July 09, 2018 

Keep Your Cool, DFW

If you’ve spent much time in North Texas, you know that heating and air conditioning are a requirement to live comfortably. Not only does air conditioning keep you cool, it’s necessary for a lot of reasons. Extreme temperatures can have negative effects on your health. The filters keep pollutants, like pollen and dust, out of the house. Not having open windows helps keep bugs and animals outside. So, you might be surprised to discover that not every home in the Dallas/Fort Worth area has air conditioning. The Dallas Morning News may have an explanation.


 

A Tenth of the Houses Sold In D-FW didn’t have Air Conditioning?

Forget about Thomas Edison, and Albert Einstein, too.

The real genius was Willis Carrier.

I can make do without light bulbs and the theory of relativity won’t keep me cool when it’s 103 degrees. Carrier’s invention of air conditioning is the most important creation of the 20th century — no doubt about it.

I’m not the only one who feels that way.

A new study by Zillow says you can forget about getting top dollar for you house unless you have a top notch AC unit. Having air conditioning typically adds $5,000 to the cost of a U.S. home, the study found.

Good luck in Dallas-Fort Worth trying to sell one in the summer without AC.

“With summer temperatures hitting record highs across the country, today’s home buyer places a premium on the once-upon-a-time luxury amenity of air conditioning,” Zillow Senior Economist Aaron Terrazas said in a statement. “Individual design preferences or decorating styles might deter buyers from certain homes, but there is a strong consensus in favor of air conditioning, although in the nation’s fastest-moving markets, AC may weigh relatively low for buyers eager to find any home they can.

“In historically more temperate climates, some homes — especially older ones — aren’t as likely to have air conditioning. But in places where temperatures regularly reach triple digits, it’s hard to find a home without air conditioning.”

Air conditioning may be considered a frill in Whitefish, Montana or Moose Pond, Maine but around these parts it’s pretty much a no brainer.

Zillow says that 89.5 percent of the homes that are sold in D-FW come with AC. I’m shocked it’s not higher.

Along with a roof and a floor, air conditioning is part of the bare minimum in Texas for what counts as a home.

The share of houses sold nationwide with AC is still only about 66 percent.

I’ll bet the 55 percent of folks in Denver who live in homes that sold without cooling sure wish they had this week when temps hit close to 100.

Among the big cities Zillow surveyed, homes in Seattle have the lowest amount of air conditioning, only 8.4 percent. Maybe that’s why Amazon is hunting another headquarters?

The share of houses with the most AC is in Las Vegas (99.1 percent), Phoenix (97.9 percent) and Houston (96.7 percent).

Metropolitan Area

Share Of Homes Sold With AC
Dollar Premium
AC For-Sale Premium

Share Of Homes For Rent With AC

Dollar Premium

AC Rent Premium

United States

66.1%

$5,486

2.5%

54.7%

$40

2.8%

New York-Northern New Jersey

22.6%


$8,798


2.1%


17.2%


$275


11.6%

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA

51.8%

$251

0.0%

42.5%

$135


4.9%

Chicago, IL

61.5%

$2,666

1.2%

32.7%

$54

3.3%

Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

89.5%

$2,982

1.3%

87.0%

$38

2.4%

Philadelphia, PA

54.2%

$10,566

4.6%

45.6%

$43

2.7%

Houston, TX

96.7%

$9,072

4.6%

94.4%

$117

7.6%

Washington, DC

83.2%

$6,807

1.7%

74.0%

$15

0.7%

Miami-Fort Lauderdale, FL

56.5%

$10,208

3.8%

34.8%

$64

3.4%

Atlanta, GA

84.0%

$2,519

1.2%

79.7%

$10

0.7%

Boston, MA

45.4%

$6,461

1.4%

23.8%

$171

7.2%

San Francisco, CA

33.7%

$6,925

0.7%

27.0%

$46

1.4%

Detroit. Ml

63.2%

$8,470

5.5%

46.1%

$28

2.4%

Riverside, CA

87.8%

$9,271

2.6%

87.4%

$133

7.0%

Phoenix, AZ

97.9%

$4,314

1.7%

94.5%

$141

10.3%

Seattle, WA

8.4%

-S5,622

-1.1%

6.8%

-$66

-3.0%

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN

81.5%

$1,297

0.5%

64.8%

$53

3.2%

San Diego, CA

10.8%

$4,084

0.7%

12.1%

-S5

-0.2%

St. Louis, MO

81.3%

$695

0.4%

81.4%

$17

1.5%

Tampa, FL

84.3%

$2,279

1.1%

81.2%

S5

0.4%

Baltimore, MD

74.6%

$12,055

4.6%

61.4%

$11

0.6%

Denver, CO

45.2%

$531

0.1%

40.3%

$26

1.3%

Pittsburgh, PA

58.5%

$3,260

2.3%

42.0%

$43

4.0%

Portland, OR

32.6%

$6,464

1.7%

27.9%

$58

3.2%

Charlotte, NC

83.1%

$4,932

2.5%

87.2%

$46

3.6%

Sacramento, CA

81.1%

$4,490

1.1%

75.4%

$119

6.4%

San Antonio, TX

89.6%

$10,757

5.8%

87.2%

$108

8.1%

Orlando. FL

96.3%

$5,361

2.4%

93.9%

$84

5.8%

Cincinnati, OH

77.4%

$9,092

5.7%

63.9%

$29

2.3%

Source: Zillow

Keeping your home comfortable is essential in Texas. And if you want to sell your home, you’d better have an efficient HVAC system in place. Berkeys can help you keep your entire HVAC system running smoothly.

Berkeys Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical is a proud member of the Dallas / Fort Worth community, Our reliable, professional employees will help you keep your home’s systems running efficiently and safely so you can enjoy our great DFW metroplex.

When you need a dependable, knowledgeable plumber, electrician or HVAC technician in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, call a name you trust. Berkeys Air Conditioning, Plumbing & Electrical.

Suggested Reading

Ready for Service?

We're There When You Need Us!

877-746-6855