Jodi Summers = Santa Monica Real Estate

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1. Coolest gift: Wii Controller

   Comment by ChloeJones — December 26, 2011 #

2. Although we think of ourselves as the land of opportunity, millions of America’s children from poor families face constrained futures that will leave many of them no better off than their parents. Based on a massive study at the University of Michigan and a Brookings report for Pew’s Economic Mobility Project, we know that adult children of parents in the bottom 20 percent of the income distribution have over a 40 percent chance of staying in the bottom 20 percent when they grow up. Similarly, they have only a 6 percent chance of getting to the top 20 percent. These numbers suggest two conclusions: parental background is enormously important in determining where kids wind up in the income distribution when they grow up and the land of opportunity may have less than we thought.

   Comment by The Brookings Institution — January 9, 2012 #

3. Home improvement retailer Lowe’s plans to introduce a cloud-based home-management system in North America called Iris in mid-2012, which will allow users to monitor and control many aspects of their home from their smartphone, tablet or computer, including thermostats, refrigerators, smart plugs, lighting, door locks, motion sensors and more.

   The Iris system will be wireless and allow users to interact with and control many aspects of their home in real time from any mobile device.

   As “smart” technology continues to proliferate, the mass-release of affordable homeowner-controlled “smart” technology is the next step. Because of Lowe’s size and business relationships, the home retailer has the ability to offer this new technology at a rate many can afford.

   Comment by Lowe's — January 14, 2012 #

4. Majorities of Americans say that they are knowledgeable about energy sources, but are they making changes and taking advantage of what is out there to monitor their own usage? Majorities of Americans are doing some basic things like turning off lights, televisions or other appliances when not in use (82%), replacing incandescent bulbs with fluorescent ones (58%), using power strips (56%), looking for ENERGY STAR labels when replacing appliances (55%) and using low watt bulbs (54%). But there are other things majorities of Americans are not doing.

   These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,056 adults surveyed online between February 6 and 13, 2012 by Harris Interactive.

   Less than half of Americans have installed a programmable thermostat (37%), sealed gaps in floors or walls around pipes or electric wiring (34%), installed low-flow faucets (29%), energy efficient windows (28%) or added insulation to an attic, crawl space or accessible exterior windows (27%). And just in one ten U.S. adults (11%) have conducted a home energy evaluation or audit. There are certain regional differences as well. For example, over half of Southerners (55%) change their air filters monthly in comparison to just 27% of Easterners and 28% of Westerners. Three in five Westerners (59%) use low wattage light bulbs compared to just 48% of Easterners and, two in five of those living in the West (40%) have installed low-flow faucets compared to just 25% of those in the East and 23% in the Midwest.

   Comment by Harris Polls — March 31, 2012 #

5. Regardless of age, good relationship with friends, family and even pets were found to be universally important and the key driver of happiness. However, as people continue to age and eventually retire, they are able to devote more time to building relationships and enjoying simple everyday pleasures. Those who are married or in a relationship are the happiest. Conversely, lowest levels of happiness are observed among those who are single.

   Comment by AARP Research & Strategic Analysis — June 8, 2012 #

6. Americans have an unusually strong belief in meritocracy. In other nations, circumstances at birth, family connections, and luck are considered more important factors in economic success than they are in the U.S. This meritocratic philosophy is one reason why Americans have had relatively little objection to high levels of inequality—as long as those at the bottom have a fair chance to work their way up the ladder. Similarly, Americans are more comfortable with the idea of increasing opportunities for success than with reducing inequality. When the American public is asked questions about the importance of tackling each, a far higher proportion is in favor of doing something about ensuring that more people have a shot at climbing the economic ladder than is in favor of reducing poverty or inequality.

   Comment by Brookings — September 26, 2012 #

7. Americans are saving more. The personal-saving rate — which reflects how much people have left after spending and taxes — hit 2.6% in February from 2.2% in January. Incomes grew, allowing Americans to spend, yet save more. The saving rate soared in December as fiscal-cliff fears prompted some companies to distribute bonuses early, but it then plunged in January as payroll taxes rose.

   Comment by NeilShah — April 4, 2013 #

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