Realtor ®-The Woodlands Real Estate

It seems that more and more Lenders are sending out some misleading information to get their phones to ring.  Being in the industry, although I do not understand all of the Mortgage Lingo, I do understand that all loans are not for everyone.  Some of what they send out is almost Predatory, and most often misleading.

I received a letter from a National Lender, that quite frankly I don't care for, trying to sell me a 40-Year Home Loan.  They claim:

• It will Lower my Monthly Payment
• Consolidate or pay down higher interest debt
• Get cash to do things I want
• Streamline my finances

Not only that, the Home Loan Interest Paid is tax-deductible which could save me money!  Blah, Blah, Blah.  It keeps going and sounds great!  Why would I NOT do this?

Folks, my payment is $650 a month and 1/2 of my payment is Escrow.  Do you think that they could really reduce my payments?  NO!  I don't think so. 

I didn't write this to gripe about me, I wrote this because how many people that have NO idea about mortgages would call immediately to be SOLD a 40 year Mortgage.  I hear from clients quite a bit lately "I think I might get one of those 40-50 year Mortgages" It seems they are designed for special circumstances though. Much of the focus on the Mortgage Industry is on the initial home loans that can lead to Foreclosure. What about these letters?

If you turn over the letter it says in little bitty letters that it may actually INCREASE your payments.  How many of you think this should be on the FRONT of the letter?  I know why it isn't, but that doesn't mean it's right. 

I consider these letters to be somewhat Predatory, what do all of you think?

Well, I'm on my way to get out of the Greenhouse Gas Hall of Shame!  Yesterday I posted Part 1 of 3 where I talked about re-insulating my attic.  I won't go into all of the details again, I will just get down to business.  On my way to find out the TRUE End Results of Re-Insulating your home with GREEN Insulation.

The guys showed up this morning around 8:15.  This machine is in the back of a normal delivery truck. WOW! They needed a big one for this job!  I didn't expect that. 

They got to work upstairs attaching Webbing to the Knee Walls (because of my vaulted ceilings) and worked on the area over my Covered Front Porch area to reduce Heat Gain.  As soon as it was all prepped, they started my Transformation.

They did a great job, cleaned up well, (it was pretty messy) and were out of here by about 11:15 am. 

Below are before and after photos.  The difference is not so much what you can see as much as what you can't.  Let's just say there was a blizzard in Houston today.

                    BEFORE                                                                                                                     AFTER

Ok, I promise that this photo was taken from the same area.  In the far back is my Covered Front Porch area. 

                    BEFORE                                                                                                                   AFTER

This one was taken from a slightly different angle, but it is the same area.  There were still Newspaper Flurries in the air and MUCH darker.

Now, can I tell a difference?  Short answer, YES!  It has been less than 12 hours and I do believe I can feel a difference.  I honestly believe that there will be a drastic reduction in my utility bills.  Here is a Before and After breakdown on my home.  Now, I will say one thing. It was an extremely Overcast day for Houston and this is, again, less than 12 hours from getting this put in.

Before:    

• My home has always been somewhat humid inside. Not sticky, but I have no better word for it. I thought it was coming from the windows.
• There have always been "Hot Spots" that never go away.  Some rooms hotter than others.  WAY Hotter.
• I never took my A/C above 75 in June. 
• The A/C would run for...well, it would run. For a long time.  Then cut off and start again in about 12 minutes.

After:

• I do not notice that Humid feeling.
• I do not notice the "Hot Spots"-all of the rooms seem to be more even in temperature.
• I had my A/C at 75 like normal and it froze me out of the house.  I took it up to 81 as a good experiment before I left to go make my rounds on my listings. That was at 2:00 pm.  At 6:00 pm when I got home I was welcomed by a Cool Draft of air...that was not the Air Conditioner!
• My A/C seems to be running for 8 minutes. Cuts off and starts again on an average of 18 minutes.  That is still at 81 degrees on the thermostat.

I am going to wait and see what my August bill is before I do Part 3.  August is always my highest bill of the year.  Last year it was more than my car note...slightly over $400.  Let's see what it is this year. I believe my $665 investment will pay off in a pretty short period of time.

Oh, and for those of you that watched the video on Applegate Insulation's website...I tried it, without the blowtorch of course.  After burning it for almost 1 minute the insulation was cool enough (the part I burned, what was now black) for me to pick up with my fingers.  Cooler than a cookie HOT and fresh out of the oven.  Unbelievable.  As of today, I would say this is one GREAT way to start going GREEN!

Occasionally I run across a new client, that like many, asks a lot of questions.  I love questions. I would rather my clients ask 300 questions than leave one out that would make them buy or sell a home without knowing everything.

However, there are some questions that new clients ask that could get a Realtor in trouble.  They are normal questions.  Generally they are not hateful or misleading, just very tricky for an agent to answer. Often times, we can't answer it at all. 

Here are some questions and why we can't, or shouldn't, answer them:

• Am I getting a good interest rate?  Great question!  But, I do not really know. If I said yes, I could be very wrong. As a Realtor I specialize in the Sales side of Real Estate.  The mortgage industry literally changes daily.  Mortgage related questions vary on MANY different factors.  I may not know the complete answer, but I know excellent Mortgage Professionals that would.
• What should I offer?  Great Question!  A home is a personal and emotional decision.  The home may be worth one amount, but is it worth it to you?  First, decide what in your heart you feel the home is worth.  I will then put together a list of Comparable Sold Properties and show you a range of what Comparable homes are selling for.  This is absolutely the best way to make an educated decision.  You should be in control of what your ultimate Sale Price is, I am your tool to help you get there.
• What do you think this home would sell for in 3 years?  As a Realtor I have the ability to follow trends, but life and the Real Estate Industry is ever changing.  There is no telling what could happen next year, or even next week.  I would love to share the Market Trends with you, but keep in mind that nothing is for certain.
• Are the schools good?  Great Question!  I have 2 children and I want them to go to great schools as well.  However, my child's experience may be different than another.  Most school districts have a Report Card online that will show you how the school rates with the State in comparison with others.  Would you like for me to send you the link?
• How is the neighborhood?  This could be a good question too, but this is a BIG No No for an agent to answer in a few different ways.  We have Fair Housing Laws to abide by. Also, trying to sell one neighborhood over another could be considered "steering".  This could have Major Legal Ramifications on your agent.  I probably have resources that can help you make a wise decision.
• Should  I be worried about this on my inspection report?  Great Question!  Unfortunately, I may not know the answer.  It is always best to get a licensed person out to take a look at it. i.e. Electrician, a/c and heat, Termite.  These professionals can give you the ins and outs as to why you might want to consider a certain repair.  Would you like the name and number of a few to call?

As an agent I am your partner to finding the right house and help you make the right choices.  I will do everything in my power to get all of your questions answered.  But if I say I can not answer a question, it may be because it is not my area of expertise or it could even be a violation of our Code of Ethics or law. 

Please, ask questions. Even ask me the questions I listed above.  If I can't answer it I would be more than happy to find a resource for you.  The more questions you ask, the more I know you will make the right decision on a home. 

Houston is one of the many places in America where having proper insulation is a necessity.  Not too long ago I wrote I Think I Have Just Heard It All.  I spoke about how I was going to re-insulate my attic and how I found out about some GREEN Products to do that.  I thought I would split this up into 3 posts so that I can go into detail about the topic and show some pictures to help.  Yes I am going to show my own attic before and after and track the decline in my utility bills.

First, let me say that I should be in some sort of Greenhouse Gas Hall of Shame right now.

Ok, the break down on my modest home:

• Appx. 1200 sq ft Patio Home
• All Electric
• Built in '82
• Electric Bill never gets below $230 and as high as almost $400  WOAH!
• For every inch of Fiberglass Insulation X 1.5 is your approximate R-Value.  Mine is a whopping R-8.25  In Texas, the minimum recommended is R-30.  Houston, here is my problem!

I knew for some time that there was something wrong.  After I got my EcoBroker Designation I started looking closer at what I could do.  Insulation is the first on the list! 

If you read my first post you know that I was looking into Celbar which is a Recycled Newspaper product and Ultra Touch by Bonded Logic which is made of Recycled Blue Jeans.  The bid came in nearly 50% more than what I was originally quoted so out of curiosity I decided to get a second bid. 

I contacted a local company called Diversified Thermal that was highly recommended to me by GreenHaus Builders who happens to be a LEED Builder in the Houston area.  So, I gave them a ring to come out.  The Rep explained that they no longer use Celbar (I didn't ask why)  that they use another product called Applegate that they feel is a better product.  If you check out the video on their Home Page, I think you might agree.  They feel as though it is saturated better and not as dry.  Ok, I'll run with it.  It is still recycled newspaper.

Well, the bid came in quite a bit less and they will be at my house first thing in the morning to insulate.  I took an opportunity today to take BEFORE Pictures.  I will share my Hall of Shame photos.

What you are seeing here is Vaulted Ceiling Knee Walls that butt up against an exterior wall.  Apparently the guys building my home many moons ago felt it would be best to just put plywood and no insulation in the back area.  The company I have hired will be putting a barrier to prevent Heat Gain from my covered porch area.

Here you are seeing more Hall of Shame, knee walls and vaulted ceilings.  Half of my home is vaulted ceiling.  The air conditioning ducts are only 3 years old though!

In case you are wondering, even with Fiberglass Insulation you should NOT be able to see the floor joists.  (2x6 beams that you walk on so you don't fall through the ceiling.)  Actually, you would need more Fiberglass Insulation to get the same R Value as Applegate or Celbar.

If you are reading this and want to know more about R-Value of insulation, fellow Rainer Jeff Geoghan wrote a GREAT post titled What's an "R" Value that does a phenomenal job explaining it.  Also, I recommend you go to Applegate Insulation's website and check out the videos.  If you need a teaser as to why...all I will say is that a Blow Torch is involved! 

Well, next post I will be able to say that I am a little closer to getting out of the Greenhouse Gas Hall of Shame.  I will post the After pictures and then track how my utility bills will drop over the summer months in Hot and Humid Houston, TX.  It is suspected that they will be cut in half.  Let's see!  By the way, total cost to get my home up to an R-38 and installing the Knee Wall Barrier to reduce heat gain...$965.  I will also receive a $300 Tax Credit at the end of the year.  That brings it down to $665.  Now, if my electric bill drops in half-My Return on Investment should be less than 6 months. 

One great way to go GREEN and get something for it...quickly!

And if I have anything to do with it, many more to come.  On Active Rain I posted Why are GREEN Homes so slow to catch on? and now I will let you in on a little secret...

I know the answer!  Actually, I did when I posted it. I have been running an on-line poll on one website to see what the common misconceptions were of GREEN Building and why one would build GREEN.

The main one that came up was "Solar Panels are just to expensive and they take too long to get your money out of them."

But is there truth to that?  If you went completely Solar on your house..Maybe. But what if you just chose ONE item to go Solar with?  The two things in your that take the most Utility Usage is probably:

1. Heat and A/C
2. Water Heater

What I am about to share with you may blow your socks off, so please, take a seat.

I am going to go over the cost of going Solar for JUST your Water Heater.  If you made a commitment to go Solar for Hot Water- Would this be counter-productive?  I will let you make your own conclusion.  I am going to use my home as an example. 

First, anyone can use this tool.  It is a website called Find Solar.  This site has most states (sorry, I didn't count) and most major Utility Providers. You are still sitting down right?

My home needs the Hot Water for 3-4 people, I do have an Electric Hot Water Heater, and my Utility Provider was not on the list but I used a company that has the same KwH cost as mine. 

This site will tell you:

• Approximate Cost of going Solar
• How much you will save
• How much your property value will rise-Yes, you heard me right.
• How long it will take you to recuperate your costs

My on-line poll brought up the discussion that many people believe it will take 20 years to get your costs back.  Below, you will see what it would take for me to go Solar and how it would benefit me.  Or you if you chose to.

	Building Type: Residential State & County: TX - Harris Utility: TXU Energy Retail Co LP Utility Type: Power Marketer Assumed Electric Rate: To recalculate, enter a value and press "enter" on your keyboard - $/kWh Tiered Rates Apply: No Time-of-Use Metering Offered: No ESTIMATED SYSTEM SIZE   Solar Rating: Good (5 kWh/sq-m/day) Solar Collector Size: 1 collector = 32.3 sq-ft (3 sq-m) ESTIMATED SYSTEM COST     This is only an estimate based upon many assumptions. Installation costs can vary considerably. We strongly encourage you to work with a Solar Pro who can provide you with a more detailed cost estimate. We estimate a solar water heating system, with the collector size as shown above, will cost between $2,800 and $4,200. This estimate assumes the mid-point of this cost range.   Assumed Installation Cost: (before rebates, incentives or tax credits). See the Cost Notes, below. You may override the displayed cost assumption: To recalculate, enter a value for assumed installation cost and press "enter" on your keyboard. $ This is a user-entered cost Expected TXU Energy Retail Co LP Utility Rebate: ($ 0 ) Expected TX State Rebate: State incentive does not apply to this utility ($ 0 ) TX State Tax Credit/Deduction: ($ 0 ) Federal Tax Credit: (Installation type: Residential ) ($ 1,050 ) Income Tax on Tax Credit: $ 0 YOUR ESTIMATED NET COST: $ 2,450 Monthly Payment (6.5% apr, 15 years): $ 21 SAVINGS & BENEFITS Replacing Electricity This is only an estimate based upon many assumptions. The actual utility energy saved can vary considerably. We strongly encourage you to work with a Solar Pro who can provide you with a more detailed estimate. We estimate the collector size (as estimated above), using the numerous assumptions (as listed below) will produce between 1,863 kWh and 2,795 kWh per year. This estimate assumes the mid-point of this range.   Energy produced by a Solar Water heater: 2,329 kWh/Year Electricity saved by Solar Water heating: 2,329 kWh/Year Increase in Property Value: $3,795 Exempt from Property Tax: YES Accelerated (5 yr) Depreciation: (Installation type: Residential ) No First-year Utility Savings: Since this is not a business application, these savings are in after tax dollars. So, your realized savings may actually be higher! $253 Average Monthly Utility Savings: (over 15-year expected life of system) $29 Assumed Utility Inflation Rate % To recalculate, enter a value and press "enter" on your keyboard Average Annual Utility Savings: (over 15-year expected life of system) $345 15-year Utility Savings: $5,172 Return on Investment (ROI): (with Solar system cost set as asset value) 440% Return on Investment (ROI): (with Property value appreciation set as asset cost) 284% Years to Break even: (Includes property value appreciation) < 1 years Years to Break even: (Without property value appreciation) 4 years Greenhouse Gas (CO2) Saved: over 15-year system life 29.0 tons (58,000 auto miles)

***Compliments of FindSolar.com***

So, keep in mind that this is an estimate, and again, this is JUST for Hot Water.  What do you think about these numbers? 

I found this to be quite fascinating.  I would talk more about this but I think the numbers speak for themselves.  Not including Property Value Appreciation it would take 4 years to break even. Also, you would get nearly 1/3 of the cost back in a Federal Tax Credit. 

This is just an estimate.  But think about it.  Does the cost of going GREEN seem too much still?  Over 15 years you could save enough Greenhouse Gas to drive your car 58,000 miles.  Also, you would reap the benefit of lower utility bills. 

If you have any questions, I will answer them if I can.  As far as how accurate this site is....if you do one of these charts it will tell you what costs would vary. Mine said it might be the installation costs, but they felt it was an average number for One Solar Panel.  Hope you have fun with this site, I know I did!

                                                                Regarding Sustainable homes?  We have touched on this subject on Jeff Geoghan's post titled A Green Building Conversation... and I thought I would take a moment to go over this in a little more detail.  It was actually Ginger and Roger Sala that brought it up.

I am sort of thinking out loud, so bear with me.      

Sustainable and LEED Homes promote healthy environments and a lower maintenance home. I know I have run this topic for a couple of weeks now, but read through this and let me know your thoughts. 

• Most Sustainable homes use special products that reduce moisture intake.  This makes them less likely to have mold/mildew problems. If you live in the South with High Humidity you know that this is a HUGE issue. 
• Most Sustainable homes have fire retardant insulation.  So extensive that some insulation will allow you an hour to get out of the home before it catches fire.  Usually the fire department would be there before then.
• Most Sustainable homes use Concrete Exterior Walls or other Recycled Wood Product that does not rot.  The home will have less maintenance.
• A true Sustainable homes will have a metal or ceramic tile roof.  Hard to get a water leak there.  Not to mention no caulking on those annoying air vents.  These roofs would also hold up to Hail, Wind, probably a pretty strong Tornado or Tropical Storm.
• Most Sustainable homes will have a plumbing manifold.  Those of you that have not seen this it is like an electrical panel with shut offs for Hot and Cold water at any given wet location in the house.  Hot Water leak in the second bathroom upstairs?  Just shut it off until you can get a plumber out there. You will still have cold water.
• Also, most have no metal pipes to wear out from Hard Water.
• Back to the concrete walls-Less termites one would think.Termites don't like concrete.
• Sustainable homes have Great indoor air quality.  Most have a Whole House HEPA Filter which removes 99.99% of all dust, allergens, toxins in the air.
• LEED Homes generally have a wood or recycled floors and Low VOC Paints, both of which promote a healthier atmosphere.

I will stop there. I think that is enough and we get the point.  Unfortunately I don't know that GREEN Homes have caught on in Texas enough for it to make a difference, but for those of you in other states...might be something to pursue.

It seems to me that going through these points, a Sustainable Homeis less likely to have a Homeowner's Insurance claims and it would be fair to reduce the cost of insurance.  If I left off any key points, let me know.  I would also love to know your thoughts on the whole issue.

So Why aren't they doing their part?                                             

I am reading the Houston Chronicle this morning and am a little disappointed, yet I am excited at the same time.  Last Night I posted Why is GREEN slow to catch on? and woke up to a nice surprise.  They are discussing the first LEED school in Texas.  I was so excited!  Passing on the knowledge of GREEN to our future leaders!

Although I am short on time I stopped to read it.  It talks about the passive solar design, natural lighting, and how the kids that go to this school will be more likely to recycle and buy GREEN products.  Then the infamous, go to the page to read the rest. Which I did.

I get to the other page and it talks about the study pond that has drawn attention to the native wildlife of Texas.  Great!  Keep reading..

It talks a little more about the sustainable design, and then THE END!

This is where the disappointment comes in to play.  This story was Front Page!  Yet they did not mention one time that these children are schooling in a healthy environment.  It mentioned Low VOC Paints used.  What's that? Of course I know, but what about the public?  Do they know why this is relevant?

These lucky kids are going to school daily with healthier indoor air quality in an environment with less toxins, less allergens, and in a quieter school that will probably promote better learning. Yet not one mention of this. 

So, my rant for the day.  Houston Chronicle, Thank You for writing this lovely story about the Eco-Friendly school.  Next time, let's tell the public how it benefits the children going to it.  Let's educate the public about Healthier Living Standards that are available.  The media plays a HUGE role in education and education is dearly needed on this subject. 

Other than that it was a great story.  To the Private School that made this effort to provide a Healthier and Cleaner Environment for the children- A big Thank You from us Greenies!

Below is what I sent to the editor:

I first would like to say Thank You for publishing the article today regarding the First LEED school in Texas.  It is great that you have taken a step to inform the public on LEED efforts.  The article I can tell was well thought out and very informative.  I am a Realtor in the North Houston area with an EcoBroker Designation that revolves around the Green Built Community and found it to be quite fascinating.  

I just wanted to note a few things that I thought could have been in the publication.  LEED homes/buildings are designed for the people as much as it is the environment.  These children are lucky enough to be going to a school that has very low levels of toxins, allergens and counterproductive byproducts.  On top of that, the LEED school is more than likely a quieter environment that will promote better learning.  Green topics are something that really need to be pushed to inform the public of it's assets and I thought that this article would have been a great tool for that.  For instance, Low VOC paints are probably something the general public knows the benefit of.    I thought that with the school receiving $5.1 million dollars to build the school, people may want to know how the children benefit as opposed to just the environment.  

Thank you again for the article and your time reading this. 

I will let all of you know what happens.

***Apparently they liked the email.  It will be in tomorrows' paper under Letters to the Editor!***

Here is what was published:

Thanks for the Chronicle's June 19 article "The Class is always greener/The new St. Catherine's Montessori facitlity is a lesson in environmentally friendly designs"regarding the first school in Texas to receive the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. This is a coveted rating that points to energy efficiency, water savings, use of green materials, good air quality and sustainable site development.

The article was very informative. As a Realtor in the North Houston area, with an "EcoBroker" designation that revolves around the green-built community, I found it quite fascinating. LEED homes/buildings are designed to be good for people, as well as for the environment.

The St. Catherine's children are lucky to be going to a school with very low levels of toxins, allergens and counterproductive byproducts. On top of that, the LEED school will probably be a quieter campus, and that will promote learning.

The assets of building green are numerous. Even though St. Catherine's will receive$5.1 million dollars to build their school, the children who attend the school will benefit, too - not just the environment.

UNEDITED**  Well, the words were changed, but the message was not.  Actually, I think maybe their's was better.  :)

With Poor Air Quality of the large national cities in the news, Hollywood going as far as suggesting how many squares of toilet paper to use, and Al Gore trying to reduce Global Warming why is sustainable building so slow to catch on?

We already ready know that GREEN Homes are:

• Healthier
• Quieter
• More Eco-Friendly than most

The benefits are overwhelming, yet so many large cities in the United States are not grasping this concept.  I know I can say that about Houston.

So, what are your thoughts?  Is it consumer education? Is it the cost?

In the world of Real Estate there are many options for building.  All around the world groups are making efforts on building homes that are more friendly to the environment, and promote healthy living for the people that live in them.  Many products can adversely affect not just the environment, but your health as well.  The awareness of these products are being taken to a whole new level and consumers seem to be begging for more in many areas.

A LEED Home is a product brought together by the USGBC.  LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.  Many consumers are aware of the Energy Star product, but please do not confuse these two. 

LEED Homes are very unique.  There is a wide array of products that can go into one, so many that I will not talk about all of them here.  But I will tell you what features make a home LEED.  There is a checklist for each one, so I will go down the list and talk about some of it in a little detail.  A LEED home is not required to have everything but must have a minimum. 

Location- The home must not be near Environmentally sensitive areas and have infrastructure leading to it.  Another point is water.  There must be existing water nearby.

Sustainable Site-  There are a few features here:

• Erosion Control: Not likely to erode from the foundation and landscaping
• Landscaping: Drought tolerant plans, non-invasive plants
• Shading:  Believe it or not, shade trees can significantly reduce your utility bills. If there are not shade trees it is recommended to plant some
• Surface Water Control:  Pools of water on the property can negatively affect many things
• Non-Toxic Pest Control:  Toxins in Pest Control can affect you as a person, ground, plants..basically anything it touches

Water Efficiency- Managing your water usage is important.  This could be based on many items. Here are a few:

• Rain Water Harvesting
• Irrigation System
• Indoor Water Use- faucets, toilets, etc.

Energy and Atmosphere- This section gets into Greenhouse gasses and Energy Efficiency which lowers your utility bills for the life of the home.

• Energy Star Home- Again, this is different than LEED.  A home has to be certified as Energy Star which varies by region that the home is built.  I will cover that in another post.
• Water Heating
• Refrigerant Management- Loss of Refrigerant in the Atmosphere is not a good thing.

Materials and Resources- Here is a section where many products can be used.  But here is a small overview of what they look for.

• Material Efficient Framing- Not a whole lot of wasted materials. 
• Environmentally Preferable Products
• Waste Management

Indoor Environmental Quality- This is where YOU come in.  Here are features that would help the air quality of your home.

• Energy Star with Indoor Air Package- Most would know this as a whole house HEPA Filter.  It reduces 99.9% of allergens in the home.
• Moisture Control- Reduces occurrences of mildew/mold
• Outdoor Air Ventilation- Proper ventilation between indoors and outdoors is a necessity for healthier living.
• Local Exhaust
• Supply Air Distribution
• Supply Air Filtering
• Contaminant Control-  Central Vacuum would fall under this category. The dust and allergens stay out of the air.
• Radon Protection
• Garage Pollutant Protection

Awareness and Education- This is the last one.  It is recommended that anyone living in a LEED be educated on the products used.  This includes tenants if it is a lease home.

LEED Homes are:

• Quieter due to better insulation
• Healthier due to products used
• Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
• Lower your utility bills
• Have less maintenance required  

I will be posting on different products that make up a LEED home.  It would take a Novel to put it all here.  But the main point to take away from this is that a LEED home is an investment.  It is an investment on the long term health of YOU and the Environment. 

For more information on LEED Homes please visit this website.

The efforts of GREEN Building is making it's way Worldwide.  As I have written in previous posts, people strive for sustainable homes for various reasons.  I found this article in the Houston Chronicle that I thought was fascinating.

The article is about a family in Austraila that has built a home I think it is as about as GREEN as it gets.  There decision to build this home was a "moral decision" as they call it.  I felt it was interesting how Australia is one of the world's biggest contributors of Greenhouse Gasses.  I didn't know that.  Anyhow, on to the house.

First off, the home has 18 Solar Panels on the roof.  The panels produce so much electricity that the excess is fed back into the Electricity Grid.  At night, the family switches over to grid electricity to reserve solar power.  Since the family contributes electricity to the grid, they receive a rebate from the electric company.

Something else you would see on this roof is an impressive and high tech Rainwater Filtration system.  Rain water is taken from the roof to a 6,600 gallon tank that lies beneath the driveway.  A small amount of water that first enters the tank is diverted over to the garden to get rid of metals, leaves, bird droppings, and anything else that you would otherwise not want in your drinking water.  The water is then filtered to be used for drinking, washing, and toilet water. 

The home is also set up on what sounds to be a similar system to our Aerobic Septics over here. Although no term is used, it is a 3 phase filtration that breaks down sewage and then uses the excess for lawn watering.  The only difference I see is that the first tank utilizes UV Light is emitted to help kill germs, viruses and other toxins in the water.

The article does not go in to how the home was built.  I personally would like to know more about that.  It is apparent that they used a white metal roof and used passive solar placement to help reduce heat loss/gain, but other details are not there. 

A BIG Thanks to the Cambell Family in Australia for taking a step forward on Sustainable Living.  More people appreciate than you will probably ever know.  Many people around the world will learn from your experience and hopefully strive for Eco-Friendly homes.