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.

The concept of Thredup is that kids grow out of their clothes quickly so why not swap them?  I have seen several clothing swaps around Houston but this one is for the busy parents that don’t want to spend an hour in traffic to get to one.  You get to exchange clothes from awesome parents such as yourself from all around the Nation.

I have been on the site for a month or two now and the clothes you receive are the same or better than what you can get at a consignment store.

So, what’s the catch?  None.  You list your boxes for FREE.  Someone picks the box and pays $13 for the shipping.  You get credit for that swap and pick your own in a size that your child CAN wear….for $13.  Instead of boring you with a long blog post on how Thredup works I put together a video below to show you.  Also, if you use the link in this post or the widget on the right hand side of this page … You and I BOTH get a month of Pro for FREE.  Go to the site and check it out.  It is WORTH it.

So parents, be green.  Swap your kids clothes and help save Millions of Tons of textiles from going to the dump every year.  Save a huge amount of Carbon Emissions from clothing being shipped across the World and in the mean time save a load of $$$$!!

Without further ado, here is the video for your to learn how it works.

When I arrived around 10 am, there had to be over 100 people already there and hard at work planting trees and other plants.  Greenstar employees, community members of all ages combined with families were all joining for the same cause.  What an amazing sight.

In the middle of all the action was the CEO of Greenstar Recycling Mike Simmons with a shovel in hand and hard at work.  I was able to pull him to the side for a moment and ask a few questions.  My initial question to you at the beginning of the post was ‘Can Houston Increase the Recycling Rate by 200%?‘ – I’m now convinced that if we do, Greenstar will have a huge part in the effort. 

First, Greenstar Recycling is a leading single stream recycler in the State of Texas and their offices are based out of Houston.  As you will find in a minute when I talk about my conversation with Mr. Simmons, single stream recycling brings convenience to homeowners and businesses by allowing you to place all recyclables in one container as opposed to separating in to different bins – And for those of you that follow my blog, you know how I feel about our ‘Society of Convenience’.  This seems like a natural solution to our recycling needs and to help it go mainstream.  Greenstar currently handles appx. 2 million tons of recyclables per year and is only focused on sustainability.  Recycling is all they do.  They have no interest in landfills except for reducing how much solid waste is dumped in them.

When I asked Mr. Simmons regarding their involvement with Keep Houston Beautiful and the Esplanade Project he responded “We are a key sponsor for both Keep Houston Beautiful and Keep Texas Beautiful because we believe that global problems can be solved at a local level.”  He was excited that so many community members and families had shown up in support to plant trees and help make Houstonians proud of their City. 

The next question I had was regarding the significance of single stream recycling.  Did you know that by converting to single stream:

• San Antonio increased recycling by 200%
• Dallas by 300%
• Austin by 60%

The competitor in me says that Houston can do better.  Right?  Mr. Simmons stated that  “People want to do the right thing… When recycling is made easy, people do it”  so Greenstar works closely with Municipalities to help make recycling convenient for residents.  They believe that Texas can be a National leader in Recycling and that single stream recycling is the answer for Houston.

For the readers that chimed in on Facebook, I did indeed ask if they were working to provide recycling options in Galveston, Montgomery County and in the Unincorporated parts of Harris County.  The answer is yes.  They are doing what they can in speaking with communities and municipalities.  But something tells me like anything else, we need to demand it to make it happen quicker.  Let your areas know that we WANT recycling options.  

Do you think that single stream recycling is the answer to Houston’s recycling needs? 

Thank you to Mike Simmons and everyone else from Greenstar that helped in getting these questions answered.  I’m excited to see how Greenstar can help change the recycling landscape in Houston and surrounding areas.

I am even getting some really interesting requests to be added to the Business Directory on my site.  Quite honestly I find it scary, sickening, exciting and fantastic all at the same time.

Venturing out to various networking groups I meet some really interesting people doing fascinating things around town – and then I meet some that are just dumping more in to the Greenwashing that is becoming ever so common.  This was also discussed in a ‘Green Lifestyle’ class that I taught at Lone Star College at Cy Fair.  There were some absolutely great questions that arose out of that and so I thought I would address them here as well.  I wanted to put out some guidelines that you should consider when wanting to make some energy efficient, healthy or otherwise green changes within the home.

Certification of some kind -

Over the past year I have seen a tremendous increase in companies around Houston that advertise doing Energy Audits.  The costs range from $99 up to over $1000 – They range from doing a visual check to blower door and thermal scans of the property.  First and foremost the thing to consider is that there is a TRUE science between energy efficiency and indoor air quality.  One change can negatively affect the other.

If you are going to have an Energy Audit done at your property request one that is Certified to do so.  Check out Natresnet to find one near you.  A ‘visual’ exam that you pay through the nose for may disappoint you in the end.  Make sure you get a professional.

Visual exams are GREAT as long as they are done by the right professional that has been properly trained.

Claims of Saving you Money -

True Green industry professionals can save you money with changes that you make – But the really good ones will tell you if you are wasting your time or need to make other changes first.  Ask for documentation on savings for your particular home.  Ask if they have a guarantee and make sure that if they are selling you a product that claims to be cheaper than another ask for documentation from the manufacturer stating that the PERFORMANCE is equal.

Often times even though the products are identical in their purpose, it may be apples to oranges in performance.  A perfect example here would be new HVAC equipment or windows.

Certification of Products -

This is the interesting one lately.  All kinds of ‘self’ or ‘company’ certifications seem to be popping up.  Some will give you a hot water heater blanket, a couple dimmer switches and a tube of caulk and call your home green.

This is so not the case my friends.  Do your research to make sure you are getting what you really think you are.  Here is a good wiki explaining some of the hidden trade offs.

Testing -

If someone is wanting to sell you a product or service, ask what kind of testing is involved.  HVAC equipment is another good example of this.  You want to make sure that the product will actually work for your home and properly sized.

If someone wants to sell you renewable energy such as solar panels, find out how to prepare your home to save you money in the long run.  This is documentation.  

Otherwise Green Contract Work around the home -

If you are building or remodeling, get the background of who you want to do the work.  What has been their experience?  Do they have a clearly defined scope of work with the above documentation?  Are they willing to tell you that what you want is not necessarily what you need?

Ask for references and find out what they know about the labels or products you are considering and most importantly ask WHAT MAKES IT GREEN.

For a couple years now I have searched Houston top to bottom trying to find a Residential Appraiser who is experienced in doing appraisals on these kind of properties. The homes can be quite unique when built green while Solar, GeoThermal and other Sustainable features in the home can make it difficult to know exactly how much should be added to the Value.

Well, I thought I would just put this out there to see if anyone around knows of a good ‘Green’ Appraiser in the Houston area.

Also, if you run across this and think that you may want to get involved, the Appraisal Institute now offers a set of courses on ‘The Valuation of Green Residential Properties‘ and can be taken online.  The course was offered in Austin a few months ago but does not appear on the Houston schedule yet this year.

So, comments are open!  If you are a ‘green’ appraiser or know of one.  I would love to know about them!

Thanks.

I was trying to find a place to Recycle Carpet.   I had heard previously that certain manufacturers would do it, but only certain kinds. I was on a hunt.

Finally, I ran across this company:

Name: Southeast Carpet & Recycling
Street: 5926 South Loop East
Houston, tx 77033-1018
Phone: (713) 734-3775

That was all of the information I could find.    Couldn’t really find a website other than one that was a directory. It kind of peaked my interest, so I decided to call.

I said:

‘I ran across your information online and it says you do carpet and recycling. Do you recycle the carpet?‘

The response was:

“YES! We recycle carpet AND padding.”

Wow! Ok. I explained why I was calling and that someone would be in touch with them and as I was about to hang up the Gentleman said:

“Oh, and we will PAY 4 cents per pound on any padding to be recycled”

Oh my. Wow again!  Now, that’s not a whole lot but if you take in to consideration how nasty and grungy carpet padding can be that has been down for years and years…that could add up.   BUT more than anything, it’s an incentive! That would likely pay for the gas to drop it off atleast!

So who else is out there around town that has a program like this?  Besides the City of Houston and Un-Incorporated County Recycling Centers are there ANY that you are aware of?  Are there any that offer some pretty neat incentives like PAYING for what you turn in?

What a great concept.  I’m hoping that some of my readers can help make a larger list here.  I would be happy to create another page that includes Recycling Options in and around Houston.

This Category will be added to in the future.  To find the page again, just go to ‘Service Providers’ along the Top Toolbar.

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?

I decided to go over to the site.  You know how it is.  You have to become a member to the site, so I do so.  Cruise around for a minute checking out what the company is all about…It’s rather impressive.  Their plan is to try and make Green Home Design Free for everyone. How?  I didn’t get that far.

I then hopped over to sign up to try and Win a Custom Green Home Design. Wow!  These guys are serious.  Now THAT is impressive.

They want to know details on your lifestyle, which we all happen to know is important in green homes.  They want to know a little about your Medical Background, Pets, Kids, Lot Size, Location, Topography, Budget, Oh my goodness!

I’ll have to think about this and get back to it.  I stopped when I read the section, what would make your home so special?  And then a really big box to write in.  If you are wanting to Custom Design a Green Home but don’t have the budget for the Design part of it?  You may want to join this group and try to win.  There are some restrictions such as land, time frame to build, etc.

Just thought I would share this with all of my readers.  If any of you sign up, let me know how it goes! I’d love to stay posted.

Solar pool heating systems can be designed for both indoor and outdoor applications and typically use low cost polymer “unglazed” collectors. These collectors are typically mounted on the roof of a home or a nearby support structure.

The basic components of a solar pool heater are the solar collectors, an automatic control system, diverter valve, and associated piping. These components are simply added to the existing pool pump, timer and filter.  A conventional back-up heater can be added or the existing pool heater can be used to back-up the solar system on cloudy days or evenings.

During summer months the solar pool heating system can be used to cool outdoor pools with the simple flip of a switch.

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