Archive for the Green Drinks Santa Barbara Category
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.
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!
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
Shades of Green Blog: Livingreen Store Santa Barbara
I was invited to be a panelist at a lecture at the downtown Livingreen store in Santa Barbara. Ellen Strickland, the owner and Lindsay Horstman of Smith Barney put together a panel to discuss and answer questions about how to green your life one shade at a time.
Ellen Strickland has expanded her store from the ‘Funk Zone” location to Coast Village Road in Montecito and a store in Los Angeles. She was very generous to open up her store to the crowd of about 70 people that packed in to be sheltered from he rainy evening.
I spoke about being the first EcoBroker® in Santa Barbara and how I already loved real estate but now I loved it even more that I had found my niche.
Richard Sanford from Alma Rosa Winery talked about the choices that he and his wife Thekla have made over the years to maintain control over their wineries. Formerly the guiding forces behind Sanford Winery, Richard and Thekla chose to part ways from the winery with their last name attached since the investors were not willing to spend a little more to maintain the organic processes and way of life. I found it interesting that in general a consumer will gravitate towards products with an organic label, yet they will shy away from a wine with an organic label. I would bet that in due time this will change.
Elissa Loughman from Patagonia talked about the carbon footprint of the products that Patagonia makes. How the whole company is all about doing the right thing and contributes 1% to the planet of all of their profits. She mentioned how Patagonia is hoping to start using cotton from the farmers who are in the process of converting to organic cotton. She explained how it takes an average of three years for the cotton fields to be fully converted from “regular” cotton to organic cotton and they want to assist those farmers who are taking major production losses now in an effort to do those things. Patagonia is a fabulous company and their catalogs continue to use more and more recycled content and their clothes continue to be cuter…
It was a wonderful evening, filled with good company, delicious wine and food and educational topics. Livingreen is planning to host more lectures and panels with different green businesses featured in the future. Feel free to contact me to see when and how to sign up!
Elizabeth Wagner and DeAnn Bauer have teamed up as the Village Properties EcoBroker® and Green Ambassadors of Future Friendly Homes. Both of us are full time real estate agents are very involved in the Santa Barbara Community. We attend many board meetings, forums, and events covering a wide array of green topics. Since there are so many green inspired events to choose from, we will list some of the upcoming events on our calendars and look forward to seeing you there.
Home Show at Earl Warren Showgrounds Saturday, March 8: 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m. Sunday, March 9: 10:00a.m.-5:00p.m.
Meet industry experts in real estate, building, remodeling and decorating. See the latest in kitchen and baths, bedroom, custom closets, window coverings, awnings, roofing, flooring, windows and custom doors. You’ll also see patios, sunrooms, spas, fireplaces, solar energy, custom greens, pool tables, games, landscapes with water falls, stone pavers, fencing, gates, garden furniture and much more!
Green Drinks Santa Barbara Chapter
Tuesday, March 18th 6:00-8:00pm (ish) Hayward’s Design Center
Tour of the facilities and green products available
As Founders of the Santa Barbara chapter of Green Drinks, Elizabeth and DeAnn choose a different local restaurant or gathering spot to meet on the 3rd Tuesday of each month. We have a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business. Come along and you’ll be made welcome. Just say, “are you green?” and we will look after you and introduce you to whoever is there. It’s a great way of catching up with people you know and also for making new contacts. Everyone invites someone else along, so there’s always a different crowd, making Green Drinks an organic, self-organising network.
www.greendrinks.org for more details and e-mail santabarbara@greendrinks.org to get on the evite list, the more the merrier!
Mark Your Calendars:
Green Drinks Santa Barbara
Tuesday, April 15 6:00-8:00pm (ish) Arnoldi’s Restaurant at 600 Olive Street
April 20th Earth Day: Santa Barbara Court House Sunken Gardens…More information to follow
June 13 & 14 The Built Green Expo at Santa Barbara City College. More information to follow…
There are quite a few things going on and more are in the pipelines…please stay tuned for future events and opportunities to learn more about Green Events and real estate in Santa Barbara.
Last week we (Elizabeth Wagner & DeAnn Bauer) hosted another great Green Drinks event here in Santa Barbara. The location was the Pierre Lafond Bistro on State Street which was a perfect location and many thanks to Anne Marie Costura for setting up the event. Farmer’s Market customers and vendors were bustling by outside, a TV free zone inside with great lighting and art welcomed our 40+ guests throughout the evening. Plus the food was delicious, all organic and made by executive chef, Josh Keating formerly of the Clift Hotel in San Francisco. Since starting the Santa Barbara Chapter of Green Drinks we have had the pleasure of meeting so many wonderful, community involved, dedicated people. From professors at UCSB, to students looking for a job when they graduate, to small business owners, hair dressers interested in working for a green salon, to Realtors/EcoBrokers meeting the people that make this town tick. Contractors, architects, graphic designers, land use planners, TV producers…the more the merrier all having a drink after work and sharing ideas. Thank you all for making this monthly event so great. Next month will be hosted by Hayward’s on March 18th from 6-8pm. Come on down or e-mail santabarbara@greendrinks.org to get on the evite list.