Houston Real Estate Blogosphere
Houston Real Estate Blogosphere brings together all the blog posts of REALTORS from the Houston area in one place
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Green Living
The most recently published posts in the Green Living category
Prices for solar panels are falling fast. Compared to a five years ago, prices for panels and installed systems are about 45 percent less, retailers and installers say.With rebates offered by many states, some buyers are paying a little less than twice what they would have a two years ago."Solar is now affordable for people for whom it wasn't before," says Jeff Wolfe, CEO of groSolar, a Vermo...
Read Post [Posted on 05/19/2013 By John Askins]
If you do not stamd for something; then, you might as well just shut up and sit down.
Read Post [Posted on 05/17/2013 By Walter Moore]
Turn your yard into the
ultimate neighborhood party spot
When Rika Houston knocks on
doors to invite neighbors over for an impromptu screening, she's never short of
takers. Located in the front yard of the Los Angeles home she shares with her
husband, architect Brian Ten, the cinema is unlike any other in town. Sinking
into the cushy sofa with lanterns lit overhead, guests wa...
Read Post [Posted on 05/17/2013 By Diana Walton]
According to RealtorMag: The green housing market continues to grow, with green projects making up 20 percent of all newly built homes last year, according to McGraw Hill Construction. Researchers predict the share will rise to 29 percent and 38 percent of new U.S. homes by 2016.
"The green building market has evolved beyond the crunchy-granola, Boulder types," says David Johnston, co-author of ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/14/2013 By Alex Handley]
McGraw Hill Construction says 20 percent of homes built last year
were green, and that figure is slated to rise to between 29 percent and
38 percent by 2016. Most large builders have made energy-efficient home
construction a standard practice, and federal tax credits for such
components as insulation and geothermal heat pumps have helped green
housing go mainstream.
Nexus En...
Read Post [Posted on 05/14/2013 By John Askins]
Researchers are linking the disappearance of honeybee colonies to a categoryof pesticides, called neonicotinoids, that corn farmers use to preventinfestation. Home owners also unknowning use it to control and get rid of the grub worms that turn their lawns brown.Friends of honeybees say neonicotinoids poisons bees causing someto abandon their hives, which is bee suici...
Read Post [Posted on 05/12/2013 By Marla Lewis]
More home owners and buyers are ranking energy-efficient and environmentally friendly home features high in surveys.
AOL Real Estate recently highlighted a few easy steps home owners can take to make their homes more “green”:
Swap out the light bulbs: LED light bulbs are known
as being 80 percent more energy efficient and lasting as much as 25
times longer than incandescent bulb...
Read Post [Posted on 05/07/2013 By John Askins]
It is early May and wanted to post this picture of my angel trumpet now - it is covered in flowers and smells fantastic in the evenings. It is shaped like a small tree.
Read Post [Posted on 05/06/2013 By Jennifer Stence]
A owner's survey shows that the tighter economy has prompted more home owners to tackle do-it-yourself house projects — everything from “plumbing, painting, and home cleaning,” according to a report from Bank of America. Home owners say they used to hire-out for such projects in the past. The survey found that 70 percent of home owners have taken on such improvement jobs to curb housing ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/05/2013 By John Askins]
More home owners may be able to use solar panels to curb electricity bills without paying any upfront costs for installation. While home owners have shown a desire for “green” power, they may not be able to afford the $35,000 investment.That’s why a company in San Mateo, Calif., called SolarCity, as well as other solar companies, are introducing a new lease option to get more customers signed...
Read Post [Posted on 05/05/2013 By John Askins]
It’s not flat but cone shaped. As you see in the animated gif, it sits under glass and spins in place. This motion allows it to keep cooler than a normal solar panel that sits in the sun all day. What’s more, the design of the glass concentrates the light onto the solar cells, allowing it to harvest more energy. ...
Read Post [Posted on 05/03/2013 By Maxelle Singletary]
You can help save the planet while also saving cash, according to the Alliance to Save Energy. The average U.S. household spends about $3,425 to power a car and $2,175 on home energy costs--in other words, about $5,600 on energy costs per year. That number is likely even greater with rising fuel and utility costs.The Alliance is offering up some pointers on how to trim those yearly expenses w...
Read Post [Posted on 04/22/2013 By John Askins]
Compost tea sprayed on your lawn throughout the growing season will invigorate your grass. Who knew? Obviously Bob Vila did, and here are four other tips for a greener lawn this year!Using these five lawn tips will help you maintain a greener lawn throughout the spring and summer....
Read Post [Posted on 04/06/2013 By Alex Handley]
