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Austin Market News
Sources
The economy and housing market are ever-changing in the Austin
metropolitan area. To get the latest and most up-to-date
information, we monitor the data being collected by the
Texas Real Estate Center
at Texas A&M University. This site is compiled by
respected economists and, unlike some of the other local media, seems based on
core data instead of editorial "what sells news".
 View
current and preview issues of the Real Estate Center Online News
(RECON) and have the newsletter sent to you as the
reports are released.
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Austin Energy Efficiency
Ordinance Revised April 2011
The
Austin City Council
approved the
Energy Conservation Audit and
Disclosure Ordinance to
improve the energy efficiency of homes and buildings in the
City of Austin that receive electricity from
Austin Energy
in 2009. The Ordinance was
revised again in 2011 in regard to when the Audits are
required (now required before the last 3 days of Option
Period, or before a Contract for Sale is accepted if there
will be no Option Period).
Improving energy efficiency can help reduce your electric
bills, whether you own a home, multifamily property, or a
commercial building. The ordinance also will help meet one
of the goals of the Austin Climate Protection
Plan—offsetting 700 megawatts of peak energy demand by 2020
and reducing the carbon footprint of the Austin community.
An ECAD audit takes about
one hour per thousand square feet of property. The
ECAD auditor makes recommendations based on the results of
the inspection to improve the efficiency of the home.
The auditor inspects and measures the attic insulation in
multiple areas; pressure tests the duct system and assesses
its condition and adequacy; examines heating and cooling
equipment; inspects weather stripping around exterior doors,
plumbing penetrations beneath sinks, and air tightness of
attic entries; and identifies and measures the amount of
glass in windows that receive more than one hour of direct
sunlight each day.
Energy Conservation Audit & Disclosure
(ECAD) Frequently Asked Questions
ECAD Audit Self-Check
Austin Energy Certified ECAD Auditors
List
Sample ECAD Audit Form
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The Real Estate Center also provides Austin area specific
information and surveys of other Texas markets and trends in
Texas Real Estate Market
News.
RECON also has a
searchable Publications Database loaded with articles,
statistics, and reporting for the real estate industry.
The
Journal of the Real Estate Center at Texas A&M
is an excellent publication that speaks to the economic impacts to
the state and local homeowner, landlord, tenant, and Realtor
concerns in a dynamic time. (Current and Archived
Issues)
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