As I was strolling through my neighborhood this weekend, I noticed an open house going on. But it wasn't the large red and blue sign that initially drew my attention to the home. With its lush lawn, flowering shrubs, sweeping front porch — which had two rocking chairs nicely placed on the front stoop — the stunning two-story home was begging to be visited.

Spring is typically the busiest time for Realtors to hold open houses. With housing prices across the country dipping, buyers have become more particular in their home search. Strong curb appeal will help your house stand apart from the competition.

Here are some helpful curb appeal tips to makeover your home:

Landing and porches. If space permits, a landing or porch should have a bench, or at the very least, a small outdoor chair. Rocking chairs always add a nice homey feel to a traditional home. To make the area look and feel more inviting, add some small accessories like hanging plants or wind chimes.

Lighting. Keep walkways and stoops well lit. A wall sconce is useful for giving off some light around an entry or passageway into the home, but you can also use decorative lanterns to shed some light and add a little more ambience to the home.

Mailboxes. Swapping out a boring old mailbox for one that is made from sleek vintage bronze, brass or black metal is an easy addition to your curb appeal.

Plants and flowers. A nicely mowed yard alone isn't going to cut it. Choose plants that offer variation in color, texture and foliage. Landscapers love using Boston ivy, because it offers green foliage in spring, berries in summer, red foliage in the fall and interesting vine patterns in winter. Use a variation of textures and height to help frame the front entrance of a home. Plant low ground covers nearest the path leading up to the home, with the more colorful and textured plants in the middle or rear of the lawn. I'm a fan of the Pacific hybrid delphiniums, Asiatic lily and ligularia for some colorful showmanship.

Lawn. A recent survey of 2,000 Realtors by HomeGain.com reported that an investment of $500 in lawn improvements would likely yield 400 percent of that total when selling the home — that's an extra $2,000 tacked on to the home price! Gardeners of large estates are gussying up their traditional lawns with more than just grass. Fellow HomeFinder.com blogger Frank Schulte-Ladbeck says the use of various herbs and weeds are a great addition, because it doesn't require as many herbicides or fertilizers, making it an eco-friendly option. These botanic alternatives will also fill in sparse patches faster than grass, so the lawns look fuller. Try planting aromatic herbs in the front lawn, such as mint and lemon thyme patches, to create enticing smells.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.

This past weekend I flew out to Newport Beach, CA, to meet up with some old friends from high school. One of my friends is now an energy consultant and runs his own company, Azlan Energy Solutions, which provides existing businesses and homes with energy-efficient technology to cut down utility costs and reduce carbon use. As we sat out on the deck of our beach house overlooking the deep blue waters of the Pacific Ocean, RJ and I got into a discussion about the environment. The conversation eventually got us talking about home buyers 'going green,' and the struggles that come with changing the mindset of past generations.

Don't believe the hype
From the newest HGTV programs to the mushrooming number of green-certified builders sprouting up across the country, 'going green' seems to be the hottest trend since fat-free snacks. But what may be a groundswell of media and marketing hype, may not always be true in practice. While there is much discussion about building more environmentally sustainable homes and remodeling existing homes to meet green standards, few homeowners and contractors really understand the process.

Green building or remodeling can be as basic as putting up formaldehyde-free insulation to installing a high-efficiency air conditioning unit. A new kitchen might use energy-efficient refrigerators and dishwashers and fluorescent compact lighting; a bathroom, water-efficient toilets. The exterior of the house might use bricks from the existing house or a metal roof, which helps with home cooling and offers cleaner rainwater runoff. Landscaping might rely on low-water planting techniques or take advantage of rainwater barrels that capture water from the roof to be used in landscaping irrigation.

For most home owners and builders, the cost of going green is a major deterrent, but through some self- education, the process will pay off in the long run. A green-certified designer I met at a home show once told me, 'There's a lot of green-washing going on out there, and consumers need to be aware of the wanna-be-greens and the real deal.' Similar to the popular demand of organic foods in mainstream grocery stores, understanding the labels and requirements for the special certifications will help you decipher between the 'real deal' and the fakes. Being green educated will prevent you from getting scammed out of paying more on something that will have little impact on your long term savings.

Green certification
LEED certification is a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to help promote green building practices and sustainable development across the country. It rates construction projects of all types by awarding points for green building practices in four separate areas: sustainable sites, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and innovation and design process. When the points are added up, a structure or project is assigned a LEED rating of Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum, with a LEED Platinum project being about as green as a construction project can get.

The one downside of working towards achieving high LEED ratings can be too much green, as in money. Homes that are LEED Certified generally cost more initially due to the types of materials used and the sometimes unconventional building and design needs of these projects. Consequently, always figure out a budget ahead of time with any building project where LEED certification is a goal. With any major remodel or new home, keeping a tight budget is of utmost importance. Where LEED certification is concerned, it's even more critical. But always keep in mind that while a LEED Certified home will cost more initially, it also will make up the cost difference in energy savings and tax credits over time.

The revolution will be televised
Regardless of your political or environmental views, it's hard to deny the fact that developing countries around the world will continue to grow, and their demand for natural resources will only increase with it. It is essential that we find new ways to conserve our energy and reduce our carbon footprint. As my friend RJ said to me during our tree-hugging conversation this weekend, 'We can't expect everyone to convert over to green technology overnight.…This is a shift towards a new paradigm, and it's going to take some getting use to, but it's a movement that isn't going to go away.'

To find out more about green builders, contractors, architects and interior designers check out these helpful Web sites:

USGBC LEED Certification
National Association of Home Builders Green Building Guidelines
Green Home Guide
Green Home Building Blog
Directory of Green Professionals
TreeHugger.com
TheDailyGreen.com

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.

The world is changing. Gas has reached beyond $120 a barrel, and the demand for biofuel has caused food prices to skyrocket. As our everyday expenses surge, homeowners are looking for better ways to save money. For a growing number of people, this has led them down the path of 'green' technology and products. While some of these environmentally friendly gizmos have been around for some time (solar panels, for example), most are still fresh on the market, especially when it comes to energy-efficient products.

Tankless water heater
I'm currently planning to install a tankless water heater in my own home this year, but unlike most water heater units I inspect on the job, I have never seen a tankless unit installed before. About a month ago, I met a plumber who has been installing these units in Houston. We had a lively conversation about the proper way to install these water heaters and the common mistakes people make when purchasing them. I contacted some home inspectors around the country to see if they knew of any other issues. It appears that the tankless units are popular in California, but it has not caught on in most other parts of our country.

Yesterday, I ran into an acquaintance who mentioned that she and her husband have been working on 'greening' their home, but she was growing frustrated with the process. The plumber who installed her tankless water heater happened to be the same plumber that I had spoken with earlier in the month. I had checked out his facts in the building code, and found them to be accurate, so I was confident that he installed the unit properly. But her frustrations all began when the city's building inspector paid a visit to her property.

Keeping up with the 'Greens'
The inspector informed her that he had never seen such a unit. He asked for the installation manual, which he quickly glanced over, she said. He came to the conclusion that the unit was not installed to code, so he insisted that further modifications be made.

Unfortunately, he had the authority to enforce his request. Although most home inspectors that I know are trying to keep up with new developments and technological changes, city building inspectors do not always have that luxury. Having to go on daily site visits takes up most of their schedule and prevents them from having the time to study the latest information on new products.

If you are an early adapter, you may face a similar situation. My best advice is to have the expert installing the new unit at your home during the inspection. The installer may be able to show the inspector how the system works and meets the guidelines for the proper installation.

Frank Schulte-Ladbeck, Professional Real Estate Inspector

After a marathon of a winter, I can't begin to tell you how ecstatic I am to finally hear birds chirping outside my window and not to see snow barricading my sidewalk. With the first balmy weekend, I noticed my neighbor out in his yard replanting the grass that had wilted away during the winter months. Sprucing up the yard may be a basic cosmetic upgrade to a home, but its value stretches beyond the lawn.

Show me the green
The Turf Resource Center reports that a study conducted by Michigan State University and funded by the Horticultural Research Institute found that depending on where a property is located, high-quality landscaping adds 5 to 11 percent to the home's value. The study reported that landscaping adds more value than any other home renovation project.

And a recent survey of 2,000 realtors by HomeGain.com reported that an investment of $500 in lawn improvements would likely yield 400 percent of that total when selling the home.

Smells good, sells well
Making over your lawn doesn't have to empty your pockets, either. A great landscaping tip I recently got from fellow HomeFinder.com blogger Frank Schulte-Ladbeck is to add some aromatic herbs such as mint and lemon thyme patches to the yard to create a fragrant smell. A rolling breeze will carry the enticing aromas throughout the surrounding area. This is great for a seller having an open house.

Schulte-Ladbeck says many professional gardeners of large estates are gussying up their traditional lawns with more than just grass. 'The use of various herbs and weeds are a great addition, because it doesn't require as many herbicides or fertilizers, making it an eco-friendly option. These botanic alternatives will also fill in sparse patches faster than grass, so the lawns look fuller.'

First impressions are everything when you're selling a home. So it only makes sense to spend a little quality time to improve your landscaping. It's the first thing buyers see — and probably one of the last things they'll remember.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.

Every morning I usually create a to-do-list of things I have to accomplish for the day, and in celebration of Earth Day today, I've decided to add a couple of eco-friendly chores to my list. While tasks such as opening the windows instead of turning on the air conditioning or turning the lights off in rooms that aren't being occupied seems pretty minimal, I believe some action is better than no action.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to install a geothermal heat pump or a solar electric system in my home, but these energy-efficient gizmos come with a pretty hefty price tag. If you're like me and are still trying to pay off college loans and credit card bills, you can still live an eco-friendly lifestyle without sinking further into the quicksand of debt.

Green revolution

Eventually, as demand increases for these types of green products, more builders will begin standardizing them into their designs. Here are some current data and trends:

• In the American Institute of Architects' fourth-quarter survey of 500 architects, 61 percent said their clients are interested in 'renewable' flooring materials like cork and bamboo, up 53 percent a year earlier.

• The market for green homes is expected to rise from $2 billion this year to $20 billion over the next five years, according to a 2007 report by McGraw-Hill Construction and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

• According to the Retail Industry Leaders Association's New Sustainability Initiative (NSI), 66 percent of retailers have begun the transition to green. The study also found that green flooring will leapfrog from the slowest-growing segment of the green building market to the fastest-growing by 2011. Bamboo flooring imports grew 50 percent between 2005 and 2006.

• Homeowners are using green products such as kitchen countertops made with recycled glass and concrete for 40 percent of their remodeling work, according to McGraw Hill and the NAHB.

• The American Institute of Architect's Local Leaders in Sustainability reported that since 2003 the number of cities with green building programs has risen from 22 to 92 percent.

Calculating carbon footprint
So how green are you? Author Alexandra Shimo-Barry has created easy steps for consumers to calculate their own carbon footprints. In Shimo-Barry's new book, 'The Environment Equation,' she teaches readers how to quickly calculate the amount of greenhouse gases in units of carbon dioxide by following a basic formula:

A) Multiply your monthly electricity bill by 105.

B) Multiply your monthly gas bill by 105.

C) Multiply your monthly oil bill by 113. (If you don't use either B or C, enter 0.)

D) Multiply total yearly mileage by .79.

E) Multiply the number of flights — 4 hours or less — by 1,100.

F) Multiply the number of flights — 4 hours or more — by 4,400.

G) Do you recycle newspapers? If no, add 184. If yes, add 0.

H) Do you recycle aluminum and tin? If no, add 166. If yes, add 0.

A+B+C+D+E+F+G+H = your carbon footprint. A number below 6,000 (reflected in pounds per year) is excellent. Over 22,000? Not so great. Good is anywhere from 6,000 to 15,999, while 16,000 to 22,000 is average.

I see a future where every homebuyer will be afforded the opportunity to live in a fully environmentally sustainable home. For today, on Earth Day, remember to think small and think practical, and your green habits will ease the burden on your pocketbook and the planet.

Got hot local housing tips or a story you want to share? Contact Amy Le at openingdoorsblog@HomeFinder.com.