Native SF

This post is a follow up to the section “Tips for getting your home ready for the market”.  As we had talked earlier about the interior of your property we will now touch on the exterior of your property! 

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Yesterday, I was thinking of earth day and decided to make today’s blog earth day 2!

We should all be steward of the earth, and help keep it clean and pollution free. There are many ways we can do this some small and others big, here are two stories to make us think: There has been a lot of talk about building green but just where exactly are they located in San Francisco? To discover LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) buildings I was lead to one of many projects bringing us to Arterra with the LEED designation and just about ready to be viewed in all grandeur. We had to get the scoop on why this project is so green! The project will be done in mid July according to the sales office and they are currently running hard hat tours now. The project is a 269 unit residential condo building with several different floor plans that include 1 bedroom, 1 bedroom with den, two bedroom, two bedroom with den, and three bedroom units or townhouse! They also have different levels such as Park, City and Sky showing off views which each building possesses. But let’s get back to the green! Here are the facts that make Arterra a green building:                                                                                                                                           Recycled and Sustainable Materials

• • Arterra’s exterior façade features durable panels made of recycled content
• • The entry lobby features floors made of recycled glass and a wall of wood harvested from Forest Stewardship Certified sustainable forests
• • Elevator lobbies at each residential floor feature cork flooring, a rapidly renewable resource
• • Bamboo, a rapidly renewable resource, is used for all standard kitchen floors
• • The common-area carpet is manufactured in California using sustainable manufacturing techniques

 Energy and Resource Conservation

• • Energy Star®-rated home appliances, including gas ranges
• • Grasses and other plant materials used for Arterra’s roofs offer excellent insulation and reduce rainwater flow into the City’s drainage system
• • Innovative energy-efficient lighting
• • Large Low-E, extremely energy-efficient insulated windows flood homes with light
• • Dual-flush toilets and other water conserving features
• • High-efficiency water heating boiler

 Indoor Environmental Quality

• • Arterra is a completely smoke-free building
• • Formaldehyde-free European-made cabinets
•  • Low emitting paint and carpeting meet the highest air quality standards Indoor Environmental Quality
• • Arterra is a completely smoke-free building
• • Formaldehyde-free European-made cabinets
• • Low emitting paint and carpeting meet the highest air quality standards–  [http://www.arterrasf.com] 

 Making Arterra a green building, this native San Franciscan is giving it a thumbs up! If you are interested in buying a condo in this complex call me today! Another company making its GREEN mark is Noon Solar!                                                                                                                                                                                                               I want to mention this company because right now it’s HOT!! Getting away from the real estate aspect of the blog …this company has sold out of its 2007 inventory and now is going to open its 2008 Spring inventory in the next few days! What is it you may ask… solar energized bags for men and women that come included with solar panels to charge your iphone, ipod, cell phones etc…  Helping the environment and taking the natural sun light to charge your accessories instead of using electricity. WOW… Take a peek on just how they do it with this link:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03Xy0KjL6Nw Still interested you can check out their site at www.noonsolar.com  Be good to the earth!

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Happy Earth Day!!! Here are a few tips to help the earth out:

• Switch out light bulbs.  The U.S. EPA estimates that if every home replaced its five most frequently used traditional light bulbs and fixtures with ones bearing the Energy Star label, the U.S. would save about $8 billion in energy costs and the greenhouse gas equivalent of emissions from 10 million cars. 
• Change air filters in your heating and air conditioning system.  The EPA recommends changing the filter at least every three months and more if it looks dirty. Dirty Filters slows down air flow, making the system work harder thus using more energy. 
• Seal and insulate. Home owners can save approximately up to 20 percent of heating and cooling costs by air sealing their properties and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists. 

Knowledge is power!

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Do something great for the environment, as well as, something good for you!!

The last posting we had touched on how to make your home more presentable, such as with a deep cleaning before you show it. The information below will also help you with unwanted electronics that might just be sitting in the corner of your house collecting dust!

Recycle your Electronics!

When: Saturday, April 19th, 2008

Where:  Ocean Beach Parking Lot on the Great HWY near Fulton

               Across from Beach Chalet

Time:    9:00am – 2:00pm

What will they take?

They will take the following items free of charge!

·         Tvs and Monitors

·         Computers and Laptops

·         Scanners and Printers

·         Cell Phones

·         Fax Machines   

·         Ethernet Cables

·         Telephone Systems

·         VCRs and DVD Players

·         All networking equipment

 BUT there are things they will not take which are the following:

No appliances of any kind or microwaves…

For more information use this link          http://www.sfcleancity.com

One more time here is the date, time and location!

April 19, 2008
9:00am - 2:00pmOcean Beach Parking Lot (Beach Side of Great Highway, Across from the Beach Chalet)

Do some good recycle!

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In Today’s Market you always want to try to stay ahead. So what can you do that is inexpensive yet will add value to your home?

 Homeowners can do some of the easiest things with minimal amount of work and money being spent! Here are some tips to help you get down to work without paying those big remodeling fees! The Interior of your Home: 

• ·         A home which is going to be put on the market needs to have a deep cleaning.  When your home is being presented for the first time you must present a great first impression of your home! This will attract prospective buyers, as well as, help your property. You should definitely consider hiring a professional cleaning company to do the job.
• ·          Are your kitchen cabinet surfaces unattractive? Resurfacing may be an option, which can be less expensive than putting in new cabinets. Redoing the face of a cabinet can give old and worn cabinets new life and can visually update a kitchen.
• ·         Consider replacing door knobs! This small detail can go a long way especially in the kitchen where you can replace the knobs on cabinets to give it a crisper look! 
•  ·          Another great inexpensive way to shape up your property is to paint! Paint your walls and ceilings which will do wonders. Caution: no bright extreme colors. It is probably best to stay neutral so buyers aren’t distracted by the color. Picking calm relaxing colors can often help a buyer picture themselves in your home.
• ·          Covering your hardwood floors is a no no. Consider having the carpet removed to show off the hardwood floors. Hardwood floors are very sought after, you could also perhaps give them a refinishing to bring out the quality and color in the wood. 

 Stay Tuned for next week’s posting of what tips can help the exterior of your building.

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Hello San Francisco,
 
This is the beginning of my blog . . . we all know that the best way to communicate or if you are in need to find something fast is through the Internet. So as technology grows, so will I by bringing you a  blog about the best city in the world. . . SAN FRANCISCO.

This blog will be about the different areas in San Francisco, not only about property but city life as well.  I will talk about different districts and what they have to offer you the reader, as well as, restaurants and shops! So remember it’s  a work in progress . . . Stay tuned for much, much more from this San Francisco Native!

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