Mint Condition Homes

I think it was our company Christmas party when a friend and co-worker gave me an article she had clipped for me from the Chronicle. She said, "This totally sounds like something you would be interested in...."

Ummmm... yep!

In all of my free time (yes, sarcasm intended!) I plan other little projects that I'd love to be involved in... And here it was... in black and white! Something I'd LOVE to do, but have absolutely NO qualifications for!

I took their description from their website:

"Mint Condition Homes, LLC is a boutique, design focused, community driven urban redevelopment company that transforms bank owned properties into quality, affordable housing.

Our homes are located in Oakland, California and are carefully selected for the historic integrity of their existing structures and their potential for creating economic stability within their neighborhoods."

So basically, they take neglected, bank owned houses, re-model them with their historical integrity in tact, (sometimes replacing features lost over time,) and they do it all as environmentally friendly as possible. They also make a point of trying to keep down costs so that when they go to market the houses are still affordable!

(If I could do something like this I'd love to add the option of selling the houses furnished.... )


Please check out their website... MINT CONDITION HOMES...

You will be amazed!

Urban Farming

Farms? In Berkeley?

Well... it isn't Berkeley, and "farmlettes" might be a better word!

Believe it or not, Oakland is a groundbreaking city in the urban farming movement. Look it up if you don't believe me! Sunset Magazine even did an article about it awhile back...

Anyway...

One day I was sitting in my car on a sunny street, waiting for a family. I played a little game: Shut your eyes and listen. Can you identify Oakland by the sounds you hear?

I heard birds, kids playing, a couple of cars going by and.... chickens.

Beyond the hipster, kids of white hippies who are currently fighting city hall to keep their urban farms, (see more below,)it is not at all unusual to hear chickens and roosters all throughout the residential Oakland neighborhoods.

I know what you are thinking.... "People use roosters for fighting..." But that isn't the ONLY truth...

Many of the families that I work with have gardens and are producing their own food. They want HENS. Hens lay eggs AND produce fertilizer for the afore mentioned gardens. The roosters are kind of a nuisance. That might be why they are frequently sacraficed to fights. Now I'm not saying it's right... don't forget, I have a hard time killing ants in my house! I'm just sayin'...

Anyway... back to the hipsters:

Novella Carpenter is an author and blogger. She originally began her urban farming project by "squatting" on an abandoned lot in West Oakland. She bought the lot awhile ago and gives tours, etc. Since buying the property she has been running into problems with the city...

You can read all about the situation here:

Ghost Town Farm