Palm Harbor, FL

Local author Kimberly Rebman will speak this Saturday, February 21st at Oak Trail Books in Palm Harbor. Kimberly is the author of "Haunted Florida: A Guide To The Departed Soul". In her book she takes you through haunted homes, inns and graveyards throughout the Sunshine State.

Kimberly has investigated the paranormal in Florida for over 16 years. Her book takes you to a graveyard in Brooksville, a Coral Gables luxery hotel with a 13th floor and many of the haunted sites in St Augustine. To hear Kimberly talk about her fascinating book, be at Oak Trail Books in Palm Harbor this Saturday! She will speak from 11 am to 1 pm.

What are you afraid of? Overpaying for your Pinellas home while being wham-blasted with negative news about the economy and the housing market? Or perhaps secrets horrifically and seemingly worse? OK. I'll go first.

I am dreadfully frightened of:

1. Public Speaking
2. Snakes
3. Having to work for someone else (translation: fear of failing with our real estate business - which, by the way, is the opposite of reality, but a fear nonetheless)
4. Slugs, snails and leeches (they belong in the same category, don't you think?)

In these times, more than ever, it's easy to venture into the realm of being fearful. Yet, I think we all now, more than ever, must encourage our friends and neighbors to not only to survive these times but to thrive within them. We're fortunate, we have family (note: not colleagues or friends) at Keller Williams Realty Palm Harbor that have helped our successes and continue to propel us forward. We give back, yet are at a point where it's our duty and honor to do so more.

How do we conquer fear and catapult into the realm of fabulous? I'm not quite sure, but after 43 years I think I might be on to something. I've been pushing the limits of my comfort zone. I invite you to stick your toes in the WATER OF FEAR, just to test the temperature. In the last 30 days I:

1. Chopped a 1' square, 1" thick piece of plywood in half with my bare hands (see picture above) - in front of 50 people.
2. Watched an entire show on Animal Planet about slithering snakes with my son.
3. Have pushed myself, more than ever, with my routine of doing the thing I like to do least (lead generation), first thing in the day, and track my results.
4. Public Speaking: As a newly appointed member of the ALC - Agent Leadership Council - in our Keller Williams Realty Palm Harbor office - I, with my dear friend Patty Neri, had to speak for a mere couple of minutes in front of a group of about 45 (which felt like 45,000). Five minutes before speaking, my face was heating up, my was heart racing, and had that same 'Oh my gosh I'm going to VOMIT' feeling just like when doing oral reports in 9th grade history class and again in college. Oh my!

Many of you are laughing about #4 and public speaking. Maybe some of you can relate? In retrospect, I managed to not throw up, my voice only cracked a few times, and I only stammered once or twice. Afterward, I made my way to the water cooler and my hands were still shaking. It's all a blur now. My stomach churns just thinking about it. Yet, somehow, the next time it think it might be just a bit easier. Afterward, more than ever before, I knew that everything was possible - if we just dare to try.

What's my point? It's summed up in a quote from an old book we started reading as part of a book club in our office (the brainchild of the amazing Ken Rossi) - Feel The Fear and Do It Anyway. I'm paraphrasing here, but it's this:

At the end of the day, I'd rather have said that I'm glad I tried or did than I wish I had.

How many of you have tested your fears? For those of you that have, what have been your experiences? Maybe it all just comes down to not overly analyzing whatever it is that scares us the most and just getting out there and facing it head on?

We can't control Wall Street, but maybe it's time to dip our toes in the waters of our inner fears - those fears that we actually CAN control?

Some of you now, are fearful of buying a Pinellas home in our current market. That, I can share with you, with full-hearted enthusiasm - is nothing to be afraid of! It's perhaps the best time in history to buy your Dunedin home! There are concrete facts to back that statement up if it's a concern. If you're scared and have doubts about investing now, I invite you to post your comments and chat about them. It's o.k. to just dip your toe in.

After all, talking about buying real estate, within the type of market when historically millionaires are made, is a lot better than stepping on a snail in your bare feet (been there, done that).

Deepak Chopra will be at Innisbrook in Palm Harbor, Florida on Friday, February 6th. The event will take place from 8-10pm. He is in town to discuss creating mass consciousness to heal not only ourselves but the entire planet.

The event is being presented by The Alliance for a New Humanity in cooperation with the Chopra Center. Seating is limited to only 1200 so if you are interested you need to make your reservations! Cost is $20. per person.

For more information about this event or the rest of the 4 day event please check out Deepak Chopra's web site at http://www.chopra.com/journey.

Eco-Friendly Design and Retrofit

Challenge is right-sheesh! I took a couple of looks at Brad Pitt's Make It Right project plans, and said to myself: "Self," (‘cause I do not speak to myself in abused vernacular), "...much as I love the concept of green building, and appreciate what Mr. Pitt is doing up there in the Ninth Ward...those houses are just, well-BUTT UGLY, mostly." Sorry, designers-I guess there were probably reasons I did not myself go into architecture...I am reminded in looking at these plans of the song "Little Boxes"...

So, what to do for this contest of janeAnne's-one I'd really like to sink my green teeth into, really I would-all of my spare ponder moments this year so far have been spent in the pursuit of the Great Green Dream-in my case, how to retrofit my own home into a GreenHouse.

And, that's when it hit me-my contribution to this challenge is NOT for NEW home design, but how to recycle/reuse/rehabilitate existing structures to be healthier, happier, and greener-because, face it-unless Mother Nature takes out swatches of town, in my opinion it is not exactly Eco-friendly to tear down an old structure just to rebuild it greener, and we don't exactly have much room here in Pinellas County to build new, even if it is green.

So, here we go-using MY house as an example, how to go about, in the most cost-effective and least environmentally impactive manner, creating a GreenHouse:

• I absolutely LOVE what Dave Roberts shows in his "Pink" post, so here's how I plan to adapt his solar-logic to my home:
  • The house is North-facing, which is good in Florida, for most of the year, and it also has really good airflow from the existing plan. The downsides are in the winter, when the house stays much colder inside than outside, due to the surrounding shade and tile floors. What is needed is to turn the mostly-useless Florida room, which is on the East, or morning side of the house, into a solarium of sorts, creating not only more useful space, but also FOOD-here's the plan:
    • Solar panels installed on East side of main house roof, to heat water for both the water heater as well as reserve tanks for the spa and potentially some type of solar radiators. The reason I choose East-facing is due to the excess heat during the summer, when HOT is the last thing we need more of.
    • To assist in summer cooling, some simple modifications such as those outlined by BuildItSolar.com (a very useful and FREE solar resource, btw) would be done.
    • The existing HVAC system will, hopefully (she says, crossing her fingers), be replaced by what is being touted as a nano-technology enhanced new design for heating and air-conditioning-one which reportedly has only one moving part, can e installed over the existing ductwork, and not only runs at a fraction of the energy, but also creates much cleaner indoor air quality. We shall see...jury's still out on this one, but I do have high hopes.

    

    • The Florida room would also receive a retro-fit for grey water use planter boxes, such as the ones I found on www.greywater.com , which then provides organic produce year-round.(http://www.greywater.com/samples.htm)

So far, this is as much as I've got, but I do have many more ideas for harnessing solar/wind power, but I haven't had much time to research that yet. The lesson here is simple, however-for varying cost factors, depending on materials and how much or little hired labor is used, these simple modifications could be done in many, if not all, existing homes-saving money on utility and food bills, as well as being very kind to the environment.

As for Part Deux of our challenge-how can our Rain community demonstrate to those already in the process of Making it Right that these ideas should be allowed to freely (or cheaply) promulgate? I believe we already are-simply by our participation in the FREEly given information, advice, and ideas which we present in this open forum we call The Rain!

Or, in the immortal words of Nike: Just Do It! Brad...

What the heck is Grey Water?, you may find yourself asking...and if so, my friend, you have come to the right place! "Grey Water" is household used water--the stuff that goes down the drains and normally either into the local sewer system or into your septic system. All, that is, except for the water which is used to flush the toilets and some sources say the kitchen sink, due to organic matter which may end up in the drain--this is referred to as "Black Water", not to be confused with the Doobie Brothers' "Black Water", of course.

• Why should we care about the water flowing into our sewer and septic systems--that's what they're made for, right?

Well, maybe...and maybe not. Here in my home state of Florida, for instance, we have frequent drought situations, watering limitations, sinkholes due to redistributed water leaving cavernous holes--Florida is structured somewhat like an anthill, after all--lots of sand and tunnels down there. So, why should we care? Many reasons, including saving a few bucks on the water bill by using 'used' water for irrigation.

That was one of my reasons, anyway, which began last year when I installed rainbarrels to collect the rainwater which is so abundent at certain times of the year, while not so for the rest.

Still, it seemed that there must be more I could do--all that water the washing machine uses, for instance--what about diverting that into the garden? The search for answers was on! And here is what I have found:

• Low-tech shower collection --this is about as simple as it gets--use buckets and collect the excess water from showering to use for lawn or garden.
• Inside the home grey water reuse system--I thought this was both clever and entertaining--a school project in which they diverted sink grey water to use in the toilet tank.
• Another home shower water recycling to toilet system.
• Brac system is an entire single-home grey water recycling system.
• Common greywater mistakes and preferred practices is a good article and a great resource site by Oasis Design.
• One of my personal favorites, and the direction I may be heading, are the soilboxes detailed here.
• Top-of-the-line Construct a greywater Wetland project instructions here.

And there you have it--from the simplest bucket recycling system, right on up to an entire wetland project! And, following are some other GREAT blog posts on the subject of greywater recycling. So...what are you waiting for? Get on out there and ReUSE, ReCycle, ReCLAIM!

• Real Estate Blog - Greywater Systems are NOT Illegal

About two months ago at a "green" building presentation, the president of Living Homes become the 2nd person to tell me that residential greywater systems ...
activerain.com/blogsview/491035/Greywater-Systems-are-NOT-Illegal