Have you ever thought about how much money you would have saved down the road if you would have invested in a sustainable home design? Imagine your electricity bill being almost non-existent or not having to use your heater or air conditioner to make your home comfortable during those hot and cold months. All of this can be accomplished by using sustainable design to build or upgrade your home.  Sustainable design is a concept that is taking off in the U.S. and numerous people are beginning to see the many benefits that it has for their future.

That being said, I am happy to announce that the Central Coast Homes Magazine has teamed up with Grandberry Financial and PasoRobles.com to introduce to you the inaugural Central Coast Luxury Sustainable Home Competition. For this competition we are asking for people to come forward who might be interested in either having their home built or upgraded in a sustainable manner by using their lend-able equity to fund this process.

The mission of this competition is to provide a vehicle for the client to build with “sustainability” as the cornerstone of the design process. Sustainable design is a design philosophy incorporating architectural design and product selection that contributes to social well-being, makes sound economic sense, and has negligible impact on the environment while at the same time creating a lasting very unique sense of style and consciousness. It also incorporates the idea of utilizing existing, proven design concepts and product technology.

Grandberry Financial wants to make sure that they deliver a service and product that has sound long term investment and pay back potential while at all times helping the environment with a design criteria that reflects your tastes, choices and ultimate peace of mind.

Great home design should enhance the value of each environment, make optimal use of space, elicit an environmentally sustainable mindset, and use less energy with existing technology and design philosophy than currently used today.

That is precisely the reason we are putting on the Central Coast Luxury Sustainable Home Competition. Each qualified candidate will also receive a Paso Robles vacation package offered to you by PasoRobles.com. You can access more information on the Central Coast Luxury Sustainable Home Competition by visiting the following website http://www.reenergizeca.com/ or by contacting Brian Braithwaite from Grandberry Financial at 714-975-0104.

Call Leroy for a private showing of this brand new ocean view Chateau in Santa Cruz.

LeroyRockelman, 831-465-2123 or rocky2@got.net

Please go to www.storeydesigns.com for a complete history and photos of this magnificent home.

Brand new ocean view Chateau with Romanesque & Gothic architecture with sweeping ocean & mountain views. Perched on a knoll with 8 acres of Oaks and Redwoods and only minutes to Scotts Valley or Santa Cruz. Some of the many custom features this 4,000 sq ft home has include a 800 sq ft garage, 3 fire places, 4 bedrooms & 4 baths, Italian marble in all baths with radiant heated floors, Brazilian granite counter tops throughout, White Oak floors, and a large gathering room. Front of the home has an Argillite stone wall that took 500 man hours to build. The entire driveway is made of hand laid stone pavers as well as some of the patios. Taking 2.5 years to build, this home gives a new meaning to perfection in home construction. Irreplaceable for the asking price of $2,695,000.

Main Residence
The main house is 3,859 sf. ft. and features 3 bedrooms, each with their own full bathroom, and an adjacent 1/2 bathroom on the main floor. The interior features include: Den with fireplace, a termperature-controlled 100 sq. ft. wine room, travertine flooring throughout, hand-crafted wood trusses, alder cabinetry and floors, custom lighting features, Viking appliances, 3 flat screen TVs, central vacuum and high end washer and dryer. This estate is complete with lush landscaping on irrigation and a 920 sq. ft. detached 3 car garage and rests on a 3.34 acre lot, one of the largest in the 850 Acre Ranch. This home also offers breathtaking lake, waterfall and greenbelt views.

Panoramic Views in Templeton | Experience the "Good Life"

Real estate agent Jan Bewley proudly presents this Templeton property as the cover home for Central Coast Homes Magazine Volume 24 – Number 4. An incredible handcrafted home of approximately 4200 sq. ft., this is truly a unique property evidenced by the massive mahogany entry door which welcomes you from the portico. Presenting an exquisite fountain which frames a view of the pool.

The gourmet kitchen opens to the great room allowing for spacious entertaining. No words can illustrate the views waiting to greet you from a winter’s morning to a summer’s sunset. The panoramic vineyard views are a pleasure to behold from the spacious master suite! 

A media/game room is appointed with a fireplace, pool table area and movie viewing alcove. A 3 bedroom/2 bath guest house is perfect for your guests, family or as a rental. Set on 6.74 acres which would accommodate horses, vineyard or olive orchard.

Call Jan at 805.674.4280 or email her at jan@bewleybell.com for an appointment or to request an e-tour of this property. To view this and additional San Luis Obispo County real estate listings, visit her website at www.BewleyBell.com.

Property Listed by Jan Bewley Bell, Realtor®

Peabody & Plum, Realtors®, Inc.
www.peabodyplum.com

"No One Serves You Better"

Live Serenely on the Central Coast

This exquisite Paso Robles property is approximately 9.2 acres in a peaceful setting. This home, presented by David Crabtree of Home and Ranch Realtors®, offers 6 bedrooms, 3.5 baths, formal dining room, office, game room and family room. Additional amenities include tile floors, wet bar, cathedral ceilings, skylights, fireplace and pellet stove. Step outside and enjoy beautiful views as your stroll over to the pool and hot tub. This Central Coast estate is perfect for entertaining or just relaxing with a spacious patio and built-in BBQ. There is also a barn and a huge shop. Must see to fully appreciate.

Offered at $1,299,000

David Crabtree, Broker/Owner
Home and Ranch, Realtors®
(805) 459-9261
Email: david@homeanranch.com

The Sotheby’s International Realty team of Wilson & Co. represents this fine Central Coast property which The Central Coast Homes Magazine is proud to showcase on the cover of the current issue of its luxury home publication.

With extraordinary custom quality evident throughout, this new 4 bedroom, 3 bath contemporary Morro Bay coastal home was designed for entertaining. The great room, with its soaring ceilings and broad window expanses, affords dramatic views of Morro Rock and the bay.

Sleek gourmet kitchen, cherry and mahogany wood cabinets, granite accents, ceramic tile and bamboo finishes throughout. Other amenities of this ocean view  listing include a third story bonus room, elevator, professional landscaping and several view decks.

Priced at $1,995,000.

For more information on this home and other Central Coast real estate offerings, contact Linda Wilson at 805-801-3232. Go to www.WilsonandCoSIR.com to view property additional listings in Morro Bay as well as San Luis Obispo, Pismo Beach, Nipomo and surrounding areas along California’s Central Coast region.

The "Salad Bowl" of the world is being recognized for the second year in a row as one the greenest places in the country.

Country Home Magazine recently named Salinas, Santa Cruz and Watsonville among their top rated Best Green Places in America for 2008. Santa Cruz and Watsonville ranked in the top 10, coming in 7th in the survey, and Salinas ranked 21st, out of 379 cities considered. "All across the country, people are looking for ways to live greener," said LuAnn Brandsen, the magazine’s editor, in a statement.

Other Central Coast cities that made the list included Santa Rosa/Petaluma which captured the number 4 spot; Santa Barbara-Santa Maria checked in at number 10; and the San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles area rounded out the top 20.

Around the world, people are looking for ways to shrink their proverbial footprint. And along with that comes a push to reduce, reuse and recycle. The magazine took its 2nd annual look at energy policies, green power, the number of green buildings and the availability of fresh locally-grown food.

Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue was quoted in the local Salinas newspaper, The Californian , saying, "Who should be more green than the salad bowl of the world?" and commented that the city will be seeking community input to develop additional ways to enhance environmental practices.

Monterey County also has a number of local builders and developers who are focused on green building and sustainable living, including Clint Eastwood’s private community , Tehama, located in Carmel. Luxury home builder Saxton Palma Construction, Inc. is one of several local green builders who focus on supporting sustainable design and construction.

If you are looking for a place to call home where green is becoming a way of life, check out the local real estate listings in Homes Magazine for these communities  — maybe they should be at the top of your list too.