Recently listed for a sales price of $459,900, 236 Coral Rose has gone into back-up offers on June 23rd of 2011.  This is a standard sale, end unit and arguably the best located unit in Ashton Green.  236 Coral Rose is a Model B - Sutton.

Homes that sold or leased in Whispering Glen and Ashton Green during the 1st quarter of 2011 between January 1st and March 31st.  Find more updates and information here, http://whisperingglenashtongreenhomes.blogspot.com/

 

Whispering Glen - SOLD

Address                 Sales Price    $/Ft         SQ'       DOM      Floor Plan

16 Gingerwood     $500,000       $334      1499       207              A

104 Roadrunner    $505,000       $314      1610       377              E

 

Total                     $502,500       $324      1555       292

 

Whispering Glen - LEASED

Address                 Sales Price    $/Ft         SQ'       DOM      Floor Plan

82 Gingerwood     $2,700           $1.80     1499      127              A

42 Gingerwood     $2,950           $1.65     1787       8                 F

24 Gingerwood     $2,350           $1.53     1533      191              C

 

Total                     $2,667           $1.66     1606      109

 

 

Ashton Green - SOLD

Address                 Sales Price    $/Foot      SQ'       DOM      Floor Plan

217 Danbrook       $429,000       $371        1155      215              B

229 Coral Rose     $483,500       $365        1324      185              E

 

Total                      $456,250      $368        1239       200

 

Ashton Green - LEASED

Address                 Sales Price    $/Foot     SQ'       DOM       Floor Plan

266 Coral Rose     $2,300           $1.95      1181       18                B

238 Coral Rose     $2,450           $1.85      1324       48                E

114 Coral Rose     $1,495           $1.82      822         13                A

122 Coral Rose     $2,475           $2.10      1181       28                D

 

Total                     $2,180           $1.93      1127    27

 

http://whisperingglenashtongreenhomes.blogspot.com/

There's not much of it, but there's a growing demographic that are hopeful that more Orange County Cities will start embracing smart, infill growth as soon as possible. Currently, all of the Orange County Cities that I'm aware of have unrealistic density restrictions and ESPECIALLY parking restrictions. I'm hopeful that I see a lot of city staff at BIA-OC's upcoming event shown below!

I've been fortunate to work with developers who have a lot of experience in how a city can evolve into a more walkable city with greater connectivity and prosperity. It's uncomfortable for a city to go from sprawling tract homes and strip centers that require a car to get to any basic service to a walkable, well connected community where someone can live with just a pair of tennis shoes, like many people my age (28) are anxious to experience. Orange County must endure more traffic and density before people can live without a car and before light rail and improved public transportation will make sense. If walking or riding a bike can be popular in cities with significantly worse weather, how can this strategy not thrive here?

Either residents need to demand this type of living or Orange County needs elected officials and their staff need to wake up and lead. It's frustrating to see planning commission seats, redevelopment agencies or city council positions used as just a stepping stone for a career in politics instead of working hard to improve OC Cities.

Orange County, especially South Orange County, was designed around the automobile and cheap transportation fuel. Electric cars offer a promising hope, but until we get to hydrogen or another renewable transportation energy than we must recognize that all resources are finite and we must adjust our use of them to reduce how dramatic the change is when the tap runs dry.

Northern and Coastal Orange County Cities like Orange, Fullerton, Anaheim or parts of Newport Beach and Dana Point have a significant advantage as the County moves deeper into the Peak Oil Age. Orange especially has a very well planned city around Old Towne Orange with a Train Station, central plaza and grid designed streets.

Orange of all cities should be leading the charge towards the future of Orange County and they even have an affluent college university, Chapman University, to help support the transition. Poor City leadership and naive senior residents who continue to show up at planning meetings to fight density, traffic and Chapman's aggressive expansion throughout Old Towne Orange. Well guess what narrow minded Orange residents, you're making real estate less desirable for private developers by reducing density and requiring unrealistic parking restrictions. Developers can't make money building anything in Orange. This gives Chapman University more time to gobble up more and more property since there's little to no competition from private developers.

Thankfully we do have a least a few projects thanks to Olson Homes & City Ventures, but how many projects will builders be able to snatch-up and will this tear the peak oil band aid quickly enough. On sale now in Downtown Santa Ana by City Ventures is their Santa Ana Lofts. Shown below is one of their playful lofts with a dramatic stair case from the 1st to the 3rd floor where the main living space is found. No 2nd floor. Straight up to the top and you feel like you're in a real downtown, which is what many Orange County natives like myself fantasize about.

After 347 long days on the market Westminster's 1st LEED Certified home has been purchased. In Orange County, green homes have struggled to gain any significant market share or be taken seriously by the County's major players in the building world. Other than Olson Homes of Seal Beach & it's rival offshoot, City Ventures, there has only been a handful of small speculative builders that have braved green building in resource devouring Orange County. Currently, there are less than 100 LEED Certified homes in Orange County with the majority of them being done by Olson Homes in tracts of around 30 units or one offs here and there by smaller builders.

Aside from Olson Homes' repeated success in Orange County with their LEED-ND infill projects at Depot Walk in Old Towne Orange, Heritage Walk in Fullerton, and still for sale Sycamore Walk and Mosaic Walk in Garden Grove, luxury home builder Tresor Properties has also been successful with it's 1st LEED Certified beachfront spec home in Laguna Beach that sold earlier this year for a cool $11,500,000 after just 7 days on the market.

So why did this Westminster home sit on the market for nearly a year before it sold? Did the design team have bad taste? Was it not promoted well enough? Was it because buyer's who want LEED Homes have no access to an efficient online search to even find them? Maybe it was due to the demographics of the city it was built in or simply the location? Is it because there is just flat out no desire for LEED homes?

Personally, I feel the greatest contributing factor was the economy. The few single family spec homes that have hit the market in the last 4 years have been faced with the most challenging market that anyone living has ever seen.

Ugly Design? Absolutely not! From sidewalk to master bedroom this home was well designed, has nice finish materials and fits the needs of nearly every home shopper searching in it's price range. At least aesthetically. There are no wacky paint colors, funky counter tops or strange lighting fixtures. The builder's taste was tasteful and just right for the targeted demographic.

Poor Promotion? I'm not sure how much love this 2 home development received from press, but I don't think it was able to reach as many green folks. However there have been similar green homes that have received hundreds of visitors and even a whole show that revolves around the construction of a luxury LEED Certified home in LA on the Discovery Channel's Alter Eco and those homes failed to find a legit buyer willing to pay a little extra for the green improvements. So it's possible that there the promotion and outreach may not have been as significant as it could be, but it's more evident that successful promotion has not worked for other green homes in Orange County.

Not Search Friendly Online? Would a home buyer who wants to buy a LEED home who's shopping in Laguna Beach decide to live in Westminster instead because there's a LEED Certified home? Most likely not. For the buyer who's shopping in Westminster, how many of them understand what it means to have a green home? If the answer is not many than getting a functional online search will not make sense until there is a more substantial supply of LEED Certified or green homes. I don't this effected finding a buyer, but it is effecting appraisal, data that supports green housing, etc.. [read more about greening the MLS here]

Bad Location? Yes, I do think this was a poor location to build a LEED Certified home or any higher value home for that matter. It's on a busy street, adjacent to a large concrete river and is surrounded by homes that are of less value. Culturally, Westminster does not lend itself to green building the way a coastal city like San Clemente, Huntington Beach or even Costa Mesa might. Location and culture are huge factors for the 1st round of green homes.

No Love for LEED? Brand recognition for the USGBC's LEED Certification has steadily grown due to it's wide spread expectance in all building sectors like retail, commercial, municipal and especially schools. Companies have policies that all of their buildings must be LEED Certified, the State and Federal Government has also made a commitment to do all of their new buildings LEED. I think there is an added incentive for LEED as it stands for quality and a safer investment than a standard home as we move into an error where energy is significantly more expensive.

Why do you think this home stayed on the market for almost a year?

Fisker of Orange County opened next to the Best Buy off the 5 Freeway at 16163 Lake Forest Drive, Irvine, CA 92618. See map people for exact location, if you're not familiar with the area and visit Fisker of Orange County at www.fiskeroforangecounty.com

Orange County, CA based Fisker Automotive is working towards releasing their hybrid named the Karma seen below on Road & Track

Yeah... I know, it's not a house or anything that relates directly to green building, but I'm REALLY looking forward to the day when electric vehicle ownership introduces some radically different ways of managing the supply and demand of energy in California. With an outdated electrical grid and a Country on the verge of financial collapse. So back to positive innovation... imagine that your electric vehicle is capable of trading energy at predetermined settings that you've determined are reasonable. Selling energy from your car to the grid during peak hours when demand is high for a lucrative cost per kilowatt and charging your car back up, taking power from the grid and storing it in your electric vehicle, during the evening when demand has cooled off at a drastically lower cost per kilowatt. This could very well be a reality if residents speak up and get passionate about common sense and what some of our logical next moves aught to be in regards to energy. Although Fisker's Karma is a plug-in hybrid and still requires dinosaur blood to go 0-60 in just under 6 seconds, it's poised to make an impressive 1st showing in the hands of it's CEO, Henrik Fisker.

For all the positive things that a handful of employees are doing at large utility companies, the monopolized utility companies receive a tremendous amount of money from tax payers and municipalities to either re-nvent themselves and/or to a certain extent, put themselves out of business. So you see, it's not just big oil that can expect to see a dip in their profits when electric vehicles begin to take flight... AGAIN (Watch Who Killed the Electric Car). Well... maybe not the oil companies, but the auto mechanics that rely on drama queens like the high maintenance internal combustion engines to provide their livelihood, the service stations at the corner quickie mart that will no longer be in demand because their petrol junky customers will now be able to get their fix in the safety of their own home, and many other ICE related businesses will suffer as we move into the electric car age. New careers will evolve, of course and is movement is without a doubt a positive move for the middle class. I'm thrilled about the idea that someone will be able to create their own electricity at home or work via wind, solar, etc.. and choose to either charge their car, sell it the power back to the grid, or use it to watch an important TV show about America's next sweetheart who's indulging in her newly appointed fame as a result of their sex tape that "accidentally" leaking out recently.

And you thought this was just going to be a Fisker shout out about their new showroom, didn't you?

Want to know when a home is for sale or lease in this neighborhood?

Add your information by checking the box labeled "12 @ Elden" to be notified when a home becomes available for lease or for sale in this neighborhood. click here

Previously another common Costa Mesa 12 unit apartment complex, now 12 fashionable homes available to purchase after a thorough 2008/09 renovation by Better Shelter. The 2nd project completed by Better Shelter in Costa Mesa. 1.7 Ocean Ave being their first.

Homes have been subdivided, taken down to studs and meticulously renovated. It's VERY rare to see such a tasteful renovation with this many small homes on such a large lot. Typically these homes are knocked down and replaced by new, two story condos. It's refreshing to see a niche re-development style and more homes like this are needed to meet the rising demand in voluntary simplistic lifestyle seekers. A greater connection with neighbors and a better sense of overall community is moving to the top of many young adult's housing desires.

 *Floor plans vary

2 Bedrooms
1-2 Bathrooms
845-985 Square Feet
Private Patio
0-1 Car Garage
Renovated in 2008/09
Bicycle/Walkable Neighborhood

View OC Green Map in a larger map

Want to know when a home is for sale or lease in this development?

Add your information by checking the box labeled "The Depot Walk" to be notified when a home becomes available for lease or for sale in this neighborhood. click here

An award winning in fill development in the heart of Downtown Orange, The Depot Walk was a 1st for even Olson Homes, the builder. Part of the United States Green Building Council's pilot program for their LEED for Neighborhood Development Certification, Depot Walk was actually the 1st LEED Certified residential development in Orange County. WHA (William Hezmalhalch Architects, Inc.) was charged with the task of designing the 32 home development directly adjacent to the Orange Train Depot. Hence the name, Depot Walk. Built in 2 phases, new home sales wrapped up for Olson Homes by the end of 2008 with a high sale of approximately $600,000 and a low of $450,000. Had it not been for the traumatic market conditions, the project would have been a great financial success for Olson Homes, in my opinion.

There are few locations in Orange County that are more appropriate for a green development. Depot Walk is strategically located next to the Train Depot for daily commuters heading to LA or San Diego. Although there is still a small group who travel this way on a regular basis today, it's more than likely that Southern California's rail systems will be a greater part of our transportation mix over the next 30+ years.

The famed Orange Circle is only a few minutes walk from Depot Walk as well as Chapman University. St Joesph Hospital, UCI Medical Center, The Honda Center, Angel Stadium, The Block at Orange and Disneyland are all within 4 miles distance.

View OC Green Map in a larger map

All homes included their own Sunpower solar systems, Rheem tank-less hot water heaters, less toxic finish materials, and a well sealed building envelope among many other neat "green" building features. Native and drought tolerant landscaping can be found throughout the development. 3 of the 32 homes were zoned as mix use which have enabled a few Depot Walk Residents to use their 1st floor as commercial space.

Permaculture Properties

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new label to compliment ENERGY STAR's new construction qualified home program and tackle indoor air quality. The new Indoor airPLUS label addresses moisture and radon control, pest management, heating, ventilating and air-conditioning as well as building materials and homeowner education. Although Indoor airPLUS is currently only offered for new construction, the guidelines provide a great checklist for existing homeowners to follow on their own as well.

 

 The program requires an independent 3rd party such as a HERS Rater to verify that the builder has successfully met all Indoor airPLUS requirements. Gutters and downspouts must direct water a min of 5' from foundation, exhaust fan with a min of 70cfm installed in garage and vented to outside, and certified low-VOC or no-VOC interior paints & finishes used are just some of the Indoor airPLUS requirements. Find an Indoor airPLUS builder here Builders and Raters, click here for more information

Permaculture Properties

The recent surge of tankless hot water heaters has resulted in many set backs for early adopters of this system. One cause of tankless earning a bad name recently is not surprisingly due to poor maintenance. Another example of how green is only green if the occupant understands how to care for or live with new, green home or office improvements.

Caring for your tankless water heater involves both preventative measures and annual maintenance. A properly installed and maintained tankless water heater can provide hot water for up to 25 years.


HARD WATER The most common enemy of a tankless water heater is hard water, which contains high mineral concentration of calcium and magnesium ions. These deposits will cause hard scaly buildup on the heating units (like the white buildup you may see on other faucets).
Over time, the limescale buildup can cause the heat exchanger within the tankless heater to overheat, sending an error code to lock out the system. When this happens, your access to heated water may be totally cut off until the problem is fixed. Avoid wasting the time and money to fix this by taking preventative steps.
Flush your heater once every 6 months to a year. While it may be easier to hire a professional, you can save up to $200 by doing it yourself.

HOW TO FLUSH YOUR TANKLESS WATER HEATER

1. Remove the cover plate exposing the power source (gas or electric) and shut off valves and water source connections. Refer to your owner's manual for identification.
2. Shut off all lines and water inlet and outlet sources. You may have a system containing two sources of power - one for the heating element, the other for the control panel. Be sure to turn off both.
3. Release all water pressure by opening the overflow valve (refer to owner's manual to identify).
4. Place a sump pump of 1/6th horsepower in a 5 gallon bucket. Connect a small hose to the OUTPUT connection of the sump pump, and connect the other end to the INPUT connection on the tankless heater.
5. Connect another small hose to the OUTPUT side of the heater. Let the other end rest open in the 5 gallon bucket.
6. Add 2 to 3 gallons of white vinegar and one gallon of water to the sump pump bucket. Make sure the pump is submerged in the vinegar/water mix and that the OUTPUT heater hose will run back into the bucket.
7. Start the pump and allow the vinegar to cycle through for 45 minutes. This process will remove the lime and calcium, freeing up your system to run like new again.

Permaculture Properties

While taking my annual tour of my favorite green building expo in Southern California, Santa Monica's Alt Build Expo, a few new exhibitors caught my eye. Both very timely to the needs of the green building movement and needs.

Recently, I've been researching some of the test kits and services available to homeowners for a few different GreenPoint Rated homes I'll be attempting to sell. There's a real disconnect between the commercial tests that currently exist and the needs of your typically homeowner. Enter Air Toxics LTD.'s new AirLab In-Home Test Kit. Most kits are pretty straight forward and easy to use, but this one stands alone because of the way it displays it's results. Super user friendly and an excellent marketing piece for any seller gutsy enough to show off what's in their home.

As homeowners begin to learn how to tighten up their home to reduce air infiltration to improve their energy efficiency, keeping an eye on indoor air quality will become increasing more important. With gas appliances like stoves, hot water heaters and furnaces along with all of the other poisons we surround ourselves in the form of cleaning products and finish materials like your standard paints and of course carpet, it's not much of a surprise that tightening up your home's envelope can cause just as many problems as it can solve, if not done correctly.

Permaculture Properties