In July, GE unveiled Nucleus™, an affordable, innovative communication and data storage device that provides consumers with secure information about their household electricity usage and costs so they can make more informed choices about how and when to use power.
GE’s Nucleus brings the promise of the smart grid into consumers’ homes. As utilities deploy smart [...]

Energy… that magical thing that illuminates our world. Few of us actually consider what it takes to generate the power to turn on our lights, run our computers and televisions, or cook our food. The daily “news” today touts “clean energy.” An international summit of 192 countries in Copenhagen met in December 2009 to discuss [...]

You’ve cut out the pictures from the magazines, looked at countless home plans and maybe even purchased the homesite at the perfect community. But, what next? In this current economic environment, you might think it better to put off your dreams and buy an existing home. Yet now is the perfect time to build your [...]

1. An Insatiable Flair for Intricacy Defines Watermark Designs
Richly textured and crafted with a lush, luxurious eye, Watermark Designs’ insatiable flair for intricacy leaves one wondering if there truly is “an angel in the details.” No surface is too small to infuse with elegance, made evident by Watermark’s beautifully choreographed collections. Kissed with accents of architectural [...]

The 2010 Ideal Living Home at Achasta in Dahlonega, GA, is a paired home with panoramic views of the walkable Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course. The home will feature sustainable construction built by Linger Longer Homes. The home will showcase a variety of sustainable features that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient. The sustainable initiative [...]

1. ‘Step On’ the Recycling Bandwagon
Neu Home’s Step-On stainless steel recycling bins will make recycling a snap for you and your family. The multiple compartments allow you to enjoy multiple recycling and disposal configurations. Some people choose a multi-compartment recycling bin so that they can use one side for recyclables and the other for trash. [...]

AIKEN, SC — Michael and Shelly Jeffcoat, residents in ‘The Ridge at Chukker Creek’ in Aiken, just returned from a cruise subsidized by savings on their home energy bill. After one of the coldest South Carolina winters on record, most homeowners saw their energy bills soar, but for the Jeffcoats it was a refreshingly different [...]

Green homes hit mainstream–Make sure you know what you’re buying
Ten years ago, environmentally and energy conscious home buyers had a tough time finding ‘green’ homes. Even though models were out there, builders and real estate agents had no idea how to market them and sometimes didn’t even know their benefits versus a conventionally-built residence. Things [...]

Smaller, Energy-Efficient Homes Fueled by Tax Credits Increase 2009 Home Sales
Gone are the days of the McMansions. In the current economy, bigger doesn’t necessarily equal better. Smaller homes have made a comeback, but discerning buyers haven’t sacrificed quality for quantity. What today’s best-selling homes may lack in square footage, they make up for in amenities, [...]

Hammers and nails are flying as construction has begun on the 2010 Ideal Living Home in Dahlonega, GA. The Show Home at Achasta is a 3,200-square-foot paired home in the Fairway Village.
The home overlooks the 10th and 18th fairways of the Achasta golf course and features state-of-the-art sustainable building techniques and materials as well as [...]

1. iPad Revolution
Starting at just $499, iPad lets users browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more. iPad is just 0.5 inches thick and weighs just 1.5 pounds—thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers battery life of up to [...]

For almost seven years, the Hackel’s front entrance sat transparent with a mostly glass patio door front entrance which didn’t exactly fit in with the grandeur of the rest of the home.
“We really wanted to increase the curb appeal of the house and we thought we could do it through a front entry makeover,” says [...]

All you have to do is look at the advertising from condominium and home builders to see that environmentally friendly housing is the hottest thing in building today. And condominiums, by their very nature, take advantage of almost all of green housing’s possibilities.
Condominiums have the advantage of population density, with a compact physical footprint which [...]

Although retirement was more than ten years away, six years ago Vincent and Darylee Buszko decided they just couldn’t retire in New Jersey. Cold weather and the busy, never-stop atmosphere of the Northeast prompted their decision to attend a Live South Real Estate Show. Their search had begun. They attended two real estate shows and [...]

Yes, granite countertops are all the rage, but those who want something different and desire a truly environmentally friendly kitchen or bath countertop are going counter to this trend and choosing sustainable countertops.
Granite is a natural stone and therefore, a finite resource. As an alternative, consider a countertop made of recycled glass, recycled plastic, porcelain [...]