The Orange County United States Green Building Council Chapter has been growing exponentially over the last year and is expected to explode onto the scene as energy costs rise, product and service costs drop and the main stream understanding that "green" is often times practical sense. The majority of sustainable building concepts are not new. They weren't invented buy a mad scientist and many are not a result of any sort of scientific breakthrough. Sustainable building concepts have been developed over the ages by man and almost completely forgotten over the last 70 years. As oil and other cheap energy came onto the scene business found it more profitable to push fancy mechanical systems upon you. As a result, home building companies have produced homes that may not even be habitable ... 01/03/2008

I recently emailed Mr. Lancer of the OC Register (December 16th), being fed up with all of the negative articles he has been writing regarding the current Real Estate market, the foreclosures and the lending market. Owning a real estate office and being licensed since 1989, I thought he would need to hear from a real estate professional that has been through this type of market before. I did not expect a response from him. To this point my expectations have been true. I am enclosing a copy of this email for your everyone's information: Mr. Lancer:I have no doubt that you know your real estate business, but as a successful RealEstate professional for the last 18 years and Broker/Owner of a Real Estate officehere in Orange County with 20 something agents, I must say you focus all your ene... 12/24/2007

To experience the City of Orange is like in many ways taking a step back in time.  Orange is one of the oldest cities in the County of Orange. Like so many other areas, the modern day city  began as a farming community. Growing a variety of crops and eventually settling in with Oranges. With the growth in the late 1800's came progress in the form of incorporation of the city. The Southern Pacific Railroad built a station to be followed by a second, the Santa Fe Railroad Station about seven years later. Packing houses were build to transport the produce. Growth continues with two newspapers, a library, gas street lights and the circular park which formed the center of town. The "Old Towne circle as we know it, remains today.During the early years of the 1930's the farm community experien... 11/14/2007

For Sale by OwnerIf you ask anyone who has ever tried to sell their home themselves, they'll tell you that from the moment the "For Sale by Owner" sign goes up, the phone begins to ring. Unfortunately, many of those calls will not be from prospective buyers but rather from real estate agents looking to obtain your listing. Obviously the idea of not having to pay a commission to a real estate agent is attractive to any homeseller. But because of all the issues involved in the process, selling a home on one's own can be as challenging as many homesellers will attest to. The key is to be properly prepared. If you are not, your home could remain on the market longer than you expect because you are not attracting and getting offers from qualified buyers. This can be the point where many home... 10/31/2007

Remember not so long ago, when you could make your fortune in real estate? It was nothing then to buy a home, wait a short while, and then sell it at a tidy profit. And then do it all over again.Well, as you know, times have changed. Since markets are constantly fluctuating, real estate markets are unpredictable because of changing prices and interest rates. Therefore, it is now more critical than ever to learn what you need to know to avoid costly seller mistakes in order to sell your home fast and for the most amount of money.The 7 Deadly Mistakes Most Homesellers Make:1. Failing to analyze why they are selling.2. Not preparing their home for the buyer's eye.3. Pricing their homes incorrectly.4. Selling too hard during showings.5. Signing a long-term listing agreement without a writte... 10/24/2007

"Yeah, I'd like to buy a house....someday". Homeownership is still out of reach for many Californians. Unfortunately, many woud-be-homeowners don't know where to begin. My best advice, start by managing your credit. Often, I find that many people are unaware of their current credit score until the time comes to make a large purchase like a car or a home. With a little determination, however, and a solid game plan, you can control your credit, and improve your credit score in the process. How? Start by cutting the cards. I don't literally mean shred your cards but you do need to stop using them routinely. Break the habit of reaching for your credit cards by carrying cash and giving yourself a weekly cash allowance for all your expenditures. Think strategically by deciding on two to four ... 10/06/2007