The season for holiday parties is in full swing! And, if you are anything like me, your social schedule is packed with non-stop soirées, get-togethers and mixers. You get to dress up, pig out and steal a kiss under the mistletoe. It is fun, festive and fabulous... until you are the one throwing the party at the last minute. Read my article for Huffington Post Home: Holiday Décor in a Jiffy! 

Selling in the San Francisco Bay Area, a fair portion of my transactions are all cash. (People who have IPO'd from a dotcom or who have money wired from Asia are quite common. It is simply insane how much money people have in tech & abroad!). A common question I get is "Do I still need home insurance if I pay all cash for my house?"  Technically, no. But you still should. Let me explain.


If you have a loan, your lender will require you to buyer home owners insurance (they have to protect all the money they are lending you!). But if you buy with all cash, then you do not need home insurance. However, that does not mean you should not have it! What if your house burns down? All your 'cash' goes up in smoke. Or, what if your nasty neighbor trips and falls on your property? They'll will sue you up the wazoo, win the case and get your house too! 


I know if may seem like you want to save some money each year by passing on home insurance, but I guarantee you it is a small cost to the aforementioned disasters. Keep in mind that insurance companies tend to lower your home insurance costs once you've paid off your mortgage entirely (they seem to believe that if you own it outright, you are more likely to take better care of it). So, if you pay all cash, your insurance costs will not be as high as your neighbor, who has a loan on their house. 


Also, to cut costs, some insurance companies like Aviva  give you a discount if you buy bundle package. I always tell my buyers that if they auto insurance, give that carrier a call first because they will most likely give you a break on your home insurance too. 


Remember kiddies, when it comes to insuring your home, better safe than sorry! 



 

Eco-Friendly Home Decorating Ideas w/ Herman
for San Francsico Chonicle
You better watch! After all green homes sell for 9% more than non-green homes! 

The feng-shui concept is a 3000-year-old Chinese discipline that was first used for tomb sites. It became involved not only with the remains of the dead, but the way the whole kingdom worked with each other. While a complete feng-shui transformation may be quite difficult- you can start simple. A few items can provide inspiration, allowing you to build your home in the style and conceptual basis of zen living. 

1.) Emptying the Cup: A well-known Japanese practice goes something like this: a visitor wants to experience Zen. The master, serving tea, keeps on pouring the visitor’s cup full- but doesn't stop. When told by the visitor that no more will go into the cup- the master simply replies that similar to the cup- one is full of her own opinion. No one can experience Zen unless the person empties the cup. What’s the relevance, here? It's simple- the clutter must be cleared. As Rodika Tchi asserts, this is an “essential” step to experiencing feng-shui in the home.

2.) Learn the Five Elements of Feng-Shui: By integrating feng-shui inspired elements you can incorporate these time-honored traditions in your home:

• Wood: try plants, vertical lines, and the color green for new beginnings and growth.
• Fire: lighting, triangular items, and the color red for passion/reputation.
• Earth: earth tones and square items for stability.
• Metal: white and light pastels, metallic items, and rounded objects for focus.
• Water: sinuous objects and the color black for connections and inner truth.

3.) What’s Your Birth Element? Once you find out your feng-shui birth element you can integrate the accompanying element into your home, expand on the elements in the previous step.

4.) What’s Your Kua Number and Lucky Directions? First, find your Kua number; Then use a feng-shui directions chart to locate your lucky directions. Once you determine both items you can begin to re-work your space to accentuate the direction. For instance, maybe you can turn some sofas to the correct direction to revitalize better energy. From sofas to your bed, the dining area, and much more, these can play a pivotal role in the feng-shui of your home.

5.) Don’t Forget About the Outside: Utilizing the practical guidelines for the five feng-shui elements you can apply them to outside your home as well. For instance, look for triangular items to enhance the fire element in your garden. Do the same for other elements in order to achieve the correct level of energy- feng-shui doesn't only apply inside of your home.

6.) Pay Attention to the Upkeep: In feng-shui, the fluidity of energy and the element is central to the concept. In other words, the energy can easily be influenced with your actions. As, in the initial step, the cup was emptied, one must be careful not to disturb the positive flow of energy. Staying mindful of the elements and energy can allow you to maintain the positive state of feng-shui in the home.

Alan Bryan guest blogs above for Habitat For Hermanity. Born and raised near Silicon Valley, Alan's parent's had high hopes for him. Those hopes did not include gaming. Fortunately, Alan was able to channel his love of gaming into a career as a journalist...focusing on gaming. Both Alan and his parents have accepted this compromise. 

I'm super excited to announce my new home design video series for the San Francisco Chronicle! Enjoy! 

"Designing your home is a great way to give a fresh new look to an old space, or just open up a room and make it feel larger. Get tips on how to decorate your room and have fun while you're doing it with help from a real estate personality, broker, writer, speaker and video blogger in this free video series."