For one this is amazing because our appraisers could REALLY use this information to start PROPERLY appraising our Greener Homes.  For Two, this will allow us to tell our Home Owners in the future what features will actually pay off in the long run!

For now, the word is still getting out – I doubt that all homes with Green features are being noted as such.  There is also evidence that some of the homes are tagged incorrectly -Not even 90 days in to having these fields available there is not enough data yet to state whether or not homes with certain features definitely sell for more money than those without -

BUT, there IS enough data to show certain trends that we as Real Estate Professionals are going to start seeing more and more.

Personally I have been amazed at the number of homes in the Houston area that have Solar PV or Solar Hot Water.  The other trend that appears to grow by the week in MLS is the number of homes with Tankless Hot Water Heaters and Older homes with Low-E windows.

Each month we can start tracking more and more but for now here are some numbers on trends for new and existing homes.

Tankless Hot Water Heaters-

• 58 Resales and Rentals
• 85 New Construction

Solar Hot Water/PV-

• 3 Resale
• 15 New Construction

Insulated/Low-E Windows-

• 1850 Built Prior to 2000
• 1090 of which built prior to 1990

HVAC Greater than 13 SEER-

• 455 not New Construction

These are just a few of the new fields available and while they are not on the Public Search side of HAR.com yet – It is a relief to have them available to the agents.  I believe as we continue to track the statistics we will find that the majority of ALL home buyers want Green features – Their requests for those features are just disguised as another term.

Coming up next month?  How many of these homes right here listed will go under contract in September?

If you would like a list of any of these particular homes available, homes with any other green features or for a marketing plan for your specific property I can be reached at Steph@TurningHoustonGreen.com -

In Houston, the two programs that are getting a lot of Buzz and being asked about is Energy Star and Environments for Living.  Energy Star has done an amazing job branding itself as Energy Efficient.  The Energy Star logo is now a common sight on products that use Electricity as well as more and more builders hopping in to use the program.

When it comes to homes, Energy Star primarily focuses on how much Energy the products in the home use.  For example, the Dishwasher, lights, ceiling fans, hot water heater, etc.  An Energy Star home uses Energy Star rated products.  It is important to remember that Energy Star does not focus as much on the Envelope of the home.  Absolutely I agree that as many products as possible in the home should have the Energy Star logo- but this is where Environments for Living hopped in to bridge the gap.

Environments for Living is a program that appears to be growing with Light speed in the Houston area, but what does it mean?

The two main differences if you take a look at the Websites for the two >>ES<< and >>EFL<< are this:

• Energy Star: “at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC)
• EFL: “seeking to achieve energy efficiency 50 percent above 2006 IECC“

EFL takes Energy Star as a basic minimum standard.  There is a minimum requirement for products in the home that have to bear the Energy Star Logo…and then builds on top of that, so at the same time they focus somewhat on different features of the home.

In both programs, you will find a focus on Air Infiltration meaning the home will not ‘leak’ as much air in or out depending on your climate but their end goal for energy usage are using different Codes with different requirements.

As Craig Lobel with EcoEdge Consulting puts it:

EFL energy models the actual floor plan and then makes recommendations on R-Values, SEER and AFUE.   I think it’s important to remember that floor to ceiling, wall to window, and wall partitioning differ from each home.  Their energy modeling process also gives the annual electricity and natural gas BTU usage for the home.  Also keep in mind, EFL backs their program up with a 3 year comfort and energy usage guarantee and geared towards being 50% more efficient on Heating and Cooling over a code built home in a given region.

Another part of the Thermal Envelope are the windows- how they are sealed and the minimum requirement for Solar Heat Gain.  Air Ducts in the attic must have a minimum R-Value, holes in the homes sheathing must be sealed to not only help with Air Infiltration but moisture management which is a HOT topic in Gulf Coast Regions such as Houston

If you get up in to a higher rating of EFL, the home also focuses on Water Efficiency and other GREEN features.

Both Energy Star and Environments for Living are great programs, they just focus on different things in the end.  Which one should a Homebuyer consider?  Well, that depends on what your needs and wants are…maybe even what price range you are in.

Check out the links that I have placed throughout this post and it may help to explain more in detail the difference between the two.  In my opinion, EFL focuses more on the envelope and the home as a system than Energy Star and should have a tighter blower door test rating in the end…if your focus is Energy Efficiency.

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.

I am excited to announce the changes here and I hope that everyone enjoys it.  I would like to take a minute to go over some of the additions to the site!

Probably the biggest change is that I have invited several Experts from around the City to join me to share their expertise you.

• I personally work with Home Buyers and Sellers to buy and sell homes.  The advantage of a Certified EcoBroker is that I can help to guide you to noticing the ‘greener’ features in your home to get ready to sell, and I work with Buyers that are wanting various shades of green.  Knowing the inventory around town, it helps to make that happen.  I will be writing about the Trials, Tribulations and Joys of buying and selling Green.
• Michael Strong with GreenHaus Builders and Brothers Strong is joining the site for the expertise on Building, Remodeling and other True Green Aspects of homes, as well LEED Cerification information.
• Ralph Parrott with Alternative Power Solutions is joining the site as our Renewable Energy Guru!  He will write and tell us about up to date information and trends on Solar Products and how to prepare your for optimum efficiency.
• Angelique Grado with Green Builders Source has joined us to keep us up to date on Products that go in to Green Homes or Products that can be used to Retrofit homes to be Green.
• Kathleen Reardon with RD Architecture will be writing on how to Design a Home to Build or Remodel as Green.  It really does start on the Paper that it is drawn on with the whole systems approach.

I am so happy to have all of these Professionals here.

Another change that you will notice across the Top is Ask The Expert.  It was suggested that there be an opportunity for Readers to be able to email questions that they may have regarding anything Green.  I have a team of Experts around town that have agreed to share their Knowledge with YOU.  Have a Question?  Just submit it through the Ask The Expert section.  Literally, anything green related.

Green Service Providers-  If you are a regular visitor to the site, you know that the list has grown to tremendous lengths over the past year.  The new link above has sorted it out by section to make it easier to find what you are looking for.  Just update your Bookmark to the Page and you are good to go.

Local Green Events-  This page has a Calendar on it to keep you posted on Green Events in or around Houston.  Check it often.  My green home tours will be on there, open houses, expo’s, Home Shows, you name it.

Subscribe- To the right you now have options to subscribe to the site by Text, Email, or RSS Feed if you need to feed your reader.  If you were a subscriber on the old site, you will need to update it.  Sorry for any inconvenience.

Search-  The search bar has been moved to the Top Right corner for convenience if you are in a Hurry.

Items that are still coming- Although I do have some surprises lurking around behind the scenes, you can look forward to hearing about Special Offers for Turning Houston Green Readers and my clients, Green Homes-this page is under construction but will have Featured Green Homes on it, and more!

Subscribe for updates so you don’t miss anything.

Last but not least.  The Contact Us button at the top has made it easier to send us an email.  Just fill out the form the best you can and we will get back to you promptly.  Make sure you put in there who you are contacting and information on how to contact you.  Looking to buy, sell, build, install solar, design..you name it.  That is what we are here for.  Feel free to call or email anytime.

And as always, Thanks for stopping by!

What is GREEN? What EXACTLY makes up a GREEN Home?

This is a Question that is asked all of the time, but is not easily answered.  We could ask 100 people what GREEN means to them and likely get at least 80 different answers.

To me, GREEN is a very emotional word.  Depending on what you are passionate about is how you would answer the question.

Is a GREEN Home ONLY Energy Efficient?  Does a GREEN Home only have a healthier Indoor Air Quality?  Is a GREEN Home made of ALL Recycled Products?  Does a GREEN Home have to look like it is from another planet?

Not at all.  There are now a few different Green Building Programs out there. NAHB, US Green Building Council, and now Environments for Living at a Platinum level has been considered GREEN by some people.

The one thing that they all have in common is Energy Efficiency, Water Conservation and some sort of Indoor Air Quality concept.

Is one better than the other? Well, again that goes back to what you really want in your home.  Regardless, GREEN should start before the floorplan is made.  Or at the very least be made with GREEN in mind.

This is the start of a new series that I am starting on my Blog, ‘What Is Green?’

I will go over different concepts of both Building and Remodeling, items that you can keep in mind to give your home Greener Features or even All Out Green.    I will be starting with ‘Green is a Whole House Approach To Building.’

For now, I will leave you with a Blog Post that I wrote a while back…I will also be updating the definition of what High Performance means in my series.

The Difference Between a High Performance and Green Home.

These terms are being used more and more to differentiate homes in Advertising as Green and High Performance should not be lumped together. See you soon with the Whole House Approach!

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.