More and more I am hearing people talk about global warming and the arguement over what it is and isnt and if it is valid and scientifically proven and how the politicians are getting in over their heads and blah blah blah... anything to avoid the main thing at hand and it is taking responsibility for YOUR choices and understanding them and being aware of exactly how you impact your environment. This concept is missed wholey on so many levels that I am truley believing that we are sleepwalking in a delusion through our lives. That these facts are covered up more and more to encourage disengagement of our life styles and what it costs to maintain them.
It goes further than recycling... it goes to how you impact the people around you. Do you encourage them be productive, or are we all at war with our neighbor constantly competing for resources instead of working together to acheive success on small levels. Something as simple as EATING together with another family once a week can improve the quality of our family and social life as well as save us money and reduce waste and energy. Collective gathering, having a common area, more city parks, neighborhood parks will encourage people to mingle, create friendships and lessen the negativity that runs rampant in so many neighborhoods. Recreation brings people together in a friendly way. Even today, while out with my family, we brought just enough food for us for a quick picnic by the river. Another family was next to us, prepared for the whole day equipped with a grill and cooler full of goodies. They were friendly and inviting and shared their food with us willingly and happily, like it was their duty to make sure we all had some since they had enough to go around. Perfect strangers sharing food at a beautiful park. WHY are we not encouraging this in neighborhoods more often?
I have had the joy of being a key player in the development and organization of a farmers' market in Downtown Lebanon, OR. My town, where I live and work. The amount of effort the people of our community who helped put in to this event was about that of a part time job and the rewards are priceless. Creating a venue for the people who make the food to share with the people who want the food and opportunities to try new things, meet new people, learn new skills and enjoy community is so worth ever second it takes to do it and to be honest, IT WASN'T THAT HARD!! The hardest part was finding the right people to help out and getting them to dedicate some time to it. But once people see how much the entire community benefits from such a gathering, it falls into place. This little town of 14,000 people, where most residents communte to work, shop outside of the town they live and havent been to a downtown store in years is breathing in this market like a drowning child! The merchants on Main St are thrilled, the farmers are excited, the residents are anxious, the resturants are hopeful to be buying food and products grown in their region, supporting our own local businesses, eating healthier and enjoying the COMMUNITY.
Farmers' Markets help by:
Less gas to get your food to you and for you to go get it
Less $$ to buy food since it is straight from the producer
Less chemicals on most locally grown food because it is not mass production and isnt being shipped for a week. Preservatives, pesticides, fertilizers, ect for small farms are very different than a large production farm. Healthier for you and for the earth it is grown on!
Less packaging, less waste, opportunities to recyle what you are using (egg crats, plastic containers, fabric and brown bags)
Less time in front of your TV!! More excerise, More interaction, More sunshine and fresh air!!
Creating positive change impacts many aspects, environment is one, but your community is part of the environment. Volunteer to help your community, help gather people together with food. Enhance relationships with your local businesses, networks, and neighbors! It is a key lifestyle change that needs to happen that will help to facilitate the changes we all want to see.
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Stillwater Dwellings Launches Green Contemporary Prefab Homes Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:45 PM PDT If you didn't already know, or couldn't already tell, we're seriously interested in the prefab world. Showing off new companies and innovative homes is what we do, so it's our pleasure to talk about a relatively new company on the scene: Stillwater Dwellings. The Seattle-based company was founded by two architects and one builder/developer about eight months ago, and they're going to break ground on the first home in Bend, Oregon this month. Stillwater put a lot of work into elucidating the "all-in" construction costs of a home, and they're targeting prices in the range of $130 - 195 psf -- quite competitive really for the prefab market. They also have a refreshing philosophy about how to do things; these are their fundamental beliefs:
Stillwater offers predesigned homes in the sd-s (Stillwater Series) and sd-m (Stillwater Mini) lines, and more flexible, custom designs in the sd-i (Interchangeable Series). The sd-s features homes ranging in size from 870 to 2,950 square feet, while the sd-m features simple, compact homes from 370 to 585 square feet. If you're a little more adventurous, the sd-i series includes 34 pre-designed main living, bedroom, and connector modules that fit together with a universal connector. Stack and fit together the modules as you like to create something custom. Regardless of whether you go with an sd-s, sd-m, or sd-i prefab home, all designs include soaring butterfly rooflines, interior/exterior lightshelf visors, plate steel entry canopies, and efficient layouts that blur the boundary between indoor and outdoor living. I personally can't wait to see a few Stillwater Dwellings built, but what do you think? |
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New Survey: Consumers Want to Save Money Not the Planet Posted: 24 Mar 2009 11:52 PM PDT
The Shelton Group just published results of a January 2009 telephone survey of 500 people, and the basic idea is this: Consumers are more interested in saving money than they are in saving the planet. When asked why they would consider buying energy-efficient products, 71% said they would do it to save money, 55% to save the environment, and 49% to protect the quality of life for future generations. With the economy as it is, the results aren't surprising, but in prior years, consumers actually said they were primarily interested in saving the environment. Those consumers, though, they sure can flip flop -- there's probably nothing worse than a consumer with no scruples, so maybe we'll see a return to earthly altruism in the future. While we're waiting, here's what else the study found: After learning they would save money over the long term, consumers indicated they would likely invest in some of the following energy-efficient measures:
With regard to green actions or behaviors, consumers are doing some of the following:
But watch out, consumers aren't so good with some of the following:
Any thoughts? [=] Utility Pulse 2009 [PDF] at The Shelton Group. |
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That was a question asked to me this morning and I, having my coffee, let my mind wander and my fingers type this response....
Good Question. For me, when helping people decide on a house, it is about encouraging people to make small changes to create a healthier living environment on a personal level, that will impact the rest of the world. Each individual has a choice, it is about educating them of what choices are there, and why they should or shouldn't choose them. Helping to bring awareness of the comfort, affordability and environmental benefits is the key to accomplishing the change we need. Personally the environment is my top priority, but after attending the classes at family Reunion last week, I realize that in order to be effective, we have to appeal to the mass and the majority care only about the expense, their own comfort 2nd and the environment 3rd. Taking these issues one step at a time, getting involved in legislative councils to support proper changes, and providing information and networking with people is the key to our success.
I went into Real Estate only last year, my drive was backed by wanting to live sustainably and help people learn about ways to do it. It is not just about mud huts in the wilderness, the cities and the suburbs need to be addressed even more so than rural. That was something I had to learn. There is no ONE way to make this change, there are MANY ways and they are all effective in different environments. What works in Portland, is not going to necessarily work in Miami, Colorado is not the same as New York. The Realtors in these areas should have specialized knowledge of THEIR territory. Having the Variety of technologies is absolute. We have to pay the price for the technology we have created, we, as a race, have made some grave mistakes, and we should use the information that cost us so much to gather, to fix the mistakes and move towards a sustainable society where people are aware and active and give back, not just take.
Wonderful book that changed my life was Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. It helped me understand a lot about humanity and how we have become what we are. The only answer in my opinion on how to save the world is to do what *I* am doing. I am not going to sit around and be part of the problem, I am going to help create the change and walk the walk. I am glad to have people like yourself who want to do the same thing!!
That was probably a longer answer than you were looking for huh?
Off to Realtor Day at the Capital!!
Kaire Downin
"Saving the World, One Property at a Time!"
Keller Williams Realty Mid-Willamette
Serving Linn and Benton Counties, OR
Office: (541)738-7770
Cell: (541) 570-0444
http://kdownin.yourkwagent.com
"Each office is independently owned and operated"
All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed
Kaire Downin is a Licensed Broker in the state of Oregon
This link provides information on agency Relationships and the duties and resposiblities of the real estate licensees in Oregon, please read it carefully. Click here http://www.rea.state.or.us/REA/REG/docs/Initial_Agency_Disclosure_Pamphlet.pdf
http://news.opb.org/article/4333-which-greener-new-building-or-old-one/
Which Is Greener: A New Building, Or An Old One?
BY ETHAN LINDSEY
Albany, OR February 23, 2009 9:26 a.m.
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Portland is seen, around the country, as a leader in the green building business.
Last week, the Oregon Built Environment & Sustainable Technologies Center hosted a conference with almost 100 industry leaders.
The meeting concluded with a call to locate a national Green Building Research Center in the state.
Many say now is the right time -- billions of stimulus dollars are set aside for the construction of greener buildings.
But some Oregonians say government support for new buildings will encourage the destruction of old ones -- a practice that may not be sustainable.
Ethan Lindsey reports.
It's a typically gray winter day in Albany Oregon.
The dull sky provides a contrast to the deep red brick and sparkling new paint of Albany's restored historic downtown.
Mary Oberst: "So, let's just pause and look at this building, which is beautiful. Oh wow, look at that brickwork at the top, those are called corbles, where the brick steppes out like that."
Mary Oberst is the first Lady of Oregon.
She has used her high profile to help advance the cause of preserving historic Oregon.
Take the Oregon Main Street program. It's a state project, encouraged by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
And it pushes cities to redevelop their downtown cores.
But Oberst makes clear - its about more than history.
Mary Oberst: "It is way more than that, its for life, its for living. And I totally get that, a lot of people think, ‘Oh, Mount Vernon, a restored home of an old, dead, white guy.' No, its for vibrancy, its for life, its for the future./We're not building museums, we're building places to live."
Gary Van Huffel is the state's Main Street coordinator.
Van Huffel and Oberst say historic preservation should be a priority when spending billions in "green" stimulus money.
They say that old buildings are greener than new ones, even-- new ones that wear the "green" label.
Mary Oberst: "Old buildings contain a lot of energy. It's called embodied energy. So, when you build a building, of course, you have all the materials that go into the building. You have the energy required to make those materials, the energy required to bring them to the site, the energy required to put it all together. That's embodied energy. If you tear down this building, you are dissipating all that energy - and you're filling up the landfill! Not green, at all."
Gary Van Huffel: "Plus, then you have to come up with new materials for the new building to replace the old one. And of course, there's energy required to produce those materials and bring them here, and the energy to install and build the facility."
But, there's another side to the argument.
Just look to downtown Portland.
The city skyline is made up of brand-new towers, including many that developers point to as examples of "green" construction.
Johanna Brickman, the director of sustainability at architectural firm ZGF, stares up at what will be her new office.
Johanna Brickman: "Well, it's 22 floors, but standing here, you're craning your neck to see the top of it. And only from viewing it from the north are you really going to get a sense for the scale of the wind turbines in relation to the building."
The building, in downtown Portland, will have wind turbines with 12-foot blades, recycled storm water in the toilets, and a reduced carbon footprint.
Brickman says redesigned historic buildings are certainly one piece of the puzzle.
But with old buildings, she says there's only so much you can do.
Johanna Brickman: "This building for example, replaces a surface parking lot, which is not the best and highest use of this property, right? The amount of cars that come off the road because we have 17 floors of people working downtown and playing downtown, it's huge."
Still, some advocates of historic preservation are critical of the ways that architects measure sustainable design.
They say new construction is sometimes valued over refurbishing older buildings - what's sometimes called "adaptive reuse" in the industry.
Brook Muller: "I mean, frankly, a newer building is sexier than adaptive reuse,"
Brook Muller is a professor of architecture at the University of Oregon.
He says those priorities may be changing.
Brook Muller: "Let's take a look at the economy right now. I think there's this belt-tightening and we're going to see opportunities with this existing building stock that perhaps we weren't paying as much attention to those things."
Back in Albany, first lady Mary Oberst says, in a way, both sides are correct.
She's all for new, green buildings.
Mary Oberst: "But if you can reuse an older building, do that."
And in this recession, billions-of-dollars are headed to building - and rebuilding.
That's why the debate over old versus new is getting more attention than ever.
© 2009 OPB
Yesterday President Obama signed into law the Economic Stimulus Package. Here are some of the highlights: Brought to you by Eric Skinner of Corvallis Metro Mortgage....
Tax Credit for Homebuyers
This is the biggie right now. First-time homebuyers who purchase homes from the start of this year until the end of November 2009 may be eligible for the lower of an $8,000 or 10% of the value of the home tax credit. Remember a tax credit is very different than a tax deduction - a tax credit is equivalent to money in your hand, as opposed to a tax deduction which only reduces your taxable income. The tax credit starts phasing out for couples with incomes above $150,000 and single filers with incomes above $75,000. Buyers will have to repay the credit if they sell their homes within three years.
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Additional Housing-Related Provisions
Landmark Energy Savings - This provision provides $5 Billion for energy efficient improvements for more than one million modest-income homes through weatherization. According to some estimates, this can help modest-income families save an average of $350 a year on heating and air conditioning bills.
Repairing Public Housing and Making Key Energy Efficiency Retrofits To HUD-Assisted Housing-This provision provides a total of $6.3 Billion for increasing energy efficiency in federally supported housing programs. Specifically, it establishes a new program to upgrade HUD-sponsored low-income housing (for elderly, disabled, and Section 8) to increase energy efficiency, including new insulation, windows, and frames.
Expanding Housing Assistance-This provision increases support for several critical housing programs. It includes $2 Billion for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to help communities purchase and rehabilitate foreclosed, vacant properties.
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More Help for Homeowners in the Future
Another thing to keep an eye on in the coming weeks is President Obama's plan to help struggling borrowers before they are faced with a default on their mortgage. According to reports, the Obama administration is discussing plans to help borrowers who are struggling to stay afloat, but who have not yet fallen behind on their payments. At this point, details are scarce; however, reports indicate that President Obama is looking to spend approximately $50 Billion to directly help homeowners before they face foreclosure and financial disaster. While this is good news for individual homeowners, it will likely be good for the housing industry as a whole, as it could help to stabilize the market.
Best Regards,
Eric Skinner, Loan Officer
815 NW 9th Street, Suite L-196
Corvallis, OR 97330
541-760-7376 office
eric.skinner@metrocitiesmtg.com
www.corvallismetro.com
A promise made builds hope, a promise kept builds trust. Great service is my promise!
Eric is a loan Officer and works out of the Keller Williams Realty Mid Willamette offices in Albany and Corvallis. Kaire Downin is a licensed broker in the state of OR and is working with Keller Williams Realty Mid Willamette. Each office is independantly owned and operated.
I am a Licensed Real Estate Broker in the state of Oregon. I primarily work in Lebanon, but also work in surrounding areas like Corvallis, Albany, Brownsville, Scio, Stayton, and Tangent.
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