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New Texas Coast Property Checklist for Rising Sealevels and Energy Costs
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Texas Coast Real Estate Checklist for Rising Sealevels and Energy Costs

With global warming, rising sea levels, increasing energy and insurance issues we suggest criteria you should consider before purchasing a new home near the Texas coast.

New Coastal Homes, Innovative Communities and Going Green offer "Beach of Mind" - that can more than make up for the difference in costs and could create an exponential increase in value over time.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, coastal counties contain 53% of the nation’s population, yet, account for only 17% of U.S. land area. Most of the nation’s most densely populated areas are located along the coast. Coastal areas are home to a wealth of natural resources and are rich with diverse species, habitat types, and nutrients. They also sustain a wealth of economic activity.

Employment, recreation and tourism, waterborne commerce, energy and mineral production are driving forces of population migration to our nation's coastal areas. Median household income for coastal counties is approximately 17% higher than non-coastal counties. The Gulf of Mexico region is the fourth most populated coastal region in the United States.
The leading coastal counties in population change are found in Texas and Florida. In terms of percentages, coastal population growth is expected to occur heavily in the Florida panhandle and in southern Texas, where the increase is expected to reach over 18 percent.
As the coastal population continues to grow, attention is brought to the methods by which the coastal environment is managed and studied. A change in paradigm is taking place, moving away from management based on political boundaries and toward an ecosystem-based management approach to population growth, urban sprawl, and their interactions with the sensitive coastal environment.
Climate change, global warming and the potential of rising sealevels make the paradigm shift more critical.

While many think of coastal living as "the crown" of life, and rightly so, You can do your part when purchasing a home on the coast by considering at least some of the following criteria:

Location Location Location
erosion rates, elevation, storm surge barriers, Government backed FEMA/TWIA insurance availability, ...
Sustainable Community Design
new urbanism, neighborhood standards, exposure of common amenities, maintenance considerations, orientation of homes to sunrise and sunsets, ...
Storm Resistant Home Construction
build high and strong, reflect and collect the sun, modular construction, ...
Energy Efficient Features
green living, appliances, doors, windows, insulation, ...
Walkable Score and Aging in Place
walkable communities, smart growth, drive less and enjoy more while saving money, available health care, shopping, aging-in-place, ...
Financial Viability of the Housing Project
some projects are in trouble from the economic slowdown, one should always consider the financial stability of the overall project when selecting a new home. ...

Contact us for a more complete list of criteria to consider and an evaluation of your home purchase consideration.

EPA Coastal Zones and Sea Level Rise

Coastal zones are particularly vulnerable to climate variability and change. Key concerns include sea level rise, land loss, changes in maritime storms and flooding, responses to sea level rise and implications for water resources.

Sea level is rising along most of the U.S. coast, and around the world. In the last century, sea level rose 5 to 6 inches more than the global average along the Mid-Atlantic and Gulf Coasts, because coastal lands there are subsiding.

Texas Coast Erosion Rates

EPA, in coordination with the U.S. Geological Survey and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has published a report, "Coastal Sensitivity to Sea Level Rise" The study was conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP). and discusses the possible impacts of sea-level rise and how governments and communities can respond to rising waters.

Higher temperatures are expected to further raise sea level by expanding ocean water, melting mountain glaciers and small ice caps, and causing portions of Greenland and the Antarcticic sheets to melt . The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the global average sea level will rise between 0.6 and 2 feet in the next century.

Rising sea levels inundate wetlands and other low-lying lands, erode beaches, intensify flooding, and increase the salinity of rivers, bays, and groundwater tables. Some of these effects may be further compounded by other effects of a changing climate. Some property owners and state and local governments are already starting to take measures to prepare for the consequences of rising sea level

Responses to Sea Level Rise along the Coast

Property owners and federal, state, and local governments are already starting to take measures to prepare for the consequences of rising sea level. Most coastal states are working with the

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to place sand onto their beaches to offset shore erosion. Property owners are elevating existing structures in many low-lying areas, encouraged by lower flood insurance rates.

The Texas Government is Taking Proactive Actions

Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson announced $135.4 million on September 14, 2009 for coastal protection projects to take the fight against beach erosion coast-wide in a coordinated effort from South Padre Island to McFaddin Beach.

"Critically needed projects from South Padre Island to McFaddin National Wildlife Refuge will begin immediately in an unprecedented effort to protect the Texas coast".

The $135.4 million list of projects was made possible by $25 million the 81st Legislature appropriated to the state's Coastal Erosion Planning and Response Act.

Insurance Based Organizations Make Recommendations on Beach Home Construction

Superior Construction and Elevation Are Key to Home and Business Survival

The study, "HURRICANE IKE: Nature's Force vs. Structural Strength", reveals that significantly more Gulf Coast homes and businesses are imperiled by disastrous flooding from storm surge than previously recognized by property owners or policymakers. "Simply put, the study found that many properties are not built high enough to withstand storm surges, tightly enough to prevent water from causing interior damage or strongly enough to prevent damage when high winds strike."

The IBHS study questions the current basis for elevating properties along the Gulf Coast and urges the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to provide greater incentives for building above the minimum elevations now in place. More than 50 percent of the nation's population lives within 50 miles of the coast, with more than $9 trillion of insured coastal property vulnerable to hurricanes. The NFIP, which is the federal government program that provides flood insurance to homes and businesses, also establishes base flood elevation (BFE) levels for properties.

The IBHS study also reveals the following: provides a detailed, real world performance evaluation of superior construction techniques when tested by a truly extreme weather event; sets the course for rigorous laboratory testing to explore and resolve remaining issues with specific building materials and systems; proves (once again) the importance of enacting and enforcing strong, appropriate building codes - and proper elevation requirements in storm surge-prone areas; and showcases the leading edge of construction and real estate markets, i.e., developers choosing to design buildings to the highest standard, because they understand the favorable cost/benefit ratio and want to meet consumer demand for safety and durability.

IBHS is an independent, nonprofit, scientific and educational organization supported by the property insurance industry. The organization works to reduce the social and economic effects of natural disasters and other risks to residential and commercial property by conducting research and advocating improved construction, maintenance and preparation practices.

Example new communities and homes on the Texas Coast that "fit the new climate" criteria and are a great value for traditional real estate reasons:

RESIDENTIAL HOMES

HIGH-RISE AND CONDOMINIUMS

Contact us for more information about the sources for this report and an opinion on how these issues might effect your new home purchase decision.

In partnership with the NOAA and the International City/County Management Association, the EPA has released Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities. click here to read more

Smart Growth Principles	Smart Growth Coastal and Waterfront Elements
1. Mix land uses.	1. Mix land uses, including water-dependent uses.
2. Take advantage of compact building design.	2. Take advantage of compact community design that enhances, preserves, and provides access to waterfront resources.
3. Create a range of housing opportunities and choices.	3. Provide a range of housing opportunities and choices to meet the needs of both seasonal and permanent residents.
4. Create walkable communities.	4. Create walkable communities with physical and visual access to and along the waterfront for public use.
5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place.	5. Foster distinctive, attractive communities with a strong sense of place that capitalizes on the waterfront’s heritage.
6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and critical environmental areas.	6. Preserve open space, farmland, natural beauty, and the critical environmental areas that characterize and support coastal and waterfront communities.
7. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities.	7. Strengthen and direct development toward existing communities and encourage waterfront revitalization.
8. Provide a variety of transportation options.	8. Provide a variety of land- and water-based transportation options.
9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective.	9. Make development decisions predictable, fair, and cost effective through consistent policies and coordinated permitting processes.
10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions.	10. Encourage community and stakeholder collaboration in development decisions, ensuring that public interests in and rights of access to the waterfront and coastal waters are upheld.

Comments

By The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets @ Monday, September 21, 2009

Sea Level Rise Maps and GIS Data

The Center for Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets shows rising seas world-wide under different climate change scenarios.

www.cresis.ku.edu/research/data/sea_level_rise

By STEPHEN POWER and IAN TALLEY @ Monday, September 21, 2009

U.S. President Barack Obama promised strong action on climate change from his first day in office, but he is heading into a series of meetings with other world leaders this month under growing pressure to deliver on his rhetoric.

More than 100 world leaders, including Mr. Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao, are scheduled to meet Tuesday at the 64th United Nations General Assembly to talk about fighting climate change.

By Smart Growth @ Monday, September 21, 2009

Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the International City/County Management Association, and Rhode Island Sea Grant, released ''Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities.'' Developed in consultation with the national Smart Growth Network, the interagency guide builds on the network's ten smart growth principles to create coastal and waterfront-specific strategies for development.

The guide includes an overview of the unique development challenges and opportunities along the water and provides specific approaches to development that include a description of the issues, tools and techniques, and case studies. ''Smart Growth for Coastal and Waterfront Communities'' is intended for planners, local government officials, developers, residents, and other stakeholders.

See http://coastalsmartgrowth.noaa.gov/

@ Saturday, September 26, 2009

Comments from the following blog entry: http://7article.com/2009/09/new-texas-coast-property-checklist-for-rising-sealevels-and-energy/

By wikipedia Global_warming @ Saturday, September 26, 2009

Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth's near-surface air and oceans since the mid-20th century and its projected continuation.

Global surface temperature increased 0.74 ± 0.18 °C (1.33 ± 0.32 °F) during the last century.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) concludes that increasing greenhouse gas concentrations resulting from human activity such as fossil fuel burning and deforestation caused most of the observed temperature increase since the middle of the 20th century.

The IPCC also concludes that variations in natural phenomena such as solar radiation and volcanoes produced most of the warming from pre-industrial times to 1950 and had a small cooling effect afterward.

These basic conclusions have been endorsed by more than 40 scientific societies and academies of science, including all of the national academies of science of the major industrialized countries. A small number of scientists dispute the consensus view.

Climate model projections summarized in the latest IPCC report indicate that the global surface temperature will probably rise a further 1.1 to 6.4 °C (2.0 to 11.5 °F) during the twenty-first century.

By nationalgeographic.com @ Saturday, September 26, 2009

The planet is warming, from North Pole to South Pole, and everywhere in between. Globally, the mercury is already up more than 1 degree Fahrenheit (0.8 degree Celsius), and even more in sensitive polar regions.

And the effects of rising temperatures aren’t waiting for some far-flung future. They’re happening right now.

http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/gw-effects.html

By Natural Resources Defense Council @ Sunday, October 04, 2009

the Natural Resources Defense Council and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization released a report on the top 25 national parks being changed — or about to be — by trapped greenhouse gasses warming the earth.

“The park service has to indicate that it is serious about this, and so far it has not,” said Stephen Saunders, one of its three principal authors.

According to the report, Padre Island could be one of the first units in the national park system to literally disappear. The low dunes are already losing their protective vegetation as weather patterns change. The sand itself is being pulled offshore as stronger storms become more frequent.

“Padre Island could be totally submerged by rising seas,” the report states. “Padre Island has the world's longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island, much of it less than three feet above current sea level.”

http://www.rockymountainclimate.org/

By EPA's Climate Change Site @ Wednesday, October 07, 2009

EPA's Climate Change Site offers comprehensive information on the issue of climate change in a way that is accessible and meaningful to all parts of society – communities, individuals, business, states and localities, and governments.

http://epa.gov/climatechange/

By Support funding for clean transportation in the climate bill @ Thursday, October 08, 2009

Senators Boxer and Kerry unveiled a strong climate bill that recognizes the growing impact of transportation emissions on our climate. But we need to make sure states have adequate funding to provide cleaner, safer and smarter transportation options for Americans.

The exact funding details are still being debated, but if the Senate follows the lead of the House, the bill would only direct an optional 1% to clean transportation, even though one-third of all emissions come from transportation.

Tell your Senators to guarantee funding for cleaner, more efficient transportation options in the climate bill.

http://t4america.org/blog/2009/10/08/tell-your-senators-boost-funding-for-clean-transportation-in-the-climate-bill/

By 350.org @ Monday, October 12, 2009

"The Science of 350, the Most Important Number on the Planet"

350 parts per million is what many scientists, climate experts, and progressive national governments are now saying is the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.

Accelerating arctic warming and other early climate impacts have led scientists to conclude that we are already above the safe zone at our current 390ppm, and that unless we are able to rapidly return to 350 ppm this century, we risk reaching tipping points and irreversible impacts such as the melting of the Greenland ice sheet and major methane releases from increased permafrost melt.

read more at 350.org

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