by Roberta Murphy I really want to talk about the effect gas prices will have on real estate, but first wish to tell a little story: My grandgather, Adolph Michelson emigrated at the age of 7 with his family from Norway to Deadwood, South Dakota. It required a long, hard journey by steamship. train and wagon to arrive at their eventual home in the steep hills above Deadwood. It was…
by Roberta Murphy Upon first seeing these beautifully-designed solar panels, I couldn’t help but imagine other applications and modifications for the green lifestyle–whether it be in the luxury home, a school yard, a country club or off-the-grid project. Imagine these cobra-shaped shades as swiveling solar panels that take the place of outdoor umbrellas around the pool. Or as bus stop shelters or airport curbside check-in. The possibilities are endless and…
by Roberta Murphy Once upon a time, the neighborhoods off Houstons northwest FM1960 were a luxury homebuilders dream. Large wooded and level lots surrounded upscale country clubs such as Champions Golf Course, Raveneaux, and North Gate Country Club. Affluent families were attracted to these homes because of great neighborhood schools, beautiful parks, challenging golf courses, and nearby fine dining and shopping areas. It was an area where I once lived,…
by Roberta Murphy Any verbiage I add to this photo would probably be superfluous, since this chatty picture already exceeds the expected thousand words. Hats off to someones clever recycling of mobile homes. Not sure if the intent was green construction, but the designer certainly managed to minimize the footprint of this little mobile home park. I also wonder about the relation of people who live here. And what about…
by Roberta Murphy Azulera Resort Village on Costa Ricas breathtaking Guanacaste coast promises to be the luxury resort destination within the next two years. By then, it is projected, Greg Normans challenging beach-to-mountain golf course will be completed as will the five- star Hyatt Regency Hotel and the 64 ultra-luxury condos that will be contained within this gated Brasilito complex. The bio-sensitive Hyatt Regency Azulera Resort and Spa will coexist…
by Roberta Murphy More and more people from around the world are choosing to spend at least part of their lives in coastal Costa Rica–and more than a few decide there just might be no better place to spend the rest of their lives. Why? 1. A warm climate, beaches, mountains, jungles–and breathtaking biodiversity. The people and government of Costa Rica are committed to preserving Costa Rica’s clean air, beautiful…
by Roberta Murphy I was asked to share some simple Feng Shui tips for home offices, written by Laura Milligan over at the Bootstrapper Blog. She lists 50 great ones, but I’ll tease you with a few she has listed in her article. In spite of a personal bookshelf full of Feng Shui education, I found these suggestions particularly useful in that I am currently refiguring my own home office…
by Roberta Murphy Several months ago, in an interesting discussion with Marc LaChance, I was introduced to off-the-grid homebuilding. Marc has a plan and the means to build homes where electrical, telephone, gas, water and sewer lines do not run. I saw some early plans for his homes, and was highly impressed with their beauty, functionality and earth-friendliness. It seems when one door opens in the mind, it leads to…
by Roberta Murphy Nano technology to repair homes damaged by an earthquake? A home that heals itself? It boggles the mind, but Knauf, a German building manufacturer, is working with several universities on that very technology. They are building a luxury tech villa in the mountains of Greece with special walls containing nano polymer particles that liquefy when under pressure. This liquid then flows into the building cracks, where it hardens into solid material. (For those…
