Fire Season Re-opens

So much for the end of fire season. This La Nina winter has us frozen at night and basking in dry sunshine during the day, and for the predictable future. This weather is so lovely, but fire danger is UP.

abc

Here's how you can help the people who lost their homes on Thursday.  Blessed holidays to all and do be careful with those holiday candles and fireplaces. 

Candlelight Photography

Western Addition Fire Thursday

Winter Microclimates

Baby Its Cold Outside

Winter Solstice is a terrific time to assess your dream properties microclimate. Even if you are too busy to buy immediately, now is the time to take a look at your favorite areas and see how much sun they are getting.

Winter Solstice

Some properties at low elevations or on northern slopes get very little sun in the winter, which means you'll be heating them more than properties oriented to take advantage of passive solar heat. Recently frost warnings were issued here in the Bay Area, for interior valleys and low lying areas. Interior valleys are far from the moderating effects of the ocean and bay, so temperatures swing higher and lower than coastal areas. Valleys are also blocked from the sun (which is lower in the sky in winter) by surrounding hills, and cold air, being heavier than warm air, sinks. So valleys are typically colder and more prone to frost than hills and coastal areas.

Peonies

Of course if you want to grow peonies or other plants adapted to a little frost, (not to mention take advantage of fertile floodplain soil) you may want to live in a valley, but do consider how your site is oriented. The difference in heating bills between houses on south or north sides of the San Geronimo Valley for example, is quite significant.

Winter Frost

Even on a mesa near the coast, a home can feel perma-cold if it is not oriented well. I just visited a dear friend who lives in a duplex in Capitola, which is blocked on the east by a eucalyptus grove, and on the south and west by the other unit. Her driveway is lovely and warm, but she has to use the furnace to be warm in the house even when it is 60 degrees out. It really will save you lots of money and heartache to pay close attention to orientation before you purchase your home.

If you've already purchased your home, even if sited well, there are things you can do to improve its energy efficiency.  The city of San Francisco's SF Home Improvement & Performance program is offering terrific incentives to make your home "more comfortable, healthy and energy efficient".   The SFHip program is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and funds are available until June 2012, or when they run out, whichever comes first.  The Dept. of Environment is partnering with Realtors to get the word out, so contact me for a coupon to save an additional $500.  Happy Solstice!

Hikeability, Marin and SF

A friend involved with trails planning at the Presidio Trust recently took me on some new connector trails in the Presidio. Wonderful to explore some new access routes to places I have been circling around for years.

Presidio Trail

We are so blessed here with great places to walk/hike. Here's a great place to start if you want to hike in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.  Also, the Presidio Trust, and San Francisco City Parks  (Golden Gate Park, McClaren Park etc) have many lovely trails, not to mention gardens for your walking pleasure.

Strybing Arboretum

In Marin we have the wonderful Point Reyes National Seashore, and Marin County Parks and Open Space,
Marin Municiple Water District  as well as Samuel P.Taylor, China Camp and Mt Tamalpais State Parks. For Marin I highly recommend the Tom Harrison maps, during my vegetation mapping days I found them the most accurate and easy to use, and they cover all the parks/wildlands in a given area. They are available at many park visitor centers, and online at Toms site. Alas, due to budget restrictions, the State Parks are subject to closures, so check the website for specific parks before you head out.

Tom Harrison Topo Map

What does this have to do with real estate?  Property near hiking trails is of high value, because people love to breath the fresh air and absorb the soul solace that nature provides. Contact with nature is good for our health and attention spans, and we are truly blessed here with so many parks and wildlands so close to our world class city. Many thanks are due to the persevering people who made sure these lands were protected. and that's a matter for later post...

Diablo Winds

I love this article from the the Park Stewardship Newsletter, I thought I'd post it instead of reinventing it:

Wind

This last week we experienced some very unusual winds! Blowing south-southeast these winds brought along unseasonably warm temperatures and made our freshly planted natives at the Golden Gate Overlook quite thirsty.

Image credit NASA/GSFC/LaRC/JPL,MISR Team

Strong, hot winds called Santa Ana winds often occur in Southern California in the late fall and early winter. These winds are famous for bringing about violence and destruction, either by fanning wildfires or triggering erratic behavior. Associated with dry, hot heat, Santa Ana winds bring an influx of positive ions, which can affect people’s moods negatively. The negative effects of these winds have led cultures around the world to develop stories describing east winds' evil origins.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we have our own version of the Santa Ana winds in the spring and fall, called the Diablo winds. The main difference between the two winds is their origin; the Santa Ana winds form in high desert and then are channeled down valleys and canyons, while the Diablo winds are formed by a collision of high and low pressure systems from the Great Basin and the coast. 

Regardless of their source, winds such as these are important ecological forces. They guide erosion, promote seed and insect dispersal, and drastically affect humidity levels and temperature. Many plants, such as the coyote bush rely entirely on these wind to spread their fluffy seeds for successful reproduction.

Walkability

I am just back from visiting my daughter in that most walkable of cities, New York. I walk a fair bit here, but with real estate I spend a lot of time driving. After my legs got used to walking everywhere, I felt so energized, and found myself reluctant to get back in my car. I made the mistake of saying that out loud, so sure enough, my car started making awful noises, so I took it in to the honest and excellent Garry at Emerald Auto. 


So now I must walk and bike and transit for at least a little while. Which reminds me to discuss the wonders of walkability. 

San Francisco Walkability Map

While I have blathered on before about our wonderful park and wildland hiking options here, walking or cycling with a practical destination is also so satisfying.  Golden Gate Trailblazer Where to Hike Walk Bike in San Francisco Marin is a wonderful resource. 

More and more people are realizing how much walkability adds to the quality of life. Hence the creation of the walk score. The good news is, San Francisco is 2nd only to New York  in walkability (of the largest 50 American cities). Many Marin neighborhoods are walkable as well.   

Wilderness Press

The benefits of walkability are legion. Enhancing walkability and cycleability is such a large part of creating great public spaces. Seniors can maintain their independence, kids can channel some of that energy, and we can interact with our place and community and enjoy the beauty around us without fearing an accident. Happiness (and therefore real estate value) increases where there is  greenery, and walkability.