Santa Monica Property Blog

GLOBAL DEMOGRAPHICS ARE SHAPING REAL ESTATE TRENDS

GLOBAL DEMOGRAPHICS ARE SHAPING REAL ESTATE TRENDS

Edited by Jodi Summers

Global Demographics: Shaping Real Estate’s Future offers recent research from the Urban Land Institute about the effect of global demographic change on real estate.

“Over the next 20 years, demographic megatrends — and their variations by continent — present the real estate industry with tremendous opportunity to not only grow, but to better serve the people real estate is designed for,” said David Jacobstein, senior advisor to co-sponsor Deloitte LLP ’s Real Estate practice. “Mature economies — especially growing ones — offer attractive investment opportunities, but emerging markets require vast quantities of infrastructure, as well as residential, retail, office, and hotel properties to support their burgeoning populations.”

Findings from the report include:

Aging

The aging of the world’s population is arguably the single most dramatic demographic trend today, with three key trends emerging:

v In 2006, almost 500 million people worldwide were 65 and older.

v By 2030, individuals 65 and older are projected to increase to 1 billion — equaling one out of every eight people on earth.

v The most rapid increases in the 65-and-older population are occurring in developing countries, which will see a jump of 140 percent by 2030.

Real estate implications

v Retirement housing is the primary real estate beneficiary of global aging, with the U.S. senior housing industry set to benefit from the opportunity to produce new products.

v Rapid consolidation of senior housing operators will result in more professional and cost-effective management.

v Investor interest will continue to grow because economic cycles have little effect on dementia and nursing care facilities.

v There is increased demand for affordable senior housing and senior housing options in ethnic communities.

Urbanization

As of 2007, 3.3 billion people — half of the world’s population — live in urban areas. With that number expected to increase to 60 percent by 2030, five key trends are emerging:

v One billion people live in slums, with 90 percent of this population occurring in developing countries.

v At least 133 million city dwellers in the developing world lack durable housing.

v Twenty percent of urban dwellers in emerging nations are overcrowded, with more than three people per bedroom.

v Only two-thirds of the world’s urban population has access to tap water, with only 46 percent having access in their homes.

v More than 25 percent of the world’s urban population lacks adequate sanitation.

Real estate implications of these urbanization trends include:

v Investing in infrastructure — whether new or established — is essential to the viability of long-term commercial real estate projects. Privatization of infrastructure through public/private partnerships with investment funds are becoming increasingly important, with notable examples occurring in the United States, Spain and France.

v Better land use controls should be implemented to prevent high-density, informal communities from developing and reduce outward urban sprawl because both trends present difficulties to residents in terms of infrastructure, safety and lifestyle.

v There is increased demand for housing and retail as a result of a growing workforce.

v In stagnant or shrinking populations, new construction must be viewed as replacement properties — even if that entails older building demolition to maintain vacancy rates — as has occurred in continental Europe.

v Emerging markets can leap from traditional, organic models to contemporary multi-use projects and residential communities if ground level infrastructure is established.

v The lack of mortgage availability in the emerging market is the greatest limitation on new development.

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS187513+12-Jun-2008+BW2008061

http://www.topnews.in/health/regions/united-kingdom?page=26

http://totallycebu.com/aging-lecture

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lwr/165513789/

SANTA MONICA HAS THE 4TH GREENEST BUILDING IN THE WORLD

Edited by Jodi Summers

An engineering school has published a list of what they consider to be the 50 greenest buildings in the world – and the Alamaden Tower in San Jose wins! A SoCal property came in fourth - the Robert Redford Building, home of the Natural Resources Defense Council 1314 2nd Street in Santa Monica comes in fourth. The school – Top Online Engineering Degree, does not that “Greenest is, of course, always a highly subjective and nebulous term.”

As there is no international green building code, http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com, they ask that you not consider this a definitive compilation of the latest and greatest in environmentally-friendly architecture, but rather a brief overview of some highlights instead.

1. Alamaden Tower

Location: San Jose, California, USA

Achieved platinum rating on Dec. 1, 2006

Adobe Systems is the first organization to have three platinum-rated buildings–including the Almaden Tower, pictured here–and it’s the only major corporation to have any buildings on the list. Since it started converting the buildings in 2001, Adobe has seen a 115% savings on its water and utility bills.

2. India Tower

Location: Mumbai, India

Once the construction team puts the final touches on India Tower and officially opens its doors in 2010, it will be considered amongst the tallest, greenest building in the country.

3. William J. Clinton Presidential Library

Location: Little Rock, Arkansas

Although initially built up to LEED’s silver level certification standards, the combined forces and finances of Powers of Arkansas, the Rocky Mountain Institute, and The Leonardo Academy renovated it up to platinum.

4. Robert Redford Building

Location: Santa Monica, California

Home of the Natural Resources Defense Council

CNN states that at the Robert Redford Building toilets flush themselves with rainwater — except for the urinals, which use no water at all — the floors are made of bamboo and the carpets from hemp.

5. RIT’s University Services Center

Location: Rochester, New York, USA

Sustainability highlights from the University Services Center’s operation include:

•48.6 percent energy cost reduction over industry standards for heating and cooling efficiency

•43 percent reduction in water usage over national requirements for fixture performance

•35 percent of the building’s electricity is supplied from renewable sources, including on-site solar photovoltaic panels

•33 percent recycled content of materials used in facility’s operation

6. Philip Merrill Environmental Center

Location: Annapolis, Maryland, USA

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation makes its headquarters here and includes some interesting green features such as composting toilets, bioretention, and natural lighting – among others…

7. United States Green Building Council

Location: Washington, D.C., USA

Surely, you’d expect those who administer the certifications themselves strive for the highest possible level of achievement as a way of setting an example.

8. Tahoe Center

Location: Incline Village, Nevada, USA

Tahoe Center serves as one of only five platinum-certified science laboratories in the world, playing host to the University of California Davis Environmental Research department.

9. Cundall Sydney Office Fitout

Location: St. Leonard’s, New South Wales, Australia

Engineering firm Cundall obtained the first LEED-certified platinum honor for their office fitout as the first in the Southern hemisphere.

10. East and West Towers

Location: San Jose, California, USA

Another Adobe Systems venture, Forbes states that this building sports state of the art irrigation in perfect tune with nearby weather stations.

And there are 40 more to learn about…Get the whole list @ http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=122

**

http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/science/11/17/redford.building.reut/

http://toponlineengineeringdegree.com/?page_id=122

http://www.shoreassociates.com/images/projects/adobealmaden.JPG

http://s3.amazonaws.com/konnectme-production/photos/37/medium/projectscale-3.jpg

http://www.rit.edu/showcase/index.php?id=31/

http://www.forbes.com/2007/02/08/leadership-energy-environment-lead-citizen-cx_hc_0208green_slide_3.html?thisSpeed=undefined

GLOBAL EDGE TOP 10 BUSINESS DESTINATIONS

GLOBAL EDGE TOP 10 BUSINESS DESTINATIONS

edited by Jodi Summers

Global Property Guide has put together a list of the most attractive

property investment destinations across the world. Their research team

has ranked 77 of the world’s largest cities according to the average

gross rental yields.

The top 10 destinations are dominated by Asian cities, with Jakarta,

Kuala Lumpur and Manila all making the list.

http://www.globaledge.co.uk/news/top-10-best-investment-destinations-35909

THE GREENEST CITIES IN THE WORLD

THE GREENEST CITIES IN THE WORLD
 
Edited by Jodi Summers
 
We like lists, it means a lot of research has been done. Today’s dynamic list is from Reader’s Digest;
 they have come up with a list of world's greenest, most livable cities. To compile this list, they have an
alyzed data from two top sources covering 141 nations. We’ll give you the top 26 greenest cities
(as 26 happens to be San Francisco), the rest you can find @
http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/best-places-to-live-green/article45734.html

1. Stockholm, Sweden

2. Oslo, Norway

3. Munich, Germany

4. Paris, France

5. Frankfurt, Germany

6. Stuttgart, Germany

7. Lyon, France

8. Dusseldorf, Germany

9. Nantes, France

10. Copenhagen, Denmark

11. Geneva, Switzerland

12. Zurich, Switzerland

13. Glasgow, United Kingdom

14. Barcelona, Spain

15. New York, United States

16. Brussels, Belgium

17. Hamburg, Germany

18. Hong Kong, PR China

19. Newcastle, United Kingdom

20. Tokyo, Japan

21. Helsinki, Finland

22. Washington, D.C., United States

23. Chicago, United States

24. Vancouver, Canada

25. Dortmund, Germany

26. San Francisco, United States

**

Sources:

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/07/04/0406_liveable_cities/image/7_frankfurt.jpg

http://www.rd.com/your-america-inspiring-people-and-stories/best-places-to-live-green/article45734.html

http://www.primetravels.com/PackageImages/699/Stockholm-Sweden_03-360a032607.jpg

http://highendfood.files.wordpress.com/2009/01/frankfurt_skyline.jpg

http://mamofrizzi.files.wordpress.com/2009/06/tb_copenhagen_denmark.jpg

http://www.bertgulick.com/images/05/copenhagen-denmark.jpg

http://www.iho-ohi.org/wp-content/brussels-belgium.jpg

http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/01253/Hotspots%20in%20Europe/BrusselsCityImage.jpg

http://wallpapers.free-review.net/63__Shibuya_Tokyo_Japan.htm

http://img61.imageshack.us/img61/3771/eiffeltower2cparis2cfrawo0.jpg

http://www.spa.ucla.edu/up/webfiles/tokyo-shinjuku-45_4.jpg

http://paaia.org/galleries/default-image/san-francisco.jpg

http://www.namss.org/images/AC2008/SanFrancisco.jpg

More than $1Trillion Invested In Green Development

More than $1Trillion Invested In Green Development

By Jodi Summers

Did you know that Toyota, Boeing and Samsung have each invested more than $4 billion in green technology? They’re part of a growing trend. Experts say that more than $1.248 trillion has been invested in green projects since 2007. Tallies are now available from the Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard, which tracks private investment in companies growing the green economy globally.

This newly calculated number shows $1,248,740,645,993.00 in total investment in solar, wind, geothermal, ocean/hydro, energy efficiency and storage, and agriculture  since 2007. The details indicate how investors and entrepreneurs are leading governments in promoting sustainable growth.

The scoreboard, posted by Ethical Markets Media and The Climate Prosperity Alliance

indicates which investments have been publicly announced and committed by major companies for 2010 and beyond. For example, the Egyptian company Desertec, is behind a 400 billion Euro plan to power Europe with sunlight from North Africa and the Middle East. If their project goes as planned, Desertec could supply 15 percent of Europe’s power needs by 2050.

“Private capital investment is now leading globally in promoting technological innovation and resource efficiency that will accelerate environmentally and socially sustainable industrial growth and economic development throughout the world,” noted Dr. Marc A. Weiss, Chairman and CEO of Global Urban Development and Chair of the Climate Prosperity Alliance.

The Climate Prosperity Alliance uses the Climate Solutions 2 computer model of Australia’s Climate Risk Party, concludes that if $1 trillion is invested every year for the next 10 years can assure the global transition to sustainable prosperity and job growth.

Check out the Global Climate Prosperity Scoreboard @ http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/wp-content/uploads/Global-Climate-Prosperity-Scoreboard.pdf

**

http://greeneconomypost.com/over-1-trillion-invested-in-green-since-2007-6922.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%29#ixzz0ZcXw0j5h

http://greeneconomypost.com/over-1-trillion-invested-in-green-since-2007-6922.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheGreenEconomyPost+%28The+Green+Economy+Post%

http://af.reuters.com/article/investingNews/idAFJOE5B10JG20091202?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=0&sp=true

http://www.ethicalmarkets.com/wp-content/uploads/Global-Climate-Prosperity-Scoreboard.pdf

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_naalMdATcl8/SkfBq4wjMkI/AAAAAAAAAIs/3orGtK1ww14/s400/booker-28060_1_1432371c.jpg

http://ec.europa.eu/cyprus/images/drought.jpg

http://www.sodahead.com/living/this-is-what-a-trillion-dollars/question-288213/?link=ibaf

http://lbslibrary.typepad.com/.a/6a00e008d6ce2788340120a5293a61970b-800wi

http://www.theodoresworld.net/pics/0309/climateplanImage4.jpg

YALE PICKS THE TEN MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRIES

YALE PICKS THE TEN MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY COUNTRIES

Edited by Jodi Summers

Every year, Yale University releases an Environmental Performance Index (EPI), calculating national environmental factors such as a country’s environmental health, air pollution, water resources and productive natural resources. So let us present to you the most recent top 10 winning countries who can boast the title of the most eco-friendly nations in the world.

1 - Switzerland

Switzerland’s hard-line legislation on pollution makes it one of the world’s most eco-friendly nations. Switzerland’s strategy is to continue to foster cooperation between organizations and individuals. To make sure everyone is acutely aware of how precious the environment can be, Switzerland charges for their water and waste management services as well as establishing severe environmental taxes. Prevention is the third key tenet, shown by the 2006 development of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), to sustain natural resources and develop safety measures for natural hazards.

2 - Norway

Overcast Norway is the home of the world’s largest solar production plant, owned by REC Group. Norway has also taken emissions seriously, and is now planning on becoming carbon neutral by 2030, not 2050 as originally expected. The change in anticipated timing has been reduced because of what Norway has learned by funding green projects abroad and reducing at-home driving and flying.

3 - Sweden

Sweden’s mandate for a country free of fossil fuels by 2020 puts it as the third most eco-friendly country on the planet. Already, a majority of Sweden’s power is either nuclear or hydroelectric. Solutions for automobile and flight transport include ethanol and animal waste conversion. Additionally, Sweden is one of the world leaders working on harnessing the power of waves. At the University of Uppsala, Sweden is developing “wave power” which converts waves into 4x as much energy as solar power in the same amount of time, with no waste and no emissions.

4 - Finland

Finland is experiencing a remarkable recovery from industrialization, using initiatives to clean up water and air quality in industrial areas, and practicing land preservation. Bravo as Finland has managed to reverse deforestation. The country’s forests are now growing at a greater rate than they are being deforested, showing an environmental gain even with the annual timber harvest. Finland can also be attributed with starting the United Nation’s Environmental Program (UNEP) Task Force for Sustainable Building and Construction, which looks not only at the sustainability of the building, but of the resources and process used to construct it.

5 - Costa Rica

With 5% of the world’s biodiversity contained in one country, Costa Rica has always been on the forefront of environmental conservation. Did you know that a full quarter of the nation is devoted to park preservation? That helps the country score high on the EPI list. Couple their conservation efforts with the fact that Costa Rica uses hydroelectric power in 80% of the country, and add on their 5% gas tax which funds environmental programs, and Costa Rica comes in fifth.

6 - Austria

It’s very impressive that Austria’s environmental conservation measures are enforced by all levels of government, from federal to municipal authorities. For example, waste disposal is a highly regulated department encompassing everything from individual waste to corporate chemical, air and agricultural pesticide pollution. Water quality and forest preservation, are extremely high on Austria’s list of priorities, thus the quality level for Austria’s lakes and rivers is among the highest in the world. The development of Austria’s National Protective Forest Plan has also helped in keeping the nation’s natural beauty pristine.

7 - New Zealand

New Zealand‘s relatively small population in relation to land mass has helped preserve this nation’s natural resources. While automotive emissions and industrial pollutants are still problematic, New Zealand is working hard to develop restrictive legislation and alternative energy sources. The nation was host to the 2008 World Environment Day, and has developed the Environmental Risk Management Authority, which regulates the introduction of non-native species and environmental components so as not to threaten New Zealand’s pristine atmosphere.

8 - Latvia

The Baltics weigh in. By monitoring and reducing water pollution, Latvia’s salmon crop and freshwater bodies are all in the range of “good.” Taken steps toward improvement, Lativia has begun dismantling pollutive farms to reduce fertilizer and insecticide chemicals and allow room for the return of natural forests. Since obtaining freedom from the Soviet Union 1990, Lativa has decreased stationary pollution by 46% and wastewater by 44%, devoting a major portion of environmental funds to water treatment and energy conservation techniques.

9 - Colombia

Beating Costa Rica, Colombia is home to 10% of the world’s species, giving the country a wealth of ecological diversity. While Colombia has had problems in the past concerning deforestation, the detrimental effects of the coca trade, and political strife involving their natural oil deposits, these factors have served to motivate Colombia towards energy conservation and new, less politically tumultuous resources. Colombia has also begun programs for the cultivation of natural parks that support the growth of native medicinal plants with preserves such as the Orito Igni-Ande Medicinal Flora Sanctuary, a 10,626 hectare preserve.

10 - France

The French government is very aware of the problem of climate change. Their strict environmental protection measures are incorporated into the national Constitution and reviewed every year with the eventual goal of 54 million tons of saved C02 by 2010. France is one of the few in the Kyoto agreement to cut such a large amount of emissions so quickly. The country’s laws are comprehensive, covering every layer of production from supplier to producer to consumer. This has helped make France the number one producer of renewable energy sources in the EU, 78% of its energy being nuclear powered, which in turn has reduced nitrogen oxide and other hazardous emissions by 70%.

**

Sources:

http://epi.yale.edu/Home

http://epi.yale.edu/CountryScores

http://www.bemoreeco.com/2009/03/top-10-eco-friendly-countries/

http://www.sussex.ac.uk/International/europe/Sweden.jpg

http://greenferret.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/switzerland-mountain-lake.jpg

http://www.boxturtlebulletin.com/tag/norway

http://www.ippnw-students.org/Chapters/Finland/finland.jpg

http://www.unitedplanet.org/volunteer-in-costa-rica-long-term/images/costa-rica-ocean-view.jpg

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0510/photos/Jpegs/NewZealand.jpg

http://www.austria-trips.com/images/Austria-Mountains.jpg

http://www.e-architect.co.uk/riga/jpgs/jurmala_latvia_hoskins_m06.jpg

http://img5.travelblog.org/Photos/61720/335583/p/f/1781.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2qncqxi.jpg

http://www.bargesinfrance.com/premier-burgundy-countryside.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3115/2352156385_c389b09b15_b.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/pj48/image/45644972/original.jpg

LOS ANGELES IS A BETTER PLACE THAN PARIS TO BUY INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

LOS ANGELES IS A BETTER PLACE THAN PARIS TO BUY INVESTMENT REAL ESTATE

by Jodi Summers

Sacre bleu! Los Angeles is a better real estate…according to Forbes.com. In a recent top 10 article called World’s Best Places For Real Estate Buys, Ten cities investors will target in 2009 our beloved Los Angeles was #7 – after San Francisco and before Paris.

Washington D.C. topped the list this year, thanks to the proposed $1 trillion swell of government spending. As Forbes notes, “At present, D.C. has the lowest unemployment rate in the country–4.1%, compared to the 7.2% national average. With President Obama’s stimulus package recommending $1 trillion in new spending, it’s unlikely government jobs–and those they support–will be leaving the District anytime soon.”

Not many investors were looking at L.A. in 2008, as we were hammered by the subprime crisis and a massive volume of foreclosures. As we all know, our perceived property poverty curtailed spending and our whole local economy limped along. We were 19^th on the 2008 Forbes World’s Best Places For Real Estate Buys, so this 12-point rise is a huge boost for real estate morale.

“It’s all about perception,” notes a local investor. “If people perceive Los Angeles is a good value, then it becomes a good value, and prices grow strong.”

Good news for local property owners - sales surged 102%in the residential sector, according to Radar Logic, a derivatives firm, and Forbes notes that this wave “has that market hinting at a bottom.”

The 2009 Top 10 Best Places For Real Estate Buys

1. Washington, D.C.

2. London, U.K.

3. New York, N.Y.

4. Tokyo, Japan

5. Shanghai, China

6. San Francisco, Calif.

7. Los Angeles, Calif.

8. Paris, France

9. Houston, Texas

10. Singapore

Please note Forbes’ rankings come from the Association of Foreign Investors in Real Estate, a research association that tracks where member investors are finding the best opportunities around the world.

Get the whole story @ http.//www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/investment-obama-realestate-forbeslife-cx_mw_0121realestate.html?partner=alerts

http://mightyminnow.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/washington-dc.jpg

http://www.pointernet.pds.hu/touristinfo/free_wallpapers_2/France_Paris_Night.jpeg

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

THE GOVERNMENT WANTS YOU TO BUY + INSTALL GREEN ROOFS ON YOUR REAL ESTATE

Green is still good. The latest government motivation is toward green roof installations.

Among the benefits of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 (S.320) introduced by Sen. Maria E. Cantwell (D-Wash.) is to provide financial incentives for homeowners or commercial building owners which chose to install green roofs on their buildings.

A green (or sod) roof features of vegetation-usually drought-tolerant plants, or shrubs-that is planted in a growth medium. The roof generally involves a multilayer system of waterproof and root-repellent membranes, a drainage system, filter cloth, and lightweight soil.

Sedums are a suggest plant, as the 400+ varieties range from annuals and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have water-storing leaves.

Green roofs have been around for thousands of years.  One of the first notable appearances of green roofs occurred in the Hanging Gardens of Babylon around 500 BC.  The site is considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.

The thrust of the Clean Energy Stimulus and Investment Assurance Act of 2009 is to create green-collar jobs and revitalize the economy through clean energy investments.

Section 506 of the bill, offers property owners a 30 percent tax credit for qualified green roof expenses. The tax credit applies to both new and retrofit projects, but it requires that at least 50 percent of the roof area be covered with vegetation. 

“This is a watershed moment for the green roof industry,” observes Steven W. Peck, founder and president of Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, which worked with the American Society of Landscape Architects to help Sen. Cantwell’s office draft the section of the bill that is focused on the green roof incentive. “This bill will deliver an enormous number of green collar jobs, not just today, but also in five years from now, while also saving energy, improving stormwater management, cooling cities, cleansing the air, and

beautifying our rooftops.”

Modern green roofs trends began in Germany in the 1960s; today, it is estimated that about 10% of all German roofs have been “greened.” Several European Countries have very active associations promoting green roofs including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Sweden and the UK. The City of Linz in Austria has been paying developers to install green roofs since 1983 and in Switzerland it has been a Federal law since the late 1990s. In the UK their up-take has been slow but a number of cities have developed policies to encourage their use, notably in London and Sheffield.

Green roof advocates note a variety of benefits for property owners, including added insulation and cooling. It has been found that they can retain up to 75% of rainwater, gradually releasing it back into the atmosphere via condensation and transpiration, while retaining pollutants in their soil.

“If you install enough in an area, it cools the area, which saves money in energy costs and limits greenhouse gas,” offers Peck.

Cities like Los Angeles can truly benefit from the cooling effect, as green roofs reduce the “heat island effect,” a situation in which traditional building materials such as asphalt roofs in a city-absorb sunlight and radiate it back into the atmosphere as heat, making cities at least 4 degrees Celsius (7 °F) hotter than surrounding areas.

The new California Academy of Sciences building in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has a green roof that provides 2.5 acres (10,000 m2) of native vegetation designed as a habitat for indigenous species, including the threatened Bay checkerspot butterfly. According to the Academy’s fact sheet on the building, the building consumes 30-35% less energy than required by code.

Green roofs have also been found to dramatically improve a roof’s insulation value. A study conducted by Environment Canada found a 26% reduction in summer cooling needs and a 26% reduction in winter heat losses when a green roof is used. In addition, greening a roof is expected to lengthen a roof’s lifespan by two or three times, according to Penn State University’s Green Roof Research Center.

Another upside of green roofs is added local employment, as green roof installations tend to be local projects. “For every dollar spent, the $2 or $3 generated goes toward creating jobs where the roof is installed,” he boasts.

Sen. Cantwell noted this benefit as well in a statement introducing the bill. “In these times of economic uncertainty, growing the green economy and investing in clean energy technologies is the key to job growth and breaking the United States’ debilitating dependence on foreign oil,” she said. “While installing a green roof may seem like a small step, these upgrades save energy, filter and absorb pollution, and store carbon. As individuals and businesses continue to look for ways to combat high energy costs and improve the health of their neighborhoods and environment, providing green roof incentives just makes sense.”

Builder magazine reports that, Green Roofs for Healthy Cities has launched a new, multi-disciplinary Green Roof Professional (GRP) program–much like U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Professional Accreditation-and will administer the first exam at its annual conference this June in Atlanta. Under the program, an individual can become GRP-accredited to provide green roof design, products, and installation services to meet the new demands that potentially could be generated from this bill.

American landscape architects and a Canadian nonprofit green roof industry association says that the United States could see a surge in green roof installations if a provision in a recently introduced Senate stimulus bill becomes law.

Information from:

http://www.builderonline.com/green-building/financial-incentives-in-stimulus

http://egrfaculty.villanova.edu/public/Civil_Environmental/WREE/VUSP_Web_Folder/GR_web_folder/GR_paper_files/image002.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sedum

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/iruss001/architecture/green_roof.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_roof

http://www.inhabitat.com/wp-content/uploads/calroof3.jpg

http://www.localecology.org/images/deyoung_casgreenroof.jpg

http://www.cactusjungle.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/green_roof.jpg

http://www.lotuslive.org/buildings/files/norwaygreenroof.png

THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES FOR OWNING REAL ESTATE

THE WORLD’S MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES FOR OWNING REAL ESTATE

By Jodi Summers…

Forbes is one the most interesting sources of real estate information. A particular favorite is their top 10 lists….a recent favorite is World’s Priciest Cities To Own A Home…

 In a nutshell…

1.    Monte Carlo, Monaco

Price per square foot (US$): $4,420.10 U.S.

2.    Moscow, Russia

Price per square foot: $1,937.30 U.S.

3.    London, U.K.

Price per square foot: $1,928.30 U.S.

4.    Tokyo, Japan

Price per square foot: $1,672.10 U.S.

5.    Hong Kong

Price per square foot: $1,498 U.S.

6.    New York, N.Y.

Price per square foot: $1,384.10 U.S.

7.    Paris, France

Price per square foot: $1,126.20 U.S.

8.    Singapore

Price per square foot: $901.20 U.S.

9.    Rome, Italy

Price per square foot: $851.50 U.S.

10. Mumbai, India

Price per square foot: $851.30 U.S.

“Monte Carlo is a city of the rich, small and concentrated,” noted Matthew Montagu-Pollock, publisher of Globalpropertyguide.com, the online real estate research firm that released the report.  “The primary reasons for such high prices are related to a shortage of space and tax havens.”

Our national favorite, New York, drop to 6 from 2, as growth in Asian markets pushed Hong Kong and Tokyo to the top five.

“Even in these trying economic times, there is still tremendous wealth out there,” says Nikki Field, senior vice president of Sotheby’s International in New York. The drop in New York prices can be attributed to the banking collapse, and the “hesitancy for conspicuous consumption. The need and ability still exists to buy at the upper tier, but people are scared to publicly spend.”

**

http://www.forbes.com/2009/02/09/cities-top-expensive-lifestyle-real-estate_0209_cities.html?partner=alerts

http://www.russiablog.org/2007/09/kommersant_5_million_russians.php

http://www.ccisabroad.org/program.php?link=russia_moscow

http://www.targetwoman.com/articles/singapore-tourism.html

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Singapore_skyline_night_1.jpg

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:High-rise.apartments.in.rome.italy.arp.jpg

http://kara.allthingsd.com/files/2007/11/monaco_photo_1_1.jpg

http://www.destination360.com/north-america/us/new-york/nyc/things-to-do-in-new-york-city.php

Survey: The World’s Next Great Cities

Survey: The World’s Next Great Cities

 by Jodi Summers

Cities that were not so long ago little more than big fishing villages are rising to global commercial prominence.

Here are the top 10 emerging cities:

1. Shanghai, China
2. Beijing, China
3. Budapest Hungary
4. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
5. Santiago, Chile
6. Guangzhou, China
7. Mexico City, Mexico
8. Warsaw, Poland
9. Bangkok Thailand
10. Shenzhen, China

Source: Forbes, Matt Woolsey (10/23/08)

http://www.realtor.org/RMODaily.nsf/pages/News2008102804?OpenDocument