of paper are generated in a single closing. Multiply that by all the industry's closings each year and the implications are clear. With an estimated 5 million residential sales forecast in 2008, combined with 2.8 million refinance transactions, a total of 7.2 million reams of paper will be used. The industry-standard calculation of 16 reams of paper being produced by one tree translates to more than 450,000 trees consumed.

Real estate contracts get longer every year, a consequence of our litigious society. It's difficult to see where one brokerage could hope to reduce the mountains of paper since a good majority of it is produced by the lenders, closing attorneys, title companies, insurance companies, etc.

But everybody can do something, right?

Consider the listing flyer box. Using Stewart's calculation of 16 reams = one tree, means 35 full flyer boxes = one tree consumed. And how many times are the owners calling the agent to come fill up an empty box? How much gasoline is burned each day just driving around stuffing flyer boxes with expensive four-color paper? I can't tell you how many times I've had a whole flyer box full of paper destroyed by a hard rain or flyers removed and scattered around the neighborhood by someone with a vandalic bent and too much time on their hands. Not to mention the times the house is sold quickly leaving 50+ flyers that are no longer needed. Each month, hundreds of thousands of sheets of paper are wasted, just in the Atlanta market.

How can we use technology to deliver the same information the Buyer wants without using all the paper? Through text messaging, of course! Everybody, it seems, carries a cell phone these days, and texting has become common place. Fortunately some enterprising ecopreneurs have automated the process for Buyers to get "texters" on the property for sale with photos and within seconds.

So no more flyer boxes at my listings. Just a sign rider with texting instructions.

Our goal at Green Nest Realty Services is to be authentic and solution-oriented in our business practices as we pursue and calculate our triple bottom line. Sustainability will continue to be our priority as we constantly strive to seek new ways to reduce, re-use, and recycle. 

Actually buying a location-efficient home with me as your Buyer's Agent will save you money. I've frequently promoted "Rail Estate" and walkable neighborhoods here at EcoHomeGuy.com, offering incentives in the form of rebates for Buyers of homes close to transit and in walkable neighborhoods. Now I want to extend the same offer to homes within a half mile of trails and bike paths. With Atlanta's growing trail network, this would apply to homes in diverse locations such as Intown, on the Silver Comet [West] or Peachtree City [South].

In the case of a historic home, a taxpayer can claim a tax credit of 25 percent of qualified rehabilitation expenditures. Ditto for any other certified structure. Homes within target areas can qualify for an additional 5 percent tax credit.

Credits for historic homes can go as high as $100,000 in 120 months and $300,000 for certified structures. This is a quantum leap for historic home rehab from a previous limit of $5,000.

A big shout-out to my brother, Wayne Sisco, who helped get this passed. Wayne is an expert in historic rehab and leads the Greenovation Operations of Green Nest Realty Services.

Green renovations -- or greenovations -- of existing properties are frequently a deeper shade of green building than new construction. 

Got your eye on a historic rehab project? Call the GO Team!

Just in time for drying season, Breezecatcher is offering my readers a discount on their excellent umbrella rotary clothes dryers. Enjoy 5% off and free shipping by entering BS5000 in the coupon code at check out.

Their hand-made dryers are designed to rotate easily in a light breeze, no matter how unevenly the load is distributed.

Here's more about the dryers from their site:

The Breezecatcher clothes dryer is an ecologically friendly product...and can help you control and reduce your home energy bill. Why not take advantage of the free solar and wind energy available in your back yard, help reduce the dependence on oil and gas, lead the way and feel better by doing your bit to reduce carbon emissions and help prevent climate change and improve the environment for the next generations to follow?

'Nuff said!  Go here to order yours today!

So we're changing our name.

We are now Green Nest Realty Services. Although New Urbanism is a very green concept, we've found the term has never really resonated. It's kind of like the phrase "show me the money." Cameron Crowe, the director of Jerry Maguire, has said that he thought the phrase that would catch on with the public after seeing his movie was "the Quan." It was Rod Tidwell's grammatical invention, a word he used for defining the desirable combination of community + ability + love + coin + respect. Instead, it was "show me the money" that became popular. Quan is a high-level, 10,000 foot word -- like "new urbanism." Everybody can appreciate good urban planning and neighborhood design, but it comes down to where people live -- their personal nest.

So we think Green Nest Realty Services describes what we do better. It conveys our focus on working with green buyers and sellers and our ability to provide excellent greenovation services. And it speaks of our goal to be Atlanta's greenest real estate company.

It's a good name, I think, but we've got a problem. It's the logo. I'm usually pretty good at coming up with stuff like logos and slogans and such, but I must admit I'm drawing a blank so far. And I've been wracking my brain for a couple of weeks. EcoBroker has that nest thing going on with their logo so the lazy thing would be to drop a little cartoon home in a nest and call it a day. But I'm just not feeling it.

So in the spirit of Web 2.0, where transparency and collaboration and business flow together, I'm asking for your help. Got any good ideas for a logo? Share it with me? Please? It's very Quan if you think about it. As a matter-of-fact, send me your ideas for the logo for Green Nest Realty Services, and if we choose your design, I'll show you the money. 100 bucks. Is that worth your time to help a brother out?

Be my Ambassador of Quan...

By now you know that the structure featured in the video is not a landed UFO, but a unique type of dome ecohome. I confess a fascination with dome homes since the geodesic experiments of the 60's and 70's. Dome homes were touted as green buildings years before it was du jour. Some of the green features of domes that have always intrigued me include:

• The dome is one of the strongest and most efficient structures you can build.
• Domes enclose the most amount of area with the least amount of materials. Less material [concrete, lumber, man hrs., labor, etc.] = money saved.
• Domes allow for more efficient and natural airflow throughout the structure making them more energy efficient. Domes don't have the "dead zones" prevalent in many rectangular structures.
  
• Domes have one third less surface area than box-like structures. The amount of surface area exposed to the elements has a much greater impact on energy efficiency than insulation values.
  
• Domes have historically been the only structures remaining intact after the total destruction of forces like hurricanes and even nuclear explosions.
  
• If building a "natural" home is your goal, then the dome is the shape that most closely emulates structures found in nature.
• Dome homes frequently boast 30% - 50% energy efficiency over traditionally built structures.
• Dome homes are frequently system-built so there is less waste in construction.

Domespace Homes manufactures a home that provides all of these features inherent in a dome with one significant addition: they can be built to rotate. The Domespace rotation allows the homeowner to better manage passive solar energy by slowly turning the entire home towards the sun for heat, or away to cool it down. The rotation of the home is imperceptible from inside the home and can be operated with the touch of a remote control. The structure can be equipped with solar panels and programmed for automatic rotation to track the course of the sun.

In addition, Domespace Homes is an ENERGY STAR Partner building new homes that qualify as ENERGY STAR because they provide greater energy efficiency, comfort and durability for home buyers.

Solaleya, the U.S. Distributor of Domespace Homes, offers turn-key solutions from single family domes and multi-dome communities to large scale projects like restaurants and churches.

So -- understanding my affinity for the dome and energy-efficiency -- it won't surprise you that I'm representing Solaleya in the metro Atlanta area. Call me at 404.421.9968 or email me if you want to own one of these revolutionary dome homes.