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!

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!!!

Homebuyer tax credit extension passed the senate!

• A spokeswoman for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said senators agreed Wednesday to extend the existing tax credit for first-time homebuyers while offering a reduced credit of up to $6,500 to repeat buyers who have owned their current homes for at least five years. A congressional aide said the tax credits would be available to homebuyers who sign sales agreements by the end of April 2010. They would have until the end of June to close on their new homes.
• For first-time homebuyers, the income level to qualify is $75,000/$150,000.
• For move-up buyers, the income level to qualify is $ 125,000/$250,000.
• Move-up buyers must have been living in their primary residence for at least 5 years.
• The credit is equal to 10% of the sale price, and is capped at $7,290.
• The credit extension runs from December 1, 2009 to April 30, 2010.
• Legitimate sales under contract as of April 30, 2010 have 60 days to close.

Good News! For the full story: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aOcMZU6BreOM

Have a GREEN, black and orange Halloween this year!

With Halloween approaching, and consumerism at a spike, consider how you can green up your home and festivities by reusing, reducing, and recycling. Below are some ideas for a green black and orange Halloween and below that some ideas for seasonal staging of your home.

The Daily Green, a great newsletter for green living, says: "By choosing natural materials to accent your home or office, you'll also be supporting American farmers and open space, as well as bringing a little slice of nature (not to mention history) indoors. The best choice is locally sourced goods, which you can pick up at a farmers' market, farm stand or charity drive. Read more at: http://www.thedailygreen.com/going-green/tips/natural-fall-decorations?src=rss#ixzz0UhBb8AUJ"

Here are my ideas:

• Get costumes from your local vintage clothing or thrift store and not only will you feel better about your choices, you will be supporting local business owners and charities (who really need it now!!!)


• If you string lights be sure to use strands of LED lights, not traditional twinkle lights.


• Illuminate carved pumpkins with candles made from beeswax or soy, so harmful toxins aren't burned into the air.


• Give out only fair trade, organic treats. Or small items made from recycled materials.


• Don't forget your reusable grocery bags instead of plastic trick or treat bags.

For Seasonal Green Staging, here are some ideas:

• Use produce from your local farmer's market for decoration. A few pumpkins and gourds by the door and a spray of Indian corn on the front door, create a festive entry.


• LED lighting in the trees or on your patio or balcony can go far to set the mood that your home is a wonderful magical place, without using much electricity. With the days getting shorter towards winter, lighting is crucial for safety as well as ambiance.


• Scarecrows (make them whimsical and smiling) made from found objects and old clothes and a few hay bales in the front yard provide a unique curb appeal, and invite the buyer closer.


• Burn a soy or beeswax scented candle just before buyers are to arrive to fill the home with fresh scent.


• If you have any green features, be sure to make a small sign and post it next to them, so buyers can be reminded. For example, energy star appliances, native plant landscaping, air filtration systems, should all be pointed out to the buyers.

Vermiculture? creepy crawlies just in time for Halloween!

I got this e-mail from The Road Less Traveled, one of my favorite stores :

What: Composting Lecture

When: October 25, 2009 3:00 PM

Price: $15.00 per person

Where:The Road Less Traveled

2204 N Main St Santa Ana, CA 92706

714 836-8727

Learn the how, what and where of vermiculture, composting with earthworms, our hungry and efficient friends! Everything you need know plus product to buy to be successful at home! handouts and snacks are included.$15, $10 w/friend

OK, in all my studies for several years now, and in the 70's as a hippie, I have never heard the word "vermiculture". And my friend, Abbot John Drais of Madre Grande Monastery was a Worm Wrangler - he taught me all about worms and castings and how valuable they are, as he spent hours digging up the earth and making the soil a perfect environment for earthworms to sell their poop for organic fertilizer. Apparently it's the shizzle.

Why is it important to green real estate? First, let's properly define it.

According to http://www.vermiculture.com/, it is "The raising and production of earthworms and worm castings"

Well, wikipedia doesn't list it, but they do list Vermicompost: "composting utilizing various species of worms, specifically red wigglers, white worms, and earthworms creating the heterogeneous mixture of decomposing vegetable or food waste, bedding materials, and pure vermicast produced during the course of normal vermiculture operations. Vermicast, similarly known as worm castings, worm humus or worm manure, is the end-product of the breakdown of organic matter by the species of earthworm." That's clear as mud!

So, why is it important to green real estate?

Worm castings used as fertilizer can help your organic garden thrive and not only make your yard a living yard ("greener" than a grass yard - see my blog: Rip up your lawn!"), it can be a profitable yard reaping expensive organic produce and herbs for your family to enjoy. Your family might end up just a little healthier eating fresh and often raw food as you save money on your grocery bill and possibly your doctor bills. A beautiful thriving garden certainly enhances the curb appeal of a home, and last but not least, think of how happy the planet will be when you are not putting toxic fertilizers into it or the storm drains to the ocean.

I suggest if you are interested at all in vermiculture, you do attend the workshop. and you won't be all "muddy" about vermiculture anymore.

IMPORTANT Loan Mod Attorneys under investigation

I like to keep this blog positive, but if anyone has hired an attorney for their loan modification, they need to be aware of this...
This just in from the California Board of Realtors®
LOAN MODIFICATION ATTORNEYS UNDER INVESTIGATION
The State Bar of California has recently launched numerous investigations against attorneys for misconduct related to loan modifications. In a rare move, the State Bar has released the names of 16 attorneys under investigation, by opting to waive investigation confidentiality in favor of public protection. These attorneys have allegedly taken fees for promised services, but failed to perform those services or even communicate with their clients who face the possible loss of their homes. Their non-attorney staff may also be under investigation for unlawfully practicing law.
Not all attorneys engaged in loan modifications are unscrupulous. However, this announcement from the State Bar serves as a good reminder for REALTORS® and their clients to be careful when dealing with attorneys and others for loan modifications. Scam artists may intentionally associate or affiliate themselves with attorneys in an attempt to lend credence to their fraudulent schemes. The list of attorneys currently under investigation is available at http://calbar.ca.gov/state/calbar/calbar_generic.jsp?cid=10144&n=96395.

Rmember, the best thing you can do is contact your lender directly, do your research online and see what government programs you are eligible for (refer to my previous blog entry on loan modifications,) and definately get refferences and credentials from anyone you might hire. The Board of Realtor's website is a good place to start. http://www.car.org/

It's that time of the year to think about tax credits

Well, the fourth quarter is upon us, and it's a good time to review the tax credits available to homeowners for 2009. Here's the link to the government's document of the tax credits http://www.energy.gov/media/HR_1424.pdf You may want to make particular purchases now, or put them off until Jan 2010 depending on how the tax credits fall.
Beware of searching for info on the web and clicking on a site which is cleaverly disquised as a government information site and is really just a sales site for a particular company. I find this especially true of review sites, for example you are trying to find a review on a new green cleaning product, and you search "reviews on green cleaning products" and you get a site called"
www.consumerreviewsoncleaningproducts dot com. However, this is merely a particular manufacturer who made up a web site reviewing cleaning products and coming to the concusion, of course, that their products are the best by far.
So, be sure your site ends in .gov and when you look at the web page, it really has government logos on it, and on the contact page an address and e-mail that is official.

Can your yard be a wildlife habitat?

Yes! San Clemente Resident Lori Morgan, did this, and got her yard certified through the National Wildlife Federation. The plants in her yard are specifically planted to attract certain wildlife like butterflies, blue jays, and other birds who next or find shelter in her beautiful yard. She even harvests the seeds of the plants to replant instead of purchasing new seeds. Next, she is shooting for the Certified Monarch Weighstation Habitat.

My daughter is reading a lot of Bride and Bloom magazine, preparing for her wedding next year, but did you know there is also a Bird and Bloom magazine specifically for planting a garden to attract Birds and Butterflies?

This is a photo I took in Costa Rica in a Butterfly Garden. See how when they close their wings, they look like a lizard with an eye open? Inside they are an amazing iridescent blue.

Feng Shui and the Art of Life featuring Neuro Architectural Design

I'm sure by now all So Cal residents know what Feng Shui is all about, but what about combining Feng Shui with Neuro Architectural Design?

I can hear you already, neuro archi....what?

Well my colleague, Janet Woods, who is a Feng Shui Master, and her firm, the Art of Life Institute, specializes in the combination of the two and how it relates to your surroundings, be it home or office. I am intrigued... so I am attending her FREE workshop next weds on this topic.

First, here is a very simple description of the two, directly from her website: (http://www.janetwoods.com/)

• WHAT IS FENG SHUI ?
Feng Shui is the ancient Chinese art of placement. By creating positive energy flow through a home or place of business, you will bring good fortune and harmony.
The science works by blending the laws of nature and human dynamics together for the greatest good. Feng Shui contains the philosophy of eastern culture and quantum physics; it is not a religion, yet spiritual, and uses natural law as a basis.

• WHAT IS NEURO ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN?

This is a combination of neurosceince, pyschology and interior design. The goal of Neuro Architecture is to create spaces that motivate individuals during their human experience.

The workshop will be held at the Awakenings Center, 25260 La Paz Road in Laguna Hills at 7:30 on every third Wednesday of the month.

Learn how your brain affects your living space, how your space creates your life and what to do about it, take the neuro DNA test and learn much more about your home and ancient wisdom combined with modern science to create an environment that supports your greatest good!

This month's topic, June 17th, is:

"Home Therapy"

How to create a Home that supports you intentionally, physically, and emotionally.

The July 15th seminar is entitled "Recovery at Home"

There is a $20 fee for materials, but my blog readers get that fee at 1/2 price of only $10! Simply e-mail me at ocgreenrealtor@yahoo.com and I will get your discount.

It is a proven fact that feng shui can be used for better staging of a home for sale, so if you are considering putting your home on the market, consider a feng shui consultation. Janet Woods is part of OC Green Realty's Team of Affiliates who offer added value to our Real Estate services.

Now.... go move 21 things in your home to clear the ch'i! and then register for the seminar. I'll be there!

Darlene

The Greenest thing to do is keep your home! Free Foreclosure Prevention Workshop

As much as I would love to sell your home for you, the greenest thing for the planet, your family and your wallet is to keep your home no matter what. No moving, no boxes, no gas guzzling semi to haul your stuff, and no additional consumerism as you purchase new shelf liner.

This is from the California Board of Realtors:

FREE FORECLOSURE PREVENTION WORKSHOP
Friday, June 12th from 10:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M. and from 1:00 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. at the Irvine Civic Center, 1 Civic Center Plaza, Irvine , CA 92606
PLEASE NOTE: This event is only for CLIENTS facing foreclosure. This FREE workshop will educate homeowners who are behind on their mortgage payments on what to do to avoid foreclosure. Lenders and HUD-approved counseling agencies will be on-site to assist with loan workouts. Avoid foreclosure scams! You don’t have to pay for this workshop and these services! To RSVP, please email your name, address, phone number and lender information to: http://us.mc633.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=misidoro@fairhousingoc.org or call (714) 569-0823 x225.

Please pass this on to anyone you know who may have a fear of loosing their home to foreclosure. I'll be there, so I can get this education to help others.

Sometimes, it's not all about selling homes...

Now you can use your tax credit towards your down payment!
I just read this in the California Board of Realtor's Realtor onlline magazine:
Big Improvement to First-Time Buyer Tax Credit
- Shaun Donovan, secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, on Tuesday said that the Federal Housing Administration is going to permit its lenders to allow home buyers to use the $8,000 tax credit as a down payment. Previously, most buyers wouldn't receive the funds until after they filed their tax return, and that deterred some people from using the credit. FHA’s approved lenders will be permitted to “monetize” the tax credit through short-term bridge loans. This will allow eligible home buyers to access the funds immediately at the closing table.
WHAT GREAT NEWS FOR THE HOMEBUYER WITHOUT THE FUNDS FOR THE DOWN PAYMENT! There are so many great buys in So Cal right now, and with this news, the door is open to so many more than before!!! What is your vision and how can we help you?

Saving Green With Green Real Estate!

I’m sure by now you have heard that there’s a huge opportunity right now until Dec 31, 2009 to get substantial savings on a home for first-time home buyers (or if you have not owned a home in the past 3 years.) You can claim a credit worth $8,000 - or 10% of the home's value, whichever is less - on your 2009 taxes. And NEW homebuyers get a $10,000 tax credit, combine the two on a new home for an $18,000 tax credit! Where does the eco-green come in? Other than the $$ green, if you combine these two programs with an Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM,) you can lower your interest rate in many cases, and realize additional savings, or qualify for a larger home. An EEM is a mortgage that credits a home’s energy efficiency in the mortgage itself. This gives borrowers the opportunity to finance cost-effective, energy-saving measures as part of a single mortgage and stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans thereby allowing borrowers to qualify for a larger loan amount and a better, more energy-efficient home. For more information, go to: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=bldrs_lenders_raters.energy_efficient_mortgage
Or, better yet, ask me! I will send you all the info I have (or just tell you so you don’t have to sort through all that info)
So, baby, it’s prime time to be green and save green on homes in So Cal!

Are there Green Homes in Orange County?

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

But, there's not a lot of Green Homes in the OC!
That's right. So we gotta lot of work to do, those of us who love the Southern California lifestyle and have a Global conscience. Let's do whatever we can to make our homes greener.

You can make your home more eco-friendly to sell your home at a higher price, or, buy a home with lower operating costs - and help save the planet! There are grants and rebates available for green conversions and green mortgages enable you to buy more home for your buck, as your utility bills will be lower. You can even finance green conversion costs into the purchase with an energy efficient green mortgage, and they sometimes have lower interest rates too. Certified EcoBroker's have the information you need for this.

• find a home • recycle your home • save money • save the planet with Green Real Estate

In this blog, I will keep you informed of news in Green Real Estate.


Thanks for reading! Darlene