First Learnings On The New Austin Energy Conservation Audit

The agents in my office have been batting around a number of emails about the new City of Austin Energy Conservation Audit and Disclosure Ordinance. Our main questions and the answers we've found as of today:

• If you are already under contract as a seller but are closing in June, are you still required to purchase the audit? As far as we can tell, yes you do. Several companies are running early bird specials that discount the cost of inspections done before June 1st, so if you're in this situation, I'd encourage your clients to call and book an audit promptly.
• Does the Audit apply only to new listings taken on or after June 1st, or do you need to ask existing clients to get the audit done? It does apply to all current listings, so you will need to inform your seller clients that they'll need to do the audit ASAP.
• What's the going rate on these audits? So far, it seems to be in the $275-325 range. I've seen providers charging as little as $240 for a one-story bungalow-style home, but like inspections, it depends on the size of home and the number of floors.
• Does anyone know the exempted categories of home? Here are the basics. You don't need to do an audit if the home is less than 10 years old at the time of sale, if you're selling a condo, or if your sellers have received at least three energy-efficiency improvements or a total of $500 in rebates through Austin Energy residential energy-efficiency offerings within 10 years before the sale. If your clients have received free energy-efficiency improvements through Austin Energy's residential energy-efficiency offerings within 10 years, they are also exempt. There are additional exemptions for manufactured housing (mobile homes) built on a permanent chassis and designed for use without a permanent foundation, and some some foreclosure, pre-foreclosure, and trustee's sales. Call 512-494-9400 to make sure these exemptions do apply to you before making any recommendations or promises to your client.
• Are they actually going to enforce this thing? Yes. Not complying is a Class C misdemeanor, and the City of Austin's Legal Department does intend to enforce the provision on sellers who do not comply.

Ultimately, the Audits should prove to be a positive change for Austin home marketing, and should help reduce both energy waste and Austin's net power consumption by educating consumers about cost-effective home energy improvements. Best of luck to everyone!