Miami's Top Green Real Estate Agent - Green and LEED Homes specialist

I have always wondered what is best way to build a new green kitchen without reusing old be up materials that are hard to restore. In a recent RealtorTV video many of my questions were answered. First of all cabinets. Since are not many FSC certified cabinet makers in South Florida I was wondering what would be the best option. Bamboo !! It looks great,sustainable, and long lasting and grows about 4 ft a day.. For the counter tops I prefer recycled glass from Vetrazzo but the new 100 % recycled paper products out on the market are really nice also. Since I live in Miami and terrazzo floors are so common here it RG mirrors the look and feel I like. Energy Star appliances and low flo faucets are a must. One unique feature of the video was the built in composting bin. I loved it. Definitely will recommend that to my clients if they do a remodel. LED lighting is also a big consideration, it emits no heat and lasts for over 50,000 hours and is a wonderful energy saver when entertaini

  Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities. Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood. Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15–45. Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming . Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines. More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car! Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for every 10 minutes a

Smart Growth Realty and Developer Dane Jackman have teamed to introduce the latest in Green Smart home Technology " The Ecovida Smart Home Project" The Ecovida Smart home designed by builder and visionary Dane Jackman,LEED AP and founder of Jackman Construction has outdone himself in achieving an "Net Zero" energy efficient home. It is with great excitement that the EcoVida Development Group introduces the EcoVida Smart Home. A pioneering project bringing like minded people, companies and institutions together for a common goal to educate, to raise awareness and to change people’s mindsets about sustainable and green living. The showcase house will feature one of the most extensive uses of green building products and integrated “smart” technologies ever assembled in one demonstration house; to create a true Net-Zero, 100% energy efficient and self-sustaining building. The 1,726 sf, 3-Bedroom, 2-Bath home will be crafted with green materials and products that

Even though the housing market is still stabilizing in Miami, there is definitely a bright spot on the horizon. Speculators who created this housing bubble are few to be seen and investors are coming up to the plate. Investors look to buy a rock bottom prices and either rehab and resell or hold these properties long term to build a nice investment portfolio of real estate. Take for example Downtown Miami. A group of foreign investors from Venezuela recently purchased 40 plus units at the Wind by Neo complex at bulk pricing for about $160-$170 a square foot. Furthermore, a group from Italy just bought 18 units the the Epic high-rise condo built by Italian Land developer and owner of CMC construction Hugo Colombo. Epic is the jewel building in downtown located at where the Miami River meets Biscayne Bay. We see more and more foreigners buying our real estate in Miami than ever before. The strong Euro is still a huge advantage for the foreign buyer, even though it was not as strong as

On Thursday my wife Giselle and I were invited by our good friend Jorge Blet from Mechoshade to come visit the 2010 AIA national convention at the Miami Beach Convention center. We arrived via my Solar Utility Vehicle as it is known by these days and saw that the parking lot was full. I expected a good turnout as well inside. Boy was I wrong. The show itself was filled with wonderful vendors from all over the country showcasing their product lines. We met vendors from Chicago putting up Green roofs in Miami for several commercial buildings, Sustainable flooring companies using bamboo and coconut palms to name a few, however the halls were fairly empty for being opening day. As we walked down the mostly empty recession struck aisles Giselle and I were invited to eat upstairs at the Asian restaurant compliments of Mechoshade. Well let me tell you that it was the worst Asian food I have ever had along with it's dysfunctional staff made lunch an adventure. First of all the

April 2010- Carlos del Amo of Coldwell Banker, today announced the creation of a new information Web site for Miami-area homeowners in distress . CarlosdelAmoGreen.com contains vital facts about the options available to these homeowners, to help them make the educated decisions about their future. “I developed this site with my community in mind,” Del Amo said. “When faced with the possibility of foreclosure, I’ve seen too many homeowners make poor choices, even walking away from their homes without calling their lender or a real estate agent. These people didn’t know the options available, or even how to find any information on their situation. "I want more for the people of Miami Dade County, and more comes with making informed decisions.” My site acts as a hub for information on the facts and issues for struggling homeowners, putting all the necessary information in one, easy-to-use location. The information and materials located on the site are regularly updated to refle

On Saturday night my wife Giselle and I attended the annual Dream in Green Fundraising event at Coverings in North Miami. Dream in Green's mission is to develop and implement programs that promote energy conservation and efficiency, environmental sustainability, and the use of renewable energy. This organization builds partnerships with local schools, governments, and businesses for the purpose of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, waste, and our reliance on fossil fuels. One of the night’s special guests was Miami Dade Schools Superintendent Alberto M Carvalho. He received an award for his effort and excellence in promoting The Green Schools challenge, a unique program for educating K-12 students about environmental and energy challenges and getting them involved in real world solutions that reduce energy consumptions. The successful event attracted over 100 guests. There was also a silent auction with some unique and interesting items. Some of the items ranged from recycled handb

Miami has been waiting for sometime for a company to take the reins in the Green residential building movement and that company is Smart Growth Realty. My vision as a 40 plus year resident of the city is to reduce the carbon footprint of Miami one home at a time by giving our clients a commission rebate to go towards green initiatives. With the proceeds from the rebate we want our customers to put the savings to good use. For example, using the funds to install programmable thermostats,plant indigenous trees native to the area, increase the indoor air quality by repainting the interior walls with NO VOC paint and many other ways to save energy ,water and provide for a healthier home. At Smart Growth we want our agents to enjoy the path we are heading towards energy independence. We will give them what we call smart tools that will make them produce a much higher level with the least enviromental impact. Technology was created for a reason and we believe that in today's instant g