Green Real Estate Appraiser

SDG&E makes it official: 20 percent of 2011 power was renewable

Posted on March 9, 2012 | Leave a comment

SDG&E officially alerted state regulators Thursday that it met a goal to buy 20 percent of its power from renewable sources, a year later than hoped for, a utility official said.

The state goal had been to meet the 20 percent goal by 2010, but no utility made it. In 2002, SDG&E bought 0.5 percent of its electricity from solar, wind or biomass, said Jim Avery, SDG&E’s senior vice president for power supply. Avery said construction of a high-capacity transmission line to Imperial County, called the Sunrise Powerlink, made a huge difference.

“There’s not a single fossil (fuel) generator that’s lined up to use Sunrise,” Avery said. “Once people saw there was certainty behind it, it has created a wealth of opportunities, so much so we have truly been able to pick and choose.”

The utility took a big leap this year by signing a contract to buy power from a wind generation plant in Riverside County owned by Shell and Goldman Sachs which provides 5 percent of its overall supply, a quarter of the electricity it needed to meet the renewable goal.

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Homeowners Share their Frustration With Others About Having Underwater Mortgages

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

Would you share with online strangers a photo of yourself with how underwater you are on your mortgage?

Are you underwater? Contact the appraisers at Southern California Appraisal Services for an appraisal now.

Three advocacy groups hope you will in order to prove a point to Edward DeMarco, the regulator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

DeMarco has frustrated state and federal leaders on his stance against writing down the principal balances of Fannie and Freddie borrowers who owe more than their homes are worth. Among those leaders is California Attorney Kamala Harris.

The grass-roots groups, who have called for the firing of DeMarco, have created a Tumblr blog called “America Underwater.” The blog, which officially launched Tuesday at america-underwater.tumblr.com, features photos of homeowners who report that they have negative equity.

The entries show a photo of the borrower holding a placard with a negative figure, indicating how underwater they are. There’s also a spot under the image where the homeowners can disclose as much or as little as they want.

An entry posted Tuesday shows a woman holding a sign that says “-$53,000” and the message:

“I am still $53K underwater AFTER a loan modification. My loan servicer won’t even consider writing down/wiping out my 2nd mortgage balance of $17K, which is just common sense!!”

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Rich Looks for Thrifty Outdoor Rooms

Posted on March 8, 2012 | Leave a comment

I have to be honest. If someone wanted to build me one of those amazing outdoor rooms complete with fireplace and kitchen, I would not turn it down. I’d also like multilevel landscaping, a wrap-around porch and a deck overlooking a tropical sea.

What I actually have in my backyard is a concrete patio, a couple of trees and a chicken coop. There is also my DIY landscaping, better on some days than others. But my humble, poolhouse-free yard does not mean I can’t create a lovely outdoor room to call my own. With good furniture, a few plants and some imagination, anyone can have a lovely outdoor room.

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

SDG&E makes it official: 20 percent of 2011 power was renewable

Homeowners Share their Frustration With Others About Having Underwater Mortgages

Rich Looks for Thrifty Outdoor Rooms

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