Home Energy Score finally a reality!

http://greenhabbing101.com/video-home-energy-score/ - this video explains the new home energy score rating process.

Good news for contractors regarding the new Lead based paint law.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
www.nahb.org


NAHB Applauds EPA'S Decision to Delay Lead Paint Certification Enforcement

WASHINGTON, June 21--The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) decision to delay enforcement of the new Lead: Renovation, Repair and Painting rule will provide much-needed time to get more remodelers and other contractors trained - and for EPA to get the word out to consumers about the importance of hiring a certified remodeler, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

"EPA listened to our concerns and did the right thing," said NAHB Chairman Bob Jones, a builder and developer in Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

In revised guidance released on Friday, EPA acknowledged that remodelers in many parts of the country have been unable to obtain the required training to comply with the rule - a problem that NAHB has urged the agency to solve since the rule was announced two years ago.

The issue came to a head in May after floods devastated parts of Tennessee and there weren't enough certified remodelers to complete much-needed home repairs. NAHB and its state home builders association proposed a delay in enforcing the rule -- a decision EPA consented to in its letter on Friday.

While remodelers, electricians, heating and air conditioning technicians and other contractors must adhere to lead-safe work practices, including special equipment filters and a ban on open flames, EPA will not take enforcement action against firms that have been unable to obtain certification until Oct. 1 of this year.

Individual contractors must apply to enroll in a training class by Sept. 30 and complete the training by Dec. 31, 2010.

"This rule potentially affects about 79 million homeowners. That's how many homes were built before 1978, when lead paint was banned," Jones said. "We need significantly more contractors certified than the 300,000 who have taken the training course, and we also need to make sure that affected homeowners understand the importance of hiring a certified contractor."

Homeowners can find a certified firm at this link. Remodelers can search for an EPA-approved training provider at this link or contact their local home builders association here to find Certified Renovator training sessions.


ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 175,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction. NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country.

A Coto-de-Caza Paradise at a Non-Coto Price - Classified Ad

A Coto-de-Caza Paradise at a Non-Coto Price - Classified Ad

Summer is here - do we think about indoor air quality?

Of course, any season and all seasons are the time to think about indoor air quality. In the summer, we often keep our a/c on a lot (please don't!) and the home sealed tightly to keep the cool air in.
Here's a few tips for improving your indoor air quality:
• get a really great air filter
• keep windows/doors open as much as possible to let the outside air in
• use non-toxic cleaning products and low or no v.o.c. paints
• have plenty of green plants around - natures air filters!
• Change your furnace or HVAC filters every quarter minimum - this is probably the best and most important thing to do.

Can we be Zero Waste ourselves and when building our homes?

One of the things that differentiates green homes from traditionally built homes is that the builder strives to build the home without having any or a lot of waste materials left at the end of the job. This week I attended a zero waste seminar sponsored by the Orange County Board of Realtors and presented by Stephanie Barger of Earth Resource Foundation and Evan Little of Surterre Properties. Although I knew most of the information presented, it was a great refresher.

Earth Resources educates people of Re-useing, Re-ducing and THEN Re-cycling anything you come across in life. One should always strive to reduce first. Do you know the average amount of trash each person produces every day is 4.6 pounds? However, in Orange County it is a whopping 6.7 pounds! - we love our pre-packaged foods and Starbucks here, I guess. Yes, packaging creates the most waste in our daily lives and also in construction projects. One lumber company reduced the packaging on their palettes of wood and saved the company overall millions of dollars. You may have heard of the Ricoh success story of getting the company to zero waste to landfills, which they achieved Feb 2001, saving the company millions in hauling and dump fees for both Ricoh and their clients, as well as gaining great reputation for their company as concerned for the environment.

So, back to green home building.

Pre-fabricated homes (such as livinghomes.net), container homes (such as: http://www.nikiomahe.com/ ) and manufactured homes (http://www.mhcenter.com/) create the least amount of left over waste at the end of construction compared to traditional construction practices but of course, the winner is the Earthship, as most of the construction materials are from the recycling center to start with! http://www.earthship.net/

I have connections to great green contractors as well as of course lots of lots for sale in the Southern California area if you want to build one!

The 3 little Pigs are Safe in a Staw Bale Home!

California Green

All this week on PBS California Green, Heul Howser's show, is focusing on Earth Day. Last night: Straw Bale Homes, This week's programming includes: Native Plant Tour, Solar Fest, Recycled Paint & Carpet and more www.cagold.com/green/ It's on at 7:30 on KCET.

The straw bale house episode was great, it was amusing watching Heul being so amazed by straw bale homes. The cool part if he visited my fav nursery, Tree of Life, and taped live construction of their 3rd or 4th straw bale building and interviewed the staff, who love working in their straw bale office. Go to http://www.thelaststraw.org/ for more info on straw bale homes. You can go anytime to Tree of Life nursery and see these for yourself. http://www.caliifornianativeplants.com/

I remember 18 years ago touring a straw bale home in San Felipe and wanting to build one on my land down there. I ended up selling the land when I moved to Ca, cause it was farther away to go to San Felipe from Ca than it was from Phoenix, but I always planned on building one someday. How neat to use an item that is natural, in abundance and insulates incredibly to build your walls! And infil homes, which are post an beam construction, can be easily built to code in California. They are such cool looking homes, too, with that adobe character and feel and incredible strength. I can't help thinking of the wolf and how he would huf and he would puff, but never be able to blow down a straw bale home! Did you ever think of that Brother's Grimm?

Spring "Greening" Tips

It's finally springtime, and spring cleaning time. How about turning it into spring greening? First, the laundry. Wash only full loads, use cold water whenever possible, hand your clothes and they will be so fresh!

Second, use Hydrogen Peroxide to clean most things instead of bleach and save your lungs and the oceans.

• Soak your toothbrushes in peroxide to keep them free from germs, use it as teeth whitening - way cheaper than other methods!



• Clean your counter tops with it, kills germs and bacteria - same with your cutting board, keep some in a spray bottle.



• Soak any infections or fungus on your body in it



• A cup of peroxide in laundry keeps it white and bright



• It cleans mirrors streak free!

Third, plant your garden with organic seeds and soil, and plant food. You can follow my son Jesse Grimes' adventures in his garden in Dana Point. He calls it the Trailer Trash Gardener at: http://jessebythesea.blogspot.com/ He is planting an organic garden in his yard at his mobile home, proving you can reap lots of food in a tiny space.

My Mighty Mini

In Orange County, where I live, the general consciousness of the population is not mostly individuals striving to save the planet, reduce waste, lower their carbon footprint, etc. As a matter of fact, I still get lots of questions when I say I am an EcoBroker and Green Real Estate Agent. People often ask me questions including: "what is green real estate, and why is it important?" Then they usually say: "Are you selling lots of green homes in the OC?" And truthfully, my answer is no, because there are not a lot of green homes in the OC....yet.

I am continually learning, training, and getting prepared for the day when most people look for a green home when they look to buy a home. However, they are starting to look for green features in a home, and starting to green up their lifestyle. So it is getting closer. Some are doing it because of their financial situation, and some because they have children and want to make a better future for them environmentally, and some because codes or laws force them to make changes. Whatever the reason, the trend is good. People I am finding are more and more aware of the need for a green lifestyle.

So, you are asking, what does this have to do with your Mini?

When I bought my mini in 2002, I did not know it was number 8 of the top ten green vehicles. I just knew it was like no car I had ever seen, and I had to have one! After all, it was a beeemer for less than $20,000. Now I could really fit in with my so-cal neighbors, owning a beemer, I joked. When I was studying for the Ecobroker certification, I considered getting a hybrid, until I found (back in 2004) mini's scored just as well as hybrids on the driving green stats. Now they are #17 out of the top 100, because so many other car manufacturers have finally made higher milage cars and jumped into the arena.

Anyway, I titled this "My Mighty Mini" because as I was at Home Depot on Saturday, once again loading very large cargo into the back of the car, I laugh because I have hauled so much in this small but mighty car. Bookcases, computer desks, lumber, and on Saturday, two rolls of 6'x13' bamboo fences. In the 8 years I have owned the Mini, I have never had to rent or borrow a van or truck to get something from place to place. The cargo space in this car with the back seats down, is amazing!! Why I laugh is people often tell me they need their large gas guzzling vehicle because they have things that they need to haul from time to time. So they justify the SUV. My Mighty Mini hauls a-- compared to theirs! For more info on green ratings and vehicles, go to http://www.greenercars.org/

Waste Free OC? Is it possible?

Well, maybe we will never be waste free, but how about a 10% reduction? OC Waste & Recycling (OCW&R) has launched a new, interactive campaign - Waste Free OC. Save Room for Tomorrow

- to help community members reduce everyday waste from entering local landfills. The campaign's call to action is realistic and attainable: Reduce waste by 10 percent in 2010.The campaign is significant, as the average Orange County resident in 2008 generated five pounds of waste per day. With more than three million residents countywide, that number adds up to approximately 15 million pounds of solid waste per day."The time is now for us to take action and realize that if we don't urge people to make behavioral changes, our landfills will be filled to capacity," said Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Chair of the Board of Supervisors. "We cannot afford not to take action."Everyone has habits, and the simple ones like drinking coffee out of paper cups can be the source of up to 10% of what we throw away. But you don't have to give up the things you love. There are a lot of ways to lighten up on our landfills.

5 Easy Ways to Start Reducing Waste Today

1. Pay bills electronically and put a stop to junk mail.

2. Bring reusable bags with you to the grocery store.

3. Start composting.

4. Reduce packaging waste by buying in bulk.

5. Avoid contaminating recyclables to be sure they stay out of the landfill.

"The 10% in 2010 Challenge means producing less waste to begin with, reusing items as many times as possible and recycling even more," said OC Waste & Recycling Director Mike Giancola. "In doing so, we can reduce 1.5 million pounds of waste from going into our landfills over an entire year." Residents can take the "10% in 2010 Challenge" at http://www.wastefreeoc.com/.

Low Interest Loans for Storm Damage Available

I know it's a little after the fact, but you can still apply!
Low-interest loans available for claims due to last month's storm damage

Homeowners, renters, business owners and non-profit organizations in Orange County - along with those in the counties of Los Angeles, Kern, San Bernardino and Ventura - are eligible to apply for low-interest federal disaster loans from the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA) to cover physical damages caused by the severe winter storms, flooding, debris flows and mudflows that began on Jan. 17, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced:"This is just the first step toward helping those affected get back in their homes and their businesses operating," he said in a letter. On Jan. 22, the governor proclaimed a state of emergency for Orange County.

For more information about SBA loans, call 1-800-659-2955 (or 1-800-877-8339 for the hearing impaired).

Rip up your Lawn - save water, work, use your yard as a grocery store!

As you may have read in previous blogs, I am a great proponent of ripping up your lawn. Why? Well, lawns use an amazingly large amount of water to upkeep, gas mowers contribute to air pollution, and lawns are not native to this area of the country. This is a great time of the year to consider this, as you can coordinate it with your regular spring planting.

Native plants are always a better choice for Mother Earth. Tree of Life Nursery http://www.californianativeplants.com/ has great classes with instructions on how to du this and alternatives once the lawn is removed. There are many beautiful landscape options available. Xeriscape landscaping creates a garden that will withstand drought conditions.

Or, why not grow a vegetable garden? A vegetable garden is not only an attractive alternative to a lawn, but with proper planning it uses significantly less water (30 percent to 60 percent less, depending on which study you read). Growing vegetables as a lawn substitute can be a rewarding experience while creating a very interesting landscape. Urban Plantations will help you with any aspect of this process. http://www.urbanplantations.com/.

A great Green concept for people who want new homes, and don't want to recycle a pre-built home!

Remember, every time you buy, sell or lease any pre-owned home you are recycling©." ~ Darlene H. Grimes, Certified EcoBroker©

This is on the home page of our website http://www.ocgreenrealty.com/ where I like to encourage people to purchase already built homes, and keep as much open space and urban sprawl to a minimum. My partner, Mary Jane Humphreys and our team help you to find a great pre-owned home, then help you with the resources to green it up so you can live healthier, save money, and help save the planet (that's green real estate in a nutshell.)

However, a colleague of mine, Michael Vairin - President & Founder of Builder's Development Group has a great program for those who want a great deal on a lot that will not contribute to urban sprawl. You can read about it on his blog entry from Jan 26th http://blog.buildersdevelopmentgrp.com/

They find smaller lot deals that have been overlooked. Some are infill type new home projects and some are lots in newer projects that did not get finished but since there are usually a small number of lots, it does not make sense for the public home builders in California, so individual buyers can get them and usually at a great price!

Toilet to Tap Campaign? They need a better name!

The City of San Diego City Council just approved a campaign to educate people about reusing greywater. Details can be found here: http://sandiegonewsroom.com/news/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40233:toilet-to-tap-campaign-approved-by-council&catid=110:city-of-san-diego&Itemid=34

Summary:

San Diego currently imports almost 80 percent of its water from outside the region, according to Coastkeeper Executive Director Bruce Reznik, who addressed the city council on Tuesday. This campaign seeks to lessen the city’s reliance on energy and expensive imported water. “Our over reliance on these sources has tremendous environmental and economic impacts on our region,” Recycling wastewater into drinking water is a reliable, cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to enhance our local water supplies,” said Reznik.

I agree wholeheartedly. Years ago a friend of mine had a porcelain device on top of his toilet tank that took the clean tank water before it went into the toilet and pumped it like a faucet into a small sink that rested on the top of the tank. It was brilliant!! One could wash their hands after peeing with the toilet tank water and not turn on the sink tap and waste water. The soapy hand washing water just went into the tank for the next flush. I recently saw one of these online and vowed to purchase it, just can't remember where I saw it!

The name of the campaign though - Toilet to Tap? What are they smoking? This does not make me want to recycle my grey water, it makes me think the toilet water, not the tank water is being used for the tap.

Recycling grey water is surely the future.

Water Conservation in the Rain?

It sure seems ironic that the Diemer Filtration Plant in Yorba Linda is performing maintenance this week and is asking South OC residents to conserve water in the midst of all the downpours we have been experiencing. Nevertheless, from Jan 25-31, residents are asked to turn off their automatic sprinklers, and refrain from watering landscaping. These and other Water Conservation Tips can be found at: www.autotaps.com/water-conservation-tips.html

Last Thursday I drove to Phoenix, and saw washes that I have never seen rushing with water, and every depression in the land was filled in with water. It was so twilight zone, as I lived there for 17 years and never saw that!

I am glad the heavens have poured open and given us the precious water we have needed.

Not an option, but a responsibility

"Green is not a trend, but a standard operating procedure
- not an option, but a responsibility"
~Eric Tetuan, Chief Operations Officer, Production Glue, L.L.C., New York
I saw this in a report on the future of meetings and the industry. I was on the site researching for my position of Direector of Marketing for Rancho Capistrano as I was planning for this year's marketing campaign. Like most businesses these days, we are adding more green and sustainable features and services to our conference center operations. We have reduced the use of disposables, use water in urns and not bottled water when possible, and use flowers from our property for centerpieces.

I wholeheartedly believe this statement about green being standard operating procedure.

I know green is seen as a trend, as so many companies have jumped on the green bandwagon. Real Estate, which is probably the largest purchase most people make, is clearly important when it comes to sustainability and all things green. And green homes will become standard operating procedure when it comes to construction practices and (I hope) in recycling pre-owned homes. (As I can help you do!)

The best part is green homes are more energy efficient, thus saving money, have healthier indoor air quality, which helps families live healthier, and also reduces the home's carbon footprint on the planet. This sounds like great standard operating procedure to me!!!

This just in from the California Association of Realtors: "The government is expected to unveil a new program in the next couple of months that, if approved, may reimburse homeowners for up to half the cost of making their homes more efficient. Through the program, homeowners will receive the largest return from simple upgrades like caulking windows, adding insulation, and changing incandescent light bulbs to those that are more energy-efficient."

Of course, they are recommending an energy audit. The audit will reveal what is the best course of action to take and what will save you the most money (first of course you want to save enough money to cover the cost of the audit!) When the new program launches, you will surely be able to cover the cost of the audit with the government's money. OK OK I know it's our money, yes, but I rather see our money going back to us then to a bankers bonus check!