going modern in Texas

There was an interesting article in the Real Estate Section of the Wall Street Journal on Friday, May 1st by Nancy Keates. The focus of the article was........you guessed it.........Urban Reserve! Whether or not you favor modernist/contemporary or traditional homes, you've got to admit that Urban Reserve has been getting alot of press. Of course, you already know how much I love the feeling of living in the country while being only minutes from downtown Dallas!

I was talking with one of the Urban Reserve owners last week and asked if he liked his geothermal heating & cooling system. The response was an unequivocal YES! In addition to the geothermal system they insulated with soy-based foam insulation. Their average utility bills for a 1600 sq ft house are $90/month! Now THAT is cool!

Click here to read the WSJ article.

I JUST LISTED two of the new construction homes at Urban Reserve. If you want to read about all their awesome energy-efficient features and see interior and exterior photos check out these links! Let me know what you think!

http://www.19vanguard.com/

http://www.22vanguard.com/

Dallas and North Texas - best places for jobs

As reported in today's Dallas Morning News, Texas cities dominate a new list of the best places for jobs, with the top five large metropolitan areas for job growth all located in the Lone Star State, according to Forbes magazine.

Nine of the top 20 cities on Forbes' overall list are in Texas, with Odessa ranked No. 1.
Dallas-Plano-Irving ranked No. 5 in the magazine's list of the best large-size cities and 32nd overall.

click here to read the entire article

good housekeeping GREEN seal

One hundred years ago the Good Housekeeping Seal was introduced to protect consumers against fraudulent products. This year, in the April issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, a green version of the seal is being launched to “help consumers make the wisest and healthiest choice for themselves and their families," said Rosemary Ellis, editor in chief of Good Housekeeping.

Click here to find out how products earn the seal.

EPA introduces Indoor airPLUS program

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently introduced its Indoor airPLUS program in response to growing consumer concern over indoor air quality (IAQ). The Indoor airPLUS new home label is only available to ENERGY STAR® qualified homes. ENERGY STAR for New Homes requires builders to adhere to stringent EPA specifications. The goal of the EPA, builders, raters, utilities and public health and indoor environmental organizations is to help address issues such as mold, radon, carbon monoxide, toxic chemicals, and other poor air quality issues linked to a host of health problems.

Indoor airPLUS-labeled homes will include more than 30 verifiable additional home design and construction features (click here to view the list) compared to homes built to minimum code.

View a consumer brochure or visit the EPA Indoor airPLUS Program website for additional information.

Cole residence

This is exciting! Our architects, Specht-Harpman, made recent changes to their website. You can now view the "Cole Residence" on their site. Check it out at this link:

the cole residence

hazards of timing the market

According to the January issue of REALTOR Magazine, some buyers are holding out because they are gambling that home prices will come down and interest rates will hold steady or drop. The impact of changing interest rates on the actual monthly costs of home ownership is truly amazing! Even a 10% drop in home prices is immediately nullified by a mere 1% increase in interest rates on a 30-year mortgage loan.

And the timing gets even better if you are a first-time homebuyer who qualifies for the $8000 tax credit. Buyers who are holding out for the perfect time when both home prices and loan rates are at optimum levels could find themselves holding an empty bag!

a must - visit the Trinity River Audobon Center

Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity to accompany David Rodriguez, LEED AP and Vice President of Ware Architecture, on an interview at the Trinity River Audobon Center. The Trinity River Audobon Center is the Winner of the Dallas Business Journal's Best Real Estate Deals 2008 - Best Green Project. It's so exciting to have this world-class project just a hop, skip, and a jump from downtown Dallas!

David and I met for a conversation with Anne Hildenbrand and Gary DeVries with BRW Architects and Chris Culak, Audobon Center Director. The interview was preparation for an article that David is writing about sustainable, high performance architecture.

Both the building and the 120-acre site exemplify the City of Dallas commitment to sustainability. The project began with the restoration of the Deepwood Landfill site comprised of 1.5 million tons of illegally-dumped construction debris. The 21,000 sq ft building is in the process of obtaining LEED certification and the project will be the first LEED-certified Dallas Park and Recreation project.

Sustainable features of the project include:

• Remediation of the Brownfield (landfill) site.


• The creation of a series of wetland marshes and ponds to capture, filter, and cleanse water runoff prior to returning the cleansed water to the river.


• Planting native trees, prairie grasses, and plants to be irrigated through the use of rainwater harvesting.


• The usage of light-colored permeable paving materials.


• A "green" roof on the administration wing and a light-reflecting roof on the remainder of the building to minimize heat absorption.


• Installation of low-flow and waterless fixtures to reduce water consumption by at least 20%.


• High efficiency heating, cooling, and electrical systems.


• Low-e windows, natural lighting, and cross ventilation.


• Utilization of locally-produced, recycled, and low-to-no maintenance construction materials.

If you want to learn more about the site's sustainable features pick up a copy of Builder Insider and look for the article by David Rodriguez.

You will want to experience this site in person! Take a day-trip to visit the exhibits and see the diverse plant and animal species as you hike one of a number of nature trails. Don't forget your picnic lunch and be sure to pack your sneakers!

Click on this link to find out about directions, hours of operations, etc. Happy hiking!

http://tx.audubon.org/Trinity.html