Going Green

An increasing number of Americans are making an effort to be more environmentally cautious, especially in the wake of natural disasters that have ravished local communities across the country. This is especially so for De Young Properties, an environmentally friendly home building company that specializes in the creation of net-zero energy homes. The company has built more than 140…

Sustainable design features including energy efficiency and good indoor air quality are now becoming so common that they are almost taken for granted. “What used to be exceptional is now everyday,” says Dave Borsos, vice president of capital markets for the National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC), a multifamily industry advocacy group. Today, new apartment units almost…

Effective January 1, 2018 a new law makes it easier for a California condominium owner to install a solar energy system on the roof the building in which he or she resides. The law also covers the installation of such a system on a garage or carport adjacent to the building that has been assigned…

Increasing energy efficiency in the home is a concern that is echoed throughout all aspects of the residential housing sector. From sustainable building practices and energy-conserving materials to smart gadgets and ultra-efficient appliances, professionals across the board are tasked with finding ways of making homes more energy efficient. Because keeping up with current trends is…

Eco-friendly features are cropping up on buildings around the country. In addition to green roofs and solar panels, private-public partnerships are increasingly building more efficient and cost-effective stormwater systems. And owners are reaping major monetary rewards for their efforts. Green infrastructure is an umbrella term for anything that helps manage stormwater naturally and often includes rain gardens,…

When LEED certification was established in 1998, it was seen as a way to create a competitive advantage for its adopters. The new designation raised consumer awareness of energy efficient design and instilled a sense of competition around sustainable building. Why then, were developers slow to pursue it? Overwhelmingly, the cost. In recent years, the…

There was a time when we spoke of green buildings, and it was a conversation focused in large part on the building envelope. Over the years, that conversation has advanced; in a sense it has been turned inside out. Today we speak of high-performance buildings measured by their degree of sustainability and their ability to…

Mold problems can be incredibly expensive to repair, sometimes requiring entire rooms being torn down to the studs. Certain types of mold can cause illnesses from skin irritation to obstructive lung disease. What is truly frightening about mold is how easily it grows. One study from the University of Arizona showed that 100% of the…

Reducing water consumption has become more important than ever. This is especially true in areas that experience frequent or long term drought conditions. Many property managers find themselves under water use restrictions or increased prices on water overages. The good news is that there are many ways to reduce water bills that are not occupant…

Water damage, leaks and mold are the cause of major headaches for many in property management. More than inconvenient, they are often expensive and time consuming to repair. According to insurance industry data, pipe failures are the leading cause of water damage, costing an average of $5,000 per incident to fix with toilet overflows and…