Austin Real Estate Blog

As the green movement has taken hold of the nation, Austin has endeavored to stand before the trends. Years ago Austin took the stand to become the most green oriented city in the country, and as a whole a greener Austin is surfacing. To help this along, the local government has created avenues to make it easier for families to achieve a green home goal.

Among the options is an unsecured loan intended to update a home’s energy efficiency. the Power Saver^TM Program. The goal of this program is to make it easy for a home owner to update air conditioning, duct work and other area’s of energy concerns. As these improvements are made a home becomes more affordable, and develops better value. The loans hold no sway against the home or the improvements made. The interest rate is kept low, especially in this market, which keeps the payments low.

If you desire more information you can find it:
Home Performance with ENERGY STAR®-Loan

Application for Energy Star Loan

The Pedernals Electric Coop has implemented several measure to help their members save on energy costs and improve home value. The first of these is the PEC Home Energy Center, an online tool to help members conserve electricity, save on monthly bills, and reduce carbon emissions. Using the tool can create a clear understanding what improvements need to be made. They also have a rebate program for HVAC improvements.

“…our HVAC Rebate Program. HVAC systems can account for more than 50 percent of a member’s energy consumption, so we provide rebates to those who install energy-efficient units. In 2007, PEC paid more than $548,000 in rebates to members who upgraded their HVAC systems…”

Don’t forget AustinEnergy’s Rebate program.

Austin companies and city have really taken the time to create the resources home owners need.

Starting this June, those who wish to sell a home in Austin will be required to have their home inspected for energy efficiency. This new ordinance does not require the seller to upgrade any leaks or other problems that may be found, but it does state that the buyer be made aware of the outcome of the audit via disclosure. Of course, given the current market and economy, anything that may decrease the value of a home should be repaired prior to sale. Buyers don’t want to think of what needs to be fixed when looking at a home, so it will be better to make any necessary upgrades before putting the house on the market.

The energy audit will be looking into four areas of energy efficiency. There will be a duct pressure check on the air conditioning unit to check for leaks. Weather stripping around doors will be inspected. Shades and screens, especially on the east, west, and south sides of a home will be looked at, as will the type of insulation found in an attic. Energy Raters can be found online at Austin Energy’s Website, and will generally run about $300 for every 2,000 square feet. If you decide to go ahead with the upgrades, the home will need to be inspected again when complete.

There is another option considered in compliance with the new ordinance. Homeowners can participate in the Home Performance with Energy Star Certificate program. Homes that have already done so within the last ten years are exempt from the ordinance. In this case, a home performance contractor will inspect the home, sometimes for free with a bid for work. The same areas will be reviewed as with the energy audit, and then the information will be sent to Austin Energy for review. To receive a certificate of completion, three of the requirements must be met or the homeowner must have received a rebate of $500 or more from Austin Energy.
In either case, Austin Energy must approve the upgrades for energy efficiency. The information must be contained within the Seller’s Disclosure and is good for ten years.

These days, it has become very important to keep the environment in mind with pretty much every aspect of our lives. With so much emphasis on green living, it can sometimes be difficult to know if the choices that you make are actually eco-friendly. Of course, there are the obvious, like recycling and reducing energy output. What about when you are building a home, or just remodeling? Again, there are the obvious green choices like sustainable materials and energy efficient appliances. Beyond that, what is considered green living?

First of all, you will want to look at the site. For new construction, green living starts from the ground up. Take a look at the location itself. An eco-friendly builder will want to find a spot that reduces the need for car travel. Austin is becoming a hot spot for mixed use properties, making it an excellent place to be eco friendly. Smaller sites are also more environmentally sound, as they will require not only fewer materials, but less energy when complete. Older areas are also more eco-friendly in that they may have originally been designed with a walking commute in mind. While most of Austin is not necessarily convenient to the local grocery store, the newer designs are definitely taking it into account.

Austin is a city at the forefront of green living. There are several incentives offered by the city that encourage homeowners to make better energy decisions. The Austin Green Building Program has a rating system that can assist in making more environmentally friendly choices not just in building, but in day to day living as well. A little research can bring you to the proper choices in green living.

Many people purchase manufactured homes (mobile homes) over traditionally constructed homes but either don’t consider having the home inspected, don’t think one is necessary or don’t think the inspection process is available for a manufactured home, but an inspection by a professional inspector is critical part of purchasing any home. Whether it is a brand new or pre-owned manufactured home, many important safety, and structural and mechanical factors should evaluated before moving in. Some of these are:

• Is the home properly secured to the ground such as with tie down straps? Are the straps and anchors correctly installed?
• What type of foundation/support is being used under the home and is it proper e.g. concrete block, steel jacks, type of pad used under the piers, etc?
• If multi-wide, are the two sides (double wide) mated and secured properly?
• Has the roof been joined/installed properly in this area?
• Are proper connections made to utilities such as electricity, gas, sewer and water?
• Do items such as appliances, outlets, fixtures, heat and air, sinks, toilets etc. work inside the home?
• Are there leaks in HVAC duct work, or plumbing underneath the home?
• Is the underside floor insulation still in tact?

These and many other safety, functionality and livability factors should be evaluated for a manufactured home. Make sure that you have a professional inspector who is familiar with manufactured homes evaluate your home before you move in. This will help you be more knowledgeable and have peace of mind about the home you are purchasing.

Photos of things we see on manufactured home inspections are shown below.

Exposed, hanging electrical wiring under the home.

Overheating circuit breaker panel. Note charring of bus and burned labels on breaker.  Bus temp. measured over 350°.

Improperly installed chimney flashing – missing collar – allowing water to come into the house.

Termite tunnels on wood skirting in contact with the ground under the home.

Disconnected HVAC ductwork and missing under floor insulation and moisture barrier.

For more information contact:

Jerry Schmidt

Professional Building Consultant
Inspections, Home and Termite Inspections
512-501-3560 (Austin), 512-942-6071 , 254-421-0612 (Bell County)
888-871-5740 (toll free)
sunviewinspections.com, customer_care@sunviewinspections.com
TREC 9102, 9437, TPCL 13863

When it comes to the single factor responsible for heat loss or gain in any building, one needs only to look out, or at, the windows.

While many windows allow for much daylight, which is essential to human health and lowers lighting costs, it can also lead to increased heat transfer – whether out in cooler weather or in during hot summer days – which is an energy drain either way. Today’s window glazing methods attempt to reduce this energy loss.

A low-e window is coated with a low emissive glazing. It reflects more long wave radiant heat, keeping the sun from heating a room or preventing a warm room from radiating heat to the outside. The lower the emissivity number, the better the heat loss protection.

Sunlight not only heats a room, but can damage furniture and carpeting. Visible transmittance is the percentage of visible light rays that get thought the glass. Windows can be tinted or have film applied to block out the damaging end of the spectrum, or to reduce the radiant heat waves.

Double- or multi-glazed windows are perhaps the most economical means of preventing heat transfer. These windows integrate two or more panes of glass in one sash with an inert gas injected between them to provide insulation against heat loss or gain. This type of window prevents heat transfer while still allowing healthy sunlight into the room.

The type of glaze or tinting for a room’s windows depends on the application: one may wish to reduce heat transfer while another’s main concern is light damage to delicate furnishings. Either way, technology is available to fill these needs.

When one thinks of metal buildings, one usually envisions those hideous Quonset hut type structures that dot the landscape in the industrial parks and manufacturing zones of big cities. Metal roofing and wall panels don’t have to have that ugly commercial or industrial appearance. They are now available in a wide variety of aesthetically pleasing sizes and shapes, as well as many textures and colors. The metal material can be manufactured and shaped to mimic asphalt or wooden shingles, tile or slate, and even wooden shakes. The metal roofing is durable – resisting snow, hail and fire – and its light weight requires less structural support than other, heavier, materials.

The roofing can be made of aluminum, steel, or copper, and the tough painted finish will last far longer than traditional roofing. In most cases, metal roofing lasts two to three times longer than asphalt shingles. It’s generally more expensive; prices range from under $3.00 per square foot to up over $10.00 per square foot, depending on the material. The metal roofing material has the added feature of being recyclable, resulting in less fodder for the landfill.

A growing number of home owners are opting for metal roofs for the economic, environmental, and aesthetic reasons and the result is not unpleasing to the eye. They offer a viable alternative to more expensive, less environmentally friendly materials while, at the same time, allowing the home builder, architect, or engineer to follow his or her artistic desires.

Austin may have one of the most trend-defying markets in the country, growing steadily as the remainder of the nation declines, but that doesn’t mean you can assume success is inevitable. It’s not. You still have to put work into your commercial property before your investment can grow. If you don’t, your purchase won’t be an investment but a money pit, something that eats up your savings with no hope of return.

But what’s the smartest kind of work to do? You don’t want to waste valuable time and resources on projects that will net little to no profit. So think toward the future and features that appeal to the residents of your region.

Right now, the people of Austin are interested in commercial structures that combine their residential and business needs. They want businesses to hand it all to them, which is exactly what Stratus Properties Inc. and the Canyon Properties Urban Fund are doing. They’ve joined to create W. Austin Hotel & Residences, a building that will include condos for sale and hotels for rent nightly. The plan is ingenious, combining the city’s growing population with its even more rapidly advancing tourism and business markets.

Of course, if you can’t afford to do something like that or it simply doesn’t coincide with your business plan, think green instead. Austin is one of the most eco-conscious cities in the world. Consumers flock to green homes, green stores, green . . . anything. Whatever you can do to make your structure environmentally friendly will pay off in the long run. It will help keep that investment an investment.

The key to making your commercial property a smart move rather than a poor purchase is planning. Think about what the people around you want and give it to them. It’s the only way to get ahead.

The Community Development Program in Lubbock, Texas, is producing some highly energy efficient homes that can also resist tornadoes. The city government partnered with the community, government agencies and the building industry to design high quality homes that are environmentally and structurally sound.

Thirty structurally unsound homes in some Lubbock neighborhoods have been demolished and replaced with these redesigned homes, which have been found to use 30 to 50 percent less energy for heating, cooling, and utilities when compared to a new wood frame house. The wood frame construction is replaced with an insulated concrete form (ICF). These ICFs were the result of structural research done at Texas Tech University, in a research project looking to find a material that could withstand hurricane and tornado force winds and the projectiles that result from these storms.

The rebuilt homes have also contributed to the quality of the neighborhoods by eliminating urban blight, providing an increased quality of life for the inhabitants, and saving money on energy costs which can be redirected toward other needs. Energy and material costs are fueling the research and innovation in developing the more energy efficient, safer and economic housing.

Twenty more ICF homes are planned and interest is being stirred in other cities nationwide. Brad Reed, Senior Building Inspector for the City of Lubbock, who has been working with the program for nearly 10 years, says the Community Development Program can be replicated in many other cities. With matching funds from Housing and Urban Development, the program could assist a city’s efforts toward building affordable, energy efficient housing.