F REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Stone 4F Permits 6F HOUSE PLAN Modern floor plan The neoclassical Georgian front facade looks traditional, but the Alder Springs’ floor plan is contemporary. PAGE 3F LISTING OF THE WEEK Plenty of room The Listing of the Week includes a 2,390-square-foot home, a 1,200-square-foot guest house and a 225-square-foot storage building on 3 acres just north of east Edmond. PAGE 3F Legal or not? Federal law prohibits kickbacks among brokers and others in home real estate deals, but there is still plenty of action under way at the fringes of the law, where technology and creative finan- cial arrangements are raising new questions about what’s permissible and what’s not. PAGE 5F Kenneth Harney THE NATION’S HOUSING IN BRIEF BOOK SHOWS PAPER CRAFTS Paper gets pizazz in Margaret Van Sick- len’s book “Modern Paper Crafts.” Van Sicklen, a designer and paper artist, uses the techniques of folding, cutting, scoring and pleating to make home and gift items with a modern flair. She gives her readers a lesson on paper and its qualities, helps them set up and equip a work space and then teaches them the various techniques. She also offers instructions for a variety of pro- jects, such as flow- ers, holiday orna- ments, mobiles and even a mirror frame. “Modern Paper Crafts” is published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang and sells for $24.95 in spiral- bound hardcover. KITCHEN NEEDS ORGANIZER Q: Some 20 years ago we bought a device to mount on our kitchen wall that held aluminum foil, plastic wrap and paper towels. This device is now on its last legs. Have you seen such an item? A: The Leifheit web- site (http://www.leif- heitus.com) has a couple of similar holders in its kitchen gadgets section. Trademark Global’s Ultimate 3-in-1 Paper Towel Dispenser is sold by several on- line retailers, in- cluding Amazon- .com, Sears.com, Kmart.com and Buy.com. The Ama- zon and Sears web- sites sell D.B. Roth’s Chrome Plated Steel 3 in 1 Roll Dispenser Organizer Rack. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES During his 28 years as a professional home inspec- tor, Stephen Gladstone has worked with hundreds of homebuyers, making it easy for him to spot trends. One clear trend he’s no- ticed is that an increasing number of buyers want a turnkey place where they can live free of upkeep hassles. “People are working more and more; they have neither time nor inclina- tion for home mainte- nance work,” said Glad- stone, a past president of the American Society of Home Inspectors. One issue causing many to work more intensely is the fear of losing a job dur- ing a time of high unem- ployment. Also, more people are taking second jobs to supplement their income. Another factor is that many homebuyers in service professions, such as IT and finance, have few skills related to home re- pairs and therefore may rely on paid contractors to maintain their property. But counting on con- tractors isn’t the answer for many homeowners who are short on cash and can’t afford to hire out- siders. And unfortunately, there’s no such thing as a house that needs no atten- tion through the years, Gladstone said. At the minimum, owners or their surrogates must regularly perform such minor tasks as replacing air-condi- tioning filters and smoke alarm batteries. Still, homebuyers who shop thoughtfully increase their odds of locating a property that demands less of their time for up- keep. Here are a few point- ers: I Find a well-recom- mended home inspector. Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide for Buying a Home,” said all buyers, especially those wanting a carefree property, should make sure they obtain a thorough home inspection before making a final com- mitment to a place. He likes the American Society of Home Inspectors web- site (www.ashi.org) as a source for inspectors who’ve been trained in their profession. Davis suggested hiring someone with “at least three to five years in the field” and recommends you check references be- fore agreeing to hire any home inspector. “Track down the names of at least two to three in- spectors and then ask for contact information on past clients who’ve worked for them. Ask these cus- tomers if the inspector caught any problems with the property before they moved in,” he said. I Avoid buying a prop- erty with a large yard. If you’re a homebuyer who appreciates plenty of free weekend time for your favorite pastimes, Glad- stone suggested you strongly consider a prop- erty with a small yard. “The bigger the yard, the more work you’ll have to do,” he said. I Consider choosing a brand-new home. One observation made by many in the real estate field is that the older homebuyers become, the more they want to live in a brand-new property be- cause they perceive that it could give them years of low-upkeep living. But Leo Berard, a real estate broker and charter president of the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents (www.nae- ba.org), said the desire for a new home isn’t just lim- ited to older buyers, but now spans the age spec- trum. In most cases, a well- constructed new home should give you at least four to six years of freedom from major maintenance ordeals, he said. That’s be- cause most elements of the property that could go bad, including heating and cooling systems and roof- ing, should last longer than that. And if flaws are found in the early years, they’re often covered un- der a homebuyer’s war- ranty. Email Ellen James Martin ellenjames [email protected]. UNIVERSAL UCLICK More homebuyers seeking hassle-free property Ellen James Martin SMART MOVES heating the air back up. Better yet, put up blackout curtains to keep the sun at bay. Some simple mea- sures can help. Preventive measures can help too. Changing out or cleaning a system’s filter helps it run more effi- ciently. “We recommend every 30 days,” said Jim Wil- liams, owner of Metro Ser- vices. It’s especially criti- cal with reusable filters because they capture more dust and other particles, he said. The monthly cost of homeownership rises with the mercury. Electric bills are explod- ing along with the record high temperatures this summer. It’s more impor- tant than ever to keep pre- cious cold air bottled up where it belongs. Not, for example, seep- ing out into the attic. Heating and cooling system ducts can develop leaks over time, said Todd Cox, president of Weath- erization Experts Inc., 1605 S State Highway 76 in Newcastle. “So when the unit is running, the air comes out in the attic.” On top of that, he said, leaky ductwork can pull superheated attic air into the house. “That can be 130 degrees or more,” he said. A typical home can lose 30 percent of its cooled air this way, according to Guaranteed Watt Savers, which deploys teams with equipment to detect such leaks. The company works primarily with new homes, said spokeswoman Andrea Palmer, but can conduct energy audits almost any- where. “Air will move from hot to cold in all cases. In the summertime, the air is moving into your home. During the winter, the warm air is moving out of your home,” she said. “The prolonged heat we have seen in Oklahoma worsens the problem be- cause there is no time for the air conditioner to re- cuperate. It has been two straight months of ex- tremely hot air entering the home with no relief.” Troubleshooting Materials from Guaran- teed Watt Savers, 6444 Northwest Expressway, Suite 836A, show the many areas where hot air can sneak into the house: gaps in doors and win- dows, for example, and ill- sealed vents and electrical plugs. “The No. 1 trouble spot in a home is leaky duct work. The second item is penetrations in the enve- lope of the home,” Palmer said. “Examples of pene- trations are can lights that leak attic air into the con- ditioned space, leaky doors and windows, elec- trical outlets and the gap in drywall behind base boards.” Leaks tax an already overtaxed cooling system. The sustained heat this summer, its sweltering days followed by hot nights, gives neither man nor machine a chance to rest. Air conditioners run almost constantly, Cox said. “So the (thermal) loads on these houses are tremendous.” What to do? Fill the gaps and fix the vents. Draw the blinds to keep the sunlight from Yearly inspections can uncover small problems in a heating and cooling sys- tem before they blossom into bigger ones. Crews check hoses and wiring, Williams said, as well as refrigerant levels. Steps to take But no unit, no matter how well-maintained, can operate at peak efficiency when its return-air system is too small, Williams said. Air conditioners pull warm air out of a home via KEEPING COOL IN, HEAT OUT VITAL FOR HOMEOWNERS IN SUMMER Dan Ward, center, a project engineer with Guaranteed Watt Savers, demonstrates how he uses an infrared camera to perform an energy evaluation at a home in Norman. At left is Todd L. Cox, owner of Weatherization Experts Inc. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN This image from a FLIR Infrared Camera shows where heat is entering a house. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WEATHERIZATION EXPERTS INC. An infrared image shows warm air (the lighter color) escaping through a roof. PHOTO PROVIDED BY WEATHERIZATION EXPERTS INC. BY DYRINDA TYSON Special Correspondent [email protected]SEE HEAT, PAGE 2F
Transcript
FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Stone 4FPermits 6F
HOUSE PLAN
Modernfloor planThe neoclassical Georgianfront facade looks traditional,but the Alder Springs’ floorplan is contemporary.PAGE 3F
LISTING OF THE WEEK
Plenty of roomThe Listing of the Weekincludes a 2,390-square-foothome, a 1,200-square-footguest house and a225-square-foot storagebuilding on 3 acres just northof east Edmond.
PAGE 3F
Legalor not?Federal law prohibitskickbacks amongbrokers and othersin home real estatedeals, but there isstill plenty of actionunder way at thefringes of the law,where technologyand creative finan-cial arrangementsare raising newquestions aboutwhat’s permissibleand what’s not.
PAGE 5F
KennethHarney
THE NATION’S HOUSING
IN BRIEF
BOOK SHOWSPAPER CRAFTSPaper gets pizazz inMargaret Van Sick-len’s book “ModernPaper Crafts.” VanSicklen, a designerand paper artist,uses the techniquesof folding, cutting,scoring and pleatingto make home andgift items with amodern flair. Shegives her readers alesson on paper andits qualities, helpsthem set up andequip a work spaceand then teachesthem the varioustechniques. She alsooffers instructionsfor a variety of pro-jects, such as flow-ers, holiday orna-ments, mobiles andeven a mirror frame.“Modern PaperCrafts” is publishedby Stewart, Tabori &Chang and sells for$24.95 in spiral-bound hardcover.
KITCHEN NEEDSORGANIZERQ: Some 20 yearsago we bought adevice to mount onour kitchen wallthat held aluminumfoil, plastic wrapand paper towels.This device is nowon its last legs.Have you seen suchan item?A: The Leifheit web-site (http://www.leif-heitus.com) has acouple of similarholders in its kitchengadgets section.Trademark Global’sUltimate 3-in-1 PaperTowel Dispenser issold by several on-line retailers, in-cluding Amazon-.com, Sears.com,Kmart.com andBuy.com. The Ama-zon and Sears web-sites sell D.B. Roth’sChrome Plated Steel3 in 1 Roll DispenserOrganizer Rack.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES
During his 28 years as aprofessional home inspec-tor, Stephen Gladstone hasworked with hundreds ofhomebuyers, making iteasy for him to spot trends.One clear trend he’s no-ticed is that an increasingnumber of buyers want aturnkey place where theycan live free of upkeephassles.
“People are workingmore and more; they haveneither time nor inclina-tion for home mainte-nance work,” said Glad-stone, a past president ofthe American Society ofHome Inspectors.
One issue causing manyto work more intensely isthe fear of losing a job dur-ing a time of high unem-ployment. Also, morepeople are taking secondjobs to supplement theirincome. Another factor isthat many homebuyers inservice professions, suchas IT and finance, have few
skills related to home re-pairs and therefore mayrely on paid contractors tomaintain their property.
But counting on con-tractors isn’t the answerfor many homeownerswho are short on cash andcan’t afford to hire out-siders. And unfortunately,there’s no such thing as ahouse that needs no atten-tion through the years,Gladstone said. At theminimum, owners or theirsurrogates must regularlyperform such minor tasksas replacing air-condi-tioning filters and smokealarm batteries.
Still, homebuyers who
shop thoughtfully increasetheir odds of locating aproperty that demandsless of their time for up-keep. Here are a few point-ers:
I Find a well-recom-mended home inspector.
Sid Davis, a real estatebroker and author of “ASurvival Guide for Buyinga Home,” said all buyers,especially those wanting acarefree property, shouldmake sure they obtain athorough home inspectionbefore making a final com-mitment to a place. Helikes the American Societyof Home Inspectors web-site (www.ashi.org) as asource for inspectorswho’ve been trained intheir profession.
Davis suggested hiringsomeone with “at leastthree to five years in thefield” and recommendsyou check references be-fore agreeing to hire anyhome inspector.
“Track down the namesof at least two to three in-spectors and then ask forcontact information onpast clients who’ve workedfor them. Ask these cus-tomers if the inspectorcaught any problems withthe property before theymoved in,” he said.
I Avoid buying a prop-erty with a large yard.
If you’re a homebuyerwho appreciates plenty offree weekend time for yourfavorite pastimes, Glad-stone suggested youstrongly consider a prop-erty with a small yard.
“The bigger the yard,the more work you’ll haveto do,” he said.
I Consider choosing abrand-new home.
One observation madeby many in the real estatefield is that the olderhomebuyers become, themore they want to live in abrand-new property be-cause they perceive that it
could give them years oflow-upkeep living.
But Leo Berard, a realestate broker and charterpresident of the NationalAssociation of ExclusiveBuyer Agents (www.nae-ba.org), said the desire fora new home isn’t just lim-ited to older buyers, butnow spans the age spec-trum.
In most cases, a well-constructed new homeshould give you at leastfour to six years of freedomfrom major maintenanceordeals, he said. That’s be-cause most elements of theproperty that could go bad,including heating andcooling systems and roof-ing, should last longerthan that. And if flaws arefound in the early years,they’re often covered un-der a homebuyer’s war-ranty.Email Ellen James Martin [email protected].
UNIVERSAL UCLICK
More homebuyers seeking hassle-free propertyEllenJamesMartin
SMARTMOVES
heating the air back up.Better yet, put up blackoutcurtains to keep the sun atbay. Some simple mea-sures can help.
Preventive measurescan help too. Changing outor cleaning a system’s filterhelps it run more effi-ciently.
“We recommend every30 days,” said Jim Wil-liams, owner of Metro Ser-vices. It’s especially criti-cal with reusable filtersbecause they capture moredust and other particles,he said.
The monthly cost ofhomeownership rises withthe mercury.
Electric bills are explod-ing along with the recordhigh temperatures thissummer. It’s more impor-tant than ever to keep pre-cious cold air bottled upwhere it belongs.
Not, for example, seep-ing out into the attic.
Heating and coolingsystem ducts can developleaks over time, said ToddCox, president of Weath-erization Experts Inc.,1605 S State Highway 76 inNewcastle. “So when theunit is running, the aircomes out in the attic.”
On top of that, he said,leaky ductwork can pullsuperheated attic air intothe house. “That can be130 degrees or more,” hesaid.
A typical home can lose30 percent of its cooled airthis way, according toGuaranteed Watt Savers,which deploys teams withequipment to detect suchleaks. The company worksprimarily with new homes,said spokeswoman AndreaPalmer, but can conductenergy audits almost any-where.
“Air will move from hotto cold in all cases. In thesummertime, the air ismoving into your home.During the winter, thewarm air is moving out ofyour home,” she said.
“The prolonged heat wehave seen in Oklahomaworsens the problem be-cause there is no time forthe air conditioner to re-cuperate. It has been twostraight months of ex-tremely hot air enteringthe home with no relief.”
TroubleshootingMaterials from Guaran-
teed Watt Savers, 6444Northwest Expressway,Suite 836A, show themany areas where hot aircan sneak into the house:gaps in doors and win-dows, for example, and ill-sealed vents and electrical
plugs.“The No. 1 trouble spot
in a home is leaky ductwork. The second item ispenetrations in the enve-lope of the home,” Palmersaid. “Examples of pene-trations are can lights thatleak attic air into the con-ditioned space, leakydoors and windows, elec-trical outlets and the gap indrywall behind baseboards.”
Leaks tax an already
overtaxed cooling system.The sustained heat thissummer, its swelteringdays followed by hotnights, gives neither mannor machine a chance torest. Air conditioners runalmost constantly, Coxsaid. “So the (thermal)loads on these houses aretremendous.”
What to do?Fill the gaps and fix the
vents. Draw the blinds tokeep the sunlight from
Yearly inspections canuncover small problems ina heating and cooling sys-tem before they blossominto bigger ones. Crewscheck hoses and wiring,Williams said, as well asrefrigerant levels.
Steps to takeBut no unit, no matter
how well-maintained, canoperate at peak efficiencywhen its return-air systemis too small, Williams said.Air conditioners pullwarm air out of a home via
KEEPING COOL IN, HEAT OUT VITALFOR HOMEOWNERS IN SUMMER
Dan Ward, center, a project engineer with Guaranteed Watt Savers, demonstrates how he uses an infraredcamera to perform an energy evaluation at a home in Norman. At left is Todd L. Cox, owner of WeatherizationExperts Inc. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN
This image from a FLIR Infrared Camera shows whereheat is entering a house.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WEATHERIZATION EXPERTS INC.
An infrared image shows warm air (the lighter color)escaping through a roof.
2F SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
return-air ducts to cyclethrough a cooling system.Williams likens an air con-ditioner with too small areturn to a runner trying tofinish a race with someonechoking him.
“You’ll make it, but it’llbe a struggle,” he said.
Other suggestions in-clude:
I Keep filters clean. Thiswill allow maximum airflow and efficiency for theunit.
I Close the fireplacedamper in the summer. Aircan escape out the flue orchimney.
I Turn out lights whenyou’re not using them, andchange incandescent bulbsfor compact florescentlights. Incandescent lightscan heat up a room.
I Wash clothes and linedry when possible. Clothesdryers can push up thetemperature in the house.
I Close blinds and cur-tains to block the sun’sheat.
I Caulk around doorsand windows and addweather stripping. The av-erage home, according toGuaranteed Watt Savers,has enough air leaks toequal an open 3-foot win-dow.
I Fill large gaps arounddoors and windows withexpanding spray foam.
I Seal leaky windowswith special plastic thatattaches to the outsidewith two-sided tape and isshrunk to fit with a hairdryer.
I Add insulating or“blackout” shades or cur-tains to windows anddoors.
I Add insulation in attic,in walls or under floorswith crawl spaces.
I Replace windows anddoors with newer versionsthat conduct less heat andfeature low-E glass.
I Replace heat and airsystems with higher-effi-ciency-rated models.
Vacation tipsGuaranteed Watt Savers
has suggestions for peopleleaving for summervacation.
“We recommend ad-justing your thermostatwhile away from the homeby 4 degrees from yourcomfort level. If you adjustmore than 4 degrees in thisheat, it will take half a day(or night) for your air con-ditioner to recover to acomfortable level,” Palmersaid.
“With that in mind,don’t expect the home tocool 4 degrees in 30 min-utes. It will take an hour ortwo.
“Set the thermostat to85 or even 90 degrees whileon vacation, but do notturn it all the way off. Thehome depends on your airconditioner to removemoisture from the air, anda week without dehumid-ification will cause moreproblems than what youmight save on your utilitybill.”
FROM PAGE 1F
Heat: Steps help keep in cool air
Left: Jorge Aguinaga, an employee of WeatherizationExperts Inc., seals a box he installed over a can light inan attic at a home in Norman.
PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON,THE OKLAHOMAN
Jonathan Flores, an employee of Weatherization Experts Inc., seals “start collars”with adhesive at the supply plenum of a heating-air-conditioning unit.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WEATHERIZATION EXPERTS INC.
A blower is used to detect leaks in a house’s “build-ing envelope.” PHOTO PROVIDED BY WEATHERIZATION EXPERTS INC.
DID YOU KNOW?
Energy auditsEnergy Audits by Guaranteed Watt Savers in-
clude a detailed report with a prioritized list ofimprovements to make. Special reports are avail-able if the owner is interested in an Energy Im-provement Mortgage.
I Level 1 is a visual walk-through and utility billevaluation: $250.
I Level 2 includes Level 1 plus blower door pres-sure testing to measure tightness, room pressuredifferences and relative humidity: $450.
I Infrared thermography can be added to anyaudit for an additional estimated $200 per hour.
I Duct testing and mold detection also available.
The National Associ-ation of ProfessionalMortgage Women in Okla-homa City will present aday of training on VeteransAffairs home loans cappedwith a tribute dinner forVA loan specialist Ed Fo-garty on Tuesday, Aug. 9,at The Greens CountryClub, 13100 Green ValleyDrive.
Fogarty is moving fromthe Veterans Affairs Re-gional Office in Houston tothe VA loan center in St.
Petersburg, Fla.Kathy Threet, VA un-
derwriter with AmericanSouthwest Mortgage, willteach a class from 8:30 to11:30 a.m. Fogarty will pro-vide training from 12:30 to4:30 p.m. The day oftraining is free for associ-ation members and $20 forothers.
The tribute to Fogartywill start with a social hourat 5:30 p.m., with dinnerat 6 p.m. Cost for the din-ner is $22. RSVP by noonFriday, Aug. 5, to GayeLiddle at 354-4848 or
“Ed Fogarty is very wellrespected in Oklahoma forall the help he has givenover the years to veteransapplying for mortgages,”said Lauren Layman,recruiting coordinator forFairway Independent
Mortgage Corp. in Still-water.
“If any lender had aproblem, all we had to dowas set an appointment tosee Ed, and he would maketime to help us get whatev-er we needed for the veter-an to move forward withthe loan transaction.”
Veterans Affairs loans to be discussedFROM STAFF REPORTS
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 3FREAL ESTATE
An abundance of naturallight washes into the AlderSprings’ great roomthrough the same win-dows that offer great viewsto the rear. This home isdesigned for constructionon a lot that slopes downat the left and back.
While its neoclassicalGeorgian front facadegives it a traditional look,the interior floor plan istotally contemporary.Outside, smooth columnsframe the lofty coveredporch; raised stone bandsaccent the bold brick-ve-neer-covered columnsthat support and highlightthe porte cochere.
Expansive hexagonalrooms loaded with win-dows form the core of theinterior on two levels. Bothhave wings. On the mainfloor, a wide covered deckwraps around three sidesto offer the same fantasticviewing options as thegreat room. Doors in thecentral wall section pro-vide deck access. At the
basement level, similardoors lead to a coveredpatio that also wrapsaround three sides.
A fireplace sits at thecenter of one wall sectionin the great room. Thekitchen, which carves outa place for itself on the op-posite wall, has two penin-sular counters, which youcan look out across into thegreat room and beyond.The counter that fronts thesink is rimmed by a raisedeating bar.
Two bedrooms and abathroom are in the wingbehind the kitchen. Thiswing also links to the portecochere and its storagecabinets. A large utilityroom and the deluxe own-ers suite fill the oppositewing, along with a privatescreened porch that opensonto the deck.
At the basement level ofthe Alder Springs, a largerecreation room fills thehexagonal core, sharingspace with a kitchenette,play room and shop/stor-
age area. A guest suite,bunk room and bathroomare also on this level.
For a review plan, including scaled floorplans, elevations, section and artist’sconception, send $25 to AssociatedDesigns, 1100 Jacobs Drive, Eugene, OR,97402. Please specify the Alder Springs10-549 and include a return addresswhen ordering. For more information,call (800) 634-0123.
HOUSE PLAN
The Listing of the Weekincludes a 2,390-square-foot home, a 1,200-square-foot guesthouseand a 225-square-footstorage building on 3 acresjust north of east Edmond.
The home at 13401 SSooner Road — one milenorth of Waterloo Road —has three bedrooms, 2½baths, a family room, din-ing room and an attachedtwo-car garage. The familyroom has a fireplace andceiling fan. The kitchen hasa pantry and work island.The master bedroom has aceiling fan, walk-in closetand bath with double van-
ities and whirlpool tub.Secondary bedrooms havewalk-in closets. The homehas a security system andunderground sprinklersystem. The guesthouse isopen with a large living-dining area, kitchen, bed-room and bath.
The home, built in2004, is listed with Jackand Barbara McWilliams ofRE/MAX Preferred. Formore information, call650-6035 or 751-4848.
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
Edmond property includes home,guesthouse and storage building
The Listing of the Weekis at 13401 S SoonerRoad, in Logan Countyjust north of east Ed-mond. PHOTO PROVIDED
Alder Springs combinestraditional, contemporary
Prudential Alliance Re-alty has added MichelleParker as a residential realestate sales associate at itsnorthwest Oklahoma Cityoffice, 4101 NW 122.
The Oklahoma City na-tive has been in the realestate business for sevenyears.
Michelle Parker joinsPrudential Alliance Realty
Michelle Parker
If You Have Something To SellClassified Can Do It — Call 475-3000
4F SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Southwest OklahomaCity and Moore have a lotto offer, and builder Mar-vin Haworth can’t seem tostop ticking them off.They include businesses,growing and progressiveschools and the WarrenTheatre — which is addingan IMAX auditorium.
“We bring a lot,” he said.“We hope people willcome see what’s here.”
The Southwest Show-case of homes, which runsthrough Sunday, offers thepublic a chance to checkout Moore and southOklahoma City as well asthe neighborhoods in thearea.
A joint effort betweenthe Moore Home BuildersAssociation and South-west OKC Home BuildersAssociation, 40 to 45 per-cent of the showcase’shomes are in Moore, Ha-worth said.
Raising funds, interestThe showcase’s origins
go to the mid-1960s, whenbuilder Paul Odom Jr. andseveral associates spear-headed the first one. Mosthome showcases at thetime featured northwestOklahoma City homes,said his son, third-genera-tion builder P.B. Odom III.
“He decided he’d like toshowcase the southwestside,” P.B. Odom III said ofhis father.
The elder Odom alsohelped carve out theSouthwest OKC HomeBuilders Association in themid-1970s, and it has re-mained an autonomouspart of the Central Okla-homa Home Builders As-sociation. The southwestassociation fully partici-pates in the central associ-ation and its activities, butthe southwest group alsohas its own governingbody.
Its annual showcase isone of its main fundraisers.
The showcase faded inthe 1980s, P.B. Odom IIIsaid. It remained in moth-balls for about a decadebefore a group of buildersdecided to dust off theidea.
The showcase has donewell in its second life,Odom said. And thingsmay be coming full circlethis year with a fourth-generation Odom builder,David Odom, son of P.B.Odom III, building thisyear’s feature home. DavidOdom’s 1,900-square-foot creation is at 13441
Cross Vine Court in theBriarwood Creek additionnear SW 134 and Santa FeAvenue.
Expanded focusIn the mid-2000s, the
showcase organizersreached across to theneighboring Moore HomeBuilders Association, andthey have been staging theshowcase together since.The fellowship betweenthe two organizations ex-
tends beyond the show-case, P.B. Odom III said.Many builders are part ofboth groups.
“There is no enmityhere,” Odom said with alaugh. “It’s seamless, likeone group.”
And between them, hesaid, they’ve brought theannual showcase back toits former glory.
“The showcases todayare as good as the ones inthe 1960s,” he said.
Moore is a big part of local Showcase GOING ON
Southwest Showcase of Homes
Homes in the Southwest OKC Showcase ofHomes are open free to the public from 1 to 7 p.m.through Sunday.
More information is available at www.swokchomes.com.
A guide and map are in The Oklahoman’s realestate section today as well as in the homes onthe tour.
Aaron Tatum, chairman of the Southwest Showcase of Homes, shows the livingroom of the feature home by builder David Odom at 13441 Vine Cross Court inBriarcreek Creek addition north of SW 134 and west of Santa Fe Avenue.
PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
David Odom of Odom Construction built the feature home for the SouthwestShowcase of Homes at 13441 Vine Cross Court in The Villas, part of BriarwoodCreek addition near SW 134 and Santa Fe Avenue. PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
Left: This closeup showsdetail of the kitchenbacksplash in DavidOdom’s feature home.
PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
DEAR BARRY: Wecan’t get our toilet toflush, even with very littlepaper in it. The watergoes around, but it justwon’t go down. For thepast week, we’ve had toforce everything downwith a plunger, but thetoilet won’t work on itsown.
Our septic tank wascleaned and serviced onlysix months ago, so whatcould be the problem?
SoniaDEAR SONIA: Let’s
consider a few possibil-ities:
I If the septic tank wasserviced by a qualifiedprofessional, you shouldcheck with the contractorto see whether the leachlines also were checked.
If the leach lines areclogged, liquid can backup in the tank instead ofdraining into the ground.On the other hand, if thiswas causing the toiletproblem, you’d probablyhave slow drainage at tubsand showers as well.
I The drain pipe fromthe toilet to the mainseptic line could beclogged with roots orother foreign matter. Toensure unrestricted drain-age, the line should bechecked by a licensedplumber. A video in-
spection would be best.I Unauthorized objects
(such as toys) are oftenfound in toilet traps. Forsmall children, the sightof a Ninja Turtle swirlinginto the aquatic abyss isan ultimate source of funand suspense. If an objectof this kind is lodged inthe toilet trap, it is usuallynecessary to detach thebowl from the floor. Thisprocess, of course, shouldbe performed by a licens-ed plumber.
DEAR BARRY: Whenour home was built, thedryer exhaust pipe wasinstalled through the roofrather than through anoutside wall. This hasturned out to be a prob-lem because the attic ventbecomes clogged withdryer lint. Every fewmonths, I have to go intothe attic to clear away allthe lint. Our builder saysthe installation meetscode, but we’re not con-vinced. Does this soundto you like a proper way
to install a dryer vent?Quinn
DEAR QUINN: Some-thing about your clothesdryer vent does not makesense. You say, “Thedryer exhaust pipe wasinstalled through theroof.” Yet you are able toremove the lint from in-side the attic. If the pipeextends through the roof,rather than terminating inthe attic, then the lintshould be accessible fromwithin the attic. But thisis not the only issue.
Screens are prohibitedon a dryer exhaust ventbecause congestion withlint prevents the dryerfrom venting freely.
Restricted ventingcauses two problems:Your clothes will take along time to dry; and thedryer will become over-heated, adversely affect-ing the condition of yourclothes and creating a firehazard.
If your builder insiststhat this is a legal in-stallation, take some pho-tos of the exhaust vent inthe attic and have themreviewed by your localmunicipal building de-partment.
To write to Barry Stone, visit him on theweb at www.housedetective.com.
ACTION COAST PUBLISHING
Nonflushing toliet hasowners all stirred up
BarryStone
INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 5FREAL ESTATE
WASHINGTON — You probablyknow that federal law prohibitskickbacks among brokers and oth-ers in home real estate deals. Thatsounds pretty straightforward:You can’t give money to someonesimply for steering a homebuyer orrefinancer to a particular titleagency, mortgage lender or escrowcompany without providing anyactual services to the consumer.
Yet as four recent legal settle-ments suggest, there is still plentyof action under way at the fringesof the law, where technology andcreative financial arrangementsare raising new questions aboutwhat’s permissible and what’s not.
Take the multimillion-dollarsettlement July 11 between the De-partment of Housing and UrbanDevelopment and Fidelity Nation-al Financial, the country’s high-est-volume title insurance andsettlement services company.HUD charged that Fidelity and itsaffiliates have “engaged in a wide-spread and years-long campaignto pay real estate brokers kickbacksfor the referral of real estate settle-
ment services, including homewarranties and title insurance.” Aspart of the settlement, Fidelity de-nied any wrongdoing but agreed topay the govern-ment $4.5 million.
How was thecompany alleged-ly paying kick-backs to brokers?According toHUD, participat-ing realty brokerswere given accessto a Web-basedportal created by Fidelity that au-tomates home real estate transac-tions “from listing to closing,” andalso enables agents to select titleinsurance and other services forthe transaction.
Realty brokers signed “sub-li-cense agreements” with Fidelitysubsidiaries to be listed on theportal as service providers. Then,as part of the deal, HUD said, Fi-delity subsidiaries paid participat-ing real estate brokers for referralsof customers they provided.
For its part, Fidelity insisted in
the settlement that the paymentsit made were not for referrals butrather for giving brokers access toits automated “TransactionPoint”
platform. DanMurphy, a Fidelityspokesman, de-clined to comment.
In another newcase alleging kick-backs, HUD settledfor $3.1 million withProspect MortgageLLC, a home lenderbased in Sherman
Oaks, Calif. According to HUD,Prospect “created sham affiliatedbusiness arrangements for the pur-pose of paying improper kickbacks”to real estate and mortage brokersand other service providers.
Prospect denied that it violatedfederal law but agreed to disman-tle the network it set up to pay thereferral fees alleged by HUD. Thenetwork itself involved creation ofnumerous limited liability compa-nies that purported to be legiti-mate joint ventures with Prospectbut in fact were shells that “had
little or no employees, capital and/or offices” — key tests of whetheran affiliate is legal under federallaw or exists solely to make refer-rals in exchange for payments, ac-cording to HUD.
“In return for the referral ofbusiness,” said the agency, “Pros-pect shared 50 percent of its prof-its with these entities which HUDdetermined were not bona fide.”
Ron Bergum, chief executive ofProspect, said in a statement thatalthough the same business-gen-eration model “is currently beingused by several of our competi-tors,” the company has “respect”for HUD’s position. Bergum didnot identify the competing firmsstill using what HUD considerskickback schemes.
Still another issue involvingcontroversial fees flowing to realtybrokers emerged in two recent set-tlements in New Jersey: Thecharging of “admin” fees on top ofstandard commissions. WeichertSouth Jersey Inc. and PrudentialFox & Roach Realtors settled class-action suits challenging their col-
lection of extra money from thou-sands of clients at closings forwhich no additional services wereprovided. Both firms denied the al-legations but agreed to ceasecharging the fees, which generallyranged from $150 to $275.
A lawyer for the plaintiffs in bothcases, Stephen DeNittis, said theclass-action suits alleged viola-tions of state laws that track federallaw on realty broker compensationin home sales and purchases.
An attorney for Prudential Fox &Roach, Jay Varon, said the company“believes that its charging of ad-ministration fees was perfectlylawful,” but settled to avoid addi-tional litigation costs.
Bottom line: While you’re notlikely to detect some sophisticatedreferral games being played behindyour back — that’s a job for federalregulators — you have no obligationto pay extra fees in home purchasesor sales if nobody is providing addi-tional, valuable services to you.
When consideringbackyard constructionprojects, decks and patiosare what most often cometo mind. They certainlyadd a lot of outdoor livingspace, but they can be hotand exposed places duringthe height of summer.
So if you already haveyour deck or patio projectcomplete and you’d like tomake it a more appealingplace to spend time — andadd to your home’s ap-pearance and resale valueat the same time — youmight want to give thoughtto a pergola.
A pergola is basically anarbor. Unlike a full patiocover, pergolas are de-signed to be partially openon top, providing brokensunlight and shade. Pergo-las are made up of posts orcolumns that support crossrafters or even latticeworkon top, and sometimes areused to support vineplants.
Their purpose is to pro-vide shade and decoration.One of the joys of pergolasis the different design pos-sibilities that they offer.
Design considerationsWhen thinking about a
pergola, you have a varietyof things to take into con-sideration. Two of themost important are whatyou hope to achieve, andwhat its overall look willbe.
Since the pergola’s pri-mary purpose is to provideshade, you’ll want to thinkabout that first.
Will it serve to cover adining area or an outdoorcooking area, or do youwant it to cover the entiredeck or patio? Are youhoping to shade some ofyour home’s windows?Will the pergola be mostlyopen, to allow a lot of sun-light though, or will it bemostly closed, to break upthe sun and create themaximum amount ofshade? Would you like it tosupport living plants?
Take into considerationthe direction and angle ofthe sun at different timesof the year. This informa-tion is available online foryour particular location, oryou can enlist the aid of anexperienced solar designer.This information can beused to set the rafters orlatticework on top of thepergola at specific anglesso that the sun is blocked atcertain times of the yearbut not at others.
Pergolas can also cover awide range of designs,from sleekly modern toclassically ornate. Materi-als can include just aboutanything you can imaginethat will stand up to theelements outside. Theycan be freestanding, orthey can be attached to awall along one or moresides to add support and tovisually tie the structure tothe house.
As you begin to formu-late your design, you’llnext want to consider howeach of the individual ele-ments will come together.The best place to start iswith the columns or posts
that support the structure.You can use pressure-treated 4-by-4 or 6-by-6square lumber, left ex-posed or wrapped with afinish grade of lumber for acleaner look. Naturallyweather-resistant cedar,redwood and cypress arepossibilities, as are moreexpensive woods such asteak and mahogany.
If you want a more rusticlook, consider natural woodlogs. For a more classiclook, there are lots of turn-ed and fluted columnsavailable in wood and low-maintenance aluminum orsynthetic resin materials, aswell as stone and marble.You can also consider awood post completely orpartially wrapped withbrick, rock or other mason-ry, or posts made of naturalor painted steel, stainlesssteel or aluminum.
The upper structure ofthe pergola is formed fromstructural beams that arerun between the posts,with rafters that are placedon top of and perpendicu-lar to the beams, forming asymmetrical pattern.Symmetry is a hallmark ofan attractive pergola. Therafters can be installed sothat they are parallel to thehouse or perpendicular toit, depending on appear-ance and structural con-siderations.
Besides the columns, therafters are the next mostimportant design consid-eration. They typicallyoverhang the beams by afoot or more, and the endsare usually angled orcurved for additional aes-thetic appeal. The raftersare supporting their ownweight — plus the weightof any lattice you mightput on them — so you havea lot of flexibility in theirsize and spacing.
You may opt for 2-bylumber set with only 6inches of space betweenthem, or 4-by lumberspaced 4 feet or moreapart. A second row oflumber may be installed ontop of and perpendicular tothe rafters for additionalshade, or to support vines.
Look at outdoor designmagazines and websites tobetter understand the ele-ments that make up goodpergola design.
Permits and HOAsRemember that pergolas
are a structural element ofyour home, and will prob-ably require a building per-mit. Before you get started,be sure to check with yourlocal building department,as well as your homeown-ers association, for any re-quirements or restrictions.
Remodeling and repair questions? EmailPaul at [email protected]. Allproduct reviews are based on theauthor’s actual testing of free reviewsamples provided by the manufacturers.
INMAN NEWS
Think function whenplanning your pergola
PaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
LOS ANGELES — Thelongtime Bel-Air home ofactress Elizabeth Taylorhas sold.
The house came on themarket in May at $8.6 mil-lion. The listing agent, Da-vid Mossler of Teles Prop-erties in Beverly Hills, de-clined to reveal the salesprice, and weeks ormonths may pass before itwill appear in public re-cords.
Owned by the Oscar-winning actress since 1981,the 1960s ranch-stylehouse sits on 1.27 acres,which include a swimmingpool with spa, gardens anda koi pond. The 7,000-square-foot home has adownstairs master suite,two other bedrooms andmaid’s quarters. A secondmaster suite upstairs haswalls upholstered in hersignature color: violet.
Taylor, who died inMarch at 79, won Oscarsfor her performances in“Butterfield 8” (1960) and“Who’s Afraid of VirginiaWoolf?” (1966). She isranked seventh on theAmerican Film Institute’sgreatest screen legendslist.
Sally sellsOscar-winning actress
Sally Field has sold herMalibu house for $5.65million, the Multiple List-ing Service shows.
The two-story ranch-style home sits on 3 acreswith separate guest quar-ters, a pool, a lighted ten-nis court, a three-stallhorse paddock and accessto nearby riding trails onmore than 2,000 acres ofpark land. The main homewas built in 1958 and hadbeen owned by OliviaNewton-John. Five bed-rooms and six bathroomslie within nearly 6,000square feet of living space.
Since she starred on the’60s TV series “Gidget”and “The Flying Nun,”Field, 64, has made a namefor herself on the bigscreen too in such films“Forrest Gump” (1994),“Places in the Heart”(1984) and “Norma Rae”
(1979). She played the ma-triarch in the recently can-celed “Brothers & Sisters”(2006-present) and willplay Mary Todd Lincoln inthe Steven Spielberg-di-rected film “Lincoln,” to bereleased next year.
Field bought the prop-erty in 2004 for$4,822,500.
Osbourne realty showSharon and Ozzy Os-
bourne have listed theirHidden Hills estate for saleat $12,999,000.
The 2.5-acre promonto-ry sits off a cul-de-sac inthe gated community. TheCape Cod-inspired man-sion, built in 2001 and fea-tured in the June issue ofArchitectural Digest, maynot be what one might ex-pect from the couple. Thehouse has a paneled studywith fireplace, a hometheater and studio area, sixen suite bedrooms and aguest apartment withkitchenette.
The family room of the11,000-square-foot homehas sliding barn doors anda reclaimed brick fireplace.
The grounds include aswimming pool, spa and abarbecue island. A bath-room by the pool raises thetotal number of baths to10.
Sharon Osbourne, 58, isa judge on “America’s GotTalent” (2007-present)
and a co-host on “TheTalk” (2010-present). Shealso is the manager of Oz-zy, 62, formerly lead singerof Black Sabbath beforelaunching his solo career.He has sold more than 100million albums over fourdecades and will be on touragain in Europe nextmonth.
They have owned theproperty since 2007, whenthey bought it for
$12,388,500. That’s justlong enough for SharonOsbourne to havethoughts of moving again.
“I get itchy feet,” shesaid. “We’ve never stayedin any place longer thanseven years.”
The couple also have aMalibu Beach house forsale at $9.5 million.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES
The longtime Bel-Air home of actress Elizabeth Taylor has sold. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
Elizabeth Taylor’s Bel-Air home sellsBY LAUREN BEALELos Angeles Times
Academy Award winner Sally Field has listed her Malibu house at $6.95 million.The five bedroom, six-bathroom ranch has a lighted tennis court, pool and a three-stall horse paddock. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
6F SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Oklahoma CityLandmark Fine Homes
LP, 7024 NE 116, residence,erect, $657,000.
J.E. Dunn ConstructionCo., 4300 W MemorialRoad, hospital, remodel,$625,000.
No name provided, 3221SW 86, accessory, erect,$2,273.
Home Creations, 11933SW 9, temporary building,erect, $2,000.
DemolitionsHumberto Virgen, 500
SE 14, gazebo.Maria R. Mateo, 721 SW
25, garage.L&S Demolition, 2501
NE 11, single-family resi-dence.
PermitsFROM PAGE 6F
Q. Can you please ex-plain what a deed in lieuof foreclosure is and howit works?
A. In a deed in lieu offoreclosure, you surrenderyour home to the lender toavoid the hassle of thelender filing a foreclosureaction against you.
Essentially, you’re mak-ing a pre-emptive strikeand going out on your ownterms rather than beingforced out. Psychologicallyand emotionally, that’simportant for a lot ofpeople.
In order for your lenderto accept a deed-in-lieu,
your title to the propertymust be clear, meaningyou have no other liens orjudgments against you.Further, most lenders arehesitant to accept manydeeds-in-lieu for fear ofopening the floodgates toother homeowners want-ing to hand back theirproperties. Banks likeshort sales better becausethe homeowners are doingall the work of finding thebuyers.
Your lender probablywill not even consider adeed-in-lieu unless youhave already tried a loanmodification or a shortsale.
The beauty of a deed-in-lieu is the simplicity.
Once your lender agrees,you just sign the docu-ments and walk away. Ifyou’re cooperative andleave the house in goodcondition, the lender mayeven give you a few thou-sand dollars in moving ex-penses, which is called“cash for keys.”
You also may be releasedfrom ever having to repaythe debt, but you shouldget a letter from the lenderstating this before agree-ing to a deed-in-lieu.
But there also are majordrawbacks. While tradi-tional foreclosures andshort sales tend to drag onfor months, deeds-in-lieuhappen quickly, so youwon’t have the luxury of
taking your time to find anew place.
Also, you may not be re-leased from the debt, al-lowing the bank to comeafter you at a later date torepay the difference be-tween what you owed onthe mortgage and what thehouse eventually sold for.Finally, in a deed-in-lieu,just like with a regularforeclosure, your creditscore will fall significantly.
Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney andboard certified as an expert in realestate law by the Florida Bar. Theinformation and materials in thiscolumn are provided for generalinformational purposes only and are notintended to be legal advice. Noattorney-client relationship is formed.Nothing in this column is intended tosubstitute for the advice of an attorney.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
Deed in lieu of foreclosuresaves time as a last resortBY GARY SINGERSun Sentinel
8F SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
FORT WORTH, Texas —True story. The first wordsmy now-19-year-old sonread out loud were “ga-rage” and “sale.” Spyingthe sign ahead, he knew, asdid I, that those words heldpromise of a treasure yet tobe found for mere pennieson the dollar.
Today, garage sales aremy brand of recycling-meets-profit margin. If mykids outgrow something, orif an item has outlived itspurpose, I put it aside to in-clude in my next sale. Plan-ning is key to a successfulsale. Here’s how to do it.
Laws and neighborsIt is important to re-
search and secure the per-mits required by local gov-ernment. Check your city’swebsite for details.
Because most munici-palities restrict the numberof signs you can post, an adin the paper is money wellspent.
It is also a good idea tonotify your neighbors ofthe impending sale. A flierdropped off a few days be-fore will give them a heads-up that traffic and parkingmay be heavy, and they canalso plan to attend the sale.
Gather your goodsThere are two main
goals: First, to get rid ofthings, and second, to real-ize a little reward for the ef-fort. This isn’t “AntiquesRoad Show” in the drive-way, out to make a hugeprofit off that lamp AuntMay insisted you take. No,the sale is held to A) find agreat home for that lampand B) make a buck or two.
Stockpiling items overthe course of a few months— or in my case, a year —
should yield enough mer-chandise to make holdingand attending a sale worth-while. As you put thingsaside, make sure they areclean, that they work, thatany needed repairs aredone and that any neces-sary literature or accesso-ries are included. A Barbiekaraoke machine is onlygoing to be valuable to thebuyer if it includes thepower cord and the
manual. Friends andneighbors are also goodsources for sale items.
Setting upThink like a retail store
owner. When you walk intoyour favorite shop, do youhave to step over shoeboxesthrown willy-nilly on thefloor and paw throughcrates of unfolded clothes?No, the owner has made aneffort for you to see all that
is available and hasgrouped everything in apleasing way.
If you have clothing forsale, borrow or rent a roll-ing rack. Shorts and pantsare fine folded on a table,but shirts, dresses andjackets sell much better ifthey are on hangers. If youcannot locate a clothingrack, improvise one with asturdy rod hung securelyfrom the garage rafters.
Look at what your in-ventory is like and groupaccordingly. Clothing,toys, books, electronicsand household items arejust a few of the categoriesthat I put together.
Items should be pricedindividually, with the ex-ception of clothing. Noth-ing frustrates a shoppermore than having to trackdown the sale host to getprices. (I try to price itemsas I stockpile them.) Forclothing, a well-placed
price list is all you need (forexample: T-shirts, $1;Dresses, $5). While someitems may be worth morethan others, the simplicityof a list keeps traffic andmerchandise moving. Also,make sure you have a copyof the price list at the“checkout.”
One nonsale item that isessential is a power cordthat buyers can use to testelectronic items.
Keep people hydratedSummer is the optimum
time for garage sales. Makeit easier for people to stayoutside in the heat andkeep shopping by sellingwater. My daughter is incharge of her own conces-sion stand for hot, thirstybuyers. Consider sellinglemonade or baked goods.It is a good money-earningopportunity for kids, and away to keep buyers en-gaged.
Set reasonable pricesAgain, you are asking
customers to buy what youno longer want. So even ifthat fan cost $60 new,don’t expect to get evenhalf of that at a garage sale.Price it to move; $10-$15 foran almost-new fan is farmore reasonable. Price
your items so that youwon’t be bringing themback into your garage at theend of the day. If you havemore expensive items tooffer, like a flat-screen TV,do a little research. Look atwebsites like Craigslist tosee what people are askinglocally for items like yours,and price it for less.
Don’t be reluctant tobargain with potentialbuyers. At my sales, pricesare typically firm at the be-ginning of the sale day, 8a.m., and discounts are of-fered as the day wears on.
Make checkout easyJust like a store, make it
easy for buyers to pay fortheir items. We set up a ta-ble at the sale entrancewith price lists, a calcula-tor, a cash box, a supply ofbags and a tablet to keeptrack of sales (if more thanone person is hosting).
It is important to haveenough change on hand. Ifyours is the first sale buyersattend, you’ll soon beawash in $20 bills, so makesure you have plenty ofsmall bills, as well as quar-ters. One tip: A carpenter’sapron makes a handy cashholder and change-maker.To keep everything safe,lock up extra money.
Garage sales are typicallyunderstood to be all salesfinal, but there are excep-tions. If key componentsare missing or broken, thebuyer should expect to beable to return the item for arefund. At our last sale, wesold a bug zapper that wasstill in the original box andthat we assumed worked. Itdidn’t, so we gave the guyhis $10 back. It turns outthat we were able to locatethe receipt and return it toWalmart for a $50 refund.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
Garage sale tips offer valuable opportunitiesBY SUSAN DUNLAPMcClatchy News Service
Arrange your garage sale to allow for easy browsing. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTOS
Price your items so that you won’t be bringing themback into your garage at the end of the day.
It’s best to group similaritems together whensetting up a garage sale.
REAL ESTATE
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 30, 2011 9FREAL ESTATE
When Amy Lippmanfirst called her architectabout renovating a Car-pinteria, Calif., beachhouse she had just bought,she tried to find humor inthe design challenge aheadby asking: “Do you want towork on a Taco Bell?”
The house wasn’t reallya fast-food drive-thru, ofcourse, but a 1977 stuccobox with unfortunate ar-chitectural flourishes.Lippman’s husband, Rod-man Flender, thought shewas nuts. After viewingthe property for the firsttime, Los Angeles archi-tect Rachel Allen had toagree with her client’s ini-tial assessment.
“It was one of the ug-liest houses I’ve ever seen,”Allen said, recalling kit-schy porthole windowsand a “hideous” stuccojob. But she also saw be-yond the facade.
“As an architect, I have asoft spot for helping outtroubled properties,” Allensaid. “The house was sobad, we actually got turn-ed on by the challenge inmaking it sing.”
The dark, somber “hob-bit house with low ceil-ings” was worth the effortmainly because of its loca-tion. For Lippman, a writerand producer for TV andfilm, and Flender, a film-maker, the beach housewas to be a family retreat —200 steps from a pristinestretch of CarpinteriaState Beach and a 71-min-ute drive from their houseon the westside of L.A.
The couple chose to re-model the nearly 3,000-square-foot home in twophases over four years.They began by tearing outa strange mishmash offences, installing a newperimeter and moving thegarage to open up the yard.
During the second
phase, the house was gut-ted. On the first floor, thelow ceiling was raised tomake dark interiors openand airy. A stairway by theentry was moved to therear of the house, so sun-light and ocean breezescould flow in through thefront. Upstairs, where thestairwell used to be, Allenadded a casual library forweekend guests.
Because access to andfrom the beach was im-portant, custom built alu-minum doors that com-bine glass and screenswere added to enhance thehome’s breezy, indoor-outdoor feel.
Lippman said thehome’s design sensibility
was clear: “I wanted thingsto be weird and funny. Notsomber or grown-up.”
Client and architect in-corporated traditional ele-ments in unexpected ways.The home’s unconven-tional choices are immedi-ately apparent as soon asone enters the house: Theentire first floor is coveredin pebble flooring, tinysand-colored rocks sealedwith resin.
Upstairs, an oversizedclock and an anatomicalsketch in the kitchen addto the sense of fun thatpermeates the getaway. Inthe living area, colorfulthrift store paintings arearranged against mu-seum-white walls. Other
playful touches: a diningroom table covered in can-vas and finished in nailheads, and outside, a re-tractable awning that canprovide shade for two din-ing room tables pushed to-gether — another commu-nal gathering place.
The couple even consid-ered a periscope. “I like theidea of it,” Lippman saidthoughtfully, clearly notletting go of the concept.
The adjacent communalbathroom was designedwith the YMCA in mind:double sinks, twin stallshowers, plus direct accessfrom the beach. Allen cre-ated a pretty pale blue castby pairing white tile fromAnn Sacks with light bluegrout.
The rest of the house isfurnished with simpleslipcovered and uphol-stered furnishings and in-
expensive IKEA accesso-ries, accented by flea mar-ket finds that Lippman hascollected over the years.
“Amy has an incredibleeye. She is like the Termi-nator: She can go to a jun-kyard and zero in on aunique artwork, a doork-nob,” Flender said, addinglater, “She’s got the eye tofind that one thing.”
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
Stucco eyesore transformed into charmerBY LISA BOONELos Angeles Times
Amy Lippman bought this 1977 stucco house in Car-pinteria, Calif. This is the home before it was reno-vated. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTOS
Amy Lippman and husband Rodman Flender’s bedroom is shown in their dramat-ically remodeled California beach house.
Rodman Flender and son Haskell showcase their guitar skills on the patio of theirCarpinteria, Calif., beach house.
As daylight begins to fade, the stairway is illuminatedby the chandelier.
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Abandoned D/W set up on5 acres. Brick foundation,driveway, ready to movein. Free phone application
Northern Okmulgee County1500 acres less than 10minutes from Bixby.Consider the long termvalue. Rolling topogra-phy, native/improvedgrasses, timber, recre-ation fishing lake withcabin, many ponds, care-taker home, barn, own-ers minerals pass.$2500/acre. JohnWilliams Co. 918-341-5757
OPEN SUN 2-46709 NW 48th St.
Beautiful blt in '05 4bd2K bath 2361sf BethanySchools. »» 209-4523
OPEN HOUSE4008 N. Shannon Ave
REMODELED MUST SEEHOME! Open house SUN.7/24 & 7/31 2-5pm 3bed,
