Recently featured in the Charlotte Business Journal, Shannon Binns and his non-profit endeavor, Sustain Charlotte, are on a mission to make Charlotte a more eco-friendly city. The day before Earth Day, an event was held at Piedmont Community College where city officials from several sectors convened to talk about issues such as air quality, water, waste and recycling, green construction efforts and clean energy. The goal, Binns said, is to achieve a vision of sustainability for the city of Charlotte.

Sustainability, saving energy and essentially “going green” is a growing movement in the real estate sector, too. Not only are there tax breaks for homeowners making efforts to reduce their carbon footprints, but home buyers are looking more and more toward real estate that is less “on the grid.” Making simple changes won’t only save you money and improve the world in which you live, it will also add value to your property.

The U.S. Green Building Council, (USGBC), provides sixteen simple changes people can make to promote sustainability and improve the worth of their homes – here are ten.

Lower your utility bills:

1. The most common energy saving notion, switch to fluorescent compact bulbs.
2. Set your thermostat to 78 degrees in the summer and 62 degrees in the winter. When no one is home or the household is sleeping, consider turning it off completely.
3. Stop air leaks. Plug cracks under doors and around windows so your heating and cooling system won’t try to compensate for the fluctuation of temperature in your home.
4. Have your heating, cooling and HVAC systems inspected at least every two years to ensure they’re operating efficiently. Changing the filers every 2 to 3 months on your own will support proper functioning.
5. Use Energy Star rated appliances.
6. Reduce water use indoors and out. Add aerators and low flow faucets to your sinks and showers, and use native plants that don’t require excess watering in your landscape.

Select green products:

7. Shop locally for your food to support local business, reduce the use of fuel to transport food and reduce the use of paper and plastic packaging.
8. Use paints and cleaning products that have low VOC, volatile organic compounds.
9. Use sustainable flooring in your home such as bamboo or cork.

Go green outside:

10. Use non-toxic gardening processes. Dangerous chemicals and pesticides affect the water, soil, pets and children negatively. Use fertilizers and gardening supplies that are organic and safe for the environment and everything in it.

The first thing prospective home buyers notice when looking for real estate is a house’s exterior and the landscape surrounding it. This is reason enough to ensure your home has curb appeal when trying to sell. If you’re happy where you are, adding curb appeal to your home is a great, often enjoyable, way to not only improve the look of your space, but to add value to your property, as well.

Here are some great ways to add curb appeal to your home without breaking the bank.

• Potted plants are easy to put together yourself or can be found pre-prepared in home improvement centers everywhere. They’re ideal for jazzing up porches, pergolas and patios. Also, containers vary in size, shape and color. Use them to bring focus to a front lawn or add color to a drab winter yard.
• Refine your driveway. If you like the look of plain cement, be sure to pressure wash regularly – don’t let debris or mildew build up on the surface. Pavers, stepping stones or trees and shrubs work well for lining the sides or breaking up the monotony of the large, gray feature. Acid washing your cement driveway is another neat way to give it texture and color.
• Don’t neglect your mailbox. Use planters and landscape at the base of your mailbox, and for the receptacle itself, consider straying from the boring black box. Wood mailboxes, color-finished ones or even themed mailboxes are great ways to catch a potential buyer’s eye.
• Your doors and windows should be clean and appealing. Sometimes a fresh coat of paint on the front door and shutters will do the trick. Decorative front steps, a fresh welcome mat or unique shutters – such as those with interchangeable tile accents – are sure to spice up the front of your house.
• Give notice to the actual curb. Don’t let weeds hang over the edge or debris and leaves build up alongside it on the street. Some basic maintenance will ensure that the line between where your home starts and where the street ends is crisp.

Details make the difference when it comes to adding curb appeal to your home.

Pick flowers that complement the color of your home when refreshing window boxes. Discreet outdoor lighting to accentuate less visible features or interesting landscape items can be acquired affordably and give curb appeal at night. Don’t forget to wash your windows and keep paved surfaces blown. Keeping things tidy is the easiest, most affordable way to maintain your home’s fresh appearance.

Charlotte’s Housing Opportunity Foundation (HOF) was established in 2002. Today, the HOF continues to serve as the nonprofit branch of the Charlotte Regional Realtor’s Association. Focusing on the investment of endowed funds and affordable workforce housing, the HOF strives to provide housing support to homeowners.

One of the many philanthropic programs the HOF runs is a community grants program. The grant program was established in 2009 and contains an important agenda for Charlotte homeowners. By June 1, 2010, eligible organizations and homeowners in need of a housing grant – monetary assistance – should submit an application with a short narrative, the appropriate documentation requested by the Charlotte Regional Realtor’s Association and a letter of recommendation from one of its members.

All of the applications will be reviewed and by September 31, 2010, $10,000 in supportive funds will be distributed to those in the most need.

Other community grant programs include assistance for the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity, a Latin community outreach and grant program, Hope House foundation and programs to support centers of faith and worship.

The real estate in Charlotte is as diverse as the people occupying it, and it’s the goal of the Housing Opportunity Foundation to educate realtors and homeowners about affordable workforce housing and to encourage volunteerism and philanthropy in Charlotte’s realtors.

Whether you’re looking for a new home in Charlotte, have a neighbor in need or could benefit greatly from a housing grant yourself, get in touch with your realtor or the Charlotte Regional Realtor’s Association to learn more about how Charlotte realtors are working to make a difference.