HOME & Real Estate Weekly April 17, 2010 Longmont Times-Call www.YourFrontRangeHome.com H H U U D D h h o o m m e e s s r r e e q q u u i i r r e e p p r r o o p p e e r r c c o o n n t t r r a a c c t t s s M M o o d d e e r r n n T T a a k k e e o o n n R Ru u s s t t i i c c C C h h a a r r m m T T r r y y c c o o m m p p o o s s t t i i n n g g a a t t h h o o m m e e B B r r i i n n g g s s p p r r i i n n g g i i n n t t o o y y o o u u r r h h o o m m e e
2 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly April 17, 2010
Dandelion festival offers new perspectiveWhen you think of
the hallmark ofspring, does yourblood boil with thedesire to wipe it offthe face of the lawn?For too many peopleseeing the first, cheer-ful blossoms of thedandelion the answeris “yes.”
Rethink your rageby learning moreabout this lowly lawnweed at the Dandelion festivalApril 24 at the Bandshell on thecorner of Broadway and Canyonin Boulder. “It’s a yellow day, away to enjoy spring,” says co-or-ganizer Deb Sanders. “We want tohelp people walk the eco-talk andsupport businesses that use greenpractices.”
Through food, music and semi-nars, the festival aims to makeBoulder a dandelion-friendly cityby focusing on its benefits and de-liciousness. Vendors offer every-thing from recipes to eco-friendlygardening advice on controlling
weeds by naturalselection.
“We focus on sus-tainable lawn care,”Sanders says, notingthat organizers aren’tout to get rid of lawns,just help people un-derstand how to man-age them organically.“Lawns are lovely;they’re good at pullingcarbon from the atmo-sphere and nice for
kids and pets to play on. So let’shave healthy ones.”
Sponsored by the Citizens forPesticide Reform, a branch of theRocky Mountain Center for Peaceand Justice, the dandelion festivalis education in a fun, festive way,says Betty Ball, co-administratorfor the center. “We ’re trying tohave an impact on lessening theamount of pesticides used. Peoplethink it’s a sign of healthy lawn tobe dandelion-free, but pesticidesa re n ’t safe.”
Once word spread that a festi-val was in the works, huge inter-
est from the community surfaced,with people requesting space toshare their expertise in celebrat-ing plants most people loathe.
“The idea that dandelions areenemies and we should spraythem harms the planet,” saysKeynote speaker Brigitte Mars,herbalist and author of the “Desk-top Guide to Herbal Medicine.”“They feed insects, animals, andpeople.” Mars will be speaking onthe value of wild, edible andmedicinal weeds.
“The whole idea is to rethinkthe American lawn, which useswater we don’t have. There’s a ru-mor that dandelions kill lawns,which stems from grass dying offfrom a lack of water, and onlydandelions survive. People thinkthat they killed the lawn, but theydidn’t. They just don’t need lots ofwater or fertilizer to survive,”Mars says.
Sanders understands many hatethis charming lawn invader.“Many people dislike them, so ifyou really want that war, do handcombat. There are really great
tools that are therapeutic to jabinto the ground, pull and grabthat weed up.” Hot, boiling waterpoured into sidewalk cracksstems the encroachment of theweed, she says, as well as concoc-tions made from soaps.
To learn tips like these andrecipes that spell dandeliondoom, the festival offers shortclasses on how to keep your yardpesticide-free. But the big focus ishow to use it as part of your culi-nary garden, which at my house,is one way to ensure that a plantwon’t grow – the minute I want itto, it gets fussy.
Dishing up dandelions, festivalsponsors and Boulder Farmer’sMarket vendors will featurequiche, pupusas, dandelion blos-
som fritters, cookies and sodamade with dandelion and bur-dock root. Acoustic music byKimmerjae Johnson, HarperPhillips and Choosing June isscheduled throughout the day,
The bottom line is that “this isjust a really great day; dandelionsare beautiful, fun,” Ball says.“Kids like to make chains to wearas crowns.” So pick some foryourself and a friend, braid theminto a crown and head on down tothe Dandelion Festival.
Carol O’Meara is a horticulture ento-mologist with the Colorado State Uni-versity Extension office at the BoulderCounty Fairgrounds in Longmont. Con-tact her by calling 303-678-6238 or e-mailing [email protected]. Formore gardening tips, check out her blogat gardeningafterfive.wordpress.com.
Carol O’Meara
Colorado StateUniversity Extension
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April 17, 2010 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly 3
News and Press ReleasesHome & Real Estate Weekly welcomes news
on hirings, advancements, awards, classes andother information of interest to the real estate andhome community. Please submit information tothe editor by e-mail, fax 303-774-8088 or mail to350 Terry St., Longmont, CO 80501. The dead-line is Monday at 5 p.m. the week of publication.
On the CoverCandice Olson takes this western room to modern comfort. See page 4. (SHNS/HGT V )
Kristi Ritter
Summer Stair
AdvertisingThe display advertising deadlineis Tuesday at 3 p.m., and theclassified line advertising deadlineis Thursday at 3 p.m. – boththe week of publication. Foradvertising information, call720-494-5445.
Article Resource Association
The powder room – it’s one of thesmallest rooms in the house, but alsothe room that typically sees the mosttraffic, especially when you’re enter-taining guests.
So, is your powder room worthy ofguest traffic? Just because it’s thesmallest room doesn’t mean it needsto be small in style. Rather, it is theperfect opportunity to take a risk anddesign a space your guests won’tsoon forget.
Getting StartedIf the floor plan of your space isn’t
going to change (plumbing won’tmove and walls won’t be knockeddown), updating your powder roomcan be simple and affordable. To startyour room redesign, you’ll need toidentify your personal style.
Start by looking at the rest of yourhouse. Determine whether you prefercontemporary or traditional decorand imagine how your new powderroom will fit in with the rest of yourhome. To spark new ideas and keepcurrent on trends, visit a localkitchen and bath showroom, a model
home or a show home that featuresbath and powder rooms. Flippingthrough magazines or visiting homeimprovement Web sites can also in-spire great ideas. Articles on recentroom makeovers and new bath prod-ucts can help you determine whichelements you want to be part of yourro o m .
Selecting the PiecesYo u ’re working with a relatively
small space, so every styling detailcounts. Some manufacturers aremaking it even easier for homeown-ers to coordinate their pieces by de-signing complete suites.
“Danze recently introduced severalsuite options that make decor coordi-nation much easier for homeown-ers,” says Jennifer Lee, Danze direc-tor of marketing. “The Orrington,Cirtangular and Ziga Zaga Collec-tions are each meticulously designedto provide room elements that per-fectly match each other.”
So what elements comprise thatsuite? In addition to accessories anda mirror, here are a few of the imper-ative pieces you’ll need to choose foryour room.
Lavatory SinkMany designers and homeowners try to
maximize space in their powder room. Apedestal sink might be the best way to dojust that. And because storage is less criticalin this room, a pedestal sink provides aclean, open look to the area.
If a pedestal sink isn’t your style, explorethe range of vessel sinks available. These“bowls” sit on top of a vanity cabinet andcan bring a unique design expression to theroom.
Design tip: Select an interesting materialfor your vessel bowl like stone, timeless vit-reous china, blown glass or hammered met-al to create an attention-getting, distinctivelook for your sink.
FaucetThe faucet you choose will help pull
the decor together and can serve as anextra piece of “jewelry” for the room.There are many different styles of bath-room faucets, but popular powder roomversions include vessel fillers (to accom-modate vessel sinks), wall-mount faucetsand wide-spread faucets. The faucet’sfinish and scale is also a critical selectionto attain the mood you’re hoping to cre-ate.
Design tip: If you’re considering awall-mount faucet, have your plumbingprofessional mount it through the glassof your mirror. What a reflection ofstyle.
To i l e tWhile maybe not the sexiest piece in the
powder room, the toilet is arguably one of themost important elements. There’s no doubtthat performance should be at the top of yourchecklist when selecting this piece, but youdon’t need to sacrifice style. Some toilets arenow designed as part of a collection, matchingyour sink and the other pieces in your room. Inaddition to style and performance, look for er-gonomic design and water efficiency whenmaking your selection.
Design tip: Choose a toilet lever that matchesthe style and finish of your faucet and bath ac-cessories. They’re easy to switch out and canbe a noticeable design detail. You’ll look like aprofessional.
4 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly April 17, 2010
HUD homes require thesame contracts as others
Q: My friend is trying to buy a house from a man who saysthat he owns a HUD house. He wants $80,000 for the property,with $500 down. The house looks like it should sell for$100,000 or more.
He asked my friend to fax a copy of his ID and Social Securitycard to his office. I just don’t believe this is real because it’s toogood to be true. Who can my friend contact to see if this house
is for sale without being scammed?A: This deal has scam written all over it.
First, HUD homes are regular houses withFHA loans on them that have gone into fore-closure. HUD sells HUD homes online andHUD-certified real estate agents can makeoffers for buyers online.
Can you see what’s wrong with the situa-tion your friend is facing? And, I probablydon’t need to tell you that you’d never haveto fax any legitimate real estate agent yourcontact information or Social Security infor-mation. That’s just asking to have your iden-tity stolen.
Your friend needs the help of a smart real estate agent who isHUD-certified and probably the assistance of a real estate attorney.Is the person offering the home to your friend a HUD-certified realestate agent? The agent can look up the property and tell you if it isfor sale or not and show your friend some other properties in thearea that are a good deal at the same time.
The attorney can do all of the due diligence necessary to makesure this deal of a lifetime isn’t really a scam, and can also help puttogether the documents your friend will need to get a loan andclose.
Just remember, if it doesn’t smell right to you at this point, itprobably isn’t right for you. Good luck to your friend.
Q: My wife is on the title to our home, but not on the mort-gage. If I miss a payment or default on a loan, is her credit af-fected the same? Can I remove her name from the title, andhow would I go about doing that? I don’t want to take thechance of ruining her credit. Thanks.
A: If she is not on the mortgage, whether you pay on time, spo-radically or not at all should not be reported to her Social Securityn u m b e r.
You shouldn’t have to take her off the title, but pull a copy of hercredit history just to be sure she’s not listed somehow on the mort-gage. Your wife can get a free copy of her credit history from each ofthe three major credit-reporting bureaus by going to www.AnnualCreditReport.com. She may be offered the ability to obtain her cred-it score for about $8, but she does not need to do that to get the re-p o rt s .
There are times that lenders will allow a borrower to buy a homeand use only the credit history and credit score of that buyer togrant the loan. Yet, at the same time the lender will allow a spouseto be on title but not on the loan to the home.
When lenders proceed along these lines, the spouse is on titleand on the mortgage, but the spouse does not sign the promise torepay money to the lender. In this manner the spouse doesn’t havethe legal obligation to repay the money owed on the loan, but hasan ownership right to the home.
If your wife is on title but isn’t on the mortgage, you might haveadded her name to the title to the home sometime after you ob-tained the loan for the home. In either case, your wife shouldn’t beresponsible for any late payments on the loan and her creditshouldn’t be affected if you miss a payment.
Ilyce R. Glink’s latest book is “Buy, Close, Move In!” If you have questions, youcan call her radio show at 800-972-8255 any Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.EST. Contact Ilyce through her Web site at www.thinkglink.com.
Divine divatames theWild West
Ilyce Glink
Tribune Media Services
Top: After some accents and accessories, includingpatterned pillows, baskets, plants and artwork, the spacewas finally transformed from rural shabby to rustic chic.Bottom: Before, the main room had promise, but it wasovershadowed by all of the outdated. (SHNS/HGTV)
Fran and Jeff neverdreamed they would raisetheir family in a log cabin.But when they found a rustic,revamped log house on theoutskirts of the city, they de-cided to be modern-day pio-neers and move right in.
Outside, it was all trees,ravines and greenery. But in-side, it was another story.Some of the rooms had beenupdated, but the home’s great room was still stuck inthe Wild West. The gigantic space had a lot ofpromise, but it was overshadowed by all of the out-dated lighting and shabby furniture, not to mention ahuge wagon-wheel chandelier.
The couple had no idea how to make the hugeroom more elegant and sophisticated while keepingthe room’s cabin vibe. So they called me in and askedif I could give their great room one great big update.
The space boasted soaring ceilings, rich wood pan-eling and a beautiful stone wall, all of which addedto the lodge feeling.
I started the redesign at the focal point of the room– a soaring stone fireplace. I used this fireplace as thejumping-off point for the colors in the room – apalette of sage, stone, taupe and caramel – and forthe scale of the new furniture.
To add interest to the fireplace wall, I put up along mirror in a beautiful wooden frame that reducesthe scale of the stone and reflects a good portion ofthe room. I got rid of the dated furniture and ar-ranged a new lounge area around the fireplace withtwo huge sofas, a wooden coffee table, an area rug
and beautiful pieces for storage. As a replacement tothe old wagon-wheel fixture, I installed an elegantchandelier with an antique finish.
Adjacent to the lounge area, by a big window, Icreated a library nook. I put in a beautiful roundwood table, two antique-leather lounge chairs andflanked the window with two dark-wood bookcases.Above this area, which also boasts a beautiful piano,I installed a smaller version of the larger chandelier.
The space had five quirky windows of varyingheights, so to unify them, I put up long, beautifuldraperies in linen, light sage and orange hues. Butwhile the windows gave some light to the space, theroom was still fairly dark owing to the wood panel-ing. So in addition to the two new chandeliers, I putup track lighting, flanked one of the big windowswith two traditional sconces and filled up the roomwith an assortment of lamps.
After some accents and accessories, including pat-terned pillows, baskets, plants and artwork, thespace was finally transformed from rural shabby torustic chic.
This room had a good start but needed a great fin-ish. So I added layers of lighting, fresh furnishingsand modern accessories, and gave Fran and Jeff agreat room that lives up to its name. Now that’s di-vine.
Interior decorator Candice Olson is host of HGTV’s “DivineDesign.” For more ideas, information and show times, visitwww.HGTV.com or www.divinedesign.tv.
Candice Olson
H GT V
April 17, 2010 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly 5
Churchill letterappears authenticBy Helaine
Fendelman and
Joe Rosson
Scripps Howard News
Service
Dear Helaine andJoe: I would like yourprofessional opinionconcerning the at-tached photocopy of aletter. Do you thinkWinston Churchillgenuinely signed theletter? – D.K.
Dear D.K.: To providea truly professionalopinion, we would haveto see the object inquestion. But we havestudied the handwriting and have arrived at a judgment that webelieve is correct.
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill entered the world onNov. 30, 1872, and died on Jan. 24, 1965. He is an iconic figurein 20th-century world history, and today his name and voice areknown by almost every schoolchild.
D.K.’s typewritten letter, addressed to “Wilfred E. Fish, Esq.,CBE,” appears on 10 Downing St. stationery during the time ofC h u rc h i l l ’s second stint as prime minister. Actually, we thinkthis might be Dr. Wilfred E. Fish, who was dean of the faculty ofdental surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England, from 1956to 1959. Fish was also Commander of the Most Excellent Orderof the British Empire (CBE), an order of chivalry.
Even though the contents of this letter are mundane, collec-tors still strongly desire Churchill’s autograph written during histime as prime minister.
One consistent problem with 20th-century autographs of im-portant figures: the possibility that a secretary or publicist mim-icked the signature. Therefore, we feel it has an insurance-re-placement value of $1,600 to $2,000.
Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of “Price It Yourself”(HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail them at [email protected].
Get homeenergysavingsin orderArticle Resource Association
After a long, cold winter, springis the perfect time to give yourhome an energy checkup to seewhich home improvement projectswill save on utility bills.
Many energy makeovers startwith investigating old windows anddoors. Nearly 26 percent of home-owners say what the most dislikeabout their existing windows anddoors is that they are drafty or inef-ficient, according to a study com-missioned by Jeld-Wen, a leadingmanufacturer of windows anddoors and a 2010 Energy Star Part-ner of the Year. As outside tempera-tures rise in summer and dip inwinter, homeowners notice thatthese inefficiencies quickly turn in-to high energy bills.
As much as half of the energyused in a home goes toward heat-ing and cooling, according to theU.S. Department of Energy. To min-imize the energy and dollars spentto cool a home in summer and heatit during the winter, it’s essentialthat windows and doors are energye ff i c i e n t .
In 2010, new windows anddoors can also be efficient for your
taxes. With the 30 percent federaltax credit, homeowners have evenmore incentive to replace older, in-efficient products with high-per-forming models. Federal tax creditsfor qualified energy efficiency im-provements, including windowsand doors, are available for up to$1,500.
To maximize a home’s energy ef-ficiency, consider these handy tips.
Start at the FrontA home’s front door can play a
vital role as one of the first lines ofdefense against the elements. If adoor does not close properly or letsin a draft, a homeowner’s utilitybills can pay the price. Homeown-ers should check the weather-strip
ping and any gaps around thedoor that can let heat escape.
Glass MattersChoosing windows with insulat-
ed low-e glass is an important stepin making a room energy efficientbecause the special coating helpsreflect some of the interior heatback into the home. These double-pane windows also greatly enhanceenergy efficiency, compared to sin-gle-pane windows.
Drive Home EfficiencyFor energy savings in the garage,
find a proper-fitting garage doorand make sure that the door lead-ing from the garage to the inside ofthe home is also energy efficient.
According to Energy Star Partner of the Year Jeld-Wen Windows and Doors,windows with insulated low-e glass help keep rooms cooler in the summer andwarmer in the winter. (ARA)
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6 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly April 17, 2010
New alternatives to foreclosure on homes unveiledBy Marcie Geffner
b a n k r at e . c o m
Homeowners who can’t affordtheir mortgage payments maywant to take a look at the federalgovernment’s new alternative toforeclosure: the Home AffordableForeclosure Alternative program,which intended to encouragelenders to facilitate short salesand deeds-in-lieu, or DIL, as alter-natives to foreclosure.
The program, which is a part ofthe Home Affordable Modifica-tion Program, may help somehomeowners escape a bad situa-tion, but the rules are complicatedand they won’t be able to keeptheir homes.
U.S. Treasury Assistant Secre-tary Herbert Allison explained theconcept in congressional testimo-n y.
“HAMP does not, nor was itever intended to, address everydelinquent loan,” he says. “Inthese instances, the borrower maybenefit from an alternative thathelps the borrower transition tomore affordable housing andavoid the substantial costs off o re c l o s u re . ”
Here are some details from thegovernment’s 43-page directivefor loan servicers.
• A short sale allows the home-owner to sell the home and usethe proceeds to satisfy the firstmortgage even if the sale price isless than the loan balance.
• A DIL allows the homeownerto voluntarily give up the home tosatisfy the first mortgage even ifthe home is worth less than theloan balance.
• The homeowner can get pre-approval for a short sale at a spe-cific minimum price or net pro-ceeds before the home is put onthe market.
• The homeowner can receive$1,500 for relocation expenses atclosing. This sum may be report-ed to the Internal Revenue Serviceas income.
• The home must be the home-owner’s principal residence.
• The mortgage must be delin-quent, or default must be reason-ably foreseeable.
• The unpaid loan balancemust be less than $729,750 for asingle house or condominium.Higher limits are allowed for two-to four-unit residential properties.
• The homeowner’s monthlymortgage payment must be morethan 31 percent of his or her grossincome.
• The homeowner must trans-fer clear title. The lender will al-low up to 3 percent of each sec-ond loan or lien, up to $3,000 intotal, to help the homeowner sat-isfy these obligations.
• The government’s directiveexcludes loans that are owned orguaranteed by Fannie Mae orFreddie Mac. However, the twogovernment-run mortgage corpo-rations are expected to releasetheir own guidelines. Homeown-ers can use the Loan Look UpTool on the Making Home Afford-able Web site to find out whetherthey have a Fannie Mae or Fred-die Mac loan.
• The lender cannot require acash contribution or promissorynote, cannot pursue a deficiencyjudgment and must release thehomeowner from all future liabili-ty for the debt.
• The loan servicer can use thefinancial information and hard-ship letter that the homeownersubmitted for a loan modification,or request updated information to
evaluate the homeowner’s eligibil-i t y.
• The loan servicer must assessthe current value of the home. Ifthe short sale or DIL isn’t com-pleted, the servicer can add thecost of this assessment (e.g., anappraisal) to the loan balance.
• The homeowner must sign aShort Sale Agreement or DILAgreement on or before Dec. 31,2012.
• The home must be listed forsale with a licensed local-area realestate professional.
• The homeowner must coop-erate with the real estate profes-sional’s efforts to sell the homeand maintain the interior andexterior of the home.
• The servicer and homeownermust meet a number of timeframes.
• The lender may require thehomeowner to make full or par-tial payments on the mortgage, upto 31 percent of the homeowner’sincome, subject to the lender’swritten policies.
• The homeowner cannot havea close business or personal rela-tionship with the real estate agentor buyer and cannot have an ex-
pectation of buying back or rent-ing the home after the short saleor DIL closes.
• The lender can initiate orcontinue, but not complete a fore-closure sale while the homeowneris involved in the program.
• Homeowners should discussthe income tax consequences ofdebt forgiveness with a qualifiedtax professional.
• The servicer will report theshort sale or DIL to the credit bu-reaus. That will hurt the home-owner’s credit score, although notas severely as a foreclosure.
• The buyer in a short sale can’tresell the home within 90 days ofthe purchase.
The program was scheduled tolaunch April 5, 2010, and sunsetDec. 31, 2012. Servicers may electto implement the program soonerthan the official effective date.
Homeowners are encouraged tocontact their loan servicers to findout whether they are eligible forthe program or call the HOPE hotline at 888-995-4673 to speak to agovernment-certified mortgagec o u n s e l o r.
Article Resource Association
Spring is a time of new beginnings.Flowers and plants are blooming, the sun isshining and the weather is finally gettingwarmer after winter’s chill. So why notbring some of spring’s beauty into yourhome so you can enjoy it day after day?
“Some people think they have to pur-chase new accessories to refresh their homefor spring. Nothing could be further fromthe truth,” says Christine Silverman, direc-tor of small project paints for Rust-Oleum.“There are some easy, affordable ways tobring spring into your home by ‘upcycling’the things you already have. These simpleprojects are fun ways to give a new begin-ning to the things you have sitting in thegarage or basement, while keeping themout of the land fill. It’s a win-win for bothyou and Mother Nature.”
Bring your Flower Garden IndoorsA great way to perk up a home for spring
is by decorating rooms where you spendthe most time – like the living or familyroom or kitchen – with flowers. By spray
painting flower pots you already ownbright yellow, purple or green and groupingthem into indoor “g a rd e n s , ” you will givethem new life, while bringing the great out-doors inside. Consider using Painter’sTouch Ultra Cover 2X, a fast-drying spraypaint that works well on wood, wicker,metal, plaster or unglazed ceramic and re-sists chipping and fading.
Winds of Change
Adding color to a ceiling or oscillatingfan is a great way to add a pop of color inan unexpected way. Rediscover a fan youhave stored in the attic. Or find a good dealon a fan that compliments your personalityat a flea market or discount store and bringit home for a facelift. Covering the fan injust one coat of inexpensive spray paint ina fresh spring color will create a conversa-tion piece that will last throughout theyear. For this project, try using Rust-OleumUniversal spray paint. Its unique triggerspray makes it easy to use at any angle andit can be used on any surface – plastic, met-al, wood and more.
Bring the Outdoor Patio Furniture InsideRemember the old wicker chair and
loveseat you picked up at Aunt Ida’s garagesale? They’re not just for outside. Spraypaint them with one coat of Painter’s TouchUltra Cover 2X with Advanced DoubleCover Technology in a bright spring colorlike Aqua or Green Apple and suddenlyyou have new seating that is perfect foryour sunroom, front porch or foyer.
Restore and Renew Flea Market FindsFlea markets are full of treasures that
sometimes just need a little TLC to givethem new life.
Save that dingy chandelier, tarnishedlamp or outdated bookcase from the trashby restoring it with a fresh coat of spraypaint, which is sometimes all that is neededto turn garage sale or flea market finds intot re a s u re s .
April 17, 2010 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly 7
Build yourown compostpile
Recycling is certainly not anew concept. In fact,gardeners have been using oneform of recycling –composting – for about as longas people have tilled the soil.Composting is a cost-effective,eco-friendly way to give yourgarden a boost.
Composting happens byitself through natural decayand the breakdown of organicmatter
It’s easy to get startedcomposting: find a bin, gathermaterials, build your pile andcompost.
Begin with a BinContaining your compost
pile in a bin saves space,hastens decomposition andhelps keep the pile neat. Youcan find many pre-madecompost bins. Or, you canbuild your own from materialsaround your home.
Gather MaterialsThere are two main sources
of materials for your compostpile – your yard and yourkitchen. From the yard, youcan gather leaves, grass and
plant clippings, and shrub ortree trimmings. From thekitchen, add fruit andvegetable peelings, coffeegrounds (including the filters),tea bags and eggshells. It’s OKto toss in shreddedn e w s p a p e r.
Build your PileYou should build your pile in
layers, starting with a 4- to 6-inch layer of coarse materialsuch as twigs or shrubclippings. Then, add on 3 to 4inches of grass clippings. Next,add another 4- to 6-inch layerof leaves or garden debris andsoak with water; moisture willhelp the microbes decomposethe material faster. You canmodify this order as needed,depending on the types ofmaterials you have. After afew layers, be sure to add a 1-inch layer of garden soil, suchas Miracle-Gro Garden Soilfor Flowers and Vegetables.
– ARA
Garden SuperstarsNew products blendcharm, practicalityArticle Resource Association
From hardy hybrids to stylish,smart gardens, spring 2010promises exciting new plants andproducts for garden lovers every-w h e re .
“People want easy plants andproducts that are attractive andgood for the environment and per-form well in their gardens,” saysSusan McCoy, garden writer andtrend spotter. “And that’s what thenew plants and products thisspring will deliver.”
McCoy reveals a few of her fa-vorite garden superstars for springthat will chase away those winterblahs as you get ready to get yourhands back in the earth and gar-den.
Next Big Thing for Small GardensMcCoy loves the newest Drift
Roses from The Conard-Pyle Co.,introducer of the famous KnockOut family of roses. A cross be-tween full-size groundcover rosesand miniatures, both Sweet Driftand Apricot Drift Roses offer deli-cate, double flowers and continu-ous blooming throughout the sea-son. With exceptional disease re-sistance and winter hardiness,these low-maintenance beautiesare the perfect choice for small gar-dens or along paths and walkways.
Get a Jump on SpringLooking to get a jump on spring
planting? McCoy suggestsFreezePruf – a revolutionary newspray from the Liquid Fence Com-pany (www.liquidfence.com) –that may be the “holy grail” forgardeners. Developed by botanists,FreezePruf protects your lushflower baskets, veggies, herbs andfavorite plants from late springfrost/freeze and ice crystal damage.This non-toxic spray can increase aplant’s cold tolerance from 2.2 to9.4 degrees (depending on theplant variety and the length of thefrost/freeze event) and give garden-ers about two additional weeks ofgrowing and harvesting in springand fall. It’s almost like movingyour garden 200 miles furthersouth.
Catch Daylily FeverDaylily fever is contagious and
you’re likely to catch the bug asyou fall in love with the new fire-engine-red daylily from CentertonNursery. McCoy digs this new,hardy, early and repeat bloomer –Jersey Earlybird Cardinal – bred byworld-renown daylily hybridizer,Dr. Darrel Apps. This easy-caredaylily offers early-blooming greatcolor and reblooms multiple timesthroughout the season. It’s pest-and drought-resistant and is per-fect in beds, borders and contain-ers. Check it out at www.centertonnursery.com and earlybirdd a y l i l y. c o m .
Smart and SimpleWant to bring the outdoors in
and grow fresh herbs (www.fertileearth.com) and vegetables in thekitchen or on the balcony? McCoyloves Simple Gardens, the innova-tive new plant system from FertileEarth that comes with soil, seedsand a how-to guide packed instylish square containers. Perfectfor indoor gardens or to startseeds. They come in a variety ofhip colors and make wonderfulgifts. Now it’s a snap to growkitchen gardens in any bright spot
– just add water.
Grow ’Em RightThe new Organic Mechanics
Planting Mix (www.organicmechanicsoil.com) is like havingall the goodness of compost in abag. At planting time, just mix inthe nutrient-rich planting mix torevitalize your garden soil. It helpsretain moisture and acceleratesroot-zone establishment forhealthier trees, shrubs, fruits, veg-gies and flowers. Get it this springin Mid-Atlantic garden centers andWhole Foods stores.
All That JazzFor every rose lover, McCoy has
discovered a new spray and way tokeep roses healthy and strong. JazRose Spray (w w w. j a z s p r a y s . c o m )naturally reduces damage from dis-ease and common environmentalstresses. This new plant-strength-ening spray with jasmonate –which occurs naturally in plants –provides increased resistance todisease, drought and temperatureextremes. Recently endorsed bythe American Rose Society, JazRose Spray boosts your plant’s nat-ural resistance to environmentalstress and encourages vigorousroots, growth and blooms.
This well-maintained home is ready to move into immediately. Ranch style home with no snow to shovel, lawn to mow or exterior maintenance. IMMACULATE! 3 bedroom, 3 bath home in NW Longmont near golf, hospital and shopping. Main fl oor with 2 masters, living, dining, eat-in kitchen, laundry and fl ex room that can be a study or family room. Finished basement with 3rd bedroom, bath and recreation room, 2nd offi ce, bonus room and unfi nished storage area. Retractable awning on the patio, and a 2 car garage! Central A/C. $329,500
Open House Sat.
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Stop by our Saturday open house at noon and see this attractive Stop by our Saturday open house at noon and see this attractive property located in an established retirement community.property located in an established retirement community.
8 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly April 17, 2010
Keep safe at home Mixing furniture stylesDressing a room can be a lot like dressing yourself.
You invest in the pieces you want to last many yearsand shop for steals on accessories that change withtrends.
Victoria Dreste, a St. Louis-based interior designer,recently worked with a client to pull together high-and low-end pieces to decorate a living room.
“We wanted to create an updated,comfortable modern look, and wedidn’t have an outrageous budget,”Dreste says. To stay within her
client’s budget, she shopped for a fewvintage pieces and had them re-cov-ered in fabric to complete the look.
The color palette dictated choices infurnishings. “We wanted strong color,without overwhelming the room,”she says. They started with a lightivory color on the walls and chose anatural tone for window coverings.She started adding color from thefloor up.
“I used a modern pattern and boldcolors on the rug and repeated thosecolors in other elements,” Drestesays.
The basic anchor pieces, the sofaand rug, were the big ticket items.They chose higher quality in thepieces they wanted to last.
“They were completely customiz-able, which is also why they costmore,” Dreste explains.
Buying strong vintage pieces meanslooking for good structure, form andcondition. The right items allow youto mix less expensive pieces withoutlooking cheap. Even when buyingmass-produced accessories, keep aneye out for quality. The Targetleather bowl Dreste purchased, for
example, looks a lot more expensivethan it really is. The Pier 1 pillows add a lot of punchand are easily changed.
– Aisha Sultan, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Article Resource Association
While people take all manner ofprecautions to ensure the safety andhealth of their families, some house-hold products may need more atten-tion and maintenance to keep lovedones and the home environment assafe as possible. A recent studyshows that many Americans are un-knowingly at risk of illness, injury orworse due to living with and usingproducts that have not been properlymaintained or replaced.
“Most of us have trained ourselvesto pay attention to expiration dateson food,” says Meri-K Appy, presi-dent of the nonprofit Home SafetyCouncil. “But, how many of us arethinking about the lifespan of theproducts we count on and live withevery day? It’s easy to take for grant-ed our smoke alarms and our pil-lows, or even our toothbrushes. Butthe truth is, if you neglect replacingthese and other products, you couldbe putting yourself at risk.”
Following is a list of time-sensi-tive products that require regular re-placement to maintain peak perfor-mance.
Smoke AlarmsThese potentially lifesaving de-
vices have lives of their own and ex-pire after about 10 years or 87,000hours of service. Yet, a new studyconducted by First Alert, a leadingmanufacturer of home safety prod-ucts, recently uncovered that nearlya quarter of Americans (23 percent)have either never replaced the smokealarms in their homes or have notdone so in more than six years.
“It is imperative that smokealarms be properly maintained to en-sure their effectiveness,” warns TomRusso, president of Jarden BrandedConsumables, Safety and Security.“Alarms should be tested everymonth and batteries replaced everysix months for maximum security. Ifthe alarms in your home are ap-
proaching the 10-year mark, or ifyou can’t recall when they were in-stalled, be safe and replace them im-m e d i a t e l y. ”
Carbon Monoxide AlarmsAccording to the American Medi-
cal Association, carbon monoxideintake is the No. 1 cause of acciden-tal poisoning in the U.S. Still, analarming 25 percent of Americanhomes are not equipped with anyCO alarms and another 23 percenthave CO alarms that have neverbeen replaced, according to the re-cent First Alert study. The NFPA rec-ommends installing CO alarms out-side each sleeping area and on everylevel of the home, including thebasement. To ensure peak perfor-mance, replace batteries twice a yearand check alarms monthly using the“test” function.
“Carbon monoxide is an especial-ly dangerous threat because it at-tacks without warning and can bed e a d l y, ” Russo says. “The value ofCO alarms is so critical that moreand more states and municipalitiesare passing laws that require homesto have CO alarms to protect resi-dents from this silent killer.”
Fire ExtinguishersLike their alarm counterparts, fire
extinguishers need to be regularlychecked to ensure that the pressureis at the recommended level and allparts are operable and not damaged.If an extinguisher is damaged in anyway or needs to be recharged, it isbest to replace the unit completely,advises the U.S. Fire Administration.Disposable models, like Tundra FireExtinguishing Spray, come with ex-piration dates that inform ownerswhen the unit should be replaced.Additionally, Tundra comes in acompact, familiar spray can designthat is easy to operate and store.
Furnace FiltersNot only do clean furnace filters
help save on energy costs, but theyalso reduce the risk of fire. Just asfull dryer screens can cause fires, socan dirty or clogged filters in the fur-nace. When replacing an old filter,note that many available productsare disposable. But there are otherproducts – such as electrostatic fil-ters – that can be washed and reusedtime and again, generating evenmore savings if used and cared forp ro p e r l y.
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255 WEAVER PARK255 WEAVER PARK255 WEAVER PARKCLASS “A” CLASS “A” CLASS “A” second second second
floor office space for floor office space for floor office space for lease or sale. Common lease or sale. Common lease or sale. Common
area, conference area, conference area, conference room, elevator, room, elevator, room, elevator, mountain views.mountain views.mountain views.1 yr Free Rent!1 yr Free Rent!1 yr Free Rent!
Don Rulle, CCIM303-772-2222
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HIGHLY VISIBLYBusiness/Professional
office space. Francis & MtnView area. 5 rooms.
820 Sq Ft. (303)776-3150
500 to 2500 SF, can divide.On site prkg, Good trafficexposure. 303-523-3369
$250/MONTH-Great parking, quiet.
Ground level. Four SeasonsRealty, (303)875-1345
Office Space 4100
SM 1 bdrm trlr, by NAPASo Main St, Longmont.Refs, $375 303-507-3457
3 BDRM, 1 BA $750 + $750dep & utils. River Valley
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S. Hover, adjacent to S. Hover, adjacent to S. Hover, adjacent to Party America, Wal-Mart Party America, Wal-Mart Party America, Wal-Mart and Hobby Lobby. Great and Hobby Lobby. Great and Hobby Lobby. Great exposure, call for details.exposure, call for details.exposure, call for details.
Unique retail on N Main Unique retail on N Main Unique retail on N Main in attractive building. in attractive building. in attractive building. 1,593 SF to 2,207 SF 1,593 SF to 2,207 SF 1,593 SF to 2,207 SF available. Glass fronts available. Glass fronts available. Glass fronts for light, open space.for light, open space.for light, open space.
Retail Space 4135
773 SQ FT- busy shoppingcenter, 1116 Francis St,
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BY OWNER-3 Bdrm, 1-3/4 bath ranch,90% fin full bsmt, gas frplc,new interior paint, newroof. NE Longmont. Exccond! $169,900. Call formore info, (303)776-9594
Longmont 5090
Great Back Yard $234,9993bd, 2.5 bath, shed, tile,loft, on Zillow 6312 UticaAve. Call Jay (406)823-0506
Frederick 5079Firestone/Dacono
DYER REALTY, INC.
303-772-3200
Quiet location in West Longmont! Traditional 2-story home in the
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6345 UTE HWYTerrifi c ranch home on 3/4 acre. Terrifi c ranch home on 3/4 acre. Terrifi c ranch home on 3/4 acre. Fabulous views of the Front Range Fabulous views of the Front Range Fabulous views of the Front Range and McCall Lake. A true diamond and McCall Lake. A true diamond and McCall Lake. A true diamond in the rough with plenty of room in the rough with plenty of room in the rough with plenty of room to spread out in. $249,900to spread out in. $249,900to spread out in. $249,900
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1575 Marshall Rd., BOULDER | 303-499-5811 Fax 303-499-5809Showroom Open Tues.-Sat. 9am-4pm or call for appointment | www.warehousesalesinc.com
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April 17, 2010 Times-Call / Home & Real Estate Weekly 11
Real Estate Transactions are supplied byProspects Unlimited Inc., 1151 EagleDrive Ste. 467, Loveland, CO 80537.
$194,900 Longmont 565 Hilltop 1-3Keller Williams 1st Realty/Rasau
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