F REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Handy 3F Stone 5F Permits 7F HOUSE PLAN High ceilings High and vaulted ceilings throughout give a sense of airy openness to the Trinity, a midsize country-style home with four roomy bedrooms. PAGE 5F LISTING OF THE WEEK French influence The Listing of the Week is a Dallas-French style home in the Cascata Falls addition in northeast Edmond. PAGE 5F NEW CREDIT ALERT Home mortgage shoppers should see an unexpected addi- tion to the applica- tion paper blitz starting Jan. 1: a mandatory alert on how their credit scores might affect the rate quote and terms they receive from their lender. PAGE 4F Kenneth Harney THE NATION’S HOUSING IN BRIEF BOOK OFFERS HOME IDEAS Noted interior de- signer Bunny Wil- liams believes a home should be for living in, not just looking at. In her new book, “Bunny Williams’ Scrapbook for Living,” she shares her ideas for making a home not just beautiful, but welcoming, comfort- able and functional. Williams takes read- ers room by room through a typical house and offers tips and suggestions for each space. The tips are quick to read and are accompa- nied by photos by Amy Archer to il- lustrate the points. “Bunny Williams’ Scrapbook for Liv- ing” is published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang and sells for $60 in hardcover. SHIP ITEMS TO BE STORED Short on space? Storage by the Box offers an alternative to renting a storage unit. You just order a free box and packing supplies on its web- site, fill the box with your stuff and ship it by FedEx to the company’s climate- controlled ware- house for storage. A standard box is 24 inches long, 12 inch- es wide and 12 inch- es high, big enough to hold about 16 sweaters. If that’s not enough room for your things, you can use your own box of any size. Monthly rent is $5 for a stan- dard box or $3 per cubic foot if you use your own box. Dis- counts are offered for bigger orders, and insurance is extra. Shipping to the storage facility is free for boxes up to 25 pounds and $1 per pound for any- thing exceeding 25. You pay to have the boxes shipped back to you. For more information, go to www.storagebythe box.com. A couple in their mid-20s found the perfect starter home for their life- style. The place they picked wasn’t the classic detached house with a large yard. Rather, it was a brand-new townhouse with 10-foot ceilings and loaded with amenities. “Like lots of home- buyers in their 20s, they were drawn to the tennis courts, big pool and party house this community of- fered,” said Tom Early, the real estate broker who rep- resented the couple in their recent purchase. But several decades’ worth of experience has Early predicting that after this young couple has their first baby, they’ll want to buy a house with more space to stretch out. “A townhouse is often the perfect choice for peo- ple from their mid-20s to early 30s who don’t yet have kids and aren’t yet fo- cused on a neighborhood with a playground,” said Early, former president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents. Though choosing a townhouse means losing out on some of the benefits that come from a detached home, like a large yard for gardening, you’ll be com- pensated in other ways. You’ll likely have a land- scaped common area that others keep up. Plus, you’ll probably be free of exterior maintenance for your own postage-sized grounds. Selecting a townhouse also means you’ll get more square feet of living space for the money. Indeed, Early estimates that a typ- ical townhouse costs 25 to 30 percent less per square foot than does a detached house with a yard. Here are a few tips for those interested in buying a townhouse: › Don’t sacrifice a good location when you buy. It can be tiring to hear that location should beat all other factors when it comes to the selection of real estate. But this princi- ple remains true, said Eric Tyson, a personal finance expert and co-author of “Home Buying for Dum- mies.” Tyson urges you to look for a neighborhood served by high-quality public schools, even if you have no plans for children. Also, he encourages you to seek a community with easy access to such popular amenities as movie thea- ters and fine dining. In ad- dition, look for an area near well-rated public transportation. › Seek out a townhouse with an expansive interior. These days, most homebuyers strongly favor an open, airy, bright house. But many town- houses, especially older ones, have relatively few windows and are narrow from side to side and deep from the front door to the back, Early said. “To get a more open feeling, try to find a town- house that’s wider than average. Also, look for one where the rooms are square rather than rectan- gular and one with larger- than-average windows. However, remember that big windows typically translate to higher energy costs,” he said. › Avoid a townhouse community where resi- dents don’t seem to get along. Those bound together in a well-run townhouse community’s residents’ association set aside mon- ey for major expenses, like the replacement of a roof or renovation of a pool house. Otherwise, every- one living in the commu- nity could be hit with a special assessment, which can mean a large addition to your monthly condo fee. “The last thing you want is to live in a commu- nity where everyone is squabbling over minor is- sues or large ones,” he said. E-mail Ellen James Martin at ellenjames [email protected]. UNIVERSAL U-CLICK Choose carefully if opting for a townhouse Ellen James Martin SMART MOVES Whether your first impression of home- builder Jeff Click comes from a Bricktown bill- board, a click on his website or a stroll through one of his standout home designs, you know you’ve seen something different. Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll see it’s because this guy is coming from a whole different place. Click is known for contemporary interior designs, distinct exterior lines and his com- mitment to building homes that even critics must call exceptional. But behind it all is a man dedicated to understanding who he is and al- lowing that understanding to inform every di- mension of his role as a builder. It started with his first home design 12 years ago. Whereas some builders “name their plans for whatever,” Click said, “I was looking for something with meaning to me, something not arbitrary.” It was his first home, the beginning step. He named it “Genesis.” He said he decided early on that “how I build and market homes would be influenced by my faith” — and not just during Christmas season. From Genesis he added new plans, also naming them for books of the Bible: Luke, Ro- mans, Chronicle, Psalm and Daniel, to name a few. It just felt right. “This is who I am. It’s how I was raised,” he said. Today, Click is using about 20 biblical names for his layouts. Some, including Genesis, have been retired, Click said, but others come online to take their place. In the case of Jeff Click Homes’ latest offer- ing — the “Urbana” series — the plans’ names have been chosen from more subtle biblical references. Plans in the Urbana line, which has smaller footprints with an emphasis on energy effi- ciency and more moderate price points, have Greek, Hebrew and Latin names that resonate deeply with Click, a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University and an active member of Lifechurch.tv. › Neuma (from Greek “pneuma” for spirit or breath) is a 1,465-square-foot plan that sells in the mid-$150,000s. › Cielo (“heaven” or “skies,” Latinate), at 1,579 square feet, starts just under $160,000. › Shalom (Hebrew for “peace”) spans 1,670 square feet and starts just under $170,000. › Kyrie (Greek, from “Kyrie eleison,” that is, “God with us” or “God have mercy on us”) is a 1,598-square-foot design that starts at $159,876. › Trinity (from the Latin “trinitas” for the concept that God exists as three persons in one divine being), at 1,643 square feet, starts in the low-$180,000s. Click, who was a telecommunications ma- HOME BUILDER FINDS INSPIRATION FOR DESIGN IN BIBLE-BASED FAITH Builder Jeff Click shows a furnished model home his company has built at 2108 NW 173. The design name? The Numbers, from the Old Testament book of the same name. Click has about 20 home designs named for biblical books, names or concepts. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN This view shows the entry to the Numbers. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN BY TIM FALL Special Correspondent [email protected]SEE FAITH, PAGE 2F
Transcript
FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Handy 3FStone 5FPermits 7F
HOUSE PLAN
High ceilingsHigh and vaulted ceilingsthroughout give a sense ofairy openness to the Trinity,a midsize country-style homewith four roomy bedrooms.PAGE 5F
LISTING OF THE WEEK
FrenchinfluenceThe Listing of the Week isa Dallas-French stylehome in the Cascata Fallsaddition in northeastEdmond.
PAGE 5F
NEWCREDITALERT Home mortgageshoppers should seean unexpected addi-tion to the applica-tion paper blitzstarting Jan. 1: amandatory alert onhow their creditscores might affectthe rate quote andterms they receivefrom their lender.
PAGE 4F
KennethHarney
THE NATION’S HOUSING
IN BRIEF
BOOK OFFERSHOME IDEASNoted interior de-signer Bunny Wil-liams believes ahome should be forliving in, not justlooking at. In hernew book, “BunnyWilliams’ Scrapbookfor Living,” sheshares her ideas formaking a home notjust beautiful, butwelcoming, comfort-able and functional.Williams takes read-ers room by roomthrough a typicalhouse and offerstips and suggestionsfor each space. Thetips are quick to readand are accompa-nied by photos byAmy Archer to il-lustrate the points.“Bunny Williams’Scrapbook for Liv-ing” is published byStewart, Tabori &Chang and sells for$60 in hardcover.
SHIP ITEMS TO BE STOREDShort on space?Storage by the Boxoffers an alternativeto renting a storageunit. You just order afree box and packingsupplies on its web-site, fill the box withyour stuff and ship itby FedEx to thecompany’s climate-controlled ware-house for storage. Astandard box is 24inches long, 12 inch-es wide and 12 inch-es high, big enoughto hold about 16sweaters. If that’snot enough room foryour things, you canuse your own box ofany size. Monthlyrent is $5 for a stan-dard box or $3 percubic foot if you useyour own box. Dis-counts are offeredfor bigger orders,and insurance isextra. Shipping tothe storage facility isfree for boxes up to25 pounds and $1per pound for any-thing exceeding 25.You pay to have theboxes shipped backto you. For moreinformation, go towww.storagebythebox.com.
A couple in theirmid-20s found the perfectstarter home for their life-style. The place theypicked wasn’t the classicdetached house with alarge yard. Rather, it was abrand-new townhousewith 10-foot ceilings andloaded with amenities.
“Like lots of home-buyers in their 20s, theywere drawn to the tenniscourts, big pool and partyhouse this community of-fered,” said Tom Early, thereal estate broker who rep-resented the couple intheir recent purchase.
But several decades’worth of experience hasEarly predicting that afterthis young couple has theirfirst baby, they’ll want tobuy a house with morespace to stretch out.
“A townhouse is oftenthe perfect choice for peo-ple from their mid-20s to
early 30s who don’t yethave kids and aren’t yet fo-cused on a neighborhoodwith a playground,” saidEarly, former president ofthe National Associationof Exclusive Buyer Agents.
Though choosing atownhouse means losingout on some of the benefitsthat come from a detachedhome, like a large yard forgardening, you’ll be com-pensated in other ways.You’ll likely have a land-scaped common area thatothers keep up. Plus, you’llprobably be free of exteriormaintenance for your own
postage-sized grounds.Selecting a townhouse
also means you’ll get moresquare feet of living spacefor the money. Indeed,Early estimates that a typ-ical townhouse costs 25 to30 percent less per squarefoot than does a detachedhouse with a yard.
Here are a few tips forthose interested in buyinga townhouse:
› Don’t sacrifice a goodlocation when you buy.
It can be tiring to hearthat location should beatall other factors when itcomes to the selection ofreal estate. But this princi-ple remains true, said EricTyson, a personal financeexpert and co-author of“Home Buying for Dum-mies.”
Tyson urges you to lookfor a neighborhood servedby high-quality publicschools, even if you have
no plans for children. Also,he encourages you to seeka community with easyaccess to such popularamenities as movie thea-ters and fine dining. In ad-dition, look for an areanear well-rated publictransportation.
› Seek out a townhousewith an expansive interior.
These days, mosthomebuyers strongly favoran open, airy, brighthouse. But many town-houses, especially olderones, have relatively fewwindows and are narrowfrom side to side and deepfrom the front door to theback, Early said.
“To get a more openfeeling, try to find a town-house that’s wider thanaverage. Also, look for onewhere the rooms aresquare rather than rectan-gular and one with larger-than-average windows.
However, remember thatbig windows typicallytranslate to higher energycosts,” he said.
› Avoid a townhousecommunity where resi-dents don’t seem to getalong.
Those bound together ina well-run townhousecommunity’s residents’association set aside mon-ey for major expenses, likethe replacement of a roofor renovation of a poolhouse. Otherwise, every-one living in the commu-nity could be hit with aspecial assessment, whichcan mean a large additionto your monthly condo fee.
“The last thing youwant is to live in a commu-nity where everyone issquabbling over minor is-sues or large ones,” he said.
Choose carefully if opting for a townhouseEllenJamesMartin
SMARTMOVES
Whether your first impression of home-builder Jeff Click comes from a Bricktown bill-board, a click on his website or a stroll throughone of his standout home designs, you knowyou’ve seen something different.
Look a little deeper, though, and you’ll seeit’s because this guy is coming from a wholedifferent place.
Click is known for contemporary interiordesigns, distinct exterior lines and his com-mitment to building homes that even criticsmust call exceptional. But behind it all is a mandedicated to understanding who he is and al-lowing that understanding to inform every di-mension of his role as a builder.
It started with his first home design 12 yearsago. Whereas some builders “name their plansfor whatever,” Click said, “I was looking forsomething with meaning to me, something notarbitrary.”
It was his first home, the beginning step. Henamed it “Genesis.”
He said he decided early on that “how I buildand market homes would be influenced by myfaith” — and not just during Christmas season.
From Genesis he added new plans, alsonaming them for books of the Bible: Luke, Ro-mans, Chronicle, Psalm and Daniel, to name afew.
It just felt right.“This is who I am. It’s how I was raised,” he
said.Today, Click is using about 20 biblical names
for his layouts.Some, including Genesis, have been retired,
Click said, but others come online to take theirplace.
In the case of Jeff Click Homes’ latest offer-ing — the “Urbana” series — the plans’ nameshave been chosen from more subtle biblicalreferences.
Plans in the Urbana line, which has smallerfootprints with an emphasis on energy effi-ciency and more moderate price points, haveGreek, Hebrew and Latin names that resonatedeeply with Click, a graduate of OklahomaBaptist University and an active member ofLifechurch.tv.
› Neuma (from Greek “pneuma” for spirit orbreath) is a 1,465-square-foot plan that sells inthe mid-$150,000s.
› Cielo (“heaven” or “skies,” Latinate), at1,579 square feet, starts just under $160,000.
› Shalom (Hebrew for “peace”) spans 1,670square feet and starts just under $170,000.
› Kyrie (Greek, from “Kyrie eleison,” that is,“God with us” or “God have mercy on us”) is a1,598-square-foot design that starts at$159,876.
› Trinity (from the Latin “trinitas” for theconcept that God exists as three persons in onedivine being), at 1,643 square feet, starts in thelow-$180,000s.
Click, who was a telecommunications ma-
HOME BUILDER FINDS INSPIRATIONFOR DESIGN IN BIBLE-BASED FAITH
Builder Jeff Click shows a furnished model home his company has built at 2108 NW 173. The design name? The Numbers, from the OldTestament book of the same name. Click has about 20 home designs named for biblical books, names or concepts.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
This view shows the entry to the Numbers.PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
2F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
jor, said he began to dis-cover his acumen as a de-signer and project manag-er in college, where hefounded a software com-pany as an undergraduate.Outsourcing much of thecoding and developmentwork, Click focused on thedesign of the interface,marketing and productpackaging.
That same visual sense— the one he feeds todayby devouring “tons of de-sign magazines and blogs,”where he gleans ideas tosolve problems and intro-duce variety into thehomes he builds — wassparked at an early age.
A baseball fanatic as achild, Click found himselfconfined indoors betweengames to minimize his ex-posure to sweltering Okla-homa summer afternoons.
“I started doing craftsand painting” to fill thosehours, Click recalled.
Today the mitt is retired,but the crafting and paint-ing have famouslybloomed.
Click’s faith has led himnot only to select Scrip-ture-rooted names for hishomes, but it has givenhim the courage to strikeout in a design directionthat is at times counter tothe Oklahoma City main-stream.
Like one of his businessheroes, Apple CEO SteveJobs, who Click said “nev-er focus-groups any-thing,” Click, too, has builthis reputation on the faiththat “people don’t knowwhat they want till theysee it.”
“When buyers find me,”Click said, and they bond,as they often do, over thebiblical name of a design,“I feel that’s God workingin my life, and I want to ac-knowledge that however Ican.”
FROM PAGE 1F
Faith: Concepts rooted in ScriptureDID YOU KNOW?
Floor plans have divine referencesSince 1998 Jeff Click has been nam-
ing his home designs for biblical refer-ences: books of the Bible, characters orconcepts, and sometimes even specificverses.
His company, Jeff Click Homes, of-fers floor plans with these biblicalnames:
CONCEPTS
› Neuma — derived from the Greek“pneuma” meaning “spirit” or “breath.”› Kyrie — Greek, from “Kyrie elei-
son,” that is, “God with us” or “Godhave mercy on us.”› Trinity — derived from the Latin,
trinitas, meaning “the number three, atriad.” The Christian doctrine of theTrinity, one of the most important inmainstream Christian faith, teachesthe unity of Father, Son and Holy Spiritas three persons in one divine being.› Cielo — an Italian word meaning
“heavens” or “skies.”› Shalom — a Hebrew word mean-
ing peace, completeness and welfare.
OLD TESTAMENT
› Psalm — from the Greek wordPsalmoi, meaning “songs sung to a
harp. Psalms is a book of the Biblemade up of 150 poems.› Daniel — the central protagonist of
the Book of Daniel. He was carried offto Babylon where he became famousfor interpreting dreams and rose tobecome one of the most importantfigures in the court.› Chronicle — for Chronicles, the
books of the Old Testament, 1 and 2Chronicles, that summarize and review1 and 2 Kings and 1 and 2 Samuel.› Numbers — the fourth book of the
Old Testament, which describes theyears of testing in the wilderness forthe Israelites, and the census orderedby God and carried out by Moses.
NEW TESTAMENT
› Matthew — a gospel, is the firstbook of the New Testament.› Mark — a gospel, is the second
book of the New Testament.› Luke — a gospel, is the third book
of the New Testament.› John — a gospel, is the fourth
book of the New Testament.› Romans — the epistle of Paul to
Christians in Rome.› James — an epistle, emphasizes
the practical duties of Christian life.
Left: Festive pillows and a comfy place to recline arefeatured in the media/theater room of Jeff Click’smodel home, the Numbers, at 2108 NW 173.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL,THE OKLAHOMAN
Atypical lines and angles make the master bathroom a distinctive space in theNumbers. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
The Numbers model home by Jeff Click is at 2108 NW173 in Silverhawk addtion.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
A spacious secondary bedroom in Jeff Click’s modelhas ample room for sitting areas.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
The color-coordinated vessel sink is tied to the ceilingin the powder room in the Jeff Click model in theSilverhawk addition.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 3FREAL ESTATE
I hate to admit that I’vebeen around constructionsince old-growth treeswere just trees, and duringall that time I’ve been us-ing a conventional tapemeasure. I tried a first-generation laser distancemeasurer several yearsback, and found it far tooinconsistent and inaccu-rate to be of much use.
So when I undertook arecent review and com-parison of five different la-ser distance measurers, itwas with a bit of intimida-tion for the long learningcurve and low hopes forthe results.
I was wrong on bothcounts.
All of the laser distancemeasurers tested (some-one could come up with aless cumbersome name)were given the same basictests, and were comparedagainst the same conven-tional tape measure. Eachone was perfectly accu-rate, and they all gave ex-actly the same readings.
All five had pretty simi-lar basic features. Besidesthe obvious ability to mea-sure, each one has theability to store, add to, andsubtract from the mea-surements you’re taking.Each one also has the abil-ity to do mathematical cal-culations for you as you go.
In one mode you canmeasure the length andthen the width of an area,and the unit will give youthe square footage. In an-other mode, you can alsomeasure the height and itwill calculate cubic foot-age. Another function isthe ability to calculatemeasurements of areas
you can’t see directly, suchas the height of a tallbuilding. All the units ex-cept the Dewalt had thisfeature.
A backlit screen for low-light situations is anothercommon feature, and all ofthe units except the Boschincluded that. All includeda protective belt holster, ofwhich the Craftsman andthe Dewalt seemed theeasiest to use. Dewalt andBosch also include a handywrist lanyard. Dewalt andCraftsman get kudos forthe non-blister-packpackaging, and Ryobi getsa demerit for their instruc-tions that come on onehuge sheet of paper like afoldout road map.
From there, it’s a matterof accuracy and a couple ofother important features,which you can see in theindividual reviews.They’re listed below in or-der of retail price.
At the end of the day, mytape measure still has ahome. But given the speed,features and consistentaccuracy of these tools, it’sdefinitely time to makeroom in the toolbox for alaser as well.
› Craftsman LaserMeasuring Tool and 10-Inch Digital Level Combo(Model 79582, $129.99):
This is the only combokit in the bunch, and in-
cludes a multifunctiondigital level that I didn’treview. The laser measur-ing tool itself is the largestof the five, and the onlyone to place some of theoperating buttons on thefront and some on the side.It has a mode button thatallows you to choose tomeasure from the bottomof the unit or from the top.Measures up to 150 feet,with an accuracy of 3/16inch. Operates on two AAbatteries.
This is probably themost rugged of the group,with a tough but comfort-able casing rated for a 6-foot drop. It also has a largeand easy-to-use belt loopcase. The buttons are largeand well grouped. Unfor-tunately it only reads fromthe bottom of the unit andit doesn’t have an exten-sion rod like the next threeunits do, which limits itsusefulness to some degree.Measures up to 100 feet,with an accuracy of 1/8inch. Operates on twoAAA batteries.
Part of Ryobi’s Tek4group of tools that use asmall 4-volt rechargeablelithium ion battery. It’s avery well-designed toolwith a lot of features forthe professional and homeuser alike. There’s a tab atthe bottom that flips down90 degrees to hook over acounter or table edge foraccurate reference pointmeasuring. The tab then
flips straight out so theunit fits into a tight cornerwhen measuring diag-onals. A mode button tellsthe unit to measure fromthe top, the bottom, or thetip of the extended tab.The Tek 4 will measuredistances up to 195 feetwith an accuracy of 1/16 ofan inch and offers about2,000 measurements percharge. Includes the bat-tery and charger.
Bosch’s unit had thesmallest profile, and is stillpacked with features, in-cluding seven differentmeasuring modes. It wasalso the only one with auniversal female screw fit-ting on the bottom so youcan attach it to a tripod. Ithas a retractable extensionpin at the bottom insteadof a tab, for placing theunit into tight corners. TheBosch has four differentmeasuring reference pointchoices: measuring fromthe bottom, the top, theend of the extension pin,and the center point,where the tripod socketmount is located. This unitoperates on four AAA bat-teries, with a life of ap-proximately 30,000 indi-vidual measurements.Measures up to 230 feet,with an accuracy of 1/16 ofan inch.
› Milwaukee LaserDistance Meter (Model2280-20, $179):
Compact, solid and easyto use, the Milwaukee hasall the features you’re like-ly to need, especially forthe professional user. Ithas a flip-down tab for
hooking over edges, and itflips down again for fittinginto corners. The measur-ing reference mode allowsselection of bottom, topand end-tab measuringpoints. The case has rug-ged rubber over-moldingfor extra protection. TheMilwaukee is also light andeasy to handle, and offersall the necessary measur-ing modes, including area,volume, indirect measure-
ments, and more. The Mil-waukee laser measurer op-erates off two AAA batter-ies, with a life of about5,000 measurements. Therange for this unit is 200feet, with an accuracy of 1/16 of an inch.
Remodeling and repair questions?E-mail Paul at [email protected]. All product reviews are based onthe author’s actual testing of freereview samples provided by themanufacturers.
INMAN NEWS
Five laser measurers go the distance in testPaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
Entertainer Pat Boone has purchased a vacation homeon the residential ocean liner the Utopia.
Expected to launch in 2013, the ship will journeyaround the globe and stop at events such as the CannesFilm Festival in France, the Formula 1 Monaco Grand Prixand the Melbourne Cup horse race in Australia.
“Everyone in my family is thrilled about having futurefamily reunions on the Utopia and traveling the worldwithout leaving our home on the sea,” said Boone, a Be-verly Hills resident.
The 199 residences range from 1,453 to 6,100 squarefeet and are priced from $3.9 million to $25 million. Thelisting price for a unit similar to the one Boone purchasedis $4 million. The exact purchase price was not disclosed.Buyers own a 70-year right to use the residence, muchlike a land lease. Fees are about 4.5 percent of purchaseprice annually.
Boone’s 1,453-square-foot unit can be configured as aone-bedroom with a study/media /guest room or as atwo-bedroom home with a third room for a library or of-fice. It has a living room and a terrace with an ocean view.The unit is fully furnished, including multimedia equip-ment, flatware and linens.
Boone, 76, enjoyed his heyday as a pop singer in the’50s and ’60s and had his own variety show. Among hishit songs were “Love Letters in the Sand,” “April Love”and “Moody River.”
His leading man work included “Journey to the Centerof the Earth” (1959) and “State Fair” (1962). He was in-ducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame in 2003.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
Pat Boone with Utopia Residences Chairman DavidRobb. BUSINESS WIRE PHOTO
Pat Boone buysvacation home on ocean linerBY LAUREN BEALELos Angeles Times
Chris Sonaggera hasjoined Paradigm Advan-tEdge, 1530 SW 119, as aresidential real estate salesassociate.
He is an OklahomaCounty sheriff’s deputyand has a bachelor’s degreefrom Oklahoma State Uni-versity-Oklahoma City.He obtained his real estatelicense and became a Real-tor four years ago. He wonan award for sales produc-tion in 2009 from his pre-vious real estate company.
Realtor joins Paradigm AdvantEdge
Chris Sonaggera
4F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON — Homemortgage shoppers shouldsee an unexpected additionto the application paperblitz starting Jan. 1: a man-datory alert on how theircredit scores might affectthe rate quote and termsthey receive from theirlender.
The new disclosure rep-resents the end product of acongressional effort datingto 2003 to make the crucialrole played by credit scoresin loan pricing more intelli-gible to consumers, and toalert applicants when in-formation in their creditbureau files triggers higherrates or adverse terms.
Lenders will be requiredto provide the alert beforeapplicants commit to ac-cept mortgage offers,thereby allowing someconsumers to double-thinktheir decisions, order co-pies of credit reports andlook for inaccuracies oroutdated information.
Though federal regula-tors have given banks sev-eral ways to make the man-datory disclosure, the onemost mortgage applicantsare likely to see includes:
› The specific creditscore, including the sourceand the date it was pulled,that was used by the lenderto arrive at a decision onthe rate quote.
› How the applicant’sscore ranks against otherconsumers’ scores.
› The key negative cred-it-file factors that affectedthe applicant’s score, suchas the number of late pay-ments, inquiries by theconsumer seeking newcredit accounts, and exces-sive use of the credit ac-counts already available tothe consumer.
› A reminder that appli-cants have the legal right todispute any inaccuracies intheir credit files.
› Contact informationfor obtaining free annualcredit reports — one eachfrom Equifax, Experian andTransUnion, the three na-tional bureaus.
› A description of cred-it-scoring methodology.
Ted Dreyer, a senior at-torney with Wolters Kluw-er Financial Services, anadviser to lenders based inMinneapolis, said the newforms “will certainly (be)another piece of paper”and that “some people’s
eyes will glaze over.”But properly used, he
said, they “will be a valu-able source of information”for people with negativedata, whether accurate orerroneous, buried in theirnational credit bureau files.
Consumers should beespecially alert to the con-nection between creditfiles and mortgage ratequotes, according to pro-ponents of the new disclo-sure, because the hard eco-nomic jolts of the past fouryears — unemployment,high delinquency rates,home foreclosures andshort sales — have de-pressed the credit scores ofmillions of people.
At the same time, mostmortgage lenders havesteadily ratcheted up theirunderwriting standardsand credit score require-ments for good rates — oreven the minimum scoreneeded to qualify for anyquote at all.
Not everyone is as opti-
mistic as Dreyer. Consum-er advocates who success-fully pressed for the disclo-sure in 2003 say the finalform taking effect Jan. 1doesn’t come close to whatwas intended: a personal-ized red flag from the lend-er to the applicant thatnegative credit-file datahad caused the rate quoteto be significantly higherthan it otherwise wouldhave been.
The concept was to en-courage a borrower who re-ceived the warning to con-sider putting the brakes onthe deal until he or she hada chance to check out whatexactly in the files wascausing the problem. Onlyapplicants who were beingquoted disadvantageous,higher rates by the lender’srisk-based pricing systemusing credit scores wouldreceive the notice, ratherthan 100 percent of all ap-plicants.
Ed Mierzwinski, con-sumer program director ofthe U.S. Public Interest Re-search Group, said nextyear’s form amounts to“just another disappoint-ing generic disclosure”whose effectiveness will belimited by the fact it’s ahandout to everybody.Mierzwinski is especially
critical of the two federalagencies responsible forcrafting the final product:the Federal Reserve and theFederal Trade Commission.Both, he said, “choked thelife out of this promisingconsumer reform” during aprotracted seven-year de-liberation process.
Terry W. Clemans, exec-utive director of the Na-tional Credit Reporting As-sociation, whose members
specialize in preparingcredit data and scores formortgage lenders, said thefinal disclosure form“seems to be a very wa-tered-down version of theintent of Congress back in2003.”
But Evan Hendricks, au-thor of the “Credit Scoresand Credit Reports” andeditor of Privacy Times, anewsletter that focuses onconsumer credit issues,
said he prefers to look forthe positive in the new dis-closures. Though “it’s astep — a baby step — in theright direction,” he said inan interview, “anythingthat reminds people abouttheir credit score and howtheir lender is using it willbe better than nothing.”
Credit score alert on way for loan seekersKennethHarney
THE NATION’S HOUSING
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 5FREAL ESTATE
High and vaulted ceilings throughoutgive a sense of airy openness to the Trin-ity, a midsize country-style house withfour roomy bedrooms. Family livingspaces, along with a generously sizedowners’ suite, are downstairs. The otherthree bedrooms are on the upper level.
From the second-floor bridge, you canoverlook both the dining room and thefamily room. The apex of the vaulted ceil-ing that spans dining room, entry andfamily room is overhead, parallel to thebridge.
Multipane windows brighten the din-ing room, and a wide bay expands the liv-ing room. Both rooms look out across anostalgic shaded porch that wraps aroundto the right. But most of the main floor isdevoted to the kind of spaces families useday to day: a large family room, L-shapedkitchen and bayed nook.
This comfortable area has a centrallylocated wood stove and is wide open.Nothing more than an angled island with
a raised eating bar breaks up the space.The built-in range and oven make it easyto serve soups and other hot edibles di-rectly to waiting eaters. The step-in pan-try provides additional storage space.Utilities and a small powder room areclose by, equally convenient to the garage.
Amenities in the owners’ suite includea large walk-in closet, corner shower, spatub and twin vanities.
All of the Trinity’s upstairs bedroomsare spacious, but the room overlookingthe street is the one the kids will fightover. The half-round window crowningits lower windows is similar to the one inthe front door, and adds a touch of ele-gance to the bedroom.
For a review plan, including scaled floorplans, elevations, section and artist’s con-ception, send $25 to Associated Designs,1100 Jacobs Drive, Eugene, OR, 97402.Please specify the Trinity 10-211 and in-clude a return address when ordering. Formore information call (800) 634-0123.
The Listing of the Weekis a Dallas-French stylehouse in the Cascata Fallsaddition in northeast Ed-mond.
The 2,277-square-foothouse at 2101 Verona Circlehas three bedrooms, 2½baths, two living rooms,two dining rooms and anattached three-car garage.The main living room has afireplace and ceiling fan.
The study has a ceiling fan,wood floor and Frenchdoors. The kitchen has abreakfast bar, eating space,pantry, stainless-steel ap-pliances and granite coun-ters. The master bedroomhas a bath with whirlpooltub and walk-in closet.Secondary bedrooms haveceiling fans. The house hasan extra-large laundryroom, security system,
underground sprinklersystem and covered patio.
Built in 2006, it is listedfor $259,900 with LindaFinch of Paradigm Advan-tEdge Real Estate. Formore information, call348-4422.
Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send information onsingle-family homes to The Oklahoman,Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, OklahomaCity, OK 73125. Nominations may befaxed to 475-3996.
LISTING OF THE WEEK
The Listing of the Week is at 2101 Verona Circle in Edmond. PHOTO PROVIDED
Edmond house featuresbuilt-in luxuries, study
DEAR BARRY: We havea gas log fireplace in ourhome and would like tohave real wood fires.Would it be safe to removethe gas logs and burn reallogs instead?
Dave
DEAR DAVE: Beforemaking changes to yourfireplace, you should de-termine the type of fixturethat you have, as well as itsinternal condition. If itwas originally built as awood-burning fireplaceand then converted to a gaslog setup, it might be pos-sible to return to solid-fueluse. This would depend onthe extent of the conver-sion and the reason theconversion was made.
For example, if the fire-box or the damper as-sembly was altered, wood-burning use may no longerbe safe. If a metal flue linerwas installed, the linermay not be suited for thehigh temperatures pro-duced by solid fuel com-bustion. If the conversionwas made because thefirebox or the chimney wasdamaged, a return to woodcombustion may not bepossible without makingcostly repairs.
It is also possible thatthe fixture was never in-tended for solid fuel. Itmay have been specificallymanufactured as a gas-burning appliance. If so, itshould not be used withany fuel other than gas, noexceptions. Altering theintended use of a gas fire-place could damage theunit and cause a fire inyour home.
Before making anychanges in the way yourfireplace is used, have itthoroughly inspected by acertified chimney sweep toensure that all such chang-es are safe and in full com-pliance with applicable re-quirements. Otherwise,your home itself could be-come a “fire-place.”
DEAR BARRY: Fivedays after buying ourhome, the sewer backed upand ruined the new carpetand the drywall in our
basement. The sellers nev-er disclosed any plumbingproblems, but our plumbersaid they must have knownbecause the roots in thepiping were so bad. Thesellers’ Realtor now saysthat she knew there hadbeen some plumbingproblems and had advisedthe sellers to disclose it.What are our legal op-tions?
Leslie
DEAR LESLIE: The Re-altor for the sellers shouldhave done more than ad-vise the sellers to disclose.She should have made surethat the sellers’ disclosurestatement contained thatinformation. Furthermore,she should have includedthat information on herown disclosure form. Fail-ure to do so was a signif-icant breach of her re-sponsibility as a profes-sional Realtor.
As for legal options, theanswer varies from onestate to another. Youshould consult an attorneyfor the answer to thatquestion.
To write to Barry Stone, go towww.housedetective.com.
ACCESS MEDIA GROUP
Check fixtures beforeconverting fireplace
BarryStone
INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE
Deidra Tampkins hasjoined Churchill Brown &Associates Realtors’ southoffice, 9620 S Pennsylva-nia Ave., as a residentialreal estate sales associate.
The Oklahoma City na-tive studied sociology atUniversity of CentralOklahoma. She has beenemployed by Lucky StarCasino for the past sixyears. Deidra Tampkins
Churchill Brown gains associate
6F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
ORLANDO, Fla. — The Crafts-man-style home of Tom and Vi-vian Ward looks so authenticthat passers-by assume it is a re-modeled version of a house dat-ing back to the early 20th centu-ry.
Although the home sits in Or-lando’s Lake Lawsona HistoricDistrict, where many of thehomes do date from the Crafts-man period (1905-1930), theWards’ home is brand new.
Only the distinctive new-home smell gives it away.
Originally, the couple plannedto remodel the old house that saton the lot, six blocks east ofdowntown’s Lake Eola. Oncethey discovered it was too decre-pit to be saved, they drew upplans for a replacement.
“To blend with this neighbor-hood, we could have gone Medi-terranean or Bungalow, but wehad fallen in love with theCraftsman style,” Vivian Wardsaid. “It is so warm, inviting andcomfortable. We’re very low-keyand laid-back. It’s a perfect fit.”
Working with architect DavidRunnels and builder Carlos Po-sada, both of Winter Park, Fla.,they designed their dream re-tirement home — cozy enoughfor two, but able to accommo-date visits from their extendedfamily. It includes two largeguest suites, a master suite, awood-paneled study and a spa-cious, open upstairs. The largekitchen opens to a dining roomwith coffered ceiling and a familyroom with fireplace. Beyond is atree-shaded back porch withsummer kitchen.
In trendy terms, it is a “multi-generational, aging-in-placehome.”
Because of its location in oneof the city’s oldest neighbor-hoods, the style and scale of thehome, as well as details such as
the setback from the sidewalkand drainage, all had to be ap-proved by the Orlando HistoricalReview Board.
“It fits our extended familyand also fits into the historicalnature of the neighborhood,”said Tom Ward, former chief in-
formation officer for HughesSupply.
Set on a narrow but deep lot,the 3,800-square-foot housepresents a modest facade to thestreet, but extends back quite aways. The double garage sits be-hind the house, beyond a com-
pact backyard. Typical of the Craftsman style
are the deep front porch withangled pillars, gently slopingroof with wide eaves and ex-posed beams, and porte-cochereover the driveway.
The interior also exhibitsCraftsman styling: artistic stone,
tile and stained-glass elements,1930s-style lighting fixtures anddraperies, quarter-sawn whiteoak floors and exquisite cabinets.
“We love the whole house,”Vivian Ward said. “But we areespecially proud of the attentionto detail.”
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
Craftsman style reborn in neighborhoodARCHITECTURE | ORLANDO, FLA., COUPLE BUILD NEW HOME IN HISTORIC DISTRICT AFTER ORIGINAL HOME COULDN’T BE REMODELED
The kitchen and family room in Tom and Vivian Ward’s home feature handcrafted cabinetry, typicalof the Craftsman style. MCCLATCHY PHOTO
BY JEAN PATTESONThe Orlando Sentinel
Tom and Vivian Ward’s new home in Orlando, Fla., was built inthe Craftsman style, with a deep front porch with angled pillars,gently sloping roof with wide eaves and exposed beams, and aporte-cochere at the side. MCCLATCHY PHOTO
Throughout Tom and VivianWard’s home is beautifullydetailed cabinetry, includingthese built-ins in the diningroom. MCCLATCHY PHOTO
A small landscaped backyard separates Tom and Vivian Ward’shome from the detached, two-car garage. MCCLATCHY PHOTO
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2010 7FREAL ESTATE
Oklahoma CityRob Reynolds, Devon
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Rob Reynolds, Devonoffice tower, 333 W Sheri-dan Ave., office, remodel,$1,262,865.
Halle Properties LLC,5924 W Memorial Road,retail sales, erect,$700,000.
Rob Reynolds, DevonEnergy office tower, 333W Sheridan Ave., office,remodel, 27 individualpermits, each valued at$698,779.
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