Real Estate Information Center

Resting in the shadow of Seattle, Bellevue redefines what it means to be environmentally friendly. From establishing green policies and regulations surpassing that of most American cities to adopting a green approach toward community expansion, Bellevue is an ideal location for environmentally-sound development projects.

Bellevue is home to more than 145 Fortune 500 companies, with Microsoft and Expedia headquartered in the city. Many of the region’s high powered executives live in the community and have invested in the civic, cultural, and political infrastructure to enhance Bellevue’s quality of life.

Recently named by Fortune Small Business magazine as the “best place in the nation to live and launch a business”, there is a passion for the growth and a deep community dedication to environmental action and upkeep.

Continue reading ‘Bellevue Builds it Green’ »

By now it’s no secret that uncertainty is the only certain thing left in the real estate market. And with virtually all traditional forms of development remaining stagnant, finding opportunity in a more specialized discipline, such as brownfield development, is no easy task.

But even amidst the direst of circumstances, there are opportunities surrounding the redevelopment of contaminated land. However, opportunity for development needs to be highly strategic and is location sensitive.

The trend today and likely into the foreseeable future is “smart growth” and transportation-orientated development. The majority of these proposed developments are located near employment centers and transportation hubs. Municipalities encourage such developments because they do not put a strain on capital resources and use existing infrastructure at no additional cost with the benefit of an increased tax base. The need for infill properties to fulfill this objective provides a unique opportunity for brownfield development, particularly in major cities.

Continue reading ‘Brownfield Development Opportunity in Uncertainty’ »

There is a lot of alternative energy hype these days, but you have to be careful with solar installation sales people. Often, they make claims that you will have the unit, installation and equipment all paid off within 5-10-years with all the money you save on energy, the ROI or return on your investment. If the company’s salesman takes an overly optimistic approach to such promises to get you to buy, you may find yourself underwhelmed with the results and later determine that you didn’t save any money after all.

Not long ago this exact issue occurred and the homeowner being a lawyer asked for the ROI in writing. He lived in a very sunny city with only 6-9 rain days a year on average, so he accepted the salesman on his word, but got it in writing just in case, because he’d heard of problems that other consumers had encountered. Turns out that in 2.5 years of the 10 year so-called ROI, he had not saved more than 10% on his energy bill. Worried that the company wouldn’t be around in 7 and a half years, he took them to court for the entire cost of the unit.

Continue reading ‘Thinking of Green Real Estate Concepts – Get Your Solar ROI Promises in Writing’ »

Modern technology has certainly served us well in our homes. Today we have natural gas lines, electricity, air conditioning, microwaves, hot water, hot running water, refrigeration, and all the modern amenities. But we also use a lot of energy. Now engineers are working on high tech appliances that are ultra-super efficient. It is truly amazing the quality of life we can live for such low costs.

Still, I’ve always thought that the ancient cultures who dug tunnels underground and allowed wind blowing into one end of the tunnel with outlets into the living area for air-cooling were wise, and that was a form of air-conditioning and it didn’t take any energy once the tunnels for ventilation were created. No it wasn’t perfect, but it worked. Even the American Indians built Kivas to stay cool in the hot summers and many of them had devised various rudimentary forms of air cooling vent systems.

Continue reading ‘Green Homes and Alternative Energy Issues’ »

In my previous articles, my focus has been on increasing profit margins for individual property investors. I appreciate that this is a somewhat materialistic focus and wanted to discuss how Environmental Charities or Campaign Groups could utilize the same information. Environmental charities and organizations have two main aims. The first is to spread the eco-friendly message by encouraging the public to change their practices by informing the public of what they can do to better protect the environment. Their second aim is to generate the revenue necessary to spread that message. Employing the principles I have discussed in my previous articles, could help them to do both. Two birds, one stone!

Spreading The Eco-Friendly Message

While there are many ways to reach out to the public about environmental issues, leading by example is certainly among the most effective. Most members of environmental charities and groups are honest, hardworking people who practice what they preach. They educate, encourage and inform people about the impact their actions have on the world and lead the way in showing them alternative practices. In parts of the US, 30% of the waste that goes into landfill sites comes from the demolition and construction of property. What better way to tackle our landfill problems than to promote house recycling to the public and keep that waste out of our landfill sites?

Continue reading ‘Recycling Houses – A Potential Fundraiser For Environmental Charities Or Groups?’ »