I saved this article to share because it has some great ideas that are very easy to do. I hope some of you are doing some of these green items now. If not, start! It’s easy and will save you money in the long run.

If you’re interested in relocating to the Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch – Bradenton, FL area of the gulf coast and would like to purchase a green home or move to a walkable community, let me know. We have many green builders and walkable communities to choose from. Contact me at Kristin@KristinTriolo.com or by telephone at +1-941-725-2486 anytime. As a Green Building Certified Realtor, I am very interested in green building and green features in all of the new homes in the area. There are all levels of “green building”. Which level are you interested in?

A LEED “Green Homes Tour” is planned for March 31, 2012 with many homes to preview in this area. If interested, let me know and I’ll update you on the event as it is planned.

Going green, easier than you think!

The term “go green” seems to be used everywhere.

Guest contributor Deb Rabin from HomeFinder.com says:

The term “go green” seems to be used everywhere. We continually hear how important it is to “go green” within our homes but other than the easy recycling of paper or plastic, it can be intimidating, and exhausting concerning ourselves with yet another thing to worry about. It is hard enough to decorate our homes, keep them clean and manage a household. Now we have to keep them “green” as well?

Yes, we do, or at least we should try because it’s actually a lot easier and less expensive than most of us might realize. Here are five eco-friendly and thrifty ideas on how you can not only make a difference in our “green” world but also save you some money.

1. If your appliance is 15 years or older, consider replacing it with an energy efficient model. “Green” appliances offer you the chance to save money on utility bills and help the environment. Green appliances might cost a little more up front, but they will save you long term dollars, as well as peace of mind over time.

2. Try to remember to unplug some of your appliances and electrical items when you are not using them. Keeping items plugged in unnecessarily uses energy and contributes to your electrical bills. Toaster ovens, coffee machines, even your cell phone plug, can all be unplugged when not in use. The average consumer can save between 10 and 20 percent on monthly utility bills by following this practice.

3. On average, heating and cooling your home accounts for up to 43 percent of your utility bill. The US Department of Energy states that our temperature systems emit up to 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, generating about 12% of the nation’s sulfur dioxide and 4% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief ingredients in acid rain.

The temperature you control in your house is an easy thing to adjust, especially if you install a programmable thermostat. Turn down the air in the summer and opt for ceiling fans. Turn down the heat in the winter and cozy up in your favorite pj’s and an extra blanket.

4. Water is another element we can use less of to help our environment as well as our pockets. Using cold instead of hot water when doing laundry will lower the energy used for each load. Consider investing in a front-loader machine which uses less water and energy to reduce drying times. Instead of a hose, use a broom to sweep out your garage, driveway and deck. Use a watering can to water your flowers and plants, limiting the amount of water used specifically to what you need.

5. Cleaning your home has never been so eco-friendly or cheap! There are many all natural based house cleaners available now which are affordable and chemical free. Rather expend some of your own energy and do it yourself? Baking soda is an inexpensive option that can keep your sinks and counter tops bright and shiny. Cornstarch can be used to clean your windows or even polish furniture. Toothpaste shines silver, and vinegar to clean nearly anything in the house.

Going green does not have to be an overwhelming lifestyle change. Like any change in your life, start small with big intentions. These five ideas are easy, affordable, and go a long way in helping our environment.

I do many of these things now as I want to be as green as I possibly can. While living in Vermont for more than 20 years, I was able to recycle and compost so much of our garbage that I only had one bag in six weeks time. And, this was with a family of four! So, it can be done. Now, living in Florida, my composting is minimal but I do recycle every item on the county list.

Do you know of ways to be green that aren’t mentioned here? Of course, there are many such as:

• a rain barrel in the backyard to collect water for your plants
• not printing paper if you can save the information on a computer file
• living in a walkable community where you can walk to do some of your shopping and mail
• not running the dishwasher unless it is full
• and so much more

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Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch – Bradenton FL: New Jobs (and Hopefully a New Trend) for the Area and the USA

Finally, a Call Center located in the USA for USA consumers! I’m as frustrated as you are when you call a consumer based company for help and assistance and reach a call center representative who speaks very poor english and doesn’t understand what your problem is. Of course they are experts in the product – however, they are not expert in the language and may be difficult to understand. And no, I’m not saying they all do a poor job. What I am saying is this is a perfect technology type of job for Sarasota, the neighboring areas and the Florida gulf coast.

The company plans to hire up to 400 Sarasota area workers to handle the phone calls. Although the pay isn’t great ($8 to $10 per hour), they are full time and offer a complete benefit package. This is huge for many workers who need benefits more than salary and the jobs will be in demand by many Floridians who want a chance to supplement their income, rent a suitable home and/or receive the health benefits they need. Interviews have already begun and the name of the company hasn’t been revealed at this time. But, I’m sure the local employment agency would have the information.

We need more of these Call Center employers in the USA. Entrepreneurs, take note: develop a business, relocate to Sarasota and hire Americans of all ethnicity to handle the phones, or the machinery or the inventory! And, if you relocate, you and your present (and future) employees will have affordable housing and a healthy outdoor lifestyle.

For more information, contact Kristin@KristinTriolo.com, call/text +1 941-725-2486.

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Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch – Bradenton FL is Turning Around and On the Road to Recovery.

Of the Top 10 Towns starting to recover, Sarasota – Bradenton rose from sixth place to fifth place!

The stats are proven by Sarasota and Manatee County in the current real estate pendings and solds in the past six months. Inventory is decreasing and there are multiple offers on many well priced properties along with the lower priced Bank REOs and Short Sales.

In addition to the positive real estate results, living wage jobs are being created, new businesses are coming to the area, current businesses are expanding and the unemployment rate is decreasing.

These are all good, positive signs for the future of this area of the Florida Gulf Coast.

Now is the perfect time to relocate to the Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch – Bradenton Fl area.

If you own a business, relocate it too! We have great pricing on new homes, resales, office space, industrial space and more! Add the wonderful warm sunny climate, the healthy outdoor lifestyle, the #1 beach in the USA located in Sarasota, the culture, arts, shopping and more, I wonder why you aren’t here already!! We have it all: condos and mobile homes from $20K up to $15 Million Dollar Estate, Waterfront Homes, Green Built Homes, Walkable Communities and all types of Lifestyles.

For more information on relocation, retiring and enjoying the FL gulf coast lifestyle, contact Kristin@KristinTriolo.com, call/text 941-725-2486.  Come visit, choose your lifestyle and relocate to Sarasota or Manatee County. You’ll never look back.

Excerpts of article from Realtor.com’s top 10 Turnaround Town Report for the 4th Quarter:

Ten of the nation’s local real estate markets that suffered from high foreclosure rates in recent years, eight of which are in Florida, are leading America’s housing sector towards a general recovery, according to Realtor.com’s Top 10 Turnaround Town Report, fourth quarter 2011. 

The current list of Top 10 Turnaround Towns…begins with three of the nation’s top foreclosure markets that also achieved significant year-over-year median list price appreciation: Miami, FL, Phoenix, AZ, and Orlando, FL. They were followed by Fort Myers-Cape Coral, FL, which fell from third to fourth …, and Sarasota-Bradenton, FL which rose from sixth to fifth.

The market rankings are based on year-over-year median price appreciation, reduction in year-over-year median age of inventory, and inventory reduction levels as observed on Realtor.com, as well as unemployment rates on a year-over-year basis. The Realtor.com Top 10 Turnaround Report is based on an algorithm that combines those four key measures with searches for properties on Realtor.com and the ratio of searches to listings in order to equalize markets by size. The resulting report reflects price changes that have taken place and gives weight to supply and demand dynamics that create continued progress towards growth and stability in future months.

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     Sarasota – Lakewood Ranch – Bradenton FL ranks high for
baby boomer retirees.

Recently, a poll was taken to survey baby boomers’ retirement choices. What did they consider the most important items in an area to rank it among the top? I wasn’t surprised by their answers as I’m a baby boomer myself. The three top determining factors were climate, at 35 percent; housing cost at 30 percent, and health care quality at 27 percent.

Sarasota ranked high in the health care quality ranking. Sarasota has high doctor-to-patient ratios and ranked fourth in Florida last year in quality ratings.

Housing costs came in second as very, or somewhat, important. Our present buyer’s market with our low pricing and inventory in all price ranges is a plus in attracting retirees who might otherwise have chosen other bargain destinations. We are a bargain destination at this time. How long will the bargains last? Pricing is stabizing and the new home builders are building again so recovery is happening. There will be some great deals for the next few years so my advice is not to wait if you want to retire to Florida.

Of course climate is important. As workers, we have to live where the jobs are and in retirement, we can choose our location. Why not choose a sunny, warm location? Florida does have four seasons but you have to be here a while to notice the changes. No, we don’t have gorgeous leaf season as the north does, nor do we have snow or frigid nights. However, we do have mostly sunny, warm days where you can be outside some part of every day.

Recreational activities abound in Florida: golf and water sports are attractive to the outdoor enthusiast. Also, bicycling, hiking, walking, bird watching, polo, cricket and so much more are all available year round in our area.

The presence of a major university is important to baby boomers. This area of the gulf coast has the University of South Florida at Sarasota-Manatee which is growing annually. Also, New College is located in Sarasota and is one of the top private colleges in the US. Along with New College, Sarasota has the Ringling College of Art and Design.

The arts and cultural activities didn’t rank highly on the poll. However, once retired, I think the retiree would love all the culture and arts we provide in Sarasota. I could write an entire article on all the activities in Sarasota and yes, there is an orchestra, an opera, theatres and so much more.

A Florida beach community was considered very or somewhat important by many of the boomers. Sarasota has the #1 beach in the USA so Floridians consider going to the beach a wonderful benefit of living on the gulf coast. You can walk the beach, meet friends at the beach or just enjoy the beach sitting on your beach chair. What’s not to like?

Baby boomers basically want what all past retirees have wanted for years and all amenities surrounding them have value based on their individual likes and dislikes.

What is my retirement going to look like in Florida? I foresee beach days, boating days (the picture is of me, grandson and husband on the Intracoastal Waterway in Sarasota!), gourmet cooking days, gardening days and parties all times of the day. What does your retirement look like? If you want the healthy outdoor lifestyle, contact me at Kristin@KristinTriolo.com or by cell/text (941) 725-2486. 

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