Thinking about going solar?

With energy costs on the rise and an increasing awareness of environmentally friendly products and technology, solar systems are becoming a worthwhile investment, especially since there are rebates available to help offset the cost.

The technology is now more efficient (depending on the system, it is possible to sell surplus energy to your utility company) & incredibly streamlined with low profile roof lines which nicely incorporate solar roof tiles.

Doesn't that look more appealing than the solar systems of the 70's which not only had young technology issues but were eyesores, with bulky tanks and huge elevated panels?

It's exciting that eco-friendly products have made so many advances in the last several years, combining functionality with aesthetics with social responsibility.

An excerpt from California Association of Realtors:

The California Solar Initiative "Go Solar, California!" has established the goal of creating 3,000 megawatts of new solar-powered electricity by 2017, or enough to power 1 million homes. This program will allocate $3.3 billion to businesses, homeowners, and builders who qualify for rebates and incentives if they install solar systems on their homes or commercial buildings. The California Energy Commission funds solar electricity systems on new homes; the California Public Utilities Commission funds solar electricity systems on existing businesses and homes.

For more information, visit http://www.gosolarcalifornia.ca.gov/.

http://www.recycleworks.org/greenbuilding/gbg_renewable_power.html

As with any home improvement project, I always recommend getting 2-3 estimates as well as doing a bit of homework on the various options available. There are several companies in the Bay Area who specialize in installing solar systems.

It's definitely on my to do list.

Cool Finds!!!

It was a good week for great finds!! This fabulous cabinet is from Craigslist-purchased at a reasonable & negotiated $500. It was missing a piece of glass in one of the doors which was fairly easy to replace, especially since I recruited my father-in-law's expertise.

Meanwhile, the space between the two sconces needed "something". A bit of research on Apartment Therapy brought us to Timeless Treasures in S.F. This is a great store which has a little bit of everything ranging from vintage finds to stationary to candles and soap. It took a solid hour to sort through the various letters & come up with the right combination of size, font, and color. The staff gal was sooooo patient with us, climbing up and down the ladder a few times to pull letters off the wall.

At last, we had the right combination after arranging 30+ letters.

A final stop to the S.F. Flower Mart rounded out the day where we found two fern embossed ceramic vases in the A & C style for a reasonable $13 & $16.

We're enjoying our transformed dining room!!

Cute Burlingame Rental

New Rental!!!! This is an adorable 2 bedroom, 1 bath home for rent in highly desirable Burlingame.

Features include:

Freshly painted exterior and interior in a warm, neutral palette.
Eat-in kitchen w/ gas stove
living room w/ fireplace
washer & dryer off kitchen
large, sunny yard (rent includes gardener for the front yard)
1 car garage & extra long driveway for additional parking

Garage has adjacent work shop & storage shed.

Walk to Burlingame Avenue for shopping and dining. Easy access to freeway 101; a short commute to San Francisco or San Jose.

One-year lease, first months rent, security deposit equal to a months rent, and clear credit report to move in.

Suggested rent: $2,500/month

Batter Blaster -A great way to start your Day!

Batter Blaster is my new, favorite product. What a great idea!! Pancake mix in a can. It's also organic and not terribly fattening (that is in it's pre-butter and maple syrup form).

For those days that you don't want to muss up the kitchen making pancake batter from scratch and/or don't have the time, Batter Blaster is the perfect solution. It can also be cooked up in a waffle iron. Heat up the griddle add a touch of oil and voila, a delicious breakfast in moments.

As for taste, I think it's darned good. Per the website, it looks like the creator (a San Franciscan who had trouble getting his product launched) is working on flavored batters.

You can find Batter Blaster at Mollie Stones, Whole Foods and now at Costco for serious stocking up.

Enjoy!

Build It Green

Are you thinking about making improvements to your home? Perhaps, you have a smallish project such as a bath or kitchen remodel?

Or, if you have an 80+ year old home like mine which has had minimal updating, a full face lift may be in order-then it's a matter of deciding whether to go the piece meal, room by room approach which may be more expensive in the long run but more economically feasible in the short run vs. the full on move into a rental to implement a complete top to bottom remodel.

Either way, spend the time up front to determine what products and finishes you want to incorporate into your project & come up with a master plan (which is subject to change as you move through your projects and as you live in your home using the existing space).

Research, research, research!!! The more informed you are about the project and what final result you'd like, the easier it will be to communicate your goals to your general contractor & designer. Your homework will result in a project that should be finished on time and with minimal surprises. Nothing adds up to project overages & delays more quickly than job changes after a project has started.

If you want to incorporate elements of green design & energy efficiency, seek out a professional who has experience in this field which is becoming more mainstream and in demand. Build It Green has a resource list of certified professionals.

A great store for environmentally friendly products is:
Eco Design Resources. Additional green resources can be found at my website under the "Bower Power Team" link.

There is also a plethora of design & renovation books available. A few of my favorites are: The Kitchen Idea Book, Good House Parts, & The Not So Big House.

If you have any concerns about over improving for your neighborhood or making the design too personalized or unique, consult with your Realtor for a second opinion on resale value & marketability. This becomes even more important if you are thinking of making a potential move within 3-5 years after project completion.

Is a Paperless Real Estate Transaction Possible?

It's unfortunate that in our electronic age we actually use more paper now than ever. Our paper consumption has apparently doubled in the last 10 years.

One industry where there is tremendous paper use is the real estate industry. For example, condo sales (which are usually the most paper intensive sale due to the 2-3 inch thick HOA documents) can have a range of 300-500 pages in a disclosure packet. Multiply that by the number of hard copies that go out to agents & potential buyers and we're talking several dozen pounds of paper!!

It doesn't have to be this way. The industry is slowly transitioning over to less paper intensive methods including online disclosures and various levels of a paperless transaction.

Online disclosures are great since they can be emailed to clients. These pdf files also make it easier to locate specific items of interest through a key word search. I rarely print disclosures, but rather read through them online with my clients who then electronically sign that they've read and approved specific documents. I then organize my files on my hard drive within a client folder. I also have two off- site back up systems since computers will and do crash.

Through the technology that I work with: electronic signature, efax, and pdf'ing of documents, clients are able to read and sign the numerous documents & reports associated with a purchase or sale with minimal interruptions to their work and/or travel schedule. There is also a higher level of security due to password protection and not having to schlep around pounds of sensitive documents which have the potential to be misplaced. Lastly, there is the piece of mind in knowing that I'm playing a small part in reducing paper usage.

The paperless transaction is also moving into the escrow & lending segments of a transaction.

Of course, all this great technology can't be utilized by the rare individuals who don't have a computer, then it's back to the traditional methods of hard copies.

Here are a few more tips on going paperless.

Make it a great electronic day!

Higher Conforming Loan Limits in the Works!

It was promising news last week with President Bush signing the new economic package. A feature of the package includes raising the conforming loan limits to $729,750 which would more accurately reflect the cost of housing in California. Currently, conforming loans are at $417,000 which doesn't benefit many Bay Area buyers when our median home prices range from the high $700's to low $800's.

Therefore, most buyers are forced into more expensive non-conforming jumbo loans, decreasing homeownership opportunities for many. Jumbo loans carry ~1% higher interest rate then conforming loans. The new limits will also provide some home owners new opportunities to get into a lower interest rate loan, thereby lowering their monthly payments.

It may not be until late spring when Freddie Mac & Fannie Mae have their systems in place to start processing applications under the new loan limits. Meanwhile, there are buying opportunities out there depending on price point and location. There are also some lenders who are charging no pre-payment penalties or fees to refinance into a new conforming loan if a buyer is currently in the process of making a purchase. Feel free to contact me if you'd like a referral to a loan consultant.