Looks like I am *that* much closer to my electric MINI Cooper

I've already decided that the only thing that will pry my 2003 MINI Cooper from my driving fingers is a MINI E, an all electric plug-in version of the car that has been in development in England for some time. I entertained getting a Smart fortwo a year ago when the dealer opened in Tukwila but then the transmission went out in my MINI and I couldn't get out from under that car without paying money - so I still have it (with a new engine at 65k miles and new tranny at 77k miles - why is another story).

ANYwho, there was a blip in Seattle Times today that the City of Seattle and Nissan say they will work together to promote the development of an electric-car charging network in Seattle.

Gee, a charging network in my home city. And a dedicated outlet in my garage. Sounds like I am THAT much closer to a new and more beloved MINI.

Read Seattle, Nissan team up for electric-car charging network

Questions about foreclosures?

Wow, the Seattle Times hosted a Q&A session today about foreclosures and there are so many good questions and really great answers.

Here is the info from the Times and a link. Do yourself and your friends and family a favor - share this information widely, even with people who do not appear to be in financial trouble. You would be surprised at what is going on behind the scenes in today's American households. Or maybe not...

Do you have questions about the foreclosure process, home-rescue scams and what to do if you are an owner or tenant in a house that the bank is going to auction? Experts will answer your questions live at noon on Tuesday, April 28.

Melissa Huelsman is a Seattle attorney who represents homeowners in predatory lending, mortgage servicing and foreclosure-rescue scam litigation. Linda Taylor, director of housing at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle and the
agency's certified foreclosure prevention counselors.

Read the transcript.

Sustainable Industries Breaking News

"While architects and engineers across the country have been working to design buildings to meet the Living Building Challenge, a green building rating system developed by Cascadia Green Building Council, most developers and lenders still need a little convincing that such buildings make financial sense.

A recently released financial study on Living Building provides new fodder for such decision makers..."

Read Living Buildings gain financial cred

Insurers Offer Rewards for Going Green

Wow, this is news to me!

Your insurance company may give you a break if you go green.

The $16 trillion insurance industry has begun to address climate change with mandatory risk disclosures and more products to help reduce energy use. Insurers have begun to offer lower premiums on car, homeowner and property insurance for people who drive less, own hybrid cars or build green homes.

Read Insurers Offer Rewards for Going Green
By Jilian Mincer and Shelly Banjo, The Wall Street Journal

Today it's all about mortgages

Just passing this along from Realty Times

Washington Report: Mortgage System Changes

Congress got back to business last week after its holiday recess, and big changes to the U.S. home mortgage system were high on the agenda in the House.

Full Story


Who Owns My Mortgage?

Mortgages are often sliced and diced and repackaged into mortgage backed securities (MBS's) that are sold and traded on Wall Street. Many investors subscribe to an automated system called MERS (Mortgage Electronic Registration System) that keeps track of who owns the mortgage and note as it changes hands among investors, as well as who services it for that investor.

Full Story

Plan It Green Launches on Earth Day

This morning I received an email from a marketer who prefaced it with "I normally do not send unsolicited press releases to blogs and I hope I do not offend you but I thought you would find this interesting." And I responded, "And normally I ignore them, but I love this idea. Thanks for sending it. You are one of my Earth Day posts!"

This new game, "Plan It Green" sounds fun and fascinating! If I manage to get ahold of a copy I will write more about it in a future post. You can watch a short video about the new sim game. You can purchase Plan It Green on Amazon.com and probably many other locations. For $10 a whole lot of people are going to learn a whole lot about green!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Merscom and National Geographic Launch Plan It Green

Environmentally Themed Building Sim Launches on Earth Day

CHAPEL HILL, NC, April 22, 2009 Merscom and National Geographic Games announced today's release of Plan It Green, a building sim that integrates green technology in a fast paced casual game.

As the Mayor of Greenville, players have the opportunity to create a green city in Plan It Green. As mayor of your hometown, you have vowed to bring about a new green future by changing the ways of the past. You are working with close supporters to restore Greenville to its former glory and beauty. Watch as Greenville transforms before your eyes as you build eco-homes, apply green upgrades and bring new clean jobs and industry to your hometown! Plan It Green is the first game that leverages the resources of National Geographic, an organization that was green when green wasn' t cool

The first green casual game, Plan It Green features:

~ Transform Greenville from an eyesore, into a beautiful green city!

~ First casual game that leverages the knowledge and resources of National Geographic, an organization that was green when green wasnâ t cool.

~ Hours of gameplay in both campaign and free play mode!

~ Improve 8 neighborhoods across 45 levels!

~ Upgrade your hometown with parks, eco-homes and environmental upgrades

~ Build eco-friendly houses, stores and businesses

~ Pick the latest eco-upgrades

"This is the right product for the times. Not only is it a fantastic game, but it integrates a theme we all hear hundreds of times a week" said Kirk Owen, Merscom's CEO. "By working with National Geographic, we were able to go beyond pop green ideas and make a game that truly conveys the possibilities of the future."


About Merscom

Merscom is a global publisher of mass market computer and video games that distributes games through multiple channels, multiple platforms and multiple revenue models. Merscom's channels include retail distribution in the US and Europe, online sale through major portals worldwide and games on Microsoft® Xbox Live® Arcade. Merscom publishes games from leading casual game developers, including GO! Games, Reflexive Entertainment, Absolutist and Overplay. Merscom produces entertaining products for gamers of all ages and guarantees all customers a great experience. For more information visit http://www.merscom.com/.

###

Happy Earth Day and 2nd Blogoversary to GSRE!

Two years ago on Earth Day I launched this green blog. In two years I have written 353 posts. Compare this to my "pink blog", my personal blog launched in 2005 to travelogue our first trip to Italy, which has 519 posts since 11/05. Clearly I spend a lot more time talking green than pink!

I posed a question to some of the folks I work with - has Earth Day been greenwashed? Is it overcommercialized? We quickly agreed this was one "holiday" where it didn't matter. The more people who recognize the need to pay attention to what is happening in the environment around us the better! Any positive action in this direction is good!

When I first started this blog I was working for a real estate broker who focused on right-of-way road improvement projects and relocation work for SeaTac Airport (3rd runway nose remediation). If an agent sold a home it was gravy since we also were paid based on our contract work. The focus of my blog was to just share what I knew and what I learned. I was a lone green voice, especially amongst the people I worked with.

Even moving to a Built Green Certified Community didn't do the trick since many people living here just saw it as a new development inside the city limits and were only interested in the real estate aspect of the community and not the great variety of opportunities to build community - especially in alignment with "green" here. In the fall of 2007 I took the first ever offered Built Green training for real estate agents - I had been bugging them for months and they finally offered a course at NSCC. It was great to sit in a room full of eager learners and to absorb new information.

My move to GreenWorks Realty last November was like a salve to a worn-out runner. It is such a blessing to be surrounded by people who agree that the Earth needs our help - and education is the key to that. We all spend a lot of time educating ourselves and then passing that education along to others.

To honor Earth Day I gave two tours last Saturday - a green tour of my neighborhood, an international award winner when it comes to its management of runoff (High Point in West Seattle), and a tour to others in West Seattle interested in helping us build a canine off-leash play area for dogs. High Point is full of open space and the developer agreed to let one of the spaces go to the dogs instead of the kids (who have lots of open space and playgrounds to play in.) It was a great day to meet new people. And as always, I educated.

Today I will just learn more to share with others at a future time. And maybe do some greening around the office. I participated in a webinar last week sponsored by Sustainable Industries, "Greening Your Office Operations", and need time to go through all of those links!

No doubt you will learn something new today - be sure to share it with someone you know!

Mass Events Coming Your Way

I just spent some time updating my company's web site with info from emails I received in the last week and wanted to provide you with this snapshot of all of the good info there for the taking. And this is without my even looking for things to do that will educate you about green homes and lifestyles.

By the way, you missed a great green community tour on Saturday. The weather was perfect, we looked at three different kinds of homes and examined up close porous sidewalks, bioswales, and the other enviromental functions that make High Point special. In fact, both High Point and GreenWorks Realty are mentioned in the brand new book "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget", on page 112-113. It's so cool to see my neighborhood and my company discussed in detail in a book! UPS delivered a bubble package today, this book is hot off the press.

I provide community tours as a public service about once a quarter, so if you missed it this time watch the Green Spaces meetup calendar for next time.

UPCOMING EVENTS

April 2009

Earth Day 2009
Everywhere!
April 22nd - Find something to do.
Seattle and surrounding areas

"Air Sealing and Weatherization" + LEED Platinum Tour
Madrona and Eastlake (Seattle)
April 25th, 12:00pm-2:00pm
Seattle

"The American Dream: Fundamentals of Homeownership"
An Introduction to The HomeSight Program
SSCC, Olympic Hall, Room 206, 6:00pm-7:30pm
April 29th
Seattle

Strategies for Sustainability: Best Practices
NWETC-Headquarters, 9:00am-5:00pm
April 29th
Seattle

Making Sustainability Stick: Tools for Change Agents
NWETC-Headquarters, 9:00am-5:00pm
April 30th
Seattle


May 2009

Sustainable West Seattle Festival
Stop by the GreenWorks Realty booth and meet our agents!
SW Alaska & 44th Avenue SW
May 3rd, 10:00am-3:00pm
West Seattle

Permaculture Design Course with Toby Hemenway
SSCC Horticulture Center, 6000 16th Ave SW
Begins May 9th, 9:00
Seattle

Naturescaping for Wildlife
Phinney Neighborhood Center, 7:00pm-9:00pm
May 11th, Tickets $10 at http://www.brownpapertickets.com/
Seattle

EXPLORING ENERGY & DESIGN: Smart Solutions for the Built Environment
Town Hall Seattle (downstairs), 6:30pm-8:00pm, reception at 5:30pm, $10 advance, $15 door
May 13th
Seattle

10 Years of Climate Solutions Annual Breakfast
Benaroya Hall, 7:30am-9:00am
May 20th
Seattle

West Seattle Edible Garden Fair: Learn To Grow Your Own Groceries!
SSCC Landscape Horticulture Buildings, 9:30am-4:00pm
May 23rd
West Seattle

How much can a garden save you?

One of my favorite email subscriptions is the Market Watch Real Estate Weekly. It's some hard core real estate and finance info, but they also include odds and ends that I can *really* appreciate. And I think you will to!

I have several pots of lettuce and snap pea, snow pea (and lovely scented sweet pea) on my front porch, where I get the most sun. My lemon tree and lime bush also look like they are FINALLY going to have an abundant crop.

Can we garden our way out of this hole? Just a few years ago, the road to riches was clear. We could all sit on our porches drinking mint juleps while our houses appreciated 30% a year. Now, our houses are falling in value by 30% a year. Forget about them. The real money maker, it turns out, was always our backyard.

By planting a vegetable garden, we can slash our food bill while eating healthier.

Read How much can a garden save you?
By Neal Templin, The Wall Street Journal

Locovore crash course

I finally got to meet Tom Watson "Mr. EcoConsumer" at Seattle Green Festival! He is with King County Recycling and Environmental Services.

His most recent column is a nice primer on increasing your "eat local" ability by calculating food miles. There also are some very good links you should bookmark if eating healthy, local and sustainably grown food is a topic that interests you.

I have a small King County poster from 2002 that I still have hanging with the message "Homeland Security: Eat Local". It is a smart way to contribute to your local economies while limiting your exposure to toxic food by knowing your farmer and where your food comes from. It really does matter.

From the Seattle Times:

"Food miles" — how far food travels from the producer to your home — have become the latest preoccupation for folks concerned about their ecological footprint.
But food miles are a complex matter not easy to calculate. King County's EcoConsumer Tom Watson has put together a guide to different options as you try to buy food produced closer to home — comparing farmers markets, natural food stores, home-delivery services, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
subscriptions, and full-service grocery stores.

Read Eating local means figuring out your "food miles"

Word of the day bonus:
Urban Dictionary definition of "locovore"
the practice of eating food that is grown locally.

Another "not so big" masterpiece

When we bought our first home in 2001 I was given the book "The Not So Big House" as a housewarming gift from one of my friends. I still have the book, even though I don't still have that house. The book is great even for my new place, a nuevo Craftsman rowhome in High Point.

This weekend's Pacific Northwest Magazine in the Seattle Times features an article about a new book in the collection "Not So Big Remodeling".

A new book in the "Not So Big" series focuses on remodeling, showing ways to make a big impact with relatively inexpensive changes, while living sustainably. Many Seattle-area homes are featured.

I won't be needing this book anytime soon, but you might! It sounds like a great handbook. Read Remodeling for Real People

Certified Green Homes Inspired by GE's Ecomagination Program

According to Realty Times, a 2007 Energy Source report states that 86 percent of recent homebuyers said they would choose an energy-efficient home over one that was not energy-efficient.

Duh!!

Visit the GE ecomagination site for yourself. It's got some whiz-bang cool features!

OBTW, Green Festivals resported the Seattle green fest had 33,000 visitors this year, a 10% increase over last year. That would explain why I got sick after spending two days hanging out with 33,000 people. There was bound to be someone with a bug! Great to see those numbers!

It's not too late to join this pre-Earth Day tour of a Seattle Built Green community

I am honoring Earth Day by giving two very different tours of the High Point neighborhood in West Seattle.

One is for the dogs - at 3 PM I will be leading a group dog walk to the proposed area for an off-leash dog park in this community.

You probably will be more interested in the 11 AM tour of the Built Green features of this neighborhood and a tour of a couple of the homes for sale here.

I have lived in this community for almost two years and love giving group tours. Please join us - sign up online so I don't ditch you in the parking lot.

What: Walking Tour of High Point (West Seattle)

When: April 18, 2009 11:00 AM

Get an up-close and personal look at the environmental aspects of this Built Green certified community. The tour includes exterior bio-features, and then we tour a few of the homes for sale based on vacancy and what people are interested in.

Learn more at Green Spaces RE meetup site!

First-time home buyers can plan for tax credit -- even if they've yet to buy

I am working with a client who is a first time homebuyer in her 50s. I will definitely be forwarding this and the HomeSight information to her!!!

Many of this year's first-time home buyers will get an extra perk: a tax credit of up to $8,000 that can be claimed on their 2008 taxes.

The option to claim the credit now instead of next year puts cash in the hands of eligible buyers soon after they've committed to one of the biggest purchases they'll ever make.

See TaxWatch.

Lawn care done right can save you money, and help sell your home

Yesterday's Real Estate Weekly (an email newsletter, sign up here) included an introductory article by Amy Hoak, a real estate writer with MarketWatch.com. It is very appropriate for a green real estate blog, of course, to pass on this valuable information!

Her article is exactly what I preach! (I used to practice it, too, until I sold my home and moved to a lovely contemporary Craftsman townhome in High Point. 5 homes and 5 condominiums for sale today!)

A for-sale home with great curb appeal has an advantage over its competition: It makes a favorable first impression. For many, improving curb appeal starts with the lawn.

More than one-third of those surveyed in a recent Consumer Reports poll said they'd put more of an effort into their outdoor spaces this year, compared with last year, putting in extra work to entertain guests, or to make yards look at least as good as their neighbor's yard.

"We found that homeowners should be prepared to dedicate an average of 6.5 hours per week working outdoors during growing season," said Peter Sawchuk, project leader at Consumer Reports, in a news release. In its May issue, the magazine rates mowers and provides tips on how to save money and time while taking care of your lawn.

Here are the tips, according to Consumer Reports:
1) Fertilize less. Instead of stocking up on fertilizer, clear out yard debris and test the soil to find out the soil's pH, missing nutrients, how much of each is needed, and when to apply them.
2) Maintain your mower. Oil changes, basic engine maintenance and sharp blades can reduce fuel costs by up to 25%.
3) Thicken your turf. Choose grass suited to your climate, soil conditions and lifestyle.
4) Mow less. Never cut more than one-third of the blade's total height or it will weaken the roots. Mow less often as the weather heats up and grass growth slows.
5) Add compost. Adding a quarter-inch of top-dressing compost once or twice a year promotes a healthy turf and saves money by reducing need for fertilizer and water.
6) Mulch clippings. Mulching instead of bagging returns natural nutrients to soil, saving time, bags, and as much as 30% on fertilizing costs.
7) Be smart about watering. Water deeply and infrequently: 1 inch per week, although hot spells may require additional watering.
8) Improve sprinkler-system efficiency. Irrigation systems save on watering the lawn, but vary in efficiency. On existing sprinkler systems, install a rain sensor or a soil-moisture sensor so the lawn is only watered when the air or ground is dry.
9) Think beyond grass. Grass won't grow everywhere, so consider shade-loving ground covers, ornamental grasses, and plants instead.
10) Do a weekly walk-around. Check the lawn once a week for stressed plants and turf, bare spots, compacted soil, and signs of too much watering.

Following these guidelines can trim an hour or more off of yard work each week -- and save you money, too, according to Consumer Reports. For those trying to sell a home in this market, or those simply trying to reduce home-maintenance costs, it's worth a shot.

First time homebuyer? Refinancing? You should know about HomeSight!

Another email chains its way to me...


FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER? REFINANCING?

South Seattle Community College Women's Center with Special Guest, Rep. Eileen Cody, has partnered with HomeSight to present to you "An Introduction to Home Financing and Purchase Assistance: The HomeSight Program"

South Seattle Community College
6000 16th Avenue SW
Seattle, WA 98106

Location: Olympic Hall, Room 206
Date: Wednesday, April 29th
Time: 6:00-7:30p.m

HomeSight offers one of the most comprehensive homeownership program in Washington State, including refinancing.

The HomeSight Program curriculum is designed for potential first time home buyers seeking basic to extensive knowledge of the purchase process. Homebuyer education classes are combined with financial assessment and coaching sessions where a HomeSight counselor and the potential buyer collaboratively create budget and homebuyer action plans. HomeSight works to tailor the education, counseling, and purchase assistance to ensure clients' needs are met.

Click here to find out more about HomeSight Programs or call Nicole at 206-760-4244.

Cosponsored by: White Center Community Development Association
For more information, contact Patricia Julio at the White Center Community Development Association
P: 206.708.8762 F: 206.658-8344
Website

Heads-up! Some cool classes courtesy of Seattle Tilth

Fresh out of my email Inbox courtesy of the P-Patch listserv!

The Eco Design class series is focusing on landscape design that teaches how people can design their own yards and community spaces to protect the environment and enhance natural systems. The first one is coming up on April 20, Intro to Eco Design: Conserving Resources.

During that class, students will have hands-on opportunities to build a rainwater garden in conjunction with Stewardship Partners, and also to work on the green roof on our greenhouse, and check out our water catchment system including rainbarrels and swales.

Permaculture Design Course with guest teacher Toby Hemenway. Permaculture uses ecological principles to create sustainable human communities that are harmoniously woven into the environment and that have the diversity, stability, and resilience of natural ecosystems. This class is an intensive educational experience and a certificate program – two full days each month for six months.

Seattle Tilth provides all sorts of education and experience to create healthy landscapes and protect waterways, including......
the Children’s Garden to get ‘em while they’re young,
The Garden Hotline for info and referrals,
the Master Composter program providing education about composting and healthy soil to neighborhoods all over Seattle,
and the Demonstration Gardens in north and south Seattle and also on the Eastside.

For more information, contact:
Liza Burke, Outreach & Development Coordinator
Seattle Tilth Association
4649 Sunnyside Ave North, Room 120
Seattle, WA 98103
(206) 633-0451 ext. 103 or lizaburke@seattletilth.org

FREE Greatest Hits Tours: Chart Toppers and Heart-Stoppers

When: Saturdays, April 18th and April 25th – 10 or 10:30am both days
Where: Rainier Square Atrium, Third Level

Registration required
Sponsored by Seattle Architecture Foundation

Each year a new class of tour guides leads a practice tour as part of their training. This year 40 new guide trainees will conduct the Greatest Hits: Chart Toppers and Heart-Stoppers tour. The tour focuses on the construction, context and culture which shaped our skyline, from golden oldies like the Rainier Club to popular favorites like the Central Library.

The only cost to participants is to complete a brief evaluation of their guides at the end of the tour. Space is limited and advanced registration is required.

WSB post about new off leash area for dogs in High Point spins off-kilter to real estate and neighborhood

The folks at the West Seattle Blog were kind enough to help me recruit "fresh blood" into The High Point K9 Club interested in helping build an off-leash area in High Point, a Built Green Certified Community in West Seattle.

This great call to action stirred great supporting comments on Facebook and Twitter, and even two comments as a follow-up to the actual post on WSB. But invariably there is always someone who chooses to make negative remarks unrelated to the original post ("Comment by A Highpoint Owner — April 7, 09 2:20 pm"). High Point seems to be the ugly step-child everyone loves to pick on.

Personally I think a lot of people are jealous. They wish they could live here. Many of them actually could (referring to SHA housing - many of the homes are available for rent at market rates - the rental office is located at 35th Ave SW and SW Holly, call 206-932-2736). All of the homes in High Point are new, beautiful, green and of smart design. There are pocket parks on almost every block, huge trees and plants everywhere, a super waterfall and pond with a 1/4 mile trail around it, a 4+ acre "Commons Park" with a new p-patch, cool "viewing mound" with a spiraling trail up it, and an outdoor ampitheater with art designed by people living in the community.

I could go on all day about the great things in this neighborhood. I was so impressed with it I moved here myself, with my husband, in July of 2007. For the 4 months we had to wait for our home that was under construction to be completed I would come to High Point to walk my dog. It was that much safer than my former neighborhood of Puget Ridge, where there are no sidewalks, people let their dogs run off leash and harass people, and sparsely spaced street lights.

So in response to this anonymous High Point homeowner who hates where s/he lives, I say this:

As for High Point property values, the "social experiment", foreclosures and ALL of that OTHER STUFF people worry about - I am a home owner in Phase 1 AND I am a real estate agent. I did not take my purchase in this community lightly. I bought with the intent to hold for ten years. Real estate is not a short term investment (altho for some people they thought it could be and now they are stuck.)

Currently FOR SALE are 5 homes and 5 condominiums. 2 of the 5 homes for sale NEVER sold and are still owned by the builder, only 3 are resales. Obviously over-priced and they got caught in the downturn like everyone else.

SOLD since June 1, 2008 - when many of us consider the real estate crash really set in - are 10 homes, 0 condos. Only ONE home was a short sale (pre-foreclosure), NONE of the homes currently offered for sale are foreclosures. And whoever bought the short sale townhome got a 1 year old $425k townhome for $360k. Frankly I was jealous because that is a great price.

NOTE: In real estate short sales/auctioned/REO properties are not considered when trying to determine market value of a home being willingly sold by an owner. Also: you aren't entitled to making a profit off your home. It's called market forces and the world revolves around them.

I hate hijacking a post like that (I don't think WSB will let my rant through anyway, so I am using my own pulpit) - but for those of us who love living in High Point and believe it is a rich and fulfilling community worthy of our efforts and volunteer time I am speaking out because I am sick of hearing people who dis the 'hood. The crime rates are statistically lower here than anywhere in West Seattle (High Point is a dense neighborhood). I've lived in West Seattle for almost 13 years and watched the Phase 1 High Point redevelopment process from beginning to end and I am PROUD to call it home.

Maybe residents who complain about it should do something about it. There are a ton of options, let's start with three:

1) Volunteer on one of the many associations

2) Join a dog walk/litter pickup group of neighbors (Saturday, 4/11 10 AM, meet at the Redwood High Point kiosk)

3) Volunteer to tutor some kids and help them with their homework.

I do ALL OF THESE THINGS, plus other activities outside of the neighborhood that interest me. You have to be invested in your community to value it. Until you do, you won't. I challenge you to do something to improve this neighborhood - it just might improve your attitude right along with it.

Top 10 Home Buying Tips For Short Sales – A Guide To Understanding Short Sale Foreclosure Real Estate

I've been boning up on the best ways to negotiate and manage a SS transaction. I also am signed up to do BPOs, although you have to be quick on the button since a lot of agents are doing them these days (I haven't actually go to do one yet, I am always getting beat out for the assignment).

Here is something from Today's Realty Times that I thought you should read:

Modern homebuyers will inevitably come across one or more properties currently classified as a short sale. A short sale is an attempt by the current owner to sell a home in lieu of the bank taking it back through foreclosure proceedings, thus partially salvaging their credit rating and lifting the burden of heavy mortgage debt. This is what they should know.

Read Top 10 Home Buying Tips For Short Sales – A Guide To Understanding Short Sale Foreclosure Real Estate

Smart Technology in the Intelligent Home

From one of my favorite magazines, via today's Realty Times:

In 2009, WIRED magazine again served as the technology and automation advisor for the Smart Home, helping to identify and secure new "smart" systems and fun gadgets with a focus on energy efficiency, homeowner awareness and great design. The result is a Smart Home that is responsible, responsive, and cutting-edge—and makes life easy.

Read Smart Technology in the Intelligent Home

This interesting dance "the limbo", real estate style

Do you like to shimmy?

Just how low can you go?

A 2nd price reduction on my listing in Upper Rainier Beach hit the NWMLS today. This property owner is TIRED of the limbo and just wants to sell this property. Fortunately in the last two weeks I've seen online activity pickup in the under $300s range, I am betting the under $250 area is *real* exciting! Prove me right...

Please keep it in mind as a great option for first time buyers (who have tons of money available for downpayment assistance right now - more on that soon) or investors looking to hold a nice little rental property.

What are you doing for Earth Day 2009?

Let's start a conversation ~

What are you doing for Earth Day 2009, on April 22nd this year.

Is it personal, professional, volunteer work, or _________???.

Are you willing to share that with the world? Does verbalizing your intentions make it more real for you? We (all of the readers) would love to hear what you are doing to commemorate Earth Day.

Please post a Comment below, or perhaps make suggestions for things we can individually do or even help you with for Earth Day.

If you’ve not decided what to do for Earth Day this year, now I've planted that seed for you. Why don't you report back later – but sometime before April 22nd – about how you are going to honor Earth Day this year?

If you need ideas, visit the EarthDay Network web site. Or visit the U.S. Government's Earth Day site, to "celebrate and accelerate".

Top 10 Best Green Jobs for the next decade

I have to thank all my tweeps on Twitter for keeping me more up-to-date with the things that are most important to me in my life. Talk about custom-tailoring my news!! This came across from @MyGreensFinds.

Massive investments in clean energy promise to keep farmers, urban planners, and green-tech entrepreneurs in business for the next decade. This guide to sustainability focused career paths will help solar-charge your work life.

Read Top 10 Best Green Jobs for the next decade by Anya Kamenetz at FastCompany.com

Bloom! A Conversation with Seattle's Green Innovators

This came across my radar a few weeks ago and the final speaker lineup has been announced.

Admission is only $5 this Thursday evening

From my Twitter files ~ "Why green is still hot"

Retweeting the @ECOCONSUMER "Why green is still hot" - his latest EcoConsumer blog posting: http://tinyurl.com/deny5x

GREAT STUFF HERE.

@GreenSPacesRE