Eco friendly or green homes have come a long way in just a short time frame. From wind-powered electric turbines to solar panels and geothermal heating systems, these homes are not surprisingly becoming a favored universal trend.
Rooftop solar panels are unlikely to elicit complaints from neighbors–they’re silent and relatively unobtrusive. But loud rooftop wind turbines? That’s where the virtually NIMBY-proof Ridgeblade turbine comes in. The turbine, designed by a former Rolls Royce turbine engineer at UK-based The Power Collective, boasts a sleek profile that is both powerful and visually pleasing.
Instead of creating a free-standing turbine that sticks out for all the neighbors to see, The Power Collective designed its long-bladed turbine to fit in along the ridge of a roof, where wind currents are strongest. The Ridgeblade packs a powerful punch, too — it has the wind-capturing potential of a medium sized turbine.
The turbine isn’t yet on the market, but a $750,000 grant from the Green Challenge Awards has given The Power Collective a big push towards commercializing the Ridgeblade. No word on how much the turbine will cost when it is finally released, but your neighbors’ peace of mind might just be worth the extra costRooftop solar panels are unlikely to elicit complaints from neighbors–they’re... more
The Obama administration's efforts to force the modifications of distressed mortgages, while laudable, is likely to fall far short because the foreclosure crisis has grown and threatens to dwarf government efforts to relieve it, a special congressional watchdog panel warned in a report released Friday.
The Congressional Oversight Panel, created to monitor how taxpayer bailout dollars are being spent, warned that the administration's Home Affordable Modification Program, or HAMP, announced in February, seems sure to prove ineffective.
"Foreclosures continue every day as Treasury ramps up the program, with foreclosure starts outpacing new HAMP trial modifications at a rate of more than 2 to 1," the report said.
From July 2007 through the end of August, 1.8 million homes were lost to foreclosure and 5.2 million more foreclosures were started, the report said. The HAMP program seeks to prevent between 3 million and 4 million foreclosures; on Thursday, the Treasury Department announced that its initial goal of having 500,000 trial mortgage modifications started by Nov. 1 had been met.
The congressional panel wasn't critical of those efforts; it simply said that they'll be swamped by changes in the housing market. The economic crisis, with an unemployment rate of 9.8 percent and rising, is pushing many more prime mortgages, those given to the most creditworthy borrowers, into default.
On top of that, a new class of exotic mortgages called pay option adjustable-rate mortgages and interest-only mortgages are due to reset to higher variable rates. These exotic loans were usually given to richer borrowers on fancy homes worth far less today than the value of the underlying mortgages. These mortgages are often too high-priced to qualify for government modification program.
More info @ linkThe Obama administration's efforts to force the modifications of distressed mortgages,... more
more people are inclined to put off marriage or buying a home, less apt to move away,
and are stuck in traffic longer.more people are inclined to put off marriage or buying a home, less apt to move away,... more
More Americans are looking for economical and eco-friendly living options, such as prefab homes and mini cars.More Americans are looking for economical and eco-friendly living options, such as... more
Arnie might want to rethink this one. In a classic case of a perverse incentive, California state law actually encourages homeowners to build in brushy canyons prone to massive wildfires like the "Station fire", which burned over 350,000 hectares and destroyed dozens of homes near Los Angeles this month.
In 1968, the state legislature mandated that every property owner must be able to buy affordable fire insurance, no matter how risky their location. An industry-sponsored syndicate, the California Fair Plan, serves as insurer of last resort for those deemed too high-risk for conventional fire insurance. Some 17,400 owners of brushland property now obtain insurance through this route, says Mike Harris, a spokesman for the plan.
That may be a bad idea, because coastal brushland, or chaparral, is naturally prone to infrequent but very intense fires. Unlike in forest, where planned fires can clear out dead wood and keep wildfires small, fire managers can do little to prevent massive fires in chaparral.
Risk reduction
Homeowners can take some steps to reduce their risk, such as replacing wood shingles with non-flammable material – but anyone living in chaparral must expect to be burned out eventually.
"We've been deluding ourselves to think we can stop these fires. They're going to burn no matter what," says Jon Keeley, an ecologist with the US Geological Survey in Three Rivers, California.
The best solution in the long term, fire experts agree, is to avoid building in the riskiest areas – a solution made harder by the state's insistence on insuring such properties.
For years, we had a tub of Legos sitting in our basement. Our kids weren’t really into Legos, although they’d build something from time to time.
Well, British television host James May is going to live in a colorful house built of Legos, located on the grounds of Denbies Wine Estate in Dorking, Surrey. It’s the first house constructed entirely of Legos, and some 2 million Lego blocks have already been used in the construction.
The idea came up “over a beer,” May said. He and his friend were talking about what they would have built if they had had enough Legos.For years, we had a tub of Legos sitting in our basement. Our kids weren’t really... more
Long before anyone thought of the term ‘green building’, there were handmade houses created with sustainability, respect for the land, and the pride of creating something by oneself as high priorities. Such handmade houses have been around since the dawn of man, but they saw a resurgence – and a new wave of creativity – starting in the 1960s.Long before anyone thought of the term ‘green building’, there were handmade... more
The townsfolk of Boring, Oregon and Normal, Illinois show viewers what makes their communities live up to their respective namesakes.
To prove how everyday people can achieve extraordinary things, Toshiba decided to bring their laptops to a couple places that needed some excitement: Boring, Oregon and Normal, Illinois. The Boring vs. Normal campaign from Toshiba, tracks a cast of characters do everything from start an online business to record music, and lets users vote on which town is more interesting.
Starting Monday, July 27, 2009 you can follow the competition and cast your vote at BoringvsNormal.com.The townsfolk of Boring, Oregon and Normal, Illinois show viewers what makes their... more
Last week, I wrote about the New York Times story featuring Rhonda and Jason Holt and the health problems they have stemming from living in their “dream home,” which unbeknownst to them is a former meth lab.
I spent some time scouring the web looking for signs that a house has been used as a meth lab. Follow the link to see what the signs are and which states are having the most trouble with former meth labs getting on the market.Last week, I wrote about the New York Times story featuring Rhonda and Jason Holt and... more
If you bought your first home in 2008, you may have qualified for the $7,500 first time home buyer tax credit that has to be repair in equal $500 installments. But if you bought your home in 2009, you don't have to repay the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit except in certain circumstances.
The IRS has issued form 5405, which you will need to fill out if you're going to take the $8,000 first time home buyer tax credit. But Form 5405's instructions include information on who can take the credit, how much can be taken and under what circumstances the credit must be repaid. Look through the details so you don't run afoul of IRS rules.
This article goes through the rules for knowing when you have to repay the tax credit, so you don't run afoul of IRS rules. It also answers questions like:
Can I Take the First Time Home Buyer Tax Credit?
What Are The Residency Requirements For the Tax Credit?
Who Cannot Claim The $8,000 Tax Credit?
Do I Have to Repay The $8,000 Tax Credit?If you bought your first home in 2008, you may have qualified for the $7,500 first... more
GE, probably in an effort to improve its image, is pledging net-zero homes in the next few years. Some people are already forging ahead to this end.GE, probably in an effort to improve its image, is pledging net-zero homes in the next... more
Inspired by the infamous Japanese house design style -- the pit dwelling -- this pyramid house, designed by Makoto Tanijiri and built in Saijo Japan, definitely stands out.
There isn't much to say about this design as the house pretty much speaks fo itself (mutiple pictures at the link). The text undernath the images give an insight into the home's layout.
I quite like it personally.Inspired by the infamous Japanese house design style -- the pit dwelling -- this... more
Every night, Nancy Grace exploits people on a show about exploiting people.
infoMania is a half-hour satirical news show that airs on Current TV. The show puts a comedic spin on the 24-hour chaos and information overload brought about by the constant bombardment of the media. Hosted by Conor Knighton and co-starring Brett Erlich, Sarah Haskins, Ben Hoffman, and Sergio Cilli, the show airs on Thursdays at 10 pm Eastern and Pacific Times and can be found online at http://current.com/infomania/ or on Current TV. And make sure to check out our facebook profile for special features at http://infomaniafacebook.com.Every night, Nancy Grace exploits people on a show about exploiting people.... more
During the construction slowdown, many builders have taken the initiative to learn the principles of Green Building. New home buyers ready to venture back into the housing market now have the opportunity to choose a home that is better for the environment, better for their health and, because of energy and water savings, better for their wallet.
What many people don’t realize is that green building programs encompass many changes that are also friendlier to the home-site and, therefore, to the surrounding eco-system and to local wildlife.During the construction slowdown, many builders have taken the initiative to learn the... more
684 homes thou out Ca. July 11th,12th starting bid as low as $500 still paying rent? why?!?684 homes thou out Ca. July 11th,12th starting bid as low as $500 still paying rent?... more
The University of Bath has found that, when mixed with lime-based adhesive, hemp can create a building material with a 'better than zero' carbon footprint. The only catch for Stateside wanna-be hemp home owners - industrial hemp is not legal to be grown in the US.The University of Bath has found that, when mixed with lime-based adhesive, hemp can... more
Houseboats don’t generally go anywhere. Typically they’re just a floating house that’s tied up to shore and even have utilities hooked up.
That’s great and all, but what’s the excuse for houseboats being some of the funniest looking dwellings on the Earth?
Here's a gallery of twenty houseboats that will probably leave you saying WTF…Houseboats don’t generally go anywhere. Typically they’re just a floating house... more
Home prices in the U.S. dropped the most on record in the first quarter from a year earlier as banks sold seized homes and foreclosures in California and Florida dominated sales.
The median price fell 14 percent to $169,000, the National Association of Realtors said today. Prices dropped in 134 of 152 metropolitan areas, with the deepest declines in Cape Coral-Ft. Myers, Florida, and the San Francisco and San Jose areas.
Distressed sales increased transactions in 17 states from the fourth quarter as speculators and first-time buyers purchased bank-owned properties. Such homes typically sold for 20 percent less than others, the NAR said today. The inventory of previously owned homes on the market dropped to 3.7 million in March from 3.8 million a month earlier, according to NAR data. The number of new homes for sale fell to 311,000, the lowest since January 2002, according to the Commerce Department.
“We are very much in a bifurcated market with sharp differences between foreclosures and short sales on one hand, and traditional homes on the other,” Lawrence Yun, the NAR’s chief economist, said in a statement.
Total existing home sales fell 6.8 percent from a year earlier to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.59 million units, the group said. Sales were down 3.2 percent from the fourth quarter. The figures include single family homes and condominiums and co-ops.Home prices in the U.S. dropped the most on record in the first quarter from a year... more
