The design of ecovillages in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area is happening now. Speak out about what you want. Share your ideas about an ecovillage here.
Directory for Ecovillages, Cohousing
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Ecovillage/Cohousing
Meetings in DFW
- What Is an Ecovillage?
- Locate an Ecovillage in Dallas-Fort Worth
- The Ecovillage Network
- Developer-Driven Ecovillages
- What Is Cohousing?
- Benefits of Cohousing
- Universal Concepts in Cohousing
- Features of Cohousing
- Designed by Residents
- The Common House
- Attributes/Features of Common House
- Other Common Areas
- Community Gardens
- Outdoor Common Areas
- Role of Developer
- Why Hire a Developer?
- Choosing a Developer
- Define Developer Driven
- Do Developers Help or Hinder Community-Building?
News About Meetings
Ecovillages in Dallas-Fort Worth
DFW Locations
Adjacent
DFW Airport
Duncanville
White
Rock Lake, Dallas
Eagle Mt Lake, Azle
Future DFW Locations
Fort
Worth East
Fort Worth West
Dallas
Oak Cliff
Dallas
North
Ellis County
Cohousing in Dallas-Fort Worth
Green Building and Energy-Efficiency in DFW
Community in Dallas-Fort Worth
The Benefits of Cohousing/Ecovillage Combined
The Diminished Role of the Automobile in Ecovillages
Safety of Children in an Ecovillage or Cohousing
Common Areas of Cohousing & Ecovillages:
Developer
What Affects Affordability?
Senior Cohousing/Ecovillages
Confusion Between Cohousing and Ecovillages
Conceptual Site-Plan for Cohousing
Combat Rising Utility Bills in DFW
The First Cohousing and Ecovillage in DFW
Mortgages
for Energy-Efficient Homes
Origins Cohousing, Ecohousing, How Did It Start?
Over and above the fact that you will be more comfortable in an energy-efficient home and save money every month on utilities, you can also benefit from your mortgage.
As a home owner, you can qualify for a larger loan on your energy-efficient home. Because you will be paying less for your utilities, your financing company can stretch debt-to-income qualifying ratios on loans for energy-efficient homes.
Of course, a larger loan slightly increases your monthly mortgage payments, but you actually save money because your energy bills will be lower.
There are three kinds of Energy Efficient Mortgages, also known as EEMs, that make it easier for borrowers to qualify for loans to purchase homes with specific energy-efficiency improvements.
Conventional Energy Efficient Mortgages
Conventional EEMs are offered by lenders who sell their loans to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Conventional EEMs increase the purchasing power of buying an energy efficient home by allowing the lender to increase the borrower’s income by a dollar amount equal to the estimated energy savings. The Fannie Mae loan also adjusts the value of the home to reflect the value of the energy efficiency measures.
FHA Energy Efficient Mortgages
FHA EEMs allow lenders to add 100 percent of the additional cost of cost-effective energy efficiency improvements to an already approved mortgage loan (as long as the additional costs do not exceed $4000 or 5 percent of the value of the home, up to a maximum of $8000, whichever is greater). No additional down payment is required, and the FHA loan limits won’t interfere with the process of obtaining the EEM.
VA Energy Efficient Mortgages
The Veteran’s Administration (VA) EEM is available to qualified military personnel, reservists and veterans for energy improvements when purchasing an existing home. The VA EEM caps energy improvements at $3,000–$6,000.
Questions? Please come to our next introductory meeting. In the meantime, call metro 972 251-1532 for answers.