E REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Kenneth Harney 4E Smart Moves 5E Permits 7E, 8E HOUSE PLAN Vancouver The unusual Craftsman-style, split-level duplex is designed for construction on land with a slight upslope to the rear. PAGE 6E LISTING OF THE WEEK Large home The Listing of the Week is a two-story Cape Cod-style home with saltwater sport pool on 1/3 acre in The Vineyard addition in Norman. PAGE 3E CAN’T BE KICKED OUT A buyer’s real estate agent can request that you not be home during an inspection of your home for sale, but no one can legally compel you to leave. PAGE 8E IN BRIEF ‘SPEEDY’ VEGETABLES Certain vegetables are tastiest when they’re very young. Those are the plants Mark Diacono and Lia Leendertz focus on in “The Speedy Vegetable Garden.” The book covers plants requiring a range of effort, from seeds that need only be soaked before they’re enjoyed to veggies with a fairly fast turnaround from planting to harvest. Also in- cluded are sprouts, micro greens, edible flowers and salad greens. Diacono and Leendertz, who are journalists as well as gardeners, include instructions for growing and har- vesting, as well as recipes. “The Speedy Vegetable Garden” is published by Timber Press and sells for $18.95 in paperback. BLUE CANNING JARS The company that makes Ball canning jars saw jar sales increase 31 percent in 2012, which it attributes to uses such as home decor and crafting. So creative types might be interested in a vintage-inspired jar introduced recently. The Ball Heritage Collection Jar com- memorates the 100th anniversary of the Perfect Mason Jar, which offered a jar, lid and band in a single unit for a perfect fit. The pint jar is made of blue glass and is em- bossed with a vin- tage Ball logo and anniversary dates. It’s available from www.Fresh PreservingStore.com or retailers that sell canning supplies. Suggested retail price is $9.99 for six jars. MCT INFORMATION SERVICES It’s getting warmer, so you and your house are probably starting to come out of your long winter’s sleep. That means it’s time for the annual checklist of spring chores. I Check grade: Winter weather can cause the soil around your house to shift, washing it away and piling up in others, with the po- tential for drainage problems. Look for washouts, areas of water staining on the foundation, soil piled around siding, or obvious high or low spots in your yard. If you find some, redistribute and contour the soil to adjust the drainage patterns. I Clear yard debris: Check all of your landscaping for winter dam- age. Take care of any required spring pruning. Remove leaves, needles, and other accumulated debris before it dries and becomes a fire hazard. If you see any dam- aged or leaning trees, contact a qualified tree professional to in- spect and deal with the damage immediately. I Check siding: Siding can take a beating during a harsh winter, so check for areas that are loose, sag- ging, cracked or have fasteners that are loose or missing. With plywood siding, look for areas where the layers of plywood are delaminating. Also, check the condition of your exterior paint. Plan on priming and painting any areas where the paint isn’t in good shape. I Repair screens: Remove and wash all the window screens. Re- pair any small holes with a patch- ing kit, or just rescreen it entirely. Clean all the windows inside and out, including the window tracks. Clean and lubricate window locks and sliding mechanisms as need- ed. Clean and store any exterior store windows. Consider install- ing security locks, which allow you to latch the windows partially open for secure ventilation. I Check house numbers: Now’s the perfect time to check that your house can easily be found in an emergency. Make sure house numbers are clearly visible from the street, and are well lit af- ter dark. Trim back overgrown fo- liage, and paint numbers a con- trasting color for easy visibility. If you have a long driveway, install a reflective number sign out at the street. I Remove vent blocks: If you have a ventilated crawl space, as soon as the danger of freezing is past in your area, remove the vent blocks to allow for air circulation. Check and repair vent screens as needed to keep insects out. Re- move outdoor faucet covers. I Adjust sprinklers: Run per- manent, in-ground sprinklers through a cycle and check their operation. Adjust or replace any sprinklers that are hitting your siding or foundation vents, wash- ing away loose soil or otherwise disturbing things they shouldn’t. Check timers to be sure your wa- tering patterns are making the most efficient use of your water. I Inspect decks: Make a thor- ough examination of deck boards, railings, posts, stairs and other structural members. Look for loose fasteners, cracks, dry rot or other damage. Remove loose nails — hammering them back in doesn’t work — and replace them with weather-resistant decking screws. Resecure any loose railing posts with new hardware to en- sure structural stability. Reapply deck sealer if it’s been more than two years since the last applica- tion. I Check masonry: Clean up concrete or masonry patios and walkways. Use a stiff push broom to clean up accumulated debris, then wash with a garden hose spray or a widely diffused spray from a pressure washer. For mil- dew or other staining, check with your local home center or other retailer of concrete supplies for the appropriate type of cleaner. Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul at [email protected]. All product reviews are based on the author’s actual testing of free review samples provided by the manufacturers. INMAN NEWS Home maintenance musts for spring Paul Bianchina HANDY @ HOME NORMAN — Dan Reeves, president of Landmark Fine Homes, sells a lot of houses to a lot of people, but one of the most excit- ing sales he’s made lately was to Oklahoma Natural Gas. Reeves went to the state’s primary natural gas supplier with a pitch to build a house showcasing “the natural gas appliances that are good for my cus- tomers and good for Okla- homa business.” The model home, at 4500 Northfields in Nor- man’s Carrington Lakes neighborhood, is a 4,073- square foot, three- or four-bedroom retreat with a theater room, recreation room, kids’ living room — and the highlight: a com- pressed natural gas auto filling station in the garage. Pamela Hall, ONG’s re- gional manager for cus- tomer development, said the partnership is an ex- ample of how the company works with builders and homeowners for energy efficiency. Landmark Fine Homes has participated in ONG’s ONE in Energy program since 2007. ONE in Energy rates new, ONG-connected homes according to con- struction standards and by builders’ selection of ener- gy-efficient equipment and appliances. Landmark’s “Natural Gas Concept Home” is one of a series of innovative projects that Reeves said his company builds on nearly an annual basis. Re- cent “concept series” homes include an “iPad Home” that can be con- trolled remotely using Ap- ple’s nearly ubiquitous de- vice via a wireless net- work. Reeves pointed out the concept house’s natural gas elements during a re- cent tour. In addition to a gas kitchen range, indoor and outdoor fireplaces, high-efficiency water heaters and a natural gas clothes dryer, the home features a covered patio- outdoor living room illu- minated by traditional gas lamps. Pool-area hookups al- low cool-weather swim- ming or outdoor parties warmed by portable natu- ral gas heaters. The home even features a natural gas-powered electric generator, which Hall joked is there to sup- port the few energy needs that can still be met only Landmark model home offers special natural gas amenities SALES | 4,073-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE HAS INDOOR, OUTDOOR FIREPLACES, CNG AUTO FILLING STATION IN GARAGE Pam Hall of Oklahoma Natural Gas and Dan Reeves of Landmark Fine Homes show the outdoor living area featuring gas light fixtures and a gas log fireplace at a Landmark model home at 4500 Northfields in Norman’s Carrington Lakes neighborhood. PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN Dan Reeves of Landmark Fine Homes and Pam Hall of Oklahoma Natural Gas fill a CNG vehicle in the garage at the Landmark model home at 4500 Northfields in Norman. BY TIM FALL For The Oklahoman [email protected]SEE LANDMARK, PAGE 2E Barry Stone INSPECTOR’S IN THE HOUSE
Transcript
EREAL ESTATESATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Kenneth Harney 4ESmart Moves 5EPermits 7E, 8E
HOUSE PLAN
VancouverThe unusualCraftsman-style,split-level duplex isdesigned for constructionon land with a slightupslope to the rear. PAGE 6E
LISTING OF THE WEEK
LargehomeThe Listing of the Weekis a two-story CapeCod-style home withsaltwater sport pool on1/3 acre in The Vineyardaddition in Norman.
PAGE 3E
CAN’T BEKICKEDOUTA buyer’s real estateagent can requestthat you not behome during aninspection of yourhome for sale, butno one can legallycompel you to leave.
PAGE 8E
IN BRIEF
‘SPEEDY’VEGETABLESCertain vegetablesare tastiest whenthey’re very young.Those are the plantsMark Diacono andLia Leendertz focuson in “The SpeedyVegetable Garden.”The book coversplants requiring arange of effort, fromseeds that need onlybe soaked beforethey’re enjoyed toveggies with a fairlyfast turnaroundfrom planting toharvest. Also in-cluded are sprouts,micro greens, edibleflowers and saladgreens. Diacono andLeendertz, who arejournalists as well asgardeners, includeinstructions forgrowing and har-vesting, as well asrecipes. “The SpeedyVegetable Garden” ispublished by TimberPress and sells for$18.95 in paperback.
BLUE CANNINGJARSThe company thatmakes Ball canningjars saw jar salesincrease 31 percentin 2012, which itattributes to usessuch as home decorand crafting. Socreative types mightbe interested in avintage-inspired jarintroduced recently.The Ball HeritageCollection Jar com-memorates the100th anniversary ofthe Perfect MasonJar, which offered ajar, lid and band in asingle unit for aperfect fit. The pintjar is made of blueglass and is em-bossed with a vin-tage Ball logo andanniversary dates.It’s available fromwww.FreshPreservingStore.comor retailers that sellcanning supplies.Suggested retailprice is $9.99 for sixjars.MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
It’s getting warmer, so you andyour house are probably startingto come out of your long winter’ssleep. That means it’s time for theannual checklist of spring chores.
I Check grade: Winter weathercan cause the soil around yourhouse to shift, washing it away andpiling up in others, with the po-tential for drainage problems.Look for washouts, areas of waterstaining on the foundation, soilpiled around siding, or obvioushigh or low spots in your yard. Ifyou find some, redistribute andcontour the soil to adjust thedrainage patterns.
I Clear yard debris: Check all ofyour landscaping for winter dam-age. Take care of any requiredspring pruning. Remove leaves,needles, and other accumulateddebris before it dries and becomesa fire hazard. If you see any dam-aged or leaning trees, contact aqualified tree professional to in-spect and deal with the damageimmediately.
I Check siding: Siding can takea beating during a harsh winter, socheck for areas that are loose, sag-
ging, cracked or have fastenersthat are loose or missing. Withplywood siding, look for areaswhere the layers of plywood aredelaminating. Also, check thecondition of your exterior paint.Plan on priming and painting anyareas where the paint isn’t in goodshape.
I Repair screens: Remove andwash all the window screens. Re-pair any small holes with a patch-ing kit, or just rescreen it entirely.Clean all the windows inside andout, including the window tracks.Clean and lubricate window locksand sliding mechanisms as need-ed. Clean and store any exteriorstore windows. Consider install-ing security locks, which allowyou to latch the windows partiallyopen for secure ventilation.
I Check house numbers:Now’s the perfect time to checkthat your house can easily befound in an emergency. Make surehouse numbers are clearly visiblefrom the street, and are well lit af-ter dark. Trim back overgrown fo-liage, and paint numbers a con-trasting color for easy visibility. Ifyou have a long driveway, install areflective number sign out at thestreet.
I Remove vent blocks: If youhave a ventilated crawl space, assoon as the danger of freezing ispast in your area, remove the ventblocks to allow for air circulation.Check and repair vent screens asneeded to keep insects out. Re-move outdoor faucet covers.
I Adjust sprinklers: Run per-manent, in-ground sprinklersthrough a cycle and check theiroperation. Adjust or replace anysprinklers that are hitting yoursiding or foundation vents, wash-ing away loose soil or otherwisedisturbing things they shouldn’t.Check timers to be sure your wa-tering patterns are making themost efficient use of your water.
I Inspect decks: Make a thor-ough examination of deck boards,railings, posts, stairs and otherstructural members. Look forloose fasteners, cracks, dry rot orother damage. Remove loose nails— hammering them back indoesn’t work — and replace themwith weather-resistant deckingscrews. Resecure any loose railingposts with new hardware to en-sure structural stability. Reapplydeck sealer if it’s been more thantwo years since the last applica-tion.
I Check masonry: Clean upconcrete or masonry patios andwalkways. Use a stiff push broomto clean up accumulated debris,then wash with a garden hosespray or a widely diffused sprayfrom a pressure washer. For mil-dew or other staining, check withyour local home center or otherretailer of concrete supplies forthe appropriate type of cleaner.
Remodeling and repair questions? E-mail Paul [email protected]. All product reviews arebased on the author’s actual testing of free reviewsamples provided by the manufacturers.
INMAN NEWS
Home maintenance musts for springPaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
NORMAN — Dan Reeves,president of LandmarkFine Homes, sells a lot ofhouses to a lot of people,but one of the most excit-ing sales he’s made latelywas to Oklahoma NaturalGas.
Reeves went to thestate’s primary natural gassupplier with a pitch tobuild a house showcasing“the natural gas appliancesthat are good for my cus-tomers and good for Okla-homa business.”
The model home, at4500 Northfields in Nor-man’s Carrington Lakesneighborhood, is a 4,073-square foot, three- orfour-bedroom retreat witha theater room, recreationroom, kids’ living room —and the highlight: a com-pressed natural gas autofilling station in thegarage.
Pamela Hall, ONG’s re-gional manager for cus-tomer development, saidthe partnership is an ex-ample of how the companyworks with builders andhomeowners for energyefficiency. Landmark FineHomes has participated inONG’s ONE in Energyprogram since 2007.
ONE in Energy ratesnew, ONG-connectedhomes according to con-struction standards and bybuilders’ selection of ener-gy-efficient equipmentand appliances.
Landmark’s “NaturalGas Concept Home” is oneof a series of innovativeprojects that Reeves saidhis company builds onnearly an annual basis. Re-cent “concept series”homes include an “iPadHome” that can be con-trolled remotely using Ap-ple’s nearly ubiquitous de-vice via a wireless net-work.
Reeves pointed out the
concept house’s naturalgas elements during a re-cent tour. In addition to agas kitchen range, indoorand outdoor fireplaces,high-efficiency waterheaters and a natural gasclothes dryer, the homefeatures a covered patio-outdoor living room illu-minated by traditional gaslamps.
Pool-area hookups al-low cool-weather swim-ming or outdoor partieswarmed by portable natu-ral gas heaters.
The home even featuresa natural gas-poweredelectric generator, whichHall joked is there to sup-port the few energy needsthat can still be met only
Landmark model home offersspecial natural gas amenitiesSALES | 4,073-SQUARE-FOOT HOUSE HAS INDOOR, OUTDOOR FIREPLACES, CNG AUTO FILLING STATION IN GARAGE
Pam Hall of Oklahoma Natural Gas and Dan Reeves of Landmark Fine Homes show the outdoor living areafeaturing gas light fixtures and a gas log fireplace at a Landmark model home at 4500 Northfields in Norman’sCarrington Lakes neighborhood. PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Dan Reeves of Landmark Fine Homes and Pam Hall of Oklahoma Natural Gas fill aCNG vehicle in the garage at the Landmark model home at 4500 Northfields inNorman.
rington Lakes home driv-ing an ONG-brandedcompressed natural gasvehicle so he could showoff the CNG filling station.Reeves said the unit deliv-ers “about a gallon anhour,” allowing for an easy,overnight fill up.
Fowler Honda, whoseCNG-powered Civic GX isthe only factory-producednon-fleet vehicle of itstype produced in the Unit-ed States, partnered withLandmark and ONG onthe concept home.
Entering the home, vis-itors are greeted by an ex-pansive living room andformal dining room thatflow from the foyer. Astudy inside the front doorfeatures built-in book-cases under a vaulted,wood-plank ceiling.
A wall of windows con-nects the family room —with its cathedral ceiling —and the bright chef’skitchen to the covered pat-io that Reeves aptly calledan outdoor living room.
Two children’s bed-rooms are linked via a chil-dren’s living room (con-vertible to a third bed-
room).The master suite fea-
tures an exposed brick in-terior wall and a soaringceiling. In the adjacentbath is an elevated tub sur-rounded with custom tile.
Upstairs the home fea-tures a family recreation
room and theater-mediaroom.
“We make sure there’ssomething unique in everyroom in every home webuild,” said Amy Reeves,Dan’s wife and designpartner.
Landmark Fine Homes
was named “America’sBest Builder” in 2012 bythe National Associationof Home Builders’ BuilderMagazine. The home isopen from 1 to 6 p.m.Thursdays, Fridays andMondays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturdays.
Pool-area hookups allow for cool-weather swimming or outdoor parties warmed by portable natural gas heat-ers at the Landmark model home. PHOTOS BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
This view shows the expansive living room of the model home at 4500 Northfields in Norman.
The formal dining area, and living room, flow from thefoyer of the Landmark Fine Homes model.
A natural gas range is among energy-efficient ap-pliances and equipment in Landmark Fine Homes’"Natural Gas Concept Home" in Norman’s CarringtonLakes addition.
Dan Reeves of Landmark Fine Homes shows a nat-ural gas backup generator at the model home at4500 Northfields in Norman.
A decked-out theater-media room is among the features of the model home.
Landmark: Theater room upstairsFROM PAGE 1E
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 . 3EREAL ESTATE
The American Instituteof Architects CentralOklahoma Chapter willpresent the 12th annualArchitecture Tour from 10a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
The self-guided tour in-cludes homes and com-mercial buildings. Ticketsare $15 at any tour stop.
Tour locations are:I 7 at Crown Heights,
1000 NW 37, six modernhomes from an original1938 structure rangingfrom 1,100 to 1,350 squarefeet.
I Underground Loft,3200 Sexton Drive in Nor-man, a reinforced-con-crete house with 14 inchesof soil and sod on its roof.
I Woodland Residence,1009 Woodland Drive inNorman, remodeledlate-1940s home inspiredby Bruce Goff’s work and aresurgence of Frank LloydWright-inspired architec-ture.
I 430, 430 NW 12, anondescript two-story1955 office building turnedinto apartments with up-per floors offering expan-sive decks and unparallel-ed views of downtownOklahoma City.
I Hiltgen Home, 1701Woodhill Road in Edmond,a 1970s Colorado contem-porary remodeled into a
contemporary rustic.I WestTown Campus,
1729 NW 3, a one-stopshop for access to multiplesocial service agenciesowned by The HomelessAlliance resulting from theadaptive re-use of twometal buildings on abrownfield site neardowntown.
I Lingo ConstructionServices, 123 NW 8, a 1930masonry-and-steel autosupply house turned intomodern office space withexposed internal framingand building systems in an“X-ray” theme.
Architecture Tour set for Saturday
Brent Swift Design Build owns 7 Crown Heights, 1000 NW 37, a 1938 structure expanded and converted intosix homes. Butzer Gardner Architects led the design.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY AIA CENTRAL OKLAHOMA CHAPTER
Woodland Residence, 1009 Woodland Drive in Norman, was designed in the 1940sand influenced by Bruce Goff’s work and a resurgence of Frank Lloyd Wright-in-spired tendencies. Butzer Gardner Architects renovated the home, owned by BrentSwift.
FROM STAFF REPORTS
Cary and Lisa Hiltgen’s home at 1701 Woodhill Road inEdmond was converted from 1970s Colorado contem-porary to contemporary rustic.
A living area in the Underground Loft, 3200 SextonDrive in Norman.
The Listing of the Weekis a large, two-story CapeCod-style home with salt-water sport pool on 1/3acre in The Vineyard addi-tion in Norman.
The 4,379-square-foothome at 3101 MillburyRoad has five bedrooms,three baths, three livingrooms, one dining room,an upstairs bonus roomand an attached two-cargarage plus a single-cardetached garage. The fam-ily room has a fireplace andbuilt-in bookcase. Thekitchen has a breakfast bar,eating space and pantry.
The master bedroom has abath with double vanitiesand tub and shower.
The home has stampedand scored concrete floors.Back windows overlookthe pool and greenbelt.
The home, built in2004, is listed for $537,500with Bobbi Ottis of DillardGroup Real Estate. Formore information, call245-3694.
Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send a copy of the MLSinformation sheet on a single-familyhome to The Oklahoman, Richard Mize,P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK73125. Nominations may be faxed to475-3996.
LISTING OF THE WEEK
The Listing of the Week is at 3101 Millbury Road inNorman. PHOTO PROVIDED
4E . SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON — They’re backafter barely a decade: escalationclauses in real estate contracts,“naked” contingency-free offersand lowball-priced listings de-signed to pull in dozens of bid-ders and turn routine salestransactions into auctions.
These are all techniques lastseen with frequency during thefrothiest months of the housingbubble in 2004-05, when priceswere rising at double-digit rates,buyers thought they couldn’tlose money in real estate, andmortgage financing was avail-able to anybody who could sign aloan application.
Now they are reappearing insome of the hottest sellers’ mar-kets from coast to coast — thebyproduct of severe shortages inhouses listed for sale combinedwith strong demand by qualifiedpurchasers.
Nationwide, according to sur-veys of 800-plus local marketsby Realtor.com, inventories aredown by 16 percent from year-ago levels. But in the hottest ar-eas, listings are down by doubleor even triple that and prices aremoving up fast.
Buyers, meanwhile, are out in
droves, scanning newspapersand online realty sites for the lat-est listings, and signing up foralert services provided by realtyfirms. In the San Francisco Bayarea, for example, agents saidthat realistically priced new list-ings are attracting dozens —sometimes even hundreds — ofshoppers to open houses andstimulating bidding competi-tions with 30 to 50 or more par-ticipants.
Bidding wars are also increas-ingly frequent on well-pricedlistings in Washington, D.C., andits Maryland and Virginia sub-urbs, much of California, Seattle,Phoenix, Las Vegas, Richmond,Va., Boston and parts of Florida,among others. In a handful offiercely competitive areas, somelisting agents reportedly are evenrestricting buyers’ access toproperties to narrow time win-dows — say, a few hours on Sat-urday and Sunday — in order tofan the flames.
To get a leg up in such situa-tions, some buyers and theiragents are using techniques thatcan be effective, but that alsocome with drawbacks andsnares. Among them:
I Contingency-free and con-tingency-light offers.
Carl Medford, an agent withPrudential California Realty inthe San Francisco East Bay mar-ket, said these are almost routinefor buyers determined to win abidding competition. He callsthem “unprotected” contractoffers. Essentially the idea is tostrip away some or all of the cus-tomary contingencies in an offerthat might irritate a seller or ren-der the buyer’s bid less attrac-tive. The financing contingency,which makes the entire transac-tion dependent on the buyer ob-taining a satisfactory loan andappraisal, often is the first to go ifthe bidder is confident of qual-ifying for a mortgage, has beenpreapproved or is willing to paywhat could be a lot more thanmarket value.
Many buyers are also willing todelete the inspection contingen-cy, which Medford considersmuch more risky, since the bid-der agrees to fly blind with noway out of the deal if costly de-fects — tens of thousands of dol-lars’ worth, potentially — laterarise.
Tracy King of Teles Propertiesin northeast Los Angeles said sheknows of buyers who havewaived the inspection contin-gency and later discovered sewerlines clogged with roots and achimney cracked so badly that itwas condemned.
I Escalation clauses.These are add-ons to contract
language that keep bidders in thecompetition, even when theprice soars well beyond the orig-inal asking amount. Typicallythe bidder agrees to match andexceed any verifiable, bona fidecompeting offers by set incre-ments — say, $500 to $1,000 —up to some maximum amount.Tom Conner, an associate brokerwith RE/MAX Gateway in Gai-nesville, Va., said “we’re seeingthem all the time now” in mul-tiple-offer situations.
The upside: Properly used,
they work. Bidders with thehighest maximums often get thehouse. Downside: If you need amortgage, the appraisal could bea problem because it’s likely tocome in lower than the purchaseprice. Be prepared to throw extracash into the deal upfront.
I Lowball listings.Rather than list a house at the
price that comparable recentsales in the area indicate it’sworth — say $495,000 — thesellers, advised by their agent,cut that to $479,000, hoping tostimulate a bidding war.
Astute shoppers immediatelyspot the house as a “bargain,”and multiple competing offerspush the final price to $520,000.
Good for the sellers, right?Probably. They get top dollar.But the ultimate buyers end upcommitted to a contract requir-ing them to pay what may be$25,000 over the likely currentappraisal value — and that couldhave negative consequences forboth the buyer and the seller.
A boom market reappears in some areasKennethHarney
THE NATION’S HOUSING
Emmy Award winnerand green building expertSteve Thomas shared hispassion for sustainablehousing that is both af-fordable and healthy at therecent Housing Summit atMoore Norman Technolo-gy Center.
He also discussed the sixrings of green building:energy, workmanship,material, health, connec-tivity and design.
“Green building keepsfamilies in the house,”Thomas said in his break-fast talk to open the event,a one-day conference heldevery three years to bringhousing specialists to-gether to learn the latesttrends and advancementsin the industry. It is orga-nized by the OklahomaHousing Finance Agency.
“Green building is theethical thing to do,” saidThomas, former host ofPBS’s “This Old House”and Discovery’s “Renova-tion Nation.” He saidhomes and buildingsshould be designed so they“sip (energy) rather thangulp it.”
Twelve breakout ses-sions throughout the daygave developers, real estatespecialists and representa-tives from nonprofit hous-ing organizations access tostate, regional and nation-al experts in affordablehousing.
“Preservation is the es-sential first step in solvingour housing dilemma,”said Tracy Kaufman, di-rector of the NationalPreservation Initiative inWashington, D.C. Kauf-man presented examplesof housing preservationefforts across the UnitedStates.
In a session called “ACloser Look at StatewideHousing Trends and Is-sues,” Charla Slabotsky,executive director of theOklahoma Real EstateCommission, explainedhow consumers are moreeducated today than everbefore.
During lunch, Okla-homa Attorney GeneralScott Pruitt talked aboutthe $18.6 million Okla-homa Mortgage Settle-
ment and how it is helpingfamilies harmed by unfairand deceptive mortgagepractices to rebuild theirlives. He also encouragedmembers of the audienceto continue their hard
work housing Okla-homans.
“You provide access toaffordable housing everyday,” Pruitt said. “I want tosay thank you for the dedi-cation you have.”
‘Green’ building expertspeaks at Housing Summit
Architect Larry Blackledge of Oklahoma City’s Black-ledge & Associates Architects speaks at the HousingSummit organized by the Oklahoma Housing FinanceAgency. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Debbie Blackburn, anOklahoma Housing Fi-nance Agency trustee,applauds a speaker dur-ing the Housing Summitorganized by the agencyat Moore Norman Tech-nology Center. PHOTO BY
STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN
Steve Thomas, green building expert and former hostof PBS’s “This Old House” and Discovery’s “Reno-vation Nation,” looks over the foam insulation in asustainable house being built in the Hope Crossingneighborhood developed by Central Oklahoma Hab-itat for Humanity at NE 83 and Kelley Avenue.
PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
FROM STAFF REPORTS
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 . 5EREAL ESTATE
Though a real estate re-covery is underway, homeprices still aren’t back totheir pre-2007 levels inmany neighborhoods.Even so, many young fam-ilies worry it’s already toolate to buy that starterhome in a nice suburb withgood schools.
“Buyers hung aroundwaiting for the right mo-ment to get into the mar-ket. But that momentseemed to come and go in aheartbeat,” said Karl Case,a home values expert andsenior fellow at HarvardUniversity’s Joint Centerfor Housing Studies.
Not only are prices onthe rise in many desirableareas, inventories are alsotight. These dual factorsmake it doubly frustratingfor frugal buyers who nowmust compete with othersfor coveted properties.
Along with rising hous-ing prices, young familiesare already trying to copewith high living costs forother basics, from childcare to food and gas. ButCase said it’s not too latefor most young home-buyers to make a goodproperty purchase.
Case said it’s pointlessfor would-be homebuyerswho missed the bottom ofthe market in their chosenarea to focus on the past.
Rather than obsessingabout not having bought atan earlier point in the cy-cle, Case advises first-time buyers to move for-ward and think strategi-cally. Here are a few point-
ers:I Consider an “over-
priced” home.Young homebuyers (and
even veteran buyers) canoverlook an important factabout real estate: You cansometimes get the bestdeals on homes that weresignificantly overpriced atthe outset.
Barry Nystedt, a real es-tate broker and formerpresident of the NationalAssociation of ExclusiveBuyer Agents (www.naeba.org), said the secretto shopping among over-priced properties is to bethe first to know whenprice cuts occur.
“Sometimes peopleoverprice because of ego,but mostly they do so be-cause of ignorance of themarket. Eventually, aftertheir property has beensitting unsold for a lengthyperiod, they get worndown. That’s when theydrop their price and startto negotiate seriously,”Nystedt said.
I Include out-of-styleproperties in your search.
First-time buyers maywish to consider a categoryof properties a notch abovefixer-uppers: what agentscall “cosmetically chal-lenged” properties. Thesehomes are well kept andthe fundamentals, includ-ing electricity and plumb-ing, all work. But theirowners have neglected theinterior decor. Because ofthat, they’re often sold be-low market value.
Nystedt said many
longtime owners of solidfamily houses never redotheir tired, fraying, out-of-date interiors.
“But if the house hasgood bones and you get afavorable price on it, it willpay you to strip that oldwallpaper, pull up the car-pet and refinish the hard-wood floors beneath,” hesaid.
But he cautioned thathomebuyers should becareful to distinguish be-tween outdated homes andthose with serious under-lying issues.
He urges anyone buyinga home, especially money-conscious young families,to make their purchaseconditional on a thoroughhome inspection to ensurethe place doesn’t havefundamental flaws such asstructural problems.
I Search for highly mo-tivated sellers.
For home sellers, time ismoney. People who mustmove quickly, perhaps dueto job relocation or a mar-ital breakup, are typicallymore willing to let theirproperty go for a reasona-
ble price than those whocan hold out.
You needn’t do anythingunethical to find out whatmotivates the owners of ahome that interests you.Often, the listing agentwill answer direct ques-tions about the sellers’motivations.
“The real estate busi-ness is based on relation-ships. Agents talk to eachother, and your agentmight hear from the listingagent that the owners of aproperty you like are eagerfor an immediate offer,”
Nystedt said.He said owners who’ve
accepted an out-of-statejob transfer are usually themost willing to negotiate,particularly if their prop-erty is already vacant orhas been taken over by arelocation company.
Tips for young buyers in crowded market EllenJamesMartin
SMARTMOVES
6E . SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
The Vancouver is an un-usual Craftsman-style,split-level duplex de-signed for construction onland with a slight upslopeto the rear. Despite an extraoverarching front gable onthe right unit, the two in-teriors are mirror imagesof each other, so one de-scription will suffice.
Slender columns high-light the gabled entryporch and its characteris-tic Craftsman door. Theshingle siding that accentsthe gable peaks runs aneye-catching counterpointto the lap siding that cov-ers most of the exterior.
Those entering from thestreet-level garage take ahalf-flight of stairs thatlead up to the vaultedgathering spaces at thehome’s heart.
Guests entering fromthe front climb a similarhalf-flight of stairs toreach a covered porch andentry that also feed intothe vaulted living and din-ing areas. Secondary bed-rooms and a full bathroomare another half-flight up,over the garage.
A handy mini-bath-room is just inside thefront door, to the left of acoat closet. Light washesinto the vaulted gatheringspace through Craftsman-style windows at the frontand the sliding glass doorsat the rear that open onto apatio. The ceiling slopesup to its lofty central apexfrom the front, then downtoward the rear.
From the G-shapedkitchen you can face intothe dining area across araised eating bar. Kitchencounters wrap around foursides, while cabinets linethree of them. An openingon the opposite side of the
vaulted space leads into autility alcove on the leftand the vaulted owners’suite on the right. Amen-ities here include a walk-incloset, dual vanity, linen
closet and shower.The Vancouver could al-
so be built on flat land bysinking the garage belowstreet level and sloping thedriveway down half a level.
A review plan of the Vancouver 60-031,including floor plans, elevations, sectionand artist’s conception, can bepurchased for $25 by phone, mail oronline. Add $5 for shipping and handling.Associated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive,Eugene, OR, 97402. www.associateddesigns.com. (800) 634-0123.
HOUSE PLAN
Split-level duplex designed for upslope
The Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association ispresenting two home parades this year, starting with theParade of Homes Spring Festival next Friday throughSunday and April 26-28 with homes open free to thepublic from 1 to 6 p.m. each day.
Fifty-one builders will have 95 homes on displayacross the metro area: one downtown at The Hill, 12 inthe southwest, 14 in the east, 22 in the northwest, 46 inEdmond and numerous neighborhoods.
For maps and information on the homes, see the ad-vertising insert in The Oklahoman Sunday. A map of eacharea also will be at www.paradeofhomesok.com startingMonday.
Jack Evans of Timbercraft Homes is chairman of boththe Parade of Homes Spring Festival and the annual FallClassic Parade of Homes later this year. Denise Pattersonof Denise Patterson Custom Homes LLC is co-chairman.
“We are equally excited to bring this new spring con-cept to the metropolitan area of Oklahoma City. ... Asyou tour the homes you will be viewing the fine crafts-manship and designs that builders have to offer duringthis time of the year,” Evans said.
Evans pointed to Jim McWhirter, of Gemini Builders,and Caleb McCaleb, of McCaleb Homes, for working tohelp make the spring parade possible.
Parade of HomesSpring Festivalto begin FridayFROM STAFF REPORTS
RICHARD MIZEhttp://blog.newsok.com/ok-propertylines
and in Saturday’s Business
Oklahoma Property Lines
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, APRIL 13, 2013 . 7EREAL ESTATE
Oklahoma CityLingo Construction Ser-
vices Inc., 120 Robert S KerrAve., recreation center,erect, $35,000,000.
Real Estate Investment TrainingLearn from Professionals in OKCwww.VisionRealty.us 844-6800
I BUY HOUSES 410-5700Any condition. No cost to U
NOTICEThe State of Oklahoma, on be-half of the Department of HumanServices, wishes to lease approxi-mately 8,000 net usable squarefeet of office space, to include aminimum of 35 free parkingspaces, in Fairview, Oklahoma.This may be existing or new con-struction, and must meet allbuilding codes and OKDHS spacerequirements. Initial responsesshould be submitted in writing by5:00 PM on Friday, April 19, 2013,to: Department of Human Ser-vices, Property ManagementUnit, PO Box 268833, OklahomaCity, Oklahoma 73126-8833, Attn:Nicole Armitage at (405) 272-4195, [email protected] you may fax your response toProperty Management at(405) 235-0262.
I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667
HOMESOFOKCINC.COM
80 Acres PLUS OLDER HOMElarge barn, pipe corral, 2 stocked
ponds, Good Hunting Land inHughes County 918-656-3459
161 acres, 71 farmland, 90 grassSE of Chickasha 405-785-2791
Owner FinancingNew addition called Grand Safari
Nice Acreages from1 acre to 6.75 acres m/l
Easy Approval » Call for mapswww.property4sale.com
405-273-5777
FIRST TIME HOMEBUYERSFREE Downpayment Assistance
Available to Buy Your Home!NO Closing Costs - Save $1000'sCall for FREE list of 2-4bd homesPatrick w/Allied 405-740-6616
Nice home w/pool, remodeled kitnewer cabinets/windows, ch&a,
ac lots. From NW Expwy &Sara Rd go 4.5 mi N Cleaton &
Assoc 373-2494
Double Your Tax Refund up to$5,000!! Use refund & receiveVisa gift card with new homepurchase. No refund, use yourland/family land ZERO down. E-Zqualify by phone. WAC 631-7600
Double Your Tax Refund up to$5000 w/new home purchase.Don't prejudge credit. E-Z qualifyby phone. New & repo homesavailable 405-631-7600 WAC
NEXT TO DISNEY WORLD inOrlando, FL. 2-CompartmentalApt. in Westgate (can be usedfor 2 families) $22,000 Must SellASAP! Call 405-379-8140
DEAR BARRY: We’reselling our house afterspending $150,000 on acomplete remodel. Theplace is in excellent shape,but the buyers’ home in-spection report was hide-ous! The inspector said thetoilets are loose and neednew seals, but they wereinstalled less than a yearago, and we can’t budgethem. He also said theframing is rotted under thehouse, but we’ve had all ofthat repaired.
When we asked whythere were no foundationphotos in the report, hesaid he “didn’t want to gethis camera dirty.” We thinkthe inspector wrote a badreport to help the buyersnegotiate a lower price.Another related problem isthat we wanted to be homeduring this inspection, butthe buyers’ agent said itwas illegal for us to be inthe house when the in-spection was being done.
This is such a mess, butwe don’t know what to do.What do you recommend?
RandiDEAR RANDI: If the
home inspector’s findingsare questionable, youshould state this in writingto the buyers and requestthat the inspector verifyhis findings with photos. Ifhe doesn’t want to get hiscamera dirty, he can shieldit with a plastic bag whilehe is under the house, orperhaps he could borrowyour camera. In any event,he should have to show ex-actly what he saw regard-ing the alleged wood rot.
You might also hire yourown home inspector toprovide a second opinionof the property’s condi-tion. If the reports agree,you can have the defectsrepaired. It they differ,
each inspector should pro-vide evidence of his dis-closures. If the buyers backout of the deal, the secondinspection report can serveas disclosure to futurebuyers.
The agent’s assertionthat it is illegal for you tobe in your own home dur-ing a home inspection isentirely preposterous. It isyour home. You own it.You have the right to bethere any time you want,regardless of home inspec-tions or other circum-stances. The agent can re-quest that you not behome during the inspec-tion, but no one can legallycompel you to leave yourhome.
DEAR BARRY: I re-cently purchased a 5-year-old condominium. Aftermoving in, I found that therefrigerator had a leak andhad damaged the laminateflooring. Is the home in-spector or the seller liablefor not disclosing the leakor the damage? Or is myRealtor liable for recom-mending the home in-spector?
MitchellDEAR MITCHELL:
Free-standing appliances,such as refrigerators, areoutside the scope of ahome inspection. Howev-er, if the floor damage wasvisible without moving therefrigerator, the inspectorshould have reported thisas a visible defect.
The sellers and theagent are only liable for
defects of which they wereaware. If the floor damagewas concealed beneath therefrigerator, the agent wasprobably unaware of it.The sellers may haveknown, but that could bedifficult to prove. Unlessthis is a clear case of non-disclosure, you may sim-ply have to accept theserepairs as part of the costof the property.
To write to Barry Stone, visit him on theweb at www.housedetective.com.
