Energy-efficient home sneaks on market

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Sebastian Salazar never claimed to be an environmentalist.

Then came the day he was watching his favorite TV show.

"The DIY Channel, to tell you the truth," said Salazar. "The Do It Yourself Channel; I love watching the DIY Channel."

The program dealt with something called a Structural Insulated Panel, or SIP.

"The walls are seven inches thick, or six-and-a-half inches thick," said Salazar. "And the roof, solid panels are eight-and-a-half inches thick. So it's just a big jigsaw puzzle put together, you know, out of those panels."

The panels, constructed off site and put in place with a crane, fit so snugly together, air leaks are minimized, unless you want to take advantage of the steady breeze on Sebastian Salazar's hilltop near Coupland in Williamson County.

"Like when I was growing up, my grandparents lived out in the country, too, and they always had the windows rolled up, too, to keep the, you know, to keep the air circulating while everybody was in the house," said Salazar. "And same concept, you know, you got windows on the south side and north side and open up the windows and a nice breeze, you know, just blows right through the house and keeps everybody comfortable. My last month's electric bill was $43.00 and the highest electric bill I've had since December was $53.00."

Unfortunately, the house also helped end Salazar's marriage. He spent so much time overseeing construction of the home that would shelter him, his wife, and their new baby, he now admits he neglected the family. Now he is going through a divorce. That means he can no longer qualify for a mortgage.

So as soon as his construction loan period runs out on June 13, the house will be subject to foreclosure. This highly efficient home sitting high on a hill out in the country, now has a For Sale sign in front of it.

"A lot of effort went into it, planning, a lot of help from my parents, her parents, a lot of work," said Salazar, his voice cracking. "[It's] real emotional."

When the house sells, Salazar plans to find something smaller, knowing it will be nowhere near as efficient. He and his former wife will share joint custody of their 13-month-old boy.

"I'll just have to pick up and start over," he said.

Meanwhile, the house will not go to waste. Eventually, someone else will buy it; perhaps raise a family in it. Life will go on, lessons learned.