Here are a few tips to help you get your San Carlos home decorated in eco-friendly style!

Tips for an Eco-Friendly Holiday:

1. Instead of buying wrapping paper, buy decorative wooden boxes, tin boxes, cloth bags or other eco-friendly packaging to hold your presents. You can get any of these with Holiday themes, most won’t get thrown away for years and, when they finally do fall apart, they’re biodegradable.

2. If you do use wrapping paper, save the paper and reuse it next year: recycling at its best!

3. Buy a real tree instead of a fake one and find an organization to plant one in its place. Once Christmas is over, you can have the Christmas tree recycled into wood chips, mulch and other wood products.

4. Try buying your gifts from an eco-friendly store. Online or offline, these businesses offer gifts made from recycled, reused or all natural materials.

5. Create fantastic holiday decorations with reusable materials from around the house. There are tons of decoration ideas around the Net, so you’ll be able to find some ideas that use things you already have lying around.

6. Send an e-card instead of a regular Holiday card, or buy Holiday cards made from recycled materials.

7. If you want lights, use LEDs (low-energy lights). Not only do they use less power, but also if one light goes out, the rest stay lit.

With a little bit of thought and ingenuity, your San Carlos home can be as bright and cheerful as you’ve always wanted without worrying about the impact on the environment. Have a Happy (and eco-friendly) Holiday!

If you’re looking for a green home to hang your eco-friendly wreaths in, I can help. Call me at 650-544-6185 or email me at holly@hollynoto.com for more information.

Eco-friendly packaging

Christmas tree Recycled

Holiday decorations

As I stopped at a light, grouching because the light would make me late, I happened to look over and see a woman with her daughter. The little girl had holes in her coat, a ragged hat, torn up shoes and a teddy bear missing an eye that she clutched as she smiled up at her worried mother – who had a “Please help” sign in her hands. As I drove on to show the San Mateo County condos, and further throughout the day, that little girl’s smile stuck with me.

Last night, I came across a news broadcast about a family of five living in a one-room apartment after losing their house and I remembered that little girl. All of this comes down to one thing…

It’s coming up on Thanksgiving, people are searching turkey recipes, decorations are being pulled out… and the current problems in the world make it hard to find something to be grateful for. However, they’re there if you only look.

If you have a home and you’re trying to sell it, it’s understandable that you might be upset if it’s not moving. As hard as it may be, however, remember that at least you have a home to sell.

If you’re looking for a home to buy and you can’t afford the fancy one you wanted but you can afford a slightly smaller one, remember – at least you can afford something.

If you’re upset that your job isn’t paying enough, you’re working long hours or not enough, remember the millions that no longer have a job.

Whatever your problem that may be weighing you down when Thanksgiving rolls around, remember that it truly could be worse. It is worse, for so many people.

I’ll even start the list: I’m grateful for all of my clients. I’m grateful that I have San Mateo County condos and homes to show and potential buyers that want to see them. For my readers, my friends, my family and my own home… Happy Thanksgiving, and may you always have something to be grateful for!

Turkey recipes

Decorations

Happy Thanksgiving

With temperatures dropping and leaves falling, there are plenty of things to add to your “to do” list. Just in case your list is empty, here are a few “to do’s” to get you started on your fall San Carlos home care:

• Sealing Your Driveway – If you have a blacktop driveway, you probably already know it isn’t going to be smooth forever. The asphalt cracks, the color fades and the asphalt sags to create potholes. As winter rolls around and rain begins to fall,  this will further break down your driveway. Sealing it now, either by hiring a company to do it or sealing it yourself, can help keep your driveway smooth and beautiful.

• Winterizing Your Sprinklers – Sprinkler systems do wonders in keeping your lawn green. However, leaving water in the system over the winter can cause a big, expensive mess, especially if the pipes aren’t buried below frost level. If you don’t feel comfortable winterizing the sprinkler system yourself, you can hire a professional for under $500.

• Cleaning Gutters and Roofs – Everybody knows that fall brings leaves that fill your gutters and cover your roof. If you haven’t been on the roof of your house lately, now’s the time to do it. You want to make sure all the debris is gone before the winter rains hit, so the strength of your roof isn’t tested further. For that matter, now is a great time to install gutter guards; you’ll never have to clean your gutters again!

Preparing your San Carlos home for the winter can be a tedious process, but the money you’ll save with proper maintenance will put a smile on your face.

If you’re looking for a home to call your own, I can help. Call me at 650-558-6853 or email me at holly@hollynoto.com for more information.

Sealing it yourself

Winterizing the sprinkler system

Gutter guards

“The Deed for Lease Program provides an additional option for qualifying homeowners who are facing foreclosure and are not eligible for modifications,” said Jay Ryan, Vice President of Fannie Mae. “This new program helps eliminate some of the uncertainty of foreclosure, keeps families and tenants in their homes during a transitional period, and helps to stabilize neighborhoods and communities.”

The new program is designed for borrowers who do not qualify for or have not been able to sustain other loan-workout solutions, such as a modification. Under Deed for Lease, borrowers transfer their property to the lender by completing a deed in lieu of foreclosure, and then lease back the house at a market rate.

To participate in the program, borrowers must live in the home as their primary residence and must be released from any subordinate liens on the property. Tenants of borrowers in this circumstance may also be eligible for leases under the program. Borrowers or tenants interested in a lease must be able to document that the new market rental rate is no more than 31% of their gross income.

Leases under the new program may be up to 12 months, with the possibility of term renewal or month-to-month extensions after that period. A Deed for Lease property that is subsequently sold includes an assignment of the lease to the buyer.

For additional information about the Deed for Lease Program, including full details on program eligibility, please review the Guide Announcement on www.efanniemae.com.