Chic vs. Geek: Brown is the New Green

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Due to the ongoing drought, the Santa Clara Valley Water District has restricted homeowners to watering their lawns no more than two times a week. So what can you do to maintain your curb appeal?

CHIC (PEARL)

There’s never been a better time to rethink and renew your yard and gardens with succulents, cacti, and other plants built to withstand the West Coast heat with a minimal amount of maintenance – and water. But don’t dig up your lovely lawn without a plan! Contact us for tips and referrals to quality landscaping professionals.

GEEK (KEVIN)

If years of shrinking reservoirs and rising water rates haven’t convinced you to convert your lawn to hearty native plants, I don’t know what else will. So the best advice I can offer is to invest in reseeding your lawn with bermuda, fescue, or another type of drought-tolerant grass. Here’s a helpful review of the options.

Geek's Number Talk: San Mateo County Market Snapshot - March 2022

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First-time homebuyers in San Mateo County finally found a silver lining in March, as condo sales actually outpaced activity from the same month one year ago by 9%, while median sales prices only inched up 5%.

Unfortunately, it’s still a hot and fast market, with properties barely having time to marinade before the bidding wars begin. And if you’re looking for a detached house, be ready to spend at least $2M to get into the game.

Chic vs. Geek: Are you ready for a Deep Energy Retrofit?

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With Earth Day approaching, you might consider doing a Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) of your home to improve efficiency. But it doesn’t come cheap!

CHIC (PEARL)

When you’re looking into a DER, the best place to start is with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) audit. That’s when a professional energy auditor visits your house to test for air leaks and run other tests to determine your home’s energy efficiency. Based on that report, you can target the most wasteful features of your house for upgrades and get the most bang for your buck.

GEEK (KEVIN)

Doing a DER on a budget can help inspire you to think outside the box and get a little creative. There are tons of tax incentives and government programs to assist with financing the project, and a little research and extra leg work can point you to contractors who make energy efficiency pencil out as part of their mission to protect our environment and build a more sustainable world.