City of San Antonio - New Ordinance (Mission Verde)

How the Mission Verde ordinances will affect the plumbing industry and what it all means to the end user:

Gravity flush toilets, bathroom aerators, shower heads, and urinals in new buildings must meet or exceed the WaterSence standards set forth by the EPA:

Gravity flush toilets must have a maximum average water use of 1.28 gallons per flush (look for the WaterSense logo).

Faucet aerators for bathrooms must have a maximum water flow rate of 1.5 gallons per minute (look for the WaterSense logo).

Showerheads shall have a maximum water flow of 2.0 gallons per minute (multiple heads are allowed, but must meet the above criteria).

Urinals in commercial buildings shall have a maximum water use of 0.5 gallons per flush.

MISSION VERDE LAUNCHES BUILDING REGULATIONS

SAN ANTONIO (San Antonio Express-News)

Along with the new year came regulations requiring new homes in San Antonio to be 15 percent more energy efficient. As part of the city's Mission Verde initiative, the regulations will make tighter home design, better insulation and low-flow toilets standard market features.

Builders estimate that it will cost 1 to 2 percent more to meet the requirements, adding $1,000 to $2,000 to every $100,000 a home costs. The biggest changes under Mission Verde are the requirement of a blower door test, which measures how tightly a building is constructed, and air-conditioning ductwork testing.

Builders who use spray foam insulation will exceed the requirements of Mission Verde, and those homes will not be required to have ductwork testing.

Other changes include insulating water pipes and removing water waste from irrigation systems and inside the home. Toilets will not be able to use more than 1.28 gallons per flush on average. Shower heads should have a maximum flow of two gallons per minute, and bathroom faucets should have no more than a 1.5-gallon-per-minute flow.

Compliance with these regulations will be checked during the permitting process and when inspectors visit the job site.

Article pulled from Texas A&M Real Estate Center)

2009-2010 Home Buyer Federal Tax Credit

Who is Eligible

• First-time home buyers, who are defined by the law as buyers who have not owned a principal residence during the three-year period prior to the purchase, may be eligible for a tax credit of 10% of the home purchase price, up to a maximum of $8,000.
• Existing home owners who have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight and are purchasing a home to be their principal residence (“repeat buyer”), may be eligible for a tax credit of 10% of the home purchase price, up to a maximum of $6,500.
• All U.S. citizens who file taxes are eligible to participate in the program.
Income Limits
• Home buyers who file as single or head-of-household taxpayers can claim the full credit ($8,000 for first-time buyers and $6,500 for repeat buyers) if their modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is less than $125,000.
• For married couples filing a joint return, the combined income limit is $225,000.
• Single or head-of-household taxpayers who earn between $125,000 and $145,000, and married couples who earn between $225,000 and $245,000 are eligible to receive a partial credit.
• The credit is not available for single taxpayers whose MAGI is greater than $145,000 and married couples with a MAGI that exceeds $245,000.

Effective Dates

• The eligibility period for the tax credit is for homes purchased after Nov. 6, 2009, and before May 1, 2010. However, home purchases subject to a binding sales contract signed by April 30, 2010, will qualify for the tax credit provided closing occurs prior to July 1, 2010.

Types of Homes that Qualify

• All homes with a purchase price of less than $800,000 qualify, including newly-constructed or resale, and single-family detached, townhomes or condominiums, provided that the home will be used as their principal residence. Vacation home and rental property purchases do NOT qualify.

Tax Credit is Refundable

• A refundable credit means that if the amount of income taxes you owe is less than the credit amount you qualify for, the government will send you a check for the difference.
• For example:
o A first-time buyer who qualifies for the full $8,000 credit who owes $5,000 in federal income taxes would pay nothing to the IRS and receive a $3,000 payment from the government. If you are due to receive a $1,000 refund, you would receive $9,000 ($1,000 plus the $8,000 tax credit).
o A repeat buyer who owes $5,000 would pay nothing to the IRS and receive $1,500 back from the government. If you are due to get a $1,000 refund, you would get $7,500 ($1,000 plus the $6,500 tax credit).
• All qualified home buyers can take the tax credit on their 2009 or 2010 income tax return.

Payback Provisions

• The tax credit is a true credit. It does not have to be repaid unless the home owner sells or stops using the home as their principal residence within three years after the purchase.

For more information, go to: www.federalhousingtaxcredit.com

Home Buyer Tax Credit, New NOL Rules Signed Into Law

In a major victory for NAHB that will boost the fledgling housing recovery and help struggling business owners nationwide, Congress last week approved legislation that will extend the first-time home buyer tax credit beyond its Nov. 30 deadline and expand it to a wider group of home buyers. The bill also provides relief to cash-strapped home builders by providing broader tax benefits for businesses with net operating losses (NOLs).

The legislation, which was signed into law by President Obama on Nov. 6, will extend the $8,000 credit for first-time home buyers for sales contracts entered into by April 30, 2010 and closed on by June 30. It has been expanded to include a new $6,500 credit for owners of existing homes who are purchasing a new principal residence. Existing home owners can claim the $6,500 tax credit if they have been residing in their principal residence for five consecutive years out of the last eight.

In more good news, the income eligibility limits to claim the full credit amount for both groups of home buyers have been raised from $75,000 for single taxpayers and $150,000 for married taxpayers filing a joint return to $125,000 for individuals and $225,000 for married couples.

NAHB’s consumer-oriented Web site, www.FederalHousingTaxCredit.com, provides complete details on the enhanced home buyer tax credit.

CPS Energy New Construction Rebates for 2010

Due to recent changes by the City of San Antonio regarding building code requirements for 2010, CPS Energy will no longer award rebates to builders and contractors for spray foam, cool roofs and high efficiency central air conditioners on new home construction. Instead, (per City of San Antonio ordinance) incentives for all new construction will be based on the overall building efficiency and will not be tied to individual efficiency measures.

The new building code requirements are based on the adoption of the 2009 IECC codes for 2010. New construction must be a minimum of 15% more efficient than 2009 IECC code to qualify for an incentive.

All work complete by December 31, 2009 will still be eligible for rebates under the 2009 Home Energy Efficiency Rebate Program. Any work performed as of January 1, 2010will follow a new rebate program based on the overall energy efficiency of the home measured by HERS rating using RESNET standards.

Further details on the new rebate program will be available sometime in December 2009. Details of the new program are still being finalized and will be posted as the new information becomes available.

Healthiest Housing Markets 2009: Fall Update

#2 San Antonio, Texas
Market Health Indicator: 41.2

The recession arrived in San Antonio earlier this year, when employment finally turned negative due to weakness in the manufacturing sector. But with military bases as three of its top four employers, this Texas city may see better employment numbers next year, potentially fueling housing growth.

Housing here remains affordable at a median of $148,000, with prices declining a mere 1.6% during 2009. In addition, San Antonio routinely ranks among the best cities for relocation, and has been gaining population at a rate of 2.8% annually, a trend that continued even this year.

Despite favorable trends, though, San Antonio housing permits have fallen 54% so far this year, and comparisons may wind up even lower before the year is over. A full 72%of the action is in single-family rather than multifamily permits.

Courtesy: Hanley Wood Market Intelligence.

2009 Builder's Showcase Expo

Come visit Elegance in Design at the 2009 Builder's Showcase Expo.

This year we have decided to take a room that is commonly overlooked and unappreciated - the Utility Room - and added multiple vignettes so that consumers can see the myriad of opportunities available to them.

We have a canning/preserving area, a pet grooming area, a sewing/craft area, a lighting lab demonstrating the very latest in LED lighting, cold storage, and so much more.

Come join us May 25-27th from 10 am to 8 pm. See you there!