Grace Frank Group is leading the way with NextGen homebuilding
Sustaining our environment’s resources is something we should all be interested in, not tomorrow or next week, but now. Whether that’s doing your part by recycling, adding solar panels to your home, or shrinking your carbon footprint, our earth will thank you for your service towards its future - and so will your wallet.
Chattanooga has progressively done more and more to encourage sustainability and one individual at the helm of such progress is Grace Frank, MBA, a sustainability-focused realtor and chairman of the board for green|spaces, a non-profit organization focused on the sustainability of living, working, and building in Chattanooga.
“I’m an expert on downtown real estate, but the twist is that I have a serious passion for sustainability and ensuring that I practice what I preach,” says Frank, her eyes lighting up as she begins to discuss her organic farm.
“We have solar panels, rainwater collection, a passive solar greenhouse where we raise vegetables with hydroponics, raise organic eggs, and we’re working to bring back the Red Wattle, a nearly extinct pig that produces the leanest meat back to the market.”
Tying her passion for sustainability into her realty business is something that sets Grace Frank aside from other realtors in town. Among new projects, Frank works with construction teams to support their ‘green construction’ practices.
And because of her knowledge of sustainability, Frank is the go-to for clients interested in understanding their return on investment thanks to such sustainable features.
Green construction can be broken into levels, with the simplest green construction utilizing Energy Star appliances. All new builds in Chattanooga must have a HERS rating to detail how energy efficient the whole structure is, helping people understand their home’s energy efficiency in a way they would have been unaware of in the past.
One example, EPB’s Smart Build homes are at least ten to twenty percent more energy efficient than standard homes, reducing costs for the homeowner and benefiting the community by reducing the need for power.
green|spaces demonstrated with their NextGen Homes a series of cost-effective strategies to get to net-zero energy so that a house can produce as much energy as it uses annually. On the efficiency side, many investments like LED lighting pay for themselves in the first year.
Renewable energy pays for itself in about 10 years. green|spaces also has recommendations for water efficiency, stormwater, and sustainable healthy materials and can work with any builder to incorporate these green building strategies.
Depending on how in-the-know you are with such sustainable incentives, Grace Frank’s team all have different areas of expertise. And with their systematic approach, they’ll be able to properly lead you to the perfect home that not only benefits you as a homeowner, but Chattanooga as a whole.
Whether you’re interested in a home downtown, in the surrounding area, or you’re looking for a bit more space out in East Brainerd, Ooltewah, or North Georgia, Frank’s team will have you covered.
Frank is highly experienced in both residential realty or commercial property and can assist you in purchasing cash flow commercial properties, marinas, and more.
“I learned this from my grandfather: you only make your money one time…when you buy,” says Frank. “If you overpay or if there are extra costs, you can never sell well. You’ll only make your money when you buy right and at Grace Frank Group we really try to work with individuals to make them understand that everything is an investment.
“Whether you’re buying it or renting it, it’s an investment. It’s the biggest purchase you’ll make and while it’s an emotional process purchasing a home to spend your life in, it’s not to your financial benefit to get emotionally involved. You have to stay focused on the numbers, so you can build your wealth. If you buy right, you can sell right.”
While the internet is full of helpful information concerning realty, check out Frank’s recommended websites to educate yourself prior to making the leap.
“We try to be a trusted educational source,” says Frank. “We want people to understand more about real estate. Educated, informed decisions are very important and we want to help.”
Simply go to chattanoogahomevalues.house, which will check the value of the home and can be followed up by an extensive evaluation by Frank and her team.Also, gracefrankgroup.com contains a great deal of information, educational and investor workshops, as well as an easy, accurate search of all properties for sale in the Chattanooga and surrounding area.
Grace Frank Group
Real Estate Partners, LLC
525 W. Main St.
(423) 355-1538
Monday - Friday : 9am - 5pm
gracefrankgroup.com