Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4^th of July and Summer Celebrations

This weekend is our Nations birthday. I hope you all go out and celebrate with your families and friends. In the spirit of celebrating I have included some festivals and events that are happening this summer.

July 4^th – Freedom Celebration at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park – Starts at 2pm and ends with fireworks after dark. www.ci.wilmington.de.us/July4th/index.htm

City of Newark Fireworks - www.cityofnewarkde.us/CurrentEvents.asp?EID=76

Heritage Park Dover, DE - www.dover4thofjuly.com/schedule.htm

Philadelphia, PA – Penns Landing Park - www.americasbirthday.com

July 25^th – 14^th – Annual People’s Festival at Tubman Garrett Riverfront Park – Also known as the Bob Marley Tribute Festival. www.peoplesfestival.com

Aug. 7-9^th – Riverfront Blues Festival in Wilmington – www.riverfrontbluesfest.com

Green tip of the week: Take your own bags to the grocery store and save 5 cents for each bag! Many of the grocery stores in the area are now giving you this credit so check it out.

Real Estate Tip of the week: Why You Should Buy NOW! This is a great article I found that tells you the benefits of buying now and not later even in this market. It gives you the history of what real estate looked like in the past and what people are predicting in the future. Let me know what you think!

http://rismedia.com/2009-02-19/commentary-house-prices-will-rise-greatly-over-the-next-few-years-buy-now/

Green Designation Received/Farmers Markets

I have officially received my Green Designation! What does this mean?
I have been educated by real estate professionals to help my clients with making good decisions on multiple ways to help sustain our earth when purchasing a home or just maintaining your home. So keep checking my blog for more updates throughout the year. I will also have tips on real estate in general and local activities for you and your family to check out. Thanks for your support this year.

So many people say that buying local is a good thing….but why? Well if you buy local then there are limited transportation costs, limited pollutants from the low mileage, you are helping to sustain your community, and you might even get to talk to the owner of the products and ask more specific questions. My husband and I love to try out new local restaurants and stores. One way to get started is to check out your local farmers markets. Here are a few in Delaware to get you started. Enjoy!

Wilmington
Little Italy Farmers Market – 7th and Bancroft runs Saturdays from 9am to 1pm
Rodney Square Farmers Market – Rodney Square Wilmington runs Wednesday from
10am to 2pm
LoMa Farmers Market – 300 Block of Market Street runs Tuesdays from 11am to 2pm

Dover
Legislative Mall Farmers Market – Legislative Ave. runs Wednesday from 11am to 2pm

Newark
Newark Co-Op Market -280 E. Main Street runs Sunday from 10am to 2pm
Carousel Park Market – Carousel Park 3700 Limestone Rd. runs Friday from 2pm to 6pm

Middletown
Forest Presbyterian Church – Parking lot at 44 W. Main Street runs Saturday 8 am to 1pm

Check out my Blog each week for updates on green tips and real estate tips for our market.

Make your neighbors Green with Envy!

Have you ever wondered about all the energy certifications a home could have? Or did you ever want your home to have a special distinction that your neighbors? Well here are some options that you can explore.

There are 3 different nationally recognized certification programs: LEED, Energy Star, and HERS® index.

· LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification: a third party certification program that sets design, construction, and operational standards for high performance green buildings. LEED is awarded by the US Green Building Council (USGBC) and available in multiple categories. Qualified properties have the following certification awards: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. Check out their website for more details. www.usgbc.org

· ENERGY STAR: is a program that helps consumers identify energy efficient products and can also be a qualification awarded to homes and buildings by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). An ENERGY STAR qualified home is one that is 15% more energy efficient than a standard baseline home. Wow that is a great savings in my book! www.energystar.gov

· HERS®: Home Energy Rating System® is an energy-evaluation standard maintained by the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET®). There is a relative value assigned to a home’s energy efficiency. This is recognized by the EPA for ENERGY STAR qualification. www.natresnet.org or www.epa.gov

Some other websites to check out on these subjects.

• US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy: www.eere.energy.gov
• RESNET ® website: www.natresnet.org
• REGREEN Guidelines: www.regreenprogram.org
• Stop Waste Organization: www.StopWaste.org
• National Association of Home Builders: www.nahb.org

As a person who likes to support the local economy check out the Italian Festival this week. www.stanthonysfestival.com. Check out my Blog each week for updates on green tips and real estate tips for our market.

Going Green in Real Estate

Happy Summer! Recently I took a Green Designation course through the National Association of Realtors and will be a designated as such very soon. To explain a bit more why I did this I thought I would share a few things with you about sustainability in our world today and for the future. Not to mention this is a passion of mine.

• Homes and buildings account for 40% of energy consumption
• Real estate generates 21% of greenhouse gas emissions
• Greening properties can make a lasting impact on the environment and bring positive change to our communities.
• Ways to save energy: Use CFC lightbulbs, Weatherstrip and caulk doors and windows, Buy Energy Star appliances, Install a tankless water heater system.

There are many more tips and advice out there. Look for more each week on my blog.

All information was provided by NARs Green Resource Council. www.greenresourcecouncil.org

Check back eack week for more updates! Be a follower and get an email when

Soon there will be an online green library for your reference on my website. www.HomesWithStacey.com

Greek Festival in Wilmington this week. www.greekfestde.com

Go out and support your local community.