Going Green

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After spending some green on my car last week, it was time to get out and see some green; green construction that is. I traveled from Crestview to Buda to see some interesting green building projects.First, let’s talk about Crestview. I got to watch some 5-star green modular condominiums.

Modular construction lends itself to green standards because it produces far less waste then site built homes. That is, of course, only the beginning, from front and back porches to reduce solar heat gain from entering the home, to on-demand (tankless) water heaters, these homes produced by Town Builders, are extremely energy efficient.

In Buda, I went on a tour of Elm Grove Homes, a subdivision built by GreenBuilders, Inc. Like Crestview, these homes have been awarded the city’s 5-Star energy rating. Located right off of 1626, they are convenient to get to, and close to the elementary school. These homes are so green, they even include gutters with rain barrels that capture water that can be used for landscaping. One story and 2 story units are available. Everything I saw was between $220 and $260k.

Both green projects had blown insulation in the roof – not in the attic floor. It is more efficient to ’seal’ the home at the roof line then to allow the heat to enter the attic. It also keeps molds and other allergens from entering the house.

Do you need my services? I support local Austin, after all I think its only neighborly.

Visit me online at www.SupportLocalAustin.com

or contact me by options below:

Doreen Zelma

Realtor, GRI

The Unforeseen

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Have you watched The Unforeseen, the 2007 documentary about the development of Barton Springs?  Directed by Laura Dunn, and produced partially by Robert Redford, it a must see for any Austinite or anyone who loves Austin.  

Redford is personally tied to Austin spending most of his childhood here, even learning to swim in Barton Springs Pool.  If you don’t love documentaries, you should at least enjoy the historical footage of Barton Springs, S. Congress Ave and Circle C.  The movie is shown a couple of times a year at the Alamo Drafthouse, but you can rent it through Netflix and probably Blockbuster.

How to Sell It

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I have spent some time in Western Austin.  From West Lake Hills, all the way up to Milwood.  I have to say overall, I am a little disappointed some listing agents and owners aren’t preparing a home as well as they could for sale.  Basic things like replacing the carpeting, touching up nail holes….how about vacuuming?  When you sell your home, it should shine.  If ’shine’ is too much to ask for…how about clean enough for company.  You are going to have company when selling your home. I am calling them company, but they also happen to be your harshest critics.

My top 2 goals as a listing agent, are to sell your home in the shortest amount of time, for the most money possible.  When I’m listing a home, I don’t really care how many homes are on the market.  I just want my listing to shine, so it’s the next one to sell.

Now, I’m not telling you to install $30,000 in granite.  All I am saying is make that Formica the best it can be!

Money Doesn’t Buy Everything

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I previewed a $3.5 million dollar home on Friday, in Tarrytown. I have several clients looking in Tarrytown, of which, this particular house turned out not to be a match for any of them. Not all of them are necessary looking in that price point, but I have clients who tell me all of time, if they could afford more; they would find the right house. More often than not, that is very far from the truth.

Even when I custom built a home, it still didn’t turn out to be perfect, for me. I always look at homes through my clients’ eyes. Even at $3.5 million, I walked around that home thinking, that’s not Shellie’s kitchen and that’s not the Smith’s family pool. Even at $3.5 million I couldn’t say that house was a good fit for any my clients. Now, don’t get me wrong. It was a great house, with an amazing view of the lake. Homes need to be functional in different ways, for different people. It just wasn’t going to work with my clients’ lifestyles.

Having more money to spend on a house isn’t going to necessarily buy you a home that’s a perfect fit. You can find a house at any price point that is a perfect fit for you. Money doesn’t buy ‘perfect’, because perfection really doesn’t have a price.

I support local Austin; after all I think it’s only neighborly.

What’s your dream house doing in someone else’s dream?

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I met my clients in the Denny’s parking lot on I-35 to sign an offer, which was then scanned and emailed to the Listing Agent, by midnight. After telling someone this, he said I was nuts. Yes, that may be true, but when my clients want a house, I don’t sit around and wait for someone else to buy it.

Even with our combined effort, the house had multiple offers on it, after only being on the market for 6 days, and we lost it. We tried our best, and will be just as passionate and steadfast for the next one, because your dream house often appears in the dreams of others as well.

Do you need my services? I support local Austin, after all I think its only neighborly.

Resale vs. New Construction

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I taught the Buyer Consultation class to new agents this week. When you are buying a home, especially in an area where there is still building going on, you need to be mindful of its resale potential. If you are planning on selling in less than 3 years, you may very well be competing against new construction.

One year young – is not new. You will not be able to price your home equal to a new build, if all other things, like lot location, are equal. This is why certain areas have excess inventory right now. The Resale market is slower in price points in areas where new construction going on. Why buy used, when you can buy new? If your home is listed for resale in these areas, you need to be competitively priced. Its like picking a car off the lot, instead of ordering one.

I always say money has a way of making things disappear. So, maybe you can’t ‘pick your colors’ as with new construction, but if a buyer can save some money on your resale…you may be able to make that existing paint color vanish.

I support local Austin, after all I think its only neighborly.

The Age Wave Theory

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Downsizing; it’s a trend we hear more often then not these days. For those that buy into the concept that living with less, de-cluttering can be good for the soul. For those, that can’t part with the Christmas plates, they haven’t taken out in 15 years, the concept of downsizing is stressful. At some point, there is a natural progression to live on the lighter side.

The most spending, in your life, is done in your 40’s and early 50’s. After that, you start migrating from a spending lifestyle to a saving lifestyle. It means spending less and downsizing. As baby boomers start shifting from this spending to saving mode, downsizing is becoming more apparent. So part of what is happening with our economy has to do with the majority of our population changing their spending habits naturally with age. It is a slow shift that started about a year ago. It’s called the Age Wave Theory, you can Google it for more information.

I support local Austin, after all I think its only neighborly.