The Nation’s First LEED Platinum-Certified Building

Via Inhabitat.comWell – this is definitely a departure from our normal blog posts, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to share some amazing photos of the nation’s first LEED Platinum Building certified by the USGBC (U.S. Green Building Council). Although it is in Manhattan, the One Bryant Park/Bank of America Building boasts some impressive, environmentally-friendly amenities from which future developments around America will surely take some cues.

View Photos

Inhabitat.com writes:
Quite uncommon for a tower of its size, the new building employs a system for rainwater catchement and reuse, greywater recycling, energy efficient building systems, and high performance glass which maximizes day-lighting and minimizes solar heat gain and loss. However, it’s the state-of-the-art, onsite 4.6-megawatt cogeneration plant that really gets the ‘oohs’ and ‘ahhs’ going. The advanced system provides a clean and efficient power source for the building’s energy requirements, significantly reducing its reliance on the NYC grid. The system also perfectly compliments an incredible cooling system that produces and stores ice during off-peak hours, and then uses the ice phase transition to help cool the building during peak load. Another remarkable innovation is the air purification system – not only is the air entering the building purified to a high standard, but the air exhausted is also cleaned, effectively making the tower a giant air filter for Midtown Manhattan. With an area of over 2 million square feet, this level of green technology in one building is nothing short of remarkable.

2010 Relay For Life

Source: thebokeonline.comToday kicks off the 2010 Relay for Life benefit in Emmett, ID. The event runs today and tomorrow at the Emmett City Park. Since 1985, Relay for Life has benefitted the American Cancer Society and has spread to 21 countries world-wide. This weekend, hundreds will descend on Emmett for this great, worthwhile event. If you’re not already part of a team, you can sponsor existing teams or make an individual donation. We hope you can attend! Check out the schedule for a full list of events.

PTC Index for July…

This month’s PTC Index shows some shifts in numbers as the summer winds down. As we anticipated, the expiration of the Federal Tax Credit program for first-time home buyers brought a dip to July home sales. Additionally, recent unemployment figures and prudent lending conditions forecast moderate sales increases in the coming months. Notices of Default filings inched up in July, but are relatively low compared to this time last year and increases in property values will be slow with current distressed and bank-owned property inventory. The positive news is that with the Federal Reserve’s decision to purchase government debt, we see virtual assurances that interest rates will remain at 60-year lows and could possibly continue to decrease. This, coupled with today’s appealing home prices, will undoubtedly drive new buyers into our Treasure Valley market. What do you think the autumn will bring to our housing market? Leave a comment and let us know!

A Whirlwind Summer!

Image Source: http://leftistmoon.wordpress.com/2009/07/19/floating-the-boise-river/

It’s hard to believe 2010 is more than halfway over and while many of us indulge in BBQs and pool parties, some might be wondering, “How many more shopping days ’till Christmas?” But with the summer in full swing (albeit unseasonably cool), there have been lots of changes here at Pioneer Title Co. June brought the new PTC Index (as featured in the Idaho Business Review and The Idaho Statesman), a whole new website and an office relocation. Here’s the lowdown…

Read the rest of this entry »

29
Jun, 2010
Posted in Uncategorized

House approves homebuyer tax credit extension

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The House of Representatives Tuesday voted to give first-time homebuyers three more months to close on their purchases and land an $8,000 federal income tax credit.

But the Senate had better act in the next 24 hours…the deadline is currently June 30.

The bill doesn’t help anyone currently shopping for a home. Buyers must have signed a contact by April 30 to qualify for the tax break. At issue is when the deal must be finalized.

The House voted 409 to 5 to delay the closing deadline to September 30 in a stand-alone measure. The move comes nearly a week after the Senate failed to advance a much larger jobs bill that contained the tax credit provision.

The smaller House bill would raise the deficit by $9 million over a decade.

An estimated 200,000 people may miss out on the tax credit because they won’t be able to close by close of business Wednesday. Many are trying to take advantage of short sales, which are complicated deals to complete.

The measure also seeks to reduce fraud associated with the credit. Some 1,300 prison inmates are thought to have claimed and received more than $9 million in tax credits, according to a Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration report released earlier this month. The bill would allow the Internal Revenue Service to disclose tax return information to prison administrators.

Senate Democrats hope to address the measure this week, said an aide to the Senate Majority Leader.

In a related move, the House failed to pass a measure extending the deadline to file for unemployment benefits until Nov. 30. More than 1 million people are estimated to have exhausted this lifeline since the deadline expired earlier this month. The provision, which would raise the deficit by $34 billion, was also included in the Senate bill that failed to advance last Thursday.

The House is expected to take up the legislation again on Wednesday.

Source:
Luhby, Tami. “House approves homebuyer tax credit extension.”
CNNMoney. 29 June 2010. Web. 29 June 2010
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/29/news/economy/homebuyer_tax_credit/index.htm
16
Jun, 2010

Nothing says 'summer' like cherry pie…

A delicious Cherry Pie, Src: http://www.saidaonline.com/en/newsgfx/cherry%20pie-saidaonline.jpgThis Saturday (June 19), the folks over at our Pioneer Title Co – Emmett, ID office are once again sponsoring Emmett’s Annual Cherry Festival Pie Eating contest. It’s part of a series of events for Emmett’s Cherry Festival that has its beginning roots (or, stems) in the 1930s. The Cherry Festival runs from Wednesday, June 16 and concludes Saturday, June 19th.

From the Emmett Chamber of Commerce site:

Since the 1930’s, the community of Emmett and all of Gem County has gathered each June to celebrate the abundance of our valley. We celebrate with ‘The Emmett Cherry Festival’ and it is the regions longest, continually running festival.

Families gather, friends reunite and over 40,000 folks get together over the four days for the greatest family-friendly event in Idaho!

The Emmett Cherry Festival is always held the during the second full week of June. Events run throughout the community over 8 days of celebration and fun. The traditional Cherry Festival events, concerts and carnival all happen in the Emmett City Park starting on Wednesday through Saturday.

We hope you’ll join us for the Cherry Pie Eating Contest this Saturday at 3pm! For a full list of the week’s events, head on over to the official Emmett Cherry Festival site.

First look inside the St. Jude Dream Home

KTVB – Boise has a first look at the St. Jude Dream Home. The St. Jude Dream Home house, built by Flynner Homes, is Boise’s First verified home valued at approximately $440,000, and located in the Willowgreens Community, a 100% ENERGY STAR development, in Boise, Idaho…

  • 14 inch exterior wall system
  • Triple-pane windows, < 0.2 U-factor
  • R-77 insulation in ceiling and R-58 in exterior walls
  • HVAC system: Diakin air-to-air heat pump
  • Solar water heating system
  • Heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
  • R-28 insulated slab on grade and R-13 insulated foundation system
  • 8 KW/hr photovoltaic system (solar panels)

The giveaway is slated for June 27; tickets are available at all Treasure Valley Pioneer Title Company locations!

Idaho's First Verified Net-Zero Home Could be Yours…

Image Source: StJude.org

We are entering the final weeks of raffle ticket availability for the St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway and you still have time to purchase a raffle ticket (or two) for a chance to win! Tickets are $100 each and proceeds benefit St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hosptal. You can purchase tickets at any one of our Treasure Valley Pioneer Title Co offices or by visiting any Treasure Valley Zamzow’s, Hancock Fabrics and Lowe’s locations!

The St. Jude Dream Home house, built by Flynner Homes, is Boise’s First verified home valued at approximately $440,000, and located in the Willowgreens Community, a 100% ENERGY STAR development, in Boise, Idaho…

  • 14 inch exterior wall system
  • Triple-pane windows, < 0.2 U-factor
  • R-77 insulation in ceiling and R-58 in exterior walls
  • HVAC system: Diakin air-to-air heat pump
  • Solar water heating system
  • Heat recovery ventilator (HRV)
  • R-28 insulated slab on grade and R-13 insulated foundation system
  • 8 KW/hr photovoltaic system (solar panels)

For full details, renderings and photos, check out http://boisenetzerodreamhome.com/

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering research and treatment of children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. Ranked the No. 1 pediatric cancer hospital by Parents magazine, St. Jude is the first and only National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children, and has treated children from all 50 states and from around the world. St. Jude has developed research protocols that helped push overall survival rates for childhood cancer from less than 20 percent when the hospital opened to almost 80 percent today. St. Jude is the national coordinating center for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium and the Childhood Cancer Survivor Study. In addition to pediatric cancer research, St. Jude is also a leader in sickle cell disease research and is a globally prominent research center for influenza.

Founded in 1962 by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world, publishing more research articles than any other pediatric cancer research center in the United States. St. Jude treats more than 5,400 patients each year and is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. St. Jude is financially supported by thousands of individual donors, organizations and corporations without which the hospital’s work would not be possible. In 2010, St. Jude was ranked the most trusted charity in the nation in a public survey conducted by Harris Interactive, a highly respected international polling and research firm. For more information, go to www.stjude.org.

28
Apr, 2010

2010 Parade of Homes…

Src: BCASWI.ORG
The 2010 Parade of Homes, brought to you by the Building Contractors Association of SW Idaho (or, BCASWI) begins this weekend! The series runs May 1-16, 2010; weekends 12p-8p, Monday-Thursday 5p-8p and Fridays from 3p-8p. Steve Martinez, Committee Chair, says the Parade of Homes has grown to be one of the [Treasure] Valley’s most celebrated events and is a great example of the BCASWI members working together to showcase the best of what our industry has to offer.

To check out the official Parade of Homes magazine, showcasing this year’s featured properties, visit any of these Treasure Valley Locations:

  • Albertson’s
  • American Classifieds Newsstands
  • Fred Meyer
  • Jackson’s Food Stores
  • Shopko
  • WinCo Foods
  • Idaho Business Review (May 3rd & May 10th issues)
  • BCASWI Office
  • and all Parade of Homes show houses

The BCASWI also has an online version you can check it out right away (Flash Player Required).

March for Babies – Photos Roundup

Thanks again to all you Treasure Valley folks who were able to join us this weekend for another successful March for Babies walk. The weather was great and we were excited to see some familiar faces with many new ones as well! In case you missed out, you can always donate the the March of Dimes by visiting MarchofDimes.org. In the meantime, checkout