I just got back to my Austin home from my birth home – Israel, where gas prices are $8/gallon. I’m not kidding. our biggest expense during our 2 weeks work-vacation was gas. It was even more expensive than the car rental, if you can believe it.
Needless to say, with gas prices double what they are in the States, the demand for Ethos grows and we just placed another order for more product to be sent to Israel. Those are the good news.
The other news are what I found in my inbox today (read the complete story bellow) -
With the cost of fuel reaching record highs, buyers pay closer attention to location
If you read the article carefully, you might notice the following business points -
- The cost of gas prices are shaping our economy – from the cost of food, cloths and our choices of residence.
- More and more people prefer to work close to home, preferably at home.
- Gas prices are going to continue to go up.
- Awareness to global warming is increasing and people make their decisions in accordance with what is green.
- There is a money making opportunity in a product that solves all those issues – increasing gas prices, global warming, and the loss of jobs.
While in Israel, I received an email from WKZL radio in Greensboro, NC. asking to learn more about Ethos and how they can save money with it. I just finished climbing a mountain and dipping in a waterfall at the lowest point on earth – the Dead Sea. At the agreed time, I called the station using my husband’s Iphone. 5 minutes later, I was back to vacationing and to a quick float in the Dead Sea.
Timing could not be better for a product like Ethos, and I’m sure many people who would love to be able to work from anywhere in the world, and be able to write off their vacations. I met one of those on the plane back home… but that’s a story for another post. 
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., July 29, 2008 — In cities like Los Angeles, where the car is king, the thought of commuters leaving their vehicle keys behind and opting for public transportation once seemed unimaginable. But The Los Angeles Times recently reported commuter rail use has reached record numbers.
During one Tuesday in May, L.A.’s Metrolink reported itshighest ridership at 50,232 passengers, which was a 15.6% jump over the previous year. Meanwhile, the CaliforniaDepartment of Transportation reports drops in freeway traffic compared to last year’s figures.
The rules of the road are changing. And high gas prices, traffic congestion, and environmental awareness are altering the real estate landscape. The result is that more people are looking to work closer to home, not only because commuting is becoming more expensive, but also because of growing concern over car-centered life and its impact on global warming.
Suburban developments, often located many miles away from city centers, once offered the lure of getting more home for the dollar. But with rising gas prices and increasingly difficult rush hour commutes, the benefit of lower mortgages is diminishing. Add growing concern of fuel dependence to the fold, and the result is a paradigm shift in homebuyer consciousness.
“When words like sustainability, carbon footprint, and arctic snowcaps are entering our everyday conversations, it’s clear that climate change is affecting homebuyers’ decisions, and real estate professionals better be prepared to meet their needs,” says Myra Nourmand, Los Angeles Real Estate Broker and author of the book From Homemaker to Breadwinner.
Rising gas prices are causing homebuyers to think twice before relocating to far-away suburbs. “Consumers are adding the price they’re paying at the pump and other costs associated with long commutes into their overall home buying budget,” says Nourmand. She adds that the current economic situation means that people are working longer hours to yield the same result, which makes arduous drives to and from work even more stressful.
The proof? Home prices in neighborhoods throughout L.A.’s prestigious Westside zip codes have weathered the double-digit depreciation that has struck regions outside of Los Angeles. In areas like Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel Air, and Pacific Palisades, demand continues to exceed inventory.
In fact, none of Nourmand’s clients have sold a home as a result of a foreclosure, and subprime fallout is non-existent within her client list. Meanwhile, comparably prestigious areas, which were often viewed as affordable alternatives to high-end L.A. neighborhoods, have experienced hard times.
“If high fuel prices are the norm – and that’s what the news indicates - then demand for property in desirable neighborhoods near urban centers should continue to remain strong,” says Nourmand.
