Apartment Blog

Do you know why Tucson is dubbed “The Greenest of Deserts?” Well, that would be because of its eco-friendly stage. There are a variety of farmer’s markets, hundreds of miles of bike paths and smart water usage like xeriscaping. Did you know that in 2007, Tucson was named one of 13 “Solar Cities” in the United States, and awarded a half-million-dollar grant to better implement solar energy? Yup! It was also ranked the 17^th lowest carbon emitter in a list of 100 largest metro cities in the country, according to the Washington DC thinktank The Brookings Institution!

And that’s not all! They also host many ‘green’ events throughout the year to help reinforce the green living lifestyle.  And how could we forget the numerous ‘green’ parks that fight to conserve and protect Southern Arizona’s resources.  They really are a community taking it to next level in protecting our environment.

If this “green” place seems like the location for you, we’d recommend you taking a look at these apartment communities on ForRent.com:

Shadowtree Apartments

Dorinda Vista Apartments

Sandstone Apartments

Mission Sierra Apartments

Get more information and search tips on Tucson Apartments, or view all Apartments for Rent in Tucson, AZ.

The Economy is still struggling to gain momentum. Cable news reminds you that we are still in a recession. Friends, Family, and Co-Workers add to the water cooler talk, which can really get you down if you listen long enough.  How do you escape from all the negativity??? One way is to organize and arrange your apartment bedroom into your personal sanctuary of positivity and motivation.  There are many ways to do that, but here are few ideas to get you started:

1. Pictures/Portraits

- What is the first thing you see when you wake up? A white ceiling? The ugly alarm clock? The bathroom? Instead of waking up to bland surroundings, spruce up your apartment bedroom with pictures/paintings/portraits that motivate you. It could be a picture of your grandparents or parents who went through so much just to afford you the opportunities you have. You can also have pictures of your dream car, island, or vacation to make sure that you wake up every day with the goal of moving one step forward towards those dreams. It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. So wake up every morning to a thousand words and let the pictures encourage you to take on the day with zest and zeal.

2. Quotes

- Quotes can be just as inspiring as paintings or pictures. A combination of both is probably best. Find a quote that really resonates with you and look at it every morning before going to work. This quote should help you stay focused and remind you of whom you are. The quote should be posted somewhere in plain sight for you to see every morning, either in the bedroom or on taped to the bathroom mirror.

3. CD/Alarm Clock

- What do you wake up to every morning? Chickens? Traffic noises? The dreaded default alarm setting??? Why not get an aesthetically pleasing CD/Alarm player. This way you can wake up to your favorite song or motivational speaker. The negative energy associated with the default setting is sure to induce another 5 minutes of sleep, but your favorite song or speaker will get you excited about the challenges ahead.

I had an interesting conversation with Mike Whaling and Lisa Trosien on Twitter last week regarding the benefits for apartment communities going green during this economy.  A question was posed whether renters will actually see the benefit of apartment properties going green and therefore, pay the extra premiums associated with it.  According to the key findings from a Conscious Consumer Report (2009), 51% polled said they are “willing to pay more” for ‘green’ products. Confirming that study, Apartments.com published a survey stating “apartment communities that offer environmentally-friendly amenities are more likely to turn undecided renters into residents. Additionally, more than half of renters surveyed indicated they would take an apartment community’s commitment to environmental issues into consideration.” However, 66% polled in the Conscious Consumer Report said that price is very important in the purchase decision, implying that price can be the deciding factor.

Therefore, management companies that want to go ‘green’ need to consider factors that will help their bottom line in addition to the prospective renter.  You may ask, as Mike did, how can the bottom line in a community with sub-metered utilities be helped? Well, I called the one person I knew would know; that was my father, Scott Bucheister.  He is a salesman at Coastal Insulation and was recently certified by Earth Craft Virginia. He commented that “going green can have a direct impact for property manager’s finances by saving money on energy and maintenance costs.” Curious in what ways? Here are a few he mentioned:
 

Solar Lighting or CFL Bulbs:
The benefits of using solar lighting on an apartment property are abundant. First off, it has low energy costs. It has very little maintenance. And it comes from a renewable resource as it is powered by the sun. Another benefit is that solar lights continue working even if there has been a power outage. Because the energy isn’t coming off of an electrical grid, power outages make no difference. Installing solar lighting for your landscaping needs, wall lights, security lights, etc. around the apartment community will save money. Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs will also prove beneficial to properties in common areas such as community centers, unit hallways, management and maintenance offices, etc.

Low Flow Water Devices:
Water and money can be saved by installing low-flow water devices around the apartment community. In community laundry mats, replace old washers with front-loading ENERGY-STAR washers that conserve water. In the community center install faucet aerators on your bathroom taps. Replace old toilets with new low-flow or ultra-low flow toilets or, in the kitchen, replace old dishwashers with ENERGY-STAR dishwashers that conserve water.

Xeriscaping & WeatherTrak Irrigation Systems:
Xeriscaping refers to landscaping and gardening in ways that reduce or eliminate the need for supplemental irrigation.  The specific plants used in xeriscaping depend upon the climate. Some common plants used in Western xeriscaping are agave, cactus, lavender, juniper, sedum and thyme. Advantages of xeriscaping include lower water bills, less time and work needed for maintenance, and there is little or no lawn mowing (saves energy).  Xeriscape plants, along with proper bed design, tends to take full advantage of rainfall and when water restrictions are implemented, xeriscape plants will tend to survive, while more traditional plants may be unable to adapt. “If you think about it, most apartment communities completely redo their landscaping every year with the flower beds, lawns, trees, etc. If they use native plants that are drought resistant they don’t have to replant every year to attract new renters,” said Mr. Bucheister. “In fact, I was so impressed with the idea of xeriscaping that I actually implemented this in my garden at home! It’s extremely convenient as I have little to no maintenance compared to beforehand.”

Besides xeriscaping, there are other irrigation systems that are environmentally friendly. While ordinary irrigation systems overwater your landscape, leaving you with high water bills, WeatherTRAK® smart irrigation systems help you save water, money and time by eliminating overwatering.  Drawing on information delivered wirelessly from 40,000 weather stations, the irrigation is automatically scheduled based on individual landscaping needs and local weather conditions. And catching rainwater using a rain barrel or other rainwater harvesting system can be used to water outdoor plants.

Energy efficient appliances, windows and light bulbs in apartments tend to help out the renters, yes. They can also be a great selling point in convincing a prospective renter to live at a community. And in my opinion should be done by all apartment communities. However, in the current economic situation property managers should also incorporate environmentally friendly ideas that will help their bottom line as well. Do you agree?

The importance of Earth Day has evolved dramatically from its origins in April 1970. This movement began in the U.S., but grew into a world-wide event in 1990. The now global movement was spearheaded by Wisconsin Senator, Gaylord Nelson, who began advocating the importance of preserving the environment in 1962. Interestingly enough, during its infancy, industrial pollution was not a top priority for Earth Day observers. It was to stop the deterioration of the environment. But soon, groups fighting against oil spills, polluting factories and power plants, raw sewage, toxic dumps, pesticides, freeways, the loss of wilderness, and the extinction of wildlife realized they shared common principles.  And that marked the beginning of the modern environmental movement that is today.

There are many ways to participate in improving the environment. We all know the three key elements, reduce, reuse and recycle. I received this interesting email yesterday about buying and recycling appliances. Many companies and vendors are offering new and innovative ways to clean our earth. For example, Best Buy has a wide variety of Energy Star appliances; appliances that meet firm energy efficient guidelines. Some of these appliances include washers, air conditioners, TVs, laptops and more. These types of appliances are located in apartments around the nation and can be modified to help the environment.

Best Buy also offers a recycling program where people can drop off most old electronics. Free removal and recycling are included with the purchase and delivery of a new product. There is even a company within the Hampton Roads area in Virginia that does this: E-cycling Central. But if you’re in the market for an upgrade or if you just want to add some style to your apartment, Best Buy would be a good place to start! Save the world and set apartment trends at the same time!

Source: Wikipedia.com

While the holiday season is one of the most treasured times of year (it certainly is for me), it can also be one of the most wasteful times of the year. Think about it, gifts being purchased that may not ever be used, holiday cards bought, the colossal gift wrapping options and of course our beloved holiday lights!! It really appears to not be the most energy efficient season and we at ForRent.com want to help you ‘go green’ all year long. So we’ve provided you with a couple of environmentally-friendly ideas for you to incorporate this holiday season.

E-Cards:
With the advancement in technology we are now able to send a massive amount of greetings via email. Now I, much like my grandmother and great grandmother, would prefer doing the more meaningful option of sitting down and hand writing little notes to each of my 20 family members, but I realize that isn’t always convenient. So this year I am going to email a majority of my holiday cards (sorry, gotta send grandma and great grandma the personalized card…its tradition). Not only will that save me time and money (a lot of E-cards are FREE), but it will also help reduce the amount of paper I would be using during the holidays, which brings me to my next topic of discussion…..

GREEN Gift Wrapping:
No, I’m not just talking about the color! I’m talking about the reusable, recycled paper. You can find a vast amount of stores and websites (amazon.com for example) that sell recycled material for packaging options. There are large rolls of brown recycled paper for wrapping gifts or bags for your hard to wrap gifts. While they may not be the most attractive or holiday themed, they allow for much more creativity! Get your markers, colored pencils, stamps, paint, whatever and start decorating! Getting the kids involved would also be a bonus gift for the relatives. Something they most certainly will cherish!

Holiday Lights Get a Makeover:
In case you didn’t know, and I didn’t, there is an option for holiday lights that is much more energy efficient. As you know with my previous tips, I am an advocate in shutting off appliances (or anything plugged in) while its not in use. Having strings of lights plugged in throughout the night for 25 days can be quite costly, not to mention wasteful.  Solar lights are the solution! They are charged during the day from the sun, automatically turn on and run continuously through the night. You just need to place them in areas where they will receive direct sunlight so they can charge. Most do require rechargeable batteries which are powered through the day and can last for up to 12 months!! While the solar lights are out numbered by the more traditional lighting methods, they are growing as the trend for ‘going green’ continues.

So there you are, some quick tips for choosing an eco-friendly holiday season. If we’ve left any out, please share! Waste not, want not was what my mother always said!!

Finally, our last bit of tips in our Part III Make Your Apartment Energy Efficient blog. As promised, ways to conserve energy using your appliances!
Appliances:

• Okay, so this tip is actually REALLY COOL! Did you know that if you thaw frozen food in the refrigerator (instead of the countertop-which I am ashamed to say I do all the time) that you actually help the refrigerator cut down the energy it uses to control the cool temperature? The frozen food helps with that while it’s defrosting. All you have to do is think about it the night before.
• And if you’ve been paying attention to any of our posts regarding energy efficiency, you know that you need to turn off and/or unplug appliances when you are not using them (this includes computers, cell phone chargers and small appliances in the kitchen)
• Whenever possible use the range top instead of the oven as it uses far less energy.
• When cooking or baking make sure you also don’t open the door any more than absolutely necessary. The oven loses about 20% of its heat every time you open the door! Every time! WOW!! So if you need to peek in and see how that turkey is doing, just flip on the light.

Well that’s pretty much what I retained from the article called ‘Tips for an Energy-Efficient Apartment’ located at Healthgoods.com. I hope you have learned as much as I did. Being energy efficient is very important; not only for the environment, but it will also save you a bundle in the long run! You can always check out our other tips on our Apartments Going Green section of our blog as we strive to put more information out there for everyone. Also, feel free to add any thing that we haven’t yet spoken about. The more information the better!