Frequently Asked Questions
What does Green Building mean?
Today’s building industry has many codes to choose from to qualify as green. One Green Home houses work to meet a set of standards developed by the Environmental Protection Agency in order to achieve an “Energy Star” rating. More information can be found here: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=new_bldg_design.new_bldg_design_benefits.
Another commonly cited code is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), which was established by the US Green Building Council. LEED emphasizes energy and water use, air quality, and material reuse. Baltimore City uses LEED to evaluate the sustainability of municipal buildings. More information about LEED can be found here: www.usgbc.org
What makes green building better?
A green building takes fewer resources to build and fewer resources to maintain. Less energy means a lower utility bill, and reusing materials and cutting down on fossil fuels is good the environment.
What is Bridge Private Lending? What is its relation to One Green Home?
Bridge Private Lending is a private lending company that specializes in real estate loans in Baltimore. As part of our One Green Home initiative, we are working with longtime borrowers to help make affordable, environmentally friendly buildings available to low and middle income communities in Baltimore city. Together with green building specialist Prescott Gaylord, we are working with our rehabbers to find ways to adapt green construction to a low budget.
How do I get involved as a rehabber?
Anyone who’s ever patched a whole in a wall is a rehabber, and anyone who’s ever installed insulation is a green rehabber. It’s just a question of scale. To learn how to incorporate green building practices into your construction at low cost, download our free “how to” manual, available here. You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter, which includes building tips and other news about the industry.
To find out if you qualify for a loan from Bridge Private Lending, contact David Borinsky at www.bridgeprivatelending.com.
Read the blog for neighborhood news, tips on affordability & green, and more
Our Most Recent Posts
- Our Youth ::: 09/06/10
Check out the above pics, taken by our community initiative leader Yvette Chambers-El, of some of our local youth working in Oliver. If you’re in the neighborhood, feel free to ask them questions about some of our latest endeavors– they’re always ready and willing to answer.
- Baltimore Street Art ::: 08/30/10
Perusing the NRDC blog I came across yet another interesting post by Kaid Benfield, this one citing the value of street art as a means of enlivening urban streetscapes. I immediately began scouring the web for images of street art in our own city, and I wasn’t disappointed. Unsurprisingly there’s a huge underground culture devoted to the format—the blog “Steady”, along with several independently maintained Flickr accounts, testify to the strength of an art that most city-goers take for granted.
- Buying Into Baltimore 2010 ::: 08/26/10
Check out the above press release detailing changes to this year’s Live Baltimore “Buying into Baltimore” event.
Come Home Baltimore
Bridge Private Lending, LP
Mainstream Media
Press Release: A+ Neighborhood Homebuyers
August 2009
Green house effect
August 2009 | Baltimore Magazine
Green home initiative hits city
July 4–10, 2009 | The Baltimore Afro American
Investors back green rehabs
June 19, 2009 | The Baltimore Sun
Bridge Private Lending teams on 'green' neighborhood push in Baltimore
June 18, 2009 | The Baltimore Business Journal
Affordable housing in Baltimore goes green
June 18, 2009 | abc2news.com
More energy efficient homes hit Baltimore
June 12, 2009 | abc2news.comm
A greener Baltimore
June 5–11, 2009 | Baltimore Business Journal
David Borinsky
David Borinsky is the chief executive officer of Bridge Private Lending.
Mr. Borinsky, a lawyer, served as the chairman of the tax department at a law firm with large real estate and financial services practices before founding Bridge Private Lending in 2006. As a lawyer, he lectured and wrote frequently on nonprofits, business planning and real estate. He has also served on the Maryland State Bar ethics committee. He received his college and law degrees from the University of Virginia and a masters degree from New York University School of Law.
In addition to his full time duties as CEO of Bridge Private Lending, he is at work on a book on philanthropy targeted at entrepreneurs. The introduction is here and a draft chapter (on board governance) is here.
Learn more at www.davidborinsky.com.
