CAPTION INFO: Jøtul’s Newcastle insert fueled by gas can be retrofitted into an existing masonry fireplace. Here it takes on the modern vibe of the room with a matte black overlay and sleek surround. CREDIT: Jøtul

It’s elemental, the attraction to fire, with its dynamic, shape-shifting flames and warmth. This is why homebuyers are so enamored — like moths to a flame, so to speak — to fireplaces, which often rank at or near the top of “must-have” home features.

Fireplace season is upon us, officially designated as the beginning of November to the end of February, and while Southern California isn’t exactly the tundra, we do like to keep the home fires burning inside and on outside patios to warm us up on cool nights.

The mild winters aren’t the only thing that sets this area apart when it comes to fireplaces. Although masonry fireplaces are still found in plenty of homes here, it has been about a decade since regulators banned their installation in any new housing developments because of pollution concerns. Since that time, masonry fireplace inserts and direct-vent gas and electric fireplaces have become increasingly common and offer technological advances, eye-catching designs and placement options.

• CAPTION INFO: The large Clean Face top direct-vent gas fireplace from Travis Industries offers a look that resembles a traditional masonry fireplace and features manufactured birch logs and ember bed lighting. CREDIT: Travis Industries

• CREDIT: Kozy Heat Fireplaces
  CAPTION INFO: A linear Calloway direct-vent gas fireplace from Kozy Heat Fireplaces mixes its modern shape with a more traditional overlay frame and surround.

• CAPTION INFO: Jøtul’s Newcastle insert fueled by gas can be retrofitted into an existing masonry fireplace. Here it takes on the modern vibe of the room with a matte black overlay and sleek surround. CREDIT: Jøtul

Fireplaces — no matter their type or energy source — and their hearths are one of the biggest focal points of a home’s living space and a prime opportunity to express personal aesthetics, from rustic with brick and stone to contemporary with clean, sleek and linear lines.

Patricia Rosengren, the executive director of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association’s Pacific region who is based in Pasadena, notes two trends in fireplaces in Southern California: the inclusion of patio fireplaces as part of the outdoor room boom and the addition of multiple fireplaces throughout the home.

“The outdoor room isn’t just a trend, it’s a thing,” Rosengren said. “We are all about living outside and fireplaces are a key part of these spaces,” as they provide heat and create a cozy atmosphere.

As for multiple fireplaces, Rosengren said the wide availability and range of options in direct-vent gas and electric units that do not require chimneys means residents can now “add a fireplace to a bathroom or upstairs bedroom” and other places throughout the home.

Types of fireplaces

There are three top types of fireplaces allowed by law in the Southland:

Masonry fireplacesThe majority of existing single-family homes in California were built in the 1950s, according to Zillow, when masonry, wood-burning fireplaces were the norm. Almost always made out of brick, they are connected to the flue and chimney as one cohesive element.

If strictly burning wood does not appeal to you, your masonry fireplace can be retrofitted with a fireplace insert that burns natural gas, EPA-certified wood or pellets. It connects to the chimney and flue leading outside and is a low-cost retrofit option compared to installing a new direct-vent gas fireplace as a replacement.

Direct-vent gas fireplacesThe leading advantage of a direct-vent fireplace fueled by natural gas is that you don’t need a chimney, so homeowners can get creative with their placement. From linear designs to those that mimic the traditional square fireboxes, advances in the industry have led from basic, trimmed front-facing models to no-trim, tunnel (“see-through”), corner, three-corner and indoor-outdoor models.

Electric fireplacesAn electric fireplace can be installed anywhere, with no venting required, and can be plugged into any standard household electrical outlet. It can be used with or without heat, and most come with an adjustable thermostat.

These too come with various style choices to appeal to a wide range of design aesthetics, from rustic to contemporary. A recent popular option is electric fireplace media consoles that accommodate big-screen televisions and speaker systems.

“Electric fireplaces are especially popular among people who don’t own their homes who want the ambience of a fire,” Rosengren said. “Manufacturers have really done a lot in creating the flame patterns and they are quite realistic.”

She says her organization’s retail members will ensure residents choose products that meet all California regulations and codes.

“Our trusted retail members know all the technical updates to help homeowners select and upgrade fireplaces … so customers can focus on the design elements,” Rosengren said.

Fireplace ‘media’ matters

What is on the inside counts, too. The national Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, which tracks consumer trends, notes the growing design move toward more use of rocks and branches as the inside materials (called media) of non-wood-burning fireplaces.

That isn’t to say glass, granite and panel media options aren’t still popular, especially among those looking for a modern aesthetic. But manufacturers of fireplace media have introduced a wide variety of eye-catching products that realistically mimic nature, such as realistic “charred” logs and “embers,” manufactured logs that look like a campfire or beach bonfire, and ceramic stones, rocks and pebbles.

Wood-burning restrictions

Air-quality, health and safety concerns have prompted restrictions on construction and limits on the use of residential indoor and outdoor wood-burning fireplaces in California.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District — which oversees most residences in the South Coast Air Basin, nearly all of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties — adopted strict rules on wood-burning fireplaces in March 2009. Permanent wood-burning devices in any new residential developments are banned, and those with wood-burning fireplaces are subject to mandatory “no-burn” days when high pollution levels are forecast during the season. The rules exclude the Coachella Valley and high desert, residences above 3,000 feet in elevation, low-income households and homes where wood burning is the only source of heat.

Last season’s lack of rain and warmer than average temperatures resulted in a record number of “no-burn” days, with 33 designated compared to eight the year before, the South Coast AQMD reported. You can register online at the district’s AirAlerts.org to get “no-burn” alerts emailed to you on the designated days.

Building a better wood fire

You can still enjoy the warmth and ambiance of your wood-burning fireplace on a typical day. The South Coast Air Quality Management District offers the following tips on its HealthyHearths.org website to help reduce pollution: Start fires with softwood kindling such as pine or fir; always burn “seasoned” or dry wood; have your chimney periodically cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep to rid it of creosote buildup; never burn garbage and other materials, and monitor the chimney for smoke output (it should give off a small wisp of white steam; the thicker and darker the smoke, the more harmful it is).

The post so listed here are the developments, wood-burning restrictions and retrofit and substitute laws – Orange County Register appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Lamenting the regulatory situation at home, Coinbase is doubling down on international expansion.

Key Takeaways

• Blaming a lack of regulatory clarity in the US, Coinbase is turning its attention elsewhere.
• The company lauded the emerging legislative framework in Europe, where it is preparing to expand its operations.
• However, US crypto leaders remain optimistic.
• In the absence of fresh legislation, the American judicial system offers a glimmer of hope.

With attempts to reform US crypto regulation currently held up in Congress, Coinbase is the latest American firm to turn its attention off-shore.

However, even if lawmakers fail to address the situation, US courts may provide the clarity businesses demand.

Resentment Toward US Crypto Policy

Among US-based crypto firms, criticism of the country’s regulatory environment has reached a fever pitch.

For example, on Wednesday, September 6, the executive chairman and co-founder of Ripple Labs, Chris Larsen, accused President Biden’s crypto policy of hurting American business interests.

“We owned it and we don’t anymore because the Biden administration, for whatever reason, decided they wanted to push this industry offshore,” he said, adding that “it’s London, Singapore, Dubai that are the global capitals of blockchain now.”

Coinbase Doubles Down on International Growth

The same day Larsen asserted that US crypto policy is driving businesses elsewhere, an announcement  by Coinbase somewhat validated his claim. 

Having initially announced its “Go Broad, Go Deep” strategy  for international growth last year, on Wednesday, the San Francisco-based firm said it would move ahead with phase two of its global expansion plans.

Pointing out that Europe now claims two-thirds of the world’s blockchain jobs, Coinbase is increasingly prioritizing the EU and UK markets.

EU adopted the Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) regulation earlier this year. Once it comes into force in 2024, MiCA will allow crypto asset service providers (CASP) to passport licenses gained in one member state across the block.

In its recent update, Coinbase announced it’s in the final stages of choosing a country to serve as its licensing hub under MiCA.

The company has already registered as a CASP and e-money institution in Ireland and holds additional crypto licenses in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy.

Meanwhile, Coinbase applauded the UK for sending a “powerful signal that it is open for business to crypto asset firms” in the form of the Financial Services and Markets Act (FSMA).

With European crypto regulation in the ascendency, the firm cautioned that the US risks “forfeiting its influence over the future of the financial system.”

“Tide is Turning” on US Crypto Regulation, Says Ripple CTO

While the SEC remains hell-bent on continuing its war on crypto, judges have ruled against the regulator in several key trials.

A recent court ruling has potentially marked a pivotal moment in the legal classification of cryptocurrencies in the US. The ruling favored Ripple Labs, which has been embroiled in a legal battle with the SEC since 2020.

At the heart of the case is the SEC’s designation of XRP as a security. In a victory for Ripple, after 3 years, Judge Analisa Torres decided that the token doesn’t qualify as a security. 

In comments reported by Coin Telegraph on Thursday, Ripple CTO David Schwartz said the’ ruling demonstrated that “the tide is turning” for the US crypto sector. 

Going forward, Schwartz said he thinks US judges are growing more skeptical of the SEC’s lawsuits against crypto businesses. “They’re starting to get huge pushback from Coinbase and pushback on the ETFs,” he observed.

Larsen, who also views favorably a recent judgment that instructed the SEC to reevaluate Grayscale’s application for a spot Bitcoin Exchange-Traded Fund (ETF), shares his observation.

“This is the beginning now, through the courts, unfortunately, instead of the regulators, to get that clarity and get us back in the game,” the Ripple chairman argued.

The post Coinbase Transferring to Areas with Clear Crypto Rules appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

It’s no secret that recent movers have preferred moving to Florida. Recent data from the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles shows that people from New York, New Jersey and California are among the states with the most people applying for a Florida driver’s license. In fact, according to the New York Post, the data showed that around 30,000 Californians applied for a Florida license in 2022.

Economist Vance Ginn thinks he knows one of the main reasons Californians come to Florida, and he thinks it’s driven in part by saving money, as follows.

Cheaper housing through fewer barriers to real estate development: Ginn, chief economist at the Pelican Institute for Public Policy, recently co-authored an opinion piece in the Washington Examiner. In it he set out his argument that the primary motivation for relocating Californians to Florida and Texas was housing affordability, writing in part:

“Housing affordability has been a major factor that has propelled Californians to states like Texas and Florida where they can realistically afford the American dream of home ownership.”

Ginn goes on to explain that Florida and Texas have cheaper housing because they implement fewer “bureaucratic bottlenecks” for real estate development, writing:

Florida did a good job winning the war on over-regulation to make room for more housing… It’s not complicated: The states and cities that will prosper in the coming decade will be the ones that have a less-regulated housing market allow, i.e. the amount of apartments on offer can efficiently cover the amount demanded.”

US News & World Report concluded that California is the most regulated state in America. And although Ginn’s article is written as an opinion piece, there is some evidence to support some of her claims, as follows.

California has 4 of the 10 most expensive cities in the United States: According to a 2022 study by Rocket Mortgage, the markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Jose and San Diego were among the 10 most expensive cities in the United States and accounted for nearly half of the nation’s most expensive places to live.

In general, living in California is much more expensive than living in Florida: Although Florida’s real estate markets have risen dramatically, they still compare favorably to California.

According to Zillow, the median home value in Florida is $404,939. In California, the same figure is $760,644. So while some Floridians and those looking to buy a home in Florida lament the rising real estate markets, someone coming from California might see Florida real estate prices as a bargain.

Differences in State Income Tax: Although Ginn’s writings did not address differences in state income taxes, there are key differences between these two states that affect the cost of living.

California state income tax ranges from 1% to 12.3% and sales tax ranges from 7.25% to 10.75%. Florida has no state income tax and the sales tax rate is 6%.

The post Californians are Transferring to Florida Because of Reasonably priced Housing and Fewer Constructing Laws, Based on an Economist | L. Cane appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

Hobby chefs who make money doing what they bake, roast, or otherwise produce will soon find a more willing partner in their business in most North Bay counties.

While COVID has put this on hold, a door opened by a 2019 state law allows counties to enact rules for the inspections and training requirements required to get home cook permits.

Of all the North Bay counties, Solano is the most advanced in implementing state law governing micro-business kitchens, or MEHKOs (pronounced MAY-co). The district wants to enable entrepreneurs to start the approval process. The law allows new and illegally operating companies to comply.

“I still have the original paperwork that I started in 2014. I thought it was too much trouble and decided to do what I do and pray things worked out and that happened, ”said Veronica Bearce, who runs Veronica’s Veggies out of her Benicia home.

Now she wants to get MEHKO certified.

What is happening in the north bay?

The MEHKO Act builds on the much more restrictive California Homemade Food Act, which came into effect in 2013. The original cottage food bill allowed home cooks to bottle foods like canned foods or make anything that didn’t need to be refrigerated.

The rules for MEHKOs have lifted the lid on what a home cook can legally prepare and sell. This means that milk, eggs, vegetables, meat, and fish are potential ingredients.

While some think home cooks will compete with stationary establishments, the restrictions placed on these small establishments do not seem to pose a threat to restaurants.

“It was not a conflict and our members are not complaining about it,” said Amy Cleary, spokeswoman for the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, of the MEHKO law. The San Francisco-based group has members with restaurants in the North Bay.

The California Restaurant Association has no opinion on the law of the state.

Limitations in the bill are designed to keep the business small so that garbage, traffic, and other potential problems associated with running a commercial operation in a residential area don’t show up.

In addition, annual gross sales cannot exceed $ 50,000. In addition, the home cook can only prepare 30 meals a day or 60 a week.

Solano: Yeah

As the most advanced company, Solano County is already training home cook managers in the new rules. The Solano Small Business Development Center held a workshop in May that was attended by more than 50 people with different backgrounds and connections to food. Another webinar is planned for June 8th.

“I have also appointed two SBDC consultants who will work with anyone who wants to start a MEHKO company. We support them with district applications, food safety courses, setting up their operations, menu development, food costing and marketing, ”said Tim Murrill, Executive Director of the Solano Small Business Development Center. “This is the first time many have run a business and we can help them every step of the way.”

He said the benefits to existing businesses include:

• Comply with regulations and avoid closings and fines if the county finds it is operating from home without MEHKO certification.
• Giving prospective customers the assurance that they are a MEHKO certified company as it means that they have gone through all security and licensing protocols.
• Get support from the SBDC to help them succeed.

Solano SBDC also covers the cost of $ 175 for 20 people to earn a ServSafe Food Manager certification. According to ServSafe, the courses provide “sufficient knowledge about food safety to protect the public from foodborne diseases”.

Sonoma: Maybe in late summer

While Solano has taken the lead, other jurisdictions, with the exception of Napa County, are starting to set up home cooking programs.

The MEHKO regulations are due to be on the Sonoma County’s Board of Directors agenda on September 14th. With staff still gathering information, it’s too early to know if an actual regulation will be voted on this Tuesday or if the topic might just be a discussion point.

The full board expressed its support for MEHKOs at a strategic planning meeting prior to the pandemic. Supervisor Lynda Hopkins continues to lead the local effort.

“It can be an important economic development tool for our community. It can encourage more small businesses to start in our county, ”Hopkins told the Business Journal. “I’ve heard such positive reactions from voters; so that they can generate additional income in a county with such a high cost of living.

“This type of opportunity can be a positive way for people to make money during difficult economic times, especially for some of our most vulnerable residents who have more barriers to accessing traditional employment,” she added.

The post House-cooking companies acquire traction in San Francisco North Bay as native rules loosen up appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.

It is elementary, the attraction of fire with its dynamic, shape-changing flames and its warmth. This is why home buyers are so in love – moths in a flame, so to speak – with fireplaces that are often at or near the top of “must-have” home features.

The fireplace season is just around the corner and is officially known as the beginning of November through the end of February. While Southern California isn’t exactly the tundra, we want the house fires to burn in and on the outdoor patios to keep us cool at nights.

The mild winters aren’t the only thing that sets this area apart when it comes to fireplaces. Although brick fireplaces can still be found in many homes, it has been roughly a decade since regulators banned their installation in new housing developments due to pollution issues. Since that time, brick fireplace inserts, gas and electric fireplaces with direct ventilation have become increasingly common, offering technological advances, eye-catching designs, and placement options.

• CAPTION INFO: Travis Industries’ large Clean Face direct gas fireplace has a look that resembles a traditional brick fireplace, with crafted birch trunks and ember bed lighting. CREDIT: Travis Industries

• 

  CREDIT: Kozy Heat Fireplaces CAPTION INFO: A linear Calloway gas fireplace with direct exhaust from Kozy Heat Fireplaces combines its modern shape with a more traditional overlay frame and bezel.

• 

  CAPTION INFO: Jøtul’s gas-fired Newcastle insert can be retrofitted into an existing brick fireplace. Here it takes on the modern feel of the room with a matte black overlay and a slim bezel. CREDIT: Jøtul

Fireplaces – regardless of their type or source of energy – and their fireplaces are one of the main focal points of a home’s living space and an excellent opportunity to express personal aesthetics, from rustic with brick and stone to modern with clean, sleek and linear lines.

Patricia Rosengren, the Pacific region executive director of the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association based in Pasadena, notes two trends in fireplaces in Southern California: the inclusion of patio fireplaces as part of the outdoor boom and the addition of multiple fireplaces to the home.

“The outdoor space isn’t just a trend, it’s a thing,” said Rosengren. “We are about living outside, and fireplaces are an integral part of these spaces,” as they provide warmth and create a cozy atmosphere.

For multiple fireplaces, Rosengren said residents are now “adding a fireplace” to an upstairs bathroom or bedroom due to the wide availability and range of options for direct exhaust gas and electrical appliances that do not require chimneys in other locations throughout the house.

Types of chimneys

There are three top types of fireplaces that are legally allowed in the Southland:

Brick chimneysMost of the existing single-family homes in California were built in the 1950s, according to Zillow, when brickwork and wood-burning fireplaces were the norm. Almost always made of bricks, they are connected as a coherent element with the fireplace and the chimney.

If you don’t like the strict burning of wood, your brick fireplace can be retrofitted with a fireplace insert that burns natural gas, EPA-certified wood or pellets. It connects to the outside chimney and chimney and is an inexpensive retrofit option compared to installing a new gas chimney with direct ventilation as a replacement.

Direct vent gas firesThe main benefit of a natural gas direct vent fireplace is that you don’t need a fireplace so homeowners can get creative with their placement. From linear designs to those that mimic traditional square fireplaces, advances in the industry have moved from simple, cut, front-facing models to models with no trim, tunnel (“see-through”), corner, three corner, and inside-outside .

Electric fireplacesAn electric fireplace can be installed anywhere without the need for ventilation and can be plugged into any standard household electrical outlet. It can be used with or without heat and most come with an adjustable thermostat.

Again, these offer different style options to appeal to a wide range of design aesthetics, from rustic to contemporary. A recently popular option is media consoles with electric fireplaces that can accommodate large screen televisions and speaker systems.

“Electric fireplaces are especially popular with people who don’t own their homes and want the ambience of a fire,” said Rosengren. “The manufacturers really did a lot to create the flame patterns and they are pretty realistic.”

She says her organization’s retail members will ensure residents select products that meet all California regulations and codes.

“Our trusted retail members are aware of all the technical updates to help homeowners choose and upgrade their fireplaces. So customers can concentrate on the design elements, ”said Rosengren.

Fireplace “media” counts

What’s inside also counts. The national Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association, which tracks consumer trends, notes that growing design is leading to greater use of stones and branches as interior materials (called media) in non-woodburned fireplaces.

That’s not to say that glass, granite, and slab media options are still not popular, especially with those looking for a modern aesthetic. However, fireplace media manufacturers have introduced a variety of eye-catching products that realistically imitate nature, such as realistic “charred” logs and “embers”, manufactured logs that look like a campfire or a campfire on the beach, as well as ceramic stones, stones and pebbles.

Wood burning restrictions

Air quality, health, and safety concerns have resulted in construction restrictions and restrictions on the use of wood-burning fireplaces both indoors and outdoors in California.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District, which oversees most of the residences in the South Coast Air Basin, almost all counties in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino, put strict regulations in place on wood fires in March 2009. Bans are banned in any new housing estate , and those with wood fireplaces are subject to mandatory “no-burn” days, when high levels of pollution are forecast during the season. The rules exclude the Coachella Valley and the high desert, residential homes over 3,000 feet in elevation, low-income households, and homes where wood-burning is the only source of heat.

The lack of rain last season and the above average warm temperatures resulted in a record number of days without burning. 33 were expelled compared to eight days in the previous year, reported the AQMD on the south coast. You can register online at the district AirAlerts.org to receive an email notification that does not include burns on the designated days.

Build a better wood fire

On a typical day, you can still enjoy the warmth and ambience of your wood-burning fireplace. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has the following tips on its HealthyHearths.org website to help reduce pollution: start fires with softwood such as pine or fir; Always burn “seasoned” or dry wood. Have your chimney regularly cleaned by a licensed chimney sweep to remove creosote deposits. Never burn rubbish or other materials, and monitor the chimney for smoke (it should give off a small whiff of white vapor; the thicker and darker the smoke, the more harmful it is).

The post so listed here are the tendencies, wood-burning restrictions and retrofit and substitute rules – Orange County Register appeared first on DAILY SAN FRANCISCO BAY NEWS.