In honor of Earth Day Coming up soon on April 22, here are some tips to help you make an impact – or less of an impact – on El Dorado Hills, or your planet:

1. Lower your thermostat by a few degrees in the winter and raise it few degrees in the summer.
2. Say goodbye to bottled water by purchasing a reusable water bottle.
3. Install low-flow faucets and showerheads. If your budget allows, purchase a water efficient toilet—you may even get a rebate from your local water company.
4. Start a compost in your backyard.
5. Buy foods locally at a nearby farmer’s market.
6. Bring reusable shopping bags to the grocery store.
7. If you don’t have your reusable shopping bags with you at the grocery store and are given the choice of paper or plastic, choose paper.
8. If you have plastic grocery bags, recycle them to be used as doggie bags, dirty diaper storage or for small trashcan liners.
9. Install compact fluorescent light bulbs throughout your home.
10. Turn off lights & electronics when you leave the room. Likewise, unplug electronic items, energy strips and protectors when not in use.
11. Recycle newspapers, cardboard, paper and plastic items.
12. Carpool to work more often.
13. Recycle your old cell phone. Coldwell Banker has a cell phone recycling program.
14. If you live within close proximity to your work or downtown community, ride a bike.
15. When washing dishes by hand, don’t let the water run the whole time.
16. Go to your local library instead of buying new books.
17. At holidays and birthdays, give your family and friends the gift of saving the earth by donating to their favorite environmental group, foundation or organization.
18. Remove yourself from junk mail lists by going to http://precycle. tonic.com. For a small fee, you’ll be removed from junk mail lists, and precycle will even plant five trees for you!
19. Whenever possible, purchase products that use recyclable materials.
20. Adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk or street. strong>
21. Use organic cleaning products.
22. Collect the water you use for rinsing fruits and vegetables and reuse it to water houseplants.
23. The next time you are getting ready to purchase a new car, consider buying a fuel-efficient car or a hybrid.
24. Landscape with native plants.
25. Buy organic milk.
26. Cut down on paper waste. Get online subscriptions for your newspaper and magazines. Switch to online banking and opt to have your bills sent to you electronically.
27. Teach children about the importance of being good to the environment.
28. Take your batteries to a recycling center.
29. Turn your car off if you’re going to be idle for more than one minute.
30. Do full loads of laundry and set the rinse cycle to “cold.”
31. When buying new appliances, consider those that are water and energy efficient, and offer cycle and load size adjustments.
32. Reuse Plastic food containers make good crayon and marker holders. Use padded envelops more than once. Buy your toddler or preschooler’s clothes from a thrift shop and give away items that don’t fit to friends.
33. Limit the length of your showers. Even better, take a “navy shower,” shutting off the water while soaping up and shampooing.
34. Turn off the water when brushing your teeth.
35. Wash towels only after several uses.
36. Put a damper on things by installing fireplace draft stoppers, attic door covers and dryer vent seats that only open when your dryer is in use.
37. Seal off drafts around your home and save 5-30 percent in energy costs.
38. Recycle your technology. Dell, Hewlett Packard, Apple, and IBM, among others, offer recycling programs.
39. When purchasing paint, opt for zero or low VOC paint, made by most major paint manufacturers today.
40. Keep your house cooler during the summer by closing shades, blinds or curtains during the hottest times of the day.
41. Line dry your clothes whenever you can.
42. Drop your tissue in the trash instead of flushing it and save water every time.
43. Plant trees and shrubbery around your home to help keep your home cooler during the warm summer months, and help you   run your air conditioner a little less.
44. The next time you make improvements to your home in El Dorado Hills, use green materials.
45. Run your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded and turn off the dry cycle and air dry dishes instead.
46. Wash your pet(s) outdoors in an area of your lawn that needs water.
47. Go paperless at work and avoid printing whenever possible.
48. Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows.
49. If your budget allows, install solar panels on your roof and see your energy savings soar in El Dorado Hills
50. Bring your mug to your local coffee shop, or keep one on hand at work for coffee fill-ups.

Coldwell Banker published this article and I thought I would post it for everyone else to read.  We all can use a reminder how to be energy efficient in the wintertime, since this winter in El Dorado Hills it has been quite chilly. Here are a few suggestions to help you stay comfortable, be greener and put a little savings in your pocket this winter.

Turn down your thermostat to 68 degrees. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you’ll save up to five percent on heating costs. Wear warm clothing like a sweater and set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower during the day and evening, health permitting. Set the thermostat back to 55 degrees or off at night or when leaving home for an extended time, saving 5-20 percent of your heating costs.

Replace or clean furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Now is also the time for a furnace “tune-up.” Keeping your furnace in good working order will reduce energy use, saving up to 5 percent of heating costs.

Reduce hot water temperature. Set your water heater to the “normal” setting or 120-degrees Fahrenheit, unless the owner’s manual for your dishwasher requires a higher setting. This will help you save 7-11 percent of water heating costs. Insulate the first five feet of pipe coming out of the top of your water heater or the whole length until the pipe goes into the wall if that is less than five feet. Pipe insulation is available from your local hardware store.

Seal up any leaks around doors, windows and vents. Caulk leaks around windows and doors. Look for places where you have pipes, vents or electrical conduits that go through the wall, ceiling or floor. Check the bathroom, underneath the kitchen sink, pipes inside a closet, etc. If you find a gap at the point where the pipe or vents goes through the wall, seal it up.

If you’re not using your fireplace, keep it shut. When not in use, make sure the damper in your fireplace is closed—after checking to make sure you don’t have any smoldering embers. This can help prevent losing up to eight percent of your heating from going up the chimney.

If you are looking to replace old appliances, consider purchasing energy efficient models. There are several great energy efficient appliances available in the marketplace today and in some cases, you may even get a rebate from your local water and energy provider for replacing your old appliances with newer energy efficient models. By making the switch, your home will be more energy efficient and you’ll also see savings in your monthly bills.

Shorten showers and install low-flow showerheads. By simply reducing your shower time for a few minutes and installing low-flow showerheads, you can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heater costs so cutting down your shower time will cut your costs dramatically.

User your appliances efficiently. Only run your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer when you have full loads. Use the cold water setting on your appliances when you can to help reduce your washer’s energy use by 75 percent. Don’t forget to clean your dryer’s lint trap after each use.

I hope you found these energy saving tips useful.  You may also consider contacting your natural gas utility for additional ideas, rebates and incentives or visit their website.  If you are considering making a move, we would welcome the opportunity to be of assistance to you.  For more information, contact us today.

Here is a great article that Coldwell Banker put together and if you are having a hard time deciding to either Rent or Buy in El Dorado Hills area you should read this article!

“Should I buy or rent?” With decreasing home prices, this is a question that is no doubt running through the minds of many. The decision to rent an apartment, condo or house as opposed to buying is complex and one that should be taken into great consideration.

There are many misconceptions when weighing the options to rent or buy. One of the biggest may be the notion that renting is simpler. When the refrigerator in a rental needs repair, the responsibility falls on the landlord. But once new homeowners sign their name on the dotted line, the responsibility is theirs. Unfortunately, stating that renting is the “simpler” choice takes a narrow view on the total set of issues that go into the buy-versus-rent decision. Here are a few others:

The tax benefits derived from • purchasing a home take too long to offset all the other costs involved. You likely know that the tax write-offs of mortgage interest are among the biggest financial benefits of home ownership. But some question whether this benefit is really great enough to offset the “big picture” cost of ownership. Homes typically appreciate in value over time. That’s why you should carefully evaluate how long you expect to stay in your new home. If you anticipate staying for several years, the scales should tip in your favor and the value of all that you will gain financially from homeownership is likely to outweigh those initial costs to get in the door.

Renting a home isn’t all that • different from owning. If you are renting a house in El Dorado Hills, you may already feel like a homeowner by making routine repairs, gardening or cleaning the gutters. But there is one fundamental difference. Unlike equity built with each monthly mortgage payment, the rent you are paying is producing zero future financial benefit. In fact, you are essentially paying the landlord’s mortgage and likely additional utility costs. Since most homes increase in value over the long term, a home not only provides a place to live but will ultimately provide return on your original investment.

It’s better to rent and wait for the • market to bottom out. By the time we will recognize the true bottom of the market, prices will already be on their way up. Buying a home in El Dorado Hills should always be approached as a good long-term investment, providing equity accumulation, cost appreciation and tax benefits over time. The reason why many point to now as a smart time to buy is because of the historically low interest rates we are seeing coupled with the buyer’s market which exists in most communities. When purchased with the longer term in mind, housing is one of the historically safest investments consumers can make.

It’s cheaper to rent. • This may or may not be so. Because of the current state of the housing market, many are foregoing homeownership and turning to rentals. This influx of renters may be having an impact on the supply and demand of rentals and driving rents higher. On its website, www.ColdwellBanker.com, Coldwell Banker offers a handy rent-versus-buy calculator to help break down basic money questions.

By buying a home, I’ll become a victim • of the foreclosure mess. It’s important to remember that foreclosures account for just a small percentage of all homes sold. Mortgage money is still available for qualified borrowers and, to help prevent foreclosures in the future, lenders have returned to upholding higher standards. These may require you to demonstrate strong basic borrowing “fundamentals” such as proof of income, solid credit and the ability to make a 20% down payment. It’s also critical to be well-educated in terms of the various mortgage options available and to know what you can afford.

It can be quite overwhelming when deciding whether or not now is the time to take the leap into home ownership. That is why it is so important to educate yourself on the pros and cons of buying and renting a home in El Dorado Hills.

If you’d like to explore your buying power in today’s market, contact us today.  We can provide you with additional information and facts about the El Dorado Hills area, so you may feel comfortable making an informed decision about buying or renting in this real estate market.

Here are a few reasons why you should consider selling your home in El Dorado Hills during the Holidays.

• Holiday buyers are particularly serious, committed and focused.
• The corporate executive transferees have more free time to shop for a home than at any other time of the year.
• Over the holidays there are fewer homes available, therefore, supply and demand work in your favor.
• Homes are seasonally radiant during the decorative holiday period.
• The holiday season is a time of heightened consumer spending.
• Prices are good in El Dorado Hills.
• Interest rates are still attractive.

If you are worried about your privacy while your El Dorado Hills home is listed over the holidays, below a few things that we can do to protect that.

• All showings are by appointment and only to qualified buyers.
• Take a low key approach to advertising your home, reinforcing its exclusivity.
• Don’t include property address in advertising.
• No lock box, we meet the other agent & buyers.
• No open houses for either public or Realtors® (unless homeowners request otherwise).
• No for sale sign.

I hope you found these home  tips valuable.  If you are interested in listing your El Dorado Hills home over the holidays are in need of professional assistance, call us for a complimentary market analysis.

Adding value to your home in El Dorado Hills doesn’t necessarily mean subtracting from your bank account. The trick is to be creative! There are several things you can do yourself, even on the smallest of budgets, which will improve the overall look of your home, while adding value at the same time. Here are a few favorite tips to help get you started for adding value to your home in El Dorado Hills:

Have your home inspected.
Home inspectors are usually called out when a home is going on the market, but why not reap the benefits when you are still living in the home? By having problems pointed out to you now, you can fix them before they become bigger issues down the road.

Give your home a fresh look.
Painting is an inexpensive and easy way to give your home an entirely different look and feel. Earth tones are best; choose zero VOC paint which is good for your home and the environment.

Be your own designer!
Go through design magazines and books to get ideas for your home; keep a file of the designs that appeal to you most. Be mindful of current design trends and think hard about whether they will work for your home before you put them into place.

Give your home some good energy.
Go online to your local utility’s website and get an energy audit for your home to evaluate your home’s energy efficiency. Not only will you get tips for improving your home’s energy, but you’ll also find extra savings in your wallet down the road.

Plant trees.
Strategically planting trees and bushes around your yard can be a natural way for you to give your home shade and keep it cooler during the warm summer months, thereby lowering your energy bill.

Think green.
When choosing plants for your yard, choose drought-tolerant plants that are native to your region. They won’t require as much maintenance or water, saving you money over time.

Ditch the popcorn.
If you have popcorn ceilings, spend a weekend scraping it off, retexturing the area and painting to give it a fresh, new, updated look.

Make a good impression.
Keeping lawns and hedges trimmed, bushes neatly manicured and gutters cleaned will help your home make a good impression. This is something you can easily do yourself or outsource to a professional.

Create open spaces.
Even a small home can appear larger by maximizing the square footage. To do this, use furniture that is proportional to your home’s space, and remove furniture pieces to create the illusion of more open space. Strategically hang mirrors in your rooms to open up the room.

Update your bathroom.
Even small bathroom updates can make a world of difference. Updating your fixtures and mirrors, painting and installing new glass shower doors are easy and affordable ways to make big design improvements.

Update your fixtures.
One of the simplest and easiest ways to transform the look of your space is by updating the light fixtures and ceiling fans, if you have them, around your home. Even on a small budget, you can find chic fixtures that will dramatically improve your home’s style.

I hope you found these home design tips valuable.  If you are interested in sprucing up the design of your home and are in need of professional assistance, call us for a complimentary design consultation.  We can also provide you with a list of recommended service vendors to help you with the job.

I read this article in the Sacramento Bee written by Don Lee – Chicago Tribune.  It really hit home for me.

There is a bigger problem going on besides low home values!  There are many Americans who are still paying their mortgages even though their home is upside down.  They will continue to pay their mortgages and are cutting back on other consumer spending.

A lot of homeowners are paying a higher percentage rate than the latest national average of 4.25%.  They still have their jobs and can afford to make the payments, but they can’t refinance because they owe too much and the home equity line of credit is also not an option.  And selling the home at a huge loss is out of the question.

They also cannot take advantage of any of the Treasury Departments loan modification programs, because that requires a job loss or a hardship of another kind.  So they are stuck!

The real estate market depends on such homeowners to be able to sale their homes and move up; without that happening the move up market will not grow.

So homeowners who are stuck will not decorate or upgrade their homes like they normally would have before the recession.  This is potential losses for local businesses and other businesses that a family would buy their products from.

With all the debt on their home they will also be more careful how their use their credits cards and also cut back on vacations.  So you add all this up and it lacks enthusiasm in private spending which accounts for 70% of the economy.

I feel a lot of families in the El Dorado Hills area fall into this category and they are not going on vacations this year and are planning on spending a lot less on Christmas and other holidays.

The community of El Dorado Hills in located in the foothills of the Sierras and is often referred to as the gateway to El Dorado County.

You can look to the west and have views of Sacramento Valley and Folsom Lake. The higher you go into the foothills you can get great views of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. El Dorado Hills is a community that has something for everyone from shopping, restaurants, wine tasting, cultural events and much more.

Recreational activities in El Dorado Hills include, off road bike trails or road biking on country roads, walking trails, boating and jet skiing on Folsom Lake.  If you like hiking you can use the trails around the lake and fishing is also great.  Folsom Lake has seventy-seven miles of shoreline, which is the most used recreational area in the state.

In El Dorado Hills you will find the outstanding planned community of Serrano that has gated villages which offer quiet living and security. Serrano also offers hiking trails, nearby schools, a private country club with a championship golf course – all surrounded by 1,000 acres of open space and spectacular views.

The community of Folsom is only 5 minutes away from El Dorado Hills.  In Folsom you will find the Folsom Premium Outlets for great shopping and also an open air mall called the Palladio which is in the process of being opened.  The mall already has the Palladio 16 Cinemas and more stores & restaurants are to come.  Historic Sutter Street in Folsom has an abundance of the old gold rush days with shopping and restaurants with views of the American River.

Going east into the Sierra Foothills on Hwy 50 there is a new Black Hawk Casino that offers great restaurants foothill views and gambling.  Another few miles on Hwy 50 east come upon the Historic Town of Placerville which was legendary during the gold rush.  Gold Bug Mine is a great place to visit and relive the gold rush days.

The area has plenty of things for everyone in and around El Dorado Hills, this is a quality of life you will treasure!

The Apple Hill was once 16 original ranches. Today it boasts more than 50 ranches including fruit orchards, Christmas tree growers, pumpkin patches, wineries, a micro-brewery, Spa and vineyards.

In summer they harvest cherries and berries with some ranches offering a pick-your-own experience. Toward the end of summer, peaches, nectarines, plums, early apples and pears are offered along with berry, peach, nectarine, and pear baked goods.

In fall, fruits, ciders, vegetables, pumpkins, wines, baked goods, and homemade preserves are available.  There are also a lot of activities going on for the whole family.

As winter approaches and the holiday season begins, you can come to Apple Hill and choose and cut the perfect family Christmas tree, and create some wonderful holiday traditions.

Take a drive to Apple Hill any time of the year, even if ranches are not open; enjoy the trees blooming and new green growth in the spring, sunny summer days have a picnic, in late October and early November enjoy the fall colors, apple cider and in the winter get above the fog and play in the snow.

Apple Hills is approximately 40 minutes from El Dorado Hills and this is just one if the great places you can visit while living in this wonderful El Dorado County community of El Dorado Hills.  For more information on places to visit go to www.edhrealtor.com.

If you’re looking for great schools, this is the place. El Dorado Union High School District’s (EDUHSD) Academic Performance Index (API) scores are in and they are exceptional!

The API is a numeric score from the results of the annual tests given by California public schools, reflecting the schools performance. The API is part of the Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) program, which includes the California Standards Tests (CST) in English/language arts, math, science, and social science, and the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE). The State Department of Education has set a target of an 800 API for all California schools. If a school has attained the 800 API level, they must remain over that mark to be considered on target. Below is a summary of the API growth information for EDUHSD over the past few years.

This chart shows the steady growth over the past few years in EDUHSD.  The district as a whole is above the state target of 800 as are all four of the comprehensive high schools. The alternative high schools have shown a significant growth this time period as well. The District’s API performance levels are the best in the Sacramento/Foothill region and rank among the very best in the State.

For more school information you can you to our website at edhrealtor.com and go to “area information”.

How can you best position your home for sale in today’s market?  Here are a few tips that will help get your home sold in El Dorado Hills:

Marketing Your Home: As a seller, you need to make your home stand out amongst all the other homes that are for sale.  Maximize curb appeal by trimming trees, planting flowers, power washing decks and even your home if needed.  You may even want to have a professional “stage” your home to make it even more attractive for buyers.  Remember you need to make that “first good impression” to the buyer.

Choose a Realtor With a Good Marketing Plan: According to the National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers 2009, 90% of buyers used the Internet to search for homes. You need a Realtor who has an aggressive internet marketing campaign on the most visited real estate websites. As Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Agent in El Dorado Hills, my listings are marketed through the use of over 300 websites to create the best exposure for your listing.  It is important that you choose a Realtor, like Menser & Karlsson who will create a marketing strategy to help you sell your home.

Price Your Home According to the Current Market: Just because a home sold for a higher price last year does not mean that you will be able to get the same price when selling your home now. It’s not a good idea in today’s market to simply pick a price to see what happens.  Listing a home at a competitive price at the time your home goes on the market will bring greater success to you as a seller.  Work with a real estate professional to help you determine an appropriate, competitive listing price for your home based on current market conditions.

Don’t Worry: Homes that are priced competitively are selling.  In El Dorado Hills the average cumulative days on the market in August was 90 days and in September 103 days, which is up 28.7%.  Showing it is taking a little longer to sale a home.

If you are thinking on buying or selling a home in El Dorado Hills, please contact us.  We would be more than happy to go over today’s market with you and determine if now is the best time to buy or sell.