K.C. ALFRED / Union-Tribune
Helicopter at the ready, guests aboard the Leight Star can dine and fly or enjoy the many amenities in a weeklong cruise. |
SMOKESTACKS & GERANIUMS ROGER M. SHOWLEY
A raft of refinements
Mega-yachts remain in high demand despite a shaky economy elsewhere
In a world of depreciating home values, where your house is no longer a ready-to-tap piggy bank, the mega-yacht is the ultimate in liquid assets. These 100-foot-long floating villas boast all the comforts of a custom-built Del Mar beach house, and they're in such demand around the world that there's a two-year wait at some shipyards for the latest model.
HOUSING SCENE LEW SICHELMAN
Going green is one way to aid sale of older homes
WASHINGTON – There is no question that green has captured the imagination, if not the pocketbooks, of new-home buyers. But that begs another question: What can sellers of existing homes do to compete with builders for the hearts and minds of potential customers? As it turns out, the answer is plenty.
On Solar Energy Week homes tour, learn how to harness the sun
By Roger Showley
STAFF WRITER
The ninth annual San Diego Solar Homes Tour next Saturday will feature 42 homes throughout the county that incorporate different ways to use the sun's rays to save gas and electricity.
Hot air
We're not quite ready for the annual cool-weather furnace turn-on, but when the time arrives, run your ceiling fan on low speed in reverse to circulate the warmer air trapped near the ceiling to get extra heat for less money.
