For now, I thought I would leave a few thoughts regarding the Green Real Estate/Construction and sustainability in general.

• Builders – They need desperate help with their marketing.  Green has become an extremely vague term and becomes more so everyday.  Using the term green will not make you sell.  An email I received recently from a builder had “Extra Bling for the Holidays” as the subject.  Really?  Bling?  *sigh*  No further Comments
• Industry in General – The term green is just, well, it needs to go away.  Green Construction is going to see some legal issues most likely.  If you don’t believe me, just check out the Houston Chronicle article from Christmas Day 2010 with the Attorney doing a Q&A with borderline very wrong information.  It was pretty sad actually.  Most builders that do LEED Homes have very well outlined contracts to help with this.  The side that needs the most help would be the Real Estate side of it.  Perhaps adendums from the Texas Real Estate Commission to help the Realtor community out with this?  I’ve suggested this before as well.
• Consumers -  Well, let’s just say maybe a buyer beware.  Ask a ton of questions.  Information on this blog will forever stay here.  Use it to help you if you want.  Find out what truly makes the home ‘green’.  Ask about offgassing of products,  Energy Efficiency, Insulation and of course certification.  Without the performance testing you truly do not know what you are getting.  For resale purposes the reports help as well.

From a marketing, not real estate standpoint, if you or your company need advice – I’m happy to help.  However, I’m not inclined to work for free so be prepared for a consultation fee.

Cheers to a New Year and New Beginnings.  Posts you may see in the future may be very random regarding things that interest me.  Including something I bought and am waiting to get delivered.  It’s a window weatherization product put out by the Duck company that comes with shrink wrap.  I figured for 8 bucks who could pass it up, right?  But regardless, posts will be no holds barred and fully opinionated.

Built and Designed by Parra Design Group we found some great Free Standing Homes off of Patterson.  The Urban Design immediately catches your eye and the location is truly unbelievable.   If you have driven by you have probably noticed the USGBC signs out front and wondered…

Since my clients were actively looking and considering LEED we decided to take a look and when we walked inside immediately knew that this was EXACTLY what they have been looking for.  Sleek and Sexy interior with a well designed floorplan and an amazing view of the Houston Skyline from the 3rd floor.

Now, when we found the property a put it under contract – The homes are taking Houston by storm and were projected to be LEED Silver.  With a few minor changes we have it up to projected LEED Gold!  Could we go all the way and make it Platinum?  First, what had it at LEED Silver:

• The Infill Project has a small Footprint on the land- Not a whole lot of space for grass, etc. that needs water
• Highly efficient Envelope for the Home.  It was designed to be Super Energy Efficient
• 17 SEER HVAC with Humidity Control for efficiency and healthier Indoor Air Quality
• Low VOC everything.  Paint, Sealants on the Flooring, etc.
• Energy Star Light fixtures and appliances
• Tankless Hot Water Heater
• Upgraded insulation to R-19 in the walls
• A projected HERS rating that is well below Code

These are just a few of the Sustainable features.  While Consulting with Parra Design and David Murrah of Infra-Tex Inspections my clients made the decision to take it as far as they could!  Here are the few changes that we made to get it Projected Gold:

• No Grass.  They went permeable all the way with more Pavers and Pebbles
• CFL’s – All light bulbs that could be changed…were changed
• No Carpet!  More hardwoods upstairs and all tile downstairs.  2nd floor was already Hardwood
• Upgraded some appliances – Fridge, Washer, Dryer are a little more efficient

With their team – the builder and LEED Rater – we are trying now to see… Could it be Platinum? The Greenest of all Green according to the U.S. Green Building Coucil?  Over the past week have been some Highly Energetic meetings to find out what could get it there.  Ralph Parrot with Alternative Power Solutions has been signed to install 3Kw of Solar Panels on the Property that is projected to account for approximately 1/3rd of the homes power which is expected to bump the project even closer to Platinum!

Other items being considered:

• Additional testing on the efficiency of the home
• Potential Grey Water Usage
• A Recirculation System for the Hot Water
• An Energy Recovery Ventilator

David Murrah, Parra Design, Alternative Power Solutions and my clients are actively and aggressively working to get this project at the highest level possible.  Stay tuned to see how it turns out! We have two weeks until closing, can we make it?

I will be posting further information on the LEED Properties as there are some other ones available

However, one opportunity that I would like to see Builders and Developers take more advantage of is that of Brownfields.  Brownfields are parcels of land that one either knows for a fact has contaminated soil or has reason to believe that there may be contamination there.  For example, a mysterious black sludge creeping out of ground.

Ok, that is usually not the case, but let’s take for example something that may be a little more realistic in Houston, close to Downtown.  How about a seemingly abandoned warehouse or building.  Great location and you can picture either a phenomenal Commercial Building on it, or maybe a Multi-Family Sustainable Development.  But there is a little concern.  There are barrels dumped on the property, looks like maybe some underground storage tanks.

Sometimes this would push away a Developer or Builder.  Dreams shattered.  Let’s move on, find another property.  Testing and Clean Up can be costly.

Well, Redeveloping property as an Urban Infill is a great GREEN thing to do.  As a matter of fact, Brownfields development can get you up to 3 LEED Points.  That could be the difference between LEED Silver or Gold.  If cost is the only deterrent, the City Of Houston wants to help you.  Actually, they not only want to help you, they want to pay you.

The City of Houston is willing to PAY for the Phase 1 and Phase 2 testing, and cough up up to $100,000 in clean up.  What a phenomenal opportunity!

Are you afraid that people will not want anything to do with the property afterwards?  Not true.  In fact, I have been in one of Houston’s largest Brownfields countless numbers of times.  It’s a place I go to have fun, take the kids, spend the day.  The times I have been there, so have Thousands of others.

I’m referring to Minute Maid Park-Home of our Houston Astros!

This is just part one of a series.  Soon to follow is an interview with the City on how they are looking for partners to Green up Houston, Brownfields success stories in town and potential opportunities for anyone that feels this may be something of interest.  Stick around, subscribe…this will be a fun series.