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.
In Historic Move, California Building Standards Commission Green Visionaries Approve New Graywater Standard –
July 31st, 2009
A collision of world views was in full evidence at the California Building Standards Commission hearing yesterday on HCDs proposed new graywater standards.
Highly qualified stakeholders spoke passionately for and against the adoption of the new standards as the hearing roller-coastered dramatically to it’s conclusion.
The commissioners are to be congratulated for their leadership. It is always more work to set up a new system than to fit into an existing one.
It would be a lot easier to stand aside as legal buildings continue waste resources and pollute the environment. However, in the face of deeply entrenched, powerful opposition, the commission is rising to the challenge of revising all of California’s building codes to allow/ require better building systems…besides its emergency approval of the new graywater standards yesterday, the BSC is also revising California’s Green Building Standards to include many new mandatory and voluntary measures to reduce negative impacts and increase positive impacts of California buildings.
Dawn of a new era: “On August 4th, 2009, California can legally install simple laundry and single fixture systems without a permit. For the first time, licensed professionals can legally help with the 1.7 million existing graywater systems in the state. ” –Art Ludwig, graywater researcher and educator.
For more information visit: www.oasisdesign.net/greywater/press
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 Road
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!
July 6-Aug 3, 2009
New listings: 212
Price Improvements: 276 Pending: 124 (break 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
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.
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.
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
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.
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!
History of the Trout Club:
The San Marcos Trout Club was originally homesteaded in the 1880’s and in 1924, a private retreat half way up to San Marcos pass was established. 30 home sites were sold on 120 acres and two large catch basins were stocked with trout to provide excellent fishing to locals who made the long trip up the hill for a weekend away. After WWII, the Trout Club became a popular spot offering a community feel, rustic log homes many with remarkable views of Santa Barbara and the Channel Islands from the 1,250-foot altitude perch.
This rural enclave is cherished and protected by the fortunate few that live there. Beautiful ocean and Island views, magnificent oaks, trails and fauna surround the 37 households in this coveted community. Community open space is used for a picnic gathering and children’s play area, private swimming holes in the creek and a shared water system. The school bus picks up and drops off at the top of the driveway for the neighborhood kids going to the top rated Mountain View elementary school.
Having been born and raised in Santa Barbara, and priding myself on knowing all of the neighborhoods in our community, the Trout Club only came to my attention a few years ago. I had heard the name but never knew where it was or anyone who lived there. Now I visit the Trout Club on a regular basis and have had the priveledge of assisting several clients with purchasing homes there. It is pretty rare that a house comes up for sale in the area, since many of the residents would never consider moving back to town. Currently I have a house for sale in this community and I would be happy to share more information or visit: www.7SanMarcosTroutClub.com One can live here for many years and still be pleasantly surprised by unique communities such as Painted Cave and the Trout Club and that is one more reason that Santa Barbara is so great!