• Master mechanic, not a parts-swapper, with over 24 years experience
• You get an honest analysis at a fair price. That’s what our business is built on
• Every car we sell gets a 112-point inspection, and we stand behind it
• Dependable cars in a price range others sell you disposable cars
• Home of the “Green Tune-up” — wasting less and giving you more bang for your buck
• We’re using the resources of a historic textile mill!

Find us on our website, www.conversemotors.com for directions on how to find us. Or, just stop by on Hwy 29 less than 10 minutes from downtown Spartanburg on the east side between Hillcrest and Cowpens.

THURSDAY August 21 at

Foothills REIA’s new office!

280 S. Pine Street

Downtown Spartanburg

 We’re talking $Green$ Building and how it will put green $$$ in your pocket through real estate, and more! New vendors will be displaying products to use on your building projects that will save all of us time AND money, help our tenants by reducing their utility bills making it easier for them to actually PAY their rent, increase  property values, and more! Don’t miss out!

Our local experts will explain the benefits and offer insight into what it means to “Go Green”. One common misunderstanding is the notion it has to be more expensive to build or remodel green, the facts are it will cost you NOT to incorporate some of these into your investment portfolio.

Most products are readily available and we can explain the details for why it makes even more sense in today’s changing business world. Another added incentive will be your competitive advantage. The market is becoming increasingly aware of the higher utility costs and we can help you sell faster! Of the 600+ houses currently on the MLS only a few have a “Green” shade to them.

February sales numbers saw the biggest increase in over a year!  Now that’s not to say because of this one month we’re going to go up every month from here on out. But here’s the deal: When do you buy stocks? You buy them when the company is great but the stock for whatever reason is down. This is the time to buy houses while they are still great but price-wise they are down!

Read the article I read here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080324/ap_on_bi_ge/econom

“Time marches on” was one of his favorite sayings. The older I get the faster time goes! As the economy here in the US fluctuates I am well aware of the wisdom passed on through my family. Long term planning is crucial. “Saving for a rainy day” was in our DNA I do believe. Time will not stand still. Our economy WILL pull itself up and TODAY just might be the best time to purchase real estate in key markets.
Back to my youth. Even as a kid I read the local real estate guides and saw houses selling for $50,000 down the street. “Outrageous, I could have bought that house for $10,000 a few years ago!” 40 years later it’s worth at least $500,000 now. Would that have been a good investment??

I tell you this because from those early days of my life the seeds were planted deep within me and I was hooked. I purchased my first rental home with another Air Traffic Controller in the Air Force when we were stationed in Indiana. I was 19 and very timid. I remember the mortgage was $111 a month. Not a misprint…$111 a month and we rented it for $250. I Think we paid $11,000 for the house. With ALL my experience it made sense. That was 1981.

In 1982 I was assigned to a base in SC. A year or so later I visited the quiet little city of Spartanburg, SC  in the beautiful Foothills of the state. I immediately saw the low prices of houses and knew it was a growing area…Maybe it was time to invest again?

Fast forward to 2008…our city is transforming itself. Spartanburg County has been #1 in the nation per capita for foreign investment. When BMW decided to build there US plant here our county gained more attention around the world this time. I see our relatively low prices still and know first hand the commitment from our business leaders to make this one of the best places to work and live in the Southeast. We were #3 in the entire South Atlantic region last year for home appreciation.

We’ve been slow and steady when it comes to moving forward. Now it is no longer a secret. If you’ve read this far I would like to extend this offer. Put my 20+ years of living in this community to work. Become a member of our REIA and let’s sit down and discuss “where” the true opportunities are here. I know for a fact there are out of town investor’s buying properties because our prices are low…many are being sold by unscrupulous people who inflate values for instance. As President of the REIA I’ve met many investors. I work with those who’ve proven over time to be honest, ethical, and trustworthy!

I look forward to helping you.

Traditional building practices often overlook the interrelationships between a building, its components, its surroundings, and its occupants. “Typical” buildings consume more of our resources than necessary, negatively impact the environment, and generate a large amount of waste. According to Laurence Doxsey, former Coordinator of the City of Austin Green Builder Program, “a standard wood-framed home consumes over one acre of forest and the waste created during construction averages from 3 to 7 tons.” Often, these buildings are costly to operate in terms of energy and water consumption. And they can result in poor indoor air quality, which can lead to health problems.

There are many opportunities to make buildings cleaner. As just one example, if only 10 percent of homes in the U.S. used solar water-heating systems, we would avoid 8.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions each year.

Green building practices offer an opportunity to create environmentally-sound and resource-efficient buildings by using an integrated approach to design. Green buildings promote resource conservation, including energy efficiency, renewable energy, and water conservation features; consider environmental impacts and waste minimization; create a healthy and comfortable environment; reduce operation and maintenance costs; and address issues such as historical preservation, access to public transportation and other community infrastructure systems. The entire life-cycle of the building and its components is considered, as well as the economic and environmental impact and performance.

More and more designers, builders, and building owners are becoming interested and involved in green building. National and local programs encouraging green building are growing and reporting successes, while hundreds of demonstration projects and private buildings across the country provide tangible examples of what green building can accomplish in terms of comfort, aesthetics, and energy and resource efficiency.

BMW announced Monday they would add another 500 jobs and spend an extra $750 million to expand. And that’s just the small of it. For every 1 job created at BMW, 3.9 jobs are created at BMW suppliers.

“Artie Perry, president and CEO of BMW supplier 2AM Group LLC in Duncan, said he expects his plant, which has about 175 employees, to double in size by 2010.”

Spartanburg’s strong economic backbone in manufacturing continues to spur its growth. Even in a time where people are using the word “recession,” Spartanburg isn’t slowing down. With the lowest foreclosure rate and one of the top appreciation rates the word recession doesn’t exist in this town.

“Upstate business leaders are already musing on economic development opportunities that may well follow BMW’s announced expansion of its Spartanburg County plant.”

See what BMW is doing in Spartanburg news.

We are excited about sharing our research, opinions, and real world experiences. We do not claim to be the “Guru’s” of Green, Healthy, Sustainable, Hi Performance building…or whatever term you can relate to our goals are simple: Be a resource center for what we call “Building a Better Mousetrap”.

“Shades of Green” is our way of saying there are many ways to build better structures. Building “Green” as many call it is not accomplished with ONE product that will magically give you the best house your $$ can buy. It is an accumulation of well thought out plans with a purpose.

Consider the location and how you can work with nature rather than against for instance. As a friend says this is “Building Science”, not “Rocket Science”. We take the big picture approach and look at the entire building as a whole. Do you live in a high humidity zone as we do here in the Upstate of South Carolina? For us moisture must be taken seriously. Mold and mildew will destroy a home if not dealt with properly. Just because you cannot see it does not mean it isn’t there! These are just a few examples of questions that should be asked before you begin building or remodeling.

Whether you are planning to repaint your house with a No V.O.C paint or go OFF GRID with a house that produces more energy than it uses, it can be accomplished without breaking the bank. You may have an unlimited budget, or have a tight budget. Whatever the case we know there are practical and pragmatic ways to achieve your Dream Home.

We know there will be many people who find our site that know much more about this industry than we do, if so please contact us and let’s work together. Have you built an energy efficient house? Do you work in an office that was designed to provide more day-lighting and the best indoor air quality?

On the other side of the equation are you living in a home or working in an office that is literally making you sick? Do you feel tired all the time? Does the thought of your utility bill becoming equal to your mortgage payment sometime in the not too distant future keep you awake at night? Hope could be just a click away!

Your comments and helpful hints are more than welcome. We view this as a unique opportunity to impact in a direct and positive way how we live, work, and play. The construction business is a HUGE part of our economy without a doubt. However, at the end of the day we know there are families whose homes may be a burden from an economic and health standpoint. We CAN change that fact!!

Thank you for visiting,

Sincerely, David H. Root Sr.

I estimated that at least 30% of the insulation was falling out of the joist cavities. This happens when moisture laden crawlspace air is absorbed by the fiberglass. The insulation simply becomes too wet and heavy to remain in place. Have you been in your crawlspace lately? If it looks anything like this, you’re throwing away your energy dollars. Make sure any exposed earth is covered with durable poly covering and that it is sealed at the seams and to the wall with mastic. It might be a good idea to consider the sealed crawlspace option. Visit www.eere.energy.gov for detailed information about air-sealing and insulating measures in your crawlspace and throughout the home.

Inside the home, I discovered additional energy problems. I noted many holes in the sturcture through plumbing and electrical penetrations. These holes and gaps added together are easily equal an open door or window, allowing conditioned air to escape and dirty, unconditioned air to rush in. These gaps are often easily sealed with caulk or foam. Explore the home improvement tab at www.energystar.gov for great air-sealing tips.

The attic, another typical trouble spot, continued the pattern. Unsealed gaps between conditioned space, improperly installed insulation and an unsealed and uninsulated attic hatch were all documented.

Remember, these folks sell solar! They are acutely aware of energy conservation measures. The audit uncovered simple, common problems that promote unnecessary energy consumption and that WASTE YOUR MONEY. When I modeled the home in my residential energy software I discovered that, when these simple improvements were made, Sunstore would reduce energy spending by as much as 20%! The repairs would also reduce harmful carbon emissions by 15%! Not bad for a day’s work…

WHEN: Thursday, March 13th from 5:00pm to 7:30pm

AGENDA:
This workshop will explore the concept of “weatherizing” the building envelope of existing homes. Topics covered will include weatherstripping, air sealing older windows and doors, insulation, duct sealing, maximizing the efficiency of your current heating system and more.

Carl Donovan is founder and president of Conservation Pros, an Asheville-based Building Performance Contracting Firm that specializes in energy efficiency retrofits for existing homes.

COST: FREE for WNCGBC members, $5 for non-members

REGISTER AND MORE INFO:
Contact Candice Black of WNCGBC:
ph. 828-254-1995 or

Spaces limited, please RSVP to candice@wncgbc.org