Jewel Box: A Venice Beach Home Combines Modern Design and Sustainability

By Kelly Smith
July/August

Architect Andrew Mangan knows one way to spread the word about sustainable design: Build a can’t-miss-it, Technicolor, ultramodern home just blocks from the Pacific Ocean in Venice Beach, California. Built on a small lot, the colorful jewel box is a model of smart, green thinking.


We know the members of our editorial advisory board are on top of their fields, but recently their ...
Green Insulation 101: Cellulose, Fiberglass, Spray Foam and Cotton

Choose natural forms of insulation for your home.... Mangan designed the home’s colorful façade to attract attention. “Once it caught their eye, I knew people would want to learn more about it,” he says. “This opens up doors to learning more about its green characteristics.”
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Compost Bin Made of Shipping Pallets

By Kelly Coyne and Erik Knutzen
July/August 2011

Composting is the ultimate form of recycling, so shouldn't the container used for composting also be made from reclaimed materials? One of the most ubiquitious castoffs in our cities is the humble wooden pallet. It takes just a few minutes to hook together a few pallets to make a phenomenal compost bin.

You'll need:

3 wooden shipping pallets, all the same size (find them behind stores)
Attachedment hardware: your choice of screws, nails, bolts, teist-ties, or wire
Scavenged boards to act as slats for the front of the composter (2x6s, 2x8s, etc.)
12 to 16 total feet of 2x4 lumber (You can piece together scraps, if necessary.)
Chicken wire,hardware cloth, and/or flattened cardboard boxes (optional)


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Loan Requests Pick up as rates hit new lows

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages flirting with 4%

By Inman News
Inman News™

This Mortgage rates continued to inch downward into new record territory this week as worries about the European debt crisis continued to make Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities that fund most home loans look like safe bets to investors.


Borrowers finally seem to be responding to lower rates, with demand for purchase mortgages and refinancing picking up last week.

Rates on 30-year fixed-rate mortgages averaged 4.09 percent with an average 0.7 point for the week ending Sept. 15, a new low in records dating to 1971, Freddie Mac said in releasing the results of its latest Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That's down from last week's record low of 4.12 percent, and a 2011 high of 5.05 percent seen in February.


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Water-Wise Oasis: A Tucson Desert Garden

By Marsha Scarbrough
September/October 2005

Not far from downtown Tucson, at the home of permaculture teacher Brad Lancaster, sun-baked sidewalks disappear into the feathery green foliage of a thriving oasis. Even more surprising than this welcome change of scenery, however, is the source of its sustenance. In one of the country’s most arid climates, this lush garden is irrigated entirely with harvested rainwater and graywater.

Brad transformed a barren yard on a blistering city block into an award-winning showcase for sustainable home horticulture through simple, inexpensive, low-tech strategies that can be effectively applied anywhere. He implements his philosophy—“just get the rainwater into the soil”—using basins, swales, berms, sunken beds, raised pathways and other water-harvesting earthworks to “plant water before you plant plants.”
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Extreme heat leads to higher utility bills

Here is were considering in investing in buying an Energy Star labeled product which also includes an Energy Star labeled home is worth the extra initial price. Some new homeowners buying large square footage homes may not mind paying the utility companies for their homes utility bills usage but can be certain that eventually it will affect their pockets.



By Stephen Abel


Extreme heat leads to higher utility bills - Live, Local, Late Breaking news, weather, and sports: "THOMASVILLE, GA (WALB) - Over the next few days folks will be opening their utility bills, and they may not like what they find.
The extreme summer heat is causing bills to be $50 to $100 more than last month for some customers. 'We've had higher than normal temperatures this summer, we've set some new records. The units simply aren't designed to take care of those temperatures. They're going to run longer,' said Waller Store Manager Ted Aimes.
There are some low cost steps people can take to lower their energy costs. 'If people are conscious of a few things they can do just to save a little bit of energy than it helps them out in the long run,' said Customer Care Supervisor Mark Parillo.
Ted Aimes from Waller Heating and Air says the first thing you should do is check the insulation of the home. 'The house will also loosen up as it gets a little bit older just keeping the windows tight, doorways caulked and sealed helps a lot. Keep the cool inside where it's supposed to be.'
One woman we spoke with said whenever she leaves the house she completely turns off her air. Aimes says the most efficient thing to do is just turn up the thermostat a few degrees.
Aimes says sometimes saving money starts with a new unit. 'So the unit that may have been properly sized for that house when it was put in now is struggling to keep up which means the unit runs more, the utility bill gets higher.'
Other things you can do to save money are turning off lights when you leave a room, turning down your hot water heater, and unplugging appliances when not in use.

Copyright 2011 WALB. All rights reserved."

Small Home Savings Benefits | Benefits Of A Small Home | HouseLogic

Small Home Savings Benefits Benefits Of A Small Home HouseLogic:

By: Terry Sheridan
Published: January 21, 2011

Living in a small home has the benefits of lower insurance rates, less hassle, and less overall cost to own.ProgressK

"There's plenty to love about small homes--they're easier to maintain, and the price tag is generally lower. Image: Ross Chapin Architects/www.rosschapin.comA small home packs plenty of perks, and generally means a lower asking price. But entry price is only one factor—they’re easier on the pocketbook in a host of ways."
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Can You Afford to Go Green? The Cost and Savings of Residential Renewable Energy Systems

Can You Afford to Go Green? The Cost and Savings of Residential Renewable Energy Systems:

If your home already has good insulation and efficient windows and doors, alternative energy may be the way to go.

By Deborah Huso
January/February 2011

If your home has consistent wind from 6 to 40 miles per hour, it may be prime for home wind power.

" The economy, rising utility rates and growing concerns about carbon emissions are causing more homeowners to consider alternative energy sources to power their homes. James Quazi, energy efficiency operations director with SolarCity, which rents photovoltaic panels to more than 1,000 communities in California, Arizona, Colorado, Oregon and Texas, says he always advises clients to “start with the easiest things first.” But if your home already has good insulation and efficient windows and doors, alternative energy may be the way to go. Companies are increasingly finding ways to offer lower-cost options such as the photovoltaic leasing option that SolarCity offers." READ MORE