Eco Friendly Real Estate Blog

As part of Turning Houston Green's webinar series on how to green an existing home, here is the recorded version of our 4th program.  Michael Strong and I discuss Windows and Radiant Barrier.

It's not just about getting new windows or finding a radiant barrier.  Here we provide you with all of the questions you may have and/or need to ask your installers to get the biggest bang for your buck.  We also talk about the new Tax Credits to help you maximize what is available.

Our next webinar is on March 28th and we will be going over Indoor Air Quality.  We would love to have you join us!

I would also like to take a quick moment to Thank our Sponsors for helping to bring this to you:

Pella Windows

Bluegill Energy Management

Lutron Lighting and Electronics

***

"How do people have the money to buy homes that need foundation repair and tons of work?" 

Answer:  They don't need to have the cash to do it.  Here's the story.

We have all seen those homes.  You walk in and it is in dis-repair needing paint, flooring - Maybe it's outdated and needs some new appliances.  Sometimes it is difficult to look past all of that and picture a beautiful home.  One that your family can live in and enjoy.

Others see a home with 'potential'.  The home is a good consideration, especially at that price!  Let's look a little further.  And then, Uh Oh.

What are all of these cracks?  There may be some around the windows, where the sheetrock comes together in the corners.  The floor, it feels like we are walking downhill!  We then go outside to see significant cracks in the exterior of the home.

Immediately people think foundation problems.  With everything else, why would I want to tackle that?  It can be very costly, maybe we should just keep looking.

Well, maybe it is foundation problems - Maybe it isn't.  Maybe it is just an older home that has settled naturally.  It is not uncommon here in the Southern Region of the United States.  Especially if the home has sat vacant for a long period of time.  Often times people will walk away.  They feel that they do not want to do inspections and find out if there really is a problem they just keep moving and find another house. 

But you know what?  SOMEONE will buy that house.  6 months later you may see it back on the market by an investor that does a complete makeover on the home and you know what else?  You would never believe it unless you had seen it with your own eyes 6 months earlier.  You hear whispers of 'Can you believe it? Do you remember how much that home SOLD for?  I can't believe it!'

It must have been an investor with a lot of money.  Or, let's just leave that one to an investor with a lot of money.  That's what was heard before, when it needed work.

Home Buyers are looking for 'deals', but here in Houston, the homes that are 'perfect' still sell quickly.  They also sell for a higher price. However, the one I mentioned above that sits on the market for a while?  It may go for a REALLY great value to the Home Buyer.

Using an FHA 203K loan a regular Home Buyer, one that intends on LIVING in the home and ENJOYING the home can still purchase at just 3.5% down.  You know what else?  They can have ALL of the questionable repairs done.  EVEN THE FOUNDATION REPAIR!

FHA 203K is the ONLY loan that I am aware of that allows for Foundation Repair to be rolled in to the loan.  Along with paint, moving walls, landscaping, new countertops...just about anything!

ATTENTION Buyers looking for a good deal:  Consider these Mortgage Products!  Renovation and FHA 203K Loans. 

• As little as 3.5% down
• Roll in the cost of repairs
• Work must be done by qualified and licensed professionals
• Usually within 60 days of closing
• Competitive Interest Rates

Someone will buy that really neat home that needs a lot of repair and probably at a great price.  It may as well be you! 

If you need the name and number to a Qualified Mortgage Professional that can do these loans and has experience with them, just send me an email.  I would be happy to send you their name and number.  If it is the home for YOU, just make it happen!

We have heard ALL THE RAVE about how the Stimulus Bill had a ton of Energy Efficient Tax Credit stuff in it.  No cap on Solar and Geothermal - 30% up to a MAX of $1500 on Energy Efficient Improvements ...

One of the best parts of that is being able to get up to $1500 back for New Windows.  You know, those crummy single pane windows that you would love to rip out.  But, Hold On!  Have you read to see what qualifies?  I went in to Home Depot the other day and not a SINGLE WINDOW QUALIFIED that they had in there.

That does not mean that the product was bad.  That's not the case at all.  As a matter of fact, the majority of windows that are Energy Star Rated will not qualify.  The Guidelines to receive the Credit are very strict.  The U-Factor AND Solar Heat Gain CoEfficient BOTH have to be = or Below .30

To get the Scoop I went to visit Bob Birner with Renewal By Andersen Windows.  You may also know Bob as the Host of the Home Improvement Hotline on Sunday morning from 9a-12p.  If you are wanting to change out your windows and reap the benefit of the $1500 - Make sure that you listen in so you are not an angry Tax Payer next year.  By the way, all of you folks in the Houston area - Bob has Windows that qualify under both ratings.

The Stimulus Bill, it's rather confusing.  I have previously posted some of the Positive Sides to the Bill and this is part 3 of my Energy Efficiency Tax Credits in the '09 Stimulus Bill.

If you have been following my Webinar Series through 'Turning Houston Green' on Greening the Existing Home, you know that this Saturday, Michael Strong and I will be going over Water and Lighting Fixtures.  Part of this will be in regards to Energy Efficient Water Heating Solutions which includes Tankless and Solar Water Heating.

In doing our research, we noted that the Stimulus Bill changed the Tax Credits for this also.  Because the changes go through 2010, we think it is important for people to understand what it is you can actually get with your Tax Credits.  Be an educated consumer so that you can make the most of you upgrades.

So, here's the 411:

Tankless Water Heaters - Whether you get one that is Gas or Electric, it still needs Electricity.  Why?  There is an actual start for these babies to kick in and start heating your water.  So, with a Gas Tankless Water Heater, it still uses ELECTRICITY to start up.  THEN uses the Gas to heat the water.  This means that during a power outage, you will STILL NOT HAVE HOT WATER.  Because of this, Tankless Hot Water Heaters fall under the Energy Efficiency portion of the Stimulus Bill.

What does that mean to you?  You can get a Tax Credit for 30% of the purchase UP TO $1500 on ALL of your Energy Efficient Improvements - (such as windows which will be another post)  Max.  That's It.  $1500.

Now, Solar Water Heating:

This is considered to be Renewable Energy.  No electricity or gas is really required.  That means that you are solely using electricity derived from a Renewable Source, in this case THE SUN.  During a power outage you WILL HAVE Hot Water.  (not that the power outage has anything to do with, just making a point)

For these reasons, it falls under a completely different category.  Actually, it falls under the same category as GeoThermal and traditional Solar Panels. 

What does this mean to you?  You can get a Tax Credit for 30% WITH NO CAP!! 

Personally, I would use the Energy Efficient Tax Credit for Windows, Insulation, etc. and maximize by upgrading to Solar Hot Water.  You can only get a Maximum One Time Tax Credit of $1500 for Energy Efficiency, yet there is no cap on Solar/Renewable Energy right now. 

With a typical cost of $5000 for Solar Water Heaters - That would give you an ADDITIONAL $1500 Tax Credit if you are making other Energy Efficient Improvements to your home. 

Just a little food for thought.  To sign up for our Webinar Series on Saturday for more details on the Benefits of Energy Efficient Water Fixtures in your home, you can register here.

***Source:  Pages 125-127 of the Division B Tax, Unemployment, Health, State Fiscal Relief and Other Provisions from the Department of Energy Website***

***Photos:  These are from Houston's First LEED Certified Home Built by Greenhaus Builders***

This past Saturday Michael Strong and I held the 3rd Seminar in the set of 8 on Greening the Existing Home.  We reviewed HVAC and Insulation - What is SEER - Kinds of Insulation - What part is DIY if you wanted?

The Series is really coming along, the crowd is starting to open op and ask more questions.  If you think you would like to know about any of this, we would love to have you!

To sign up for Future Webinar Series, I invite you to register with this link.  We have the registration links posted for the duration of the Series and is expected to end on April 2nd.

Here is the rest of the schedule right now - Again, all links are for registration.

• Feb. 24th from 7p-8p       Radiant Barrier and Windows
• Feb. 26th from 7p-8p     Water Conservation Fixtures and Delivery Systems
• March 28th from 11a-12p         Indoor Air Quality
• March 31st from 7p-8p       Durability
• April 2nd from 7p-8p       Top 10 Practices and Green Guidelines

And now, the recorded session.  :0)  You can read the Chat Archive here

I would also like to take a quick moment to Thank our Sponsors for helping to bring this to you:

Pella Windows

Bluegill Energy Management

Lutron Lighting and Electronics

***

For those that have been around the Houston area for an extended amount of time, you are familiar with North Harris Montgomery College - The local College that not only offers courses for those starting out their College Education, BUT ALSO a Huge Variety of Continuing Education Courses for both Professionals AND Homeowners!

North Harris College this past year changed their name to Lone Star College Systems!

One of the Courses that is on the Spring 2009 Schedule for the location on WW Thorne by Intercontinental Airport is 'How To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient'!  If you follow my blog, you guessed it right.  It's being taught by Yours Truly - Stephanie Edwards-Musa - Houston's Realtor and Certified EcoBroker -

The course costs $35 and I guarantee that I will have that money back to you through a lower Utility Bill with what you learn in the class.

The Course runs 2 nights a week for 2 weeks in both March and April from 6p-8p in the evening.  The majority of the coursework will be what you can do yourself over a weekend with some Homework at the end of each day to make it a little more fun learning and so that you can get a good idea of how YOUR particular home works.

Every home is different, this course will teach you about YOURS in particular.

It's not just about Light Bulbs!  We will go in to how you need to have a strategic approach when sealing up your home and step by step what should be done to maximize the money you spend so that it is not wasted.

To register for the class you can call the College at 281-618-5400 and ask for the Continuing Education Dept.  I hope to see you there!  Below is a Calendar that has the Courses. 

March 17-26 on Tuesdays and Thursdays

April 20-29 on Mondays and Wednesdays

Just a quick reminder that the 3rd part of our Webinar series on how to make an Existing Home Green with myself and Michael Strong of Brothers Strong is this Saturday February 21st at 11 am.  The topic this week will be HVAC and Insulation. 

We will go over what you need to know about changing out and upgrading your existing Heat and A/C system to one that is more efficient and everything in regards to Insulation. 

We have changed the initial dates for the rest of the Series so that we can be all finished up by April 2nd that will have you ready to go for the HOT and HUMID Summer here in Houston!  You can take everything you learn to get those summer utility bills down! 

Here are the topics for the rest of the Series and below is the Calendar for TurningHoustonGreen.  Just take a quick look through and see if there is anything you are interested in!

Register for Part 3 Webinar

I would also like to take a quick moment to Thank our Sponsors for helping to bring this to you:

Pella Windows

Bluegill Energy Management

Lutron Lighting and Electronics

***

I heard on the news last night, and against this morning in the Austin American Statesman, that Preservation Texas has issued a list of 2009's Most Endangered Historic Places. 

We don't often think of the impact that history has on who and what and where we are today, but its impact is enormous.  We can't figure out where we're going if we don't know where we are and how we got there.  Trashing the old in service to the new is an attitude that leads to such things as giant mountains of trash in our waste disposals, a landscape buried in houses (we just HAVE to have a brand! new! house! with all the latest bells and whistles, or if the refrigerator isn't the latest color, out it goes!). 

To counteract this trend, we should be treasuring our history and the places that serve as reminders of it.  Whether it be Hamilton Pool, once crystal clear 20 feet to the bottom, now all but destroyed by silt from a nearby development, or a bank building in a mid-century architecture that's all but lost, or a bridge, or a church, or a Governor's Mansion, these are the things that remind us of our roots, that ARE our roots, and they are precious. 

Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Energy Efficiency.  It is all we have heard for about a year and is one of the Hottest topics in the 2009 State of Texas Legislative Session.  However, in Houston we may NOT want to wait to see what happens this year - We should probably consider making the changes NOW!

Part of the infamous Bailout last October was to extend some Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.  While the Solar Tax Credits were improved AND extended through 2016, The Tax Credit for Energy Efficient Improvements was ONLY extended through 2009! 

The Federal Tax Credit includes:

• Windows and Doors
• Insulation
• HVAC
• Water Heaters
  
• AND MORE

Now, The Tax Credit is for 10% of the cost and UP TO $500 -

While that may not have you running to the Phone Book to find a Contractor, let's consider making these changes ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND May 23-25 2009 -

Odd, I know, that I would recommend only doing this on ONE Weekend a year - Let me Explain.

The State of Texas has scheduled the Tax Free Weekend for Energy Star Items again this year!  It's on Memorial Day weekend and for what is Energy Star Rated, IT IS TAX FREE!  Here is what falls under the Tax Abatement:

• A/C Systems priced Under $6,000
• Programmable Thermostats
• Ceiling Fans
• Dishwashers
• Dehumidifiers (which could go under A/C)
• LIGHT BULBS (STOCK UP FOR THE YEAR OR TWO!)
• Refrigerators under $2000

Under the State of Texas Program this sometimes will also include some Installation/Delivery costs AND will work on all Online Purchases!!

So now, if you combine the two this year - You can get $500 back on your 2009 Tax Return AND save at least 8% on Tax when Buying it on Memorial Day Weekend!  Here's a breakdown:

• $400 Dishwasher - $33 in tax
• $50 Programmable Thermostat - $4.13 in tax
• HVAC based on $3000 System - $247.50 in tax
  
• Water Heater - $16.50 in tax
  

You could potentially save A LOT of money.  If you decide to only do the ones that can qualify TWICE you may want to consider an HVAC System and Water Heater over Memorial Day.

Let's hope that the Federal Incentive is extended past 2009 but I know for a fact that some Energy Efficiency items that I was personally holding off on, I'm going to do this year.

If you decide to take advantage of these items, be sure to stop back by and let us know how much you save!!

*****UPDATE*****

Part of the lovely Stimulus package that people either love or hate from Feb. 2009 has extended the Federal Tax Credit through 2010.  But still consider making these changes on Memorial Day weekend!

"Don't Mess With Texas!"  We're all familiar with this saying, but I've discovered hanging out in online relocation forums that a lot of people who aren't from here really don't understand what it's about. 

They think it's too aggressive.  They think that we're being pugilistic.  They think that we're saying that we're better than anyone else. Granted, there've been some riffs on the phrase that could lead to that conclusion - I, myself, have a cherished old red t-shirt that says, in big red letters, "Don't Mess With Texas Women".  Now, that's pretty accurate - we are known to rip off the velvet glove rather quickly, and a lot of us ARE armed!

This confusion has become widespread enough that I've actually seen a billboard by the Texas Department of Transportation that says, "'Don't Mess With Texas' Means Don't Litter".  Now, that's sad, that it has to be spelled out so bluntly.  

In actuality, "Don't Mess With Texas" is an award-winning advertising program sponsored by TxDOT intended to, with some humor, remind people that "messing" with Texas in the form of littering is not the manly thing to do.  Commercials with such Texas icons as Willie, Lyle, Stevie (yeah, a lot of our icons are known by one name), Joe Ely, Marcia Ball, George Foreman, and others encourage our citizens to treat Texas with respect, not throwing trash on her highways and byways.  We're proud of our state, with good reason, and don't hold kindly with people treating her with disrespect. 

So, when you're traveling in Texas, whether you're just visitin', or you've lived here all your life and all your granddaddy's life, or if you're relocating here, and you see a sign that says, "Don't Mess With Texas," just smile and put that trash away to throw in the trash can at the next stop, or put that cigarette (yes, they do count) out in the ash tray instead of throwing it out the window.  Texas will thank you, the environment will thank you, and we won't have to get aggressive or pugilistic with you!