BettySellsAustin at Sky Realty Austin

Is it best to buy, build or remodel a greenbuilt home in the Austin, Texas area? Many people may ponder this question who are interested in saving money, saving our Earth and or just living a simpler lifestyle. There are many things to consider to make the right decision for you. Thankfully we have many experts and organizations right here in the Austin, Texas area! Austin Energy's Green Building Program just celebrated 20 years of helping people to live greener and is our nation's first green building program. Austin Energy's Green Building Program applies to homes in Austin Energy's range, it does not apply to other towns just outside of or even touching Austin, Texas. The U.S. Green Building Council's LEED is a national program.

Building an Austin TC Green Home 

When building a home, the advantage is that you can create your own personal vision of your perfect house including architectural style, room sizes, exact features and more. You can also pick the lot your new green home goes on, whether a 50 foot lot in town or 50 acres out in the country where you can have chickens and horses too. There are many architects in the Austin Texas area who know how to design a home using enough building science to create a Net Zero home. A Net Zero home produces more energy than it uses over a period of a year. A Net Zero home is built very tight so it does not lose much energy at all. Solar Panels provide energy from the sun which is stored in batteries and perhaps sold back to the electricity provider. There are also many architects and home builders in the Austin Texas area who know how to build with straw bales, ICF construction, SIP panels and more. Many production builders in our area are using foam insulation or solar panels. I am familiar with and have sold many types of greenbuilt homes. I know many builders and architects in the Austin area with expertise in green construction.

Buying an Austin TX Green Home

When buying an Austin TX Green home you are limited only by what homes are on the ground or under construction at the time you are shopping. We have many different types of green built homes as well as many different locales where greenbuilt homes are located in the Austin TX area. Straw Bale, ICF, SIP and just really tightly built or retrofitted homes are available for purchase. Many homes have total rainwater collection or auxillary rainwater collection as well. Some homes may be older homes that have been retrofitted to become much tighter and more efficient perhaps even adding a solar array. I am familiar with and know how to find the greenbuilt homes in and around Austin, Texas. Allow me to help you in your quest.

Remodeling an Austin TX Green Home

You may want to buy an Austin TX area home and remodel it or remodel the home you are now living in. I am currently in the process of doing that and my home will eventually be for sale. My home for example, is a Scott Felder production home not of any energy efficient design. However, it is south facing and does have double paned windows as well as many mature trees for shading in Summer. I have added more ceiling fans, Energy Star roof shingles and plan to add foam insulation and much more efficient HVAC systems. I have added xeriscaping, a very water wise yard as well as turned my yard into a National Wildlife Federation Certified yard as well. When adding foam insulation as a retrofit, it creates a sealed attic so you cannot do this without being sure any gas appliances are vented correctly. The sealed attics are incredibly cooler in the Summer and warmer in the Winter and considered "conditioned" space. Your attic stored items will stay in much better shape and you can stand to be up there when temperatures are extreme outside because it will be nice and comfy year round. There are many retrofitted homes for sale in the Austin Texas MLS. Let me find one for you!  

Betty Saenz is an Austin, Texas EcoBroker®, REALTOR®, a green real estate agent who specializes in greenbuilt, energy efficient and water efficient homes. Call Betty Saenz at (512) 785-5050 or e-mail Betty Saenz EcoBroker® at Sky Realty, Austin, Texas. Betty's main website is BettySellsAustin.com and her Green website is TexasOrganicHome.com

The Taylor Texas Conservation and Heritage Society (TCHS) will be holding a Christmas Home Tour of 8 historical homes on December 11th 2010 from 1:00pm to 6:00pm and December 12th 2010 from 1:30pm to 5:30pm. The homes are all incredible and there will be one that was owned by the famous Colonel Easley and built in late 1800's. Taylor Texas has an amazing history and many historic buildings and homes. Many of the homes will be decorated for the Christmas Holiday. Taylor, Texas is located just east of Hutto, Texas in Williamson County Texas. Contact Taylor Texas Conservation and Heritage Society President Nelle Steger at (512) 352-2287 for more information on this event and the society. Local merchants and banks will have tickets for sale. Proceeds from sale of tickets will go to the scholarship fund for students of historical architecture and also to continue preserve historical buildings in Taylor. First National Bank on Main (aka 95)  and Second will be the starting place of the tour and tickets will be available there. First National Bank is a Taylor Texas Conservation and Heritage Society preserved building and is now an art gallery. 

Talbot Street Bed and Breakfast (512) 352-5465 at 903 Talbot Street across from the Moody Museum Home and Garden at 114 W. Ninth St. will not be on the tour this year but the new Heart to Heart Bed and Breakfast (512) 309-4419 at 829 McClure St. in Taylor will be on the Christmas Home Tour. The Austin American-Statesman of Sunday June 13th, 2010 featured an article on Taylor historic homes in its Real Estate section entitled "Head North to Taylor to own a Victorian Treasure". This is so true, Taylor has many historic homes and historic commercial buildings available for purchase at bargain basement prices, especially compared to historic building prices in Austin, Texas and Geogetown, Texas! Call Betty Saenz to see them at (512) 785-5050.

Some famous people from Taylor Texas are Tex Avery who was the voice for Daffy Duck and a descendant of Judge Roy Bean. Another is Bill Pickett, the most famous black rodeo cowboy and the inventor of the rodeo sport of bulldogging or steer wrestling. Also Texas' youngest governor Dan Moody, who's boyhood home is the Moody Museum in Taylor.

To get to Taylor, Texas just head north of Austin on IH 35 to highway 79 in Round Rock. Head east on 79 through Hutto, Texas and then on into the next town of historic Taylor, Texas.