About Houston's Living Green In Houston, Tx

The most commonly asked question when someone is consider moving to the Houston area is where they should purchase.  It's a huge City so narrowing it down to area is the first thing to consider.

When looking at a map of the City it appears that so many things can be nearby.  It's only about 15-20 miles from one place to another.  But its important to keep in mind the traffic flow on different freeways.  With over 5 Million people in the Houston Metro area, traffic time can really add up -

The other day I went to a Social Media Breakfast Downtown during Rush Hour.  I thought I would take the opportunity to make a short video of what Houston traffic can be like.

If you would like a Packet on Relocating to Houston with Tips on area and what to expect, I'd be happy to provide the information for you.  Steph@TurningHoustonGreen.com

I was in the middle of putting together a Class Presentation this morning for Lone Star College and thought it could be fun to put together a list of Daily Energy Saving Tips for a Week or Two.

With Summer time coming, get ready for those Electric Bills to skyrocket!!

In your home, there are a ton of Little Things to do (besides changing your light bulbs) that can help you reduce your bill. With this being the first day, let's start with something easy. It shouldn't even take 10 minutes to do.

Phantom Energy Loads - We have a bunch of little things plugged in all the time. Like our Coffee Pot. We can set it to automatically turn off if we forget but the truth is, even when it is off - It is still using Electricity. The majority of Electrical Devices pull what is called a phantom or vampire load when it's off.

Are you a Technology junkie? This will probably help you the most then. Let's take a look at some things we often forget about because these items can be as much as 5% of your Energy bill.

• Ipod Charger
• Laptop Charger
• Cell Phone Charger
• TV's in rooms that we don't use
• Cable Boxes
• Coffee Pots
• Toasters
• Chargers for Electric Drills or other tools
• Electric Toothbrushes or Razors

In an average family of 4 with Technology based items being popular, with 4 cell phones and 4 Ipods, it is pulling quite a bit of energy. Before you leave the house, just go unplug all of them.

If you have little kids, assign one to be the 'Energy Police' for the week. Let them be Mom or Dad's little helper and have them remind you about it.

To learn a little more about Phantom Energy Loads, here is a short article on Treehugger about it.

I was searching for HVAC tape earlier today and someone on Twitter asked why I needed it, what it was going to do to help my house.

Thought I would do a quick video explaining how it helps and why HVAC Tape is better than Duct Tape.  And for the record, I don't recommend doing this on your own.  :) But here is what I did with before and after video.

If you are in Texas, it is mandated by State Law that there be a company to offer this service for Free.  If you are in or around the Houston area that Company is FreeLightingCorp.com

More importantly, who buys homes?  What is the typical buyer profile statistically speaking? 

In Part One of the Series I discuss the need to 'Ditch the term GREEN' - It's confusing.  People don't understand it anymore because everything is 'GREEN'

Reading through the comments of my post it is evident why we need to, as fast as possible, get rid of the word.

• It means something different to everyone
• It brings on Anger to some in light of recent and absurd Government spending
• Many people assume that it just means it costs more money

We could go on and on.  But this is about noting the Obstacles and by the end of the Series, hopefully having an answer to overcome and move forward.

While much can get lost in the written word I am actually embedding a video below to help explain what I am about to say here.  But if you want the cliff notes version, keep reading.

Overall as a society we are more open to Sustainable Ways.  We are more open to buying something that is better for the Environment and for ourselves as well.  However, the Basic Ways that people purchase a product, any product, have not changed.

We still as consumers weigh our options.  Cost vs. Benefit - What's in it for me - Can I afford it?

In Houston, we have a lower than normal Median Price Range for the Nation.  This is one of the largest obstacles to overcome.  While we all may love to have Solar Panels, Rainwater Capture System, GeoThermal or whatever.  Many and probably the Majority, simply can't afford it. 

Second, Well- It's that word Green again.  We need to get back to basics and explain 'Green' homes in a way that makes sense.  Do we use 'Green' Flooring for a Healthy Home or do we maybe use a Wood or Tile that promotes less accumulation of dust and allergens for a more comfortable home to those with Allergies and Asthma?  The two statements are very different.

Third, building inventory homes is a Business that sells a product.  We need to remember that if we are using a checklist for a Green Building Program, checking off points to make the home Green - That Green means something different to everyone.  While one may consider putting an additional $5000 in to Mechanical Equipment, the buyer of the home may want a Healthier Home.  And Vice Versa.

I think from a Sales perspective we need to get back to the Discovery stage of things.  What do people want?

Ok, for a more in depth (much more in depth) version of what I am trying to say here watch the power point presentation below.  It has graphs, Houston Economic information and everything.  Oh, and it also explains why I feel that nearly every single homebuyer wants Green Features in one way or another.

The Obstacle to Building and Selling Green in Houston will be a Series - this is the first of the series.

Typically speaking in the Real Estate Market right now in regards to Green I would say that the average line of thought, the average acceptance of a 'Green' or 'Greener' home not only in Houston but around the Nation is very high.

We have gone from a few years ago, the average consumer thinking that a 'Green' Home was Recycled and only beneficial to the Environment to Today - Understanding that not only is a 'Green' home better for the Environment, It is better for the Homeowner.

This is a Drastic change in thinking for Society when you think about it in real terms and how fast this thought has changed. Now, the acceptance of Greener Homes may be high, but do they sell?

Regardless of what publication we may read that 'Green' homes are not selling, then we hear that 'Green' homes sell faster and for more money. When we speak to consumers we hear 'Green' homes are not being built in my area and then 'What is a Green Home?'

This tells me, my personal opinion, that there is still a lot of confusion out there in the market. In all actuality it is probably too soon to know what statements are correct. In basic terms I personally believe that we have 3 different kinds of people:

• The extreme Green Buyer that will spend and do what ever it takes
• The what I call an Enviro Hater that won't buy anything termed 'Green' or 'EcoFriendly' just for the principle
  
• The Buyer that wants to do the right thing, not be wasteful and have a better quality of home and environment

The 3rd point being the largest of the population generally speaking. Then, there is the confusion. The confusion comes in to play because everyone has a different opinion of what 'Green' really means. Some think it means that the product costs more, some think of it as being Energy Efficient, others think made of recycled content ...

How effective really are the Checklists for Green Building if the purchaser has no idea what it means?

More than ever in the Real Estate Industry we are at a point where we have to sell Value whether it be for a service or a product. People want to know what makes you or your product different and worth it for me to buy it whether it is Green or not.

What this tells me is that where a couple years ago we thought we had 10-15 years before the term 'Green' disappeared in relation to 'Green Building' - we are probably on the verge of it happening right before our very eyes. Today, right now.

As a Real Estate Professional that specializes in helping people buy and sell Green Properties I see the need to use different terms to overcome this Confusion. Let's get rid of the Term 'Green'. Buh Bye, See ya Later.

Why? Because it is becoming Normal. It is expected now that Homes are more Energy Efficient now than what was built even last year. It is expected that Homes are moving in the right direction and using Healthier Building Products. And, what the heck is Green anyhow?

We need to, as Real Estate Industry Professionals, learn what it is that makes a product 'Green' and be able to explain it to people. In markets, such as Houston, where we are still trying to get over the hurdle towards Mass Green Building, do we need a new approach? A change in terminology and possibly even a change in the approach to what products we build with.

If it is a Green Home, Why? What makes it Green? Is it more Energy Efficient? What products separate it from the rest and does the Home Buyer even care?

All of these are obstacles to building a better and greener home in the Houston area. Over this series let's break it down and look at the real trends of where 'Green' building may be headed. Let's take a looksy at how to get the Green Building movement going in a faster pace towards a more Sustainable Houston.

The answer may very well be where they always have been. The answers may lie in our daily Housing Market and average Houstonian Statistics.

Part 2 of the Series - Who is the Average Homebuyer in Houston? Who lives in Houston anyhow?