Every Bay Area home is made with the aforementioned amenities in addition to high-efficiency toilets and low VOC paints. These homes offer reduced levels of pollution, green house gases and are less dependent on finite energy sources.

Buyers of Signature Homes not only promote health in the environment, they also save money by investing in homes equipped with environmentally conscious elements. These elements improve residents’ quality of life as they save energy and money. Build It Green has come alongside Signature Homes to ensure that every home is constructed with environmentally conscious materials.

The builder constructs new homes in several Bay Area and Sacramento communities with features such as elegant kitchens, ceramic tile flooring, granite slab countertops and Whirlpool appliance packages in addition to their energy saving construction.

Signature Homes has built over 6,000 homes in more than 70 residential communities in the Bay Area and Sacramento region with no end in sight. Thousands of buyers have become part of the Signature Homes family and with new plans on the horizon, there will be many more to come.

Signature Homes has sought to combine the environmentally conscious elements of green building with sophisticated design in each of its unique Bay Area homes. These energy saving amenities provide homeowners with energy renewable homes that are both affordable and luxurious.

For more information about Signature Homes or its communities, visit the website.

In Smyrna, Brookfield Park at West Village is a true live/work/play community. Restaurants include Blue Moon Pizza, Crepe Revolution, Five Guys Burgers, Lime Taqueria and more. Businesses at West Village include an organic grocer, boutiques, dentist office, gym and salons to name a few. West Village received the Development of Excellence Award from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Woodstock Knoll is walking distance to downtown Woodstock, accessible by wide sidewalks the entire way. A wide variety of restaurants are located downtown, from Hot Dog Heaven for a quick lunch to fine Italian dining at Ipp’s. Cafés, a pizzeria, gourmet Mexican and more round out the offerings. Salons, boutiques, a bicycle shop, bookstore, yoga studio, painting studio and more provide entertainment and shopping venues for Woodstock Knoll residents.

Woodstock Knoll and Brookfield Park at West Village offer single-family energy-efficient homes. Homes at Woodstock Knoll are priced from the low $200,000s to $500,000s and homes in Brookfield Park at West Village are priced from the high $200,000s.

For more information on these walkable communities, visit the Ashton Woods Homes website.

Equifax Finance Blog writer Mechel Glass shares some tips in her article Need Extra Cash? Host a Yard Sale.

First, you need to pick a date for the yard sale. Some last for the entire weekend while others are a one-day affair. Once you select the date, make sure and get any necessary approval from your homeowner’s association or local government. Also, some neighborhoods designate a specific weekend or two each year for yard sales and do not allow yard sales at any other time.

Second, try and recruit neighbors to help. Turning your yard sale into a multi-family yard sale can increase traffic and allow for greater advertising.

Third, be sure and promote your yard sale heavily. You can check your local newspaper for yard-sale specific ads. Online sites like Craigslist.org or garagesalesource.com have resources to help with advertising. Be sure to be descriptive about some of the key items you have – baby items, collectibles, furniture, etc. If there are many families taking part in the sale, use terms like “multi-family” or “neighborhood sale” to help let buyers know.

To ensure that your yard sale is a success, be sure and read Glass’ full article.

Lakeside is a proposed community to be built along Lake Michigan on Chicago’s South Side where the U.S. Steel’s South Works manufacturing plant used to sit.

The 500-acre site will include enough single-family homes and high-rise units for 50,000 residents, retail and entertainment space, a marina and a new high school.

The Chicago Lakeside Development Master Plan is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND) certified community from the U.S. Green Building Council and will include these environmentally friendly features:

*Large open spaces, compact walkable neighborhoods and access to bike paths and public transportation.

*1.7 miles of additional lakefront access, 91 acres of lakefront park and 125 acres of green space.

*On-site and off-shore wind development.

*Geothermal/lake water cooling.

*Solar panel inclusion.

*An innovative stormwater management plan.

Want to learn more about this new community? Read our story:

Untapped Chicago Real Estate About to Bloom

Then, check back to Chicagoland Real Estate Forum for updates on this exciting project.

Most recently, Sterling poured the foundation for its second custom home in the community, which is developed by Hal Jones Development Team. The luxurious and elegant home is perched on a cliff and overlooks Lake Travis.

The community is nestled among 3.5 miles of shoreline on the southern banks of Lake Travis. Waterfront home sites are priced from the $199’s, and the maintenance-free villas are priced from the $500s.

Homeowners in The Reserve at Lake Travis enjoy resort-style amenities including a private Cypress Club Pavilion, lazy river pool with swim up bar, full-service equestrian center and world-class marina for its members.

As one of the top Austin home builders, Sterling places emphasis on every aspect of the homebuilding process, knowing that these aspects translate to the home buyers’ lifestyle and enjoyment of their home. From everything down to site selection at The Reserve at Lake Travis, the builder offers advice and design solutions for all preferences. For more information, visit Sterling Custom Homes online or call 512-263-2214.

Below are some tips provided by the National Corn Growers Association to get you started.

• Fill Up with Ethanol: Gasoline with 10 percent ethanol not only helps lower gas prices, but it also assists with stretching the petroleum supply. Recently, experts noted that ethanol has lowered gas prices by 15 percent, saving drivers $70 billion dollars this year alone.
• Purchase Hybrids or Flex Fuel Vehicles: You can save money at the gas pump while helping the environment when you invest in a hybrid or vehicle that runs on E-85, an 85 percent ethanol blend fuel.
• Buy Locally Grown Foods: Packaging, transportation, advertising and profits account for 24 cents on the food dollar. By choosing local meat, milk and produce, you not only support your local farmers, you also eliminate the costly transportation bill.
• Turn off Your Home: According to the United States Department of Energy, a whopping 75 percent of electricity used in a home occurs while your appliances are off. Unplug these items or use a power strip to cut off power when not in use.
• Set Your Thermostat: Although winter may seem months away, keeping your home nice and toasty raises your energy bill. Keep in mind that for every degree you lower the thermostat in the 60 to 70 degree range this winter, you’ll save 5 percent on your home’s heating costs.

These are just a few of the things you can do to help lower your energy bills while making a positive impact on the environment.

Do you have more money and energy saving tips? Share them here.

Developer Jon Flaig commented, “We’d like to invite you to join us for a day at the lake. We are so confident that you will find great value and lifestyle at The Village, we bet you will want to build your dream vacation home and stay for a lifetime.”

When buyers schedule a visit* to The Village at Reflection Lake Nantahala this summer, they will be treated to a full lifestyle experience including:

• Lunch at the Lakes End Diner (home of the famous BIGfoot burger);
• A $25 gas card;
• A pontoon boat tour of the clear, blue lake;
• A tour of available lots with unbeatable Lake Nantahala views; and
• A chance to win a weekend at the lake this fall, in a cabin that sleeps up to 14.

The Village at Reflection Lake Nantahala features 13 home sites priced from $94,900 to $129,900. There is no build-out requirement, so buyers can take their time planning their dream vacation homes. For buyers wishing to enjoy the lake sooner, the perfect mountain cabin program is available and includes a 1,400 square foot cabin with a view-facing covered porch.

The Village at Reflection Lake Nantahala invites buyers to escape to the pristine waters and secluded forests of the western North Carolina mountains. Reflection offers customizable cabins in a private gated community with upscale amenities and gorgeous views of Lake Nantahala. Reflection is a tranquil retreat that’s still easily accessible from Atlanta, Chattanooga, Charlotte and many other metropolitan areas. For more information or to schedule a day-at-the-lake tour, call 866-218-8439 or visit www.lakenantahalareflection.com/thevillage. Also, make sure to “like” our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/ReflectionLakeNantahala.

The Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Central and South Texas is also near and dear to the hearts of his employer, Sterling Custom Homes. The Austin luxury real estate builder is showing its support for Grambley and the foundation by pledging to match Grambley’s fundraising efforts up to $2,500.

Sterling Custom Homes also donated to the foundation earlier this year. The builder gave $1 per new Facebook “Like” from its fan page (http://www.facebook.com/sterlingcustomhomes), up to 300 new fans.

Since 1980, the Make-A-Wish Foundation® (http://www.wish.org/) has been enhancing the lives of children suffering from life-threatening medical conditions through the granting of wishes. The Foundation is composed of nearly 25,000 volunteers, enabling the non-profit to grant a wish every 40 minutes.

Grambley’s goal is to raise $5,000, the amount of money it takes to grant one child a wish. “Training for a marathon is a long, difficult endeavor,” said Grambley. “Knowing that my efforts will benefit a child in need will provide me with an added incentive when I hit the road for the 16, 18 and 20 plus mile training runs.”

Anyone interested in helping Grambley along in his fundraising efforts may donate online https://secure.wish.org/ourfriends/031-000/garygrambley.htm.

Sterling Custom Homes is one of the area’s top Austin home builders. For more information, visit the Sterling Custom Homes website.

“So many times it doesn’t cost any more to implement a change like the driveway/garage apron improvement,” said Vick Pope, vice president of construction at Sterling Custom Homes. “It only requires the desire to constantly improve, and the mindset that never accepts things as the way they’ve always been done.”

In other methods of construction, driveway material is poured only to the exterior of the garage apron. leaving an exposed joint where the driveway meets this foundation. The driveway and foundation are often made with two different finishes, which throws off the driveway’s continuity. This exposed joint is seen when the garage door is closed.

Sterling Custom Homes’ new and improved process leaves garages and driveways with a seamless flow from the driveway to the foundation of the Austin luxury real estate.

During this process, the builder drops the foundation at the garage apron and allows the finished layer of driveway material to end where the garage door meets the concrete. This method gives the two a seamless flow and a professionally finished look.

Sterling Custom Homes understands the importance that new home buyers place on detail, and demonstrates the level of care it takes to design custom homes to suit individuals’ needs. The builder offers design solutions for all buyers from site selection all the way down to details like driveway construction.

For more information about Sterling Custom Homes, visit their website.

According to Ilyce Glink, real estate expert at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog,  the requirements were issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency or OCC. Her recent article, “Foreclosure Guidelines: OCC Takes Action,” talks about how the OCC is mandating that the banks improve their communication – both formal and informal – to make sure borrowers understand what’s gong on and that they receive the information they need when they need it.

Furthermore, lenders may no longer “dual-track.” That is, if a borrower goes into a loan modification program, the lender cannot continue to pursue foreclosure.

How will we know the banks are doing what they’re supposed to be doing? They must hire independent auditing firms to review their foreclosures from the problem timeframe – January 1, 2009, through December 31, 2010.

If you were among those who lost a home in an unfair foreclosure process, you’ll want to look at Glink’s article at the Equifax Personal Finance Blog.  OCC has set up a restitution process and you can appeal. Check out the full information now and pass it along to those who have recently been affected by foreclosure.