Energy audits now part of home sales

AUSTIN, Texas, May 26, 2009 -- UPI
Under a new ordinance, all homes more than 10 years old being
sold in Austin, Texas, must have energy audits, officials say.

> The law, adopted by the city council last year as part of a
> program to
> make Austin more energy efficient, takes effect Monday, the Austin
> American-Statesman reported.
>
> "There's never a good time to add fees to a transaction, but I
> think
> this requirement is a good thing," Councilman Mike Martinez said.
> "It allows
> the consumer to fully understand the purchase they're about to make.
> If you
> spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on an investment, you would
> want to
> know how efficient that investment is going to be for you."
>
> Jay Gohil, head of the Austin Board of Realtors, called the
> ordinance
> "reasonably acceptable for buyers as well as sellers." The board was
> part of
> a task force that helped draft the law.
>
> But some other real estate agents questioned the wisdom of
> adding new
> costs to selling a home in a very slow real estate market.
>
>
>