After working on an upcoming article about remodeling trends in 2011, it became obvious to me that it was a good time to recommend Sarah Susanka's books again.

Sarah is an architect and a best selling author for the " Not So Big" books. She has led the movement away from over sized homes and remodels for years.

Both of these books are excellent sources of inspiration for your future remodeling or building desires.

Sarah's viewpoint is in perfect alignment with the perspective that works for today's homeowner needs and budget. Homeowners that we have worked with that have embraced this idea of building better rather than bigger have continued to enjoy success in their remodeling efforts.

I was recently contacted by Carol Venolia an architect and writer for Natural Home Magazine and author of "Natural Remodeling for the Not So Green House". Carol was in the process of developing a plan for a green remodel for a historic home in downtown Mesa.

Carol told me how she develops feature articles for Natural Home Magazine by working with homeowners who contact her after reading her articles about natural remodeling.

Carol and I met with the homeowner and two officials from the city of Mesa to discuss the project. The city officials were very enthusiastic about our proposal of improving this historic Mesa home with green techniques.  After viewing the home and discussing the homeowners desires to improve her home we agreed to meet again the next week to perform a complete energy audit.

The homeowner wants to improve her home with a green focused remodel. An energy audit is a great way to learn about your homes strengths and shortcomings in order to develop your remodeling priorities and get the most from your remodeling investment.

We are in an ongoing conversation as our project is developing. I will write more as we decide on the best course of action.

I would also like to recommend Carol's book "Natural Remodeling for the Not-So-Green House". I bought a copy after my being approached for help by Carol Venolia. I found it to be a unique perspective on remodeling homes to maximize their livability by bringing the home into harmony with nature.

I have just received word from Salt River Project that they will be launching their Home Performance with Energy Star program on November 15th, 2010.

They have invited Homework Remodels to take part as one of SRP's home energy analyst and energy upgrade firms.

To provide consistency and reduce customer confusion, the SRP program will parallel the APS Home Performance Program. As such they will be offering $99 pricing for home energy auditing and rebates on numerous home energy improvements and repairs.

We are pleased that SRP will be assisting homeowners to make cost effective home improvements that will continue to save money on their energy bills and make their homes more comfortable at the same time.

To learn more about energy auditing and how it can help create energy savings at your home visit Home Performance with Energy Star techniques.

To schedule a SRP home energy audit call Steve at either 602-478-5102 or or email Steve@HomeworkRemodels.com