Do the Right Thing.

Seems you can't go anywhere with out people talking about being green. And the media seems to be feeding the "green washing of America." Companies that promote themselves as green are "green sheen." And there are plenty of websites, books and speakers who will tell you what they think green is. I'd like to talk about the deeper shades of green.

• Buying a detergent that is biodegradable is green
• Buying the detergent in a container that has been already recycled is dark green
• Recycling that container again is a deeper shade of green

• There is a roofing company that has a 50 year warranty on it, that's sustainable or green
• That company's energy comes from the methane produced by the cattle ranch in the area, that's dark green
• If your roof installer takes off your old roof and has it ground up into small pieces to be reinvented as new roofing, that's a deeper shade of green

• Buying and using a push mower in the yard, green
• Cancelling your gym membership and not driving across town to the gym because you are now getting plenty of fresh air and exercise, dark green

 Hybrid Cars are cool?

• What was wrong with your old car?
• Where is your old car now? Still running? Polluting?
• Is your hybrid deep green or just more energy efficeint?

• Buying clothes or books from a used store is green
• Taking old clothes and books to the used store is green
• Turning old clothes, like blue jeans into a comforter, turning your furnace down and cuddling with somebody you love while sharing a story book is a deeper shade of green.

• Replacing your appliances with Energy Star is green
• Giving your old working appliances to a charity is dark green
• Having non-working appliance turned into a useable objects is dark green.
• (I know people who take old water heaters and make grills and smokers out of them)

• Using biodegradable laundry soap is green
• Hang drying clothes saves electricity and UV light kills bacteria, dark green
• In areas where it's possible using grey water is dark green (so to speak)

Granite Counter tops are sustainable, but

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Refinancing your home? Ask your lender about a Green Mortgage. In some cases you can save a portion of a percent or get a rebate by going green. You wouldn't know unless you ask! http://activerain.com/action/channels/activerain/topics/green_mortgages

A feral cat has moved into the rafters of my car port. It's dry and the cats protected from predators and the weather. I no longer have a mouse problem and don't have to put poisons out anymore. Also, I don't have to run my car as long to remove frost, ice and warm the car up. I win, my friend wins, the car wins, the mouse looses out.

In this same house I decided that it would look nicer if I removed a window and replaced it with a door and removed a malfunctioning door and put in a window. My hope was that the house would look nicer and the ventilation would improve. Not only did this work out the way I wanted but the new door lets in much needed light and heats the tile in my kitchen. The kitchen is now the warmest place in the house and it doesn't have heat!

The man who did the work for me did it for free, I gave him the door and window as well as extra bathroom fixtures someone gave to me. He has now put in a bathroom in his oversized garage and no long tracks across his wife's clean floors. I wins, he wins, his wife wins and the floors are staying clean! 

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There are plenty of resources on "Green." Make sure the "green" on the labels

of the things you buy are a deeper shade of green.

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:Deep Green People:

Ask Stephanie Edwards Musa  about her ideas on green building http://activerain.com/youragentsteph

JaneAnn is green down to her DNA http://activerain.com/janeanne

Deb Hurt is recycling homes http://activerain.com/debhurt

Mary Bigelow knows how a green mortgage can help http://activerain.com/mabigelow

Read Joan Whitebrook because she's worth the read : http://activerain.com/nhbuyerrep

Read what Ecobrokers are saying : http://activerain.com/groups/ecobrokers

Visit with your neighbors and learn what's going on where you live: www.greendrinks.org

Ask your agent if they are an Ecobroker or why not. Don't let your agent 'green wash' their way to selling you a home.

Remember we "vote" with our wallets

Pueblo extends a warm welcome to Vestas and it's employees

On Monday October 20^th, (2008) I received a call from a woman needing assistance in locating a home in Pueblo / Pueblo West. I asked what I think were all the necessary questions, short one. I forgot to ask the name of the person who referred her to me. All the client said was "something about the rain." The Active Rain member is the neighbor of the client Lesa.

So thank you, who ever you are. Proof it's Raining in Pueblo! 

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Update: thanks Patricia Beck from Colorado Springs

Recently I took a class at the Colorado Association of Realtors (CAR) convention at the Broadmoor called "Sustainable is Attainable". Approx 50 people attended 3 of which were Ecobrokers.

Panel Instructors:

• Sarah Siegal PCL Construction
• Todd Gamboa Building Trust LLC
• Chris Welch Ecobroker

One (1) square foot of building =

• 85,000 BTU's of power
• 365 gallons of water
• 2.5 lbs of waste

Sustainablity is equity over time / equity

                                                      time

How to keep it simple (KISS) for the average costumer. Compare a building to a box of animal crackers.

• Animal crackers: calories, content, box
• Building: ingredients energy, health, construction

Douglas Durst " if you aren't building sustainable you are building obsolete"

LEED levels:

• New Construction
• Commercial interiors
• Core & Shell
• Existing Buildings

Future of LEED:

• Homes
• Neighborhood Developments
• Communities

Terms:

• Green Wash - Products
• Green Sheen - Companies

HVAC, or heating ventilation and air conditioning. Ventilation is being forgotten. Buildings are so tight that buildings have negative pressure. Don't forget the ventilation. Tech stuff is fine, but so is opening a window!

Ask yourself and your clients:

• Would they would buy a dozen eggs and throw 3 away?
• Would they pay for a large pizza but accept a medium when it's delivered?
• Would you pay top dollar for a home that wasn't energy efficient?

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Hey Seth Godin!!!! Come over and review Margaret Rome's new book"

The Phil Long Center hosted The Women's Living Expo (Oct 10-11-12, 2008) and it was a wonderful experience. I met with hundreds of wonderful people from all walks of life, and a few old acquaintances as well.

Brenda and Patrick King www.prepaidlegal.com/king

Perry Dutch www.dutcheshomeinprovement.com Dutch's Home Improvement

Tara Goggans Prudential Real Estate Licensed assistant

Veda Salon and Spa www.coloradoaveda.com

Beatrice Trezevant www.beatricetrzevant.com Custom Art bhtrezant@mac.com

Donna Peterson www.earthsongcandles.com Earth Song Candles

Devon Eicher www.4sosusa.com Storage Overhead Systems in Penrose

Janet Otto www.intelligentoffice.com Intelligent Office Janet@iocos.com

Rhonda Todd www.wfhm/wfhn/rhonda-todd Wells Fargo

Deb Atencio Rusinak Real Estate debshomes@atencio.biz

Mark Hejtmanek Experinence Wine LLC www.experincewine.net

Mia Bella's Gourmet Candles www.miabellas.com

Christina C. Hartzler www.beautipage.com/christinasbeautiandimage BeautiControl c_hartzler@yahoo.com

L. Alexander Donnell Hearthland Institute of Financial Education alex.donnell@hife-usa.org

Cookie Lee and Anita Ralph www.coookielee.bix/anitaralph Anita4jewelry@comcast.net

Shelley McPherson American Wiping Rags www.theragpeople.com

Toni Nadal MetLife tnadal@metlife.com

Katie Kuykendall Dutctz Katie.kuykendall@ductz.com

EJ Nusbaum and Christien Hard State Farm www.chrishard.com chris@chrishard.com

Mary Gutherie Sweet Celebrations www.sweatgifts.com mary@sweetgifts.biz

ECO lution Erik D. Mitchell www.theecolution.com erik@theecolution.com

Southern Living at Home Debbie Wright Debbie.slah@yahoo.com

Author Julie Peck The Chocolate Therapist Julie@thechocolatetherapist.com

Jim Dombrowski JD's Home Repair jdshomerepair@comcast.net

Bob Black McGinnis GMAC bobblack@mginnis.com www.mcginnis.com/black

Aaron Moore A.M. Painting am.painting@mac.com

The Original Tibbe-line Rose Pacheco www.tibbleline.com

Ron Atencio and Oakwood Homes www.homespeoplelove.com Rantencio@homespeoplelove.com

Paradise Harwood Floors Peter Hacik paradise@yahoo.com www.paradisehardwoodfloors.com

Lori Woods The Doodler lori.wood@thedoodler.com www.thedoodler.com

Todd Dorpinghaus www.colordahomeinspections.net todd@colordohomeinspections.net

Brian Boals bbboals@aol.com Gave me $1000!

Colorado Mountain View Lavender 5100 N.109^th St Longmont, CO 80504 www.coloradomountainviewlavendar.com

Deb Antencio Resinak Real Estate I'm her Canon City Connection

Brook Schuman www.Uppercaseliving.com schuman426@msn.com very cool stuff! Love the idea

Pam Wahl AVON www.youravon.com/pwahl pamwahl@pcisys.net

Consider It Sold

Let's Do Tea Lisa Gafkjen www.teawithlisagafkjen.letsdotea.com jefflisagafkjen@comcast.net

TV 11

Herb Shop www.mynsp.com/herbalist www.gentlestrenght.amazonherb.net

Susan Galvin Heritage Makers www.storybookyourmemories.com susan@storybookyourmemories.com

Apartments :

• 6 Apartment Complexes Sold Jan - Sept 2008
• Average price : $401,500
• Median price : $379,000
• List / Sold % : Average 95.32% Median 94.38%
• Price per sq ft : Average $49.54 Median $50.00
• DOM: Average 222 Median 216

4 Plex Apartments:

• 14 Sold Jan - Sept 2008
• Average price: $ 163,721
• Median price : $169,950
• List/ Sold % : Average 95.21% Median 96.94%
• Price per sq ft : Average $55.16 Median $51.50
• DOM: Average 162 Median 148

Tri-Plex Apartments:

• 2 Sold Jan- Sept 2008
• Average price: $87,750
• Median price : $ 87,750
• List / Sold % : Average & Median 99.24%
• Price per sq ft : Average & Median $27.00
• DOM: 101

Duplex Units

• 26 Duplex have sold Jan-Sept 2008
• Average price : $ 179,846
• Median price : $ 85,250
• List / Sold % : Average 95.88% Median 97.58%
• Price per sq ft : Average & Median $50.00
• DOM: Average 126 Median 83

Information is deemed reliable but not guarantied

Pueblo is looking for GREAT landlords!

Two years ago (11-2006) I wrote a post about the Pumpkin Fairy in Boone Colorado. This year it seems like maybe the Pumpkin Fairy might take a break. Many of the fields that once grew pumpkins now grow corn, either for food, fuel or experimental research.

As I drive around the rural areas of Eastern Pueblo I notice more and more family and community gardens. I wonder if people are worried about the price of food, the quality of food or making some money to make ends meet.

Is Halloween going to take a break this year? Are the economic worries going to effect the trick-or-treaters? Has corn taken the land that once was occupied by pumpkins?    

Boone Colorado Market Report : Jan - Sept 2008

• Residential Sold: 6
• Median price : $101,000
• Average price: $116,000
• List / Sold : 95%
• Median $ sq. ft : $70
• Average $ sq. ft : $72
• DOM: 181 median 210 Average

Avondale Colorado Market Report : Jan-Sept 2008

• Residential Sold : 14
• Median price: $ 85,400
• Average price : $111,900
• List / Sold : 95.22%
• Median $ sq. ft : $55
• Average $ sq. ft : 59.83
• DOM : 82 Median 175 Average

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Pueblo extends a warm welcome to Vestas and it's employees.

One thing some buyers fail to recognize is that sellers get cash (good funds) at the closing table regardless of how the buyer is paying for the property. If the seller is getting money at all, he's getting it in good funds.

So what's the difference between a cash offer for full price and loan for full price to a seller? Time.  How fast can the buyer close the deal. True, cash is leverage, but so is time.

Example: 123 Main St is listed for $100,000

• Two offers come in on the same day both for full price:
• One is a cash offer for $100k closing in 45 days
• One is a FHA loan  for $100k closing in 30 days.

What's the difference?

Time, the seller is going to get his money faster with the FHA deal (in this example). And the buyer with the loan actually has more invested in the deal. The buyer has invested his own time in completing the application process, invested documentation, phone calls, one on one time with the lender. The cash buyer has little more than a down payment invested.

If you are a buyer looking at buying a property look at it as if you were the seller. What are the sellers wants and needs? You can negotiate these things, but don't totally discount them. If the seller doesn't get what he's looking for there's no deal. Money isn't the only thing that talks, so does time and consideration.

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Pueblo extends a warm welcome to Vestas and it's employees.