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.

There is the healthier side of green and eating organic, there is the Stewardship side of ‘Green’ where we should do stuff because it’s just the right thing to do such as Recycle and keeping things out of the landfill.

But I think that we may be on the edge of the Local side of ‘Green’ getting some awareness as well.  In Houston specifically we are seeing an upswing in people supporting local businesses and Farmer’s Markets to not only help the local economy but it also helps to reduce Carbon Emissions from not shipping items from overseas or even from out of state.

There are other benefits to the Local side of green that sometimes I personally believe get swept under the rug.  How about Jobs?

I have written before how Real Estate can make or break a local economy and can a major player in creating jobs and I don’t just mean by the actual construction of homes.  What would happen if we were to raise awareness, and grow the idea, of Traditional Neighborhood Developments?

Simply stating, the Community is where you will find everything.  You live there, can work there, walk to everything…but you use existing land and sometimes existing buildings to create the neighborhood. 

How could this help?  In many areas across the Nation there are certain communities that simply do not have jobs for people.  There are not enough businesses, not enough growth and so on.   Some people have the ability to commute to another area but that takes money because of transportation..It’s like Global Outsourcing on a Local Level.

Let’s consider a development that has all of it there.  The ability for this to help Hyper-Local economies meaning down to the Community itself is truly unbelievable.  Just take a look at how popular Master Planned Communities are around Houston such as The Woodlands, Kingwood and Cinco Ranch.  Shopping, pharmacies, groceries, medical facilities are all nearby and most have continued to thrive even in a down economy.

I’m wondering why we can’t do this on a much smaller scale in Houston.  Let’s take an area that could use the jobs, job training and local businesses and see how it could benefit:

• Jobs for the community residents instead of ‘outsourcing’ the jobs from another community.  Keep it local if at all possible.
• Revitalizing and Renewing areas that need updated homes for the actual residents of the Community – Not homes that out price the residents from staying within the Community
• Job Training for those whose previous job is now obsolete
• Grocery Store for example that could provide jobs, put some money in to the economy and be nearby for residents
• The lots that the City of Houston often sells for $1 to developers could be donated and converted to a local garden – Excess could be sold in Farmers Markets as another source of income for the Community
• Other retail stores such as Cell Phone, Cable, etc. to help create more jobs
• Transit within the Community itself so people do not have to use Metro that can take hours to get from point A to Point B – or simply restructure Metro to support Hyper-Local areas
• Maybe even transit for a neighboring area for residents with jobs in say…for example…the medical center
• Recycling facilities – Money can be made on that as well

Now, I’m not talking about…let’s say…Rice Village.  People travel for miles to visit that shopping area.  I’m talking about a much smaller scale than that.  I’m talking about a living, breathing, local, small community. 

Well, that’s it for now.  Just thought I would share some of my random thoughts on this beautiful Sunday morning.   What are your thoughts?  Would something like this EVER work in Houston?

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

There have been a few people wanting an update on what is happening in Discovery at Spring Trails and I thought that was a fantastic idea.  :0)

The home in the picture is Plantation Homes new model that is up and running and absolutely Gorgeous!  Plantation also has a handful of Inventory homes that should all be ready for Move In before the end of the year…if you are wanting to do so.

Chesmar also moved in to their model last week and from my understanding are starting some inventory homes.  Mercedes Homes has their model under construction and is supposed to be completed really soon.

Regardless- all of the homes are very traditional, beautiful inside with great floorplans and Energy Efficient like you wouldn’t believe.  The homes are actively selling and being built.  As you drive through you will notice that the developer has started putting in some stone accents on the bridges and other Brick/Stone walls will be going up shortly as well.

If it has been a while since you have been out there, take a stroll through.  It is really looking nice!

For an updated list of inventory homes and/or floorplans, just shoot me an email:

Steph@TurningHoustonGreen.com

Typically most homebuyers have only a certain amount of money when they start looking for a home.  Whether it be that they are going to pay cash or get a mortgage, there is only so much that a typical homebuyer can do.  I touched on the topic of minimal options available when buying Green in Houston right now and how many of the ‘Green’ built homes inside the loop, or outside for that matter, are townhomes and condos.  Well, that doesn’t appeal to everyone.

For the sake of this part of the Series let’s say that the homebuyer does not want to go over $400,000 and wants to stay around 2300 sq ft or so.

I have had clients that want room for Gardens, Composting Pits- Others just may not physically be able to buy a home with an extensive amount of stairs for one reason or another.  Then some decide to build Green.  Why not LEED?

Well, unless you have a lot already to use this can add up.  I am sticking with near Downtown because location seems to be an issue with many buyers today.  Let’s say that you purchase a lot in an area/location that you like with an existing home on it.  It’s an older home, possibly built in 1920 or so, and selling for lot value only.  This will likely still run you a minimum of about $125,000 in many areas.  You Demolish the home (or deconstruct if you want to be a darker shade of Green) and design your 2300 sq ft home- The home can then cost, if built LEED, over $415,000.  By the time it is all said and done the realistic cost of building with land included could cost about $600,000.  Depending on the area it could be over $700,000.

But this homebuyer can not go over $400,000.

This is where I personally would recommend to one of my clients to consider an older home to fix up but it can be hard to have the vision of the home being ‘Green’.  So let’s consider this: (location only for example)

How about a great area near I-10 and Kirkwood that is really close to work?  About 10 minutes away.  We find a nice single story home on a large lot that has great solar orientation for both Solar if you want it and an Organic Garden.  Wonderful Trees, nice Community feel, It’s the size you want- 2300 sq. ft. and the list price is about $326,600!  Well under your mark of where you want to be.  The kitchen is updated, gorgeous actually, with Stainless Steel Appliances (all Energy Star).   It has double pane windows already, great bedroom sizes, the flooring is beautiful and what you want.  But the Master Bathroom is way too small, somewhat outdated and the home is not Energy Efficient.

That’s ok!

The sold comparable properties in this neighborhood for this size could sell anywhere from $275,000 to $450,000 depending on the condition and how much updating has been done.  With the home we are considering at $326,600 is far from being at the top of the comparables.  How much would that LEED ReGreen Bathroom Remodel cost?  How about a ReGreen Energy Remodel to finish it up?

With this scanario you would have $75,000 to play with to make this home Green and stay within your budget or atleast $125,000 to play with to stay within the comparable prices for the community. That is a whole lot of work that could be done, and some nice work at that.

The only other question right now you may be asking is “Do I have to have that kind of cash to make this happen?”

No. Not at all.  What if you could do the work that you want done to the home before you move in or shortly there after, still have your Conventional Loan with 5% down and a somewhat competitive interest rate along with that?

The rest of this series will walk us through how to get a Mortgage WITH the Green Remodel calculated in to it, bidding the work out, getting the design done AND how to have this work done PRIOR to moving in or very shortly there after.  Part 3 will discuss the mortgage product that has been around for many years…and is still out there today.

How does it sound so far?

The misconception is that one must purchase a ‘new’ home or one that has been all decked out Green..to be Green.  When you think about it, how Green is it to tear down a home and send the debris to a landfill?  How about the Reuse side of Green?  Why not take a nice home in a great location and make it Green?

Buying a home as a tear down to build is a great option but unfortunately it can take the price of a home well outside of the price range for some buyers or maybe one needs to move quickly.  To buy a new Green home inside the loop may limit you to a 3 story townhome which some may not be physically able to buy or want.

Are there options to buy an existing home to make it Green? Absolutely.  You do not have to have thousands of dollars in cash or sacrifice living in the home when it is not up to par.

The Hypothetical Remodel Series is about just this topic.  It is about opening doors for Homebuyers to go Green in Houston and to point out all of the tools available to you.  This will likely be an ongoing and never ending series of posts, but here is what we will go over:

• Energy Audits- How they can help you buy the right home
• Mortgages-  How to find the right home and have your GREEN Improvements rolled in to it so that you can move in to your GREEN home ASAP
• ASID and USGBC ReGreen Program-  LEED Remodeling guidelines that can take the most Environmentally UnFriendly and Unhealthy home to a dark shade of Green at LEED guidelines and what the process entails
• Different Products-  What products can help get your older home GREEN
• Pricing-  There will be information on how I look at the price of a property to make sure that you do not over improve and what improvements will likely improve your property value

I have gathered the top GREEN Experts around town to help out with this.  We are using real homes, real comps and real designs to use as an example.  Some of the examples will not actually have any work done but it will show how to find the home, what the process is to figure out what improvements you want to make and what the mortgage would be afterwards.  The first one lined up will be a Bathroom Remodel with Energy Efficiency in mind as well.

The Green Building Movement is moving forward like crazy in Houston right now.  For the moment, it sometimes seems that the consumer demand is by far outpacing the construction from Developers and Builders. For this reason, it can be tough to tell people exactly where to find a ‘Green Home’ and at the same time, there is a home out there for everyone.

One item that makes it difficult is because ‘Green’ means something different to everyone.  Some believe that it is the materials being used to construct the home, others mean a High Performing and Energy Efficient home while some want Organic Gardens and Rain Water Capture.  All of which are phenomenal Green Features.

Let’s go over some price ranges to know what you are looking at right now, today, when it comes to buying Green.  This is not a reflection on what I believe Green is, this is what I am actively seeing in Houston’s Green Home market.

Homes under $175,000-  This price range happens to be an extremely active one.  The Green Features that are easiest to find at this price point are Energy Efficiency.  Based on the Year Built some will be more efficient than others.  Other items such as Indoor Air Quality, Rain Water Capture, Gardens, Materials Used, etc. can be difficult to find still.  However, when I search through homes for clients and potential clients this is something that I keep in mind.  These are also items that are easier to change after you purchase the home.  Keep in mind, the ‘bones’ of the house are hard to change…along with being expensive.  The ability for the home to be Energy Efficient is the beginning and possibly most important anyhow.  What makes Energy Efficiency Green is that the CO2 released is considerably less than that of a home built not Energy Efficient PLUS, it saves you money on Utility Bills.

Homes from $175,000 to $400,000- Now we can get in to some ‘Greener Features’.  At this price point you can find Higher Efficiency Air Conditioning Units, Solar Panels on New Construction, Healthier Products used inside the home, larger yards for Organic Gardens and so on.  There are many builders out there staying ahead in this price point in most areas of town.

Above $350,000- At this price point a Home Buyer could consider building to a LEED level depending on the features that you desire.  This is where it helps to know the inventory, builders, developers that are actively looking to Green up their product.  Many of the new construction homes available at an extremely high performing and Green level have just recently broken ground or are about to.  I will get in to retrofitting homes in another part of the series.  There are also existing homes with some’ ‘Green Features’.   Again, it depends on what you are looking for.

As homes become available and more builders begin new projects, I keep my list of homes updated.  However, it is important to find out what features are most important to you, the home buyer, when looking at what is available.  It is also important to know what options you have when looking and that is where efforts are being placed when viewing with buyers.  This could mean that remodeling or retrofitting a home is the best thing and most cost effective approach to take.  It all depends on your needs as everyone is different.

As we move through this series I will touch on different options available for homeowners while wanting to go Green.  In the mean time, to stay up to date with new and upcoming developments you can subscribe by text on the right side of the page, or send me an email with details on what you are looking for through the Contact Us link at the top.  I would be more than happy to help with what options may be available for you.

Regardless of price range, it is possible to go Green with your home in Houston right now.  Any shade of Green is a positive one.

For those of you that were disappointed when you missed out on the Shade House Townhomes in the Heights, here is your opportunity!  Phase 2 is about to break ground and is open to PreSell now while have you the choice to make it whatever shade of GREEN you would like.

Unit A that will be to the right towards the front will start at $293,000 and have upgrade options such as Solar, Low Flow Toilets, Spray Foam upgrade in the walls, etc. As the details come together for room and unit sizes, check back here for the details!  Photos shown are from Phase 1 which is complete and sold.

For those of you that are not familiar with Shade House Development, Matt and Tina Ford have a passion for integrating GREEN in to their homes on many levels.  With a mix of Passive and Active Solar, the most up to date and top of the line building techniques I assure you that you will fine nothing else like this in Houston.  Not only do they focus on a minimal carbon footprint from their homes to reduce your utility bills, they also focus on a minimal footprint on the land.  You will notice right away the large amount of permeable areas in front and within the courtyard areas to promote healthy green space outdoors.

New to GREEN Living and concerned about making sacrifices in comfort and quality?  Absolutely none with Shadehouse. After all, GREEN means Quality!  Matt and Tina take pride in building each and every home to the highest quality possible with comfort and design as top of mind.  Sleek and Cozy is what you will notice and feel as you tour through.  The Architectural Details will make your friends GREEN with envy in your Urban, Inner Loop Home.

For a personal tour of the Development, more information as it comes available, or to reserve a unit to buy please feel free to send me an email or give me a call…more Details are coming together daily.

Don’t forget to check back at TurningHoustonGreen.com to follow these amazing homes as they go up.  I will be following it and giving details by stage.

With the cost of everything going up in recent history including Gas, Health Care, etc. - Green and other alternative solutions are going mainstream.

Career Builder even put out an article stating the ‘Green Collar Jobs‘ ARE the future.  Our kids and young adults are leading us in to a more sustainable future with their thoughts and ideas every day.

But, let’s take a moment to consider this.  How neat would it be:

• To have a Grocery Store within less than a mile from the house where you could walk or bike and actually make it a fun outing for the family?
• The Community you lived in created its own power and water?
• The homes within that community were SO healthy that you would even qualify for a Premium Health Care Plan at half the cost your employer can offer it for?
• The homes also had the technology features where you would not have to sacrifice lifestyle?
• What about if you could work in the same environment?  Maybe just walk across the street to work?
• Even better, what if all of this was in the suburbs at a Reasonable Cost?

Something like this would be considered a Transit Oriented Community but GREENER!

Too good to be true?  Well, who knows.  I would never say never.  Could something like this be just around the corner for Houston?

The Energy pushing the Green Building Movement is gaining momentum everyday in Houston right now.  More and more people are deciding that they need a Healthier and more Energy Efficient Homes and actually relating GREEN to that.

But where do you start?  I have received several emails wanting to know how exactly to find a GREEN home in the Houston area.  I thought I would put out some ideas of where to start.

To start, with gas prices being so high right now, the idea of living closer to town and/or work is starting to get more popular as well.  But, if you are familiar with Houston Real Estate you probably know that buying Inner Loop may not be the most Affordable option.  If you are looking well under $400,000 you will need to look over many options..let’s go over these.

• As Houston has grown over the last…well, many years…construction started closer to town.  Green can also be making something ‘older’ – new again.  If because of work you need to be close to a certain area, how about taking an older home and Remodeling it?  At Green Houston Homes I have place a Gas Calculator where you can calculate how much money you would save (or not) by buying a more expensive home BUT saving on Gas Mileage.

Houston also has some amazing Remodeling Companies that are well versed in GREEN.  Two for a fact I know are VERY familiar with the new LEED for Remodeling Guidelines.  This could be one of your options.

• If you are looking for a little more custom, another way to go GREEN is to De-Construct a home and build new.  One area that could be Fantastic for this is the Heights.  We are already seeing GREEN Builders do this….YOU could do this also.

So, you have gone over these options and still not finding what you want..or something in your price range?

• Let’s take a look a little further out in some of the Suburbs around town.  Maybe there is a community close to Major Road that could get you to work quickly?  For example, Discovery at Spring Trails is just 2 minutes off of Hardy Toll Road.

By looking at these Communities on all sides of town you can also focus on other ammenities that may be important like schools, community pools-parks-trails, etc.  If you are not looking to build right away you may be able to get in on some of the New Urbanism Communities being planned.

• Now, building new is important to you-but being close to town does not matter?  Check out some of the Acreage communities on the outskirts of the Suburbs.  This way you may be able to optimize Passive Solar, Rain Water Reclamation…just about any Green Feature you could imagine.

Until more Developers and Builders hop on to the Green Scene around town it may take quite a bit of searching, but is VERY possible.  The options right now are endless, you just need to weigh your options and keep in mind Price Range, Location, Amenities, etc.

Buying GREEN in Houston right now is very possible at nearly any price range. It may take a lot of searching but don’t get frustrated.  Just do some research for what is going on around town that fits YOUR specific wants and needs.

If you need some help getting started, feel free to shoot me an email and let’s roll over some of these ideas.