Green Real Estate Appraiser

State Investments in Clean Technology Yield Many Benefits

Posted on June 30, 2013 | Leave a comment

America is the land of free enterprise. But government investments in infrastructure and technology have fueled private business growth since the dawn of our republic: the interstate highway system, the Internet, and advanced oil and gas drilling technologies all benefited from strategic government investment.

In each case, the investments addressed a societal need while also enabling private business growth. Such investments are a win-win.

Is solar or energy upgrades a good investment for your home? Does solar have more value where it is sunny like Poway but less in a beach community like Solana Beach? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your appraisal or value questions.

In the last few years, California has been making forward-thinking investments of its own to address air quality needs here in the Golden State. This includes investments in clean, advanced transportation technologies through an advanced vehicle and fuel incentive program known as AB 118, which was originally proposed by San Diego’s Christine Kehoe.

Proposed legislation to extend these incentives to 2023 is now before the legislature in the form of SB 11 and AB 8. On May 29, the state Senate bill passed with a bipartisan 32-5 vote. A vote on Assembly Bill 8 is expected as soon as next week.

Thanks in part to this program, next-generation vehicles and fuels are finally gaining a foothold in the market, helping to clean our air, diversify our fuel supply and again positioning California to become a world leader in the clean-tech revolution. “In-state” companies are growing, hiring, and developing a wide variety of clean and innovative solutions for the transportation sector.

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New Products for the Home

Posted on June 29, 2013 | Leave a comment

home remodeling upgrades

If the housing market is quickly awakening from its six-year slumber, then get ready for: a singing showerhead, a personal elevator and your own private hardware designer line.

Those were some of the cool projects on display on the floor of the San Diego Convention Center at last week’s Pacific Coast Builders Conference, or PCBC for short.

Do these upgrades add value to your home? Does it matter if you live in La Jolla or Santee? Contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com for your value questions.

Sure, there were the usual lines of fake wood and tile, play equipment, management software and professional services.

As an eye-catching gimmick, there was even a chicken coop with live chickens in a film set-type of gathering space, recalling small town American life, pre-TV, pre-freeway.

But we were on the hunt for notable products you might see in the run-of-the-mill tract home or remodel. Check out these items.

If you sing in the shower, Kohler has the device for you — Moxie, a Bluetooth-enabled speaker magnetically attached to a shower head. You pair your device to Moxie, set the volume and listen to music.

“It’s simple to take off the shower head and screw in the new one,” said Kohler’s Tim O’Connor, “and you’re ready to crank up the tunes and have a great shower experience.” $199

White face plates for wall switches starting around $3 each are standard, but Legrand, a French electrical equipment company, offers some eye-popping alternatives.

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Home Seller Confidence Improving

Posted on June 28, 2013 | Leave a comment

The share of Americans who believe now is a good time to sell a home has risen, says a survey from mortgage giant Fannie Mae on Monday.

Of those surveyed in May, 40 percent felt confident about their ability to sell, up from 30 percent in April and up 16 percent from the same time a year ago. The uptick, the largest one in the survey’s three-year history, is likely linked to news of home-price increases.

Want an unbiased opinion of value of your property before contacting the real estate agents; contact the appraisers at www.scappraisals.com

“Sentiment toward selling a home appears to be catching up with the strengthening housing market,” said Fannie Mae chief economist Doug Duncan, in a statement.

Potential buyers are feeling more confident, the survey says. Seventy-six percent of those surveyed said it’s a good time to buy a home. That’s the highest percentage in the survey’s history.

Realtor Mike Wolf, of Ascent Real Estate in San Diego, says the trends from the report are also reflected locally.

“I think it’s a good time to do something, whether it’s buying or selling,” Wolf said.

Because of recent home-price gains, some property owners who believe they’re still trapped by negative equity could be in a position now to sell. However, fear and lack of knowledge may be keeping some potential sellers from jumping into the hot real estate market, Wolf said. He says there’s a lot of waiting-and-seeing.

Wolf’s observations are supported by the number of homes on the market. There are about 4,800 listings right now, a nearly 7 percent increase from last month but a 22 percent drop from a year ago, according to numbers from the Greater San Diego Association of Realtors. The month-to-month uptick can be attributed to seasonality — people tend to move during the summer. Despite that uptick, Wolf says the county is still undersupplied.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

State Investments in Clean Technology Yield Many Benefits

New Products for the Home

Home Seller Confidence Improving

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