F REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Carter 3F Permits 5F Handy 9F It’s the Mansura’s stucco detailing that first catches the eye. Stately corner quoins anchor the front porch and garage, while bold bands of raised stucco outline an array of graceful arches and circular windows. PAGE 4F HOUSE PLAN Detailing catches eye The Listing of the Week is a traditional house with a stone exterior in the Quail Creek area of northwest Oklahoma City. PAGE 4F LISTING OF THE WEEK Tradition in stone When shopping for furniture, the best test is to sit on it, then consider the structure of the piece. PAGE 3F IN BRIEF APPRAISER RULES CHANGE The National Associ- ation of Realtors points out that new guidelines from Fannie Mae aim to prohibit lenders from hiring apprais- ers who lack ge- ographic compe- tency in a given area. Fannie Mae also clarified that the Home Valuation Code of Conduct does not require lenders to use third- party appraisal man- agement companies or prohibit Realtors or builders from appropriate commu- nications with ap- praisers. The guide- lines also point out that lenders may request a field or desk review of an appraisal report or obtain a new ap- praisal. Further, ap- praisers may use a short sale or fore- closure as a compa- rable but must con- sider the differences from the property being appraised. ART GOES LEATHER Your memories can now be preserved in leather. Michigan company SmArt Leather Designs has a process to repro- duce a photo or graphic image onto the surface of a customized leather pillow. The printing technology isn’t a transfer, but a per- manent process that infuses the image into the leather so it won’t fade over time, the company says. The process can reproduce pho- tos, corporate logos, monograms, text or other graphic ele- ments. The pillows are sold by the on- line retailer Big Hug — (248) 594-1560 or www.bighugllc.com). Prices range from $99 to $150. They were a dual-in- come family who lived in a majestic Colonial in an af- fluent suburb. But when the husband lost his exec- utive job — and they had to rely solely on the wife’s salary — their financial picture changed dramat- ically. A sharp-penciled analysis of their family budget made one thing clear: They’d have to sell their 4,000-square-foot house and move to a smaller place. Their story illustrates the sober reality that many now face in a national economy with high unem- ployment. When a job is lost, downsizing is often neces- sary. And those who cope best are usually people who move forward quickly toward a sale, rather than waiting until mortgage payments are late and foreclosure looms. “At the end of the day, proactive people fare much better than those who go into denial after a financial setback. If you must sell your house, it’s obviously better to do so before your problems deepen,” said Eric Tyson, a personal fi- nance expert and co-au- thor of “House Selling for Dummies.” Clearly, most people view the need to sell a large family home as a disap- pointing requirement. But there are sometimes ad- vantages for those who must downsize to a smaller place in a more modest community. This was one of the surprising discov- eries made by the family — Tyson’s former neighbors — who had to sell their Co- lonial house. Though they had to trade down from their spa- cious place to a house half the size, the family found that the schools in the new neighborhood were a bet- ter fit for their three chil- dren. Buying the smaller house also liberated the family from some of the fi- nancial stresses they faced in the large Colonial and reduced the demands on them for house upkeep. Of course, there are al- ways drawbacks to invol- untary downsizing. Small- er quarters mean you must adjust to less elbow room. And any teenagers in your family are likely to com- plain about leaving the school their friends at- tend. Whatever the pros and cons in your case, you’re likely to fare better if you take a strategic approach. Here are pointers: › Take control of your destiny. Sid Davis, a real estate broker and author of “A Survival Guide to Selling a Home,” said many people who project that they’ll be unable to meet their mort- gage payments wait too long to make the tough de- cision to sell. Several government and private-sector programs are now available to assist homeowners trying to hang onto their homes in the wake of a financial set- back. But assuming you’ve explored these programs and know you’re ineligible, Davis suggested you hire a reputable real estate agent to list your property and try to sell it as promptly as possible. “Those who wait to get their house on the market often fall back on their payments to the point that they can no longer dig out. One of the big risks is that your credit will be ruined,” he said. › Explore your alterna- tives for the future. One strategy to help smooth the pain of your transition through an in- voluntary home sale is to start checking into other neighborhoods where you might live. The goal here is to select the best commu- nity you can afford. (A trustworthy mortgage lender can help you to de- termine how big a mort- gage payment you can af- ford. But the lender’s opinion is no substitute for an in-depth analysis of your household expenses.) The main advantage to exploring neighborhoods early is that “it’s always better to envision what’s ahead,” Davis said. “You might be pleasantly sur- prised by some of the at- tributes in the new area.” However, he urged you to resist the temptation to tour specific homes until you have a sales contract in hand for your old place. E-mail Ellen James Martin at [email protected]. UNIVERSAL UCLICK Ellen James Martin SMART MOVES Make the most of involuntary home sale EDMOND — Certain of life’s detours take you farther out of your way than others. Maybe a few orange cones around a sinkhole send you down a side street. Or maybe the price of a barrel of oil does a nosedive, and your vacation plans change from Lake Geneva to Lake Eufaula. For Jay Holman, lead comput- er draftsman for Brent Gibson Classic Home Design and a home designer in his own right, the de- tour was a little more circuitous. And it lasted about 20 years. “When I was 18, I got a job working for a remodel company,” Holman said. Bringing home the skills he learned on the job, Holman built a workshop for his dad — poured the cement slab and raised simple frame walls. “I knew right away, I loved it,” he said. Starting then, Holman was in for detour No. 1. The Altus native headed to the University of Oklahoma, where he played for Coach Barry Switzer’s Sooners during the 1974 and 1975 football seasons. “I was a ‘reserve lineman,’” Holman said with a laugh, “a nice way of saying I wasn’t a starter. But I did get in a good amount of play- ing time.” At OU, Holman earned his bachelor’s degree in mathematics while working part-time at the Norman Transcript, a job that soon turned into a career. And yet another detour. Holman, as circulation manager for the Norman daily newspaper, started a family with his wife, Mel- isa, raising four daughters. But after more than a decade, Holman said, his “passion for drawing and design,” combined with his aptitude for computers (remember that mathematics de- gree), finally got him back on track. Holman said he became fasci- nated with computer-aided de- sign, or CAD, in the early 1990s while calling on a homebuilder who was struggling with the new software. He fig- ured out quickly that he was able not only to work on the drafting program but also to build some improvements to it. After a year of training in computer drafting, Holman was nudged once and for all onto the path he was “meant to take.” It happened when he met residential designer Brent Gibson and Jay Holman, lead computer draftsman for Brent Gibson Classic Home Design, designed this home at 11101Waters Welling in the Lakeside at Oakdale addition near Hefner Road and Air Depot. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN COMPUTER DRAFTING HELPS EDMOND HOME DESIGNER IN MAPPING OUT LIFE BY TIM FALL Special Correspondent [email protected]Jay Holman Mark Baumann, holding Hunter, Amy Bau- mann, holding Samantha, and designer Brent Gibson are shown at the Baumann home Gibson designed on Acorn Drive in the Sum- mit at Oak Tree addition in Edmond. PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRENT GIBSON SEE DESIGN, PAGE 2F Mi-Ling Stone Poole ASK MI-LING Sit on it!
Transcript
FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Carter 3FPermits 5FHandy 9F
It’s the Mansura’s stucco detailingthat first catches the eye. Statelycorner quoins anchor the front porchand garage, while bold bands of raisedstucco outline an array of gracefularches and circular windows.PAGE 4F
HOUSE PLAN
Detailing catches eye
The Listing of the Week is atraditional house with astone exterior in the QuailCreek area of northwestOklahoma City.
PAGE 4F
LISTING OF THE WEEK
Traditionin stone
When shopping forfurniture, the besttest is to sit on it,then consider thestructure of thepiece.
PAGE 3F
IN BRIEF
APPRAISERRULES CHANGEThe National Associ-ation of Realtorspoints out that newguidelines fromFannie Mae aim toprohibit lendersfrom hiring apprais-ers who lack ge-ographic compe-tency in a given area.Fannie Mae alsoclarified that theHome ValuationCode of Conductdoes not requirelenders to use third-party appraisal man-agement companiesor prohibit Realtorsor builders fromappropriate commu-nications with ap-praisers. The guide-lines also point outthat lenders mayrequest a field ordesk review of anappraisal report orobtain a new ap-praisal. Further, ap-praisers may use ashort sale or fore-closure as a compa-rable but must con-sider the differencesfrom the propertybeing appraised.
ART GOESLEATHERYour memories cannow be preserved inleather. Michigancompany SmArtLeather Designs hasa process to repro-duce a photo orgraphic image ontothe surface of acustomized leatherpillow. The printingtechnology isn’t atransfer, but a per-manent process thatinfuses the imageinto the leather so itwon’t fade overtime, the companysays. The processcan reproduce pho-tos, corporate logos,monograms, text orother graphic ele-ments. The pillowsare sold by the on-line retailer Big Hug— (248) 594-1560 orwww.bighugllc.com).Prices range from$99 to $150.
They were a dual-in-come family who lived in amajestic Colonial in an af-fluent suburb. But whenthe husband lost his exec-utive job — and they had torely solely on the wife’ssalary — their financialpicture changed dramat-ically. A sharp-penciledanalysis of their familybudget made one thingclear: They’d have to selltheir 4,000-square-foothouse and move to asmaller place.
Their story illustratesthe sober reality that manynow face in a nationaleconomy with high unem-ployment.
When a job is lost,downsizing is often neces-sary. And those who copebest are usually peoplewho move forward quicklytoward a sale, rather thanwaiting until mortgagepayments are late andforeclosure looms.
“At the end of the day,proactive people fare muchbetter than those who go
into denial after a financialsetback. If you must sellyour house, it’s obviouslybetter to do so before yourproblems deepen,” saidEric Tyson, a personal fi-nance expert and co-au-thor of “House Selling forDummies.”
Clearly, most peopleview the need to sell a largefamily home as a disap-pointing requirement. Butthere are sometimes ad-vantages for those whomust downsize to a smallerplace in a more modestcommunity. This was oneof the surprising discov-eries made by the family —Tyson’s former neighbors— who had to sell their Co-lonial house.
Though they had totrade down from their spa-cious place to a house halfthe size, the family foundthat the schools in the newneighborhood were a bet-ter fit for their three chil-dren.
Buying the smallerhouse also liberated thefamily from some of the fi-nancial stresses they facedin the large Colonial andreduced the demands onthem for house upkeep.
Of course, there are al-ways drawbacks to invol-untary downsizing. Small-er quarters mean you mustadjust to less elbow room.And any teenagers in yourfamily are likely to com-plain about leaving theschool their friends at-tend.
Whatever the pros andcons in your case, you’relikely to fare better if youtake a strategic approach.Here are pointers:
› Take control of yourdestiny.
Sid Davis, a real estate
broker and author of “ASurvival Guide to Selling aHome,” said many peoplewho project that they’ll beunable to meet their mort-gage payments wait toolong to make the tough de-cision to sell.
Several government andprivate-sector programsare now available to assisthomeowners trying tohang onto their homes inthe wake of a financial set-back. But assuming you’veexplored these programsand know you’re ineligible,Davis suggested you hire areputable real estate agentto list your property andtry to sell it as promptly aspossible.
“Those who wait to gettheir house on the marketoften fall back on theirpayments to the point thatthey can no longer dig out.One of the big risks is thatyour credit will be ruined,”he said.
› Explore your alterna-tives for the future.
One strategy to help
smooth the pain of yourtransition through an in-voluntary home sale is tostart checking into otherneighborhoods where youmight live. The goal here isto select the best commu-nity you can afford. (Atrustworthy mortgagelender can help you to de-termine how big a mort-gage payment you can af-ford. But the lender’sopinion is no substitute foran in-depth analysis ofyour household expenses.)
The main advantage toexploring neighborhoodsearly is that “it’s alwaysbetter to envision what’sahead,” Davis said. “Youmight be pleasantly sur-prised by some of the at-tributes in the new area.”
However, he urged youto resist the temptation totour specific homes untilyou have a sales contract inhand for your old place.
EDMOND — Certain of life’s detours take youfarther out of your way than others.
Maybe a few orange cones around a sinkholesend you down a side street. Or maybe theprice of a barrel of oil does anosedive, and your vacationplans change from Lake Genevato Lake Eufaula.
For Jay Holman, lead comput-er draftsman for Brent GibsonClassic Home Design and a homedesigner in his own right, the de-tour was a little more circuitous.
And it lasted about 20 years.“When I was 18, I got a job
working for a remodel company,”Holman said.
Bringing home the skills helearned on the job, Holman built a workshopfor his dad — poured the cement slab andraised simple frame walls.
“I knew right away, I loved it,” he said.Starting then, Holman was in for detour No.
1. The Altus native headed to the University ofOklahoma, where he played for Coach BarrySwitzer’s Sooners during the 1974 and 1975football seasons.
“I was a ‘reserve lineman,’ ” Holman said
with a laugh, “a nice way of saying I wasn’t astarter. But I did get in a good amount of play-ing time.”
At OU, Holman earned his bachelor’s degreein mathematics while working part-time at theNorman Transcript, a job that soon turned intoa career.
And yet another detour.Holman, as circulation manager
for the Norman daily newspaper,started a family with his wife, Mel-isa, raising four daughters.
But after more than a decade,Holman said, his “passion fordrawing and design,” combinedwith his aptitude for computers(remember that mathematics de-gree), finally got him back on track.
Holman said he became fasci-nated with computer-aided de-
sign, or CAD, in the early 1990swhile calling on a homebuilder who
was struggling with the new software. He fig-ured out quickly that he was able not only towork on the drafting program but also to buildsome improvements to it.
After a year of training in computer drafting,Holman was nudged once and for all onto thepath he was “meant to take.” It happened whenhe met residential designer Brent Gibson and
Jay Holman, lead computer draftsman for Brent Gibson Classic Home Design, designed this home at 11101 Waters Welling in the Lakesideat Oakdale addition near Hefner Road and Air Depot. PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
COMPUTER DRAFTING HELPS EDMONDHOME DESIGNER IN MAPPING OUT LIFE
Mark Baumann, holding Hunter, Amy Bau-mann, holding Samantha, and designer BrentGibson are shown at the Baumann homeGibson designed on Acorn Drive in the Sum-mit at Oak Tree addition in Edmond.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRENT GIBSONSEE DESIGN, PAGE 2F
Mi-LingStonePoole
ASKMI-LING
Sit on it!
2F SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
accepted Gibson’s offer of a titanic career change: to be-come his computer draftsman.
Gibson, who has created distinctive homes for 30years, said Holman is “an expert draftsman” and “a tal-ented artist” whom he is pleased to watch embark on solodesign projects.
“Jay brought a whole new level of quality to my busi-ness,” Gibson said. “Before he came along, I wasn’t able tooffer computer renderings of my designs to clients.”
For Holman’s part, he credits Gibson with exposinghim to home design and offering insights into bringing aclient’s vision to life that “I never would have found on myown.”
For builders such as Aaron Dodson, Silverstone andothers, Holman has been generating layouts for modeland custom homes since 2002.
Holman’s design was chosen by builder Neal McGee forthe 2010 St. Jude Dream Home in the Iron Horse Ranchaddition.
“We were more than happy that Jay offered his design(for the dream home),” said Lindsey McGee, vice presi-dent of operations for Neal McGee Homes.
McGee said her family’s company had found Holman“great to work with” and was always pleased with hisability to make “quick changes on the fly.”
Holman said that although business “came to ascreeching halt” for many in the industry in the latter partof 2008, there is now renewed activity for his designs,especially in the under-2,500-square-foot range.
Holman said he’s glad to be working again with peoplewho “sketch out their dreams at the kitchen table” and let
him “turn it into an actual, buildable plan.”Between rendering Gibson’s designs and creating his
own, Holman said he spends what little free time he haswith his family, which now includes nine grandchildren.
And as for getting back to that spark he first felt buildinga simple, solid workshop for his father?
“I may even design a house for myself someday,” Hol-man mused.
FROM PAGE 1F
Design: Client’s vision of home vital
Left: Trees appear to frame part of the house at 11101Waters Welling designed by Jay Holman.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
The front elevation of Plan 3152 by Jay Holman, lead computer draftsman for Brent Gibson Classic Home De-sign. PROVIDED BY JAY HOLMAN
A splash of red helps distinctive arched, windowsstand out on a home Jay Holman designed in the La-keside at Oakdale addition near Hefner Road and AirDepot Boulevard.
PHOTO BY JIM BECKEL, THE OKLAHOMAN
Jay Holman designed this year’s St. Jude Dream Home in Edmond.PHOTO BY DAVID MCDANIEL, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE
The front elevation of Plan 3400 by Jay Holman of Brent Gibson Classic Home Design. PROVIDED BY JAY HOLMAN
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 3FREAL ESTATE
DEAR MI-LING: I justremodeled my home andam looking for a goodquality brown leatherrecliner and chair, howev-er, after reading the cus-tomer feedback and re-searching for a fewmonths, I do not want topurchase from a store thatonly guarantees its workfor one year!
Please help. Can youdirect me to a place thathas excellent kiln-driedwood, excellent construc-tion, resilient cushionsthat don’t collapse aftersix months and guaran-tees their work beyondone year? Something maylook good online, howev-er, I’ve read horror storiesfrom deceived customers.
I would gratefully ap-preciate some advice. Iam willing to spend up to$2,000 for a sofa andchair, not including endtables, cocktail table, andaccessories. Thank you somuch
A guy in needDEAR A GUY IN
NEED: As far as whichbrand you should buyversus another, I reallydon’t feel comfortable
making a broad state-ment.
However, the best testis to sit in the furnitureand then look at thestructure of the piece. Ifyou visit a furniture gal-lery that has a variety ofbrands and prices, youwill be able to touch, feeland sit in the products.
Ask to see the leatherand fabric swatches andto view the prices accord-ing to the grade of fabric.
I would select a high-quality leather becauseyou can easily clean it andover time it wears betterthan most fabrics.
Be sure to ask if realleather is used all over thechair or just on the placeswhere you sit. Often-
times, lower-quality piec-es will use leather-likeproducts on areas thatyou don’t touch.
If you order a customsofa or recliner, you canusually select the grade ofleather and cushions thatbest suit your budget andstyle.
In many of the low-endframes, you can pushdown on the arms andfeel cardboard. Make sure
your frames are solidwood and the cushionshave eight-way hand-tiedcoil springs.
I have several pieceswith lifetime warrantiesand I have found that it’smore important to pur-chase your furniture froma reputable store that hasa repair department andvalues customer service.
With improper use,most couches and chairs
will eventually pop aspring, but the rightleather can last a lifetime.
Now go out and createyour own unique comfortzone!
Mi-Ling Stone Poole is the author of“Ask Mi-Ling! When You Want theTruth About Decorating.” You can listento her radio show, “Mi-Ling’s ComfortZone,” from noon to 1 p.m. Sundays onKTOK AM 1000. If you have adecorating dilemma, e-mail her atwww.Mi-Ling.com.
For quality, buy furniture from reputable storeMi-LingStonePoole
ASKMI-LING
Q: I’ve noticed thenumber of residentialforeclosures is still high.What is the relationshipbetween states’ unem-ployment rates andstates’ rates of fore-closures in the U.S.? Arethe two connected?
A: We can use a statis-tic called Pearson’s prod-uct-moment correlationcoefficient, or Pearson’s r,to see whether the twoare related.
Using the newest dataavailable — states’ fore-closure filings and states’unemployment rates forMay — the result is 0.56.That means there’s a highpositive correlation. Pear-son’s r ranges between 1.0,which means a perfectcorrelation, and minus1.0, a perfect negativecorrelation. No correla-tion would mean a Pear-son’s r of 0.
Karl Pearson, who in-vented this statistic, was aCambridge-trained En-glish academic who pio-neered mathematicalstatistics before the turnof the 20th century. Pear-son’s r measures correla-tion between two varia-bles, but there are bettermeasurements that aremore robust — that is,
less susceptible to errordue to outlying datapoints.
Before the housingcrash and its aftermath,there were long-termfactors that explained themuch smaller range ofstates’ unemploymentrates. Americans weremoving generally into theSouthern and Westernstates from Midweststates. The 5.1 percentnational unemploymentrate in 2005 stood abouthalf of what is today. Twoof the states with thehighest unemploymentrates today, Florida andNevada, had unemploy-ment rates of 3.8 percentand 4.1 percent, respec-tively, in 2005.
RealtyTrac reports
foreclosures remain highin 2010, and the govern-ment’s mortgage mod-ification isn’t makingmuch of a dent in theproblem. Of course, ahigh, positive correlationbetween unemploymentand residential foreclo-sures doesn’t explaincausation, but the twoprobably overlap some-what.
Charles Carter specializes in real estateanalysis after years of experience as aprofessor, real estate lawyer andappraiser. He is a consultant at HaintBlue Realty in Mount Pleasant, S.C.Send questions to [email protected]. Please include full name andhometown.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES
Unemployment linkedto home foreclosures
CharlesCarter
REAL ESTATE Q&A
4F SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
It’s the Mansura’s stuc-co detailing that firstcatches the eye. Statelycorner quoins anchor thefront porch and garage,while bold bands of raisedstucco outline an array ofgraceful elliptical archesand charming circularwindows.
All rooms, with the ex-ception of two bedroomsand a bonus room, are onthe ground floor. This ar-rangement makes the planparticularly well-suited toempty-nesters and fam-ilies with older children.Resident teens can enjoytheir music without forc-ing you to hear it, andwhen the children moveon, those upper rooms canbe kept ready for guests,converted to office space,or used for hobbies.
A lofty vaulted ceilingoverarches the entry,breakfast nook and greatroom, and the entire spaceis awash with light. Side-lights and transom win-dows brighten the entry,where an elevated plantshelf extends over the coatcloset. In the family room,elongated windows flankthe gas fireplace. In thebreakfast nook, an atriumdoor offers patio access,and more light spills inthrough a wide side win-dow. Another vaulted ceil-ing expands the dining
room with its bay-win-dow.
The roomy kitchen isconveniently located be-tween the nook and diningroom. A raised eating barminimally separates itfrom the nook, and apocket door allows totalseparation from the diningroom, when desired.Counter space and cup-boards are amply suppliedhere, including a largewalk-in pantry with fiveshelves. Utilities and apowder room are nearby.
Notable features in theMansura’s owners’ suiteinclude direct access to a
private patio, two walk-inclosets (one much largerthan the other), and a lux-urious bathroom softly il-luminated by the light thatfilters in through glassblocks in the bathing al-cove.
For a review plan, in-cluding scaled floor plans,elevations, section andartist’s conception, send$25 to Associated Designs,1100 Jacobs Drive, Eugene,OR, 97402. Please specifythe Mansura 30-188 andinclude a return addresswhen ordering. For moreinformation call (800)634-0123.
HOUSE PLAN
Stucco detailing, plansingle out the Mansura
The Listing of the Week is a traditionalhouse with stone exterior in the QuailCreek area of northwest Oklahoma City.
The 3,054-square-foot house has threebedrooms, 2½ baths, three living rooms,two dining areas and an attached two-cargarage. The formal living room has a rockfireplace. The family room has a wet barand a wall of built-in shelves. The studyhas French doors and could be a fourthbedroom. The kitchen has a work island,eating space and pantry. The master bed-room has a walk-in shower and bath withdouble vanities, tub and shower, and a
door to the patio. Secondary bedroomshave walk-in closets. The house has acovered patio, security system and under-ground sprinkler system.
Built in 1979, it is listed for $359,000with Pam Klepper of Keller Williams Re-alty. For more information, call 948-7500or 627-2113.
Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send information aboutsingle-family homes to The Oklahoman,Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, OklahomaCity, OK 73125. Nominations may be faxedto 475-3996.
LISTING OF THE WEEK
The Listing of the Week is at 12117 Quail Creek Road. PHOTO PROVIDED
Quail Creek stone housefeatures plenty of room
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State AttorneyGeneral Jerry Brown sued the federal gov-ernment, asking a judge to stop govern-ment-sponsored mortgage buyers fromblocking a program that lets homeownerspay for energy-efficient improvementsthrough increased property taxes.
Brown’s lawsuit argues that Fannie Maeand Freddie Mac’s opposition is forcingCalifornia counties to halt plans to pro-vide the incentives. He sued the buyersand their regulatory agency, the FederalHousing Finance Agency, in U.S. DistrictCourt in Oakland.
The voluntary Property Assessed CleanEnergy program encourages homeownersto install solar panels, upgrade insulationand take other steps to improve energy ef-ficiency, Brown said. Homeowners payfor the improvements through propertytax assessments over a decade or more.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac say theprograms could give counties top priorityto be repaid if homeowners default ontheir mortgages. As a result, they said
they could not buy or guarantee mortgag-es on properties that participate. The Fed-eral Housing Finance Agency affirmedthat legal interpretation July 6.
“Mortgage holders should not be forcedto absorb new credit risks after they havealready purchased or guaranteed a mort-gage,” Acting Director Edward J. DeMarcosaid.
DeMarco said in a statement that hisagency will fight Brown’s lawsuit in orderto protect taxpayers, lenders and bothmortgage programs.
Freddie Mac spokesman Brad Germanand Fannie Mae spokeswoman JaniceSmith declined to comment.
Brown, the Democratic nominee forgovernor, argues in his lawsuit that thegovernment incorrectly interprets theprogram as providing loans. He says theyare classified under California law as taxassessments, which would require newowners to take over the payments if ahome is sold before the improvements arepaid off.
Other states have or are considering al-lowing similar programs.
California sues governmentover renewable energy loansBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bonnie King has joinedParadigm AdvantEdge Re-al Estate, 16301 N May, as aresidential real estate salesassociate.
She has been licensed tosell real estate in Virginiafor 36 years and owned aproperty managementcompany there. She be-came licensed in Okla-homa three years ago. Sheholds the AccreditedBuyers Representativeprofessional designation.
Bonnie King
King joinsrealty office
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 5FREAL ESTATE
Oklahoma CityJeff Wohead, 6615 N
May Ave., restaurant,erect, $420,000.
IBC, 13801 N WesternAve., training center,remodel, $398,000.
P&G ConstructionLLC, 8500 S HiwasseeRoad, residence, erect,$300,000.
A&J Homes Inc., 13216SE 94, residence, erect,$286,000.
4 Corners ConstructionLLC, 15008 SE 58, resi-dence, erect, $261,000.
Midwest Wrecking,3501 Quail Creek Road,maintenance building.
Midwest Wrecking, 301SE 31, storage.
Midwest Wrecking, 301SE 31, storage.
Quality Cut Lawns,14201 SE 76 Place, resi-dence.
Ray’s Trucking, 8120Dripping Springs Lane,house.
Ray’s Trucking, 1809NW 8, residence.
Bill Walker, 3300 NE 12,storage.
Permits
6F SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Q: We have a row of Frenchdoors leading out to the patio fromour living-dining room. There’s a lotof traffic going in and out. I wouldlike to put a runner or something toprotect the floor in front of thedoors, but I don’t know what willstand up and still look OK. Our fur-niture is pretty traditional and thearea rug is a tweed, mostly beige.
A: How about an old idea that’sback looking very new and glamagain? Try a floorcloth.
Made of sturdy canvas soakedthrough with linseed oil under awear- and water-resistant finish,floorcloths were already a time-honored tradition for Europeanfloors when the first settlers broughtthe floorcloth concept here withthem. Householders and — lateritinerant house painters — createdtheir own “oylcloths” to add bothcolor and a degree of warmth under-foot.
Later, floorcloths came to bespread under some pretty importantfeet. George Washington owned atleast one; Thomas Jefferson had sucha “crumbcloth” in his White Housedining room, and even the greathouses back in the Old World or-dered large floorcloths to protecttheir entry halls. One early examplestill survives in the Swedish RoyalPalace in Tullgarn, but floorcloths allbut disappeared in the mid-1800s,eclipsed by the invention of lino-leum.
The coming of the country lookand concomitant interest in hand-crafts in the mid-1900s has broughtfloorcloths back into fashion, butwith some interesting moderntwists. Polycrylic finishes have re-placed varnish and shellac, andthere’s a world of new colors and im-ages. For one example, the giantflowers on the pictured floorcloth areactually photographs of kale heads,seen extremely close up. Nice way toget your vegetables and add color toyour room at the same time.
The hidden beauty of this floor-cloth (by photographer Melabee M.Miller, manufactured by Step OnArt, www.steponart.com) is its inde-structibility. Just a step inside thedoors, and it literally shrugs offtracked-in grunge — a broom ordamp mop keeps it looking clean andalmost edible.
Q: Why take good design seri-ously?
A: Why, indeed, when good designcan be as much fun as some of theworks we saw at the InternationalNew York Gift Fair. Talents from allover the world were on display withnew, fresh — and often, very funny —
ideas for making the home a happyplace.
At Dust Furniture (an imperativepun), engineer-cabinetmaker Vin-cent Thomas Leman and graphicartist Jessie Leman teamed up tothrow a curve into classical design.Their quirky, handcrafted tables,hutches, cabinets and clocks —available in some 25 brilliant colors,like apple green and cobalt blue —lean, lurch and quickly angle theirway into collectors’ hearts.
“People who like my work like it alot!” Vincent says. But just oneswinging-swaying-yawing piecewould take the “staid” out of anyroom. See what we mean atwww.dustfurniture.com. But take aDramamine first!
Another handcrafting company,Cake Vintage Table & Home, unsetsthe table and turns old silver-plated
spoons into sparkling chandeliers. Ittakes 240 to create the three-tier,seven-light “Spoondelier” thatwould brighten any cooking buff’slife. Another version comes with tea-cups, too. Seeing is believing atwww.cakevintage.com.
We dare you not to howl (withlaughter) at artist Valerie Leonard’sAnimal Ancestors for Dutch TouchArt (www.dutchtouchart.com).Think your beagle is regal?
Wait till she gives him Gainsbor-ough’s “Blue Boy” body! You send aphoto of your mutt’s mug and she’llpaint him/her into art history, quiteliterally. Try picturing Rachael Ray’spit bull as Michelangelo’s “David.”Too doggone funny.
Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of “ManhattanStyle,” “Hampton Style,” and five other books oninterior design.
CREATORS.COM
Don’t run from floorHOME DECOR | PHOTO FLOORCLOTHS OFFER NEW LOOK FOR OLD-FASHIONED RUGS
BY ROSE BENNETT GILBERTCreators Syndicate
Step on it: Still as durable as traditional floorcloths, a contemporary ver-sion features photo close-ups. CREATORS PHOTO
Gina Gelso Appleton hasjoined Paradigm Advant-Edge Real Estate, 16301 NMay, as a residential realestate sales associate.
She has been selling res-idential real estate in themetro area for the pastthree years. Previously, shewas an executive assistantfor an Oklahoma state sen-ator and an assistant to aHouse member. She at-tended Northeastern StateUniversity in Tahlequahand earned a bachelor’sdegree in speech patholo-gy. She also attended theUniversity of Oklahomaand earned a master’s de-gree in human relations.
Gina Gelso Appleton
Appletonjoins office
Jill Johnson has joinedParadigm AdvantEdge Re-al Estate, 16301 N MayAve., as a residential realestate sales associate.
She attended OklahomaState University andearned a business degree.Previously, she worked insales for 12 years.
Johnsonjoins office
La Donna West hasjoined Paradigm Advant-Edge Real Estate, 16301 NMay Ave., as a residentialreal estate sales associate.
She is a lifelong residentof Oklahoma and attendedSoutheastern OklahomaState University in Durant,where she studied market-ing and business manage-ment. She has been sellingreal estate for 22 years andhas earned Graduate Real-tor Institute, CertifiedResidential Specialist and
Short Sale & ForeclosureResource professionaldesignations.
West joins realty office
La Donna West
7FSATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010THE OKLAHOMAN NEWSOK.COM
8F SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Dr. Phil, as straight-shooting TV host PhilMcGraw is best known,and his wife, Robin, havelisted their Mediterraneanvilla in Beverly Hills at$16.5 million.
The couple is selling be-cause they have bought ahillside view home thatthey’ve been admiring foryears.
The walled and gatedproperty they are sellingsits on nearly three-quar-ters of an acre. It includes amain house, a detachedguesthouse, an outdoordining room and a swim-ming pool.
There is a two-story en-try, a theater, a gym, a bil-liard room, temperature-controlled wine storage,eight bedrooms and ninebathrooms. The couple
bought the house in 2002for about $7.5 million, ac-cording to the Los AngelesTimes.
More details on theirnew purchase were notavailable.
McGraw, 59, who wasborn in Vinita and grew upin Oklahoma City, startedhis daily “Dr. Phil” show in2002. He has a doctorate inclinical psychology and is abest-selling author.
Dr. Phil McGraw puts house on market
TV host Dr. Phil McGraw and his wife Robin have listed their Mediterranean villa in Beverly Hills at $16.5 mil-lion. MCCLATCHEY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
BY MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICE
Robin and Dr. PhilMcGraw. AP FILE PHOTO
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 9FREAL ESTATE
Q: I have a 1950s home. Last year I re-modeled but did not change out thewindows. I got an estimate yesterday(for new windows) at $8,200. Wouldthat be a good invest-ment?
A: The answer to thatquestion depends on whatyou mean by it being agood investment.
First of all, I’m a big fanof changing out older, sin-gle-pane windows for newenergy-efficient ones.They save on utility costs;they help conserve energy for all of us;and they’ll make your home quieter andmore comfortable. So from the stand-point of comfort and reduced utility bills,it’s definitely a good investment.
Most of today’s buyers are looking forenergy efficiency when they shop for ahome, and many probably would rathernot have to tackle a remodeling project asextensive as changing out a house full ofwindows. So, as a selling feature to make ahome more attractive to a buyer, it’s defi-nitely a good investment.
Finally, we would need to look at it froma strictly financial perspective, and that’sa much harder one to answer. If you’re go-ing to stay in the home awhile, you wouldneed to look at what the monthly energysavings would be, then divide that num-ber into $8,200 to determine how manymonths it would take to pay back the ini-tial investment.
If you’re planning on selling soon, youshould talk to your real estate agent andsee what homes such as yours are sellingfor with and without upgraded windows.The difference in sales prices will be apretty good indicator as to whether you’ll
recover the full $8,200. It’s doubtfulyou’ll recoup the entire investment, butthe home should be easier and faster tosell with the new windows, so you’ll have
to factor those savings intothe financial mix as well.
Q: I live in a buildingthat is 80 years old andhas 90 apartments. Thewastewater drain linesare clogged up but notcorroded as could be ex-pected. The lines are castiron. The actual diameteris about an inch or a little
more, but the problem is they are sobadly clogged that the inner diameter isabout half an inch or less. The stuffclogging the pipes is probably organicmatter that now appears to be harden-ed. It is now not possible to install gar-bage disposers because of the clogging,as they will make things worse.Strangely enough, the drains from thetoilets seem to be OK; only the linesfrom the wash basins seem to beclogged.
The question I have is whether it ispossible to clean out this stuff with areamer or snake or some other meanswithout replacing all the pipes, whichobviously is going to cost a great deal?If so, what is the best method?
A: The cast-iron pipes in your buildingare very resistant to corrosion, so unlessthey are damaged or leaking, there wouldbe no real reason to replace them. Whatyou are seeing in the sink drains is typical-ly a sticky mixture of grease, soap, hairand food — a combination that tends tocongeal and stick to itself and the inside ofthe pipes. This mix of organic material,
combined with the relatively small diam-eter of the sink drain lines, is why youhave a bigger problem at the sinks thanyou do at the larger diameter, grease-freetoilet lines.
The solution is to have the drains pro-fessionally cleaned. The cleaning compa-ny uses a powered, rotating auger on along line to remove and flush away thebuildup of material inside the pipes andrestore much of the original inside diame-ter. The cleaning company can also assessthe condition of the pipes, the relativeamount of buildup and other conditionspresent in your building, and can give youadvice on what steps to take to prevent thebuildup from occurring again. It can alsoadvise you on whether the addition of agarbage disposal would be possible.
Q: I have a deck that needs replace-ment of some boards. The deck is about10 years old, and the boards are fas-tened to the joists using small steel “de-vices” or “setups” (I do not know anoth-er word for it) that hold the boards inplace, keep them from touching thejoists directly and conceal the nailheads. I have been asking around, butnobody seems to know what I am talk-ing about. When I show them an exam-ple of such a device, they tell me thatthey have never seen such a thing. Canyou help me?
A: There are a number of types of con-cealed fasteners such as the ones you de-scribe. Some types are football-shapedand fit into a recess that is cut into thesides of the boards, while others have pinsthat go into the sides of the boards andthen a screw that goes down into the joist.There are other styles as well.
With about all of the concealed fasten-ers, they are installed individually as eachboard is placed down. As you say, theyprevent the screw heads from being vis-ible, but they also make it more difficult toremove individual boards. With all theones I’m familiar with, in order to removethe decking, you will need to start at oneend of the deck and take up the first boardat the edge, then remove the concealedfasteners, then take up the next board inline, and so on.
If you need to replace individual boardsin the middle of the deck, the only otheroption is to cut out the board from above,remove it and the concealed fastener, theninstall a new board and fasten it from thetop with screws. This will leave the screwheads exposed, or you can countersink thescrews and then cover them with match-ing wood plugs, which will help blend thenew board in with the existing boards thatdon’t have exposed fasteners.
Most of today’s buyers are looking for energy efficiencywhen they shop for a home, and many probably wouldrather not have to tackle a remodeling project as extensiveas changing out a house full of windows.
Oakwood Apts 5824 NW 34K off Move in Special
1bd 1ba, 750sf $335mo$175dp 409-7989 no sec8
V-Nice, 1 mi E of Tinker,3/1/2 ch&a, util rm, $525+$300, no pets, 732-4351
617 NW 51st, clean, safe3 bd/utility, ch&a, no Sec8, no smoking, no pets,$750 per month, 842-8389, open Sat 9-3.
11705 N. Francis2/1.5/2. No pets $625
TMS Prop 348-0720
Edmond Office Spaces625sf, $835; 275sf, $400;or both $1200. All inclu-sive. 359-7100, 641-0468
2bd stone home almost3/4 AC, $12,900 cash.Hurry. Spencer, cornerlot. 301-6495
•ABC• Affordable, Bugfree, Clean » 787-7212»
$199 To Move InSe Habla Espanol
Carriage Square Apts634-6380
80 Acres W of PiedmontEasy access, aprx. 1/2 miS. of Waterloo Rd, 7 miW. of Piedmont . Greatpastures, good fences,pond, plenty of buildingsites & lots of wildlife.Deer, Turkey, Bobcats,Coyotes & Quail! Pro-tected land surroundedby wheat fields. $300,000.Serious inquiries onlyplease. 405-517-9989.
160 acres, 5000 sq fthome, irrigation system,25 minutes to downtown
OKC, 850-0532.
3 bedroom 1.5 bath, brickhome, Park Estates,$27,900 cash. 301-6495.
OWNER FINANCING$2000 down No Credit Ck2516 Murray 3/1 $52,000
596-4599, 410-8840
Open House Sun. 2-43152 SW 71st, 3 bed,
1 ba, brick, remodeled.$72,900 ‘ 570-5310
1.4AC 4bed home 1539sqft. Oppt. of lifetime.$39,900 Cash. Woodedlot. Spencer 301-6495.
1127 NW 97th, 2 bd,1 bath, New paint insideand outside, New carpet,Very cute home $425/mo
408-5836
Section 8 OK 3 bed336 NW 85th $675 +Deposit 942-3552
FORECLOSURES165, 1-4 bdrm homes in
NW OKC start @ $21,500Patrick@Allied 740-6616
For Sale By Owner 320ac, Lincoln County, OK.405-258-3634/918-740-3197
Manufactured Home3bed, 2ba, 1536$48,000 or take over pay-ments. 580-513-1859
Now LeasingWesley Village Retirement
Center - Independentliving. ALL bills paidRental AssistanceCall 405-232-2190PIEDMONT SCHLS 5 ac
MOL tracts starting @$32,900. CASHION 5 ac
MOL w/great bldg site &access to private lake
$29,900. LisaCleaton & Assoc 373-2494
2004 16x80 3x2 $24,900301-2454/517-5000
Warehouse/OfficeI-40 & Meridian,
2200-4819sf, 946-2516
CASHION ACREAGESw/trees & creek.
6 to 11 ac tracts. Ownerfinancing possible.
starting @ $25,000. LisaCleaton & Assoc 373-2494
Lake Home/PropertyWashita Point/Lake Tex-oma New Home! 4 BR,2.5 Baths, 2100 sq ft. on
lg lot. Add'l lots avail.Owner: 580-795-5195
»» SE Houses »»605-5477 Free List
1724 SE 51 3bed $5956504 S. Kelly 2/1/1 $450»» SW Houses »»
8625 S Miller 4bd $7951640 SW 79 3/2/2 $7951528 SW 80 3/2/2 $7951409 SW 77 Pl 3/2/2 $7958203 S Klein 3/1.5/1$595housesforrentofokc.com
Live on lake 4.43 ACbacks up to cove. Greathunting and fishing- agreat buy. Has 3000sfmetal bldg, elec & wtrwell on Lake Eufaula.$76,000. 918-381-2928.
Fort Gibson LakefrontHome - enclosed dock onquiet cove w/ view ofdam. All elec., 2/2, lrgmaster w/ walk-in, lrglaundry/mud rm, FP,screened porch, on 1 ac.
Many upgrades:windows, kitchen, floors.$168,000 No Agents
918-478-5466 for appt.
4 yr old house, 4 bd, 3 ba,2400 sf, 3 car $1450mo,$1450dep. 405-205-3328
BY OWNER - totalremodel, 3bd 1.5ba 1carch&a, many extras, $83K705 Holoway Dr. 787-8099
3 & 4 bedroomsSW Edmond. LindaC21 Mark V. 850-5541
Huge Inventory home sale!Own Land or have FamilyLand use land to purchasenew home! Need Land?Land/Home I-20 acresavailable. 3, 4, 5 bedrmManufactured & Modularhomes. Turn Key, we doit all! 1000 furniturepackage with purchase888-878-2971 405-204-4163
$201 Total Move-In CostEnergy Eff., $301 movein/1 bd, $401 move in/2bd. $1 First Week RentWeekly Avail: Effic $115
PIEDMONT OPEN SAT 2-4& SUN 2-5. Model home.New hms on K ac lots.
Info also available for newhms in other additions.
From NW Expwy &Sara Rd go 4.5 mi N
Cleaton & Assoc 373-2494
Executive 4bd 3ba 2car12108 Camelot Pl
2640sf, 2liv, 2din, $1330mo, $1330 dep 409-7989
Okcrentalhomes.com
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Condominiums,TownhousesFor Rent 441
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10F SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2010 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Linda McElroy has beennamed as managing brokerof Paradigm AdvantEdge’snew office at 1530 SW 119.
She is a native of themetro area and has been aRealtor for 27 years. Shewas the managing brokerof a franchised brokeragein south Oklahoma Cityfor the past 16 years.
Sharon Schilreff hasjoined the office as a resi-dential real estate sales as-sociate.
She has a degree in busi-ness from Oklahoma Bap-tist University and a de-
gree in early childhoodeducation from OklahomaState University. She own-ed and managed child de-velopment centers in
south Oklahoma City,Mustang, Del City, Mooreand Noble for 22 years andserved on the Child CareBoard of Rose State Col-
lege. She has been a Real-tor for 14 years and wassales director for HomeCreations for seven years.She holds the New Home
Specialist designation ofthe National Associationof Home Builders.
Nelda Thompson hasjoined the office, also as a
sales associate.She lived in Louisiana
and was an airline flightattendant until moving toOklahoma City 14 yearsago. She worked for theFederal Housing Adminis-tration and on the lieuten-ant governor’s staff beforebecoming a Realtor 10years ago.
Nicole Savage has beenhired as office manager.She attended the Universi-ty of Oklahoma and stud-ied public relations andbusiness. Previously, shewas an office manager for achain restaurant and ABSWood Specialties.
Paradigm AdvantEdge adds brokers, staff in new office
Linda McElroy Sharon Schilreff Nelda Thompson Nicole Savage
FROM STAFF REPORTS
ORLANDO, Fla. — Down adirt road and betweenthickets of trees, PaulQueen lives inside a grassy,man-made hill.
Deer try to stroll acrosshis rooftop.
Gopher tortoises at-tempt to tunnel into thewalls.
But inside, Queen canbarely hear the rain — ordeer hoof steps. His homeis earth-sheltered, mean-ing it’s not exactly under-ground but is surroundedand insulated by a massivemound of soil.
National builders of theobscure style, which firstgrew out of hillsides andrural grasslands during theenergy crisis decades ago,say that amid concernsabout power bills and nat-ural disasters, more peopleare burrowing into theearth.
Although Queen esti-mates the building stylereduces his cooling bills by40 percent and said he willprobably never have toevacuate for a hurricane,the housing concept re-mains rare in Florida.
“Until you’re really inone, you really don’t real-ize how wonderful theyare,” Queen, who works inmarketing, said of hisOviedo, Fla.-area home.“The way it’s laid out, ithas as much light as anyhouse.”
Most municipalitiescontacted in Central Flor-
ida couldn’t name anyearth-sheltered homes intheir areas, but besidesQueen’s, they include ahome under constructionin DeLeon Springs and aSt. Cloud home built in1986.
Stephanie Thomas-Rees, a research architectwith the Florida Solar En-ergy Center, said thestate’s sandy soil and highwater table make manag-ing moisture difficult in anearth-sheltered home.Others suggest that with-out hills, which provide anatural construction site,it’s harder to find good lo-cations for such homeshere.
But for auto electricianTravis Campbell, theearth-sheltered style wasthe solution to anotherproblem — frequent wor-ries about evacuating hismobile home.
“Every storm or tornadoor fire that came along, wewere scared for where wewere going to live,” he said.
He started building sev-eral years ago and hopes tofinish the home on hissmall DeLeon Springsfarm by Christmas. He isso involved in the processthat he’s offering consult-ing services to others in-terested in living under theearth and plans to open itup for tours when finished.
Dale Pearcey, presidentof Formworks BuildingInc., of Durango, Colo.,designed Campbell’s4,000-square-foot homeand said prices are on parwith traditional homes,though mortgages oftenare paid off faster becauseof reduced heating andcooling bills.
“If some contractorcame up with a bunch ofmodel homes and putthem all in one place wherethe general public wouldjust walk through them, itwould change a lot of peo-ple’s minds in a hurry,” hesaid.
Earth-sheltered homes,he said, have an image
problem.“Most people think it’s
going to look like a dunge-on,” said Alice McCorkle,who said her St. Cloudhome gets plenty of lightthrough windows on oneside. Her husband built thehome on the highest pointof the property, and itsdirt-filled walls regulatetemperatures so well thatfamily members come overwhen power goes out dur-ing cold snaps.
In Queen’s home, theceiling of a central atriumclimbs more than two sto-ries, and a small octagon ofwindows inside it risesabove the peak of the hill.The atrium gets so muchlight, Queen grows pottedplants on its floor. Threeother living spaces sur-round the atrium like pet-als. Dirt was packed be-tween them, but some ar-eas were left exposed — soeven though the home is
buried beneath a grassyhill, all rooms have win-dows.
Queen said he’s neverhad an issue with moistureor bugs. The shell of thehome is 10 inches of steel-reinforced concrete. A lay-er of asphalt, then a layerof rubber, follow. Finallyseveral feet of dirt coat therest.
For the most part, life inan earth-sheltered homeisn’t too different, Queensaid. But there are somequirks. Some of the wallsare curved so he can’t hangpaintings (he opts for ea-sels). Cell-phone and wire-less Internet signals havetrouble penetrating thethick walls. And then thereare the wild animals whothink it’s their home too.
“The quirkiness is fun,”Queen said. “I like that noone else has one like it.”
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
For some, home is where the earth is
Paul Queen checks on his roof where he cultivates grass and vines in Oviedo, Fla.His home is earth-sheltered, meaning it’s not exactly underground but is surround-ed and insulated by a massive mound of soil. MCCLATCHEY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
BY RACHEL JACKSONThe Orlando Sentinel
The rooms inside this earth-sheltered house arevaulted. Here, owner Paul Queen works in his kitchenin Oviedo, Fla. MCCLATCHEY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
