Show Me the Money: Upgrades through Local Utilities

March 8, 2011 – 7:00 am

During the 20th century American consumption was fueled by ‘cheap oil’ and the belief that gross domestic product was directly powered by increased energy use. Economists and utility managers alike predicted that as the economy grew, energy use would as well. Fortunately, our economy did not meet these projections, which would have required astronomical numbers of power plants if they had.*

However, the costs of a fossil fuel dependent economy continue to escalate  as Middle East unrest and speculation push the cost of oil ever higher. This is not good news, but as buildings consume 39% of all the energy used in America, it is particularly bad news for the residential housing sector. Commercial and industrial properties have been slowly making the conversion to more sustainable management, but residential property has been relegated to 3rd class status. This has allowed developers to continue to build poor-efficiency homes and supporting structures which aggravate an already serious problem.  

Fortunately there is help available to retrofit these inefficient buildings.  Most American cities and towns have leadership that recognizes the intrinsic and economic value of improving our building stock and they want to help. More efficient, tighter building envelopes are the collective future, as 97% of our existing buildings are drafty, poorly insulated and energy-inefficient.  

However, as we move toward legally required improvements, local governments and utility providers are offering a last bit of help. In spite of our economic challenges, grants, incentives, tax rebates and other perks are widely available. DSIRE is a national site (searchable by state) that connects owners with these opportunities, and most local utilities have some type of rebate or incentive program to offer as well. Beyond providing direct financial support, local utility companies are a great starting point for any investigation targeting these types of resources.

Urban officials and the utility sector also recognize the power apartment, dormitory and condominium property managers hold. Given the right tools, these property stewards have the ability to create highly sustainable operations. Not only does this improve the quality of life for staff and residents, but it can save the property owners’ money as well. 

For those who  are unfamiliar with more sustainable practices, education, financial assistance and systems guidance are widely available. Even in the most dire economic times there are pools of grant money that never get distributed. These funds are effectively ‘free’, but applicants may need some technical assistance and a solid process to acquire them. Applicants  can harm a grant or rebate request if they miss timelines, do not provide requested documentation or fail to follow the ‘rules’ and become disqualified.

If your public utility or planning department had nothing to offer a year ago, don’t assume that’s still the case. One example of a brand new offering is New York City’s GreenHouse program (GH), a program which was developed specifically to assist multifamily operators. The broader educational purpose is to guide property managers by identifying resources, cost savings and practices that make sustainable management more profitable but there is also rebate money available.  The incentive amounts are large enough when combined with state and federal tax incentives and manufacturer’s rebates to be meaningful. Finding these types of programs in your own region does require some initiative. What kind of money is available?

A great example is the GreenHouse program which provides links to organizations like National Grid (NG).  NG provides natural gas to 6 million customers in New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Any of their customers can apply for a rebate. As of February 14, 2011 there was over $2.1 million in rebate money still available to help these customers purchase and install high-efficiency improvements. 

NG’s rebates are available for services like the air sealing of a residence by a certified professional. As an example, the cost of this would be about $600 for the average home in New York, but National Grid arranges the service for its customers for a $50 participation fee. National Grid will also pay up to 20% of the cost of insulating a roof or attic to a rebate maximum of $3,000. 

As EnergyStar estimates the average home can reduce energy costs by 20% merely by air sealing and adding insulation, in the short term and over the life of the residence the payback is pretty substantial. (Don’t forget the added comfort of living in an air-sealed and well-insulated home or apartment too!)

Although the following rebates are available only to National Grid customers, a quick phone call to your local utility may find similar offers.

High-efficiency heating equipment

  • Furnaces, up to $400
  • Condensing unit heaters, up to $200
  • Direct fired heaters, up to $500
  • Infrared heaters, up to $500
  • Steam boilers, up to $200
  • Hydronic boilers, up to $4,000
  • Condensing boilers, up to $6,000
  Details
High-efficiency water heating equipment

  • $100 for indirect water heaters with up to 50 gallons of storage
  • $300 for indirect water heaters with more than 50 gallons of storage
  • $300 for on demand tankless water heaters with electronic ignition (minimum .82 Energy Factor rating)
  Details
Programmable thermostats

  • ENERGY STAR programmable thermostats, $25 each for up to five units
  Details
Windows and Insulation

  • $1 per square foot for ENERGY STAR windows or U value of 0.35 or lower (maximum of 2,500 square feet)
  • $1.50 per linear foot for pipe insulation (maximum 500 linear feet)
  • 20% of the installed cost for roof or attic insulation
  • 20% of the installed cost for wall insulation
  • 20% of the installed cost for floor insulation

Maximum of $10,000 in total insulation rebates per account.

However you decide to approach more sustainable multifamily management, doing some research with a city planning department or local utility can pay some pretty big dividends.

Other Articles of Interest:

Leverage Your Tenancy with Nine Upgrades

Networks for Increasing Multifamily Housing Profits

Water, Part I: Manna from Heaven

* Additional Reading: Some of you may want to read our son’s new book, Powering the Dream, for an interesting historical perspective on the history of green technology.

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

Foreclosures May Define Declining Cities

February 14, 2011 – 8:47 am

A study analyzing the Great Recession and the unprecedented number of foreclosures we are experiencing comes to some chilling conclusions. Funded by the Mortgage Brokers Association and Wells Fargo, it identifies the short and long-term risks associated with job and population losses. Very few in the multifamily sector did not experience high vacancy factors from 2007  to 2009, although the worst seems to be over for a few select (rebounding) urban markets.  Unfortunately, there are many areas still struggling with historically low occupancies and continuing high rates of foreclosures. As vacant properties proliferate – often accompanied by a lack of maintenance on the owner-lender or private owners’ part – deferred maintenance takes over like a metasticizing cancer.

Here are a few of the frightening conclusions reached by these researchers:

  • The empirical evidence on declining cities strongly confirms widely varying experiences among submarkets of metropolitan areas that experience persistent and negative shocks to housing demand. Indeed, some of these neighborhoods and submarkets experienced declines so severe that their future viability seems questionable or, at a minimum, that the road to recovery will be protracted.
  • The vacancy evidence also suggests the importance of moving beyond the standard definition of vacancy – no one occupying the unit at the time of an interview – to one that incorporates information about the duration of the vacancy.
  • There will be and already have been substantial threats to the viability of certain neighborhoods. This, I think, is a critical point that will likely be well understood by potential home buyers and lenders, who will want to avoid places plagued by high foreclosures, vacancies and a deteriorating housing stock due to deferred maintenance. The flip side of this prediction is that potential buyers and lenders will favor those markets where information about the neighborhood’s future vitality is readily available.

The report has many other conclusions and a full copy of the 84 page (pdf format) report can be accessed with this link. It is very clear, however, that property managers and owners need to think beyond an immediate neighborhood concern. Where leadership efforts and support are needed, long-term strategies and goals need to be encouraged for the preservation of whole communities.

There is no place in today’s economy for petty neighborhood competition between owners. Protecting the value of a property investment has to include a broader vision. If you haven’t joined a local apartment association, now is probably a good time.  Creative strategies to beautify publicly-maintained areas, improve local schools and increase the kind of infrastructure that attracts businesses, the arts and cultural organizations are critical to a healthy, vibrant economy. Reducing prolonged property vacancies and deferred maintenance are also critical to preserving a neighborhood’s vitality.

Appraisers and lenders are creating the usual problems for potential home and apartment buyers with an additional complicating factor making it even more difficult in some hard hit neighborhoods. Professional appraisal standards require the appraiser to identify the ’status’ of an individual property’s neighborhood. If in the appraiser’s opinion the property is situated in a ‘declining’ neighborhood, the lender will generally be unable to re-sell that loan to a HUD-related lender like the FHA, Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. Hence without a community reinvestment agency (CRA) loan in a previously federal-government-targeted area, even a ‘perfect’ borrower will be turned down.

This can disproportionately impact those neighborhoods which contain substantial populations of minority households. It also puts lenders in an untenable position. If they decline a loan based on a prediction of a future ’substantial decline’ in that particular neighborhood, their decision may be challenged under the Community Reinvestment Act which prohibits ‘red-lining’.  Unfortunately, without public sector investment and support, these fragile communities may face even further decline. Property owners in these at-risk neighborhoods – which appear to be any neighborhood with high unemployment, excessive numbers of foreclosures, increasing percentages of vacant properties and slipping sales prices – need to take aggressive actions to turn these neighborhoods around before the decline becomes intractable.

Strategies should also be developed to minimize vacant housing in collaboration with local government, property owners, lenders and the business community. Passing new regulations or enforcing those already on the books to require absentee owners (and lenders) to maintain lawns and similar appearance minimums can prevent an impression of neighborhood blight.  This recession is unlike any most people living today have experienced. The vitality of some communities may not recover if they become embedded in the public psyche as deteriorating locations. This study emphasizes that neighborhood choice may become an even more “important component of housing decisions”, certainly one no property owner or manager can afford to ignore.

Other Articles of Interest:

If You Lived Here

Upgrades for Old Apartments

Assistance for Mrs. Madrigal, the Good Landlady

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Aquaponics and Apartments… oh yes!

February 7, 2011 – 8:29 am

Photo Courstey: AquaBundance Aquaponics System $1295 retail

With more people moving into apartments from single-family residences, property managers have begun to encounter resident hobbies and behaviors that can be challenging. One of these is the practice of aquaponics, or raising fish and plants together in a tank and plant medium system. 

How does it work? A very organic process recycles the fish excrement into plant fertilizer and as the plants grow they reciprocate by purifying the fish tank water.  (Goldfish owners take note.) System owners must feed the baby fish, of course, but they can eventually eat some of them along with the fruits and vegetables produced. 

Some proponents believe the system’s simplicity, synergy and efficiency  place it on the list of  top technological solutions that can eliminate world hunger. For those naysayers who think aquaponics is for old hippies, naturist communities or weird old men with a fish fetish, think again. To our surprise at Green Landlady, an article last year on aquaponics has retained a consistent third or fourth position as a top landing site on our website. Alas, fish tanks are a lot less fragile than waterbeds used to be, so property managers can relax. 

For those of you interested in aquaponic gardening, a community site aptly titled AquaponicsCommunity.com will have the basics and sells supplies like the system pictured above. We should point out that although the systems are synergistically designed, there is some technical management necessary. Here are a few highlights: 

  • Fish are living things and need a certain amount of oxygen in the water to keep from dying. Ergo, for beginners, it is critical that the water quality be monitored and corrected occasionally, similar to swimming pools. Of course, little kits are sold and easy to use.
  • If your tank water is warm, overstocked, mechanically aerated, etc., even a short power outage could result in suffocated, e.g., dead fish.
  • Water management monitors nitrate, ammonia and oxygen levels.
  • Correct ratios of fish to water to plants are critical for a healthy operating system.
  • A system’s circulation, filtration and aeration must be adequate to support the fish and support the plants.  Just as too many fish can overload a system, too few can underload it.

There are also some legal restrictions on aquaponics, as municipalities may not allow the non-commercial raising of some kinds of fish without special permits. Generally all fish are suitable for aquaponics systems, but those that are legal generally and recommended include smallmouth bass, Chinese catfish, tilapia, koi, crappie and bluegill. If you are going to invest in fish, make sure you investigate your county’s regulations. 

Of course, if this is more than a passing fancy and you learn best in a Caribbean setting, you may want to take the short course offered by the University of the Virgin Islands. After flying to Kingshill, for another $870 you can be one of 63 students who master Aquaponics and Talapia Aquaculture at the Agriculture Experiment Station. If this all sounds a little too fantastic – even in February – here are the basics from an article in OnMilwaukee.com about Sweet Water Organics, a for-profit startup that uses aquaponics: 

The basics are this. Water from the channel is pumped upwards into two levels of pea gravel. The water then flows across the pea gravel where hard-working bacteria break down extra food and ammonia from fish wastes, converting it into nitrates that plants can absorb. 

In the middle bed this nutrient-rich water is filtered by tiny watercress plants, and in the top bed it fertilizes potted herbs, sprouts, and vegetables. Then the naturally cleaned water pours back down to the fish channels. 

If all this commercial-sized symbiosis is too much for you, how about a countertop system? Friendly Aquaponics, Inc. offers DIY plans for $49.95 to build an apartment-sized 2.5 sq.ft. countertop system at a materials cost of about $65. The plans also include instructions for a larger 32 square foot grow bed model at about $250 for required materials.  For indoor systems with limited space they suggest: 

Indoors: These systems are appropriate for anyone who is limited to growing indoors, or for those who only have limited space outdoors. They are perfect for getting your fingers wet in aquaponics without spending a lot (pun intended!). They can easily be set up in an apartment or condo, on a balcony,  inside a garage or outbuilding, inside a spare room, or even a closet. You can use them for the centerpiece of a living room or family room to show off to your friends. Best of all, they produce food! If you have light and heat you can grow vegetables and fish! 

If it is sounding as if these DIY aquaponic kits are going mainstream, they probably are. With an estimated 13.3 million US families owning 171.7 pet freshwater fish and another 700,000 families owning an additional 11.2 million saltwater fish, there is a ready-made marketing opportunity. 

Of course, never assume the municipal water supply can be used for an aquaponics venture without pre-treatment to remove chlorine or chloramines.  Many public water utilities have switched from chlorine bacteria-killing disinfectants to chloramines. Why?  Unlike chlorine, the toxins will not dissipate naturally through evaporation from tap water. In fact, chloramines accumulate in water and are fatal for fish or other animals, such as amphibians, that absorb water directly into their bloodstream. Some water utilities in Massachusetts and other states have been using chloramines for decades and some have recently made the switch. 

If all chloramines – and chlorine in higher concentrations - are not removed, the result is unfortunately dead fish. The good news is that chloramines can be removed from drinking water with charcoal filters. 

As the great-granddaughter of a mariner and fisherman, however, I would offer some final advice. If you intend to eat your system’s fish, avoid feeding them by hand, responding to their attempts to gain your attention or naming them. In other words, don’t make them pets for your own sake, if not theirs. 

Other Articles of Interest: 

Permaculture: Refined for Apartment Living 

How Compatible are Window Farms, Aquaponics & Apartments? 

Can Apartment Culture Embrace Urban Agriculture?

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Business, Energy, Residents, Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Mold and Immortality

January 31, 2011 – 8:01 am

Right about now everybody in the northwest  thinks, “I should have replaced the roof last summer.” Once winter winds hit - including a rare tornado a few weeks ago - the eye automatically gives the roof repeated if peripheral checks. A property manager or resident may want to do the same and identify emerging problems quickly as mold takes no more than 72 hours to begin to form in wet, warm spaces of buildings.

Here are a few trouble signs:

  1. Small dark spots have appeared in the sheet rock or odd-looking spots in the corners of the ceiling.
  2. There is water or condensation collecting in your interior covered or domed light fixtures.
  3. A recently painted wall or trim area keeps turning gray in the same stubborn spot.
  4. Wallpaper is peeling away from the wall or ceiling.
  5. The wall or ceiling feels damp or cold in a spot.
  6. Rain, snow and more rain have been unusually plentiful.
  7. Check incomplete basements if the ground water is saturated. Water is a problem because it takes the path of least resistance and will go around or into something if that is the easiest way to flow.
  8. There is a moldy smell indoors or in cellars, crawl spaces or attics.
  9. The HVAC system ducts smell musty and moldy whenever the unit turns on.

We discovered a few years ago that a perfectly maintained roof can develop a problem almost spontaneously. A tennis ball popped into one of our main gutters soundly blocking the drain entrance. We have no idea how long it was there, as it was a perfect fit and not visible until you climbed a ladder. Redirected by the tennis ball, the water split around it, half continued into the gutter while the other half spewed through one of the attic vents underneath the overhang. When it soaked through enough to make a palm-sized ceiling stain, we luckily noticed and corrected the problem.

Rain is not the only issue with roofs and gutters. Most of us think of snow as being rather benign, but it has a lot of weight and height and can reach areas without flashing. If it melts slowly, great. If not, it can leak through poorly sealed skylights (aren’t they all in this category?) or saturate the area above any flashing meant to direct water away from the skylight.

Our advice? Pre-season hire a professional roofer or property manager to do a check of caulking, sealing and flashing. You will pay a lot less for repairs than the spontaneous fellow who waits until there is a leak. Off-season it is easier to make roof repairs as there is less danger of falling or sliding.

Of course, during rainy periods dripping will be evident in the crawl space or attic area and easy to diagnose. If there is evidence of rotting wood or insect infestation, these are also signs that there has been some water damage. Incidentally, pests like carpenter ants only enter damaged or rotting wood, so if you have these critters moving in, water damage may be the real problem.

One serious long term outcome from an undiagnosed water event is often that it creates a luscious environment for mold growth. Yes, it’s not often you see those words in the same sentence, but mold in a warm, wet location spreads quickly. To prevent mold:

  • Dry wet spots within 24 to 48 hours.
  • Reduce sources of condensation and reduce humidity.
  • Vent clothes dryers, stoves, and kerosene heaters to the outside where possible.  (Combustion appliances produce water vapor and increase humidity unless vented outside.)
  • Use air conditioners and/or de-humidifiers.
  • Shower with the fan on or the window open.
  • Turn on the exhaust fans or open windows when running the dishwasher, clothes washer or dish washing.
  • Turn on the exhaust fan when cooking or using the oven.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) does not regulate or test for molds as part of its work, however, it does recommend tenants notify their property managers of any water problems and leaks as quickly as possible.

Hidden Mold

After a water event, reports by residents of health problems are generally the first sign  most property managers have that hidden mold may be growing in the building. As so much of our American building stock contains materials with cellulose, mold can grow almost anywhere. The surfaces of these areas generally dry quickly, but mold can develop in several trouble spots like the back sides of paneling, wallpaper, dry wall; the undersides of carpets, wood flooring, linoleum and carpet pads; inside ductwork, in the roof  materials above ceiling tiles and around pipes in walls. The problem with mold is that once it catches hold it needs to be completely removed. Even the disruption caused by investigating for mold can distribute mold spores throughout a room without precautions.

Cautions about Mold Exposure

Because it is a complex procedure, mold analysis, remediation and removal should always follow professional guidelines. The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) and other professional organizations have many protocols and offer them on their websites. Remediation work should include a final cleaning to remove all mold spores. Dead mold can still cause health events and problems in susceptible people, so it is necessary to kill and remove the mold.

Exposure to mold and mold spores should be strictly limited. For a DIY project, the EPA recommends:

  • Avoid breathing in mold or mold spores. Wear an N-95 respirator, available at many hardware stores and from companies that advertise on the Internet. (They cost about $12 to $25.)  Some N-95 respirators resemble a paper dust mask with a nozzle on the front, others are made primarily of plastic or rubber and have removable cartridges that trap most of the mold spores from entering.  In order to be effective, the respirator or mask must fit properly, so carefully follow the instructions supplied with the respirator.
  • Wear gloves. Long gloves that extend to the middle of the forearm are recommended.  When working with water and a mild detergent, ordinary household rubber gloves may be used.  If you are using a disinfectant, a biocide such as chlorine bleach, or a strong cleaning solution, you should select gloves made from natural rubber, neoprene, nitrile, polyurethane, or PVC. Avoid touching mold or moldy items with your bare hands.
  • Wear goggles. Goggles that do not have ventilation holes are recommended.  Avoid getting mold or mold spores in your eyes.

This may sound like overkill, but as the old saying goes? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Other Articles of Interest:

Preventing Sick Green Buildings

17 Ways to Reduce Pollution & Toxic Exposure at Home

Winterizing Your Attitude and Apartment

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Business, Residents, Water | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Benchmarking, Transparency & Green Will

January 24, 2011 – 7:00 am

On January 24th San Francisco city supervisors will hear a second reading of a proposed ordinance being presented by the Land Use Committee. The supervisors will then need to decide whether to join other progressive cities and require commercial property owners to benchmark  their energy usage. The ordinance will also include a public disclosure requirement in a move intended to motivate owners to improve energy efficiency through market pressure. It is likely that the ordinance will be forwarded to the whole board for a full vote around Feb 1. 

Benchmarking (measuring) has become a favored method of identifying the energy usage of buildings as the primary step in reducing energy consumption.  A building’s previous year’s energy usage is compared to that of the average of other similar buildings, which are the ‘benchmark’. The comparison can provide owners with the information needed to make energy-efficiency improvements or in a newer building, help monitor that building systems are being properly serviced and maintained.   

Energy-efficiency has become a critical financial concern of commercial and residential tenants, investors and property lenders, but the lack of reliable data has made obtaining information nearly impossible. The proposed benchmarking ordinance will create the databank and public disclosure for San Francisco buildings’ energy usage and assure that the greater marketplace has access to the data.        

The proposed SF ordinance, formally known as the “Existing Commercial Buildings Energy Performance Ordinance“ clearly omits residential commercial properties from the benchmarking requirement. (There is already a successful program in place.) The ordinance further outlines that the residential sector’s energy management by the Department of Environment will be on-going. Here is an excerpt from the ordinance on its multifamily and small business program:       

“The Department of Environment operates energy efficiency programs that provide free energy audits for small businesses and multifamily buildings. These programs upgrade lighting, heating, cooling and refrigeration systems at a discount averaging in excess of 50 percent of total cost of the upgrade.”       

As the old saying goes, knowledge is power. Once a property owner has identified the level of a property’s energy efficiency, taking the next step and hiring a certified building advisor can (1) provide specific recommendations on recommissioning, (2) identify deficiencies in the building’s envelope and operations and (3) outline the cost, benefits and payback specifics for energy efficiency improvements. These types of inspections can also identify whether current systems are being adequately serviced and properly maintained, a critical element in extending the life of existing HVAC systems. While incentives and assistance are still available to property owners, investing at half the cost of what these building upgrades normally cost creates an astonishingly quick payback.  Add in the future utility cost savings and tenant appeal – regardless of whether the benefits inure to one party or the other - and it makes even greater economic sense.      

Not only are future rent spreads higher in energy efficient buildings - reflecting lower residential energy costs and greater tenant comfort and retention - but asset values rise accordingly. Of course, the enhanced ‘green will’  generated by an owner’s voluntary commitment to sustainability – particularly in a city like San Francisco – is completely priceless.      

Energy benchmarking and disclosure policy news rarely successfully compete for media attention against the more sensational, but on the “good news” circuit they should. The City of San Francisco estimates that ”building energy use accounts for almost half of San Francisco’s overall carbon dioxide emissions”.  Based on the market pressure the data will generate, the proposed ordinance is expected to double the pace of energy retrofits over the first five years of the ordinance. The city also anticipates the reduction in citywide carbon dioxide emissions after five years will exceed 70,800 tons with a “net present value to the private sector of $600 million dollars.”       

Making commercial building performance data publicly available remains unpopular with some, but this proposed ordinance is expected to push owners to increase their properties’ energy efficiency. In fact, market competition can be an effective motivating factor without stressing owners through additional formal or complex regulation.    

The businesses and property owners who act quickly can also benefit from any incentives offered in their region or by the Feds. A quick search on the DSIREuse.org website - a searchable database by state for energy efficiency rebates, grants and incentives - can quickly identify tax rebates and other options to further lower the costs of an energy efficiency improvement or retrofit.   

Of course, reducing energy use has another powerful impact as it also lowers the stress on the current electrical grid. According to the City, additional community-wide benefits from the proposed benchmarking ordinance will include:       

  • The requirement for evaluations and ensuing [voluntary] retrofits will create jobs for those in the construction trades, engineers, maintenance and operations.
  • As a strong economy requires a secure supply of energy, any reduction in demand will help stabilize and improve local economics while encouraging growth and future resource management.

Although the knee-jerk reaction of a few commercial property managers may be to resist benchmarking, managing energy resources is crucial to maintaining a healthy real estate sector. As energy and water are the issues of  the day and the future, improving energy efficiency and promoting water conservation are matters of local and national homeland security.       

Courtesy Photo: Orrick Building

 One San Francisco retrofit success story was recently recounted by Wade Lange, Vice President of Property management for Ashforth Pacific:       

“Ashforth Pacific is a property management firm based in Portland, Oregon, that oversees more than three million feet of office space in the West and owns the Orrick Building at 405 Howard Street in San Francisco. This building recently underwent energy-saving upgrades that are saving tenants $36,000 per year on energy.”       

Certainly the financial benefits to both owners and tenants of a meaningful and effective energy policy have become too obvious to ignore.        

For more information please contact the City of San Francisco at 415-554-5184 or via email at Board.of.Supervisors@sfgov.org. For those interested in the economic benefits of benchmarking and energy conservation, the Institute for Market Transformation has a comprehensive educational website. For those who cannot wait to start benchmarking on their own, here’s a link to Energy Star’s free Portfolio Manager site. The Energy Star site is a joint project of the Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.     

Update as of January 25th:  On Monday the Land Use Committee recommended the ordinance to the full board which will hold its first reading of the bill on Feb. 1. According to SF Environment, it will likely go to a full vote on the 8th.

[Correction: A previous edition of this post stated that the city supervisors would be voting on the proposed ordinance, rather than listening to a second reading.]  

Other Articles of Interest:      

Net Zero Begins With You      

Emerging Government Trend Shortlist      

Window Replacement: Two Points of View

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Energy | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Green ‘Link Apartments’ Debuting Soon in Seattle

January 17, 2011 – 8:00 am

Harbor Properties is committed to providing quality, affordable housing to renters who appreciate the positive environmental impact of living in a multifamily mixed-use building located in close proximity to employment, retail and entertainment. Our residents understand the biggest single contribution to greenhouse gas emissions is transportation, and they make a conscious decision to live a car light/free lifestyle.

Harbor will seek Built Green Certification for the project named Link to independently certify the sustainable design elements, materials and construction techniques Harbor chooses to utilize. The sustainable construction elements include; developing and rehabilitating a contaminated and underutilized site, a vigorous construction waste recycling program to ensure the minimal amount of construction waste possible ends up in landfills, and on site storm-water retention to ensure that our streams and the Sound are kept clean.

Once completed the building’s green features will include; a central high efficiency boiler for domestic hot water distribution, occupant-sensors and high efficiency lighting in stairwells and other common areas, building design that utilizes cross ventilation and large operable windows in place of air conditioning, ultra high efficiency elevators, and the use of non-toxic and no/low VOC (volatile organic compounds) and CRI or Carpet and Rug Institute IAQ (indoor air quality) products wherever possible.

Residents will be able to further reduce their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by choosing to grow a portion of their own food in Link’s expansive rooftop P-Patches. By growing their own food residents eliminate the energy consumption and corresponding emissions from the farming, fertilizing and transportation of produce they would otherwise buy from the supermarket. Water will be conserved by utilizing a rainwater catchment and storage system for irrigation of the P-Patches.

The Link site is situated in the pedestrian oriented West Seattle neighborhood of the West Seattle Triangle and within easy walking distance of West Seattle’s main retail hub: The Alaska Junction. WalkScore.com designates the location as Very Walkable with a Walk Score of 83. Harbor will further promote the walkable and outdoor nature of the neighborhood through the design of pedestrian/bicycle oriented ground floor retail and common area spaces. Residents of Link will be able to take advantage of efforts to minimize automotive dependence such as ample bicycle storage, walkable nearby grocery stores, and convenient access to the new Metro RapidRide service which will have a stop located in front of the building on SW Alaska Street with rapid bus service to Downtown Seattle.

Catching the bus or walking the neighborhood will be made more convenient by the inclusion of a groundbreaking interactive informational kiosk in the Link lobby that will give residents real time updates on the location of area Metro buses, up to the minute local weather forecasts, as well as other information that will facilitate residents’ car light/free lifestyle.

Harbor is constantly looking for ways to grow and expand the sustainable nature of our buildings in an affordable manner consistent with our goal of providing the best possible living experience for our residents. Link Apartments construction is scheduled for completion in Spring 2011. Pre-leasing will begin mid-January 2011.

Guest post courtesy of Monica Munro (AKA @queencaffeine).

Other articles of interest:

Improving ‘Invironmental’ Quality at Home

How to Search for a Green Rental

A Primer on VOCs

By Kimberly Madrigal | Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Recipes (with Great Taste) for Holiday Rehab

January 4, 2011 – 7:00 am

Immediately after the holidays most of us start on some sort of rehab. I know we are a little early, but at Greenlandlady we thought… why not provide some recipes to our readers that are nutrition packed and delicious? After all, we’re not just about smart faucets, heat pumps and LEDs.

Most of us are crazed from all the sugars we’ve consumed lately, so a few of these recipes are hearty and filling.  Some are easy to prepare and others are worth investing the time. If you are lucky enough to have a winter farmer’s market in your neighborhood, take advantage of it.  If you don’t have a clue where to look, LocalHarvest.org is a searchable site by city and state which also provides a small description of the farmer’s market. Eating fresh fruits and vegetables is surely the best way to recover from the rich, high-fat and high calorie dishes we’ve all been scarfing. (Please don’t pretend you didn’t.)  

On the other hand, this chicken recipe, courtesy of P.F. Chang’s, will meet your expectations and help you slowly come off that sugar high.  It should serve two, but, just in case, you may want to double it. Okay, so maybe we are not getting off on the right foot, but who cares? Implementing New Year’s resolutions are best started ‘tomorrow’ anyway.

 
 
 
 
 

P.F. Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps, Courtesy Photo: Bergy

P. F. Chang’s Chicken Wraps Recipe (Courtesy Food.com)

No one understands the allure of chicken wraps until they taste one that has been hand-prepared from this recipe. Originally posted in 2001, it is ageless. It feels complicated, but it only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients for filling

  • 3 tablespoons oil
  • 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 cup water chestnut
  • 2/3 cup mushroom
  • 3 tablespoons chopped onions
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 4 -5 leaves iceberg lettuce

Special Sauce

  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon hot mustard
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 1 -2 teaspoon garlic and red chile paste

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar

Preparation:

  1.  Make the special sauce by dissolving sugar in water in a small bowl.
  2. Add soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, ketchup, lemon juice, sesame oil.
  3. Mix well and refrigerate sauce until ready to serve.
  4. Combine the hot water with the hot mustard and set this aside as well.
  5. Eventually add your desired measurement of mustard and garlic chili sauce to the special sauce mixture to pour over the wraps.
  6. Bring oil to high heat in a wok or large frying pan.
  7. Saute chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes per side or done.
  8. Remove chicken from the pan and cool.
  9. Keep oil in the pan, keep hot.
  10. As chicken cools mince water chestnuts and mushrooms to pea size.
  11. Prepare the stir fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, brown sugar, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl.
  12. When chicken is cool, mince to size of mushrooms, water chestnuts.
  13. With the pan still on high heat, add another Tbsp of vegetable oil.
  14. Add chicken, garlic, onions, water chestnuts and mushrooms to the pan.
  15. Add the stir fry sauce to the pan and saute the mixture for a couple minutes then serve it in the lettuce”cups”.
  16. Top with”Special Sauce”.

Homemade Chicken Broth with Mushrooms

Many cultures  serve a light soup course before meals, which is an excellent way to create that satiated feeling without huge caloric consumption. Give the broth 15 or 20 minutes in your tummy and you’ll eat less of your entree.  A very nice and light Mexican broth is made by cutting up every piece of a whole chicken – including the neck, feet and giblets.  (If you use the feet, please remember to peel them first.) Combine all these ingredients in a stock pot:

  • 1 hole chicken, cut up
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 small onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
  • 10 whole peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons Kosher or sea salt
  • 5 celery leaves
  • enough water to cover everything

Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let simmer for 3.5 hours. After the ingredients have cooled in the broth, remove them and strain the broth. Reserve the chicken and vegetables for another use. Refrigerate the broth until it is cold and the fat rises to the surface. Skim off the fat carefully and discard it. When you are ready to serve the broth, re-heat it to bubbling.

You can serve the broth as is or add mushrooms to it.  For this you will need 20 small mushrooms and 2 tablespoons butter.

Slice the fresh mushrooms and sautee them in butter until they are slightly browned.  Heat the broth to bubbling and just before serving, add two tablespoons of mushrooms to each bowl and garnish with a tiny sprig of epazote. This is a wonderful light soup for that New Year’s Day brunch or a mid-day pick-me-up.

  1. For a variation with a heavier protein content, skip the epazote and add an egg. While the broth is bubbling – while quickly stirring in one direction - drizzle a beaten egg into the broth. Add the mushrooms to the broth after the egg is fully cooked – about 1.5 minutes. Makes about 10 cups of broth.

Jicama & Orange Salad

Although many Americans are only familiar with ‘border food’ like tacos, burritos and enchiladas, there are many light-calorie dishes Mexican families regularly serve. For adventurous chefs I would heartily recommend  Diana Kennedy’s Mexican cookbooks. (My personal favorite is The Cuisines of Mexico.) This recipe, however, is one my husband taught me. The secret is to make sure the jicama is fresh (and juicy when you cut into it) and the oranges are sweet. Otherwise the result will be disappointing.

Ingredients

  • 1 large jicama, peeled and cut into small chunks or long strips
  • 3 large, juicy navel oranges, white pulp and membranes removed and sections separated
  • juice of three green limes
  • 1/2 teaspoon of Pico de Gallo seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 tablespoon of white sugar
  • Cilantro leaves, whole (optional)

As jicama takes on the flavor of other ingredients around it, it is important to give this salad enough time to set. Mix all the ingredients together except the Pico de Gallo (and cilantro if used) and then cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Mix the ingredients a few times more if possible before serving.  For children, skip the Pico de Gallo seasoning, as it is hot. Adults can sprinkle their own serving as desired along with the cilantro leaves. Cilantro is one of those ingredients that has a very distinctive flavor which some despise, so it is wise to keep it separate.  Makes about 4 cups of salad.

Roasted Winter Vegetables

This next recipe is flexible and can be adjusted to individual tastes quite easily and also to availability. The key is to have fresh ingredients that haven’t been sitting in some truck for the last two weeks.

I generally pick my ingredients by the ones that make me think, yum, when I am at the farmer’s market, but pick your favorites from the following vegetables in any combination:

Onions • Garlic • Leeks • Carrots • Potatoes • Daikon Radish • Yams • Winter Squash • Turnips • Parsnips • Beets • Potatoes • Shallots • Rutabagas

The beauty of this dish is that you can vary it any time by changing the vegetable choices or one of these seasoning combinations: 

 Basil & oregano • curry • garam masala • thyme & sage • cumin & garlic powder • rosemary & parsley • garlic & red pepper flakes

Preparation:

  1. For the most fiber, leave the peels on the vegetables. Then slice or chop them into pieces about the same thickness for consistent cooking.
  2. Drizzle olive oil on them and sprinkle on the spices, mixing them well until all the vegetables are consistently covered.
  3. Place them in flat, glass casseroles in single layers so that they will cook evenly. 
  4. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degree Fahrenheit for 45 minutes to one hour.
  5. They are done when they have browned slightly on the top.

Cauliflower & Leek Soup

Leeks are perhaps one of the most elegant ways to give soups great taste without caloric weight. Cook them too long, however, and they become the equivalent of slug trails.  Incidentally, although you would normally discard the hard green portion of the leek, it can be used to flavor broths, wrap fillings or as part of a bouquet garni. 

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 tsp. freshly ground white pepper
  • 3 tablespoons butter
  • 1/3 red pepper
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 6 medium or 3 large leeks — tough green parts discarded, the remainder thinly sliced and thoroughly rinsed
  • 1 to 2 large potatoes, peeled and chopped
  • 1 small head of cauliflower (1.5 lbs.), separated florets only
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Knorr Suiza Caldo de Pollo (or bouillion cubes)
  • 2 quarts organic chicken stock (or homemade – see below)
  • 1 can non-fat evaporated milk

Preparation:

  1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the Knorr Suiza seasoning, white pepper, potatoes and cauliflower and cook, uncovered on medium high, for 15 minutes.  Place the cauliflower and potatoes in a food processor and set aside. Reserve the broth.
  2. Meanwhile, in a saute pan, warm the butter. Add the leeks and stir to coat and cook until very tender, 8 to 10 minutes, but do not brown them.  Add the leeks to the cauliflower/potato mixture and set aside.  Saute the celery and red pepper  until softened.  Transfer them to the food processor too. Using some of the stock, puree all the vegetables until smooth. Add the puree to the stock in the pot.
  3. Add the evaporated milk to the puree and bring the mixture to a high simmer. While stirring occasionally, let the soup gently simmer for about 15 minutes. Correct the seasoning to taste.  Serves 6 to 8.

Heuvos Rancheros

Nutritionists have gone round and round about eggs, but they are a wonderful and inexpensive source of high quality protein. When you really need to give up bacon and hollandaise sauce at breakfast but want something with impact, heuvos rancheros are a delicious idea. They can stand on their own, or serve them with some black beans or fresh fruit.

Ingredients

  • 4 corn tortillas
  • 4 fresh eggs
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 cup prepared mild red Mexican salsa (Herdez or Tostito brands)
  • 1/2 chile pasilla (dried and sometimes called ‘chile ancho’)
  • 4 tablespoons Cotija cheese

Preparation

  1. De-seed and de-vein the chile pasilla. Cut it in half, reserving one-half for another use. Pour boiling water over the chile and soak it for 15 minutes.
  2. Drain the chile then blend it with the salsa until pureed.  Warm in a sauce pan with 1/2 teaspoon of the olive oil while you make the eggs.
  3. Lightly fry the tortillas in olive oil in one pan while frying eggs in another pan. To reduce calories, don’t fry the tortillas but heat them by wrapping them in saran wrap, two at a time, and cooking on high for 23 seconds.)
  4. Place two warmed tortillas on each plate, top each with an egg and drizzle 1/4 of the sauce across the middle of each egg.
  5. If you like cheese, sprinkle a tablespoon of Cotija on top.

Incidentally, the pasilla chile will not give much heat to the sauce but rather an amazing earthy flavor you cannot compare to anything else. This recipe serves two.

An Apple Swan

Now I know you probably are sick and tired of entertaining, but this little swan made from an apple is so, so cool, I am attaching the link for the ‘how to’ video. What will you need? An apple – the chef used a Gala – a sharp knife and some lemon juice to spritz the apple flesh to keep it from turning brown. I just thought this was incredibly cool, so keep the bandaids handy and watch Chef John Mitzewich demonstrate the Art of Apply Carving!

Happy New Year!

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Residents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Improving “Invironmental” Quality at Home

December 31, 2010 – 7:01 am

Who cares about indoor environmental quality, or as the experts dub it, “invironmental” concerns? Apparently everyone - including those who actually live in apartments. In fact, most residents are very acutely aware of indoor air quality even if some property managers are not.  Certainly managers cannot control everything – as people will be people – but they can have a major impact.   

We do have lots of time to notice what’s wrong inside our buildings. Although outdoor air pollution is of concern, we spend 85% to 90% of our time indoors. Unfortunately indoor air can be ten times more polluted than outdoor air. Of course most of us know how to open a window, turn on an exhaust fan, open a fireplace flue and avoid breathing off-gassing paints and chemicals. Some materials and products, however, may off-gas for their lifetime, even if the odor is gone. An amazing paint stripper or bathroom cleanser loses much of its allure if we know that exposure can cause heart or liver damage. (We only have one of each, remember?)   

So, on this gory note, what are we going to do about it?  Quite a bit, actually. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), home remodelers, contractors, medical providers, Medicaid and Medicare officials, the VA and Big Insurance all realize that an integrated approach to better home environmental quality serves everyone. It certainly serves the property owner, as the greater the environmental quality of a property, the greater its asset value.   

Our ’new’ economy virtually guarantees that federal and state budget offices will be cash-strapped for now and recovering for years. The concept of budget balancing through citizen service reduction is already evident through court closings on Fridays, limited library hours and reduced police and fire departments. Finding ways to reduce our need for medical care, rather than cutting our access to it, could improve the quality of life for many.    

Tighter Building Codes    

Building codes require commercial and residential property owners to maintain minimal levels of air flow to allow buildings to ‘breathe’. Today’s emphasis on tighter building envelopes has made adequate air ventilation a critical element of a green home. However, more intense regulation in residential buildings is surely in formation. Why? We can blame better health awareness, the poor economy and its negative affect on government revenues. Fewer revenues are pushing budget officers to try to devise ways to create budget improvements without incurring expense. With an aging population, planners are hoping to inspire us to become healthier old people who will require fewer medical care expenses. It may seem like a novel idea, but why not include healthier young people as well? It is logical to assume that whatever helps older people stay healthier may help any age resident. Cleaning up and improving the ‘invironment’ is a great start.   

The EPA is developing voluntary “Healthy Indoor Environment Protocols for Home Energy Upgrades” (PDF, 22 pp., 827 K), in conjunction with the Department of Energy (DOE) Workforce Guidelines for Home Energy Upgrades (DOE Webpage on the Guidelines.). Here is their outline of the reasoning for these protocols:   

The EPA protocols and DOE guidelines are intended for voluntary adoption by weatherization assistance programs, federally funded housing programs, private sector home performance contracting organizations, and others working on residential retrofit or remodeling efforts. Together, the complementary documents will: provide a robust and practical set of resources for retrofit contractors, trainers, and program administrators; help improve the quality of the work performed in this expanding industry; promote occupant health and safety; and drive consumer demand for energy efficiency retrofit services.   

The EPA states that these guidelines and protocols are intended for single family, condominium and three story and under residential apartment buildings. One group that will be dramatically helped by these types of thoughtful retrofits and remodels will be asthmatics. Currently about 12.8% of Americans 18 and over have lifetime asthma with 8.2% with what is called ‘current’ asthma, or an active episode at any one time. If you live in New England these percentages are the highest, at 14.4% and 9.7% respectively. (For New England women these percentages are even worse at 16.2% and 11.7%, as women develop asthma more often than men. Go here if you would like to see the full study by the Asthma Regional Council.)   

Both my parents were asthmatics but I assumed I would never develop it.  Then I was 40 – which was bad enough by itself – and after drinking an ice cold soda on a 98 degree day, I began to wheeze and gasp for breath.  Of course, I guessed what was happening, but I had never been diagnosed. Male athmatics are generally diagnosed by 12 but women not until they are adults. My asthma is well managed luckily, but I also have health insurance, hardwood floors, garage rather than house cats and a terrific home air filtration system. I also live in the Pacific Northwest in an area with relatively clean outdoor air. Aware of the value of  ’fresh’ air, I have learned to regularly open windows and use fans.   

In fact, the Kresge Foundation on December 28, 2010 posted these viewpoints derived from a study they helped fund on the importance of indoor environmental quality:    

Supplementing primary and specialized care with asthma education and home-based environmental intervention can be beneficial for patients and cost-effective for health-care insurers.   

This combined nonclinical approach – teaching people how to manage their asthma more effectively and addressing harmful environmental factors in the home that trigger the onset or severity of the disease – has been shown to lower medical costs by reducing expensive urgent-care visits and hospitalization.   

However, expanded insurance coverage policies will be needed to pay for additional health services and supplies, such as home assessments, pest-control products, and the removal of mold and other allergens.   

The 2010 policy and practice report was prepared on behalf of the Asthma Regional Council of New England (ARCNE), a program of Boston-based Health Resources in Action (HRA). The major emphasis of the ARCNE’s report is to encourage all parties to improve the indoor environment for asthmatics as (1) a better business practice and (2) to lower health care events and expenses.  The suffering that can be alleviated by better indoor environmental practices is a priceless benefit not just to an asthmatic but also that person’s family. 

Who has asthma?

 

Who has asthma? Lots of people, but the highest asthma risk was attributed by the ARCNE’s report to younger adults, lower-income adults, the unemployed, the obese and smokers.  Although many asthmatics do not fit into these categories, the disease affects a disproportionate number of people at lower income levels. Of course lower incomes can also be the result of being unable to work because of chronic illness.   

How Important is Tenant Education?   

Residential property managers can wait for future HUD and building code regulations to address indoor environmental quality or take a more pro-active approach.  Education can  improve residents’ health by providing strategies and information on best home cleaning and living practices.  Most medical care is delivered post-symptom, therefore helping to disseminate prevention information to building residents can be an invaluable service. There are family privacy issues that must be maintained, however, so property managers may want to review the U.S. Department of Education’s Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Information Privacy Act (HIPAA) to avoid (1) breaking the law or (2) invading residents’ privacy.   

Management Decisions   

How can management help tenants live healthier indoor lives? Here are a few ideas:   

Cut down on exposure to second hand smoke: Property managers can help residents by converting buildings to non-smoking. This will generally need to be done over time as residents who moved into a building that allowed smoking will undoubtedly be grandfathered.   

Calender building service for the HVAC system: Whether a property has a master heating system or individual units in each apartment, something as seemingly simple as changing air filters and vacuuming and cleaning air vents pays big dividends for asthmatics and other residents with suppressed immune systems or lung disease. (It also prolongs equipment life.)    

Convert all building repairs and maintenance to non-VOC and non-toxic products: Whether building maintenance is done in-house or contracted out, convert to green products and materials that have been certified by a reputable organization like GreenSeal.   

Replace carpeting with more sustainable flooring options: Although many owners factor in the cost of replacing carpeting after just a few years, consider that next turnover as an opportunity to install a non-allergenic type of flooring with a longer life expectancy. Carpeting not only traps dirt and grime but is a favorite habitat of dust mites, which sicken many asthmatics. (Carpeting also may make it more difficult to identify and exterminate bed bugs.)   

Service stove, oven and bathroom fans and make sure air vents are not covered by equipment, waste receptacles or blocked in any way. Of course, an exhaust fan is useless if no one uses it. Fans can be loud, which is why it is important to impress residents with their value. As noise is often the reason we don’t use these fans, consider replacing an old clunker with one of the new, quiet fans on the market.  The decibel difference is remarkable and they are highly energy efficient.   

Landscape, pest control and waste contractors: Require all vendors and sub-contractors to sign and adhere to a strictly green maintenance policy to eliminate toxic chemicals, poor practices and chemical fertilizers.   

Develop a pet policy: Just as you might have ’smoking’ and ‘non-smoking’ units, consider having pet and no-pet units.  Although ’pets-allowed’ buildings are popular with some residents, those with allergies may appreciate a unit designated as a lifetime pet-free zone.     

Take mold prevention and eradication seriously: There are several types of mold but only some are highly toxic to everyone.  The more benign molds, however, can make some asthmatics quite ill.   

Institute a home hazard assessment policy: Many of the hazards in homes that affect asthmatics are not regulated and enforcement is non-existent. Unlike lead paint and asbestos, there are no required assessments, no legal reporting requirements and very little legal liability. A professional property manager, however, will want to protect the health of residents because it is the right thing to do. Taking an integrated approach to unit inspections may take a little planning but a checklist beyond smoke alarms and plumbing seals is critical.   

However you decide to create a better ‘invironment’ for your residents, remember to de-tox your own home too!

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)

New Year’s Resolution #1: Contemplate New Housing

December 29, 2010 – 7:00 am

Year end is often a time when many of us reconsider lifestyle choices. This year many Americans will be considering moving into  communities that allow them to substantially lower their monthly cost of living.  If you are one of these people, here are a few things to consider.

Price: Single-family living in the suburbs and ex-urbs of major metropolitan areas can lack the easy access to mass transit, employment centers, medical services, farmer’s markets, shopping areas and entertainment. Although it may seem less expensive to live in outlying areas, a family’s transportation budget often uses up the savings with automobile expenses. 

Neighborhood: If a particular neighborhood or school district is what matters to you, don’t assume it is always better to purchase a home rather than rent. 

Rent Ratio: Experts use a ‘rent ratio’ to analyze the benefits of renting or buying during a particular market. They determine this number by dividing the house price by the cost of renting the house over a year. In other words, if a home costs $300,000, and $1600 a month to rent it, the rent ratio would be 15.63%. ($300,000 divided by $19,200, which is 12 months rent.) If a home costs $500,000, and to rent it is $2200 a month, the rent ratio would be 18.94%.  According to David Leonhardt’s blog in the New York Times, these were the ratios in descending order during 2010 in the following metro areas:

 Metro Area & Ratio: East Bay (CA) 35.9, Honolulu 34.4, San Jose (CA) 32.7, San Francisco 27.9, Seattle 27.3, Charlotte, N.C. 27, Orange County (CA) 27, New York (Manhattan) 26.7, Raleigh (NC) 26.2, Portland (OR) 25.9, North-Central New Jersey 25.2, Nashville 24, Denver 22.6, San Diego 22.1, Long Island (NY) 21.4, Los Angeles 15.4, Kansas City (KAN) 15.3. 

If the ratio is below 15, it is considered a good market and time to buy. Between 15 and 20, renting would probably be wiser. Above 20, renting is most practical.

Security: Apartment living and higher density housing can provide additional security, particularly for people who live alone. With neighbors who are close by and more eyes paying attention, the community benefits.

Employment Options: There are many benefits to living close to employment centers and not having to commute. Most of us think of driving to work as something we have to do, but inclement weather can make commuting very inconvenient. If a family has children in school, it can create some very difficult situations for parents too. The biggest benefit of living close in is probably the time saved between the job and home.

Our Carbon Footprint: With so many other things that concern us today, it seems like we are piling it on when we bring up climate change, but there is no getting around it. Without some radical behavior changes in all our lives, our planet is going to get sicker and so are we. Anything we can collectively do to reduce our energy use will help slow down environmental change.  Moving closer to employment and services is one way all of us can cut down our energy use

Not moving is also another way to go. Often we think the ‘geographical cure’ is going to make our lives easier, but as we bring ourselves with us nothing really changes. If you don’t need to move, try to think  about why you want to do so. If there is a problem with your current home or rental, is it fixable? If so, it might be less expensive to stay put. Either way, happy new year!

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Residents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

The Spirit and Ethics of Re-Gifting

December 27, 2010 – 7:10 am

Problem: Great Aunt Mignonne, an avid deer hunter, never accepted your vegetarian lifestyle. She adored you, however, and willed you her guns and a collection of 100-year-old, handmade deerskin clothing.

Solution: Your police department and/or local historical society or museum.

Problem: Your best friend loves country “kitsch”. You adore her and would not hurt her for the world, but she has given you enough wreaths, garden plaks and cutesy wall hangings to stock a boutique. With your minimalist taste you have begun to dread seeing her. 

Solution: Hope she has children to whom you can re-gift these incredibly ’sentimental’ gifts.  

Problem: You simply don’t need a thing and certainly don’t have room for anything either. 

Solution: Start a new tradition with your friends and family.  Rather than gift exchanges, ask them to assist you in finding a family that really needs help. Every priest, minister, rabbi or imam knows several - and some may be your neighbors. Pool your resources and anonymously lift that family up with what you would have spent on gifts.

Problem: Your office mates. There are ten of them, nobody received a raise these last few years and a third have unemployed spouses. Nobody can afford anything worth gifting, but it has been a tradition.

Solution: Insist they bring something they already have (a White Elephant gift) and make a game out of the exchange. Each person brings one wrapped gift and will pick a number out of a hat. Then going in a circle, everyone has to make up, read (or tell a real holiday story) that includes the words ‘left’ and ‘right’. (These can be prepared ahead of time or spontaneously created.) Each time either word is said, the gifts are passed in that direction. The host should end the game with driving directions from her house to the office. Guests can also trade gifts if they like.

Problem: Your mother, a flamboyant artist, again makes you something which you ungraciously shove in the closet after you drop her at the airport.  You feel completely justified as it is not your taste and you live in a cozy apartment without a lot of storage space.

Solution:  This is not okay, so knock it off and grow up. She’s your mother.

Reclaim, recycle, reuse, restore and now regift? The latter is a time-honored if often surreptitious practice. Long-term etiquette queen Emily Post, however, expresses reservations. She insists re-gifts must meet each of the following rules:

  • You’re certain that the gift is something the recipient would really like to receive.
  • The gift is brand new (no cast-offs allowed) and comes with its original box and instructions.
  • The gift isn’t one that the original giver took great care to select or make.

Sorry, Emily, but sustainability principles need to trump social etiquette.  During any time of the year ’re-gifts’ should not be restricted to wine aerators or espresso machines received as duplicate wedding or anniversary gifts.  In fact, regifting used items is one of the most important strategies we can employ to preserve our essential resources and slow climate change.

Forget identifying people by the ’shoes’ they wear. Just go right to the person’s closet or garage.  If these are overflowing, born here or not, they have become Americans.  Add in the one in ten households estimated to be renting a self-storage unit (Self Storage Demand Study – 2007 published by the SSA) and that’s a whole lotta stuff we are frankly hoarding without justification. Certainly I understand a full pantry as emergency preparedness, but tons of material goods deteriorating in attics makes no sense in today’s world.

Other than the obvious, the hidden value of re-gifting is the lightness of its carbon footprint. The intended re-gift has already been manufactured - a replacement will not use materials excavated from the ground or further deplete our forests – and it will keep waste out of landfills.  There is an enormous amount of embodied energy in manufactured goods just on the transportation side.  Looking at our electronics – which contain rare earth minerals and metals – according to Greenpeace:

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that as much as three quarters of the computers sold in the US are stockpiled in garages and closets. When thrown away, they end up in landfills or incinerators or, more recently, are exported to Asia.

E-waste is routinely exported by developed countries to developing ones, often in violation of the international law. Inspections of 18 European seaports in 2005 found as much as 47 percent of waste destined for export, including e-waste, was illegal. In the UK alone, at least 23,000 metric tonnes of undeclared or ‘grey’ market electronic waste was illegally shipped in 2003 to the Far East, India, Africa and China. In the US, it is estimated that 50-80 percent of the waste collected for recycling is being exported in this way. This practice is legal because the US has not ratified the Basel Convention.

A gift is a lovely thing, of course, but it should never come with a life sentence. A great rule of thumb is if you haven’t used it in a year, you don’t need it.

Other Articles of Interest:

Gifts that Help You Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Gifts Without Guilt!

Gifts of Art, Recycle Materials and Heirlooms

Green Gifts for Humanity

By Elizabeth Madrigal | Posted in Residents | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)