It's Not Easy Being Green . . . Kermit the Frog

"IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN" . . . . Kermit the Frog YES IT IS . . . AND IT CAN BE VERY AFFORDABLE LETS' BECOME MYTH BUSTERS FOR THE DAY. IT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO BUILD GREEN. HIGH EFFICIENCY BUILDING TECHNIQUES ALLOW THE CUSTOMER TO USE LESS MATERIAL, MORE INSULATION, BETTER WINDOWS AND HAVE A STRONGER STRUCTURE THAN CONVENTIONAL METHODS. HIGH EFFICIENCY WINDOWS COST TOO MUCH. ULTRA EFFICIENT WINDOWS ARE $20 - $40 HIGHER THAN THE STANDARD TRASH WINDOWS THAT ARE USED TODAY. THE TRICK IS PROPERLY SEALING THE WINDOW TO THE WALL STRUCTURE. ENERGY STAR APPLIANCES COST MUCH MORE THAN CONVENTIONAL APPLIANCES. IT DEPENDS ON THE WHISTLES AND BELLS, BUT APPLIANCES GENERALLY DO NOT COST MUCH MORE, HOWEVER THEIR DAILY ENERGY SAVINGS CAN BE SIGNIFICANT. INSULATION IS TOO EXPENSIVE. QUALITY SPRAY FOAM INSULATION IS SLIGHTLY MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT AS THE SAYING GOES . . . "YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR." SPRAY FOAM INSULATION NOT ONLY SEALS THE BUILDING ENVELOPE AGAINST SOUND, AIR AND MOISTURE INFILTRATION, BUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IS IMMEDIATELY REALIZED. UTILITY COSTS ARE AT LEAST 40% LOWER THAN CURRENT CODE REQUIREMENTS. I CAN'T AFFORD HIGH EFFICIENT HVAC UNITS. WITH A TIGHTLY SEALED AND INSULATED STRUCTURE, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO DOWN SIZE YOUR HVAC REQUIREMENTS ALLOWING YOU TO UPGRADE TO A 15 SEER OR BETTER RATING. ADDING FRESH AIR CIRCULATION IS A MUST AND IS CODE IN MANY AREAS ALREADY. WHEN BUYING: LOOK BEHIND WALLS AND IN ATTIC LOOK FOR GAPS AROUND WINDOWS AND DOORS LOOK FOR SHARP BENDS IN DUCTS LOOK FOR SLOPPY DUCT WORK HOW FAR IS THE WATER HEATER FROM KITCHEN OR MASTER BEDROOM? IS THERE AN ON DEMAND HOT WATER SYSTEM? ARE THE TOILETS 2-STAGE WATER SENSE? IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL. 817-223-9907 TX Office Suites 817-223-9907 | http://www.txofficesuites.com

Is Green Building Economical?

Is Green Building More Expensive?

It can be, unless the builder and buyer pay particular attention to direct and indirect costs associated with each item. A good example of expensive Green building would be to purchase reusable lumber such as flooring or trim which has to be shipped across the U.S. A good rule of thumb is to limit your purchase radius to with 500 miles of the job site. It may cost more in transportation or developmental costs than the item is worth. In that case buying a Green product may actually be counterproductive. Stay tuned for additional Green Building tips.

Keller Economic Development Briefing

On April 21, 2010, TX Office Suites is sponsoring the Greater Keller Chamber of Commerce Leads Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. - 9 a.m. at the Century 21 Worldwide office located at 1727 Keller Parkway, Keller, TX 76248. The featured speaker is Alison Benton, Keller Economic Development Consultant, regarding the state of Keller's business economy and its future developmental strategy.

For information, please contact Rhonda at the Chamber of Commerce at 817-431-2169 or Debbie Dodge at 817-223-9956.

I became a huge Robert Kiyosaki fan during 2004, after a co-worker of mine loaned me the book "Rich Dad Poor Dad." I quickly realized that working for someone else was not the answer in securing my financial freedom. Although, I had earned a decent retirement in my former life, this income would not allow me the additional financial freedom that I wanted and would not adequately protect me and my family in the case of catastrophic illness or injury.

I was determined to devote my time to my other love in life, which was designing and building and at that time I developed a time line to create a company devoted to that end. By 2006, I founded TX Office Suites http://www.txofficesuites.com on the principals of integrity, quality and affordability. We began designing, building and selling ultra energy efficient commercial office space.

One of the reasons I chose to pursue the building profession was the experience I gained while being transferred throughout the country. It didn't matter where I went, I wound up purchasing newer construction and soon recognized the poor workmanship, the lack of quality construction, the lack of energy efficiency and the high prices. As energy prices continued to rise, so did my frustration. I felt I was receiving little value for my investment and the only reason I was not losing money was due to the appreciating home values during that time and we all learned, those times are over.

As we began designing and building, we learned as my father constantly "preached", it does not cost that much more in time or money to do it right the first time. I soon discovered the results have far reaching impact on the health and quality of life for the buyer, not to mention the lack of call backs and remediation.

So how does all this relate to securing ones financial freedom? To be successful in most fields, one has to create a win - win scenario for the buyer - seller, retailer -customer, doctor - patient. By providing a speciality service or delivering something of significant value for a reasonable price, while servicing and standing behind that product becomes the building blocks for a successful business. You are creating an allegiance or loyalty with your customer/client which you will need before you can take your business and life to that next level. Your reputation means everything and this is where it all begins.

In my next Blog, I will be discussing specific areas to concentrate on during these tough economic times.

Thank you for reading this.

Bill Dodge