I recently wrote a guest editorial regarding the City of Austin’s initiative to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes. A good friend, Bill Moore, whose opinion I respect, sent me an email, and I would like to quote it here:
“I did read the article. I thought it was very well done. I don’t totally agree with your conclusion. Just as the health of the citizenry depends on the septic systems being periodically evaluated and rebuilt at a sales transfer there should be a mandate of some sort at some time to force the improvement of the performance of the existing housing stock. The use of fossil fuels to heat and cool houses to maintain the constant temperature that everyone expects is a far worse threat to the very survival of humanity. If all use of fossil fuels stopped today the worldwide temperature would rise another 50 years before leveling off. The consequences of inaction are catastrophic. There are massive amounts of information out there to support the claims of the climate scientists. And every year another huge chunk of the ice shelf melts that they were convinced would last another 100 years. We are already 30 years too late. We pay more now and sweat more now, or we swim to Central Park and plant Sonora cactus in Austin.”
Bill is one of Austin’s original green builders, and has been on the cutting edge of green construction techniques for a long time. I believe we are slowly moving in the direction that Bill would like to see Austin move as a community. Gas prices are causing people to re-think their needs and lifestyle. And, the city is taking steps to move Austin in a green direction. A task force recently submitted their report on ways to improve the energy efficiency of existing homes.
Regarding single family homes, one proposal is this: The seller of a house must have an energy audit done, and must add the audit report to their seller’s disclosure. The seller’s disclosure is an informational form that is required by law to be provided by the seller to the buyer of their home.
If this proposal is made into law, an energy checkup will be required on homes of a certain age that are being sold. This will make the buyer more aware of how a house performs, energy wise, and what could be done to improve it. Any audit recommendations would be negotiated between the buyer and seller. The buyer may ask that the seller make repairs or upgrades; or the buyer may make them himself after closing; or the buyer may choose not to make them.
Bill brought up septic systems, and this might be considered a parallel issue. It is typical for the buyer to get a septic system evaluation during the contract inspection period. If repairs are recommended, they are negotiated between buyer and seller. Sometimes the seller will have the septic checked before marketing the home, in order to avoid surprises later. Regardless of who orders or pays for the septic inspection, any recommended repairs are negotiated between buyer and seller. There is no law that I am aware of that requires upgrades to a septic system in connection with the sale of a home.
I think that most people want to save money on utilities and live in a healthier environment. We need to find ways to do this. And, more that ever, we need people like Bill to help us get there.
Austin Texas Real Estate Guide
Blogs:
Hello,
Just wanted to make a comment on the post since many people don’t know where to find an energy audit provider near their home. you can locate professional energy audit companies at the Energy Audit Directory. Just google “energy audit directory” or go right to http://www.energyauditdirectory.com
Great blog, please keep it up!
thanks.
Comment by John Carroll — October 2, 2008 @ 1:12 am |