Real Estate Wire/Green Trends News Wire

By Mike Bonts, Editor T ALLAHASSEE/ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -  The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) and Florida Housing Coalition (FHC) have formed a new partnership to accelerate the development of sustainable, green-certified affordable housing. The non-profit organizations announced their initiative at the Florida Housing Coalition’s 37th Annual Statewide Affordable Housing Conference held in Orlando. The initiative will support wide-spread adoption of green building practices in affordable housing rehabilitation programs and green-certified new construction. Combining expertise, FGBC and FHC will work together to develop resources and support implementation of FGBC’s green building standards to Florida’s affordable housing stock. “We are excited about this partnership. FGBC has been a supporter of FHC’s important mission. Together, we can ensure certified green affordable housing provides tangible benefits for residents, builders, developers and communities,” said FGBC Execu...

ST. PETERSBURG (June 10, 2024) – The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the state’s leading certifier of green residential and commercial construction, land developments and local governments, has announced that Denise A. Bas, AIA will serve as chair of the Commercial Standards Committee and Daniel J. Denis is the new chair of the High-Rise Standards Committee. “Thanks to Denise and Daniel for stepping into these important roles. We have experienced tremendous growth and interest in these two standards. And that’s not likely to subside,” noted FGBC President Bill Kachman. Denise Bas, AIA Bas is President and Founder of GreenPath offering sustainability and resiliency consulting services. Based in West Palm Beach, she is a Florida Registered Architect with over 25 years of experience in all facets of architectural building design and construction. The Florida Green Commercial Standard is designed to increase sustainable and resilient commercial construction throughout the s...

By Mike Bonts, Green Trends MIAMI – The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the state’s leading certifier of green commercial and residential construction, land developments and local green governments, has certified Strata Wynwood at 21 NE 22nd St. in Miami “Florida Green” at the high-rise “Gold-Level.” Layered in its design, amenities, and experiences, the 612,192 square-foot Strata Wynwood achieved 183 points out of a required 100 points, earning it the coveted Florida Green Building “Gold-Level” certification. “This achievement demonstrates the team’s commitment to better design and construction practices that reduce the negative environmental impacts of the building, improve occupant health and well-being, and reduce operating costs for the owner,” noted FGBC President Kyle Abney. The FGBC Green Team included Jonathan Burgess, Spinnaker Group, as the Designated Green Professional. Strata was designed by Canada-based architecture firm Stantec. The owner and developer...

Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) President-Elect Ralph Locke (left), President Bill Kachman, MountainStar Capital's Director of Real Estate Sales Mike Johnsen and St. Johns Housing Partnership Executive Director Bill Lazar. ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (November 20, 2021) - - On Tuesday the St. Johns Housing Partnership (SJHP), creating safe, clean, affordable housing in North Florida since 1996, took part in a dedication and flag-raising ceremony at Patriot Place, a new housing option for at-risk veterans in St. Johns County. The six-unit apartment community under construction at 79 Masters Dr. in St. Augustine, Fla. will be administered by Flagler Health+'s social health program, Care Connect+, which links area residents with resources like safe housing, food pantries, counseling services, workplace readiness and transportation. Patriot Place has been more than three years in the making, including finding and purchasing an appropriate lot; securing financing for construction; ...

ORLANDO, Fla (February 10, 2021) - As one of the official exhibit homes of the 2021 International Builders' Show® virtual experience (IBSx), The New American Remodel® 2021 has been certified Platinum by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the state's leading certifier of green residential and commercial construction, land developments and local governments. The home was certified by FGBC's Drew Smith of Two Trails Inc., a world-wide sustainable building consulting firm established in 2001 in Florida with offices in Nevada, Georgia, and Illinois. Platinum is the highest level of certification. The project transformed a dated, energy-devouring, 1973-built home into a modern showcase of contemporary living and ultra-energy efficiency. The New American Remodel® 2021 demonstrates the significant impact of today's advanced construction techniques and innovative building products. "As one of the NAHB's official show homes, The New American Remodel (TNAR) 202...

Sandra K. Adomatis ORLANDO - The Florida Green Building Coalition and member Sandra K. Adomatis, SRA, LEED Green Assoc., NAR GREEN are presenting a Webinar on Pitfalls to Avoid in Marketing, Financing and Valuing Green Homes,  Wednesday, June 24 @ 2 p.m.  There is no charge to register. Avoiding pitfalls can increase your profit and decrease your stress level.  Did you ever have trouble in the appraisal of a green built home? If you answered no to this question, you are unique and do not need to attend.  Did you ever consider that the marketing of the green home may be the first pitfall to avoid? That could start a domino effect that trickles down to the valuing and financing steps.  Connecting the dots of marketing, financing, and valuing green homes will be the focus to make your deal happen with more money at the closing table.  Sandra is a member of the Florida Green Building Coalition and designated as an SRA Member (Residential Speciali...

DUNEDIN, Fla. – The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) has recognized the City of Dunedin’s outstanding environmental stewardship by again designating it as a Certified Green Local Government at the Platinum level.  FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila presented the city with their certification at the November City Commission meeting at Dunedin City Hall. “Congratulations to Dunedin. The administration and staff have shown their steadfast commitment to environmental stewardship. The city continues to monitor and track usage in city buildings to look for opportunities for conservation and increased energy efficiency. And develop and enact policies and ordinances to accomplish some environmental objectives.,” noted Davila. The success of the FGBC local government program emanates from the fact that there is a sizeable and compelling return on investment for any municipality thus reducing the cost to taxpayers. To date 78 local governments have participated in the progra...

Senior Conservation Analyst at South Florida Water Management District Robert Wanvestraut (left), Florida Green Building Coalition Executive Director C.J. Davila, Florida Lifestyle Homes President Bill Ennen, and Babcock Ranch developer Syd Kitson, Chairman and CEO of Kitson and Partners. BABCOCK RANCH – Another milestone was observed at Babcock Ranch as Florida Lifestyle Homes unveiled the first home in Southwest Florida to be certified both Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Platinum and Gold by Florida Water Star (FWS). FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila made the presentation to Florida Lifestyle Homes for the highest-level of “Florida Green” certification for building the three-bedroom, two and a half bath, 3,685 square-foot Lily Rose model. “Energy efficiency, water conservation and construction based on building science play an important role when it comes to our health, the environment and quality of life. FGBC “Florida Green” certified homes provide healthier, mo...

The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the leading certifier of green residential and commercial construction, land developments and local governments in the state, has surpassed the 20,000 mark with certified projects . The milestone achievement was announced during the annual Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla. “SEBC is the perfect venue to make this announcement. Florida builders and developers continue to see the value in going “Florida Green,” said FGBC executive director C.J. Davila. A home recently built at Babcock Ranch pushed the number past the 20,000 mark. Southwest Florida’s Babcock Ranch, with sustainability designed into the entire fabric of the community, is a certified FGBC Platinum Florida Green community. In 2000 the non-profit FGBC brought together industry professionals from the construction, government, academic and research communities to create green standards tailored specifically to Florida. ...

ORLANDO, Fla. - Two of Florida’s top Green homes were built by owners who served as their own general contractors. Mac McCarraher and Ken Old, both of Lake County, Fla., received Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) Platinum certifications for homes they planned and built themselves. Platinum certification is given to homes that achieve the highest level of sustainability for a Florida-specific climate.  FGBC was formed in 2000 and is the leading certifying agency for green building within the state of Florida, having just surpassed 19,300 projects, by far the largest certifier of green residential and commercial construction, residential communities and local governments in the state. “It was really an oddity for us, because most of the time we spend our time working with contractors,” said Ralph Locke, FGBC Designated Professional on the projects.  Locke is also chairman of the FGBC Education Committee. FGBC is dedicated to improving the built environment. Its ...

Scholarship recipient Alayna Delgado is a student at the University of South Florida, with Associate Professor George Philippidis and FGBC Executive Director C.J. Davila (left). ORLANDO - The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the leading certifier of green construction projects and a cornerstone of sustainability efforts in Florida, has announced the recipients of the FGBC Scholarship for post-secondary education. Sophia Corugedo , University of Florida. Alayna Delgado , University of South Florida. Jackie Noval , a student at South Broward High School,  will be attending Florida State University. Kendall Karcher , University of Central Florida. FGBC is dedicated to improving the state’s-built environment. Its mission is to lead and promote sustainability with environmental, economic, and social benefits through regional education, community outreach and certification programs. Showing a commitment to promote a state of sustainability, FGBC launched the statewid...

ORLANDO, Fla. – Southwest Florida’s Babcock Ranch, with sustainability designed into the entire fabric of the community, has been certified a Platinum “Florida Green” community by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the leading certifier of green projects in the state. Developer Syd Kitson of Kitson & Partners was recognized during FGBC’s Annual Meeting held Friday in Orlando. Kitson has been planning Babcock Ranch for more than a decade. With over 18,200 certifications since being founded in 2000, FGBC is by far the largest certifier of land developments, green homes, high-rises and local governments in Florida. To date 97 land developments are either registered or certified “Florida Green.” Unlike other certification programs, FGBC standards are the only standards developed with Florida-specific criteria that addresses the state’s hot-humid climate, environment, topography and natural disasters. Scoring 151 points, Babcock Ranch achieved Platinum, the highest l...

Homebuilders save as much as $250,000 a year on proven underlayment system ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The most cost-effective crack isolation system in the homebuilding industry has been on the market for nearly 15 years. Still you may not have heard of it. Manufactured by Propex Global, an establish leader in Geosynthetics, GatorMat®, is an underlayment system that protects tile against crack migration and has been serving homebuilders since 2004. That’s close to the time Marty Uptain, National Sales Manager for GatorMat, first became a dealer for the product. Uptain has served in sales and management roles for Florida homebuilding products since 1991. “I had been working for a tile company that was one of the first to start using and selling GatorMat,” he said. He was soon moving truckloads of it. Developed in Florida, GatorMat is used when ceramic tile, porcelain or stone is installed over concrete slabs. It protects floors from reflective cracking caused by cracks in the sl...

COCOA, Fla. – A Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) accredited certifying agent can evaluate a single-family home based on the Florida Green Home Designation Standard criteria The next Certifying Agent Designation Class is Oct. 23-24, 2018 at the Florida Solar Energy Center, 1679 Clearlake Road, Cocoa, Fla. Individuals completing the two-day training and associated exams may become an accredited FGBC Certifying Agent provided they meet the eligibility requirements. The Green Home Designation Standard course is worth 10.5 CEUs. CILB# 0608077 An FGBC Certifying Agent is an independent, third party verifier and cannot be on the payroll of any company that is responsible for the construction of the home, or profit from the certification of the project.  They are entitled to be compensated for the verification work and may act as a consultant if their scope does not fall within those restricted conditions. FGBC’s five certifications provide pathways...

ORLANDO, Fla. – The Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC), the state’s leading certifier of green projects, will be featured at this year’s Southeast Building Conference beginning Thursday at the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center. Celebrating its 40th Anniversary of being the original regional trade show, the Southeast Building Conference (SEBC) - Aug. 16-17, 2018 in Kissimmee, Fla. - continues to be the place to grow the building industry. “We are proud to celebrate this milestone with a sold-out show,” says Drew Smith, SEBC Committee Chairman, Chief Operating Officer of Two Trails Sustainable Building Consultants and FGBC member. “It’s amazing to know that what started as an idea over 40 years ago, has grown to become one of the most sought-after industry events in the Southeast.” With a mission of education, verified third-party certifications and community outreach and advocacy since being founded in 2000, FGBC is by far the largest certifier of ...

Osceola County Commissioners and County staff receive a framed copy of the Florida Green Government certificate from representatives of the Florida Green Building Coalition. Osceola County keeps mining Silver by participating in a rigorous Green Government program that rewards improved environmental performance. The County was re-certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) at the Board of County Commissioners meeting on Monday, August 6,  2018. The County was certified again at the Silver level. It received the original award in 2012 – and is one of only 14 in the state of Florida that is currently certified. “It’s an honor to be a leader in this very worthwhile program,” said Commissioner Vice Chairwoman Cheryl Grieb. “Achieving this certification can lead to a streamlining of operating costs, better departmental communication and cooperation, as well as a wealth of environmental benefits, including a measurable reduction in CO2.” The FGBC Certified Green Lo...