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Archive for the ‘Green Living’ Category

New Year’s Resolutions for 2011

January 6th, 2011 by Altaire Townhomes

With the New Year comes New Year resolutions. Getting organized, personal health/well-being and financial stability usually round out the typical list of those interested in making a change for the new calendar year.

So what did Palo Altans want to change in 2011?  Locals interviewed in a recent Patch article came up with the following resolutions: Achieving your Goal Weight, More Time for Travel & Obtaining a Vocational Goal.

The article also came up with some excellent advice, whatever your resolutions may be:

Some can be skeptical of resolutions, but setting yearly, monthly or even daily goals for accomplishments both big and small can help keep you focused and on track, to achieving the things you really want in life.

Resolutions tend to be very personal in nature, usually dealing with changes in your own life.  But have you considered a resolution to make a change in the life of others? If this sounds appealing to you, check out http://www.resolution11.org, a site that encourages people to list their altruistic resolutions. Their website’s tag line says it all:

Make Your Resolution. Decide. Submit. Commit.

What a great idea. Helping yourself while you help others. From their website: Resolution ’11 is a at its core a public challenge to individuals and groups to make commitments to causes and issues that are close to their hearts.

At Altaire, one resolution that comes to mind that will help individuals, as well as the greater community, is to resolve to be green and environmentally-conscious with daily decisions.  If you own at Altaire you are already contributing, as our community is built to Build It Green Standards. A Green-Point rated home gives you the assurance that you’re getting a healthier, more environmentally responsible home for your family because rated homes are verified by third party Certified GreenPoint Raters to exceed state building and energy code requirements for health and environmental performance.

Looking for more ways you can live environmentally-conscious in 2011? A recent Patch article also had some excellent advice on how to implement a greener lifestyle.

Altaire hopes that you, and your family, have a prosperous and fulfilling 2011.

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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A Homebuyer’s Guide to Buying Green

October 4th, 2010 by admin

image credit: builditgreen.orgIn the market for a healthy, energy- and resource-efficient home?  Knowledge is power and  the GreenPoint Rated label provides a means to evaluate and rank New Single Family and Multifamily Homes as it pertains to a home’s green features. Each Green-Point rated home is evaluated and a consumer label is provided indicating the performance of the property in five unique categories.  These categories are:

  • Energy Efficiency
  • Indoor Air Quality
  • Resource Efficiency
  • Water Conservation
  • and Community.

A Green-Point rated home gives you the assurance that you’re getting a healthier, more environmentally responsible home for your family because rated homes are verified by third party Certified GreenPoint Raters to exceed state building and energy code requirements for health and environmental performance.

We all need a place to call home.  Altaire believes that home ownership is not just about your home, but also includes your community and the environment in which we live.  Altaire – it’s what living Green in Palo Alto is all about.

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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ZippGo @ Altaire – Move Green. Save Green.

August 9th, 2010 by Altaire Townhomes

Altaire in Palo Alto has a lot of new homebuyers!  With all the new buyers moving in, we thought we’d share an alternative to a traditional move for your new Green Point Rated home at Altaire.

We’d like to introduce you to a local company that delivers sustainable moving supplies to you – ZippGo. Not only does ZippGo use 100% recycled plastic re-usable boxes, their delivery trucks are also fueled by local biofuel stations. And Zippgo is affordable! Move green, save green…

ZippGo’s three bedroom package includes a 2 week rental, free delivery and pickup, 50 reusable moving boxes, and a dolly to help move the boxes. This package is only $199 and the rental can be increased from 2 weeks to 3 or 4 for a small increase in total price. A complete list of ZippGo’s package pricing can be found here.

NEW beautifully appointed townhomes and condos are now available, including  1, 2, 3, and 4 bedroom homes, with a variety of floor plans to meet every lifestyle.  Tour 1 bed / 1 bath condos to  4 bedroom / 3.5 bath townhomes all at our award winning Build-it-Green community in Palo Alto.

Join Altaire on Twitter and Facebook as we share news about our community and the greater communities of Palo Alto and Silicon Valley with friends, homeowners and community members!

Take a Video Tour of Altaire with Kim

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Dedicated To Green Living – Resources

December 14th, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

altaire_blog_greenWith all eyes on the world’s leaders at the Copenhagen conference, the concept of our impact on the environment and how we utilize our natural resources is once again a hot topic of discussion and conversation.

Altaire believes we all should contribute and do our part to be environmentally responsible.  That is one of the reasons that our community was built to the Build It Green standards of green construction.  Build It Green has a number of qualifying criteria that a home must match or exceed in order to become Green-Point Rated.

At Altaire, we address natural resources and environmental impact in a variety of ways, some of which are listed below:

• Puron© chlorine free non HCFC refrigerants in air conditioning condensers
• Recycling infrastructure in home and community
• Engineered floor joists
• 30-year shingle roofing reduces replacement and waste
• Diverted and reused 65% of construction debris

Altaire offers a life well balanced.  Come check out the homes at Altaire – it is what living green in Palo Alto is all about!

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Dedicated To Green Living – Indoor Air Quality

November 25th, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

altaire_blog_VOC

On average, Americans spend 90% of their time indoors.  We know about the importance of breathing clean air outdoors, but it is equally important to come home to a healthy interior environment as well.

That is one of the reasons that Indoor Air Quality, or IAQ, is an important factor in the rating system developed by Build It Green.  Chemicals emitted from building materials can be a potential source of health problems if they are not properly addressed. Chemical off-gassing and VOC (volatile organic compounds) can be hazardous and create an unhealthy living environment for you and your family.

By using building materials which address these potential problems, Altaire has taken positive steps to improve the Indoor Air Quality of your new home.

  • CRI Green Label Plus carpeting
  • Formaldehyde-free insulation
  • Low VOC construction adhesives
  • European cabinets with low formaldehyde emitting and recycled content insulation
  • Energy Star qualified fans in bath
Altaire is committed to sustainable living.  Why?  Because we care.

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Design a Nursery or Child’s Bedroom with Muralette Wall Decals

November 23rd, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

flowers_valintinatouchSimple, yet effective!  Wouldn’t our busy lives all be better if more companies embraced this philosophy?  How many times have we tried our hand at something only to find it too hard to get an effective and pleasing result.  Those days of struggling are over when it comes to decorating your child’s room.   Introducing  Muralette : the latest in wall decals for kids.

Installation and pleasing creative results are a snap.  Artists Anna Conklin and Genevieve Smith make decorating your little one’s room fast and effective.  According to their site, Muralette Wall Decals are “No fuss, no muss… Just peel and stick!  There is no “right” way to design your Muralette – it’s fool-proof and fun, so just relax and play!”

The company offers four sets of striking wall decals: Fishies, Garden of Posies, Branch and Birds and Polka.   The artists also take the environment and your child’s health seriously by using all water-based paints and varnishes that lack toxic fumes, and use low VOC paints whenever possible.

Now through November 26, Muralette is having their biggest sale ever, 25% off your entire Muralette order!  Just enter the secret discount code “gobble” at check out. Pass it on to your family and friends.
Don’t let your loved ones miss out on this amazing opportunity.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Anna & Genevieve

For all the details, please visit their website or become a Muralette Fan on Facebook

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Altaire Living Green Video

November 19th, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

Kim, our Sales Manager, gives us a video tour of Altaire’s unique feature.

Some of these amenities include:

  • Stainless Steel Bosch appliances
  • Quartz-based solid surface countertops
  • Euro cabinetry
  • High-speed data & fiber-optic wiring
  • High-efficiency heating & cooling
  • Energy-efficient oversized windows
  • Secured community parking
  • Dedicated additional storage space

….and so much more.  Our unique  setting on 12 acres with access to Yoga/Pilates, Daycare, Swimming Pools and a Theatre, just steps from your front door allows homeowners to feel like they are part of a larger/greater community.

So sit back and enjoy this video of our stunning Emory model home with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths – approximately 1,958 sf.

Thanks Kim!

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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And the Winner is….Altaire!

October 27th, 2009 by admin

Did you know that Altaire has been the BUILD IT GREEN HOME TOUR choice for the past two years?

We’ve also won numerous awards including:

Gold Nugget Merit Award for Sustainable Residential Neighborhood

BUILD IT GREEN AWARD – Green Point Showcase – Recognition for Fostering Communities

MAME award – Green Community of the year

GREEN POINT RATED

Each home at Altaire received a GREEN POINT RATED certificate with high scores.  Green Point Rated is a certification the nonprofit BUILD IT GREEN awards to sustainable homes and communities.  Points are awarded for Community Design, Energy Efficiency, Water Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality and Conservation of Resources.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

We focused on energy efficiency.   Did you know that homes generate 15% of the greenhouse gas generated nationwide, and because homes have such a long life span and energy costs are anticipated to increase, the benefits of the Altaire homes will last for many many years.

All of the homes meet the US Department of Energy Energy Star requirements. The Department of Energy calculates that an EnergyStar qualified Home can reduce utility bills $200 to $400 per year and keep 4,500 lbs of greenhouse gases out of our air each year.

We did this by designing all homes to be greater than 15%, some even greater than 22% above Title 24, the rigid California Energy code that builder use to build by.  We did this by installing insulation via a High Quality Insulation Installation protocol and an Air Barrier to make sure the heated/cooled air stays in the home.  We hired a third party to inspect the insulation and test the heating and air conditioning ducts to make sure they exceed the performance required.

WATER CONSERVATION

The next item we focused on was water conservation.  Santa Clara Water Department calculates this community will save over 1,000,000 gallons of water a year compared to a code built home.  We accomplished this with:

  • Drought Tolerant plants
  • Smart irrigation controllers
  • Dual flush toilets
  • And a Dishwasher that uses 6.5 gallons of water far less than the average

Altaire offers a life well balanced.  Come check out the homes at Altaire – it is what living green in Palo Alto is all about!

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Dedicated To Green Living – Energy

October 5th, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

EnergyStarLogo

DID YOU KNOW?

Altaire is designed to meet the strict standards of the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program for buildings and is Green Point Rated by Build It Green, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy, energy and resource efficient building practices.

WHAT MAKES ALTAIRE ENERGY EFFICIENT?


Energy Efficient Living

• Many Energy Star qualified light fixtures
• Energy Star appliances
• Andersen High Performancetm Dual Pane, Low E4© windows
• High efficiency (94% +/- AFUE) variable speed condensing furnaces* with energy-efficient electronic  set back thermostat
• Dual zone HVAC system*

* Selected homes

DOES THIS HELP ME REDUCE MY UTILITY BILLS?

The benefits of energy conservation don’t have to be exclusively reserved for the environment, you can benefit too.

“According to the Department of Energy, each Energy Star qualified Home can reduce utility bills $200 to $400 per year and keep 4,500 lbs of greenhouse gases out of our air each year.  And because homes have such long life span and energy costs are anticipated to increase, this environmental benefit lasts for many, many years.”

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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Altaire is on Tour – GreenPoint Showcase Tour

October 3rd, 2009 by Altaire Townhomes

green_point_rated

Green Homes  Open House  Sunday 10 am to 5 pm

High Quality. Stunning Designs. Environmentally Friendly.

Join us this Sunday, October 4th for the acclaimed Build it Green’s home tour in Palo Alto. Enjoy a tour of our gorgeous model homes and learn about Altaire’s green building features between 10 am to 5 pm at 3901 Fabian Way Palo Alto, Ca 94303.  Ph. 650.966.8881

Did you know?
Altaire Wins GreenPoint Showcase Tour Award for Fostering Community!

Altaire is designed to meet the strict standards of the Department of Energy’s Energy Star program for buildings and is Green Point Rated by Build It Green, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting healthy, energy and resource efficient building practices.

The GreenPoint Showcase Tour on October 4 gives you the opportunity to see many of the homes in-person that you have enjoyed online. This self-guided tour will allow you to meet some of the Bay Area’s most accomplished green builders and view the many products and practices incorporated in a GreenPoint Rated home. While Altaire offers a free tour to the public, tickets to tour additional homes can be purchased here . General Admission  is $10.

Related Articles:

Altaire is an Upscale Community located in beautiful Palo Alto. Now Selling New Contemporary-Style 1,2,3 and 4 bedroom homes.
Altaire Homes 3901 Fabian Way, Palo Alto, CA 94303 | 650.966.8881 Exclusively represented by: Pacific Marketing Assoc. #01220373

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