Clovis, NM

Green is slowly marching Eastward over our state. Green building practices have been boasted about for years in Albuquerque, Santa Fe and Las Cruces. But in the East, where dairy cattle outnumber prairie dog lovers and talk of "Green" practices still brings to mind hippies, Californians, and tree huggers, consumers and builders are finally seeing the value in researching and implementing green building practices.

It isn't just about smearing mud on the walls and saving trees any longer - those may be great ideas but today's Green standards are based on energy conservation. The practical people of Eastern New Mexico realize this means money - more in their pockets and less spent on heating and a/c. It's smarter building which starts in the design phase and carries through the materials, standards and waste a project produces.

I was doing some research for a client and found that we have no "Green" builders based in Eastern New Mexico. No members of Build Green New Mexico and no builders knowledgeable about the steps to take to certify their homes for energy sustainability.

A quick way to put more money in builder's pockets would be for them to take advantage of the tax credits available to them. New Mexico offers sizeable tax credits to builders and consumers that should not be ignored. If a home achieves a Build Green New Mexico or LEEDS certification at the lowest level (There are three levels Gold/ Silver and Platinum- Emerald) The builder can get a $5.00 per sq ft tax credit from New Mexico. For example a 2000 sq ft house would get a $10,000.00 tax credit. That is in addition the federal government's offer of another $2000 tax credit for using sustainable energy practices. If the house achieved a platinum rating, that credit could go as high as $9.00 a sq ft. and that adds up to some nice pocket change.

I don't know enough about GREEN certifications, practices, or credits, I admit, so my first step will be to take more courses so that I know what I am talking about. A quick resource to turn to would be New Mexico's Energy Conservation and Management Division website. They have a nice little chart with links of where to go for more information. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/ecmd/cleanenergytaxincentives/sustainablebuildingtaxcredit.htm

I do have a listing on Northglen http://fly3.505home.com that is probably the most energy efficient, large home on the market in Clovis. The builder is now pursuing a HERS rating to verify the air-tightness of the house. Adkin's Construction uses a special insulation, Heat Lok 217-4, that is a polyurethane foam which has one of the highest R Ratings available. It foams up and fills every crack and gap between the studs in the walls and adds extra rigidity to the structure as well. They blow in extra insulation over the heated areas of the house so that it looks like a snowstorm hit the attic. I peeked up there and it must have been two feet thick.

When I mentioned that I was going to go after my GREEN certification I got some funny looks from some of the older agents in our office. I think they are afraid that I'll start trapping prairie dogs humanely and telling dairymen that they should let their cows out on green pastures so they can enjoy the rest of their lives. But GREEN building practices simply make life a little better for my buyers and I'm all about that.

The 97 degree day we had today made me think of Summer and I thought I would make a list of the things I enjoy most about Summertimes in Eastern New Mexico.

15 Things I love about Clovis in the Summertime:

•1. Even if the daytime temp reaches 100 degrees, every evening it will be back in the low 70's just in time to sit on the porch and sip some iced tea.

•2. Kids can play outside for hours and you don't have to wonder where they are or who they're with.

•3. Eating shaved ice from a vendor that lets you put as much syrup on it as you want.

•4. Growing my own garden and watching the sunflowers get tall. Tall enough to enter in the Curry County Fair in August and win a blue ribbon.

•5. The sound of softball games in the park.

•6. Sonic stays open till midnight or later.

•7. Every week a different church holds a vacation Bible school. And they coordinate with each other.

•8. Parents take time to sit with kids who are getting free lunches at the park.

•9. Dry heat and no humidity.

•10. People get out in the evenings and take walks with their families.

•11. Watching fireworks over Green Acres lake from the back of a pickup.

•12. The smell of fresh cut lawns. (I know that's everywhere but I had to include it)

•13. Taking day trips to Carlsbad Caverns, or Lubbock, or Amarillo, or Palo Duro Canyon, or Albuquerque or Santa Fe or Ruidoso.

•14. Going Camping next to a Creek in Tres Ritos and going trail riding in Duran Canyon. Since we don't have any creeks in Clovis - it's a big thing.

•15. Driving away from the city lights, sticking your head out the sunroof and looking at a million stars.

Feel free to add your own favorite things about Clovis in the Summer and have a great one.

Well, while the rest of the world sits and waits for housing to recover, for the swine to recover, for the banks to recover, Clovis, New Mexico is bouncing along like several other small pockets of life in this big world.

We are in a unique situation because of growth at Cannon AFB and in several surrounding industries. We actually have help wanted signs around town, people are moving in, buying their first homes, fixing up existing homes, and business is booming. We are down to 275 homes on the market in Clovis - a town of 45,000 people, and we have more people being transferred in daily.

If you like to build houses, if you are a skilled subcontractor, please come to Clovis. We need you! Give me a call 575-799-9500. I'd love to put you to work. But please don't call if you just like to develop postage stamp sized lots with identical tract houses. We have a serious need for affordable housing ($150,000 - $200,000) but there must be some way to build decent homes with decent yards in communities with something other than lots in a rectangular grid.

It has been reported to us that we need 2000 new housing units to be built in the next two years, to accommodate those that are being transferred to Cannon and their families.

We need to revamp our land use plans, we have a great opportunity to build a city and I hope we don't waste it for what is most cost efficient.

I would like to see green spaces, jogging trails, playgrounds, and amenities like you see in other areas of the country. People moving to Clovis are expecting more and hopefully we will deliver.

While I am writing my wish list maybe New Mexico could give home builders a break with the gross receipts tax they charge. Paying sales tax on a home like you would a box of chocolates is not helping things.

Katharine

The 24 Hour House

It has been a wild week.

Ive written 7 offers, had an unhappy customer for one of the first times in my 6 year career, been in 2 multiple offer situations (which caused the unhappy customer who didnt want competition) accepted two counters and almost sold a house in 24 hours.

The couple were a referral from an agent in Alaska who saw my active rain profile. They were planning on renting but came to Clovis and were unhappy with the wait for base housing and the lack of decent rentals in the area.

They gave me a call and we met at the office and looked over the 50 homes in their price range. A quick call to one of my favorite lenders showed that the payment they were thinking of making would allow them to buy something under $150,000 with today's rates. We eliminated about 3/4 of the homes in Clovis just by their pictures and left the office with about 10 we wanted to see. In the office I found out that cabinets were a big thing for the wife and they both liked clean, neat homes that weren't going to require alot of care or fix-up. Paint was fine but the husband was going to be deployed now and then and didn't want to leave his family with any huge remodel projects.

We started in the Northeast part of town in the newer subdivisions and they really liked the first home they saw. The next home needed some work, then we went into the older neighborhoods and looked at a really nice clean home on cactus that was almost too perfect (could they maintain the beautiful landscaping) and a less expensive home that had a small kitchen. We looked at a nice home on Morse that unfortunately felt "dark" and left us remembering the pretty open floorplan we first looked at. Then we saw one more with a purple kitchen, red living room and cave like atmosphere that felt like Vegas but underground. It even smelled damp and cool.

So then we met the lender, clarified some things, and went to write the offer. The seller countered quickly the next morning and they wanted to counter, counter , but something made me take a breath and wonder if this was just too fast. There were a couple of ups and downs in the day but rarely do you decide to buy a house, find out you sold your house in Alaska, find a house, get approved, write an offer get countered and counter, counter all in 24 hours. I didn't say anything but I didn't rush into the office to write it either. A couple of hours passed and the couple called and decided instead of counter countering they wanted to take a breath and make sure this was really what they wanted to do.

And I am glad....

Real estate professionals have this reputation for being high pressure sales people, focused on the commission instead of just simple people who love people, love houses and really enjoy helping people make the best decisions that change their lives. I never want to be that agent who pushed someone into a house they didn't really want or shouldn't afford. I want my customers to thank me a year from now instead of wish they had never met me because then they wouldn't be in this fix.

The week continues as I will find out if my other customers win the bid on the fixer upper in a nice area in town.... I find out how the inspection went on the cash sale of one of my listings (inspection is the only contingency).... I accept the counter for the home the sellers of my listing want to buy once it is in writing.....I line up leases to look at for a new contractor's satellite office who is coming into town...and I wish my active rain referral customers well - whatever they decide to do this weekend. The moral of the story is listen to that still small voice inside you, do what you know is right and remember that "sometimes your very best deals are the ones you miss". - Thanks to Brett for that quote. Hope you have a great week.

After reading the top 6 fads that are "out" according to consumer surveys at the international home builders show in Las Vegas http://styledstagedsold.blogs.realtor.org/?p=273 I thought I would give some insight on what buyers want in their newest Clovis Home.

1. Color - Nothing crazy but white walls are "out" in Clovis. Most builders are going with an eggshell sheen tan for the entire house. Flat finishes were in for a while but homeowners have found them hard to keep clean. Home sellers are painting neutral earthtones and adding splashes of color with curtains and furnishings.

2. Green Building - Eco-friendly building practices win applause from local home buyers. Energy saving features such as SIPS construction, alternative heating/cooling and less wasted space make home buyers happy. Renewable resources like bamboo flooring, glass countertops, and reclaimed materials add interest and unique features that home buyers love.

3. Fireplaces - For a while builders thought electric fireplaces were the thing and you can find them in a lot of Clovis homes built since 2000 but I have rarely found an electric fireplace that warmed home buyers hearts. Builders in Clovis need to remember to Keep it Real. A wood burning fireplace will never go out of style no matter what the Realtor magazine says.

4. Natural Materials - Keeping it real extends to the rest of the finish work in the house. Real engineered hardwood flooring is very popular and Pergo type laminate while inexpensive and better than carpet - I think will fade away. Other natural materials like granite, stone, and old Chicago brick seem to endure.

5. Less is More - Because most of our home buyers are on a budget a really great 1600 sq ft floorplan will always sell fast. The days of the 2900 sq ft homes with formal spaces are becoming less popular and buyers instead are choosing homes with more actual living areas, larger kitchens and open floorplans - but not too open. Parents still want to get away from the kids at times. 20 ft ceilings are also being thought twice about because of the high energy costs associated with heating all that air up there.

6. Bigger bedrooms - The most common complaint I hear about newer homes is that they have tiny bedrooms. Generous bedrooms and a wise use of space while still giving enough storage space creates the best mix buyers are looking for.

7. Versatility -Buyers don't like nooks in their living rooms. They want big open walls that offer choices about where to put the furniture. The dont want to have to put the tv in a certain spot so the little built in boxes are out.

8. Extras - My buyers still love the extras and can tell when builders or remodelers took the cheap way out. Think about adding some nice touches such as under cabinet lighting, nicer bathroom fixtures, and touches here and there that say you went to some expense to make this house a home.

Clovis is different than other small towns. It is growing rapidly because of our Air Force base and we see a different buyer than most New Mexico cities. Our buyers have come from more metropolitan areas and expect more than just the same way things have always been done. They are ready for local builders to bring the world to them.