On November 17, 2009 off the coast of Palos Verdes in the Los Angeles Bay, there were thousands of birds gathering around a huge bait ball. The "Seagasm" was probably four football fields large, and had whales and all sorts of sealife feeding on it. There were several brave paddelboards and kayaks that made the journey a few miles offshore, and got very close to the action. I did see activity all week long, but this was the most magnificent gathering I have seen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAA3XjKZ5HI
In one of my titles I called this a "seagasm" - is that inappropiate in the work force? Just wondering, and I mean no offense, however, I feel it represents a lot of what is going on out there. Amazing indeed.
The video is a little long, but with great footage. The music is SundaySkool, a live improv jam session recorded every Sunday nite at the Sea Palace Studio. http://www.stickam.com/sundayskool
This past week I have seen Fin Whales in the channel to Santa Catalina Island. One evening during sunset a large group was splashing and creating huge boils as they raced towards the cliffs of PV. My friends and I believe they were chasing squid.
Palos Verdes is famous for hosting Grey Whales from November to April. The Palos Verdes Interpretive Center is a great focal point and the museum is nice too.
Its hard to believe how incredibly gorgeous it is today. Its 87 degree's plus, clear with a slight breeze, and a wonderful time to work at the Beach. At 200 Pier Ave, one block from the beach in Hermosa, there are 52 office condo units for sale. With the internet capabilities and keeping a conscious effort to become "green", more business people are choosing to work from home. Having an office at 200 Pier Ave keeps you close to home, in the social mix at the hub of the city, and motivated to get your work done so you can enjoy the other parts of living instead of wasting time sitting in traffic daily. Be more productive and stop wasting time~!
Luckily I have enough room in my house to work from home. I have a pretty remarkable ocean view and its plenty of inspiration looking out at the sea for a few minutes to help me concentrate on the grind so I can afford this place. I am lucky, and thank those that bless me, and want to help as many as possible in return. If you are interested in finding a paradise at home, lets talk about the ways to acheive your goal.
Thinking of remodeling your kitchen? As a lifelong resident of Palos Verdes with a Eco-Broker designation, I have great pride in helping my friends and clients choose healty products, practice conservation, and recognize the importance of sustainability. In my decade long experience with real estate on "the hill", I found that the kitchen is the leading attribute in purchasing a home and would like to introduce National Capital Kitchens West to the South Bay.
How National Capital Kitchens got started:
National Capital Kitchens grew out of a start-up business dating back to 2001. Byron Buck and Vicki Glass bought a house on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC with the intention of moving. Circumstances caused the closing to be delayed for over 6 months and Byron and Vicki made arrangements to live in another house. When the first house finally closed Byron and Vicki still wanted to have someone remodel the house so they could live there, but something happened that changed their minds. A contractor offered them $50,000 to walk away from the new purchase. Realizing that there might be significant profit to be made in buying and remodeling houses they decided to remodel the house themselves and sell it.
Byron had never remodeled anything before. After careful consideration they decided to give it a try. 9 months later the house sold for a six-figure profit. This started Byron and Vicki on a remodeling career that carried through 8 houses. They called themselves BV Builders, created an LLC and became a licensed home remodeling contracting company. They never lived in any of the remodels save the last one, which is now their personal home with the offices of National Capital Kitchens in the basement. The entire house has become a showroom. The kitchen can be seen on the company website: www.nationalcapitalkitchens.com.
By 2005 the market for remodeling homes in Washington had changed, as it did across most of the country. It was becoming more and more difficult to remodel houses profitably. BV Builders was finding it difficult to find properties that met their criteria for remodeling. Again something happened. A friend introduced them to kitchen remodeling. He was a kitchen designer who wanted to go out on his own. He asked BV Builders if they would consider remodeling kitchens for clients he had met. This launched a new kitchen remodeling business. Within a year BV Builders was remodeling dozens of kitchens. In order to focus more specifically on kitchen remodeling BV Builders changed the name to National Capital Kitchens. Their business was throughout the District of Columbia and Byron and Vicki wanted a name that reflected this.
Today there are multiple designers working for the company. Instead of remodeling dozens of kitchens a year, we are remodeling dozens of kitchens at a time. This business started on "Capitol Hill" but now it reaches out to every quadrant of the District. National Capital Kitchens represents three cabinet manufacturers and several countertop companies. It has direct relationships with specific contractors who provide kitchen remodeling services to the company. Every week several interested clients contact National Capital Kitchens to explore kitchen remodeling projects.
How National Capital Kitchens -West got started:
National Capital Kitchens - West is the West coast division of National Capital Kitchens. It started in 2009 in Palos Verdes, California. The business started in Washington, DC in an area called "Capitol Hill". This movement West is to an area also called "the hill". The similarities between these two areas are more than just a name. Both communities suffer from the economic downturn of 2008/2009 where homeowners found it difficult to move or to sell their homes. Many turned to remodeling to improve their living conditions and to add value to their homes. In effect they elected to transfer funds from their equity accounts into equity of their homes. Done well, a kitchen remodel adds more equity to the home than the equity required to remodel.
National Capital Kitchens might not have realized this economic opportunity had it not been for Jason Buck, Byron's son. Jason lives in Palos Verdes. He was born in this community, grew up there, and has been a real estate agent there for the past decade. He knows Palos Verdes very well, and he is well-know in the area.
In addition to this, Jason has a history of working with his father. In the 1990s, after graduating from the University of Colorado with a degree in Business, Jason joined his father's business as a production manager. When the business decided to move to Virginia, Jason elected to remain in California, where he became a real estate agent.
The mutual business experience of Jason and Byron and the economic opportunity that Palos Verdes offers were right for the creation of National Capital Kitchens - West. Together they bring the experience and expertise of this DC-based company to the South Bay area of Southern California. The business relationships, the resources, the knowledge of kitchen design, the ability to manage complex remodeling projects and the unique business philosophy of National Capital Kitchens are the DNA of this new company. National Capital Kitchens - West is built on the success of NCK, DC and has the full support and availability of its personnel and resources.
The business philosophy of National Capital Kitchens (NCK) and National Capital Kitchens - West (NCK-W) is based on four key principles:
locally based
quality work
client-centered approach
transparency
If you would like more information or perhaps an appointment to discuss your dream kitchen, please call Jason Buck at 310.383.2578 or visit www.nationalcapitalkitchens.com
Did you know the average lawn uses 40,000 gallons of water a year or more! No wonder we have a water crisis, it’s time to change your thinking. Now you can have a perfect lawn year around while saving the environment and money. Call us now for a FREE estimate or come by our model home and see for yourself.
50 % OFF- SOME CITIES PAY UP TO 50% OF THE ENTIRE COST !
SANTA MONICA IS JUST ONE CITY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE LONG TERM BENEFIT OF THIS PRODUCT. RESPONSIBILITY – IMAGINE HAVING A BETTER LOOKING LAWN THAT WILL SAVE MILLIONS OF GALLONS OF WATER OVER IT’S LIFESPAN. MORE MENTAL ENERGY FOR YOU- HOW MUCH MENTAL ENERGY DO YOU SPEND FUSSING OVER YOUR LAWN THAT IS NEVER PERFECT. NOW IT CAN BE ALL DAY EVERYDAY. NO LAWN MOWING – Put the mower ,weed wacker and edger away for good. Spend your time enjoying your lawn instead of working on it. PET FRIENDLY - NO BURN SPOTS OR DISCOLORATION. MASSIVE CURB APPEAL – BE THE ENVY OF THE NEBORHOOD AND FEEL GREAT AS YOU PULL INTO YOUR HOME WHERE THE FRONT IS ALWAYS PERFECT. FAST INSTALLATION- 1 DAY IN SOME LOCATION 2 DAYS IS STANDARD. IMAGINE 48 HOURS TO A PERFECT LAWN.
There is a very special home on the tour this week. It is behind the gates in Portuguese Bend with a huge nature preserve int he backyard and interesting architecture. Originally 1950's Frank Lloyd Wright style, with open ceilings and lots of skylights - there is a huge Eco-remodel opportunity here. Let me know if you would like a closer look.
I have started to host a few of the homes on the weekly Brokers Open for Palos Verdes. Here is a link to my home tour this week, sorry the footage is a little shakey - just trying to get as much in there as possible and I am doing this all by myself - everything :)
There has been a large increase in the amount of homes on the market and there were roughly 60 homes on Brokers Open this week.
Music performed by Sunday Skool - can be viewed on http://www.stickam.com/sundayskool If you would like a list of homes please email me. If you would like a special video of any home please let me know and I will work to help you. Free MLS search @ http://jasonbuck.listingbook.com Have a great day.
I have started to host a few of the homes on the weekly Brokers Open for Palos Verdes. Here is a link to my home tour this week, sorry the footage is a little shakey - just trying to get as much in there as possible and I am doing this all by myself - everything :)
There has been a large increase in the amount of homes on the market and there were roughly 60 homes on Brokers Open this week.
Music performed by Sunday Skool - can be viewed on http://www.stickam.com/sundayskool If you would like a list of homes please email me. If you would like a special video of any home please let me know and I will work to help you. Free MLS search @ http://jasonbuck.listingbook.com Have a great day.
On St. Patricks day I hosted a tour of the acitve listings in Palos Verdes on Brokers Open. These were a few of my favorite homes for the week, with views or big yards. If you would like a personal list of homes in my area, or for me to shoot a property you are interested in please let me know and I will do so.
I am having trouble with the embed - here is the link to the video:
Palos Verdes is in Los Angeles County and is a peninsula surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. With Catalina Island framing the horizon, whales and dolphins are a common sight. With homes in the hills overlooking the sea, many of the homes are Spanish style with a mix of Mediteranian or Italian Villa influences.
No Boundaries is performing in Brentwood this weekend, Saturday. Best Buddies is a wonderful organization helping people with disabilities, kinda like Big Brother. No Boundaries has been playing together for three years and has almost completed their first solo album. They have performed for Special Olympics, shared the stage with Jay Leno, and went to China and performed on the Great Wall. For more info on the band please go to http://www.myspace.com/exmusic8
One "green" person won't change the world, but every little bit of help will make a difference. Here are a few ideas to implement around the office. Get everyone involved and make a conscious effort to change.
US businesses throw away enough paper to build a 12 foot high wall from New York to San Francisco. Offices use nearly 1.5 pounds of paper per person per day. You can cut this number by using less paper, and reusing paper where appropriate. Create hard copies only when necessary. Train yourself to review and edit documents on line, resist printing web material, and instead bookmark web pages. A simple easy task of using a routing label on the first page of your fax, instead of an entire cover sheet makes a difference.
Reuse office paper and supplies whenever possible. Turn printed paper over and use for scrap paper, phone messages, and drafts. Save used manila envelopes and padded mailing envelopes, and reuse them with a new mailing label and fresh postage. When purchasing stationary, photocopy paper and even colored paper, look for brands that contain 30% or more post-consumer content.
Set up a recycling program for your business. Collect paper, cardboard, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles for recycle. A ton of paper recycled saves the equivalent of 4,100 kWh of energy, 7,000 gallons of water, 60 pounds of CO2 and 3 cubic yards of landfill space.
Studies show that lighting accounts for 30% or more of the energy use in a typical office. Reduce your lighting use by installing occupancy sensors that will automatically turn off the lights when the room is empty, and turn on the lights when people enter. Or, consider an old fashioned remedy of "last one out turns off the lights."
Lower your heating and cooling demands which account for about 40% of the energy use in a typical office. Install a thermostat which automatically lowers settings for evenings and weekends. Agree with your work colleagues on a temperature setting, even if it requires sweaters in the winter. Each degree of heating or cooling is approximately 1% of your utility bill. If you control the hot water heater, set the temperature at 120 degrees or lower. If possible, install an "on demand" water heater. Your hot water tank can account for 9% of the total energy load.
Save water by adding aerators to existing faucets. These simple devices can cut faucet water consumption in half. Replace standard toilets, which use 5-6 gallons per flush, with low-flush toilets that use only 2-3 gallons of water. Reach agreement among your office staff to flush toilets when necessary, and not after every use. Yellow is mellow!
Repair water leaks as soon as you find them. A single dripping faucet can waste up to 20 gallons of water a day.
Reduce equipment energy consumption, which accounts for 16% of an office's energy use. Cut equipment electricity use by over 60% simply by turning off your computers and copiers at night. Anything plugged into a wall socket - clocks, computers, printers, desk lights, cell phone re-chargers, TV's, digital coffee makers etc. - generate a "phantom" load of electricity. The small red or green lights let you know the phantom is working. Connect as many items as possible to a surge protector strip and turn off the strip, and your equipment, at night.
Disclaimer: ActiveRain Corp. does not necessarily endorse the real estate agents, loan officers and brokers listed on this site. These real estate profiles, blogs and blog entries are provided here as a courtesy to our visitors to help them make an informed decision when buying or selling a house. ActiveRain Corp. takes no responsibility for the content in these profiles, that are written by the members of this community.
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