Earthships – The Power of Unconventional Ideas

In his book, A Coming of Wizards, Michael Reynolds said four mystical beings, whom he called “wizards,” appeared to him in psychedelic visions and gave him ideas that have guided his work. He wrote that the wizards taught him to “de-normalize” his thinking and tap into his own, personal “energy band.”

The source of his vision was unconventional. The results of his mystical inspiration, however, have been practical successes in the real world.

Mike is the inventor of the Earthship, a home design that uses recycled materials and nature’s own solar machinery to create snug, self-sufficient houses. When I met him in 1982, he’d already been building Earthships for the better part of a decade. They were scattered across northern New Mexico and southern Colorado.

They weren’t like any other houses in the world. Mike had spontaneously — maybe instinctively — set out to solve several different puzzles at the same time. He wanted his houses to be energy independent, comfortable and beautiful, and he wanted to reutilize waste materials in their construction.

Read more: http://www.motherearthnews.com/beautiful-abundant/earthships-michael-reynolds-zb0z12fmzsto.aspx#ixzz1l3VZtdY4

 
Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Freddie Mac Bets Against American Homeowners

Freddie Mac, the taxpayer-owned mortgage giant, has placed multibillion-dollar bets that pay off if homeowners stay trapped in expensive mortgages with interest rates well above current rates.

Freddie began increasing these bets dramatically in late 2010, the same time that the company was making it harder for homeowners to get out of such high-interest mortgages.

No evidence has emerged that these decisions were coordinated. The company is a key gatekeeper for home loans but says its traders are “walled off” from the officials who have restricted homeowners from taking advantage of historically low interest rates by imposing higher fees and new rules.

Freddie’s charter calls for the company to make home loans more accessible. Its chief executive, Charles Haldeman Jr., recently told Congress that his company is “helping financially strapped families reduce their mortgage costs through refinancing their mortgages.”

Read more at: http://www.propublica.org/article/freddy-mac-mortgage-eisinger-arnold

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only

Florida Primary: How will the GOP candidates help people facing foreclosure? – Video

NOTE: The Green Real Estate Appraisal Blog does not endorse any politician or political party.

watch video at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/video/2012/jan/30/florida-primary-home-foreclosures-video

Disclaimer: for information and entertainment purposes only