Friday, October 6, 2017

House Plants

Who loves plants?! πŸŒ΅πŸŒΎπŸ‚πŸπŸ€

They are not only beautiful to have around the house, but they are a good way to purify the air in your home by absorbing chemicals and pollutants found in the air.

Certain plants have qualities to help people sleep better and reduce stress levels!

For example, aloe vera emits oxygen at night, making it an ideal plant to have in your bedroom for a more restful sleep. Also the gel from the leaves can be used as a topical treatment cuts and burns, insect bites, and dry skin.
The English Ivy is a top plant for purifying air; it can improve symptoms of allergies or asthma, and can remove airborne mold.
A spider plant was found to reduce 90% of formaldehyde from the air in testing done by NASA. It cleanses the air and absorbs odors, and helps to sustain oxygen levels in rooms.

In a study done by NASA, they recommend 15-18 air purifying plants in an 1800 sq ft house with a few in each bedroom. Remember to check if any plants are toxic and to keep out of reach of children and pets. 🐾

So go ahead and go GREEN, make your home more green with plants!  😁



Thursday, September 7, 2017

Lucky Bamboo

An eco friendly tip in regards to home goods: Choosing products made from bamboo like sheets have many benefits for the user and the environment!



Bamboo is one of the fastest growing plants worldwide. It regenerates quickly without the need for replanting, grows densely and has higher yields per acre than cotton. Bamboo plantations absorb 35% more carbon dioxide than the equivalent stand of trees helping to clear pollution from our air. It requires no artificial chemicals in their cultivation thus rendering it a sustainable, environmentally friendly resource! It does not require additional watering and gets what it needs from rainfall.

Bamboo is a very soft texture comparable to silk or cashmere. Bamboo fabric naturally resists mold, mildew and odors. This makes it non-irritating, perfect for sensitive skin.

Next time you are in the market for new linens consider bamboo products.




Thursday, August 17, 2017

Energy Star appliances

Appliances constantly running (refrigerators) and that operate often (washing machine and dryer) use a significant amount of energy in every household.

Every appliance comes with 2 price tags: the purchase price and the cost of operating the product. Sometimes it's hard to look past the purchase price "up front fee" to realize the amount of overall savings possible with a lower operating cost over time. This is true even for non property related products like a hybrid car-- it's a more expensive car but your monthly gas bill is significantly less!

Next time you need to replace appliances, look for products that are Energy Star certified which help to reduce energy and therefore operating cost. An Energy Star certified appliance uses on average 10%-50% less energy than standard models!









Check out their website for more information:

https://www.energystar.gov/products/appliances

Tuesday, August 1, 2017

Rebate programs for water savings in San Diego

You can only control what you can control, right? With Southern California's severe drought some families have converted yards with grass and plants that need lots of water, to turf or low maintenance plants and rocks to cut cost and save water! This is a small savings to the water supply but every bit helps from every property.

Have you heard of the term xeriscape? It is defined as: a style of landscape design requiring little or no irrigation or other maintenance, used in arid regions.

The city of San Diego also offers rebates for changing property features to be more water efficient,  check out the website for more information:

https://www.sandiego.gov/water/conservation/rebates


Here are some examples of xeriscapes:






I like the way they look!  πŸŒ΅πŸŒΏ

Sunday, July 30, 2017

San Diego rents are increasing!

An article found on www.OurCitySD.com stated that according to Axiometrics research company, the average rent for an apartment in San Diego has gone above $2,000 a month! Specifically, it reached $2,005 in June 2017.

The rental market has been strong in San Diego for quite some time and will continue to stay strong as our city is such a beautiful and desirable place to live! By owning property and converting it into rental income you are setting yourself up for positive cashflow and a strong long term investment.

Do you know anyone whose rent has increased recently?

Now is the time to own real estate in San Diego while mortgage rates are low and you can get a fixed payment amount that will not increase.

http://ourcitysd.com/neighborhoods/san-diego-apartments-rent-for-more-than-2-000/#sthash.3QGjI6qc.dpbs


San Diego average apartment rent passes $2,000


The average monthly rent for a San Diego apartment has eclipsed $2,000 for the first time. According to Axiometrics Research, it reached $2,005 in June. So it’s two grand plus a cup of Starbucks' Caffe Mocha (Venti)  …
Rent has increased every month for the past six months, the research firm found.
If you rent, you weep.
If you own or invest in apartments, it’s a whole other story.
At least for now.
“San Diego continues its run as one of the strongest apartment markets in the nation,” said Jay Denton, vice president of analytics for Axiometrics. “However, a warning sign may be in place, since job growth has declined in April and May.”
The year-over year increase placed annual effective rent growth at 4.9 percent, the highest rate since October 2016’s 5.3 percent and good for the sixth highest nationwide among major markets, according to Axiometrics. Occupancy remained steady at 96.3 percent.
A March report by MarketPointe Realty Advisors had the average monthly rent for a San Diego County apartment at $1,748. In downtown, the monthly average was $2,149. So the rest of the city is apparently catching up.

Friday, July 14, 2017

Shrinking inventory in San Diego

The San Diego real estate market is hot hot hot! πŸ”₯πŸ”₯πŸ”₯

More houses are selling in SD and new active listings are declining all around California-- which makes for little inventory and an aggressive atmosphere for buyers! Mortgage interest rates are still historically incredibly low which is undoubtedly a contributing factor to the increase in sales.

California Association of Realtors reported that the number of houses that sold in May 2017 in SD County was 16.1 percent higher than April 2017. That's a big jump heading into summer!

Another interesting fact about California real estate, is that the median sales price in our region in May 2017 was $605,000. That number is $15,000 higher than the previous month in April 2017, and $40,000 higher than in May 2016!  Some may argue that many people are getting priced out of living in San Diego due to the higher prices.

I'm happy to answer questions about the home buying process that you may have.  With this competitive environment working with a professional who has been in the business for 10+ years is imperative!



http://www.kpbs.org/news/2017/jun/20/despite-surging-home-prices-house-sales-16-higher/

Despite Surging Prices, Home Sales 16 Percent Higher Than Last Month


The number of single-family homes that changed ownership in the San Diego region in May surged despite a continuing climb in prices, reflecting a trend that occurred throughout the state, the California Association of Realtors (CAR) reported Tuesday.
The number of houses that sold last month in San Diego County was 16.1 percent higher than the month before, and 4.1 percent above the same period last year, according to CAR data. Sales totals have been constrained because of a lack of inventory.
The median sales price in the region in May was $605,000, or $15,000 above April. The figure was $40,000 above that of May 2016.
CAR reported the median sales price for a house statewide in May was $550,200, the highest in almost a decade. That's 2.3 percent above April and 5.8 percent more than May of last year.
Statewide sales totals were 5.4 percent higher from the month before and 2.6 percent from the year before.
"Mortgage rates dropping to the lowest level since November could have been a motivating factor for the sales increase in May," said CAR President Geoff McIntosh. "The low interest rate environment, however, may not last long as the Federal Reserve's gradual rate hike and plan to reduce its balance sheet will likely lead to higher rates, and could change the momentum of the market."
CAR Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young noted a disconnect between buyers and available homes for sale will continue to elevate prices and worsen the affordability problem.
New active listings around California declined for the 23rd straight month in May, falling 12.4 percent from a year ago. The drop, associated with May's heightened sales figures, will combine to make the inventory problem even worse, according to CAR.




Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Updates on GREEN construction in San Diego

We're going GREEN!

This article makes me so happy to read about the popularity of energy efficient construction and features! (Link below from OurCitySD.com)

A LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) designation is one of the most popular green certification programs used worldwide. The Executive Director of the US Green Building Council in San Diego reports that in 2016, San Diego had the largest number of new LEED registrations since 2003. It is now the trend to have energy efficiency in new construction and standards are getting higher and higher. This is great news! San Diego truly is the finest city πŸ‘Š

A local architectural firm BNIM San Diego states they are shifting away from petroleum based products and they are designing net-zero buildings, meaning the total amount of energy used by the building on an annual basis is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on site. I hope to see more companies following their lead on green construction.



Green, greener, greenest

by  
- See more at: http://ourcitysd.com/neighborhoods/green-greener-greenest/#sthash.4KuMTd6M.dpuf

The siding on architect Eric Naslund’s home is made from rice husks. 
“It formerly was kind of a waste product from the production of rice,” said Naslund, a principal at Studio E Architects in downtown San Diego. 
No longer. Rice husks are abundant, tough to burn and resistant to fungus. What’s not to love?
A host of green innovation is taking place in the construction industry today. 
“Recently, we did a high-rise downtown where we draped a 160-foot photovoltaic panel down the side of the building,” Naslund said. “That kind of technology wasn’t available to us 20 years ago.”
That photovoltaic panel is at Celadon, an affordable housing project. It’s one of the tallest solar systems in the nation and provides power for the structure’s common areas. The LEED Gold certified building sports a rooftop with 4,000 square feet of vegetation to minimize heat absorption from the sun, along with of host of other sustainable features. 
Changes in construction technology and design, and a growing demand for buildings that use less energy and water, coupled with increasingly stringent state building codes and local climate action plans, are producing ever greener buildings, said Beth Brummitt, president of Brummitt Energy Associates and a founding member of the San Diego Green Building Council.
“There definitely has been a maturing,” Brummitt said. “There’s kind of an explosion of things possible in a building now that there wasn’t 15 years ago.”
How green can you go? Pretty green, it appears. 
Among other things, buildings are being built with windows that open so fresh air can circulate, water is recirculated and used for irrigation, and instruments are installed that measure the performance of solar energy. Energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning equipment and LED lights are becoming the norm.
“From a project point of view, there are many things that can be done,” said Philip Bona of BNIM San Diego, an architectural, design and planning firm. “We have energy-efficient, double-glazed windows that we use. The walls all have some insulation.”
There’s also been a shift away from petroleum-based products, which can cause so-called sick building syndrome, to water-based materials.
Bona said his firm has moved forward into the design of net-zero buildings, those that produce enough energy to meet their own needs.
His firm designed Qualcomm’s Pacific Center Campus, two buildings that received LEED Gold certification. 
“The buildings’ east-west solar orientation and narrow floor plates promote natural ventilation and daylighting, and a high-performance faΓ§ade design controls heat gain and glare,” the firm notes on its website. 
The complex includes a vegetable and herb garden, with the produce grown being used by the building’s cafeteria. The development won ENR magazine’s California’s Best Projects 2016 in the Office/Retail/Mixed-Use category for Southern California.
By state law, new residential buildings must meet net-zero standards by 2020, and new commercial buildings must comply by 2030, Brummitt said.
“In California, it’s becoming less a question of popularity and more a question of what the building code is requiring us to do,” said Paulina Lis, executive director of the U.S. Green Building Council - San Diego.
Brummitt said changing building codes and legislation has made even the worst building you can legally build in California today much better than those built in the past. 
“That reachable bar has gotten higher and higher, better and better,” Brummitt said. A green building built using the latest standards “might use one-third to one-half of the energy that it used 15 years ago,” she said.
Calina Ferraro, mechanical principal with Randall Lamb Associates, an engineering consulting company, said there’s strong emphasis on controls on the mechanical side and also on lighting to ensure that only what is needed is used.
New buildings have sensors that monitor lighting, heating and air-conditioning and turn them on and off as needed.
Similar attention is being paid to water consumption.
According to a study prepared for the California Homebuilding Foundation, a home built in 2015 uses 38.5 percent less water than a home built in 2005, and 47.75 percent less than a home built in 1980.
Kristen Victor, founder of Sustainability Matters, said her firm has designed water filtration systems that use rocks, sand and plants instead of traditional mechanical filtration, creating a garden-like appearance “so it’s not an eyesore.”
“We’re starting to see that much more mainstream in communities, in developments, in homeowner associations,” Victor said. “The public doesn’t even know it’s actually cleaning water.” 
Her company also emphasizes the use of natural lighting in buildings to save energy and create a more pleasant work environment.
“There’s been plenty of studies done that show designing buildings around the actual daylight, around natural ventilation and open spaces, increases the happy factor with people, so to speak,” Victor said. “What I’m seeing more often is fixed windows in combination with operable windows.”
Her firm helped make a Mission Hills restaurant, The Patio on Goldfinch, one of San Diego’s energy efficient eateries. The restaurant’s energy reduction strategies include natural ventilation with open-air patios; temperature sensitive operable windows; daylighting; high-efficiency mechanical systems; LED lighting; and phase-change material above the kitchen’s hard-lid ceiling to control the thermal heat load.
And it’s known for its food, too. 
Not so long ago, it was a rarity for new buildings to achieve LEED designations through the U.S. Green Building Council, Brummitt said. LEED rankings come in four levels — certified, silver, gold and platinum.
A LEED designation indicates that a building meets certain conservation standards, using less energy and water and emitting fewer greenhouse gases. There are other certifications, but LEED is the most common and most familiar.
“Last year, we had the largest number of new LEED registrations in San Diego, at least since 2003,” Lis said.
The drive for ever-greener buildings can raise the cost of construction, but advocates say the cost of green building materials is coming down as more manufacturers enter the market, and the long-term cost of a green building is far lower.
“What we’re seeing is multiple manufacturers getting into the [green] industry because the technology has gone from emerging technology to commercial technology,” Victor said. “We just did a project where we did a cool roof, a reflective roof that reflects heat into the atmosphere.”
The green technology often doesn’t end when a building is finished.
“We’re using measuring and verification equipment to fully understand how the buildings are operating,” Victor said. “That allows us to see if there’s any waste factor.”
Because they use less energy and water over time, green buildings make economic sense, Bona said.
“Generally, construction is under 10 percent of the cost. The other 90 percent is really the lifetime maintenance and the serviceability and the price of replacing the mechanical systems and roofing systems,” Bona said. “We try to have products that might actually cost a little bit more from a first-cost basis, but in the life of the building, they don’t have to be replaced that often.”
Naslund said the push for ever-greener buildings is a market trend that is strengthening.
“It’s especially important among people who are younger and look to the future and say, ‘I would like [the environment] to still be viable for me when I get older,’” Naslund said.
- See more at: http://ourcitysd.com/neighborhoods/green-greener-greenest/#sthash.4KuMTd6M.dpuf

Wednesday, May 3, 2017

Synergy One lending, my preferred lender

From left: Sindie, myself, and Kaitlin with Synergy One lending


I had a great afternoon yesterday having a few meetings at my office. The Synergy One team presented at our office meeting and had inspiring information for the agents in regards to the charity work they are involved with.
They are my preferred lender and always get the job done and provide amazing service! What is even more amazing is that they are involved with non profits and make charitable donations in honor of the borrower to charities they have hand picked to work with. They have 2 programs which are 'Buy a Home, Save a Vet' and 'Buy a Home, Save a Child'. I look forward to continuing to work with them for many years to come and have the opportunity to donate to these causes!

Saturday, April 29, 2017

March on Washington for climate change

As an EcoBroker, I am very connected with what is going on with the environment and also any environment political actions. Everything has a trickle down effect to the housing market. Unfortunately with recent politicians, there have been various "rollbacks" to environmental protections and climate policies that President Obama put in place.

Today a Climate March took place in Washington DC, where 200,000+ people marched with signs to bring awareness to these pertinent issues. Coincidentally, the heat in Washington DC was uncharacteristically high at 91 degrees.



I strongly believe everyone needs to do their part in reducing their carbon footprint, such as reduce/reuse/recycle, and more policies need to come about to protect our land and resources. It's very unfortunate that the current president has weakened environmental protection agencies, it's groups like these that help to collect environmental data and regulate what's going on!

We only have 1 planet to live on, we must love and protect it.  πŸŒ

Link to a Washington Post article about the march is below:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/climate-march-expected-to-draw-massive-crowd-to-dc-in-sweltering-heat/2017/04/28/1bdf5e66-2c3a-11e7-b605-33413c691853_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-top-table-main_climatemarch-843am%3Ahomepage%2Fstory&utm_term=.074272d77722



Climate March draws massive crowd to D.C. in sweltering heat

 

On a sweltering April day, tens of thousands of demonstrators assembled in Washington on Saturday for the latest installment of the regular protests that punctuate the Trump era. This large-scale climate march marks President Trump’s first 100 days in office, which have already seen multiple rollbacks of environmental protections and Obama climate policies.
The Peoples Climate March, which originated with a massive demonstration in New York in September 2014, picked a symbolically striking day for its 2017 event. The temperature reached 91 degrees at D.C.’s National Airport at 2:59 p.m., tying a heat record for April 29 in the district set in 1974 — which only amplified the movement’s message.
On the eve of the march, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that it was beginning an overhaul of its website, which included taking down a long-standing site devoted to the science of climate change, which the agency said was “under review.”
“Hang on EPA, the midterms are coming. 2018,” read one sign carried by Kathy Sommer of Stony Brook, N.Y, as the protest assembled on the National Mall Saturday morning.
“There is no Planet B,” read another sign by Eva Gunther of Washington, D.C., displaying one of the most popular and oft repeated messages of the event (and of last week’s March for Science).
Hillary Clinton tweeted praise of the marchers Saturday afternoon, writing, “Great to see ppl take to the streets & combat climate change, protect the next generation & fight for jobs & economic justice.”
President Trump was not at the White House on Saturday, but instead was in Pennsylvania for a rally, and did not tweet any immediate reaction.
Many of the signs at Saturday’s climate march were dark and ominous, warning of climate catastrophe, dying oceans, crop destruction and planet degradation. But the mood of the marchers was anything but somber. Tens of thousands gathered all morning in the lush green National Mall in front of the U.S. Capitol carrying signs, singing and chanting as they prepared to march to the White House. It was a racially diverse crowd with marchers of all ages.
The marchers came prepared with water bottles, hats and sun screen. They also arrived with sunny dispositions. “It’s beautiful,” said Allison Dale, a geologist from Conshohocken, Pa. “it’s so well organized and everyone is really friendly and in a really good mood.”
Impromptu concerts broke out as protesters waited for the march to begin. A brass band played as a stiltwalker danced past. Tambourine shakers and drummers added to the joyful cacophony. Their reason for marching was serious but they were determined to have a good time too.
The climate event differs from last week’s March for Science in its focus and also its participants — only 1 out of 8 contingents of Saturday’s protest featured scientific researchers. The rest included labor activists, indigenous people already facing severe effects from climate change, and children and young people who will live with the effects of climate change longest as the Earth continues to warm.
But there’s plenty of overlap between the marches. Ken Hunter, 78, traveled from Charlestown, W.Va. for this morning’s march. He also came to Washington for the March for Science last weekend and the Tax March on April 15 — and attended a Women’s March in Florida.
“Hell, I haven’t marched this much in years,” Hunter said with a laugh. “But these are all very important issues and it was important to be out here.”
The motivation for the current climate march is clear: The young Trump administration already has moved to roll back former president Barack Obama’s signature climate initiative, the Clean Power Plan, and Trump and his team have taken many other actions to weaken environmental protections of air and water, and to enable fossil fuel exploitation on public lands and waters.
The administration is grappling with a major climate policy decision: whether to remain in the Paris climate agreement. Several of Trump’s Cabinet picks are advising against following through on his campaign pledge to “cancel” the accord.
It all adds up to a big contrast with the original People’s Climate March in 2014. That event was aimed at rallying support for climate change action and preceded by about a year the Paris climate agreement. This event is much more targeted at resisting rollbacks of climate efforts. Celebrity attendees include Leonardo DiCaprio, Al Gore and Richard Branson.
The focus on Trump was not necessarily intentional: In a press statement, Paul Getsos, national coordinator of the People’s Climate Movement, said the event was planned “before the election.”
For Ethan Fekete, Saturday’s climate march was the first protest he has taken part in.
“Ironically we march to get rid of our carbon footprint,” said the 13 year-old Virginia Beach resident who attended the march with his dad and a friend.
“It’s so much more than just a bunch of people walking around,” Fekete said. “The signs are so creative and everyone is here for a good cause.”
Marchers on Saturday gathered at the Capitol and marched along Pennsylvania Avenue. They covered the entire width of the avenue and its length from the Capitol to 14th Street. The crowd filled Pennsylvania Avenue and the sidewalks carrying signs decrying the president and his actions on the environment.
The marchers unleashed their anger as they passed directly in front of the Trump hotel where they booed loudly and chanted “Shame!”and “We want a leader, not a creepy tweeter!” and “we will not go away, welcome to your 100 days!”
As the march streamed toward the White House, Freedom Plaza, an open area along Pennsylvania Avenue, provided an off-ramp for sweltering protesters. At the far end of the plaza a series of six large water tanks awaited. Activists lined up to refill their bottles and, in a few cases, douse their heads.
Just before 3 p.m., temperatures at Washington, D.C.’s National Airport hit 91 degrees but the heat index was even higher at 95.
The protesters were vociferous but peaceful. Interactions with the phalanx of police officers who stood at barriers in front of the hotel were friendly, with many protesters stopping to get pictures of themselves with officers.
They planned to “surround” the White House, according to the march website, and “make a loud sound demanding climate justice and good jobs that will drown out all of the climate-denying nonsense that has been coming out of this Administration.”
At 15th Street, where the march began to turn north to begin the loop around the White House, the movement encountered a pro-life protester with a bullhorn. “Abortion is destroying human life,” he said.
The protesters sat on the concrete and began clapping as they steadily chanted, “My body, my choice.”
On the western side of the White House near the Old Executive Office Building, the march changed character as it completed a loop around the center of U.S. presidential power. Instead of being densely packed and full of energy, the protesters grew more widely spaced out and slower in their strides. Some took a detour behind the White House and paused to sit in the shade on the grass between the South Lawn and the Ellipse.
It was clear that the heat was taking its toll.
Organizers told the National Park Service that they expect 50,000 to 100,000 attendees. By late afternoon, they were claiming to have greatly exceeded that and reached 200,000. More than 375 satellite marches were planned around the United States and even more around the world, from Manila to Amsterdam.
Getting to the march proved frustrating for many who chose to use public transportation. Metro officials did not make changes to their planned maintenance schedule, which affected several downtown stations that would normally be used by riders headed to the National Mall. In some instances, shuttle buses replaced trains. Many marchers complained the service was slow and were confused about where to board shuttle buses.
“Classic #wmata greatness while there are major events going on at once,” tweeted on disgruntled rider who included a screenshot that showed a 37-minutes wait for a Shady Grove train.
Those who used the Red Line also ran into problems Saturday morning when smoke from an arcing insulator at the Woodley Park stop forced the agency to single-track trains between that station and Van Ness, causing midmorning delays. Those delays were in addition to previously planned single-tracking between two downtown stations, Judiciary Square and Farragut North. But officials said they planned to resume full Red Line service between Judiciary Square and Farragut North around 3 p.m. to accommodate people leaving the Climate March and those headed to the Capitals playoff game.
Even so, Metro officials said they did not anticipate significant problems.
“We believe that planned service will be more than adequate to accommodate ridership demand,” said Richard L. Jordan, a Metro spokesman.
Apart from tying an all time heat record for April 29, this month is the warmest April on record for the District.


Tuesday, April 25, 2017

Earth Day

Earth Day was Saturday! 🌿 What a beautiful day to send extra love and appreciation for Mother Earth and all her resources. What did you do to celebrate?  (I was at a wedding! ;) 

Here is a list of 9 things you can do on Earth day, or any day:
  1. Take a Hike
  2. Get Involved in a Community Garden
  3. Do a Home Energy Audit
  4. Clean Out Your Closet and Donate to a Charity
  5. Write a Letter to Your Government Representative
  6. Plant a Tree
  7. Volunteer for an Environmental Charity
  8. Throw a Green Party
  9. Go Vegan or Vegetarian for the Day



Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Solar energy on the rise


I found this article on USA today in regards to energy sources and solar power. I'm thrilled California is setting this example for utilizing natural energy, and that the industry is continuing to grow!

Wholesale energy prices dip below zero because of California’s solar power


USA TODAY NETWORK, USA TODAY9:52 a.m. ET April 11, 2017

Solar power shines bright in California, and wholesale energy prices prove it.
Last winter and early spring’s dependence on solar drove wholesale energy prices to negative prices, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
Solar power in the California Independent System Operator accounted for nearly 40% of net grid power for three hours on March 11, 2017, the administration reports —a major first.
These figures don’t translate for the consumer into retail prices, which are based on averages. But the move will likely cause energy companies to pay more attention to green energy options.
Solar represented 13% of California’s power last year, according to the administration.
America's solar industry now employs more than a quarter of a million people after a breakneck year that saw employment grow by a record 25%. That growth is expected to continue into 2017 as low-cost solar panels nudge coal and natural gas out of the electricity marketplace.
California led the country with 100,050 solar jobs in 2016, according the nonprofit Solar Foundation. That was up from about 75,600 solar jobs in 2015. The nation's solar workforce grew from 209,000 in 2015 to more than 260,000 last year, the fastest growth the Solar Foundation has seen in the seven years it's published such data.
"The solar industry currently has more (U.S.) workers than Apple, Google, Facebook and Amazon combined," said Andrea Luecke, the Solar Foundation's executive director.
Others around the nation are taking note of solar’s successes, too. Solar panels are showing up in the most unlikely places, even atop the Kentucky Coal Museum.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Millenial Influence on real estate

I came across this article in the "Our City San Diego" website (www.ourcitysd.com), I found it interesting to read about the future of design for the home and office. With technology and the need to always "stay connected", I agree it a challenge at times to distinguish the lines between work, home, and play. Having a comfortable and accessible space is important no matter where you are!
~T


Designing for millennials


By Jennifer McEntee

Craft beer taps and espresso machines. Badminton courts and outdoor movie screens. Futuristic seating and strong Wi-Fi signals.
These might sound like amenities at your favorite hipster nightspot. But, they’re also some of the fun elements being incorporated into San Diego’s newer office and residential spaces. The target audience: millennials, a generation that grew up with the internet and doesn’t mind blurring the lines between work, home and play.
Paul Basile of Basile Studio designs both office and residential spaces with an eye toward millennials. Basile is in his mid-40s, so he doesn’t identify as a millennial himself, but he says most of his staff fits within this younger demographic. While trying to figure out what makes them tick, he’s had some revelations.
“They’re not motivated by money,” Basile said. “I’ve learned it’s more about quality of life. It’s working together, not hierarchies and labels.”
Flexible hours and workspaces let millennials feel equally able to play or work, whether at home or at the office. 
“The whole point of these creative offices is the employees don’t want to go home,” Basile said, explaining that the typical workday can often land anywhere between 6 a.m. and midnight. “They have that freedom if they just get the job done.”
Millennials are most often defined as those born after 1980, so called because they were the first generation to come of age in the new millennium. According to the Pew Research Center, millennials have recently surpassed baby boomers as the nation’s largest living generation. It’s a generation that appreciates innovation. Millennials are 2.5 times more likely to be early adopters of new technology than those of other generations, according to FutureCast’s millennial marketing research arm. 
When the digital marketing company Underground Elephant wanted to set up shop on J Street in East Village, it called on Basile to design a space that would attract top young talent. The Google-esque office includes flexible workstations, a “whiskey bunker” for private meetings, a pool hall, a full in-house Ballast Point bar and a conversation pit for brainstorming sessions.

“There are a lot of firms doing game rooms, with pool tables and bars,” Basile said. “Our concept was to make it comfortable. It has that playfulness, while it can be a home away from home.”
Basile Studio has been called upon by Alliance Residential Co. to design the common areas for Broadstone Makers Quarter, a 269-unit apartment complex that is the residential anchor for the Makers Quarter mixed-use project at 16th Street and Broadway. 
Basile is taking the project’s common areas beyond the gym and outdoor grill amenities typical of apartment living. In keeping with the “makers” concept, Basile is designing for Broadstone Makers Quarter a 3-D printing room, a recording studio, a commercial kitchen and a community garden. Basile suspects his industrial-style projects appeal to millennials because they’re a generation that appreciates handmade details.
“It’s more about the craftsmanship,” he said.

Research indicates that millennials are driving the “gig economy,” with entrepreneurs and freelancers eschewing 9-to-5 jobs and staid cubicles in favor of project-based work that lets them work from anywhere. To that end, downtown San Diego has a growing number of co-working office facilities, including Downtown Works, Desk Hub, The Vine and the latest, WeWork’s new six-floor location on B Street. The 88,000-square-foot space could eventually support 1,700 workers who prefer the flexibility of renting a community-like workspace on a monthly basis.
Jesse Lyons, business development manager for Murfey Construction, said his team took into account the more flexible work styles of the younger generation when designing the residential and commercial construction company’s new Hancock Street headquarters. The 2,400-square-foot converted warehouse has an open floor plan with flexible workstations and collaborative workspace for reading plans and hosting small meetings.
Murfey Construction made sure its intranet was fast and cloud-based, its sound system was optimized for digital music services such as Pandora, and its common areas were stocked with creature comforts, including snacks, an espresso machine and beers on tap.
“We designed for keeping folks happy and motivated. We get more work out of them this way,” Lyons said. “Late nights happen sometimes.”

Lyons has had a window into how millennials like to live through Murfey’s mixed-use projects. He said they want more than nice apartment finishes and cool communal spaces. They want to be close to public transit and bike lanes and within walking distance of restaurants and gyms.
“It comes down to placement,” he said. “Millennials want to walk to things. They don’t want an acre in the suburbs.”
Bre’an Fox, president of San Diego-based commercial office design firm FS Design Group, said millennials are forcing designers to think differently about design elements such as storage, seating and transitional spaces. For instance, millennials who bike to work want a secure place to store their bicycles, but they don’t need a lot of paper storage such as file cabinets because so much of their work is online. Adjustable standing desks are gaining popularity, as are conference rooms that foster impromptu collaboration, Fox said.
“You might have a room where the walls are all writable surfaces, or where you can pin up ideas,” she said.

Today’s millennial-driven companies want internet connectivity indoors and out, and shared spaces that promote collaboration, fitness and entertainment, Fox said. Sometimes that means space to throw a football; sometimes it means an outdoor movie screen.
While modern-day workspaces bear a strong resemblance to the wide-open, freewheeling spaces Fox designed for companies such as Sony during the late-1990s dot-com boom, Fox said millennials have added a layer of practicality. Yes, they want open, collaborative workspaces, but they also want more private space for “heads-down concentration time” and undisturbed phone calls, even if it’s just a semi-enclosed lounge chair, she said.
“To take a phone call, sometimes it’s more private in a hallway than inside an office,” Fox said. “We encourage clients to incorporate a few niches and nooks in the common areas to have a quick call.”
Millennials are also starting to consider what the design of their spaces means for work-life balance, and even if mixing business with pleasure meshes with their corporate culture, she said.
“What’s happened is our technology and our connectivity has made it so you really don’t take a break. If you don’t work more hours, at least you work more unusual hours,” she said. “We have to make choices about work-life balance, so now what we’re trying to do is design spaces that consider what is the culture of the company. It’s fine to have spaces with cool amenities, but if their culture says it isn’t the kind to use them, it’s a waste.”
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