New homes often have a coverd patio or deck. In older homes, they have often been enclosed to expand the amount of space in the house or they are not in good repair. A best case scenario would be if a patio or deck is in good repair to use it as an outdoor living area. This gets the family outsid
...
07/30/2006
When people ask me what I do, I tell them that I recycle houses. That almost inevitably gets them to ask how I do it or what I mean. I then explain to them that I am a Realtor and I specialize in residential resale which is a way to reuse existing homes. This gives me an opportunity to talk to t
...
07/29/2006
As green building principles become more mainstream more people are looking at issues of energy efficincy in existing homes as well. Frank Lloyd Wright's "United States of North America" houses were built to take into account the principle we are now rediscovering. Orientation-- the siting of a h
...
07/28/2006
As an EcoBroker, I have a commitment to helping homeowners learn ways that they can make our larger home a healthier and safer place by helping them understand ways to make their own homes more energy efficient and have better indoor air quality while saving money. Here are some tips from a very
...
07/26/2006
As "McMansions" continue to pop up all over the country, I am wondering why people keep buying them. More and more when I visit people, I find that they have one or more rooms that they never use. If I inquire about a closed room as they are showing off their home, they say something like "Oh,
...
07/25/2006
In a previous post I wrote that 60% or more of greenhouse gases come from buildings. That was information from an older book by Santa Fe architech Ed Mazria. More recent information says that the current annual energy consumption by buildings is 48%....I'd love to believe that better insulation
...
07/21/2006
All over the coutry, there are great examples of buildings recycled from other uses into shelter. In some cases this creates affordable housing .In others the housing cost is comparable to other area housing costs but it has the advantage of reusing the existing building envelope for a new purp
...
07/20/2006
Kitchen remodels seem to be the one thing that just about everyone agrees is needed in most older homes. At the very least, replacing older appliances with energy efficient models is a necessity. Not only do they save money by using less energy they generally have a larger capacity than older
...
07/16/2006
I am often asked why I focus my efforts on older, smaller homes and often in neighborhoods that are not "the best". I believe that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Not everyone can afford the ritzy neighborhood and some who can still choose not to live there. I try to mkake sure my clien
...
07/15/2006
I have noticed that houses seem to be getting larger even as family size gets smaller. Since I specialize in residential resale, I have a need to be able to explain to people the advantages of older homes and smaller spaces. I have often had people be pleasantly surprised when they learn that a
...
07/14/2006
