Your Source For Edmonton Real Estate Market News | Schmidt Realty Group » Going “Greener”

Moving Boxes Go GREEN!

schmidt — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 17:00:04 +0000

Check out this green alternative to throw away cardboard moving boxes!

New “Green” Community Planned for Southwest Edmonton

schmidt — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 11:00:03 +0000

Councillor Don Iveson plants a tree at the development site overlooking Whitemud Creek Ravine in southwest Edmonton, October 14, 2010. Photograph by Candace Elliott of The Edmonton Journal.

The developers behind Larch Park at Magrath say the soon-to-be built community will protect and celebrate its natural surroundings. The 28-hectare development in southwest Edmonton, south of 23rd Avenue overlooking the Whitemud Creek Ravine, will be built to maintain and preserve a neighbouring 28-hectare habitat, Larch Sanctuary, which features old-growth forest and an oxbow, a natural wetlands.

Source: Edmonton Journal, October 15, 2010, Bill Mah

The community will be higher-density than usual so it consumes less agricultural and natural land. Greener homes will cost $25,000 to $30,000 more in materials and labour on a $500,000-$700,000 home, but operating costs will be lower. Click here to read the full article.

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner, Schmidt Realty Group Inc.

Eco-Entrepreneurs launch Edmonton’s first FREE store!

schmidt — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 17:00:33 +0000

Eco-entrepreneurs launch Edmonton’s first free store

Drop-off fee helps cover overhead in unique venture

By Mariam Ibrahim, edmontonjournal.com September 10, 2010

Click here to veiw the full article

EDMONTON – There’s a new store in Edmonton that won’t have you worrying about maxing out your credit cards after an afternoon of shopping. In fact, you can leave your entire wallet, credit cards included, at home.

That’s because at Edmonton’s First Free Store, located at 8405 118th Ave, just about everything is free for the taking.

“You can take as much as you’re willing to carry out,” said 24-year-old Benjamin Ryder, who co-owns and runs the store with Brandon Tyson, 24, and Russ Armstrong, 56.

“You just walk right in and take whatever you need,” Armstrong added. “Then you are free to turn around and walk right out.”

All of the items in the store are donated by people who no longer have a use for them, the trio explains. The store, open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., makes its money by charging a $2 dropoff fee for each bag or box brought in, which helps pay overhead costs.

Click here to veiw the full article

THIS “DREAM HOME” IS GREEN!

schmidt — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 14:13:43 +0000

After a two-year absence, the Lions Club Dream Home has made a green return to the Capital Ex grounds. The environmentally friendly house is built with sustainable materials like bamboo wood and features a super-efficient furnace and hot-water heater. The fully furnished, 2,002-square-foot, two-bedroom home is worth approximately $825,0000.

Click here to read the full article.

Source: Edmonton Journal Aug 2 2010, Julianna Cummins

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner, Schmidt Realty Group Inc

Edmonton LRT and the Cost of Going Greener…

schmidt — Sun, 02 May 2010 15:08:29 +0000

According to a recent article in the Edmonton Journal, Edmonton home owners may be looking at an increase of approximately $30 a year in taxes to pay for the continued expansion of the LRT. This increase may continue for the next six years and may begin well in advance of the additional LRT lines being ready for riders. Some might say this is an unfair levy on those who don’t use public transit, but it seems to me this is a small price to pay to keep Edmonton a city that is getting “greener” day by day.

Click here to read the full article and to view a short video about rider safety on the LRT system.

Submitted by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.

Help Local Charities by Donating your Old Electronics

schmidt — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 18:45:39 +0000

If Santa was extra good to you and brought you a new laptop, you may be wondering what to do with the old one. The Electronic Recycling Association of Canada has locations in Edmonton and Calgary and provide lots of excellent options for disposing of those unneeded items safely. In Edmonton, they are located at 11404 – 143 Street and are open 9-5 Monday through Friday. Visit ERA’s website to watch videos about ERA and for information on charities who are in need of electronics.

Click here for a full list of items ERA will accept. If you live in Edmonton and have electronics you would like to donate but can’t get to the ERA during their hours of operation, call our office at 780-437-2030 and arrange to deliver your items to us by January 31st. We’re open 9-9 Monday-Friday and all day Saturday! We’ll gather up all the items and take them over to ERA.

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc

Local Organization Helps Homeowners and the Edmonton Food Bank!

schmidt — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:17:36 +0000

Our neighbour was on CBC radio this morning talking about a new organization called OPERATION FRUIT RESCUE EDMONTON! Rather than letting fruit go to waste, if you have fruit in your yard that needs picking, call this group!

One third of the fruit goes to the homeowner, one third to the volunteer fruit pickers, and one third to the food bank! I love it! Here is the link to learn more http://ofre.wordpress.com/about/

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Fruit Tree/Fruit contacts – Jessica Roder and Sarah Cashmore will be the contacts for fruit-owners through a central email. Jessica’s phone number is 780-757-4978 and email is: ofredm@gmail.com.
Pickers: for those interested in being pickers, please email ivormack@telusplanet.net or Jessica Roder at ibreathewater@yahoo.ca.

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.

Smart Choice for Today’s Environmentally Conscious REALTOR

schmidt — Fri, 01 May 2009 01:58:08 +0000

It’s a real challenge to “go greener”in the real estate industry. After all, everyone knows that REALTORS spend tons of time in our cars driving from house to house!

And everyone also knows that most REALTORS like a stylish vehicle as well! Well, we may have found a “smart” choice that embodies the perfect combination of practicality and style.

Introducing the new SCHMIDT SCHMORSCHE.
Watch for it on the streets of Edmonton this spring…

Unfortunately I’m kidding. This came to me recently as a fun email in my inbox. Originally it was called a “Smorsche” but I couldn’t resist playing with the name just a little more. SCHMIDT SCHMORSCHE has a nice ring to it don’t you think?

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group and hopeful SCHMORCHE owner.

PS By the way, we call the branded white shirts our Admin Team wears at the office SCHMIDT SCHMIRTS!

It’s a small (green) world after all…

schmidt — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 13:00:16 +0000

Metropolitan Edmonton may now be over one million people, but it is still in many wonderful ways a big small town! Six degrees of separation is often more like one and a half degrees at SCHMIDT and today brought another example of how we are all connected.

Larry Schmidt does a daily media review searching local and national news websites for articles that relate to real estate. Today he came across this article about a “net zero energy” home under construction in Edmonton. Utilizing solar awnings this home collects energy during the day and allows the owners to be extremely self-sufficient in heating their home. It turns out I know the owners, Conrad and Rechel, and the house is built on a lot I helped them purchase a few years ago. I immediately contacted Conrad to congratulate him and proceeded to invite myself and another team member, Chris Miller, to have a tour one day as I know that Chris is extremely interested in energy efficient construction. Conrad, being the gracious fellow he is, assured me we would be welcome anytime and then mentioned that Chris’s wife, Andrea Jones, is involved in an open house at the property this weekend. Andrea is the owner of Raising Spaces - a web based company that sources out ”green” building products. Andrea has contributed to our blog in the past and yes, she is indeed married to one of our team members.

Yes, it is a small world after all. And since it really is quite small, all the more important we take care of it . Congratulations Conrad and Rechel on the contribution you are making to take care of our beautiful and not-so-big world after all…

Learn more about the construction of this unique home and get details on the open house at 9805-84th Avenue being held this Saturday March 14th.

Contributed by Kathy Schmidt, Broker Owner of Schmidt Realty Group Inc.

PS CBC News picked up the story – read it here!

Edmonton Goes Online with Trip Planner for Public Transit

schmidt — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 00:55:25 +0000

Using public transit in Edmonton just got a little easier. If you’re like me, your Blackberry is already one of your best friends. Well that handy device is now more helpful than ever! Thanks to an investment of staff time by the City of Edmonton, you can now plan your public transit route before you leave home, or use your PDA while on the run. Just log on and enter the address or even a business name and start planning an environmentally friendly trip to your destination!

Learn more…

Contributed by Schmidt Realty Group Broker Owner, Kathy Schmidt