"GreenSleeve"

Great find to share with all ~ "GreenSleeve"on Etsy.com and LOVE it.
It's eco-friendly, and it also identify your cup like a wine charm. Out of all cup sleeves I can find on the web, this is the most affordable and attractive option I would recommend to anyone.

Organic material (jute fiber, felt-lined), simple idea executed just right. You can customize and personalize with your artistic touch if you like, but I must say "simplicity" is the beauty. I might add tiny grommet to keep it on my key chain. I hate to see myself looking for one I left at kitchen table.

When you order your coffee, just mention "I have my own sleeve". Barista or the customer behind you will get the idea...how cool is that! It's not about trend setter, it's about influence you may have to those around you. Hope you can plant the seed in your neighborhood.

Ka Makana Lehua Series Town Homes Debut 04.25.09

Lehua Series at Ka Makana town homes will debut 04.25.09 (Saturday), and 3 new model homes will be open 10am to 5pm daily.

From the high $300,000s (FS)

* Three bedrooms, two-car garage
* Your choice of one- or two-story plans
* Hawaiian plantation style architecture
* Private fenced yard and covered lanai
* Future resort amenities will include Hoakalei Marina and a private swim club with tennis and fitness center
* Energy Star® qualified
* Hawai‘i BuiltGreen™

19 model homes at Ka Makana single family homes are from the $500K to over $1M.

For buyer representation, please contact Misa and register on your first visit.

Earth Day Inspiration

On Easter Sunday, I spent some time on YouTube, searching for Earth Day inspiration. I found Michelle Kaufmann's series of "Eco Principle" very interesting and visually appealing. YouTube has Live Green channel and SunChips has contest for the Green idea for $20K. Any sustainable idea? Check an episode or two here.

Earth Day

I've been working on my personal project on recycling coffee sleeves toward the Earth Day. I found this wooden bowl couple of weeks ago and just fell in love its fluid shape and tone of grain.

When you take out daily cup of coffee or tea, just keep the sleeve for the second, or third cup. It save the cost for the cafe, and it save the Earth.

You can find this bowl waiting for your coffee sleeve(s) at ING DIRECT Hawaii Cafe.

Attention! (Hawaii Homowners)

For all Hawaii homeowners - Yes, your real property tax will be due tomorrow (Semi-Annual 1st installment, another February 20). If you have a mortgage, chances are your lender will be paying from impound account on behalf of you. I would suggest to check your mortgage account activities to be sure this has been paid on time. For those income under $50,000 in year 2007, City and County has real property tax credit: please take a look at this link for more information.

In Hawaii, there are many homeowners who are "house rich, cash poor". Imagine you bought your home in Kahala 30 years ago - humble cottage on a big lot. You have worked all years, and paid off mortgage, now on fixed income into retirement. Real Property Tax assessment in recent years has been very tough for those who "Lived in whole life" homeowners. Find out more and be sure to file before September 30.

About Home Exemption:
I have seen many homeowners who purchased their homes and moved in "forgot" to file this rather simple homeowner's exemption form. Chances are, you are given this form at the escrow table, and you filed away without submitting. You can check your property tax status and if you don't see any exemption status (and you don't remember if you filed it), follow the instruction and file by September 30, for the next fiscal year (July 1~June 30 of following year).

Goodreads - my bookshelf

I recently sign up for Goodreads, just so that I keep notes on myself about books I read and remind which book I want to read (if I have a time). These days, books are things of the past for Gen Y (they migrated to MySpace and YouTube or Wikipedia), but I still like the spare time spent at bookstore just browsing around, or the almost forgotten old books in the library...
Even local library offer e-book you can rent for 2 weeks electronically. No past dues or lost books.

Enjoy books!

Real Estate for Boomers and Beyond: Exploring the Costs, Choices and Changes for Your Next Move by Tom Kelly

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is a must read for all baby boomers. It explains why we feel the way we feel, and how we attract certain things... Just like birth order or birth place, the generation we born in affect our way of decision making. This book is to learn the social trends, know where you stand, and make wise decision: find the balance of financial and emotional needs.



Some chapters are related topics, mortgage and reverse mortgage, long term care facilities and "age in place" concepts. You can pick and choose what interest you, just be aware those are within the sphere that influence your lifestyle.



Title cover shows the intent of this book. In order to make a move in real estate (or anything else in this regard) is to know yourself first, learn how other thinks (market), and measure if that makes economical sense, particularly if you are thinking for short-term or transitional. This is the wisdom needed in today's market and forward.


View all my reviews.

Sustainable Housing - Tokyo Style

MAN MADE -one of the TV series by National Geographic-aired interesting episode: Tokyo-Living Small in the Big City and I would love to share 4 minutes of the video about "penguin house" - the extreme creativity and innovation for mere garage space.

I remember years back (circa 1990) when I used to rent an apartment in Tokyo. It was a sticker shock how expensive those tiny rentals were. But in lieu of personal space, this metropolis provides the unlimited opportunities to explore beyond your small pad.

Another article the Newest Cottage Industry is also worth the reading. Slideshow of instant history of housing trends are informative. Baby Boomers (born between 1946~1964) are largest, healthiest and wealthiest group ever appear on the US growth landscape. Builders and developers has been researching this most influential group as target market. To reflect what Baby Boomer wants, the size of average home grown from 953 sq ft to 2,200 sq ft in 50 years.

I don't see smaller homes gain popularity here in Hawaii, yet. Maybe Hawaii's home is smaller by mainland standard, and their lifestyle and choice of furniture doesn't allow any shrinkage to the Hawaii home. Once supersize it, isn't it hard to go back to the size it used to be?