A converted church can be a great place for a house, and a great way to preserve your parish legacy. Image from Wikimedia Historically, conversions have been a pretty big source of trouble when it comes to churches. Martin Luther didn’t convert, per se, but a lot of people converted after him, and that caused
Playa Vista, a Westside neighborhood, is home to the new Los Angeles tech boom. Image from Wikimedia Commons Silicon Valley is more of a culture and way of life then it is an actual physical location. The growth of the tech industry has had an incalculable influence over the Bay Area and, by extension, over
Credit may be tight for some borrowers of home loans, but money is readily available for solid commercial projects. Credit: Flickr CC user fsecart If you’re thinking about getting a commercial loan for your real estate needs, you might be a little wary. Chances are good that you’ve heard credit is “tight” right now and
Commercial real estate deals, no matter how promising, sometimes fall apart. Some deal breakers can be spotted from a mile away, but curiously, the developer fails to see them. In the midst of the recession in Santa Rosa, CA, a developer dreamed up a massive project that would have delivered not only a great magnet
Certain school projects really get people’s attention, and we are not talking about building new classrooms or labs. Auditoriums, ball fields, and high school stadiums tend to get people off their couches and out to the school board meeting. This is especially true with another kind of a project: a pool. There’s no doubt that
A new CEQA ruling may impact California development for decades. Image from Wikimedia Commons California is a state that was built on contradictions. It is a state of huge desert swaths that also feeds the country and the world. It birthed the counterculture, but also the aerospace industry. It is where the environmental movement started
The drought is going to have a major impact on California, including its real estate market. Image from Wikimedia Commons Dried-up river beds. Parched, cracking fields. Once-full reservoirs now reduced to puddles, with the rings of previous highs looming like a distant memory on the mountains around them. Maps show huge portions of the state
A booming housing market can help bring up the commercial market as well. Image from Wikimedia Commons Trying to give a simple explanation for the 2008 recession is a fool’s errand, at best. It was incredibly complicated with multiple causes and many people to blame. For the general public, however, it seemed to start with
Many green building practices are fairly routine now across the country, but some companies and nonprofits have gone far beyond the standards to reduce the environmental impact. Could this become the new normal? Image source: Flickr CC user bobarcpics A few years ago, companies would issue news releases when they installed energy-saving lights and appliances,
The street-level space is great for retail, but developers often struggle to find uses for the upper stories of older Main Street buildings. Credit: Flickr CC user Madeleine Deaton The main attraction of Main Street buildings is often their ground floor. In these street-level retail spaces, a shop owner can envision the city’s best new
Nonprofits often find ways to make extra money; they may lease out unused space to another nonprofit, open a thrift store, or make a deal with a cellular phone company. Although sometimes lucrative, this “business” is usually a side venture. The organization still survives primarily on donations from its members or government grants. However,
An old school can become a blight or an opportunity. Districts must first make the hard decision to dispose of them. Credit: Flickr CC user alamosbasement The decision to close a school is never an easy one. People tend to be passionate about their old school buildings; they have fond memories of gathering around their
