About Anaheim Hills' Nohl Ranch

Is There Enough Wind in Anaheim Hills To Get a Windmill? I think there is enough wind in Anaheim Hills to seriously consider it. As a matter of fact, I wrote a blog post about going green at my new home in Anaheim Hills last summer. I am even more motivated to do that now that I am listing the greenest home I have ever seen in Anaheim Hills. It's coming onto the market in June 2010 and you know I am excited about it because I already told you about the incredible photovoltaic solar system that makes the electrical meter run backwards!

I have lived in Anaheim Hills for almost two years now and I remain convinced that we always have at least a gentle breeze, especially later in the day. I'm told it is because of the warm weather of the desert and the cool weather of the Pacific Ocean reacting to each other across Anaheim Hills where we jut into the air over Orange County.

I am fortunate to have inherited radiant solar panels on the roof that do a very nice job of warming the pool. They were in disrepair, but my brother Bob spent a weekend on the roof and got them up and running. He works for the water utility in Arizona, so I have my own expert I can call on!

I want to add photovoltaic panels to the house. I want my meter to virtually stop or even run backwards. I want to give back to the grid too! Anaheim already has the lowest electrical rates anywhere in the area; perhaps someday enough of us will be giving back to the grid that they will get even lower.

I would put a small windmill in the corner of my yard in a heartbeat if it could provide power. That would be a great feeling! It would be even better in the RV parking area because I don't think Bonnie is going to let me get an RV anytime soon! I am going to take advantage of the government assistance and tax incentives to get this home at least as green as my last home. I know there are city, state and U.S. Government assistance programs that are easy to find with a Google Search, so I won't insult anyone's intelligence by listing them here. There are also great tax incentives.

Do you know someone that has a windmill? Would they recommend it to their neighbor? I found residential windmills, also called wind turbines, when I searched the Internet, but I'd rather talk to a homeowner than a salesperson before I try to make it work in my breezy Anaheim Hills home!

I have to tell you, the green home I am listing in Anaheim Hills is so desirable; it even has handicapped access! There is a wheelchair ramp and a 40" wide door. I digress as that is the topic for a future blog. Our MLS has added handicapped features, but I have not seen this important market properly addresses so I am going to work at becoming more knowledgeable about such things.

Before I write that article; do you know someone who is in a wheelchair that would be willing to talk to me? I don't want to learn about handicapped access from books, I want to learn it from a new friend. Please forward this post to them or give them my e-mail address, Vic@SteeleGroup.net because I sincerely want to learn from them!

In the meantime, I'm going to keep looking for more information about residential windmills!

Nohl Ranch in Anaheim Hills and Orange is where I call home. Actually, it's Nohl Ranch in Anaheim Hills thanks to the electrifying difference of living a couple of blocks inside the City of Anaheim.

Nohl Ranch is frequently confused for Orange because you leave the City of Orange and enter Nohl Ranch, not Anaheim. The monument sign at left is City of Orange property, in City of Orange colors and has "Orange" on the back side to show travelers they are entering the City of Orange. You turn left on Maple Tree with a City of Orange street sign. As a matter of fact, the signs have Oranges on them for several blocks.

Then something happens. The street signs turn dark blue and you are in Anaheim Hills! Did you feel that? That was your electrical bill dropping because the electrical rates in Anaheim are lower than the rest of the county. That's because Anaheim has their own power station! If you've never felt it before, it's a shiver that starts in the middle of your back and runs down to your tailbone!

Two years ago, we moved from a 3 bedroom 2 bath home in the beautiful City of Orange, near the Santa Ana Riverbed. We absolutely loved that home, but we wanted a pool. Home prices were dipping and we could get a lot more house for the same cost of adding a pool. We moved into a 5 bedroom, 3 bath, 2-story pool home in Anaheim Hills. I knew energy rates were supposedly lower in Anaheim, but I held my breath as the summer electrical bills came in. To say we were surprised is an understatement! We increased our square footage by over 1,000 square feet, we added a second story and we added a very large pool. Our average electrical bill was less than $80 higher a month! I was thrilled!

Now you may have heard about the homes slipping off the ridge in Nohl Ranch in Anaheim Hills. It's true. CalTrans is settling with the homeowners on the freeway side of Maple Tree, one at a time and demolishing the side of Maple Tree that faces the 91/55 Freeway interchange. We are saddened to see our neighbors forced to move, but it's hard not to be excited about the new views and the prospect of a greenbelt protecting those views for a long time. I hope the City and Caltrans work together to make it a park acknowledging the sad story. How nice would it be to have a twisting trail with a park bench on each lot with the homeowner's name? That would be classy!!!!

Nohl Ranch has a rich history and this chapter will add to the stories. I am glad we decided to buy in Anaheim Hills and I consistently point to Anaheim Hills as a desireable location when my clients tell me they are unsure of where they are looking to buy.

It is going to be a beautiful week; perfect for visiting Real Estate in Anaheim Hills. We can start at my home office and I'll show you the recent demo sites if you are interested. As an Anaheim Hills Real Estate Professional, I will be available to help you find your perfect home in Anaheim Hills or any of the neighboring communities, including popular Yorba Linda! Call me at the Valet Real Estate Services, 714-685-1565, ask for Vic Steele, Professional Real Estate Broker in Anaheim Hills and we'll get started right away!