Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

"Water is the next Carbon"

10-30-09

Today's Green Headlines

"Water is the next Carbon" is a statement we are beginning to hear more frequently these days. Access to clean drinkable (potable) water in sufficient quantity is a major limiting factor for many of the world's poor and undeveloped populations. The more developed world has been more successful at getting access, but with population growth, the quantity of water available is reaching its limits. The EPA WaterSense program is helping us realize the many ways in which we can conserve water and use it more effectively. This is definitely a great "green" program with great value for homeowners. Check out the Fall 2009 WaterSense newsletter at: http://www.epa.gov/watersense/news/current/fall2009.htm#2

The second article listed in the newsletter, What Is Your Water Worth?, is especially interesting.

Nancy Costa, Broker, EcoBroker
ReMax Accord in Pleasanton, California
Owner of Healthy Homes by Design

HealthyHomesbyDesign@gmail.com
925.577.4777 925.577.4777 925.577.4777 925.577.4777

"From the sale of our home to the purchase of our new home Nancy was there making us feel secure from start to finish. We were very satisfied. We felt very lucky to have her as our agent." - DG

1 Comment

HUGE VIRUS COMING ! PLEASE READ & FORWARD ! Verified by Snopes.com

10-30-09

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/postcard.asp

HUGE VIRUS COMING ! PLEASE READ & FORWARD !

Hi All,

I checked with Norton Anti-Virus, and they are gearing up for this virus!
I checked Snopes, and it is for real. Get this E-mail message sent around to all your contacts ASAP.

PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING AMONG YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY AND CONTACTS!

You should be alert during the next few days. Do not open any message with an attachment entitled 'POSTCARD FROM HALLMARK,'regardless of who sent it to you. It is a virus which opens A POSTCARD IMAGE, which 'burns' the whole hard disc C drive of your computer.

This virus will be received from someone who has your e-mail address on his/her contact list. That is the reason why you need to send this e-mail to all your contacts. It is better to receive this message 25 times than to receive the virus and open it!

If you receive a mail called' POSTCARD,' even if it is sent to you by a friend, do not open it! Shut down your computer immediately. This is the worst virus announced by CNN.

It has been classified by Microsoft as the most destructive virus ever. This virus was discovered by McAfee yesterday, and there is no repair yet for this kind of virus. This virus simply destroys the Zero Sector of the Hard Disc, where the vital information is kept.
COPY THIS E-MAIL, AND SEND IT TO YOUR FRIENDS.
REMEMBER: IF YOU SEND IT TO THEM, YOU WILL BENEFIT ALL OF US

0 Comments

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/28/09), Contra Costa and Alameda Counties

10-28-09

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/28/09)

*Listings*	*Current Week*	*Change From*	%	*Last Year*	%
	*Listings*	*Last Week*		*Listings*
Alamo	113	0	0.00%	133	-15.04%
Antioch	172	7	4.24%	840	-79.52%
Blackhawk	57	0	0.00%	73	-21.92%
Brentwood	149	-3	-1.97%	400	-62.75%
Castro Valley	105	-5	-4.55%	191	-45.03%
Clayton	29	-1	-3.33%	50	-42.00%
Concord	115	-5	1.00%	371	-69.00%
Danville	137	-10	-6.80%	206	-33.50%
Diablo	16	1	6.67%	12	33.33%
Dublin	40	1	2.56%	108	-62.96%
Hayward	202	18	9.78%	699	-71.10%
Lafayette	85	-1	-1.16%	100	-15.00%
Livermore	171	14	8.92%	355	-51.83%
Martinez	108	2	1.89%	151	-28.48%
Moraga	27	-1	-3.57%	23	17.39%
Orinda	70	1	1.45%	74	-5.41%
Pittsburg	134	-12	-8.22%	552	#REF!
Pleasant Hill	49	-3	-5.77%	75	-91.12%
Pleasanton	134	-8	-5.63%	250	-46.40%
San Ramon	83	1	1.22%	213	-61.03%
Walnut Creek	126	-1	-0.79%	177	-28.81%
Totals	2122	-5	-0.24%	5053	-58.01%

*Pending*	*Current Week*	*Change From*	%	*Last Year*	%
*Sales*	*Pending*	*Last Week*		*Pending*
Alamo	0	-3	-100.00%	3	-100.00%
Antioch	37	-15	-28.85%	69	-46.38%
Blackhawk	2	0	0.00%	1	100.00%
Brentwood	35	7	25.00%	21	66.67%
Castro Valley	12	0	0.00%	10	20.00%
Clayton	1	-4	-80.00%	5	-80.00%
Concord	31	4	14.81%	26	19.23%
Danville	12	-1	-7.69%	3	300.00%
Diablo	0	0	0.00%	0	0.00%
Dublin	6	-5	-45.45%	7	-14.29%
Hayward	27	-21	-43.75%	51	-47.06%
Lafayette	4	2	100.00%	2	100.00%
Livermore	18	1	5.88%	21	-14.29%
Martinez	6	-2	-25.00%	5	20.00%
Moraga	3	2	200.00%	2	50.00%
Orinda	2	3	-300.00%	4	-50.00%
Pittsburg	30	12	66.67%	29	3.45%
Pleasant Hill	6	3	100.00%	5	20.00%
Pleasanton	18	2-Jan	12.50%	9	100.00%
San Ramon	15	-7	-31.82%	13	15.38%
Walnut Creek	10	-8	-44.44%	11	-9.09%
Totals	275	-30	-9.84%	297	-7.41%

*Sales By*
*Price Range*	#	%
0 - 100,000	15	5.45%
100,000 - 200,000	31	11.27%
200,000 - 300,000	68	24.73%
300,000 - 400,000	51	18.55%
400,000 - 500,000	32	11.64%
500,000 - 600,000	20	7.27%
600,000 - 700,000	10	3.64%
700,000 - 800,000	15	5.45%
800,000 - 900,000	15	5.45%
900,000 - 1,000,000	6	2.18%
1,000,000 - 1,100,000	4	1.45%
1,100,000 - 1,200,000	4	1.45%
1,200,000 - 1,300,000	0	0.00%
1,300,000 - 1,400,000	0	0.00%
1,400,000 - 1,500,000	1	0.36%
1,500,000 - 1,800,000	0	0.00%
1,800,000 - 2,000,000	2	0.73%
2,000,000 - 2,500,000	1	0.36%
2,500,000 - 5,000,000	0	0.00%
Total	275	100.00%

Here are the "stats" regarding residential listing numbers & pending sale numbers for the week of 10/21/09 - 10/28/09

* Alamo - total of 113 listings (same as from last week). 0 new pending sales (down 3 from last week).

* Antioch - total of 172 listings (down 7 from last week). 37 new pending sales (down 15 from last week).

* Blackhawk - total of 57 listings (same as from last week). 2 new pending sale (same as from last week).

* Brentwood - total of 149 listings (down 3 from last week). 35 new pending sales (up 7 from last week).

* Castro Valley - total of 105 listings (down 5 from last week). 12 new pending sales (same as as last week).

* Clayton - total of 29 listings (down 1 from last week). 1 new pending sale (down 4 from last week).

* Concord - total of 115 listings (down 5 from last week). 31 new pending sales (up 4 from last week).

* Danville - total of 137 listings (down 10 from last week). 12 new pending sales (down 1 from last week).

* Diablo - total of 16 listings (up 1 from last week). 0 new pending sales (same as from last week).

* Dublin - total of 40 listings (up 1 from last week). 6 new pending sales (down 5 from last week).

* Hayward - total of 202 listings (up 18 from last week). 27 new pending sales (down 21 from last week).

* Lafayette - total of 85 listings (down 1 from last week). 4 new pending sales (up 2 from last week).

* Livermore - total of 171 listings (up 14 from last week). 18 new pending sales (up 1 from last week).

* Martinez - total of 108 listings (up 2 from last week). 6 new pending sales (down 2 from last week).

* Moraga - total of 27 listings (down 1 from last week). 3 new pending sales (up 2 from last week).

* Orinda - total of 70 listings (up 1 from last week). 2 new pending sales (down 3 from last week).

* Pittsburg - total of 134 listings (down 12 from last week). 30 new pending sales (up 12 from last week).

* Pleasant Hill - total of 49 listings (down 3 from last week). 6 new pending sales (up 3 from last week).

* Pleasanton - total of 134 listings (down 8 from last week). 18 new pending sales (up 2 from last week).

* San Ramon - total of 83 listings (up 1 from last week). 15 new pending sales (down 7 from last week).

* Walnut Creek - total of 126 listings (down 1 from last week). 10 new pending sales (down 8 from last week).

The following chart shows the number of homes sold in each price range:

$0- 100,000 15 sales $100- 200,000 31 sales

*$200 - 300,000*	*68 sales*	*$300 - 400,000*	*51 sales*
*$400 - 500,000*	*32 sales*	*$500 - 600,000*	*20 sales*
*$600 - 700,000*	*10 sales*	*$700 - 800,000*	*15 sales*
*$800 - 900,000*	*15 sales*	*$900 - 1,000,000*	*6 sales*
*$1000 - 1,100,000*	*4 sales*	*$1100 - 1,200,000*	*4 sales*
*$1200 - 1,300,000*	*0 sales*	*$1300 - 1,400,000*	*0 sales*
*$1400 - 1,500,000*	*1 sales*	*$1500 - 1,600,000*	*0 sales*
*$1600 - 1,700,000*	*0 sales*	*$1700 - 1,800,000*	*0 sales*
*$1800 - 1,900,000*	*0 sales*	*$1900 - 2,000,000*	*2 sales*
*$2000 - 2,500,000*	*1 sales*	*$2100 - 2,200,000*	*0 sales*
*$2200 - 2,300,000*	*0 sales*	*$2300 - 2,400,000*	*0 sales*
*$2400 - 2,500,000*	*0 sales*	*$2500 - 2,600,000*	*0 sales*
*$2600 - 2,700,000*	*0 sales*	*$2700 - 3,600,000*	*0 sales*

0 Comments

FHA notice on delay in FHA condominium changes

10-28-09

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

FHA notice on delay in FHA condominium changes:

Implementation of FHA's new policy guidance for condominium project approval and condo unit financing will be delayed until December 7^th 2009.

The new guidance, to be issued within the next two weeks, will:

Ø offer additional leniencies to address the difficult market conditions

Ø augment some portions of FHA Mortgagee Letter 2009-19, providing additional information and clarification.

Until the new guidance takes effect on December 7^th, 2009 lenders may continue to use the Spot Loan Approval guidance issued in Mortgagee Letter 1996-41. Further, the site condo changes that have already been implemented are not affected by this delay.

To read FHA Mortgagee Letters 1996-41 and 2009-19 please visit:http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/

Loan Scenario Hot Line:

866-269-0047 866-269-0047 866-269-0047 866-269-0047

MortgageBankingGroup@prospectmtg.com

Pricing and lock Hot line:

800-522-1526 800-522-1526 800-522-1526 800-522-1526

secondary@prospectmtg.com

0 Comments

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/21/09)

10-22-09

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/21/09)

*Listings*	*Current Week*	*Change From*	%	*Last Year*	%
	*Listings*	*Last Week*		*Listings*
Alamo	113	-1	-0.88%	137	-17.52%
Antioch	165	-7	-4.07%	851	-80.61%
Blackhawk	57	-2	-3.39%	74	-22.97%
Brentwood	152	-1	-0.65%	411	-63.02%
Castro Valley	110	2	1.85%	191	-42.41%
Clayton	30	-5	-14.29%	53	-43.40%
Concord	120	-3	1.00%	378	-68.25%
Danville	147	4	2.80%	203	-27.59%
Diablo	15	-1	-6.25%	12	25.00%
Dublin	39	3	8.33%	107	-63.55%
Hayward	184	-12	-6.12%	707	-73.97%
Lafayette	86	0	0.00%	100	-14.00%
Livermore	157	-1	-0.63%	354	-55.65%
Martinez	106	-4	-3.64%	157	-32.48%
Moraga	28	1	3.70%	23	21.74%
Orinda	69	-1	-1.43%	76	-9.21%
Pittsburg	146	8	5.80%	543	#REF!
Pleasant Hill	52	6	13.04%	71	-90.42%
Pleasanton	142	-4	-2.74%	250	-43.20%
San Ramon	82	-3	-3.53%	214	-61.68%
Walnut Creek	127	-15	-10.56%	178	-28.65%
Totals	2127	-36	-1.66%	5090	-58.21%

*Pending*	*Current Week*	*Change From*	%	*Last Year*	%
*Sales*	*Pending*	*Last Week*		*Pending*
Alamo	3	-2	-40.00%	1	200.00%
Antioch	52	11	26.83%	62	-16.13%
Blackhawk	2	-2	-50.00%	0	200.00%
Brentwood	28	-2	-6.67%	22	27.27%
Castro Valley	12	1	9.09%	9	33.33%
Clayton	5	4	400.00%	0	500.00%
Concord	27	-4	-12.90%	30	-10.00%
Danville	13	2	18.18%	4	225.00%
Diablo	15	-1	0.00%	0	1500.00%
Dublin	11	3	37.50%	6	83.33%
Hayward	48	10	26.32%	39	23.08%
Lafayette	2	-6	-75.00%	0	200.00%
Livermore	17	-2	-10.53%	17	0.00%
Martinez	8	0	0.00%	5	60.00%
Moraga	1	1	0.00%	0	100.00%
Orinda	5	3	150.00%	3	66.67%
Pittsburg	18	2	12.50%	26	-30.77%
Pleasant Hill	3	-3	-50.00%	8	-62.50%
Pleasanton	16	1-Jan	6.67%	5	220.00%
San Ramon	22	3	15.79%	13	69.23%
Walnut Creek	18	-1	-5.26%	7	157.14%
Totals	326	18	5.84%	257	26.85%

*Sales By*
*Price Range*	#	%
0 - 100,000	26	7.98%
100,000 - 200,000	48	14.72%
200,000 - 300,000	68	20.86%
300,000 - 400,000	53	16.26%
400,000 - 500,000	31	9.51%
500,000 - 600,000	30	9.20%
600,000 - 700,000	20	6.13%
700,000 - 800,000	15	4.60%
800,000 - 900,000	9	2.76%
900,000 - 1,000,000	12	3.68%
1,000,000 - 1,100,000	1	0.31%
1,100,000 - 1,200,000	3	0.92%
1,200,000 - 1,300,000	5	1.53%
1,300,000 - 1,400,000	0	0.00%
1,400,000 - 1,500,000	0	0.00%
1,500,000 - 1,800,000	3	0.92%
1,800,000 - 2,000,000	1	0.31%
2,000,000 - 2,500,000	0	0.00%
2,500,000 - 5,000,000	1	0.31%
Total	326	100.00%

Here are the "stats" regarding residential listing numbers & pending sale numbers for the week of 10/14/09 - 10/21/09

* Alamo - total of 113 listings (down 1 from last week). 3 new pending sales (down 2 from last week).

* Antioch - total of 165 listings (down 7 from last week). 52 new pending sales (up 11 from last week).

* Blackhawk - total of 57 listings (down 2 from last week). 2 new pending sale (down 2 from last week).

* Brentwood - total of 152 listings (down 1 from last week). 28 new pending sales (down 2 from last week).

* Castro Valley - total of 110 listings (up 2 from last week). 12 new pending sales (up 1 as last week).

* Clayton - total of 30 listings (down 5 from last week). 5 new pending sale (up 4 from last week).

* Concord - total of 120 listings (down 3 from last week). 27 new pending sales (down 4 from last week).

* Danville - total of 147 listings (up 4 from last week). 13 new pending sales (up 2 from last week).

* Diablo - total of 15 listings (down 1 from last week). 0 new pending sales (same as from last week).

* Dublin - total of 39 listings (up 3 from last week). 11 new pending sales (up 3 from last week).

* Hayward - total of 184 listings (down 12 from last week). 48 new pending sales (up 10 from last week).

* Lafayette - total of 86 listings (same as from last week). 2 new pending sales (down 6 from last week).

* Livermore - total of 157 listings (down 1 from last week). 17 new pending sales (down 2 from last week).

* Martinez - total of 106 listings (down 4 from last week). 8 new pending sales (same as from last week).

* Moraga - total of 28 listings (up 1 from last week). 1 new pending sales (up 1 from last week).

* Orinda - total of 69 listings (down 1 from last week). 5 new pending sales (up 3 from last week).

* Pittsburg - total of 146 listings (up 8 from last week). 18 new pending sales (down 2 from last week).

* Pleasant Hill - total of 52 listings (up 6 from last week). 3 new pending sales (down 3 from last week).

* Pleasanton - total of 142 listings (down 4 from last week). 16 new pending sales (up 1 from last week).

* San Ramon - total of 82 listings (down 3 from last week). 22 new pending sales (up 3 from last week).

* Walnut Creek - total of 127 listings (down 15 from last week). 18 new pending sales (down 1 from last week).

The following chart shows the number of homes sold in each price range:

$0- 100,000 26 sales $100- 200,000 48 sales

*$200 - 300,000*	*68 sales*	*$300 - 400,000*	*53 sales*
*$400 - 500,000*	*31 sales*	*$500 - 600,000*	*20 sales*
*$600 - 700,000*	*20 sales*	*$700 - 800,000*	*15 sales*
*$800 - 900,000*	*9 sales*	*$900 - 1,000,000*	*12 sales*
*$1000 - 1,100,000*	*1 sales*	*$1100 - 1,200,000*	*3 sales*
*$1200 - 1,300,000*	*5 sales*	*$1300 - 1,400,000*	*0 sales*
*$1400 - 1,500,000*	*0 sales*	*$1500 - 1,600,000*	*2 sales*
*$1600 - 1,700,000*	*1 sales*	*$1700 - 1,800,000*	*0 sales*
*$1800 - 1,900,000*	*0 sales*	*$1900 - 2,000,000*	*0 sales*
*$2000 - 2,500,000*	*0 sales*	*$2100 - 2,200,000*	*0 sales*
*$2200 - 2,300,000*	*0 sales*	*$2300 - 2,400,000*	*0 sales*
*$2400 - 2,500,000*	*0 sales*	*$2500 - 2,600,000*	*1 sales*
*$2600 - 2,700,000*	*0 sales*	*$2700 - 3,600,000*	*0 sales*

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Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa
Healthy Homes by Design

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa: Real Estate Agent in Pleasanton, CA

Office: (510) 329-7090

Mobile: (925) 577-4777

Serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. We offer eco-friendly Real Estate, tax preparation, space clearing, green building design and more.

Healthy Homes by Design is a Unique Team of professionals specializing in an array of services. Our emphasis is on Green Building Design, Eco-Friendly Real Estate, Organic Solutions to Environmental Health Concerns and Tax Preparation. The beauty of our company is its ability to provide solutions at any phase during a project which results in economic efficiency. Our holistic approach goes beyond full service which results in exceeding the expectations of our clients.

Visit our ReMax website.

Eco-Friendly Real Estate Services

Buyers/Investors: Expert advice on all levels of the sales process...

Foreclosure sales and renovations
Dream home finders and email listing alerts
Sales of new and resale homes and land
New green home builders and sustainable communities sales and information
Local market trends along with financing and school information

Sellers: Advanced services for getting your home sold...

Pricing strategies in today's market
High impact internet marketing campaigns
Pre-sale expert assistance on staging, competitive upgrading and remodeling
Specialty services include Feng Shui and Holistic Space Clearing for homes and land

We at Healthy Homes by Design realize that in this current real estate climate doing business as usual is no longer good enough. With our advanced knowledge, years of experience and keeping current with the market optimum results come naturally. Keeping our pulse on foreclosures to new home incentives is just part of our commitment to the process to get your home sold. Holistic solutions creating perfect results is the essence of what we provide to our many satisfied clients.

Organic solutions to environmental health concerns

Alternative and non-toxic products for home and office
Holistic space clearing transforms harmful magnetic fields (EMF/EMR)
Geo-pathic stress lines are dissipated by advanced dowsing techniques
Balancing disrupted energies on land in home and office with Feng Shui Solutions

Green Design Consultations

Sustainable green building design for the health of your home and office
Energy saving advice on solar, air and water quality, Energy Star Appliances and products
Healthier and safer Alternatives used in the remodeling process from A to Z
Energy audit and healthy home inspections finding cost saving solutions to a more comfortable, safer and healthier environment
Will assist in any phase of the project b y working with the homeowner, contractor and architect
Smart landscape design and organic gardening

We all need to lighten our toxic load in our living and working spaces. A big part of the solution is the Greener Building Practices. Money and energy savings are additional benefits while providing a more comfortable environment and a better quality of life. Most importantly, leave a positive impact on the earth.

Past client testimonials

"From the sale of our home to the purchase of our new home Nancy was there making us feel secure from start to finish. We were very satisfied. We felt very lucky to have her as our agent." - DG

"Nancy's Project Management skills of multi-able contractors, stagers, building inspectors, etc., was extremely impressive. We were amazed at the transformation of the home and got top dollar with a smooth transaction! We are very grateful to have an agent with the entire package." - MA

"In our home, me and my 21 year old son had the sense someone was sitting on our beds. Nancy did remote clearing of the space and I noticed an immediate change in the home. She was able to identify further energy disruptions and addressed the geo-pathetic stress most important a line going through my son's bed. The energy shifted and the ghost was gone." - MB

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa

"Water is the next Carbon"

HUGE VIRUS COMING ! PLEASE READ & FORWARD ! Verified by Snopes.com

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/28/09), Contra Costa and Alameda Counties

FHA notice on delay in FHA condominium changes

RE/MAX Accord Market Statistics (Week ending 10/21/09)

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy CostaHealthy Homes by Design

Eco-Friendly Real Estate Services

Past client testimonials

Larry Hillhouse and Nancy Costa
Healthy Homes by Design