Good news for Austin Real Estate...

Many of you have asked about the rumored "due on sale" green upgrades that our mayor has proposed.

The idea behind his proposal is admirable. The implementation is critical. Austin Board of REALTORS® has a group working to help make sure that the final outcome is positive both for the environment AND for folks buying and selling homes here in town.

The text below is from a recent mailing and I wanted to share it with you....

Central Texas REALTORS® enjoyed an important first round success on the City of Austin Point of Sale issue.

Wednesday, September 10th marked the final meeting of the City of Austin’s Energy Efficiency & Retrofit Task Force. The 28-member body overwhelmingly opposed mandatory retrofits for existing homes and was unanimously in favor of a program that closely resembles a proposal made by the Austin Board of REALTORS® in May. It includes required energy audits, disclosure of audit findings and general education. It excludes any mandatory upgrades or retrofits.

This is a marked digression from programs the task force was crafting before the REALTOR® alternative was offered, which a recent economic impact study by AgResearch showed would have cost Austin’s economy $80 million. We applaud the work of the members of the task force and look forward to working with the City of Austin to create a successful voluntary program. The report will see several boards and commissions for review before going to City Council for a final vote later this Fall. Stay tuned for more about how you can tell the Austin City Council that you, like the majority of the task force and 70% of the Austin community, believe in education and incentives to achieve our energy savings goals.