The Renner Companies

By Mel Inglima

With good preparation and guidance, it’s easy to keep costs under control. Whether you’re getting ready to build or remodel, it makes sense to have a well defined strategy to follow.

So, you’re looking for ideas for building your home and making it green. Green homes are healthy buildings for the occupants and the environment. They are also economical buildings, boasting reduced energy, water and maintenance costs. However, constructing or renovating homes in an environmentally responsible manner requires a great deal of planning and there are hundreds of building techniques and products to integrate into a green home. The most important consideration is balancing economic and time input with economic, personal and environmental benefit. Whether you are building your home here in North Georgia or any other climate, here are some specific ideas that may help you build your green home.

The number one thing to not overlook is Energy Efficiency. If you don’t remember anything else, remember to make sure your new home is Energy Efficient. If you are considering remodeling your current home, make sure that is at the top of your list also. This will save you a considerable amount of money over time and may pay for some of the other little connivence options you may be considering.

by Marcus Pickett

by Matt Myers

Prospective homeowners should give careful consideration to their decisions when planning to build a home. A great home is one that you are happy to wake up in every day, which is efficient in its layout and usage, that is interesting yet practical, and that brings joy into the very basics of living. These 8 steps will help to guide you through the process:

by Marc Dickinson

by Veronica Smith

US housing construction rebounded more vigorously than expected in May from all-time lows, official data showed Tuesday, stoking hopes the real-estate crisis at the heart of the recession may be easing.

by Sarah Susanka, AIA

North Georgia real estate is primed for a comeback! Why? In a recent article, I mentioned some of the reasons that I moved here. If you’ve ever visited North Georgia, you probably have some reasons of your own. Then, there’s the financial side of the decision. While you may have questions about selling your current home right now, your real estate agent should have some creative solutions for you to make your deal work. If you’ve been paying attention to the news you’ve probably seen some hopeful signs in our economy.

The reports are in! An article in Professional Builders Magazine states that, according to the Pew Research Center, nearly 50 percent of Americans say they would rather live in a different community than where they now live. And of those people, most of them are looking toward the suburbs or smaller communities. Apparently, city dwellers were ‘less enthusiastic’ about their environments than those living in suburban, small town or even rural areas.