<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!-- generator="wordpress/wordpress-mu-1.0" -->
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Value and Comfort</title>
	<link>http://valueandcomfort.com</link>
	<description>Promoting Healthier, Cost-Effective, and Greener Real Estate Practices in the Bay Area</description>
	<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:55:44 +0000</pubDate>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=wordpress-mu-1.0</generator>
	<language>en</language>
			<item>
		<title>California&#8217;s Bailout from Our Pockets?</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/07/13/give-an-interest-free-loan-to-california/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/07/13/give-an-interest-free-loan-to-california/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:16:42 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Politics</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/07/13/give-an-interest-free-loan-to-california/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fight back!
The California legislature is proposing to force those making payments to independent contractors to withhold  3%. I know that CA is in a budget crisis, but singling out independent contractors is unfair and is only a bandage, ignoring the real problem. The legislature needs to  address the systematic problems in California’s budgeting [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/07/13/give-an-interest-free-loan-to-california/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>5 Summer Water Saving Tips: Outdoor Edition</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/24/5-summer-water-saving-tips-outdoor-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/24/5-summer-water-saving-tips-outdoor-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:48:28 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Tips &amp; Tricks</category>

		<category>Landscaping</category>

		<category>Energy-Efficiency</category>
<category>bubbler system</category><category>drought</category><category>drought tolerant plants</category><category>evaporation</category><category>irrigation</category><category>mulch</category><category>Palo Alto</category><category>plant shrubs</category><category>runoff</category><category>sprinklers</category><category>summer water</category><category>utilities</category><category>water bill</category><category>water saving tips</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/24/5-summer-water-saving-tips-outdoor-edition/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[50-60% of your monthly water consumption happens for your landscape. Beautiful as it may be, your water bill can double or triple due to outdoor watering during the summer.
Use these no cost and low cost water saving tips to reduce your summer water consumption, be mindful of CA&#8217;s drought conditions, and save money on your [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/24/5-summer-water-saving-tips-outdoor-edition/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Enthusiasm from the Curb</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/22/enthusiasm-from-the-curb/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/22/enthusiasm-from-the-curb/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:36:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Home Remodeling</category>

		<category>Landscaping</category>
<category>circles</category><category>curb appeal</category><category>first impressions</category><category>landscaper</category><category>neighborhood</category><category>neighbors</category><category>real estate appraisers</category><category>silicon valley</category><category>university of washington</category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/22/enthusiasm-from-the-curb/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Check out the front yards in your neighborhood. What is your sense of the people who live in the houses?
Curb appeal is often talked about in real estate circles. So it always surprises me when custom homes fail to incorporate landscaping into their design.  First impressions are made with houses as they are with [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/22/enthusiasm-from-the-curb/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Landscaping for Lunch</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/18/landscaping-for-lunch/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/18/landscaping-for-lunch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jun 2009 20:05:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Green Homes</category>

		<category>Tips &amp; Tricks</category>

		<category>Landscaping</category>

		<category>Environmental health</category>

		<category>Home health</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/18/landscaping-for-lunch/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Hey, the Obamas are doing it. My 7-year old enjoys it. If you’re ready to save money, help the environment, and create your own stimulus package &#8212; just look outside.
An edible landscape can provide you with fresh, healthy produce without the environmental impact that shipping food creates. 
Here are some delicious ideas for your landscape [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2009/06/18/landscaping-for-lunch/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Out-of-the-Box Thinking: A Moving Box Exchange</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/09/26/out-of-the-box-thinking-a-moving-box-exchange/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/09/26/out-of-the-box-thinking-a-moving-box-exchange/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 27 Sep 2008 02:46:29 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Green Homes</category>

		<category>Los Altos</category>

		<category>San Jose</category>

		<category>Palo Alto</category>

		<category>Recycling</category>

		<category>Foreclosure</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/09/26/out-of-the-box-thinking-a-moving-box-exchange/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Needed: Moving boxes.
Have: Moving boxes available.
Whether moving into a green in Palo Alto or a foreclosure in Redwood City, moving out of a Los Altos estate or a condo in San Jose, boxes are needed to pack our stuff.
Great news: Uhaul has set up box exchange for all of North America. The messageboard can be used [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/09/26/out-of-the-box-thinking-a-moving-box-exchange/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Is Palo Alto Ready For a Disaster? You Can Help Your Neighbors</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/22/is-palo-alto-ready-for-a-disaster-you-can-help-your-neighbors/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/22/is-palo-alto-ready-for-a-disaster-you-can-help-your-neighbors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 23 Aug 2008 02:24:57 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Palo Alto</category>

		<category>Disaster Preparedness</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/22/is-palo-alto-ready-for-a-disaster-you-can-help-your-neighbors/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mountain lion, car jacker, toxic cloud, and of course, earthquakes. Palo Alto has had its share of emergencies that have affected individual homes to large of the community.
Palo Alto wants to be ready for any emergency or disaster that may befall the city, and Officer Kenneth Dueker of the Homeland Security &#38; Public Outreach Division [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/22/is-palo-alto-ready-for-a-disaster-you-can-help-your-neighbors/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>A Toast to Innovative Reuse: A Cork Recycling Update</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/07/a-toast-to-innovative-reuse-a-cork-recycling-update/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/07/a-toast-to-innovative-reuse-a-cork-recycling-update/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:21:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Green Homes</category>

		<category>Home Remodeling</category>

		<category>Recycling</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/07/a-toast-to-innovative-reuse-a-cork-recycling-update/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A while ago, I wrote about a sustainable business, Yemm &#38; Hart, that recycles wine corks into cork flooring. Here&#8217;s better news. Now they&#8217;ll pay you a &#8220;cork redemption&#8221; fee! You, your group, or business can even collect wine corks on behalf of your favorite non-profit organization.
While were on the topic of cork recycling, here&#8217;s a completely different [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/08/07/a-toast-to-innovative-reuse-a-cork-recycling-update/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Palo Alto&#8217;s Reverse 911: Emergency Info Comes to You</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/06/28/palo-altos-reverse-911-emergency-info-comes-to-you/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/06/28/palo-altos-reverse-911-emergency-info-comes-to-you/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 28 Jun 2008 08:11:46 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Palo Alto</category>

		<category>Disaster Preparedness</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/06/28/palo-altos-reverse-911-emergency-info-comes-to-you/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As I’ve gone door-to-door to organize the neighborhood to prepare for emergencies, residents have asked about Palo Alto’s new Reverse 911 emergency notification system.
The City of Palo Alto has launched a new Community Alert and Notification System (known as “Palo Alto CANS”), a reverse-911 emergency notification system.
The City of Palo Alto strongly urges all residents [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/06/28/palo-altos-reverse-911-emergency-info-comes-to-you/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Prefab Preferred for Efficiency</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/31/prefab-preferred-for-efficiency/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/31/prefab-preferred-for-efficiency/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 31 May 2008 19:07:08 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Architecture</category>

		<category>Energy-Efficiency</category>

		<category>Energy efficient home</category>

		<category>Environmental health</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/31/prefab-preferred-for-efficiency/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Wired Magazine posted a brief description of an English eco-friendly subdivision that capitalizes on prefab construction to drive down cost ($118k+), construction time (five weeks!), and waste. 
Offsite manufacturing of major components for these 145 homes makes it easier to use green materials, like insulation from recycled paper and lumber harvested from sustainably managed forests. [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/31/prefab-preferred-for-efficiency/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Buying a Bank-Owned Home? 8 Things You Should Know</title>
		<link>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/06/buying-a-bank-owned-home-8-things-you-should-know/</link>
		<comments>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/06/buying-a-bank-owned-home-8-things-you-should-know/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 07 May 2008 05:54:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>bruce_richmond</dc:creator>
		
		<category>Real Estate</category>

		<category>Foreclosure</category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/06/buying-a-bank-owned-home-8-things-you-should-know/</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once a property is fully foreclosed by a bank or lender and listed for sale, it is commonly referred to as a REO (Real Estate Owned) listing. Most bank owned properties are listed with local real estate agents. Good buys are available. They require research, preparation, patience &#38; persistence. Buying a bank owned home isn’t [...]]]></description>
		<wfw:commentRss>http://valueandcomfort.com/blog/2008/05/06/buying-a-bank-owned-home-8-things-you-should-know/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
