The Bay Area is blessed with year-round temperate weather, but it does get pretty hot here; especially during the summer. The hotter weather comes at a price as we crank up the air conditioning to get a break from the heat. While high electric bills are expected between June and September, it doesn’t have to be the rule! Here’s how you can save energy (and som...
The 3rd party rating for green at Redwood Gate by Build It Green are coming in at 106 GreenPoints!* Energy efficient and environmental friendly is one of the most important features of homes at Redwood Gate.  To qualify for GreenPoints, builder needs to build homes at least 15% above the already high California energy efficient code.  Tha...
Oh, the beauty and promise of Spring. There is of course a price to pay for the beauty and promise of Spring. Household maintenance and cleaning that is. After all, who wants to look through your kitchen window to enjoy the crocus and tulips in bloom only to see dirt, grime and bug carcass laden glass? (more…)......
With Winter in full effect, now is a good time for homeowners who have lived in their newly constructed home to make sure their home is prepared for the season. Regular home maintenance prevents future damage and maintains proper operation of your home. (more…)......
The weather has certainly been hard to miss this week and with the lows reaching the low 30s (yes that’s Fahrenheit, not Celsius). We’re shocked at this cold spell and the snow that we’ve seen in the surrounding local mountains. It has looked a bit like driving to Tahoe on the drive to our San Ramon office this week. Today ...
Okay, so we never did get around to Spring cleaning, so we figured better late than never especially before holiday decorations go up. Last week I cleaned the dryer vent – boy what a difference in how fast our clothes dry. I guess that’s what they are saying when they say keep your dryer vent clean to maximize energy efficiency. You can ...
The Wall Street Journal 2009 Technology Innovation Awards article got me thinking with everything from paper-thin flexibile speakers to small, lightweight fuel cells to EcoRock (a drywall substitute), there is a lot of innovation happening in technology to make our lives easier and more environmentally friendly. For homes, we're hearing about solar technology ...
Here's this week's real estate news in six lines or less... hope you enjoy. SF bay area foreclosure activity is dropping, in fact, 10% fewer foreclosures are on the market. However, not all US cities are so lucky…Florida’s media home price is at $144,000, and is predicted to hit bottom still. In other news, going green gains momentum as prices for a new ...
Have you ever noticed how on the ABC network show LOST, things seem to be going well, when all of a sudden Hurley finds the metal spaceship underground and becomes obsessed, Kate has debilitating flashbacks of her previous life, and Sayid gets caught in a primitive leg trap hanging upside down from a tree; all these things are interesting and captivating, but none of ...
Green is HOT! Green is all the rage right now. Most builders are using Energy Star certified appliances and some builders (like yours truly), have Build it Green and USGBC certified communities. One way SummerHill is going green this year is by switching some of our communities from Copper plumbing to PEX. (more…)......