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