Going Green – SF style

San Francisco homeowners have a new way of paying for solar panels, energy-efficient appliances and low-flow toilets.

A new city-run program, GreenFinanceSF, will give San Franciscans the money to pay for such projects up front and let them pay it back through installments on their property tax bills. Berkeley pioneered the idea in 2007, and since then, hundreds of cities, counties and states have adopted their own versions.

For more information, give me a call (415-680-8031) or email

72 Hour Closeout Sale at Arterra

Continuing on the last update on the Arterra in San Francisco, I just found out that there will be having a 72 hour closeout on the last 4 remaining units in the building!

From February 20-22nd, so if you are interested in living in Mission Bay and being close to work or easy access to the freeway, now may be your best chance in getting into a new development Condo in one of the city’s hottest new neighborhoods.

Remember that FHA financing is available. Arterra offers outstanding value, and many homes offer city and water views. Officially the first LEED-Silver certified high rise in San Francisco, Arterra features many unique green and sustainable attributes and is a great example of how sustainability does not have to come at the expense of amenities and value.

Arterra LEED Silver attributes include:

• Increased use of recycled materials
• Innovative uses for end of lifecycle resources
• Increased diversion of waste to landfills
• Sod-covered “living” rooftops to help reduce heating and cooling costs
• Renewable materials in the building’s public spaces
• Energy Star appliances in every home
• Building exterior covered in Trespa, a material made from end of lifecycle recycled materials

These are the final four remaining, if you have questions or would like to view them, give me a call at 415-680-8031.

*Click for a full size view

Arterra only has 6 units left!

The Arterra, San Francisco’s first complete LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified building only has six units for sale remaining.

97% of the building is Sold, and with the last six units, these close-out residences will be starting from the $500,000s.

Arterra homes incorporate quality materials such as porcelain tile, bamboo and natural stone. After all, it’s the details that help make a house feel like home. The standard features listed below include two base-price choices for materials and finishes. Premium upgrades are also available.

FHA financing is available. Questions or would like to view the remaining units, please contact me (415.680.8031 or email me)

Eco Center in San Francisco

This past Earth Day, on April 22nd, the Lorax Development began constructing the first Eco Center in San Francisco. The $1.5 million dollar project which took seven years to break ground was originally considered Bay View’s Hunter’s Point as its location, but after a split over the project with residents, it’s has since moved to McLaren Park.

At 1400 sf, this is certainly a great sign for both the city of San Francisco as it continues to push for more ‘environmentally-conscious’ effort with its residents and at the same time, may begin to breathe a new identity for the southern part of the city.

The center itself is an environmental education center and will be the first building in the city to recycle its own wastewater along with an off-grid center and solar panels, and an extensive ‘green’ roof.

From all accounts, this will be an incredible facility for the city and the surrounding neighborhood in the Excelsior, Crocker-Amazon, and Visitacion Valley.

I’ve also looked around, and I’ve found out that the designer is Toby Long, who’s done quite a few projects within the city itself, among them, the NOWHERE Home that was displayed around the Giants’ ballpark, and the DNA Lounge on 11th and Folsom Street.

The Eco Center is expected to open in the fall.

Source: SF Examiner

Sunset Idea House

For anyone interested in converting their home into a more eco-friendly environment, Sunset Magazine’s current Idea House in San Francisco’s Mission District is one that you MUST check out! It’s been open for the public to view since November and it’s still open until the end of January.

The Idea Home, located at 2500 274th Street (cross street, Utah Street) is among the first officially certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) homes to be built. Sunset’s tour does come with an admission fee of $20 per person, but they allow you to bring your cameras and camcorders to take away ideas unlike museums.

Some highlighted features that I noticed that made the place shine were a spa, dramatic glass windows, a sleek steel staircase and even a rooftop garage. To read up on the full list of what was use to build and is furnished in the home, you can click on the link below.

The Idea House is open until January 27 2008, so if you’re looking for ways to make your home environmentally-friendly or is curious as to where the future of home development will lead to, I’d suggest you set some time to visit the home before it closes its door to the public.

Source: Sunset Magazine