Asheville ECO-GREEN Real Estate

In an effort to encourage U.S. cities to achieve independence from foreign and environmentally harmful energy sources, fourteen (14) US cities have, as of August, 2006 signed on to the Energy Freedom Challenge      These Fourteen Founding Cities, aka  America's Race to Independence through Renewable Energy are Sacramento, Albuquerque, Eugene, Ann Arbor, Boulder, Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, Alameda, Cuyahoga Falls, Willits, and Moab.

You will notice that our Beloved Asheville is not  on this list...YET...
However, we have an incredible City Council (see photo)

and we are hoping we can let them know how much we would like to participate in the  Energy Freedom Challenge  for the Year 2007. Pictured here are Mayor, Terry Bellamy, in red, Councilman Brownie Newman, Councilman Bryan Freeborn, Vice-Mayor Holly Jones,   Councilman Jan Davis, Councilman Carl Mumpower and Councilwoman Robin Cape 
http://www.robinforasheville.com/  who on her web site asks

Interestingly, if you compare the population of the 14 cities (about 4,000,000) to the estimated number of voters in the 2004 Presidential election (about 122,000,000)  a swizzle reveals itself.  For swizzle hunters who like to predict future real estate property values based on trends in the marketplace, you will be interested in the growing percentage of property owners who are getting excited about saving energy and money. If so many communities are  aiming to get over half of their electricity needs met by using “clean energy” resources –  wind, solar and bioenergy –by working together with municipalities, consumers, government, energy providers, the trend is apparent.

Yes Indeed!  GREEN is HOT !
To be prepared for the swizzle, I offer this to my real estate professional colleagues:

The Center for Real Estate Development--University of North Carolina's Kenan-Flagler Business School--“The Center for Real Estate Development is the only business school real estate program specifically focused on helping real estate development leaders of today and tomorrow learn to create and manage the built environment in ways that ensure its long and sustainable future. Education offerings include finance and capital markets.”

For members of the community, you can enter your city in the Energy Freedom Challenge here :

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Edited...Please note  Councilwoman Robin Cape's timely attention to the energy challenge. Cape says,  " Please join me this year in my pledge to play a role in encouraging Asheville to change 1000 light bulbs as part of the ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign ." She comments below..