The Community Environmental Council

The Community Environmental Council has been around since 1970, and has led the Santa Barbara region - and at times California and the nation - in creative solutions to some of the toughest environmental problems. We are often referred to as a "think-and-do tank" - deeply analyzing a problem and then applying creative, real-world solutions to it. About five years ago, CEC launched a bold new mission - eliminating the use of fossil fuels in our region in one generation. Today we are singularly focused on this one mission, and are applying to it all that we have learned over the last four decades. Become a member. Make a positive difference.

How CEC is creating a "fossil free" community

Changing public policies
* A CEC-led coalition of architects, builders, and others worked closely with the City of Santa Barbara to draft an ordinance that requires all new and renovated buildings to be more energy efficient, with the goal of being carbon-neutral by 2030. In 2008, the Santa Barbara City Council unanimously passed the ordinance - making Santa Barbara's building energy code one of the most progressive in the nation. We are now working to take similar ordinances to Goleta, Carpinteria and Ventura. Learn more about Architecture 2030.
* We played an integral role in the California Public Utilities Commission's decision last fall to set a goal for all new homes in the state to be "zero net energy" by 2020 and commercial buildings by 2030.

Promoting solar and wind energy
* We helped streamline permittingprocesses with the City and County for solar projects, so that installers can now obtain over-the-counter permits in most situations. Learn more.
* We helped catalyze community support for the first wind farm in Santa Barbara County -- a 100-megawatt project near Lompoc, which was approved by the County Board of Supervisors in February 2009. When finished, this project will generate about 10 percent of the entire electricity needed in our region. Learn more.
* We contracted a study by UC Berkeley, which found that about 290,000 gigawatt hours of electricity could be generated from on-shore and off-shore wind - more than 100 times our current electricity needs. We are now developing processes and tools that will lead to environmentally, economically, and socially sound on-shore wind projects, in collaboration with the Environmental Defense Center and more than a dozen environmental groups and government agencies. Learn more.

Getting the word out
* We host, organize and sponsor more than a dozen events each year. Our largest and most successful - CEC's Earth Day Festival - began in 1970, has been consistently running since 1990, and attracts over 10,000 people and 250 exhibitors. Learn more.
* Our personal-action campaign, Get Energized, helps individuals and businesses make lifestyle changes using local resources. To date, more than 1,700 people have taken the Get Energized pledge. If all the pledges are fulfilled, our region would save over $2.1 million and about 10 million kWh - enough to power just over 1,680 homes a year.

Become a member and learn more. www.CECsb.org

*Full disclosure, Elizabeth is a board member.

July Santa Barbara Real Estate SnapshotL 7/6 - 8/4 2009

July 6-Aug 3, 2009

New listings: 212

Price Improvements: 276

Pending: 124 (breaks down: under $1million = 96, $1-2M = 22, $2-4M = 6, $4-8M = 3, $8M+ = 4)
Closed: 132 (breaks down to 4 per day in the month of July)
Off Market: 154
Back On market: 62

Months of Inventory as of end of July, 2009

Under $1million: 3.6 months

$1-2million: 9.4 months

$2-4million: 14 months

$4-8million: 13.6 months
$8million + : 75 active listings, 2 are currently pending
*These numbers are for single family houses only & do not include condos.

Standard Definitions:
0-3 months of inventory = seller's market

3-6 months of inventory = balanced market

6-9 months of inventory = buyer's market

9+ months of inventory = soft market

New Farmer's Market: Westside Santa Barbara

New Farmers Market at Harding Elementary School, Westside! 8 markets, 6 days a week Open year-round, rain or shine!

Sat: 8:30am-12:30pm DT: Santa Barbara and Cota Streets
Sun: 10am-2:00pm Goleta: Storke and Hollister
Tues: 4:00-7:30pm summer 500 & 600 blocks State Street
Wed: 2:30-6:30pm Harding Elementary School 1625 Robbins
Thurs: 3:00-6:00pm Goleta - 5700 block of Calle Real
Thurs: 3:00-6:30pm Carpinteria - 800 block of Linden Ave
Fri: 8:00-11:15am Montecito - 1100 block of Coast Village Rd

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newest local farmers market, which will be located every Wednesday from 3:00pm-dusk at Harding Elementary School. An exceptional array of fresh local produce, flowers, plants, nuts, sprouts, eggs, whole chickens, pies, breads, and much more! The seasons very best peaches, berries, citrus, tomatoes, green beans, corn, apples, peppers and melons will all be available!

www.sbfarmersmarket.org

Home Food Forest

Let Home Food Forest™ start an organic edible garden right outside your door! Better Food Grown At Home.

A Home Food Forest is more than just a vegetable garden--it is a complete, organic ecosystem. Wilson Environmental Landscape Design can help you build this ecosystem with their full understanding of the components which will make your new venture a success. They give you a jump start on gardening. You get the fruits of the labor.

www.homefoodforest.com

Ventura, CA and houses there...

The buyers of this Ventura home, started off looking at properties in Santa Barbara and we found several that they liked a lot. We wrote several Santa Barbara offers and "things" just kept happening...short sale messes, sellers deciding not to sell etc. Other properties were just too small or run down for the amount of money they were asking here in town.

One of my buyers was working in Ventura throughout our property search and she ended up getting to know the town a bit.
One weekend they went to some open houses and the next thing I know, they called me to ask if I can write an offer! Not being a member of the Ventura Multiple Listing Service, I said that I would have to do some research. Then they told me they had already found the house they wanted, what fabulous buyers!

Well, it was a bit more complicated than that...we wrote the offer and the listing agent didn't respond to us for almost a week. When we did get a response, the listing agent said that it had gone into escrow with another buyer the day before!
We were surprised to hear that and started looking at other properties in the area, but none that my clients liked as much.
So we decided to take a break from looking and start again in a few months.

One day my phone rang and it was theVentura agent saying that the house was about to fall out of escrow. The bank (it was an REO) was eager to put it back in escrow right away so we re-submitted our offer. We quickly received confirmation back that we were accepted!

Now please know, there is much more that I have left off of this story...but it ended up having the happiest of endings.
My newlywed clients (who postponed their honeymoon to sign loan docs!!!) are all moved in and happy as can be. I am very excited to be going down to Ventura on Monday night to have dinner in their new home.

Once again, thank you all for your support and for referring your friends and family to me. That was how I met these buyers and it has all worked out so well! A 20 minute drive from Santa Barbara and Home Sweet Home.

Wagner and Bauer (soon to be Wilson) Summer Newsletter

My business partner, for our green properties, DeAnn Bauer and I send out seasonal newsletters to let our friends and clients know what we have been up to and what events are taking place. Here is our Summer 2009 edition.

The latest and greatest…

Food...

Santa Barbara Green Cuisine – Find the perfect local recipes at: www.sbgreencuisine.org A new project run by members of the Advanced Placement Environmental Science class at Santa Barbara High School. The purpose is to make it fun and simple to produce delicious , local recipes, while at the same time reducing the carbon emissions from the worldwide transportation of foods.

Let Home Food Forest™ start an organic edible garden right outside your door! Better Food Grown At Home.

A Home Food Forest is more than just a vegetable garden--it is a complete, organic ecosystem. Wilson Environmental Landscape Design can help you build this ecosystem with their full understanding of the components which will make your new venture a success. They give you a jump start on gardening. You get the fruits of the labor. www.homefoodforest.com

Shepherd Farms announces new CSA memberships! Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) enables a community of individuals to pledge their support to a farm. In exchange they receive a share of its bounty throughout the growing season. Check out www.shepherdfarmscsa.com

Function...

Great short video on the concept of New Urbanism. http://theoverheadwire.blogspot.com/2009/05/cul-de-sacs-kill.html

Jeff Shelton Architect - available now 3 books to help homeowners choose Small House Designs, Fire Safe Designs & Shelter Ideas. He talks about new considerations including: build using non-combustable materials, permaculture practices, rainwater collection, shared resources, solar electricity and hot water and a neighborhood marketplace. Contact Jeff for copies.

http://www.jeffsheltonarchitect.com/

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Community Groups:

Green Building Alliance "The place to hire professionals who design, build, landscape (and sell houses) with the environment in mind." The Green Building Alliance (GBA) is a group of design, construction and sales professionals working together to create a more sustainable built environment. Who does the Green Building Alliance serve? The Alliance serves people who want to create healthy, environmentally friendly homes, workplaces and landscapes.
We are both members of this organization and invite you to ask us more or reference the website for more information. www.gballiance.com

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Community Events:

Ashes to Opportunity Rebuilding Forum - This event will focus on sustainable and fire safe ways to rebuild homes lost in the fires. Saturday, June 27th 8:30am-1:30pm. Check http://www.cecsb.org/ for details and sign up.

Don't miss Solar SUNday at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on July 19, 2009 from 11am to 4pm. We will have a booth there and look forward to seeing you and answering your questions about sustainable real estate in Santa Barbara. This event is put on by the Community Environmental Council and will be a great time.

Earth Day Synopsis: Our last newsletter was just before Earth Day, where we had a Village Properties EcoBroker booth. We had a great day and enjoyed a shady spot in the park which helped with the 100 degree weather. Approximately 15,000 people attended the event and there are talks of next year's taking place on Saturday instead with lots more healthy food, beverages and lively concerts Friday and Saturday nights. This past year we met many new clients and were visited by many friends as well, thank you all for saying hello!

Green Drinks April

This month's location: Tuesday, April 21st at Arnoldi's

Come celebrate our 2rd Anniversary with some pizza and bocce ball at a Santa Barbara landmark, Arnoldi's located at 600 Olive Street and Cota. 6-8pm.

Please let us know if you have any suggestions for future locations!

The March event at SilverGreens was the most attended event yet. Over 100
greenies gathered to support the restaurant, sip green beer, network and
learn more about the USGBC C4 Chapter.

First Time Buyer Tax Credit Information

Tax credit has been increased to $8,000.

Homes have to be purchased between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009

No repayment/recapture clause for homes sold after 36 months of occupancy and ownership.

The Tax Credit is for home buyers (either spouse if filing jointly) who have NOT owned a principle residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase. Ownership of vacation property or rental property does not disqualify home buyers from this program.

• The maximum credit is $8,000 or 10% of the home purchase, whichever is less.
• The credit is available for homes purchased on or after January 1, 2009 and before December 31, 2009.
• To qualify for the full tax credit, married couples' modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) should be under $150,000 and single filers' MAGI should be less than $75,000. Partial tax credits may be available for married couples with MAGI incomes of over $150,000 but under $170,000 and single filers with incomes over $75,000 but under $95,000. If married couples who qualify for the first-time tax credit file separately, they would both claim 5% of the home purchase or $4,000 each (whichever is less) on their tax returns.
• Home buyers who qualify for this program, but who do not intend to purchase a home till the end of 2009, may elect to alter their tax withholdings (up to the amount of the of the tax credit) in order to save up money for a down payment. However, if the purchase of the home does not occur, the taxes must be repaid to the IRS.
• There is no recapture or repayment clause IF the home is owned for at least 36 months.
• The effective date of purchase for new construction (even if buyer owns title to the lot) is the date the owner first occupies the house. So even if construction began in 2008, as long as the home and buyers qualify for the tax credit, they will be eligible if they take possession any time during 2009. However, new construction bought from the builder is only eligible if the settlement date (closing) takes place between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2009.
• The law allows taxpayers to elect to treat qualified 2009 purchases as a 2008 purchase so that they can receive the tax credit on their 2008 tax returns.
• The full amount of the eligible tax credit is refunded to the buyer, regardless of whether the buyer has paid an equivalent amount in taxes.
  
• Click here for source and more information

Santa Barbara's first two EcoBrokers® also completed National Association of Realtors GREEN® Designation.

DeAnn Bauer and Elizabeth Wagner both attended the two day course at the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors put on by the National Association of Realtors to obtain their GREEN Designations.

They are now the first two GREEN Designation and EcoBrokers in Santa Barbara. While this GREEN program is the only program that is officially recognized by N.A.R. both agents feel that this is a introductory course in "green" principals, a first step in the process that they have already made their professional real estate niche.

So now the Green Team is officially EcoBroker and GREEN certified!

Top 10 Green Building Products (Sustainable Industries)

I wanted to share the latest news about the Top 10 Green Building Products of 2008. Feel free to click on the links below for more information.

Top 10 Green Building Products (Sustainable Industries)

From Jetson Green

Just recently, Sustainable Industries announced their list of the Top 10 Green Building Products for 2008. To get that magic number of 10 products, SI accepted roughly 80 nominations and narrowed those products down based on their ability to meet the following criteria: LEED compatibility, environmental performance, value, scalability / market impact, innovativeness, and design aesthetic. Without further ado, here are the Top 10 Green Building Products for 2008:

- Compressed Earth Blocks
- EcoTop by Kliptech
- Lamberts Channel Glass Walls
- Masa Cabinet Hardware
- MetroPaint
- Resource Monitor
- Solar Tracking Skylights
- Straw Wall by Green Design Systems
- Thermastrand Radiant Barrier Sheathing
- Salvaged Hardwood Tables