Friday, December 09, 2005
FEELING STEWARDSHIP
You might be surprised how many REALTORS® here in the Asheville area are also great lovers of nature. It's hard for anyone who visits or lives here NOT to be ! Just look around at these old mountains, or go for a hike on the Appalachian Trail, or stand on the banks of the French Broad River after a wild wind and churning, and you'll be entranced.
A few REALTORS® who walk the lands around here actually can tell where they are by the "feeling" that the land generates. Does that sound far-fetched ?…Imagine you are standing on a sunny, two-acre knoll looking out over the wildly roaring French Broad River ...now imagine how that might feel VERY different from what happens when you stand quietly looking over another two acres tucked in a cove guarded by 200 year-old tress…If you "feel" this as you read..write me right away!. ..and head on Home to Asheville.
Around here, when you get to the point that you can "feel" the land, you may chose to chalk it up to your Terra Muse…. If you are a REALTOR, that's when you hope that an ECO-STEWARD will come along who will appreciate the secrets the Muse whispers.... When that happens it's time to hunt for the treasure !
But what about KEEPING a treasured find, gorgeous and pristine, that speaks to the heart, for our children’s children... ?
One way may be through the Nature Conservancy’s "Conservation Buyer" Program.
The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Buyer Program
The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Buyer Program offers a pragmatic approach to holding lands that recognizes the interests of stewards of the land, both investors and sellers, and the community. By working together, land trusts and ECO- buyers are preserving thousands of acres of land across the nation that are beyond the means of conservation organizations to purchase alone.
Conservation organizations are increasingly turning to conservation buyers for assistance with land protection efforts in certain areas or on certain types of projects. Conservation buyers are individuals who buy a property that is subject to a permanent and legally binding conservation restriction or who will impose a conservation restriction as part of their purchase. A conservation restriction – also known as a conservation easement –limits certain uses of a property, such as the right to subdivide and develop. Because use is permanently restricted, land subject to a conservation restriction is generally appraised at a lower value than comparable unrestricted parcels and donation of such a conservation restriction can constitute a charitable gift.
A conservation restriction can be held by either a public or qualified private nonprofit organization.A conservation restriction being imposed by the buyer at time of purchase can be customized to the needs of both the buyer and the land. If no home exists on the property, a restriction can usually be structured to allow some construction under strict guidelines that protect the property’s natural assets.
Advantages.
1.The property remains in private ownership and on the local tax rolls.
2.The restrictions stay with the property, even if it is sold or transferred, and therefore limit the use of the property permanently. These restrictions are binding in perpetuity, and designed for a distinct conservation purpose.
3. Many communities reduce property tax assessments on land with a conservation restriction in place, because the site's potential to be further developed has been reduced or eliminated.
4.Donation of certain qualifying conservation restrictions can sometimes provide tax benefits
5. The community benefits from the preservation of community character , while the potential for sprawl, which costs communities more than the tax revenues it might generate, is deterred.
For Information about ECO-development and sustainable building practices,
and for investment in LAND…contact natureWalker@janeAnne.com
janeAnne is at the cutting edge of a new field: environmentally responsible real estate consulting and brokering. As the Principal Broker at 4TERRA, the Eco-Steward Realty, she and her team consult and advise clients in terms of sustainable and environmentally-sensitive developing, acquisition and brokering of land and historic residential properties .
www.janeAnne.com
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You might be surprised how many REALTORS® here in the Asheville area are also great lovers of nature. It's hard for anyone who visits or lives here NOT to be ! Just look around at these old mountains, or go for a hike on the Appalachian Trail, or stand on the banks of the French Broad River after a wild wind and churning, and you'll be entranced.
A few REALTORS® who walk the lands around here actually can tell where they are by the "feeling" that the land generates. Does that sound far-fetched ?…Imagine you are standing on a sunny, two-acre knoll looking out over the wildly roaring French Broad River ...now imagine how that might feel VERY different from what happens when you stand quietly looking over another two acres tucked in a cove guarded by 200 year-old tress…If you "feel" this as you read..write me right away!. ..and head on Home to Asheville.
Around here, when you get to the point that you can "feel" the land, you may chose to chalk it up to your Terra Muse…. If you are a REALTOR, that's when you hope that an ECO-STEWARD will come along who will appreciate the secrets the Muse whispers.... When that happens it's time to hunt for the treasure !
But what about KEEPING a treasured find, gorgeous and pristine, that speaks to the heart, for our children’s children... ?
One way may be through the Nature Conservancy’s "Conservation Buyer" Program.
The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Buyer Program
The Nature Conservancy’s Conservation Buyer Program offers a pragmatic approach to holding lands that recognizes the interests of stewards of the land, both investors and sellers, and the community. By working together, land trusts and ECO- buyers are preserving thousands of acres of land across the nation that are beyond the means of conservation organizations to purchase alone.
Conservation organizations are increasingly turning to conservation buyers for assistance with land protection efforts in certain areas or on certain types of projects. Conservation buyers are individuals who buy a property that is subject to a permanent and legally binding conservation restriction or who will impose a conservation restriction as part of their purchase. A conservation restriction – also known as a conservation easement –limits certain uses of a property, such as the right to subdivide and develop. Because use is permanently restricted, land subject to a conservation restriction is generally appraised at a lower value than comparable unrestricted parcels and donation of such a conservation restriction can constitute a charitable gift.
A conservation restriction can be held by either a public or qualified private nonprofit organization.A conservation restriction being imposed by the buyer at time of purchase can be customized to the needs of both the buyer and the land. If no home exists on the property, a restriction can usually be structured to allow some construction under strict guidelines that protect the property’s natural assets.
Advantages.
1.The property remains in private ownership and on the local tax rolls.
2.The restrictions stay with the property, even if it is sold or transferred, and therefore limit the use of the property permanently. These restrictions are binding in perpetuity, and designed for a distinct conservation purpose.
3. Many communities reduce property tax assessments on land with a conservation restriction in place, because the site's potential to be further developed has been reduced or eliminated.
4.Donation of certain qualifying conservation restrictions can sometimes provide tax benefits
5. The community benefits from the preservation of community character , while the potential for sprawl, which costs communities more than the tax revenues it might generate, is deterred.
For Information about ECO-development and sustainable building practices,
and for investment in LAND…contact natureWalker@janeAnne.com
janeAnne is at the cutting edge of a new field: environmentally responsible real estate consulting and brokering. As the Principal Broker at 4TERRA, the Eco-Steward Realty, she and her team consult and advise clients in terms of sustainable and environmentally-sensitive developing, acquisition and brokering of land and historic residential properties .
www.janeAnne.com
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