Posts Tagged ‘Green Real Estate’
Monday, October 12th, 2009
Attending the recently concluded CAR Expo in San Jose CA we could see that things weren’t exactly hopping, especially in the Green seminars and Green expo booths. Who could blame everyone, with the still lingering effect of the economy, unemployment and overall uncertainty? The Expo offered a bevy of economic forecasts, short sale sessions and new DRE laws going into effect but of course we went to check the green goings on. How’s the Green movement within the ranks of the real estate world? If my Green colleague and I would guess from the sparse attendance at the few green sessions and Green display booths then the state of Green Real Estate isn’t exactly on everyone’s radar.
The Going Green Member Forum offered informative green facts from a CHEERS rater as well as some finer points from Build It Green’s Elise Hunter about the Green Point Rated system. We discovered that the HERS Phase II rating will include: whole house energy homes, uniform rating system based on a statewide rating scale, as well as labeling procedures for homebuyers, renters, real estate industry, mortgage lenders who have an interest in home energy ratings. We say Hoorah to that! The speaker also snuck in some tidbits of info that even surprised us such as the “”Energy Efficient Mortgage” that ties into the 203B FHA loan that allows five percent of property value in most cases, while VA loans allows up to $6,000 in green upgrades. (more…)
Tags: Build It Green, CAR, CHEERS, DRE, Expo, FHA, Green Point Rated, Green Real Estate, HERS, Realtors, san jose
Posted in Business, Events, Green Building, Programs and Standards | No Comments »
Sunday, October 29th, 2006
You might say that San Francisco Green thinking still has a way to go after we spotted a un-Green SUV (Range Rover) in the garage of an already well publicized Noe Valley Green house.
After speaking with the one of the owners they admit that it’s hardly Green to drive the gas guzzler but they say that it’s leased. And they have a hybrid SUV on their radar for their next purchase. As for how they’re adapting to and how they like some of the interior green attributes inside the house well that’s for a future entry.
Tags: Eco Homes, Environment, Green Building, Green Real Estate, Noe Valley, Real Estate, San Francisco
Posted in Green Building, San Francisco, Transportation | No Comments »
Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006
We actually feel sorry for the owner for the owner of the Green house in Bernal Heights. That same property (338 Holladay Ave.) has been languishing on the market for almost three months. That’s the same residence where the house’s owner wrote a letter to the editor of the San Francisco Chronicle several weeks back, which practically exclaimed a rebuttal to the paper’s articles saying that Green houses are all the rage and will sell like hotcakes.
The owner can’t be a happy camper as he and his agent continually drop the asking price from $1,279,000 to $1,195,000 to $1,049,000 to $994,000. The owner claims that location sells houses, as evidenced by the Green house in Noe Valley. True the Noe Valley Green house location represents a superior addy to the one in Bernal Heights. Also, that Noe Green house sale occurred in a slightly warmer market.
There may be a degree of truth in the owner’s statement but instead of location, location, location the seller and his agent should be more concerned with marketing, marketing, marketing. And education. (more…)
Tags: Bernal Heights, Eco Homes, Environment, Green Building, Green Real Estate, health, money, Noe Valley, Real Estate, San Francisco
Posted in Green Building, Materials, San Francisco, money | No Comments »
Wednesday, September 27th, 2006
With the opening pre-sales event of the LEED certified Arterra in San Francisco coming up on Sept. 30th we’re not exactly convinced that perspective buyers are placing their deposits because of the LEED certification or even the whole “Green Lifestyle” that the Arterra continues to promote.
Apparently, the sales office has pre-sales reservations booked for Saturday, Sunday and into Monday. That means green building gets a boost. Always good. But we have a sneaking suspicion (plus someone at the office told us) that the real green draw is the price point. A one-bedroom Mission Bay condo (without parking) for about $515,000 continues to draw buyers to this project like reality to television.
But who are we to judge why someone buys green? People who buy a piece of the Arterra because as Bob Barker says, “The Price is Right” may be doing the right thing for the wrong reason. But at least they are buying green.
Tags: Arterra, Bob Barker, condos, Eco Homes, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, LEED-NC, Mission Bay, money, Real Estate, San Francisco, The Price is Right
Posted in Green Building, Lifestyle, Programs and Standards, San Francisco | No Comments »
Monday, September 25th, 2006
Looking for some extra spending money to spruce up your house? Forget digging though the old sofas, just hit up Uncle Sam. If that sprucing up includes removing that nasty, not to mention dangerous, lead-based-paint from rental properties or one that you actually live in then it might be worth downloading and filling out some of the myriad forms on the HUD website.
HUD has made $39 million in funding available as part of their Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Grant Program.
Lead exposure can lead to reduced IQ, learning disabilities, reduced height, poorer hearing and a truckload of other health problems associated with children. But don’t dillydally as the closing date for this grant program is October 31, 2006.
Tags: Arterra, Bob Barker, condos, Eco Homes, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, LEED-NC, Mission Bay, money, Real Estate, San Francisco, The Price is Right
Posted in health | No Comments »
Thursday, September 21st, 2006
With the Arterra, San Francisco’s first LEED certified San Francisco condos, just about ready to go into pre-sales it’s no surprise that some visitors in the sales office appear from curious to confused.
Some prospective buyers who drifted around the sales office came for the Green factor but others don’t know green from pink. The salesroom doesn’t exactly push the green aspect. Those who don’t have an attention to detail could easily miss the bamboo kitchen floors, and the dual flush toilets. Even so, one green product continually baffles potential buyers – the Trespa rainscreen system. It more than baffles, it disturbs some.
We’re not exactly fans of bedding down in high-end coffins, except maybe during Halloween, so people here should get over their fears of something new. The rainscreen system isn’t exactly the new green kid on the block. Builders have been using this overcladding technology since the 1940’s in Scandinavia. (more…)
Tags: Arterra, Bamboo, Eco Homes, Environment, Gore-tex, Green Building, Green Condos, Green Real Estate, health, LEED-NC, Mold, Mother Nature, Overcladding, Rainscreen, Real Estate, San Francisco, Scandinavia, Trespa
Posted in Green Building, Materials, Products, San Francisco, Technology, Water | No Comments »
Saturday, September 16th, 2006
Normally the thought of ash brings to mind volcano eruptions, funerals, and maybe religious holidays but for us and green builders it’s about flyash and foundations. So, when discussing the topic with one of San Francisco’s up and coming LEED-AP architects (Melanie Jacobson) she mentioned that the CHPS school they are building in the Sacramento area will have a fifteen percent flyash concrete foundation we looked quizzically at her. Why only fifteen percent? She mentioned that that percentage was about as high as their structural engineers deemed to be sound.
We’ve heard other local green buildings contain as high as thirty percent flyash. So, why the discrepancy? It depends on the configuration of the building, the weight on the structure and most importantly what the structural engineer says. (more…)
Tags: CHPS, Coal, Environment, Flyash, Foundations, Green Building, Green Real Estate, health, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas, LEED-AP, Portland Cement, Real Estate, Structural Engineer
Posted in Green Building, Materials | No Comments »
Monday, September 11th, 2006
Finally there’s the green that can save green. Did all you capitalists just get excited? It’s not just about photovoltaic panels, although if you’re not a fan of PG&E or the equivalent megalopolis energy supplier then the fact that an energy company can actually send you a check each month may excite your bank account in the long run.Green savings isn’t just about sticking it to the big bad energy companies but adding value to your house. When you add those photovoltaic panels, that high percentage fly ash foundation, or water recapture system then you automatically add value to your home. (more…)
Tags: Capitalists, Eco Homes, Environment, Fly Ash Foundation, Green Building, Green Real Estate, Marathon, money, No VOC Paint, Photovoltaic Panels, Real Estate, Water Recapture System
Posted in Energy Efficiency, Materials, money | No Comments »
