A new program in Houston designed to encourage property owners to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings will offer incentives for some types of renovation, Mayor Annise Parker announced this week.
"The Energy Efficiency Incentive Program is an unprecedented opportunity for commercial building owners and managers to actively engage in the city-wide sustainability strategy - to make Houston a greener, cleaner and healthier place for ourselves and future Houstonians. The energy efficiency projects completed as part of this program will .... help buildings achieve their sustainability goals," she said in a statement.
City government will commit $3 million in seed funding to environmentally motivated improvement projects. If an approved engineering estimate finds that a given renovation will result in at least a 15 percent savings in energy costs, Houston will make anywhere from $20,000 to $200,000 - up to 20 percent of the improvement's total cost - available to the property owner.
In addition to the city incentives, Houston real estate owners should consider the savings on energy costs by themselves. The difference between unmodified old buildings and new renovations can be startling, experts say.
Life in Texas can bring many unexpected surprises. The land is large and for the most part, still uninhabited. Texans are often privy to erratic weather; pests in their homes, even the occasional stampede of wild horses is not unheard of. However, throughout Texas and Houston in particular, residents are now witness to a new epidemic, and its costing taxpayers a pretty penny, the influx of feral hogs.
Wild pigs are nothing new, and the state agriculture department estimates that the damage caused by these animals costs residents nearly half a billion dollars a year in damages.
Residents of the Riverstone subdivision in Sugar Land have experienced the wrath of such a nuisance. The wild pigs cause damage to yards, dug up flowerbeds and sod, dented fences, destroyed vegetable gardens, and there isn't much residents can do.
"It's very frustrating," said Ricky Stephens, a resident of Riverstone. "They're very large," Stephens said. "They're bigger than my dog there." "I'm tired of paying to have it fixed," He showed reporters how the pigs rolled away an enormous rock he had as a fixture in his yard.
The State Agriculture department cannot regulate wild animal populations; therefore it is up to residents to take measure to protect their own yards. Tom Wilcox of the Riverstone Homeowner's Association reported that:
"To date we've put up 3,000 linear feet of fence around this one particular subdivision in the gaps and areas where hogs are coming in, and they kind of move from one another to another area so we fence one area and all of a sudden we move to another area".
Residents have resorted to electric fences and traps, while others simply take pictures of the wildlife creeping throughout their yards and do the best to accept their new neighbors.
Homeowners face many obstacles while trying to maintain the appearance of their property. These hogs are turning up yards and defacing land, which in the long run can decrease property values. As the wildlife population is almost impossible to regulate it is up to Houston residents to take their yards into their own hands, and back from these wild neighbors.
The Alvin area was settled in the mid-1800s by ranchers and cattlemen, and once the Santa Fe Railroad expanded into the area, a settlement was established along the railroad. Alvin was initially named Morgan in honor of its original resident, Santa Fe employee Alvin Morgan. Upon discovery the name Morgan had been taken, though, the town re-named itself Alvin after Morgan's first name, officially incorporating in 1893.
Even though Alvin real estate was all about ranching in the early years, its industries expanded in the 1930s to include oil and agriculture, becoming a major producer of strawberries, oranges, pears, figs, rice and the cape jasmine flower. More recently, Alvin has become famous for its hometown son, Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Nolan Ryan, who played for the Houston Astros in the 1980s and is still greatly revered in the area.
Located in Brazoria County, Alvin is only 30 minutes south of Houston Texas, and home to over 23,000 residents. With plenty of open parks and oak tree-lined neighborhoods in its 5-mile radius, the community of Alvin offers educational opportunities and recreational activities for the whole family.
Living in Alvin, Texas
Alvin homes for sale include older Victorians, custom homes and mid-range single-family homes in peaceful neighborhoods. Residential single-family homes range in price from just under $100,000 to the mid $600,000s, with a wide variety of acreages. If you're looking for a new home, there are a few new developments in Alvin that include 2, 3 and 4 bedroom homes ranging in price from $129,000 to $200,000. Additionally, there are working ranches and commercial property for sale with average prices in the mid-1 millions.
Things to Do in Alvin
As you cruise along the town's streets - many named for Confederate generals and railroad investors - you'll notice Alvin has a busy downtown retail / commercial area, along with its own airport. The nearby Gulf Coast Speedway offers the thrill of speed, while the Alvin Golf and Country Club offers a more tempered level of excitement. Family activities include taking the kids on a "safari" at the Bayou Wildlife Park, birdwatching along the Great Texas Birding Trail, swimming at the YMCA or shopping at Froberg's Farm - billed as the area's largest open-air farmer's market. And, of course, there's a museum dedicated to Alvin's local baseball hero at the Nolan Ryan Center.
Alvin Independent School District
Alvin Independent School District serves the communities of Alvin, Manvel, Iowa Colony, Liverpool, Amsterdam, and parts of Rosharon, Arcola, and Pearland. With approximately 16,000 students, Alvin ISD is the second largest school district in Brazoria County. Of the district's 22 schools (13 elementary, 5 junior high, 2 high school, 2 alternative campuses), 10 are rated as "recognized," 9 as "exemplary" - the highest rating given by the Texas Education Agency. Beginning teacher's salary starts at $45,000 as of 2010, with more information on the AISD website's Human Resources Center.
For those pursuing secondary education, Alvin Community College (http://www.alvincollege.edu/) has been serving the Alvin community for over 60 years, and offers a wide array of associate and certificate programs. Of course, Alvin is also within driving distance of the University of Houston, Rice University and other higher learning institutions in Houston.
Alvin's major employers include Alvin ISD, Alvin Community College, Dish Network and a variety of companies in the energy and petrochemical fields. These, along with proximity to NASA facilities and the Houston business district, are contributing to Alvin's growth. While Alvin is a growing city, though, its tree-lined streets, neighborhood farms and sense of community still make it feel like home.
Virtual, End-to-End Office Program for Real Estate Agents
Offers Up To 100 Percent in Commission Guarantee
Houston, TX (PRWEB) August 17, 2010
2M Realty, an independent firm providing services throughout the Greater Houston real estate market, has exclusively partnered with Treehouse Agent Services to "un-tether" the sales agent from their brick and mortar broker through the use of the Internet and a new virtual office program. The Treehouse program provides a complete, end-to-end service for independent agents looking to conduct their trade online. According to the pricing package purchased, agents can retain a guaranteed 100 percent or 80 percent commission upon closing.
"Through the Treehouse program, 2M Realty is putting the power of independent selling and revenue generation into the hands of Houston Realtors," said Mark W. Martin, principal broker for 2M Realty. "We believe this program is one of the most cost-effective and comprehensive online real estate business solutions in the market, and will inspire agents to rise above traditional broker-bound work paradigms to a whole new level of success."
The $295 per month package includes a guaranteed 100 percent commission upon closing and grants participating agents full access to a variety of productivity-boosting features including:
Alternatively, for $100 per month, agents are empowered to partake in the full gamut of services Treehouse provides, but are limited in the amount of leads created and distributed to them. However, this package offers a lucrative 80 percent guarantee in commission, which is a higher pay-out upon closing than the traditional real estate industry average.
"Today, the 2M Realty website is the top-ranking brokerage site in the Houston area and is consistently generating tremendous buyer and seller leads," Martin continued. "So, we need agents at a time when agents need leads and support more than ever."
Agents interested in the virtual office program can visit: http://www.2mrealty.com/realestatecareers.php for more information on how to sign up for the program or contact 2M Realty at (888) 847-HOME with further questions.
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In a recent article by Phoebe Chongchua for www.realtytimes.com, the ‘walkability ‘ of a home's neighborhood is now in high demand for prospective buyers. Market trends change constantly, and Houston Realtors have noticed that first time buyers and baby boomers have quite a bit in common with this new buying movement.
Many of us have heard the location argument over and over when it comes to real estate. Generally location means proximity to good schools, a good job market, and amenities. However, as buyer's demands change, location now takes on a newer, more specific meaning for a small but growing percentage of first time and repeat home buyers. That's right; the newest trend among buyers is walking! Being able to walk to your desired locale is now up on the list of must haves for a growing population of prospective buyers.
What Buyers Want
Does this means more buyers are looking to move to the city? Not necessarily, so long as there are walking distance amenities, buyers are just as happy to be in the suburbs. According to Chongchua, a study of 90,000 homes in the US, concluded that being able to walk to nearby attractions is appealing and (according to the study) could increase the value of a home by as much as $3000! With unstable oil prices and traffic congestion increasing, Americans are seeking residences close enough to desirable locations so they may leave the car keys at home.
Selling Your Neighborhood
Sellers have a tool available to them such as http://www.walkscore.com/, that can determine just how ‘walkable' their neighborhood is. This tool can help sellers adjust marketing techniques and focus or downplay the right features for potential buyers. Sellers should be specific about the type of walking their neighborhoods allow as well. "Topography is a vital influence in determining if people will actually walk in a particular neighborhood. If there are 4 lanes of traffic and lots of congestion, even though the distance is short to a store, many will opt to drive" (Chongchua). An online marketing campaign in particular should be specific as to what type of walking your neighborhood allows.
Selling your home is only part of the picture. Neighborhood, area attractions and their proximity play into a home's marketability as well. How does your neighborhood rank on a walking scale?
2M Realty is an independent firm providing services throughout the Greater Houston real estate market.
ActiveRain Corp. is not responsible for the accuracy of the site's content (which is written by members of the ActiveRain Real Estate Network) and does not endorse the views of the real estate agents, mortgage brokers, and others listed here.
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