Did you ever detect the smell of paint in your house months or even years after it was painted?

Did you ever wonder if the fresh smell of regular latex paint may negatively affect your baby’s health, or someone who was pregnant, or bother your allergies or even your pets?

Well I did.

While I admit I’m not so up-to-date on a lot of the new eco-friendly products that are on the market, I recently learned about the long-term value and virtues of using genuine green friendly paint.  

There is a new environmentally friendly paint store that recently opened on 163rd Street in North Miami Beach, Florida that is worth considering when you are shopping for interior or exterior paint for your home or business.

Mythic Paint Store, opened January 2008, only sells zero-toxin, zero-carcinogen and zero VOC (volatile organic compound) paints.  This ultra-low odor paint is designed to protect your safety and health by offering a line that is solvent free including the use of 100% non toxic colorants, which are added at the point of purchase, and comes in over 1200 colors.

Eco-friendly paints have been on the market for a decade, but performance reviews in the past weren’t always good.  Some of the newer paints are giving better results.  For added confidence, all Mythic paints come with a performance guarantee. Mythic claims that there are no hazardous materials present and the impact on health and indoor air quality is considered minimal. It states that it is safe for people, pets and the earth.

Rocky Prior, the creator of the Mythic Paint line, and owner of Southern Diversified Products, is a chemist who has been in the paint business for 20 years.  He steers clear of “greenwashing” or making a product appear eco-friendly when it isn’t.  “Some manufacturers simply mask the odor with odor masking agents.” He suggests the consumer read the ingredients on the paint can and learn the lingo.  You don’t want to see on the label polyvinyl acetate, mineral spirits, acetone, petrochemicals or formaldehyde.  It should also be certified by Green Seal or Greenguard, an industry-independent third-party testing organization.  Mythic Paint has 10 to 30 times the durability required as certified by Green Seal GS-11 certification.

So why do we want to use eco-friendly green paint and stay away from the toxic-ridden traditional latex paint of the past?  Because VOCs are the solvents released into the air as the paint dries, producing the new paint smell.  Health and environmental experts warn that these vapors or “off-gassing” harms the ozone layer and can cause watering eyes, headaches, dizziness and other symptoms.  Young children, the elderly and those with asthma are particularly susceptible.  The Environmental Protection Agency says some of these chemicals contain known or suspected carcinogens. 

“Our paint is different, says Mythic’s creator, Prior, because we were a new paint company that started from ground zero building our formula without any VOCs. We started with a blank piece of paper. Remember the houses of years ago were not air tight; today they are virtually sealed, leaving people and pets to breathe VOCs for five years or more.”

Mythic Paints offer a complete line of safe, superior performance paints with a 1,232 color palette for interior and exterior finishes.

Visit:

Mythic Paint Store

1671 NE 163 Street, Suite A

North Miami Beach, FL  33162

Telephone: 305-949-9344

I am a professional realtor who specializes in residential property in the Aventura area and surrounding communities of North Miami Beach, Sunny Isles, and Hallandale Beach. Please visit my website at http://www.DeenaLandsman.com  for more helpful information.  I make it a priority to give my clients the attention and sound business advice they need to make their move a rewarding experience. 

Most manufactures now recommended oil changes at only five or ten thousand miles.  With better oils and outstanding engines means longer spans between oil changes without engine harm.  Not only does changing oil less often reduce resource use, it also prevents potential pollution.  According to www.greencar.com motor oil is only about 50% recyclable, insoluble, contains metals and other toxic chemicals, and is often disposed of improperly.  Could you believe that experts say that one gallon of used oil can pollute one million gallons of water.

Don’t take my word for it but check your car’s manual for specific oil change frequency and you might be surprised that it’s not every 3,000 miles like some has led us to believe.  Save the environment and your wallet.

This lovely and versatile Banyan model features a split-plan with the master bedroom and bath separated from the two secondary bedrooms, approximately 1879 total square feet.

This open floor plan boasts high ceilings and neutrally painted walls.

Flooring:

• 18-inch tile laid on the diagonal
• Neutral ceramic tile throughout the living areas with neutral Berber carpet in the bedrooms

Kitchen:

• High breakfast bar
• 42-inch white cabinetry
• White appliances, including refrigerator, dishwasher, disposal, washer, dryer, microwave, and electric range

The kitchen opens to a large family room — a perfect fit for your large-screen HDTV.

Master Bedroom and Bath Suite:

• Large walk-in closet
• Double-sink vanity
• Roman Tub
• Glass-enclosed, waik-in shower

Protection:

• Guard-gated entrances at Royal Palm Boulevard and Saddle Club.
• Windows have solar protection which add a level of privacy while you enjoy the outside light through the vertical blinds.  Custom window treatments are modern, light and neutral which would blend with any decor.
• Hurricane panels are provided per Code.

The inside laundry room with overhead cabinetry and a wash-tub as an added plus makes for more room in your two-car garage.  Tropical, easy to manage landscape enhances the exterior and covered entry.

This lovely home is on a cul-de-sac street within walking distance of Savanna Commons which includes:

• A beautiful clubhouse
• Multiple pools
• Resort-like amenities for adults
• Miniature golf
• Basketball courts
• Playground and tot area for the younger set
• Walking and bike-riding trail.

Weston, Florida is known for its great schools.  These include:

• Gator Run Elementary (FCAT Scores)
• Falcon Cove Middle School (FCAT Scores)

This is a clean, crisp one-story home in one of the greatest communities built by Arvida.  This is a home you will enjoy for years to come.

Offered at $339,000

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CAVEAT: Prior to purchasing any property, please check the Broward County School site  and type in the address of the property.  Be advised that school boundaries are subject to change.

 

RENTERS GO DOWNTOWN TO SAVE ON GAS, COMMUTING 

July 25, 2008
By J.W. ELPHINSTONE

Sick of filling up the tank for sixty bucks? Considering a place near work downtown and tossing the car keys? Prepare to pay higher rents as more like-minded apartment dwellers flock to urban digs.

Nationwide, rents near job centers and mass transit are rising faster than other areas, according to New York-based real estate research firm Reis Inc. The trend is strongest in Boston, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Chicago, Seattle, Baltimore and Minneapolis, and Portland, Ore.

And already in downtown San Diego, for example, rents have jumped 15 percent in the last year to between $2,400 and $2,600 a month for a two-bedroom apartment, said Greg Neuman, owner of Neuman & Neuman Prudential Realty.

Young renters and empty nesters want to walk to work or drive against rush-hour traffic to save time and gas.

If they live a half hour or an hour away, “they could rent the same apartment for $800,” Neuman said, “but they’re now spending an hour commute and another $700 to $800 (a month) on gas.”

In urban New York and New Jersey, Kamson Corp.’s apartments are filling up and pushing rents higher, while its suburban ones in Pennsylvania can’t hold on to tenants.

“We’re finding people asking more questions about mass transit, what kind of services there are in the immediate area,” said Mike Beirne, Kamson’s executive vice president.

Some apartment owners are including maps on their web sites and brochures showing where amenities and public transportation are located. Others are advertising their so-called walkability score from walkscore.com, a web site that calculates how close an address is to businesses and amenities. And some landlords are giving out gas cards as gifts to new tenants and offering discounted parking to renters with hybrid cars.

Looking for bargain rents downtown? Try Miami, where a glut of condos left over from the housing boom are turning into rentals and flooding the market. Renters have more choices and more power to negotiate deals.

“Because landlords are motivated, rents are negotiable here,” said Paul Sasseville, a real estate agent at Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Inc. Some landlords, he said, will even offer design changes, like swapping carpet for hardwood floors, to lock in a tenant for two years.

Renters there have been moving downtown for a few years already as traffic backed up in and around South Florida. The city has the sixth-worst commute in the country, according to Census data.

“People wanted to get more hours into their life,” Sasseville said. “That started being an impact right before gas prices started to increase.”

Now gas prices have become just another reason for renters to skip out on the suburbs and settle down in the city.

Not surprisingly, many cities are also showing increases in public transit ridership this year, according to the American Public Transportation Association.

The suburban exodus is “both a function of traffic and congestion, spiced up by $4 a gallon gas,” said John McIlwain, senior fellow for housing at the Urban Land Institute.

Americans spend more than 100 hours of commuting each year, but all-time-high gas prices of over $4 a gallon are forcing Americans to change their smog-producing habits. Already, they’ve cut back sharply on driving overall.

If gas prices stay high, renters will need the money they save on dumping their cars to pay for that pricey apartment by the subway. But they can still feel good about being green.

The Miami Dolphins and the University of Miami Hurricanes have started their respective training camps and I am excited. I envision once again Saturdays and Sundays cheering for my favorite teams, and hoping we do better than last season.

This is the Miami Dolphins 2008 schedule:

PRESEASON

8/9 – Tampa Bay

8/16 – @ Jacksonville

8/23 – Kansas City

8/28 –  @ New Orleans

REGULAR SEASON

9/7 – New York Jets

9/14 – @ Arizona

9/21 – @ New England

10/5 – San Diego

10/12 – @ Houston

10/19 – Baltimore

10/26 -Buffalo

11/2 – @ Denver

11/9 – Seattle

11/16 – Oakland

11/23 – New England

11/30 – @ Seattle

12/7 – @ Buffalo

12/14 – San Francisco

12/21 – @ Kansas City

12/28 – @ New York Jets

Then it’s off to the playoffs and the Superbowl for the Miami Dolphins!

(One can dream)

Some say we have an oil shortage – we don’t. At this time the the US makes up less than 5% of the world population but uses over 25% of oil produced. Our consumption has been increasing each year at about 2% per year while our population has been growing at about 1.72%. However the uncontrolled demand in contrast to the supply controlled by OPEC, have resulted in the increase in oil prices. The problem is exacerbated by speculators in the futures market and the declining dollar.

Consider that in 1950 the US had about 150 million people and the typical home was less than 1250 SF with a household of about 3.7 persons or about 338 SF per person . In 2008 we have just over 300 million people but the median home is about 2500 SF with an average household of about 2.2 persons or about 1136 SF per person. While our population doubled in about 58 years, both the size and number of dwelling units more than tripled.

Also in 1950 hardly any home, business or public building had year round air conditioning – now it is standard in most buildings plus a whole array of energy consuming equipment. So while the SUV in the driveway is the symbol of waste, the culprit is our homes and buildings in general. Our buildings now consume about 70% of the electricity produced in this country.

When you closely analyze the energy crisis you find that it is the cause of many other current problems. The high demand for energy is causing us to withdraw from our economy about $700 billion per year to pay for oil. The OPEC nations in turn are investing that money in hard assets in places like Abu-Dhabi, Dubai and others. Venezuela is building new infrastructure and buying the good will of many nations around the world. Iran is supporting the insurgency in Iraq. That brings to mind the cost of defending the US interests around the world which is running about $720/day. Since much of that money is not returning to our economy, it is eroding the value of the US dollar. One wealthy businessman, T. Boone Pickens, is concerned enough that he is putting his money and resources behind a plan to use wind, solar, gas and other sources of energy to power up our country in less than 10 years (www.pickensplan.com ).

Since the beginning of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the value of the dollar has declined about 40% against foreign currencies. The devaluation of the dollar and the increase in oil prices is now accelerating inflation to levels not seen in 30 years. The US is experiencing the most rapid transfer of wealth in history. However the devaluation of the dollar combined with lower property values is helping the real estate market, because many foreigners are now buying properties in the US.

The solution to the energy crisis multifaceted and requires a grassroots effort to lead the government instead of the other way around. First we need to cut down the energy consumption in our homes. If you have a home that is 10 years or older you can cut your energy consumption by 40-60% by doing the following: changing your water heater to a high efficiency tank-less water heater (preferably gas); changing your AC to a high efficiency unit with 17-20 SEER; changing your appliances to newer higher efficiency units; increasing the insulation in your attic; installing new windows with low e glass and/or insulated glass; shading your western and southern exposures; changing your light bulbs to compact fluorescent. Consider these changes an investment that will yield higher returns as energy costs continue to rise.

After taking care of the house then focus on your transportation. Reduce your driving by car pooling; using public transportation; walking and biking; but if you need to do a lot of driving change to a more economical car. To give you an example, I used to drive a medium size car that averaged about 22 MPG. I changed to an equal size hybrid that saving about 250 gallons or about $1000/year at today’s prices. That represents about 37% reduction in fuel consumption. Living near work is once again important as well as living near public transportation corridors.

The energy crisis is real and its economic impact devastating. We can do something immidiately by cutting down our consumption in our homes. There are rebates to do many of the improvements I mentioned above (www.fpl.com). The next step is to demand from our elected officials that they pass laws to help us make these transitions quickly.

HOMEOWNERS BLOG: Earth Date 08.0725.00

It’s been 20 days since my last blog — what did I accomplish? In that time frame I finished the revisions to all the drawings; resubmitted the drawings to the Health Department and after a couple of additional minor changes, they approved the drawings. The Health Dept. approval allowed me to finish the submittal for the plumbing at the City of Coral Gables. The plumbing comments were minor… change one existing water line from 3/4″ to a new 1″; change the drain line from the clothes washer from 2″ to 3″ and get the Health Dept approval stamp on the drawings.

I went into the attic and photographed the roof structure and the connections to the walls for the structural analysis. The structural engineer performed the structural analysis and added filed block cells with #5 steel re-bars every 4 ft. I can hear the cash register ringing when the contractor gets a hold of these changes.

Since I had been denied approval for the AC design twice before, I asked a friend who’s a mechanical engineer to review and redesign the AC system and the energy calculations. That increased the size of the AC system by about 1.5 tons – I know I could have done the job with less, but I need to get a permit. Ring, ring, there goes the cash register again.

Most of the zoning comments had been addressed in the previous submittal and I had to meet with the plans processor to show him the information. Since zoning asked me to show a piece of chain link fence on the elevations and the Health Dept. asked me to remove an irrigation pump from the site plan, I had to go back for the 5th time before the Architectural Review Board. The changes were minor and could have been done administratively, but the City Architect was backed up and could not look at the drawings for a week or two. So I opted to pay another $70 to have the ARB review the drawings on Thursday. Fortunately it only took a 40 minute wait and 3 minutes to review and sign.

Now the drawings go back to the Building Department for final approval by Zoning, Structural, Mechanical and Plumbing. Hopefully this is the last submittal and they will be ready to issue a building permit. Monday I meet with one contractor to discuss the work and give him final construction drawings – Tuesday I meet with another contractor. We also will discuss what contract we will use… since I am an architect I have access to basic contracts through the American Institute of Architects. But I will add my own conditions that I’ve learned from my 25 years in the business. Hopefully the next few blogs will be about the negotiations with the contractor.

Eliminate yard  clutter: Bikes, skates, garden tools, shoes, empty pots….It can go in the garage.  Laundry and riffraff…. hide it… out of sight.  Photos… pack them away.  (You want  a buyer to begin to FEEL as though the house is THEIRS… NOT as though they are a guest in yours).

The pool, windows and mirrors should sparkle.  If you have a bathroom mirror with  ’peeling’  edges,  buy inexpensive framing from a local hardware store,  spray-paint it (black) before installing it (using glue to adhere frame to glass).  Smudged fingerprints on the walls, cabinets or  door frames (like those from newspaper print) come off like magic with “Dawn-Direct Foam”.  “Soft Scrub” or bleach  will perk up sad-looking grout around the tub!  Dryer sheets tucked  into closet shelves and linen cupboards,  and a scented candle near the entry are pluses.

See your house through the buyer’s eyes:  You want them to envision LIVING  in your house.  Keep THEIR eye on  YOUR HOUSE  (not on YOUR ’stuff’).   Organize closets, make beds  (… shut toilet lids).  Eliminate counter-top appliances, and hide them in cabinets  (neatly… because buyers WILL open everything!)   How we LIVE  is not how we SELL …or for that matter how we BUY.   Create the same sense of welcome we have when we first walk into a hotel room…  that “ready for the NEW guest” feel!   Tuck personal items away.  Store clutter in boxes…out of sight.  (You are selling…. which means you are leaving… moving somewhere new…  and if you start now,  it will mean less work later)

Besides PRICE, there are three MAIN selling points:  CURB APPEAL, BATHROOMS, and KITCHENS!  A vase with a few small palm fronds adds to  any bathroom. So do towells!  Treat yourself to fluffy new bath towells (for YOUR new house!) … and ’stage’ the one you’re selling, with those.

Buyers have plenty to pick from right now, and you want them to choose YOUR HOUSE.  Endless showings are a strain … so make yours shout:  “THIS” COULD BE “IT”!

For questions, answers…   or…  to list & sell your house: Call Vicki Restivo (305) 793-1365 EWM REALTORS,INC

Note the steep decline from 2005 through late-2007.  Since November, however, Existing Home Sales have remained within a very tight range and appear to have reached a flattening point.

The Existing Home Sales data supports the word-on-the-street from real estate agents nationwide that buyers are returning to the housing market in search of good values. But let’s not forget — demand is only half of the story.  There is the supply factor, too, and the supply side of the housing market is showing the same leveling signs as the demand part.

Looking at the chart of national inventory below, the number of existing homes for sale has hovered near 4.5 million for the last several months.  No change suggests stabilization.

Now again, statistics won’t tell the whole story but there are plenty of positive signals from the real estate market right now, just like there are negative ones, too.  This is one reason why real estate data causes so much debate — people want to take an either/or proposition about the state of the real estate and it doesn’t work like that.   Throw the tightening of mortgage underwriting guidelines into the mix and you have fodder for cocktail party debate.

Real estate can be simultaneously strong and weak and when it is, buyers look for value.  Perhaps this is why the national housing data is beginning to level off after a 3-year slide.  There’s good values to be had, and today’s home buyers know it.