One of my favorite childhood memories revolves around my mother's cosmetics.

She began using Merle Norman brand in the 1940s and still uses it to this day...and she has a beautiful, glowing, wrinkle-free complexion...but I think that has more to do with genetics than Merle Norman, as my maternal grandmother's complexion was the same and she never used cosmetics of any type!

So...Merle Norman. There was the fire-engine red Super Lube with the texture of vaseline; cool, creamy Aqua Lube; pale pink cold cream with a feel of mineral oil, and the hot pink Miracol, which was a sort of mask. All of these products had soft, pleasant frangrances that I still to this day equite with a mother's loving touch.

When I was 16, my mother took me to the Merle Norman store to get my own cosmetics. I could hardly wait to try the hot pink Miracol...when it dried it got really tight on my face, and burned. Supposedly that meant it was cleansing out all the "gunk".

As it turns out, I was allergic to Merle Norman products even though the saleswoman assured me that they were "hypoallergenic". So I went another route, buying Clinique, Elizabeth Arden, Origins, Estee Lauder, and various drugstore brands over the years.

Now I am ready to go still in another direction, which involves some backtracking. As I read Gorgeously Green by Sophie Uliano (www.gorgeouslygreen.com), as well as other articles about "traditional" cosmetics, I realize that most of them contain lots and lots of handful ingredients that are absorbed into out skin.

These ingredients are too numerous to mention here; GG does a great job of laying it all out so I'll leave it to Sophie.

Reading her book definitely makes me motivated to change, and again, Sophie provides a wonderful list of natural cosmetics that are good for us and good for the environment.

I also want to get back to the more natural beauty treatments I used as a teenager and young adult, many of which I learned from my mother--that's where the backtracking comes in. And the simplicity, and cost-effectiveness.

One was cleansing one's face with a cold cucumber slice...mmmm...makes your skin feel so refreshed, summer or winter. Another was steaming my face with a towel and hot water, and still another was a mask made of oatmeal and banana that I used quite a bit while I was in college.

Here are some other tips from Natural Home magazine, including how to do the steam facial. I think I'll go try that now!

Nail Nourisher
Break out the olive oil, friends. This rich oil is loaded with moisturizing and skin soothing properties.

Fill a shot glass half full with olive oil. Dip a cotton ball or cotton swab into the olive oil and smooth it onto your cuticles and nailbeds (don't forget your toes!). This will soften your cuticles and prevent them from getting hangnail-ish or irritated.

Use a wash cloth and gently push back your cuticles, but do not cut them with a cuticle trimmer! Your cuticles are there to protect you from bacteria, and removing them heightens germs' chances of getting into your system.

If you have any olive oil remaining, keep it to use on the ends of your hair to soften and seal split ends (just make sure to rinse throroughly with cold water!).

Mini Facial
All you need is a mixing bowl, hot water and a couple drops of your favorite essential oil to get a fresh, steam cleaning for your face.

Fill a large mixing bowl with hot water. Quickly add a couple drops of your favorite essential oil (I like tea tree) to the water. Grab a towel big enough to drape over your head and the bowl. Put your face (if you have long hair, pull it back into a ponytail and use a headband) over the bowl, about 2 inches away to avoid scalding, and drape the towel over your head to trap the heat. Relax, and breathe in the calming or invigorating scents of the hot oils. The steam helps open up pores, and the essential oils are comforting for your senses. Stay under for about 5-10 minutes, then come up for fresh air. Blot your skin with the towel, and enjoy your freshly steamed, flushed face! Remember, reuse the water in your garden.

Natural Hair Rinse
If you have product buildup in your hair, strip it clean of its commercial toxins with our favorite cleaning product: vinegar!

We've all hailed the cleaning powers of vinegar time and time again, but did you know it works wonders on your hair, too? There's no special recipe for this hair detox, so simply mix one part vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) with one or two parts warm water. At the end of your shower, pour the mix over your hair. Done! You should notice instant shine and bounciness.

Still Time To Claim Some Energy Efficient Tax Credits

This article is reprinted from simplesteps.org.

The Clock is Ticking on Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits

If you made improvements to your home in 2007 to make it more energy efficient, you may be eligible for a tax credit. The Energy Policy Act of 2005 encouraged homeowners to invest in cleaner technology and energy efficiency by offering credits of up to $500 for qualified insulation, replacement windows and doors, water heaters, and certain high efficiency heating and cooling equipment. Tax credits, unlike tax deductions, are as good as a rebate -- they come straight out of Line 46, the taxes you owe.

But the home improvements tax credit expired at the end of 2007. Despite soaring energy costs and concerns about global warming, the Senate has failed to pass legislation to extend the incentives.

Efficiency tax credits help consumers and businesses reduce their energy consumption immediately, reduce high energy bills, and drive down energy prices. Who could argue with that? Proposed incentives would save consumers a total of at least $50 billion and would reduce U.S. carbon dioxide emissions by 67 million metric tons annually by 2020. Extending tax incentives for multiple years, rather than just two more years, will spur development of even better clean energy technologies.

If you want to create some clean energy of your own, there's still time to install a solar energy system this year and claim a tax credit in 2009. You can get back 30 percent of the cost of qualified solar water heating and photovoltaic systems, up to $2000, until the end of 2008. The credit applies to second homes too.

You may also be eligible for rebates or other incentives from your state when you make energy-related improvements to your home. For state-by-state details, see http://www.dsireusa.org/

Learn more about qualified products and credits on the Energy Star website. Check out IRS form 5695 to learn how to claim residential energy credits.

And if you've got a new hybrid parked in the driveway, don't forget to claim your tax credit. The alternative motor vehicle credit is available for certain hybrid, alternative fuel, and fuel cell vehicles purchased new in 2007 for business or personal use. Credits for purchasing a hybrid vary widely, depending on the fuel-efficiency of the vehicle and on whether the manufacturer has sold its 60,000th vehicle. Use Form 8910 if you purchased your vehicle for personal use and form 3800 if it was for business purposes.

Check with your accountant or the IRS website for full details on these tax credits.

It's Easy To Be Green

...if you use this simple checklist on retrofitting your home from the U.S. Green Building Council.

As a passionate gardener, my favorite is using native plants for landscaping. I am fortunate to live on 10 beautiful acres in Cheatham Co. In spring, summer, and fall, my landscape is dotted with native Tennessee wildflowers and herbs, but also has an overgrowth of privet which is not native to this area and thus has a tendency to take over.

Even if you live on a small patch of urban ground, you can still create beautiful landscapes with native flowers and grasses. Gardens of Babylon, located at the Nashville Farmer's Market on Rosa Parks Blvd., is a great source for native plants and also has landscapers and horticulturists on hand to help you design a serene, beautiful greenscape in your yard, whatever its size.

My home is surrounded by trees, which do make it much cooler in summer.

And I also like the tip about using "homemade" cleaning products such as vinegar (works great!) and low or no VOC paint.

Here's the link for the full list:
http://www.greenhomeguide.org/guide_for_green_renovation/green_retrofit_checklist.html

Want to Sell A Home Quickly? Green It!

Last year, Seattle became the second city/region in the nation (behind Portland, Ore.) to offer green building criteria on its Multiple Listing Service.

One year later, research shows that the Seattle area's green homes are selling 18 % faster than their non-green counterparts, and for 28 %-38 % higher value, according to a July 1, 2008 article on Business Wire.

Ben Kaufman, founder of GreenWorks Realty in Seattle, noted that the new data clearly shows that buyers want green and that green homes have more value.

Prior data was mostly based on specualation, according to Aaron Adelstein of Built Green in the Seattle area, while Marni Kahn of the Cascadian Region Building Council says that green home certification "acts as a 'nutrition label' giving homeowners third-party verification that they are making the right decisions for their family's health and the environment, while saving money on energy, water and transportation bills."

From my perspective as a real estate investor (as well as an agent) this is great news for investors who use rehabbing as an exit strategy.

I think in the past, some rehabbers have been hesitant to add green materials because of perceived additional costs, but this data shows that by renovating green you definitely have a competitive advantage as well as the opportunity to benefit a homeowner's qualify of life, both health-wise and financially.

This creates a beautiful circle of win/win that I think is fantastic!

Green Mortgages

I've recently had an investor inquire about green mortgages, so I've been doing a bit of research. The following article was reprinted from www.frontdoor.com.

What I found extremely interesting is that Jimmy Carter signed signed an executive order for the secondary mortgage companies to offer green incentives, but that few homebuyers took advantage of it until recently.

That was about 30 years ago!

(As a side note, that was the first presidential election I ever voted in).


I guess we did not learn much from the first energy crisis back in the 70s. I sure didn't, anyway.

I remember long lines at the gas pumps but it did not affect me as I did not have a car. I lived in Uptown New Orleans and I walked or took the streetcar or bus everywhere.
I was 21 years old, and it was a much simpler time in my life. I was not a big fan of the bus, but I really did enjoy walking and riding the streetcar...there were always a lot of crazy characters on the streetcar; plus the rhythm of it was relaxing, and I got to really enjoy looking at the details on the houses on St. Charles Avenue.

Well, enough reminiscing...here's the scoop on eco-financing.

The Lowdown on Eco-Friendly Financing

Get a green loan for energy-efficient updates

By FrontDoor.com | Published: 3/27/2008

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As the eco-friendly housing trend continues to grow, mortgage lenders are jumping on the green bandwagon. Many lenders are starting to offer bigger loans or discounts to buyers who choose to make energy-efficient improvements to their home.

The idea of an Energy Efficient Mortgage is not new. In 1979, Jimmy Carter signed an executive order that directed the secondary mortgage companies, like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, to offer incentives to green buyers. But few buyers took advantage of the programs until the recent trends towards energy-efficiency.

The concept is simple: Homes that use less energy will have lower utility bills. The money saved can be counted as income, thus allowing the homebuyer to qualify for a bigger loan to increase his home's efficiency.

These loans don't cover any old green update; the updates need to lower the home's energy costs. That means environmentally friendly products like bamboo flooring and recycled glass tiles don't qualify. If in doubt, ask yourself: Will this update save on my energy bill? If not, it's probably not eligible.

To apply for an energy-efficient mortgage, you'll need to get a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) report to measure your home's efficiency. The evaluation rating is on a scale from 0 to 100. A "0" means the home uses an infinite amount of energy (not a good thing) and a "100" means it uses almost no energy (a great thing). The average home built to code minimum typically has a rating of about 80.

Once the inspector looks through the house and gives a rating, you'll get a list of suggested updates. You'll show your report to prospective lenders.

The Programs

The simplest energy-efficient programs offer discounts to buyers who are purchasing an eco-friendly home. Bank of America has a Green Mortgage Program which offers buyers a $1,000 credit or an interest rate deduction if their future home meets Energy Star requirements.

Other companies offer discounts for a green lifestyle. Bluegreen Financial, which is based in Orlando, Fla., gives discounts on its broker fee for buyers who buy Energy Star homes and appliances. The company also awards discounts if the buyer works at a green company, drives a biodiesel, electric or hybrid car, or has no vehicle at all. In addition, the company donates 5 percent of its profits to the Rainforest Alliance or the environmental charity of your choice.

The more complex programs offered by Fannie Mae and the Federal Housing Administration incorporate the cost of energy improvements into the cost of the loan. Find an FHA lender, to get started.

To qualify for the FHA's energy-efficient mortgage, the buyer must:

• Make a 3-percent down payment
• Spend more than 5 percent of the purchase price for energy-efficient improvements, not to exceed $8,000
• Make improvements that are cost-effective
• Determine the cost of the improvements and estimate of energy savings from a HERS report. The cost of the report can be financed into the loan

The Fannie Mae program has similar requirements, though the rules vary by lender. Once you're approved, your lender will put the money for the improvements in an escrow account. You'll have to pay for the improvements upfront, and you'll be reimbursed after an inspection verifies that the improvements were installed.

There are also several state programs that help homebuyers go green, so be sure to research your area's options.

Memphis Habitat Goes Green

Photo courtsey of the Memphis Chapter of Habitat for Humanity

The Memphis Chapter of Habitat for Humanity International recently announced that it will partner with Home Depot to build a 38-home green development in Memphis, according to an article in The Daily News.

Memphis was chosen as one of the pilot cities for a green building project, the result of collaboration between Home Depot and Habitat's international office.

I am excited about this for several reasons, the chief of course being that these Habitat homeowners will have energy-efficient, money-saving residences that also are better for their health. And that they opportunity to have green homes is being made available to those in lower-income brackets.

But also, because Memphis is my homwtown and I have volunteered (in the office; I'm not a hammer-weilder!) at the Memphis chapter on many occasions. I am happy that they are the recipient of this wonderful gift!

Nationwide, the Home Depot/Habitat collaboration makes $30 million available to build roughly 5,000 green Habitat homes in 30 areas, both rural and urban, in the coming years.

This funding is critical because, according to an HD spokesperson, building green can add several thousand dollars to the cost of building a home. And since Habitat affiliates are operating on limited budgets dependent on donations, a few thousand dollars per house could be otherwise prohibitive.

The products used will come from Home Depot's eco-friendly line of building products.

Five Gold Starts to Home Depot and Habitat for making sustainable, green building available to low-income homeowners.