Apr. 3, 2008 - April Plant Workshop In Prescott Arizona
Anyone who has lived in Prescott for very long can tell you that allergy season is here in full force. Because of the wind and the plants that have been introduced to our area that are not native we are experiencing an increasing severity in allergies. Using plants that are native to the area is very important for many reasons, most especially for preserving soil integrity and for water conservation. The Highland Center is having a spring workshop and sale of native plants.
Oct. 26, 2007 - Save a Tree Eliminate Unwanted Catalogs
Are you drowning in mail?
This time of year seems to bring every imaginable catalogs to my home. Many are unwanted and seem a wasteful use of paper and environmentally irresponsible.
Well now you can do something about it. A new not for profit service offers the ability to "opt out" of catalog mailing lists that you don't want. Simply go to their website and register. It's good for you and the planet.
Septic systems are vital to our rural area and so is maintenance. Poorly maintained systems can cause ground water
contamination and create unhealthy living conditions for local residents. University of Arizona has a great article about
septic maintenance that I have posted to my website click on the picture to view or download.
And as a bonus there is an article at the end about bunnies!
Oct. 15, 2007 - Real Estate Industry and Paper - Blog Action Day
Each traditional transaction in real estate uses about 300 sheets of paper from start to finish. With an expected volume
of 6 million transactions for 2007 and this is the worst market in years….well you do the math. Our industry has many new
ways to help reduce this obscene volume but is slow to adopt. For the foreseeable future we will still need to generate
some papers but I have put together a list of 3 of suggestions that would not only bring the paper usage down but can save
money in the long run.
1) Use electronic signatures for paperwork.
This will eliminate the need for you or your clients to print out in order to sign
2) Use a transaction coordination web site
This will allow all parties to see paperwork and email back and forth without generating unnecessary copies.
3) Give your clients a close out disk instead of binder
It is much easier for the clients to keep than the reams of paper and easier to find appropriate files.
These are just a few simple and easy ways that our industry could make an impact on our environment very quickly.
There are also personal choices individual Realtors can make that will help make an impact. See my post from last month
entitled "Can you promote growth and help the environment".
Tomorrow October 15th is the first ever blog action day around the world and there is one topic- The
Environment. Please join me and over 10,000 other bloggers as we to use one voice to do what bloggers to best, create
conversation. You can learn more about blog action day by visiting the website: http://blogactionday.org/
-Vicki Brannock is a real estate agent in Prescott Arizona
Sep. 17, 2007 - Can You Promote Growth and Help the Environment?
If you have worked with a real estate agent
you must wonder about the amount of miles they drive per year and
the amount of paper that is consumed per transaction.
My concern has always been toward
keeping a soft footprint on the environment but I do believe in
growth and development. My conviction is that these two concepts
are not mutually exclusive, even for a Realtor.
For instance, when it came time to purchase a
new car I knew I needed something that was large enough to
accommodate several people for showing appointments. I live in a
rather rural area so I also needed 4 wheel drive to show property
off of dirt roads and make it up hills without my clients feeling
like they had just got on Mr. Toads Wild Ride.
So this time I decided to put my money
where my mouth is and purchased the Toyota Highlander Hybrid. I did
this for myself but the resulting reaction from my clients has been
enthusiastic appreciation. The gas mileage is terrific for a 4
wheel drive and the low emission output makes a statement about a
commitment to use current available resources (like hybrid engines)
to become more environmentally friendly.
The other recently adopted practice is
to reduce paper by using email and electronic signatures on forms
and then place everything on a disk for the client to keep. Making
use of low cost
transaction managers gives all concerned parties access to the
transaction paperwork while saving time and of course trees!
Although these are small personal
commitments, realtors and the real estate community have played
more of a role in environmental concerns than they are given credit
for. We have helped our clients with education on mold, asbestos,
lead paint and other hazards. We care deeply about making sure our
clients have not only a happy experience with their home sale or
purchase but a healthy one as well.
I would love to hear what you are doing
to change the way we use our resources. A few small ideas can
sometimes make a large impact. Let’s see what we can come up
with.
With Arizona’s average days of sunshine around 350 a year our Governor may want to explore some of the positive steps California is taking. According to Lennar Homes spokesperson Charles Schein, installing rooftop solar electric power system as standard equipment on their new homes is expected to cut energy bills 40% to 60%. The 2.3-kilowatt system would cost between $15,000 and $20,000 to install on an existing house. Home buyers also get a one-time tax credit of $2,000.
Lennar officials said they are not increasing the prices of the houses to absorb the additional cost but do get a break by purchasing the systems in bulk. The company also is eligible for a state rebate that is equal to about 30% of the cost of the system, said Bill Kelly, general manager of the new homes division of SunPower, the San Jose business that provides the solar systems. (source Fresno Bee).
Instead of just waiting out this economic slowdown in real estate why not use the time to strategically plan for the future and set a new standard for building that is in line with economic realities like higher energy prices and resource shortages.
Dishing it up- information and opinons on market trends, issues, technology and advances in Real Estate and related industries by Vicki Brannock, e-pro, ABR.
Comments are Encouraged! Please note comment area below each post.
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