President Obama stopped by Savannah Technical College yesterday and talked about the proposed Home Star program, aka Cash for Caulkers, created to incentivize home owners to cut energy consumption.

The Home Star proposal would provide rebates that would go to consumers making improvements when they are purchasing efficient products and efficiency services. The program has two types of rebates: Silver Star and Gold Star. The Silver Star rebates would provide $1,000 to $1,500 to consumers for each straightforward upgrade, like adding insulation, duct sealing, or purchasing new efficient water heaters, HVAC units, roofing and doors. Consumers may get up to $3,000 in Silver Star rebates.

The Gold Star Rebates are where consumers get the best bang for the buck. Gold Star would offer a $3,000 rebate for a retrofit based on a home energy audit that will save at least 20 percent on energy consumption.

Of course, Congress has the final say on this plan, so expect some changes. Click HERE to get the full scoop thanks to www.greenandsave.com.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Energy | Tax

Athens was named one of the Top U.S. Cities for Young Professionals this morning on The Today Show. Real Estate expert and "Shark Tank" judge Barbara Corcoran compiled a list of the most vibrant cities for young professionals based on affordable housing, jobs, good schools and welcoming communities.

Athens was the only small town on the list, which also named Minneapolis, Denver, Seattle, D.C., Chicago, LA and Boston as top cities. She said Athens was known for its love of UGA, pretty architecture and thriving music scene. The segment showed a 3BR/3BA home listed at $132,900 as a great example of the low real estate prices in town.

To watch the full segment from The Today Show, CLICK HERE.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Athens | Awards

Monday is the deadline for Clarke County property owners to file forms that could drop the taxes they pay on their homes and businesses.

Property tax returns are a method of appealing the taxable value of land and buildings. By filing a return, owners tell tax assessors what they think the property is worth.

"That's one thing that's happening a lot now, is that people want to appeal the value of the property," Clarke County Tax Commissioner Nancy Denson said.

After a return is filed, assessors decide whether they agree or disagree with the value the owner places on the property. If they disagree, they send the owner an assessment.

Monday also is the deadline for Clarke County residents to file for homestead exemptions, a tax break on owner-occupied houses. Homeowners who already have a homestead exemption do not need to reapply. For more info, CLICK HERE to read this Athens Banner-Herald article.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Athens | Property Taxes

We gathered the troops at Full Circle to discuss what home and building trends we thought would be in demand this year. Based on our conversations with clients, our knowledge of sustainable building practices and that crystal ball we have lying around our office, we predict we’ll hear a lot more about these Top 10 trends in 2010:

1.    Living Smaller: The days of decadence and McMansions are over. Smart builders are already figuring out creative ways to build smaller, tighter, more energy-efficient homes with better use of space. Buyers don’t want to sacrifice luxury, but they will give up square footage to lessen their footprint. The average size of a new house decreased last year for the first time in nearly three decades and we predict that trend will continue.

2.    Adaptive Reuse: You can recycle more than paper and plastic. More and more people are adapting old buildings for new uses while retaining their historic features. We’ve seen this trend grow over the last several years in Athens and it will only continue due to the demand for in-town living options.

3.    Walkability: As we mentioned, there has been a growing demand for in-town living, particularly from baby boomers, who want to live where they can walk or ride their bikes to do their daily activities. We hope Clarke County will maintain an emphasis on enhancing sidewalks, bike lanes, greenways and parks because demand for these amenities from buyers will continue to grow.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Green | Building | Trends

Georgia residents who are thinking of buying a new appliance should mark their calendars for Feb. 12. That's the date when the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority will begin offering rebates of $25 to $200 to people who buy energy-efficient refrigerators, freezers, water heaters, air conditioners, furnaces, clothes washers, dishwashers and boilers, GEFA Executive Director Phil Foil announced.

Rebates are available to Georgia residents who buy qualifying appliances in Georgia. Online purchases are exempt. The appliances must carry a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Energy Star rating.

Article courtesy of The Athens Banner-Herald. Click HERE for more info and a list of appliances that qualify.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Energy Star | Georgia

The 2nd Annual Green Life Expo will be held Friday, 10am to 5pm, and Saturday, 10am to 3pm, at The Classic Center. The FREE Expo is designed to educate businesses, families and individuals on ways to lessen their carbon footprints while saving natural resources and money. Make sure you drop by to check out all of the exhibitors and bring recyclables including home electronics (including TVs), CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, computer games, alkaline and rechargeable batteries, fluorescent light bulbs/tubes, gently worn clothes and shoes for Soles4Souls.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Green | Athens

Back in September, we gave props to UGA students and The Go Green Alliance for starting a grassroots effort to convice UGA President Michael Adams of the importance of a proposed Office of Sustainability. The students put it to a vote and the referendum passed with more than 80% of voters in favor of increasing student fees by $3 per semester to raise funds for sustainability initiatives on campus. However, the decision still hinged on the Presiden'ts approval.

Last week, Adams yielded to student's wishes and approved the new office to coordinate campus energy conservation, recycling and other sustainability efforts.

Read the full article HERE thanks to The Athens Banner-Herald.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: UGA | Green

The heart-wrenching stories of tragedy and survival coming out of Haiti are overwhelming. It’s hard to watch the evening news and not feel a sense of helplessness. What can we do here in Athens, GA, to help those in need so far away? The answer is to donate money to organizations you know will put your contribution to good use immediately. As a Peace Corps friend of mine pointed out, sometimes grassroots organizations work better than the big, government non-profits because they know the country in need more intimately.

Last weekend, tiny Madison, GA, raised $30,000 during a benefit concert to support Hope for Haiti, a FL-based non-profit started by a Madison resident. Now a UGA Professor who worked for 20 years in Haiti has planned, Athens For Haiti, a benefit concert to be held at 8pm, Jan. 30th, at the Town & Gown Theatre. All funds raised will go straight to those in dire need in Haiti.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: Athens | Haiti

I recently read a story updating progress on Atlanta's Beltline, an ambitious project and the largest, most wide-ranging urban redevelopment currently underway in the United States. The Beltline will combine greenspace, trails, transit and new development along 22 miles of historic rail segments that encircle the urban core. Learning more about this great example of smart growth in our neighboring city is worth the time. Click HERE for Beltline info and read a great blog with videos on why the Beltline is the country's best smart growth story HERE.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: smart growth

If you’re looking for a new career direction in 2010, getting into the solar energy biz may be a smart move. Even though the market in Athens is just now developing, demand is expected to grow thanks to government incentives, increasing energy costs and tighter restrictions on pollution from power plants. As the market grows, demand for trained solar installers will increase.

Local green builder and renewable energy expert, Tony Purcell, teaches Solar Thermal Water Heating System training classes right here in Athens. You can get info on upcoming Jan/Feb classes HERE.

Tony has already completed one project for the EPA on College Station Road (photo left) for their main lab building. It can be seen from the street when driving by on the right side of the roof (facing the building). He has also done an installation for a house built in Bogart that achieved Earthcraft Platinum certification and his personal home has an active solar space heating system installed via a hydronic radiant floor system. He's also done numerous other smaller residential installations in the local area.

Posted by Katie Throne

Tags: solar | athens