Austin Real Estate Blog

Construction began in February 2008 on two luxury apartment complexes in the North Austin area, both constructed by the Texas division of Alliance Residential Company: Alliance Communities. Broadstone Travesia will be a 396 unit, built next to Travesia Corporate Park and Broadstone Grand Avenue, a 280 unit complex, will be build near Round Rock on the Grand Avenue Parkway.

The Travesia complex is scheduled for completion by mid-2009. Rents on the one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments will range from $785 to $1,465 per month. It will be located across from La Frontera, a mixed-use development containing retail and office space, residential areas, and financial institutions.

The Grand Avenue project is also expected to be completed in 2009, offering one-, two-, and three-bedroom units ranging in rent from $760 to $1,430 per month. The apartment complex will be located at the northeast area where Grand Avenue and Interstate Highway 35 intersect.

Construction financing for the Travesia apartments is being provided by Guaranty Bank, while Bank of America is providing the financing for the Grand Avenue project.

This new construction is indicative of the Austin area’s healthy and growing economy. Austin continues to attract major corporations to locate their headquarters in the area, and has been a leader in a new growth industry - “green” jobs and construction. As concerns over global climate change and warming grow, Austin stands ready to answer with alternative energy sources and sustainable landscaping, reusing waste water to irrigate lawns and plantings, designing new buildings with existing energy sources - natural sunlight and warmth, as well as cooling - in mind.

The new apartment complexes will provide housing for an expected influx of workers in the north Austin area.

At Dell’s headquarters in Austin, Texas, the goal is to be carbon neutral by the end of 2008. The 2.1 million square foot campus is already powered 100 percent by renewable energy sources: 40 percent landfill generated methane gas from Waste Management’s Austin Community Landfill gas to energy plant and 60 percent wind generated power from TXU Energy’s wind farm.

Dell is concentrating green efforts toward increasing the percentage of renewable energy use from 8 to 17 percent, replacing lighting and air conditioning with more energy efficient units, and using 100 percent renewable energy sources at their Idaho plant - 97 percent wind and 3 percent solar power.

Additional environmental efforts on Dell’s part include a Plant A Tree Program - in which they plant a tree for a small additional fee on every purchase made - a free computer recycling program, and products which are ranked among the most energy efficient lap- and desktops on the market today. The OptiPlex 755, Inspiron 531, Latitude D630, and the PowerEdge product line combine to save customers more than $2 billion and over 22 million tons of carbon dioxide.

These energy initiatives are expected to save Dell almost $2 million in annual operating costs and cut carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 12,000 tons per year. Renewable energy costs are also not as subjected to the whims of the market, thereby keeping the company’s energy budget under control.

Dell had announced their intention to go carbon neutral in September of 2007 and they are well on their way to meeting this goal by the end of 2008. As Paul Bell, president of Dell, says, “it’s time for our industry to take a lead role in creating a clean energy future.”

With all the excitement and innovation in building environmentally friendly facilities, even the US Army is getting into the act. Fort Hood aims to be the first Army base to construct a building to comply with the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system.

In order to meet LEED’s sustainable standards, buildings are required to use 30 percent less energy and 20 percent less water than a comparable but non-green building. The building must also meet standards set by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) for improvements in indoor air quality.

Fort Hood has already instituted an Environmental Management System (EMS), which includes educating the installation’s solders, families, and other base personnel in reducing waste and energy use while improving the quality of life. In fact, Fort Hood has already introduced recycling and reuse strategies that have saved 3 million gallons of water and a million gallons of hazardous waste.

Everyone on base is expected to be responsible for complying with the standards enacted by the US Army Environmental Command (USAEC). The USAEC provides initiatives for Army installations’ efforts to “go green” through its Secretary of the Army Environmental Awards. The competition for this prestigious award is fierce and Fort Hood was among the 2007 winners for its improvements in the environmental quality on base.

The move toward environmentally friendly building is not only the result of global concerns about climate change and rising pollution levels, but a response to a directive from USAEC mandating all new vertical building construction to achieve at least a silver level LEED standard. The buildings must meet requirements set by LEED for sustainability, energy efficiency, and air quality. Fort Hood wants to be the first to build one.

There are plenty of reasons for you to choose green alternatives when building, not the least of which are the health of the planet and the health of you. But perhaps, so far, that hasn’t been enough to truly motivate you; perhaps you need a little more incentive. Well, the state of Texas has provided you with just that, an incentive - a tax incentive to be exact.

Property owners with solar, wind or biomass power sources installed on-site are eligible for a 100-percent property tax exemption on the appraised value of the device. Installers, along with the manufacturers and sellers, are eligible for a franchise tax exemption. Corporations with said devices can deduct the item’s cost or take ten-percent of it from the company’s income. With solar, wind or biomass power sources installed, companies are also eligible for economic development credits. And that’s just for power sources. There are other incentives for other eco-friendly additions.

The next time you decide to make a change to your home or company, think green and you’ll save green. Invest in alternate energy sources and power-saving materials., and take the natural route - the one that won’t deplete the Earth. You’ll be ensuring that you, your home and your wallet are sustained longer.

For more information on tax incentives in your area, call the Comptroller of Public Account, Tax Policy Division.

The trend is rapidly turning toward more energy efficiency, not only in public and community buildings, but homes as well. The federal government is getting into the act in a big way by providing tips and suggestions to homeowners to increase the efficiency and decrease the cost of heating, cooling and lighting their homes.

ENERGY STAR appliances are a good start. These are refrigerators, ovens, washers and dryers that, by following strict guidelines for efficiency, have earned the ENERGY STAR. And the ENERGY STAR doesn’t apply to just appliances anymore. Qualified contractors can do a top to bottom inspection and offer advice on reducing drafts, upgrading insulation, replacing exterior windows, and upgrading electrical lighting.

Tax credits are available to homeowners who make energy-related improvements to their homes as well. The IRS has more information. Improvements to existing homes such as insulation that reduces heat loss or gain, windows and skylights, exterior doors and roofing that meet ENERGY STAR requirements. The addition of solar panels can also qualify the owner for tax credits.

The US Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site contains a comprehensive list of ideas for reducing energy waste in the home. Using structural insulated panels in new construction, replacing old light bulbs with the longer lasting bulbs, and sealing leaky duct work are just a few suggestions. Replacing your old thermostat with a programmable thermostat is one simple and inexpensive way of reducing energy use. Installing solar panels is at the high end of the initial cost spectrum, but could realize substantial savings in the long run.

A top to bottom energy audit of the house by a qualified contractor is highly recommended to assist the homeowner in cutting down on wasted energy and reap the benefits in subsequent savings.

More communities are turning to green building and sustainable communities as the cost of energy and climate change worries rise. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has this report on the progress being made.

Nearly 10 years ago, the city of Dallas wanted to replace the police headquarters with a new, energy-efficient building that would use such features as waterless urinals, a HEPA-grade air filtration system, storm-water collection for landscape irrigation, and paints, sealants, and carpeting that met environmentally friendly criteria. In spite of the difficulties in locating such materials, the Jack Evans Police Headquarters was opened in 2003 to the praise of the EPA. The building is even on schedule to realize the initial higher costs of “green” materials in eight years rather than the projected ten.

The benefit of building green is not lost on other municipalities that have begun to embrace the energy efficient designs. Austin, Houston, and San Antonio are adopting laws that call for public projects to adhere to sustainability guidelines. In 2000, the United States Green Building Council issued a rating system for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) to encourage this sort of sustainable construction. The more energy efficient factors the builder employs in their construction, the higher the rating a building receives. Construction that promotes employee health, recycled and low-impact materials, and innovative design earns points toward a silver, gold, or platinum rating. Of the 37 new construction projects certified LEED, seven have earned a gold rating.

The interest and rate of green building construction is growing rapidly. In the Houston area alone, the number of projects seeking LEED certification more than tripled between 2006 and 2007. As energy costs and environmental awareness rise, so does the desire among Texans to create more responsible urban development.

Austin’s Sustainable Communities Initiative (SCI) has a mission: “the highest quality of life in the best possible environment.” While this may seem a lofty ideal, the SCI is developing the tools to help this mission become reality.

The main premise of sustainability can be voiced in a couple of questions: will current practices allow a community to exist in comfort, and continue into the foreseeable future as a viable unit? If not, what needs to be addressed so that this objective can be accomplished?

To help answer these questions, the SCI outlines three factors of sustainability: environment, economics, and social equity.

Consuming resources without considering their renewal is the antithesis of sustainability. Maintaining respect toward available resources, acknowledging the responsibility of each member to use these resources conservatively, and the desire to allow each member equal access to these resources are the cornerstones of a green-built community.

It may seem to be a tall order to comply with the requirements for green living, but the SCI has some fairly simple suggestions each person can do to work toward sustainability.

When building or remodeling, consider using recycled materials; employ energy-efficient utilities and materials.

Purchase locally and organically. Seek out farmer�s markets and organic producers. Or grow your own!

Get informed about green building. Find out more about the Austin Neighborhood Planning Program, which offers assistance in planning sustainable neighborhoods.

Sustainable energy, like a perpetual motion machine, produces energy without consuming resources. Electricity can be produced using renewable resources such as wind, water, solar, geothermal, and biomass. 

It might strike one as odd that Texas - a big oil producing state - would be at the forefront of alternative energy development. Though perhaps not so odd when you think that, being a large oil producer, Texas would have an expert idea of how finite oil resources are. In this light, the State Energy Conservation Office (SECO) has launched an educational program to promote research and development of sustainable energy sources.

The name of the program, the Infinite Power of Texas Renewable Energy Educational Campaign, is quite a mouthful, but the idea is very simple. Gather all the learning materials and news concerning alternative and renewable energy sources together on one site and present it in an easy-to-access format for the public sector.

The site explains the more familiar renewable sources such as solar panels, wind turbines and hydroelectric plants. It also goes into detail about the lesser-known sources - biomass and geothermal energy - which are coming more into use as the technology is better developed.

Geothermal energy uses the water heated by molten rock inside the earth�s crust to heat buildings or, if high-pressured steam is available, to turn turbines that generate electricity.

Biomass is a resource that’s been in use for thousands of years, as wood for fire. Today, other forms of biomass are being developed for use as fuels such as used cooking oil, gas from sealed landfills, and solid wastes and sewage.

Continued interest in developing alternative fuels technology is best generated through education and information and SECO is definitely on the job.

As people become more aware of impending climate change and near-future energy crunches, land developers are finding innovative ways to create communities with more sustainability and less impact on the environment. An article in the magazine, Natural Home, highlights a new community in Austin, Texas, as one of these green-built innovations.Renovated from the old municipal airport, Mueller Airport Project mixed-use urban village utilizes the latest in environmentally friendly design. The community has its own power-generating plant, recreation, entertainment and shopping, as well as transit and employment.

Self-sustainability is just one aspect of this village. Recycling and reusing is prevalent: old runway materials are converted to street construction, old hangars are disassembled and reused in new building, historic buildings are converted into public spaces. Homes are built with non-toxic and recyclable materials, and plenty of open green spaces and waterways have been incorporated into the plan.

The residential buildings of the Mueller Project include a wide variety of living arrangements. From single-family dwellings to condominiums, the village offers an option for nearly every lifestyle. For-sale home prices range from $100K to the $600Ks for attached and detached homes. An apartment complex is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2008 and will feature 10-foot ceilings, two swimming pools and a fitness center.

Catellus, the developer of the Mueller project, has 20 years of land redevelopment experience and has transformed old airports, industrial complexes, and abandoned military bases into such communities - self-contained, sustainable, and environmentally friendly villages. Termed New Urbanism, the designs are actually based on traditional old European villages, where retail, living, and recreation space was located within walking distance.

Mueller Airport Project stands as a model for the urban development of the future and points toward one solution to increasing energy crises.

While I’ve never sold a McCrary home, I’m sure several of the agents in my office who have been around for 20+ years have. I’ll check with them and post some update material, but for now, check out the news release and the McCrary website. They seem to build some pretty impressive homes.

Luxury Home Builders McCrary Homes Announce Return to Austin, Texas Area Building After a twenty year absence, McCrary Homes announces a return to Austin, Texas area home building. These new high-end homes feature the latest designs and innovative technology, classic luxury homes for the future.

(PRWEB) January 30, 2008 — McCrary Homes, a family-owned company specializing in the building of luxury new homes, announces a return to construction in the Austin, Texas area after a twenty year absence. The luxury new homes are being built in Georgetown, Texas, minutes from Austin, in the much-desired Williamson County North West Corridor, cited as one of the fastest growing counties in the United States.

Business owners Jerry and Linda McCrary spent their twenty year absence from Austin area home building watching trends and publishing home-related magazines. When they decided to return to their home, and with the help of their son Jeff recapture where they left off in the eighties, the time away spent trend-watching was able to give the company an edge in the highly competitive Georgetown market, selling their first spec in the framing stage. The spec was a combination of the top features of various award-winning luxury new homes featured in their magazines.

“Our homes are built as if we were going to live in them ourselves,” said company co-owner Linda McCrary. Linda’s specific role within the company is to design and select the interior colors, flooring, cabinets, and other features which turn the inside of each home into a true work of art. Her husband Jerry and son Jeff take care of the construction, with years of expertise in the field.

As luxury home builders moving deeper into the twenty-first century, the principals of McCrary Homes have used the time off also to research other innovations besides those of aesthetic design.

Linda McCrary added, “We are on the cutting edge of new technology to make life easier and more energy efficient.” The new homes from the luxury home builders company feature items that include tankless water heaters, high efficiency appliances and plumbing fixtures. McCrary Homes works with landscapes that are drought tolerant and deer resistant.

For more information about these Georgetown, Texas luxury home plans, visit the company online at McCraryHomes.com (http://www.mccraryhomes.com/).

About McCrary Homes:

With a motto of “Only the best will do,” McCrary Homes is a company offering new homes in the Austin, Texas area, in the $600,000 price range and above. A family-owned business with great attention to detail, McCrary Homes was started by husband and wife team Jerry and Linda McCrary, along with their son Jeff, after a twenty year absence from the home-building business, spent doing research and publishing magazines for the industry. Now, each house they create is a work of art and personal passion, designed for the most discriminating home buyer.

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