Archive for the ‘going green’ Category
A Green Fix for the Current Real Estate Mess
More than 150 years ago, America’s greatest landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, created Central Park and changed New York forever. He went on to transform dozens more cities, leaving a priceless legacy of vibrant, beautiful cityscapes. And, in the process, he increased property values.
Olmsted discovered this himself when he tracked the value of land around Central Park and found that the city’s $13 million investment had led to an astounding $209 million increase in just 17 years. The architect recognized what many planners still fail to grasp: Parks and managed green space are vital pieces of urban infrastructure that not only improve the quality of life for millions of people but also drive economic growth.
Today we must act again to transform our cities. The commercial real estate binge of the past decade and the growth of online shopping as an alternative to brick-and-mortar stores have left more than 200,000 acres of vacant retail, office and industrial space. Residential real estate is a massive problem as well. Distressed properties are a drag on our communities and the economy, and threaten to topple even more banks that hold mortgages on these “toxic assets.” We need to move these toxic assets off the banks’ books, reduce the surplus of commercial space and create jobs, all while revitalizing our cities. This brings us back to Olmsted.
Olmsted designed transformative parks, campuses and greenways; his firm completed an amazing 6,000 commissions and launched a green wave across 19th-century America. The same kind of wave could help resolve the 21st-century real estate mess. We don’t have the luxury of vacant land that Olmsted often started with, so we must bulldoze underperforming and underused property, put people to work creating parks on some of the land and “bank” the rest until the economy recovers.
Beginning with Atlanta, Georgia Tech is researching what is needed to accomplish this in 12 major cities. The project is known as Red Fields to Green Fields. Under this plan, some of the abandoned or underutilized property would be acquired by a parks agency or by public-private partnerships, which would then begin demolition, park design and construction, putting people to work immediately. More jobs would come as the improved areas attracted development.
This would not be the first time that property has been bulldozed for economic gain. The railroads, which had many miles of underused track to maintain, pulled up 55 percent of their tracks in the past 60 years to increase profitability, enabling the creation of 19,000 linear miles of “rails-to-trails” parks.
Pittsburgh, realizing that the steel industry was never coming back, tore down riverfront steel mills and replaced them with an attractive mix of parks and office space. In Michigan, Flint and Detroit are finding ways to “bank” land as open space. The banking system and the federal government could play an important role in this effort. Rather than backstop bad real estate paper, the Federal Reserve, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC) and the Treasury Department could help finance the acquisition of excess commercial real estate through a land bank fund.
Instead of buying mortgage-backed securities, why couldn’t the Fed buy excess developed real estate to be held as green space through “land-backed securities”? Why couldn’t the FDIC give some of the useless properties it obtains through bank closures to land banks or nonprofit organizations? With the right financing structure, philanthropic entrepreneurs could use leverage to remake America just as some of our bad developers used easy bank financing to help create the excesses.
Acquisition money could also come from expanding tax incentives that encourage banks and landlords to donate land and encourage wealthy individuals and corporations to buy conservation tax credits. Georgia Tech’s analysis has also shown that the money needed for a nationwide program would be a tiny fraction of current real estate support programs, such as the Fed’s “quantitative easing” or its recent purchase of $1.5 trillion in mortgages.
The 2009 stimulus package did much to protect jobs but little to stimulate the economy with transformational investments. Converting underused commercial real estate to green space and “banked” land would be transformational. It would create jobs, strengthen the banking system to encourage lending and stabilize property values so that real estate owners would be ready to spend again. Most important, lush new parks would enhance neighborhoods across the country.
Michael G. Messner is a Wall Street investment fund manager. He and his wife, Jenny, funded the documentary “The Olmsted Legacy,” which is airing on PBS, and are funding the Red Fields to Green Fields research at Georgia Tech.
Why6Percent.com thinks that Mr Olmstead and Mr. Messner may be on to something here. We will follow this topic and update you with further developments.
Bed Bugs Found Hidden in New Clothing
Subj: Bed Bug Epidemic
A bit of information that you might like to know about. We have friends here in our community, and one of their sons is an entomologist (insect expert), who has been telling them that there is an epidemic of bed bugs occuring in America. Recently I have heard on the news that several stores in NYC have had to close due to bed bug problems, as well as a complete mall in New Jersey.
He says that since much of our clothing, sheets, towels, etc. now comes from companies outside of America, (sad but true), even the most expensive stores sell foreign clothing from China, Indonesia, etc. The bed bugs are coming in on the clothing as these countries do not consider them a problem. He recommends that if you buy any new clothing, even underware and socks, sheets, towels, etc. that you bring them into the house and put them in your clothes dryer for at least 20 minutes. The heat will kill them and their eggs. DO NOT PURCHASE CLOTHES AND HANG THEM IN THE CLOSET FIRST. It does not matter what the price range is of the clothing, or if the outfit comes from the most expensive store known in the U.S. They still get shipments from these countries and the bugs can come in a box of scarves or anything else for that matter. That is the reason why so many stores, many of them clothing stores have had to shut down in NYC and other places. All you need is to bring one item into the house that has bugs or eggs and you will go to hell and back trying to get rid of them.
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Provide Instant Security with this New, Wireless LED Porch Light
A great new product from Fulcrum Products that provides security lighting where you need it, without hardwiring. The attractive security light installs in minutes using only a screwdriver and the included hardware. Anyone can do it…even me.
Product Description:
Brighten a dim porch, carport, childrens play area, stairwell or garage without needing to flip a light switch with this unobtrusive motion sensor LED porch light from Fulcrum Products. Upon detecting movement within a 100-degree angle and a 25-foot range, the 6-volt light switches on and stays illuminated until the sensor detects no motion for a solid 30 seconds. The six LED panel rotates to enable its cool blue light to illuminate the darkest areas. During the daytime, the sensor light’s photo cells prevent the light activation. The porch light is weather-proof for inclement weather. Easy to install, the light requires no hardwiring and comes with necessary mounting hardware. Four separately purchased C batteries are needed to power the light. The porch light measures 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 by 5-1/2 inches and weighs 1 pound.
The LED light bulbs will last for 100,000 hours and the 4 “C” type batteries last up to a year. The product retails for around $25. Brighten up your world today.
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What Fickle Home Buyers Want…Today
Homebuyers are a fickle bunch. Thousands recently weighed in on everything from the macro (such as access to nearby parks) to the micro (walk-in closets). Five things to know about what real estate consumers want — or want less than they used to:
1. The elaborate clubhouse that is a fixture in many subdivisions has lost its appeal, as have community association-run swimming pools, health clubs and golf courses, said Cardis, who reports that consumers think of these things as “tradable” items — they’re basically indifferent to whether these amenities come with the deal.
“I think that’s all economically driven,” he said. “If you were to do a survey of homeowner-association fee increases in the past 24 months, there would be a high percentage that have shortfalls and are raising their fees by significant amounts, sometimes doubling them.”
One neighborhood amenity, though, that scored high desirability in the study: walking paths.
2. Green is good — and getting better.
“I was very surprised,” Cardis said. “I had been hearing that green (home features) aren’t quite here yet, that people aren’t willing to pay for them. But frankly, I was stunned by the increase in demand. This is our fourth year (of this particular study), and we’re seeing an increase every year.
“The magnitude of desire (for environmentally friendly home features) is high, considered a must in some categories,” he said.
Among the consumer-described environmental “must haves”: energy-efficient windows, appliances and insulation. “Desirable” features included recycled building materials, “green” flooring, and tankless water heaters that consume less energy by heating water on demand.
3. Kitchens haven’t lost an iota of importance to buyers, Cardis said. In particular, consumers voiced a preference for “big” kitchens, though it’s not clear how big is “big.”
“I think that’s the biggest limitation of the study, that the perception of what is large or energy-efficient isn’t defined, and we’re planning to do more on that,” he said. “But they do want a sizeable kitchen, relative to the house, and that’s the important takeaway, rather than (consumers saying), ‘Not really, I don’t need that.’ ”
But within that kitchen, it had better have a freestanding island — 41 percent called it a “must” and 38 percent said they really wanted one.
4. Consumer tastes are changing on how they’d prefer to bathe, Cardis said.
“Whirlpool baths are something they’re definitely ready to let go of,” he said. “They put them in and (the tubs just) sit. People use them once every two years.”
Instead, plain old soaker tubs in the master bath got a warm response in the survey, though the greater preference now is for oversized showers with seating, he said.
5. Other “outs” or borderline interests: home theaters, traditional living rooms and dining rooms, mud rooms, hobby/game rooms.
“Musts” or at least, objects of strong desirability: granite countertops, home-office space, fireplace, two-car garage.
Article written by Dian Hymer of Inman News.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Our $299 “List Until Sold” marketing program reaches 10 million home buyers a month. Serious homesellers should visit our website to learn more about this unique marketing opportunity.
5 Fun and Easy Projects for Earthday!
In celebration of Earth Day, Why6Percent.com offers 5 fun and easy idea’s that perserve our environment and better the wonderful planet we all live on!!
Plant a Tree. As the date also roughly coincides with U.S. Arbor Day, over time Earth Day has taken on the role of tree-planting. Planting trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, cleans pollution, secures soil in place to prevent erosion, and provides homes for a lot of biodiversity.
Build or Put up a Birdhouse. Get together with your family and build a birdhouse or make a bird feeder to encourage the local bird population, which plays an important role in every ecosystem. Use objects that would’ve otherwise been thrown away to create beautiful works of art…Here, the possibilities are endless…
Reduce, reuse and recycle all day long. Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Support local growers and producers of food and products – these don’t have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Take your drink container with you, and don’t use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use. Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags.
Get children to recycle their old toys and games. By giving their old toys and games to younger children who could make use of them, older children learn two lessons: One is about giving to others and the second is about reusing and recycling instead of throwing things away. Adults can also do this with clothes, electrical items, books and more. Learn about product exchange communities like Freecycle and other alternatives.
Pick up the Trash. Rid litter from our roadways. Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean-up day. Many companies donate gloves and bags for clean-up groups and villages organize bag pick ups. Once the group has collected the trash and placed the recycled bags along the road, get the village public works department to pick the bags up. It’s a wonderful community project. Great for scout troops, rotary clubs and the like.
Why6Percent.com would like to remind our readers that every day is Earth Day. We are doing our part to improve the planet and we encourage you to do the same. Every effort makes a Big Difference! and a big thank you to Wikipedia for this information contained in this article.
Landscape Affects Buyer’s Moods and Home Sales
Most home buyers believe they should focus on the interior features of houses more than the landscape, but the truth is, that buyers will not get out of the car if the front landscape lacks interest and upkeep. The landscape and curb appeal should arouse the buyer’s interest and lure them inside to view the interior.
To get the highest return on your landscape dollar, utilize the principles found in Landscape Design Psychology. Landscape Psychology is based upon scientific research into the effects that the landscape has on home buyers. These proven idea’s will help your home sell faster, and for more money, by working on buyer emotions and senses.
The Power of Color
Coordinate the colors of your flowering foliage. Consider your selling season and plant flowers that perform well during that period. Use plants that support your atmosphere and climate. Also, use no more than 3 colors to give continuity and form to your landscape.
Colors also have psychological power. Green suggests freshness, coolness and vitality. White shows up at night and conjures feelings of cleanliness. Yellow is the first color our eye processes, so a spot of yellow by the front door will draw the eye to your entrance. Red, yellow and Orange are all Hot colors, which excite and pick up the mood of any weary house hunter.
About.com: Landscape is a great website for the average homeowner. The site provides idea’s and advice from professionals including a plant selector, great photographs, color scheme screener, DIY tutorials and helpful tips about hedges, fences, sidewalks, lawns and more.
Another great resource for help in creating an outdoor paradise can be found at HGTV.
The Power of Smell
Realtors advise sellers to bake cookies or burn vanilla candles before showings or Open Houses because a comforting and pleasant aroma has the power to influence minds and moods.
In addition to color psychology, smart home owners give thought to the use of scents when planting a landscape. They take advantage of the power of smell, especially near pathways and entry doors, that provoke a desired emotional response.
A few inexpensive and easy to grow suggestions that add a touch of scent to any landscape include lemon scented geraniums, jasmine, rosemary, lavender, basil, roses, hostas, honeysuckle, gardenia or heliotrope. In addition to providing months of enjoyment, many of these plants perform in a vareity of places such window boxes, planters, planting beds, hanging baskets or pathways.
When it comes to selling homes, a smart psychology landscape design can give you a huge advantage over your competition. If buyers feel good while they look at your home, it is more likely to sell quickly and for top dollar.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Our clients are receiving more buyer traffic and higher offers than we have seen in the last 2 years. If you aren’t listed on the MLS, Realtor.com and major real estate sites, you are missing 10 MILLION buyers who are searching for a home every month. Call us at 1-800-381-9496 for help in marketing your home!
Uncle Sam Pays the Tab for New Windows
Does a cold draft blow around your head while you relax in your easy chair? Does the sound of actual street noise drown out the sound of the NASCAR race on TV? If you answered “Yes” to either question…it might be time to replace those old, drafty, ugly, noisy, single paned, aluminum frame windows with some good looking, energy efficient ones.
Why Replacing Your Windows Pays Off…
- New windows improve the curb appeal and increase the value of any home.
- Buyers pay up for new windows. Numerous studies show that home sellers recoop 90+ percent of the costs for window replacement at the time of sale.
- Homeowners realize the energy savings immediately, while increasing comfort.
- Energy efficient windows are a Green home selling feature.
- New models of windows are easy to clean and maintain.
- Improve your view. New glass is so clear it’s just like looking through… nothing at all.
- Maybe Best of All…Uncle Sam Pays for It. The government will pay 30 percent of the cost (up to $1500) to replace the windows in your home through December 31, 2010. And, don’t forget to check out the additional rebates and savings on windows that are being offered in most states, cities and townships.
Tip for a Tight Budget
- Just replace some of the windows. Choose the ones on the front of the home, because they improve the curb appeal. Or, replace the windows that get hammered by the most weather, be it sun, rain, snow or wind.
- Or, Roll the Dice…and, maximize the tax credit by replacing half of the windows in 2010. Then, gamble on an extension of the credit into 2011 and replace the other half.
- Uncle Sam picks up a Third of your bill and smile (:
Practical Advice About Window Replacement
- Use a company that carries a wide range of window brands. Make sure they use their own employee’s (not subcontractors) to do the installation.
- Profit from the Housing Crash. Be a hard negotiator and get at least 3 quotes. You can save Big on labor and materials because the housing market is slow.
- Replacing windows is a big, messy job. Cover up anything important such as electronics and furniture. Sawing and Ripping out windows is dirty business, no matter how good the installer.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. We have a program for home sellers that offers the MLS, Realtor.com and advertisement on dozens of real estate listing posts for one cheap price…and the seller keeps the commission. Call 1-800-381-9496 or visit http://www.why6percent.com today for the details. You will be happy that you did!!!
Free Cash & Reduced Costs for Home Improvements
Now is a great time to make home improvements, repairs or take care of past due maintenance. If you are selling your home, improvements will certainly make your home sell faster and for more money. If you’re not selling a home, rebates, lower material and labor costs, and cheap financing provide perfect timing for sprucing up your residence.
Through 2010, homeowners who install energy efficient windows, insulation, roofs, doors or heating and air systems can apply for a 30 percent (up to $1500) tax credit for each product they purchase.
Even better….homeowners can receive a 30 percent tax credit through 2016 (with no spending limits) when they purchase green, energy saving products such as solar systems, geothermal heating pumps, small wind systems, residential fuel cells or micro turbines. For complete details, visit the Energy Stars Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency website.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. Advertise your home on the MLS, Realtor.com, Google, MSN, Zillow and most major search engines for real estate for 6 months for only $399. Why Pay 6 Percent??????
Vacant Homes, Swimming Pools and Pleco Fish
Health Alert: Number of Stagnant Swimming Pools Increase.
Stagnant, abandoned swimming pools pose a risk to the health and life of adults, children and pets, alike. And, lenders who own these properties have been unable or unwilling to maintain the swimming pools in area’s where families live.
If you live near a dangerous, smelly, abandoned pool, you may want to try a natural, green method to remove the stench, algae and scum. In addition, this method is FREE and Bonus…it eats the insects and small rodents that may reside in the swamp next door to you.
What is this Miracle Solution for Pool Cleaning??
Enter the common, humble, pre-historic Pleco Fish. Throw a few of these into the abandoned swimming pool or spa next door, and let them do the job nature intended for them to do. To Read More About Using Pleco Fish to Clean Up Stagnant Water, CLICK HERE!!
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent.com. If you have a property to sell, we have a turnkey marketing program that reaches 10 million home buyers each month for 6 months. The price, a little more than a one-time classified ad in a newspaper that no one reads. Call us today at 1-800-381-9496. We have helped thousands of sellers and we can help you, too!! 
Thomas Edison’s Light Bulb is Banned
As part of the Clean Energy Bill passed in 2007, the incandescent light bulb, we all know and love will be no more in the U.S.
To read about the pro’s, con’s, pluses and minuses of this huge change, CLICK HERE.
Thank you for visiting Why6Percent. We have a bright idea for putting sellers and buyers together. Visit our website to find out how our “by owners” reach 10 million home shoppers each month.