OPEN Saturday 1.17.09 12-3+ PM, solid 2+ bd 1 ba solid 2+ bd 1 ba home w/ room to grow, great corner lot

Spread the word and stop by 12-3 PM this Saturday to say “hi” and give my iggy, Sophia, a pet. Tell your friends/family and colleagues about this great turn-key Seattle home that leaves them guilt-free when adding their personal touches. Merely move in and decorate—or manifest their dreams with some hard-core remodeling as time and budget allows.

Near Kubota Garden in the Upper Rainier Beach neighborhood of SE Seattle. On bus route 7, convenient to new light rail station, downtown, Tukwila, Renton, airport, etc.

Fully fenced back yard for your 4-legged best friend(s). Lots of great gardening space. Built with pride in 1945. Step light on the Earth and live in a “recycled” home that has great green spaces!

2+ bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1090 sq ft fin, 1780 sq ft total. Partially finished basement, extra finished space. New gas furnace, cabinets, fresh paint. Refinished hardwood floors. 2 fireplaces. 2 garages – 1 attached, 1 detached. Corner level lot, approx. 6,000 sq ft, fully fenced back yard.

More and more green homes coming on the market – some even have sensible floor plans

I was doing a little research for some of my colleagues and I was surprised to find so many Environmentally Certified homes on the market. A good surprise.


I love seeing that there are more and more builders aiming for an environmental certification. I don’t care if they are only doing it for saleability – the “green” at the end justifies the means – for both the buyer and the builder.
Environmental certifications recongnized by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service include Built Green, LEED Residential, Energy Star, and “3rd Party Verified”. I generally don’t search “See comments” (a 5th option) since a lot of listing agents think a home is e-certified when it is not, and I am tired of making phone calls and being disappointed.

But no disappointment here! Click here to see environmentally certified homes on the market west of I-5 and south of the West Seattle Bridge down to the city limits. I found 3 certified homes south of there, so if you are interested, please drop me a line and I can send you those (or any) listings directly. (I searched in just a small area so it was manageable for tour purposes.)

Does the recession affect the Organic Debate?

This is a worthwhile conversation, even in a recession.

I have found that we have been making some compromises here at home based on general safety (there are some fruits and vegetables you should always eat organic – most notably the ones where you consume the outside skin, like berries), and lately have even bought non-rBST milk instead of organic because it costs half. But it’s not alway worth it. We bought a 5# bag of conventionally grown red potatoes for $4.99 (normally we buy potatoes at the farmers market – 2# for $4). We had some with dinner last night and I was shocked at how much they lacked in flavor!

Of course I should know better – we have been eating primarily organic for 8 years now and I can tell the difference even in a potato.

I guess I will just practice greater frugality – be sure I plan meals carefully, only buy what I need and eat all of the leftovers, so we don’t waste any food by throwing it away (pre-prep or afterwards).

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWqq0Zga2AE]

The recession – a speed bump or a spring board? It all depends on what angle you take and if you accelerate fast enough

I just read something I really needed to hear and I wanted to share it with you.

PJ Wade is a contributor to RealtyTimes.com, of which I have been receiving a daily newsletter from FOR YEARS. She is one of my favorite authors and a smart cookie. She has just made some profound observations, and as I continue to keep positive in the current real estate market (won’t SOMEONE come to my Sunday open house – please?), sometimes it is a struggle to not sit morosely at my desk and feel sorry for myself – and a whole lot of other people around me.

It doesn’t matter what business you are in, if you are self-employed or just a cog in a corporate machine. You need to read It’s Not the Recession, It’s Your Reaction TODAY.

You will thank me for it. Maybe you will even remember I was the one who recommended it to you, and you refer your next friend or colleague wanting to buy or sell a home to me for some advice!! See, I just keep on keeping it positive! You have to admire me for it…

OPEN Sunday 1.11.09 12-3 PM ~ In-city 2+ bedroom home on corner level lot in SE Seattle

Spread the word and stop by 12-3 PM this Sunday to say “hi” and give my iggy, Sophia, a pet. Tell your friends/family and colleagues about this great turn-key Seattle home that leaves them guilt-free when adding their personal touches. Merely move in and decorate—or manifest their dreams with some hard-core remodeling as time and budget allows.

Near Kubota Garden in the Upper Rainier Beach neighborhood of SE Seattle. On bus route 7, convenient to new light rail station, downtown, Tukwila, Renton, airport, etc.

Fully fenced back yard for your 4-legged best friend(s). Lots of great gardening space. Built with pride in 1945. Step light on the Earth and live in a “recycled” home that has great green spaces!

2+ bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1090 sq ft fin, 1780 sq ft total. Partially finished basement, extra finished space. New gas furnace, cabinets, fresh paint. Refinished hardwood floors. 2 fireplaces. 2 garages – 1 attached, 1 detached. Corner level lot, approx. 6,000 sq ft, fully fenced back yard.

“Happily Ever After” ~ another “Don’t Miss This” entry regarding straw bale homes


Hot out of the Inbox, another Natural Home mag entry.

“The laborious construction of their straw bale home strengthened a couple’s bond with the environment and each other. The Colorado home is a masterpiece of low maintenance, space-saving design.”

Read Happily Ever After
A couple hand-builds a romantic, enduring straw bale home in a quiet mountain town. Then the story takes a surprising twist.

Green Your Remodel with the “Healthy Home Package” from GreenWorks

Want to sleep better at night?

Let’s face it – now may or may not be a good time for you to move. Maybe you love your current home, or the lot it is on, the neighbors and ‘hood around you. You don’t have to move to a neo-Craftsman townhouse or mega-green home to be able to live in a green home. In fact, there’s a strong argument for staying in your current home and modernizing it for comfort and energy efficiency rather than contributing to urban sprawl by buying a new home in a big development in the suburbs.

Every home can be a green home with GreenWorks Healthy Home Package. It is designed to improve the comfort, health, energy efficiency and durability of your home environment.

Many people share the well-known concern about global warming. You can do your part by improving the performance and livability of your home. Sleep better at night knowing you are taking the steps to reduce the waste your home produces, and improve the energy efficiency of your home.

As green home specialists, GreenWorks has created a specialized checklist to make any home more green.

The Healthy Home Assessment is not just a great solution for global warming. During the assessment you will be given tips and solutions to improve indoor air quality. With skyrocketing rates of asthma caused by indoor air quality averaging 2-5 times more toxic than outdoor air quality, this is a precious gift for the long-term health of your family.

The package includes:

1) Healthy Home Assessment
Our unique home inspection is conducted by Tom Balderston, building performance consultant, with Conservation Services Group, Inc.

CSG is a national non profit organization to specialize in increasing energy efficiency, tapping renewable energy, and reducing environmental impact and energy-related emissions for your specific project. We provide a detailed report of home inspection findings and recommendations that help homeowners prioritize projects to green their home. The assessment is included in the gift package for GreenWorks homebuyers and is available to the public for a fee.

2) Green Gifts
~ 10% off retail coupon to ecoHAUS – explore the heart of sustainable building materials and discover an array of non or low-toxic paints, cabinets, carpets, wood, tiles and much more
~ Free Healthy Home Gift from One Earth One Design
~ Coupons for ZipCar and the Re-Store
~ Chinook Book – Coupon book for local food, entertainment, dining, travel, health, garden and home
~ Gift towards 2 tons of carbon-neutral offsetting to reduce your home’s ecological footprint by offsetting half a year of carbon emissions with the NetGreen Carbon Offset program

3) Green Resources
~ Comprehensive series of green remodeling guides produced by Seattle’s Public Utilities, which provide a variety of comparable green materials and prices for every room in the house
~ Built-Green™ Home Remodeler’s Checklist created by the Master Builders Association (MBA). Learn from criteria green builders use and rate your own home from 3-5 stars
~ GreenWorks’ Newsletter focused on green homes, lifestyles and environmental issues
~ Information packets from the EPA and American Lung Association
~ Natural Choice Directory – Seattle’s guide to healthy service providers
~ Green Pages – Seattle’s directory for green building professionalsThe complete gift package is organized into a recycled paper binder from ~ Sustainable Group, a local company in Ballard.

GreenWorks offers the Healthy Home Package to the public for a fee of $450. It is offered FREE to GreenWorks Realty homebuyers, as a gift from the company.

Now is a great time to plan your green cost-saving remodel of your beloved home. For more information. or to schedule a Healthy Home Assessment of your home, please EMAIL ME.

Cool Conscious Choice ~ Cottage Co-Housing

This Sunday there will be a special Open House for presale buyers and/or investors at the Trails of Newcastle, a one-of-a-kind project near Bellevue, I-90, 405 and Cougar Mountain County Park. The site is conveniently located close to schools, bus lines, shops, restaurants, hiking trails, parks and other amenities.

The site plan is based on co-housing design and a common house. The community offers the best in green home design, restorative landscaping, permaculture, community living, ecological stewardship and smart growth.

A common house will be the hub center with a multi-purpose room for parties, meetings and various gathering. The common house will feature a conference room, guest rooms, a bathroom, kitchenette, and a secure bike shed, and wireless internet. Residents will also enjoy an onsite community organic garden.

The planned 32 cottage-style homes will sit between a view of Lake Boren and a wetland nature preserve that is richly forested and home to abundant wildlife, birds and native plants. The site is on 6.4 acres of which one third will be a protected wetland.

The homes are 4 Star Built Green Homes Designed for Elegance & Comfort. Award winning Johnston Architects has a unique style that blends organic form with modern sophistication and elegance. They create Dwell-quality interiors and exterior designs that integrate into the natural surroundings. The homes will showcase the best of urban living nestled into a quiet neighborhood and natural surroundings.

Home Features:

Single-family detached units

1,300 – 2,100 square feet

3-3.5 bedrooms and 2.5-3 baths

4 Star Built Green and Energy Star
certified (approx. 30% energy cost savings)

Hardwood floors

Radiant heat

Pre-wired for solar power and solar hot water tubes

Low VOC/low-toxic paints & finishes

Dual flush and other water saving appliances/features

Native plant landscaping

The Open House is this Sunday, January 11 from 1:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Newcastle City Council Chambers @ City Hall. The address is 13020 Newcastle Way / Newcastle , WA 98059.

For more information in advance of the event, fell free to contact Ben Kaufman of GreenWorks Development Group. Mobile: 206-300-0115 Office: 206-283-8181 or via email at ben@greenworksrealty.com

OPEN Sunday 1.4.09 Noon-3 PM ~ In-city 2+ bedroom home on corner level lot (SE Seattle)

Spread the word and stop by 12-3 PM this Sunday to say “hi” and give my iggy, Sophia, a pet. Tell your friends/family and colleagues about this great turn-key Seattle home that leaves them guilt-free when adding their personal touches. Merely move in and decorate—or manifest their dreams with some hard-core remodeling as time and budget allows. Near Kubota Garden in the Upper Rainier Beach neighborhood of SE Seattle. On bus route 7, convenient to new light rail station, downtown, Tukwila, Renton, airport, etc.

Built with pride in 1945. Step light on the Earth and live in a “recycled” home!

2+ bedrooms, 1 full bath, 1090 sq ft fin, 1780 sq ft total. Partially finished basement, extra finished space. New gas furnace, cabinets, fresh paint. Refinished hardwood floors. 2 fireplaces. 2 garages – 1 attached, 1 detached. Corner level lot, approx. 6,000 sq ft, fully fenced back yard.