Working with CalFinder to discover which licensed contractor best suits your needs can be easy and fun. This post is designed to show you how simple the process for getting started can be.

Let’s say you live in or near Sausalito, CA, and you need some remodeling done. I picked Sausalito as an example because I drive past it on Highway 101 from time to time, and I’m always struck by the beauty of this unique Marin County town on the Bay.

The first thing I did was enter the keyword “Sausalito” in the Search box, found in the upper right corner of every page on CalFinder’s website. This took me to a page featuring a variety of different contractors, each with its designated link for learning more about that particular company. From here, you can explore the different contractors. Here are a few that attracted me — see what you think!

Celtic Construction

Photo credit: Celtic Construction

Celtic Construction does kitchen, bathroom, and general remodeling. There’s a slide show featuring examples of their work — clearly high quality. A customer comments, “I was a single woman and was totally taken advantage of by the workman and the unlicensed contractor I hired. Celtic Construction came in after I fired the original contractor and rescued me. Superior workmanship and they did twice the work in half the time. I was never talked down to when work to be done was explained to me.” (more…)

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Photo credit: travelmuse

Palm trees, luxurious hotels, movie stars, and an unparalleled 354 days of sunshine annually are just a few of the features that have made Palm Springs, California a world-renowned destination. A destination that just happens to have been my home for the last six months. They say I’m too young to be a “snowbird,” and maybe that’s true (although these sore remodeling joints sure didn’t miss Oregon’s winter rains), but Palm Springs has a heck of a lot to offer a new-to-the-desert remodeling and renewable energy enthusiast.

Sadly, as all trips go, my time here in greater Coachella Valley must end. Home, an Oregon summer (and spring rains), and the roar of rivers and mountain streams calls me once again. And, as any Internet writer knows, the only way to say goodbye to anything is with a bold-faced numerical list. So here, and in no particular order, are 10 things that I shall miss about southern California’s sunniest corner:

1. Sunshine. So obvious I had to get it out of the way first. It was actually a little unsettling, this being the first winter I’ve ever “skipped.” Still the climate is near perfect and rain, when it actually comes, is a blessing unlike any other.
2. Solar panels. With over 350 days of sunshine I can only hope that someday this town will be made of solar panels. In the meantime, however, and thanks to California’s ongoing commitment to solar energy, I have thoroughly enjoyed the many glimpses of solar panels adorning homes, businesses, and commercial spaces. Keep up the good work Palm Springs solar contractors!
3. Architecture. Many of those solar panels sat atop some very unique architecture (at least for a Midwest and northwestern man). Mid-century modern architecture rules the day here in Palm Springs. Even on the most basic Spanish or French style, stucco-sided, tile-roofed home, the interiors and facades are decked out in modern fashion. (more…)

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One of the pitfalls of relocating to an unfamiliar area is not really knowing what it’s like there. Will your new neighbors be the type of people you get along well with? Will the new community offer the type of atmosphere you are comfortable in? Along with seeking common threads to tie you to your new surroundings, you may also be wondering if the area you are moving to is green – both literally and figuratively.

Photo Credit: Randy Son Of Robert

The More the Green, the Lower the Crime Rate

Doctors, politicians, and civil servants are all starting to find correlations between green and health and safety. In their scenarios, though, they are talking lush vegetation and actual verdant appearance on the landscape. A study conducted by Texas A&M University discovered that the more greenness found in an area, the lower the crime rate in that area. Researchers took color-infrared aerial photographs around Austin, Texas and overlapped their geographic findings atop a map of crime areas for the city and found that “83 percent of all crimes occurred in areas with greenness values below 34 percent.”

Higher Health Rate Linked to Greener Spaces

On the health front, living in a heavily vegetated area is also related to lower stress levels and lower child obesity rates. Medical studies have found that children living in greener spaces had a slower rate of increase in body mass than children living in inner cities.

Newer studies are using satellites to look at geographic areas to determine the greenness of an area, not just how much vegetation is present in a location, but also how healthy it is. Plant life has so many benefits to humans when it’s healthy, including reducing pollution, keeping things cooler and more attractive, as well as providing great areas for exercise and outdoor activity. All of these things contribute to a healthier life. (more…)

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