I was asked by my friend and past client Denise Stevens, to be a guest speaker at the Santa Barbara Newcomer’s Club, Girls Night Out Event.  The evening was hosted at a gorgeous house in Hope Ranch overlooking the ocean and open fields for the horses.

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DeAnn and I had a Village Properties/EcoBroker® Booth at the Santa Barbara Courthouse’s Sunken Garden on Sunday, April 20th. The weather was just perfect and we heard that between 14,000-16,000 people attended the celebration.

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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 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 the rainy evening.

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I was very excited to see the article in the Wall Street Journal titled, ‘How Green is My Realtor’. So were a lot of other people I know, seeing that 4 people e-mailed it to me and 3 copies were placed on my desk at Village Properties. I am so proud that the EcoBroker program is getting press and more and more agents are signing up for it across the country.

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Last night 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.

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As you are probably aware, the US Congress is hoping to pass an emergency rebate that many of us will receive in the next few months. They are doing this to stimulate the economy. I have been listening to the pundits talk about what they “hope” people do with this extra cash. Spending it is key. They want us to spend. So, I have ideas as to what to spend it on. BUY GREEN. Buy Local, Buy organic if possible. Here are some ideas:

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DeAnn Bauer and I have teamed up as Village Properties EcoBrokers and Green Ambassadors of Future Friendly Homes. We are very involved in the Santa Barbara Community and 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.

Check out the latest events…

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You ask, what’s new for 2008? I see the green building trend hitting the mainstream! I recently came across the SmartMarket Report on residential green building published by McGraw-Hill, it takes a solid look at the residential green building marketplace and I thought I would share the highlights. Indicators show that residential green building will escalate in the next year at a significant rate. What is considered a green home today, the report notes will be the industry standard tomorrow! A growth of 30% over 2006 numbers is expected. More than two-thirds of builders will be building green homes. Beyond 2007, the sheer number of participants in the green home building market will pull the rest of the market up to green standards just to stay competitive.

I definitely feel the market for green homes will be on the rise locally. Look for some exciting new local activities in 2008 that will raise awareness such as Green Home Tour, Green Expo and Conference and don’t miss the “Join the Green Revolution” community education classes which I will be involved in again. If I can help answer any green home questions please feel free to give me a call.

Check out my website www.GreenHomesSB.com for Green Homes for sale in the Santa Barbara area and the latest news and resources that are updated often!