How can ancient mythology help us go green?

OC Green Realty is forming an alliance with Icarus Green Energy Solutions, in my due diligence researching their company, I of course, went to the about us section of their website. Here is why they call the company Icarus:

The story of Icarus dates back to the times of Greek Mythology. Icarus was the son of master craftsman Daedalus the inventor of carpentry. Imprisoned on the island of Crete, Icarus and Daedalus needed to plan an escape. Using his skills for building, Daedalus constructed wings made of wax and feathers to be used to fly Icarus and himself off the island. The plan was a success except for one major detail: THE ENERGY FROM THE SUN! In flight after the escape, Icarus flew too close to the sun. The sun melted the wax of his wings and Icarus’ escape ended in tragedy.
What can we learn from an ancient Greek mythological story today? Daedalus could have gone GREEN and utilized the energy of the sun! The 20th century Icarus has gone green and like his father is a master craftsman rebuilding green communities across the world. Icarus’ mission is to spread the word of going green and advocating energy efficiency and energy independence.

This company can help you with an energy audit, an energy efficient mortgage and general tips on going green in your home. I am excited to find them, and to be working with them, as they encompass all the support services I need as an EcoBrokerTM and Green Real Estate Agent to serve my clients with an extra package of services and products they need. I am forming an affiliate program for my clients to receive comlimentary upgrades and services through Icarus.

We have alliances with an Interior Designer, A Feng Shui Master, and Green Architects. Check out our website on the resources link page: http://www.ocgreenrealty.com/default.asp_Q_f_E_links

Green Senior Living in SJC - Yes!

Do you know any seniors looking for housing that are financially challenged at this time?

The City and Redevelopment Agency of San Juan Capistrano along with MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners is accepting applications for the Seasons Senior Affordable Housing Apartments Phase II. The Phase II project was a collaborative effort between the City, Redevelopment Agency and MacFarlane Costa Housing Partners to develop a 38-unit addition to the Season's affordable senior housing complex at the corner of Rancho Viejo Road and Paseo Espada. The $12M project came in under budget, ahead of schedule, and features green building construction techniques including solar power. Whoo Hoo! These apartments are available to seniors who meet the income qualifications. For more information on the apartment availability, contact Season's manager at 949-487-0210. Ican't seem to find a website for them.

There is an amazing nationwide movement of green nursing homes, if you go to youtube and search "green nursing homes" you will see a video of an amazing place where seniors go to live, not to die, and the caretakers are paid more than the administrators, and home cooking is in the air and folks eat family style. They have pets and gardens, it is sooooo cool!

While we are at it, here is a link to a page on the sjc website that lists all the programs for homeownership or rentals for financially challenged folk: http://www.sanjuancapistrano.org/Index.aspx?page=157

Each city has such a page, just go to the city's website and search "homeownership programs."

Portal to Home Buying Heaven & Meeting Heaven

HUD has a great portal with links to all the info on the programs the Federal Housing Administration has for homebuyers. Her eyou can find the Making Home Affordable program description, as well as the energy efficient mortgages (green mortgages) and links to agencies that help you avoid forclosure that are approved by HUD and the FHA. You can even ask a question via e-mail if you don't see what you need.

http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page/portal/HUD/federal_housing_administration

On another note, rather than listing all the green events in So Cal, I urge you to go to http://www.meetup.com/. In Orange County, the group is called "Going Green in Orange County", but you can search within meetup for any topic you are interested in, and you will be directed to all the meetings taking place in your area for that topic. I just went to meetup, and searched "Green Home" and found 186 meetups within 25 miles of Dana Point! Never a dull moment!!!

Going Green in Orange County is organized by Evan Little, who is also a Certified EcoBroker® working with Surterre Properties. Speaking of Evan and the great work he is doing in OC to promote green living, he sent me an e-mail about this event I think is definately worth mentioning (one of 186!!):

A Breath of Fresh Air: Inside and Out

Enjoy an engaging evening in one of Orange County's newest, green luxury homes. Sample consciously prepared hors d'oeuvres & refreshments from some of the county's top chefs while you tour the home. Mingle with leading air quality and environmental toxicity experts while we collectively raise funds and awareness for the American Lung Association in California. Celebrity Guests, Organic Wines & Spirits, Consciously Prepared Hors d'Oeuvres, Guided "Green" Home Tours, Mingle with Air Quality Experts, Check out a New Tesla Roadster Electric Car, Learn steps to clean up your air...

Live Presentations by:
• Green Nest • American Lung Association CA • Leigh Erin Connealy, M.D. you have to rsvp, here's the link:

https://www.kintera.org/faf/reg_new/register.asp?ievent=306322&lis=1&kntae306322=78CCF312CEA14252B6A288593B3538EE&teamAction=none

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.

ZZZZZZZap !! Do you need an energy audit?

With the ceconomy what it is, many people are looking to save money of course, and lowering utility bills is an easy way to save some money, and be more comfortable living in your house.

Barak Obama understands the value of an energy efficient home, and has pushed for legistlation to help homeowners with this. The weatherization program provides money to qualified homeowners for such things as insulation, smoke detectors and furnace and air conditioner repair or replacement. The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) estimates that residents save about $400 to $500 on energy costs in the first year after just weatherization improvements. And there's so much more...
A home energy audit can assess how much energy your home consumes and evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you money. Pinpoint where your house is losing energy, and determine the efficiency of your home's heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity.

You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit.
A professional auditor uses a variety of techniques and equipment to determine the energy efficiency of a structure. Thorough audits often use equipment such as blower doors, which measure the extent of leaks in the building envelope, and infared cameras, which reveal hard-to-detect areas of air infiltration and missing insulation. You will need a professional energy audit and a HERS rating to get an Energy Efficient Mortgage where you can finance the cost of the improvements you need to make to improve your HERS rating score and thus your utility bills, and even get a better interest rate.

On the U.S. Department of Energy web site, there is lots of information on - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as well as instructions on Do-Yourself Home Energy Audits
You can easily conduct a home energy audit yourself. http://www.energysavers.gov/your_home/energy_audits/index.cfm/mytopic=11170?print