Living green and being green is getting easier and easier for home owners these days as new products, new technology, and education pave the way for environmental awareness. From simple conservation to building choices, reducing one’s carbon footprint is not only easier but more of a priority.

Recycling is one of the most obvious ways that communities get involved with protecting mother earth. It is becoming rarer and rarer to find places where recycling is not offered, and recycling allows for a reduction in garbage as well as an opportunity to reuse and recycle items time and time again.

Simple ways to be kinder to the earth involve simple home supplies. Almost any store you enter these days has green options for items from soap to paint and everything in between. These items are often made from natural ingredients, containing no chemicals, and therefore when used have a gentle direct impact on your local environment.

In addition, there countless home materials in use today which are considered earth friendly. From flooring and tiles to light bulbs and appliances, energy efficiency and environmentally friendly have taken on new meanings. Living better and being better have combined to create lifestyle choices in the home, and often better choices make for better profits when it comes to real estate.

Click here to read “15 Tips for Living Green” from Realty Times.

Your home can be green and act green during the holidays. Let’s face it, the holidays can turn a home into an energy tornado, not to mention a killer of mother nature by using up all the evergreen plant life possible. But there are many steps that can be taken to reduce your home’s holiday carbon footprint and help you end the year on a good note.

As far as Christmas greenery goes, there are artificial options that can make sense but they are not always the best option. Many fake greens are somewhat toxic, made of PVC and often emitting fumes, so it is best to make sure there is plenty of ventilation in tight spaces. Also, many believe that fake trees and wreaths save countless trees each year, but many of these products are made overseas and in fact taking business away from local purveyors.

Most Christmas trees are grown on tree farms, specifically for this time of year. These trees are great for the environment as they process carbon dioxide and add oxygen to our air. Check your tree lots and make sure you are buying local trees, the farther away they come from, the more fuel is used for transportation.

Then of course there are solar lights to choose these days for holiday lights. Just imagine the savings on your electric bills!

There are countless ways to enjoy the holidays throughout your home and still save the planet! Click hereto read “Solar Christmas Lights: Should You Make the Switch?” from House Logic.

There are a number of smart decisions home owners can make to live greener during the holidays, choices that will not only make people lessen their impact on the environment but also add a little zip to your holiday spirit. The holidays breed good will toward men and the spirit of giving, and there is no need to ignore the environment in the process.

Wrapping paper. Wrapping paper no doubt creates the most garbage during the holiday season and choosing recycled or reusable materials is easier on the landfills. Fabric makes a great wrapping and can be used again for further wrapping or to make something out of.

Christmas trees. Christmas tree farms grow trees strictly for Christmas time, lessening the effects that could come from chopping a tree down in a forest, its natural environment. Choosing a farmed tree is kinder than cutting one down.

Recycle your tree. Most neighborhoods have areas designated as Christmas tree drop-off sites. Dropping your tree off will enable it to be turned into mulch or returned to the environment in a different way.

These are just a few ways to lessen the burden we make on the environment during the holiday season. We live in a consumer society, something we are all guilty of, and the holidays represent a time of greatest impact. It might just lift our spirits to do our part toward easing the impact during this busy time of year.

Fall is an important time of year for gardening, and how you deal with your garden at this time of year can affect how your garden will grow come Spring. While there are plants that are at their best in Fall, many need to be cut back and put to bed for the upcoming Winter months.

A few things to do to your garden in the Fall:

• Cut back flowering plants, whose blooms have come and gone.
• Get rid of any unhealthy plants.
• Weed your flower beds.
• Get rid of any fruits and vegetables that may have fallen to the ground.
• Rake up any leaves and debris.
• Turn over the soil.

Cleaning your garden in the Fall will get rid of elements that could get in the way of Spring growth. In addition, turning over the soil can get rid of weed roots and seeds that would lead to more weed growth in Spring. Cutting perennial plants back promotes healthy, thicker growth when dormant periods are over. While different parts of the country may have different growing season, gardens everywhere have seasons and need to be paid attention to accordingly.

Click here to learn more about Fall gardening from HGTV.

Windows are an important asset to a home. There are many steps in the process of buying real estate, the least of which is the inspection process. A home inspection brings to light many details and items that might need repairing or replacing and windows are just one of the many aspects of a house to examine. There may not be an issue with the windows in your new home but it is still a good idea to know more about them.

Windows come in a number of styles: single pane, double pane, double hung, leaded glass, and seeded glass are just a few. In addition windows come framed in wood, aluminum, steel and more. Many of today’s windows are built to be more insulating by offering both double panes and hugh quality framing. While the original windows of historic homes hold their charm, the also can fail to hold in the heat during winter. WIndows are a focal point of most homes and can go a long way to making them more energy efficient.

It is easy to look through a clean pane of glass and just see the view outside, a closer look could prepare you for potential insulation issues. If you are buying or selling a home get to know more about the glass that you look through every day.

Click here to visit a website on energy efficient windows.

Buying a home is always an investment and choosing the best bang for your buck is important. Whether a home is big or small, choosing the home that will have the best return on your investment is key. Schools, low crime rate, amenities and walkability all affect the resale value of a home.

Key elements that attract home buyers to a neighborhood or specific home have historically included the quality of available education, the safety of the area, the parks and open space nearby, and the shops and restaurants in the area. Choosing a home in a walkable location can add value to a home as well. The ability to walk to a restaurant or a store is a huge draw for many people. Not everyone wants to hop in a car to pick up a gallon of milk or meet a friend for lunch.

While it is often hard to find a home that has it all, it is important to choose a home that has what you are looking for. In the end if a home has what you are looking for it will most likely have what someone else is looking for when it comes time for you to sell.

Click here to read a recent article from Realty Times regarding the walkability factor of buying real estate.

The heat of summer means barbecues, water fights, trips to the pool and lots of outdoor fun, it also means higher than normal water usage. In most parts of the country water is a precious commodity and an increase in usage can not only hurt your wallet but your environment as well. Here are a few ways to cut back on water consumption.

• When it comes to the outside attempt to plant flowers, shrubs and plants that require less water than others. Xeroscaping can be beautiful and conserve water at the same time.
• Examine your sprinkler system and if it is on a timer system set it for once a day, every other day, preferably at night when the water won’t evaporate in the heat of the sun. If your sprinkler is a manual one, turn it on after the sun goes down.
• Inside your home make sure that your appliances, like dishwashers and washing machines, are energy star compliant. It is also a good idea to wash full loads whenever possible to make the most of your water consumption.

Do your part to pay attention to your water consumption and cut back where you can. It is important to conserve water for both your community and your bank account.

Click here to read an article from Realty Times about conserving water at your home.

Green homes are becoming more attractive for the environment and the wallet

When it comes to your home going green no longer means painting your house a shade of the color, it means you are taking steps toward improving both the environment and your wallet. In real estate green improvements can mean more energy efficient appliances like refrigerators, stoves, toilets and lighting fixtures to major improvements like adding solar heating, recycled materials and wind energy. Green improvements are not only becoming more popular but they are also becoming more attractive financially due to tax savings and long term cost effectiveness.

Choosing renewable products and making environmentally friendly decisions when it comes to your property can make a big difference. While being green is often a state of mind, for people who dedicate themselves to recycling, turning off lights, and bicycling instead of driving a car, making green improvements in the home has proven to make quite a difference.

For information about green choices for the home click here to read a recent article from Realty Times.

Energy efficiency and greener building practices have begun to take hold across the Country, spurring incentives that warrant making home improvements to existing homes as well as better practices for building new homes.  Currently President Obama is considering federal incentives to homeowners who make energy efficient improvements to their homes.

President Obama had said that energy efficiency “creates jobs, saves money for families, and reduces the pollution that threatens our environment.  With additional resources, in areas like advanced manufacturing of wind turbines and solar panels, for instance, we can help turn good ideas into good private-sector jobs.”

Providing incentives to home owners to make their properties more energy efficient will not only help the homeowner but help the economy, seen as two major players in exiting the recession that has affected our Nation’s economy.

The possible legislation could provide 50% rebates up to $12,000 in incentives for product costs as well as installation costs of energy efficient home improvements that could include appliances, insulation, solar products and more.  The legislation is in the planning phase but is something Obama is planning on introducing.

For more information on possible legislation click here to a view an article posted by CNN Money.

Making green improvements to your home can be good for the environment and your wallet

Going green can not only improve the environment but can also help the wallet.  If renovations are in store for your home consider making them energy efficient.  There are tax credits for 30% of energy efficient home improvements for amounts of up to $1,500 for improvements to existing homes.  Acceptable projects include:

•    Windows and Doors
•    Insulation
•    Roofs (Metal and Asphalt)
•    HVAC
•    Water Heaters (non-solar)
•    Biomass Stoves

There are also tax credits available for 30% of the project cost, no limit, for existing homes and new construction.  These projects include:
•    Geothermal Heat Pumps
•    Solar Panels
•    Solar Water Heaters
•    Small Wind Energy Systems
•    Fuel Cells

Reducing the carbon footprint for your home has never been more affordable or had such incentive.  Whether you want to change your windows or alter your home’s energy source, making changes to make a difference in your environment can help save you money.

For information on energy efficient tax credits click here.