James Marlow with Southface Institute on Radio

James Marlow, the new President of  Southface Institute joins the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast to talk about Southface, the importance of the EarthCraft program, sustainable development and upcoming 2022 news. Marlow joins host Carol Morgan on the All About Real Estate segment.

A Georgia native, Marlow grew up in the little town of Lincolnton, settled between Athens and Augusta. An Atlanta resident since 1986, Marlow possesses an extensive travel background to support his career in technology, working with big names such as IBM, Yahoo and Lotus Development. A Co-Founder of Radiance Solar, Marlow conducted solar installations across the Southeast and beyond during his time as CEO.

While possessing a colorful resume that spans several decades, Southface Institute was a part of Marlow’s life long before became president. While still a resident in Lincolnton, Marlow wrote the company requesting additional information about solar energy to feed his growing interest in sustainability. Following his move to Atlanta and through his relationship with Southface, Marlow received his first exposure to LED lightbulbs, electric vehicles, energy-efficient appliances, advanced recycling and more.

Southface Institute also hosted the very first Atlanta BeltLine public meeting.

Marlow said, “Southface Institute is a thought-leader and an innovator, a convener and a connector of new technologies and ways to save money and also reduce your environmental impact, energy and water consumption and your waste.”

EarthCraft is a building standard to help builders improve the air quality, energy use and energy conservation in a home, business or multi-family facility. The program was created and developed through a partnership with the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association to ensure EarthCraft was grounded in sciences and economics while positively working for both environmentalists and home builders.

The program’s ultimate goal is to produce healthy, happy and high-performance constructions while keeping in mind life-cycle costs, potential energy requirements and more. The investments made on the front end will save owners money over course of the construction’s life while also significantly reducing potential energy and environmental costs.

Marlow said, “EarthCraft builders are people who really know what they’re doing. They go to training and send their staff to train and are always keeping abreast of new technologies and ways of doing things.”

While a popular buzzword with many people, sustainability has been a part of the Southface Institute business practice for over 40 years. Treating it as a core value and a part of the company ethos, the systems thinkers at Southface Institute consistently consider how the complex systems of a home, building or affordable housing unit work together. This spans the mechanics, lighting and electricity of a construction.

When constructed to EarthCraft standards, added aspects such as double-paned windows, LED lighting and water-conserving appliances lead to slight premiums during the initial home purchase but result in monumental savings throughout the construction’s lifetime. 

Tune in to the full interview above for more information about the EarthCraft program and Southface Institute or visit www.Southface.org

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Georgia Residential Mortgage Licensee, License #22564. NMLS ID #6606. Subject to borrower and property qualifications. Not all applicants will qualify. New American Funding and Southface Institute are not associated. Click here to view the terms and conditions of products mentioned during the show. Corporate office 14511 Myford Rd., Suite 100, Tustin, CA 92780. Phone: (800) 450-2010. (July/2022)


New American Funding is a family-owned mortgage lender with a servicing portfolio of over 216,000+ loans for $56.8 billion, 171 branches and about 4,500+ employees. The company offers several niche loan products and has made Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest-Growing Companies in America seven times. For more information, call 678-898-3540 or visit https://branch.newamericanfunding.com/Atlanta.

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The Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio “All About Real Estate” segment, presented by Denim Marketing, highlights the movers and shakers in the Atlanta real estate industry – the home builders, developers, Realtors and suppliers working to provide the American dream for Atlantans. For more information on how you can be featured as a guest, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or fill out the Atlanta Real Estate Forum contact form. Subscribe to the Atlanta Real Estate Forum Radio podcast on iTunes, and if you like this week’s show, be sure to rate it.

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