Grants Pass, OR

Green Homes, Fad Or Fact?

I just attended a Green Home seminar and have some lingering thoughts.

We in Oregon are extremely environmentally conscious. It seems that we attract more "save the earth" type people than most states. This is probably because we are surrounded by such an incredible abundance of nature that it can't be ignored when it's all around you.

In Southern Oregon, we don't have the luxury of getting our electricity from hydro-electric power plants that northern Oregonians have.

We get our electricity from coal powered plants in other states.

Since our winds always blow our pollution to the east, you'd think we wouldn't even care, but we do.

We realize that if we conserve the energy that we use, that we can eventually eliminate a lot of these power plants and reduce the emissions smashing into our atmosphere, but from things I read, it seems that we in Oregon are more concerned about reducing pollution in states to the east of us than those states themselves.

I am curious however, if in other states "going green" is catching on, or is it just a stylish fad?

I remember during the gas shortages of 1972 and 1979 when people didn't care what gas cost, just as long as they could get it, and that's one of the reasons that the worlds' auto makers didn't really get onboard with the fuel savings gig like they should have. Detroit profits a lot more on the larger vehicles, probably to the tune of $15,000 ++ on a vehicle like the Chevy Tahoe, whereas they probably only make $4,000 to $5,000 on a Malibu. Now I'm not talking about the dealer profit, I'm talking about the bottom line profit made by GM once they send it to a dealer. You can see why they have been so slow to respond, and it has taken a lot of external pressure for them to do anything, especially now that we're used to paying around $3 per gallon for gasoline. When gas prices first went up over $2 a gallon, and eventually hit between $3 and $4 per gallon everyone figured that it was all over for the big vehicles. A huge percentage of our population however still feels that it isn't how much you pay per gallon, it's whether or not you can get the fuel in the first place, and they will still buy the biggest and baddest that the automakers can produce. The only atmosphere they are concerned with saving is their own.

Human nature being what it is, I just wonder if that same large segment of our population that is not concerned so much about the price of fuel, but the availability feels the same about purchasing a Green Home.

So, would Green Housing really be popular if it cost a lot more for the home if people know it will be beneficial to the environment?

When the Saints go marching in...oh when the Saints go marching in! I don't know about you, but I was openly rooting for the Saints to win the Super Bowl today. And lo and behold, they did not disappoint. And what about that on side kick to open the 2nd half?! OMG, that is something you might see in a College football game, but not the Super Bowl. Let's just say gutsy!

It's been about 5 years since I visited New Orleans, eating beignets and drinking Cafe Du Munde coffee in the French Quarter. After Katrina, I wondered if New Orleans would ever return to her glory. But, today was her day. What the Saints did for New Orleans today is just short of a miracle. When the Saints go marching in to the French Quarter, there is going to be a Mardi Gras like none we have ever seen!

Congratulations New Orleans Saints!

Super Bowl Sunday - Yummy Treats and Great Eats! I confess, Super Bowl Sunday doesn't have great meaning for me, other than the fact that we enjoy yummy treats and great eats. It has always been a tradtion in my home for the guys to watch football and the gals to cook good food on Super Bowl Sunday. That may sound a bit sexist, but that is the way it has always been.

And, there are no complaints coming from this gal. I have spent a lifetime watching football with the guys (and even cheering for it on the sidelines in my younger days). To this day, I still don't totally understand why guys get a kick out of watching other guys tackle one another. I do enjoy seeing great passes and running backs taking the ball down the field for a touchdown. But the whole contact thing, loses me.

So, in the kitchen I go, to create some yummy treats and great eats for half time. I am sure the boys (men) will be hungry by then... after working up such an appetite. Ha! Perhaps I will manage to sit down before the game and enjoy the Star Spangled Banner by Carrie Underwood and a few Who songs during half time. Enjoy the game!

Size Doesn't Matter Any More! In 2009, home buyers chose smaller homes, which drove down the average size of a house built in the United States for the first time in 27 years. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) found the average size of a new home that was completed in 2009 fell to 2,480 square feet from 2,520 square feet in 2008. The last time the average completed-home size fell by a statistically significant amount was 1982.

Better Homes and Gardens magazine produced a survey which said downsizing was becoming a bigger priority: 36% said in November 2009 that they expected their next home to be "somewhat smaller" or "much smaller" than their current home versus 32% who said that in 2008. "Not surprisingly, we see a ‘cents and sensibility' approach when it comes to buying or improving a home, with practicality and price being the top priorities," said Eliot Nusbaum, the magazine's executive editor of home design.

"Although actual square footage of homes didn't fall until 2009, the percent of homes with four or more bedrooms in them has been falling since 2007, NAHB data show. And in 2009, the number of homes with three or more bathrooms fell for the first time since 1992.

Two primary reasons that size doesn't matter any more is the prominence of first-time buyers and 55 and older buyers. While demand for larger homes is decreasing, the following amenities continue to be in demand:

-Walk-in closets in the master bedroom
-Laundry rooms
-Insulated front doors
-Great rooms
-Energy-efficient windows
-Linen closets
-Programmable thermostats
-Energy-efficient appliances and lighting
-Separate shower and tub in master bathrooms
-Nine-foot ceilings on the first floor

Among the things that builders said they were least likely to add to houses in 2010:

-Outdoor kitchens
-Outdoor fireplaces
-Sunrooms
-Butler's pantries
-Media rooms
-Desks in kitchens
-Two-story foyers
-Eight foot ceilings on the first floor
-Multiple shower heads in the master bath
-Smaller kitchens

Here are the latest Grants Pass Southern Oregon Real Estate Statistics for January 2010.

900 - Active Residential Listings

54 - Homes Sold

30 - Listings Pending

157 - Average Days on Market

$176,948. - Average Sold Price

Statistics provided courtesy of Real Estate Cafe. Source of information is Southern Oregon MLS - Monthly NAR Statistical Report. Information provided herein has not been verified and is not guaranteed.

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