Austin Real Estate Blog

solar panel qualifying for a solar incentive

Will Austin be giving away free solar arrays? No, of course not, but a new program which allows home owners to obtain low interest loans to install solar arrays has begun. The program will allow people to cut their electric bills while paying the loan on their property taxes. This is aimed at making the transition to green living easier on the Austin home owner.

The expected amount added to one’s property tax bill would be about equal to the amount saved on energy from the grid; meaning no impact to the typical home budget.  Since Austin exempts most renewable home improvements, including solar, from a home’s property tax valuation, the homeowner also adds value to the property, without increasing the taxable value of the home.  A green step forward is fiscally available for any Austin home owner interested in the upgrade.

With a large enough roof system, you could effectively remove yourself from the electrical grid. Or you could sell your extra power back to the utility. You’ll still want a back-up system, just in case of another hurricane like Katrina. Would this affect the electricity supplier in the area? It might. Too many people cutting back at once could strain the local utility. In the long run such a strain would be minor compared to the benefits that will come from the shift.

The largest obstacles to success might be keeping up with the rebates. $4 million was allocated for the fiscal year starting Oct 1, 2009. At this time more than $3 million has already been allocated.

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

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.

Looking for ways to cut down on that electric bill? Look no further than your child’s hamster cage and that annoying, squeaky wheel it’s so fond of. With a few minor modifications, and a hundred more hamsters and wheels, and you can kiss the grid goodbye forever. As an added bonus, hamsters seem to breed spontaneously so, as long as you have a good supply of food and water, you will be able to maintain a healthy, hard-working colony with little effort or cost.

As for the rural homeowner, the common dairy cow could not only be a source of milk but of fuel for the family car. Cows are fond of eating large quantities of hay and grass, which they are more than happy to naturally convert to methane gas, as is quite evident if you’ve ever visited a farm. Some minor conversion to the milking parlor equipment, as well as to the vehicles, and you have a ready supply of very potent fuel.

Dogs, and to a lesser extent, cats can be a viable substitute for that electric blankets that sucks up electricity. In fact, in ancient China, dogs were utilized frequently to keep master, mistress, and children warm during cold winter nights. The severity of the temperature was gauged by how many dogs were needed to keep the sleeper comfortable. A fairly frigid night, therefore, was commonly referred to as a Three Dog Night.

If you’ve read this far, and still think this is for real, then all I have to say is Happy April Fool’s Day!