F REAL ESTATE SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM INDEX Permits 4F Stone 6F HOUSE PLAN Small footprint The Aldridge is compact for a four-bedroom home. Its footprint, just 38 feet wide and 40 feet deep, allows it to fit on a small city lot. PAGE 3F LISTING OF THE WEEK Site has 5 acres The Listing of the Week is a large, two-story home on 5 acres in Oklahoma City. PAGE 3F Aging in place “Aging in place” — making changes to your home to make it more comfortable and more adapted to your needs as you age — has been gaining popularity in these tough eco- nomic times. PAGE 5F Paul Bianchina HANDY @ HOME IN BRIEF VINTAGE CHRISTMAS TIPS OFFERED Susan Waggoner loved the home- made Christmas decorations of dec- ades past, but she didn’t want worn and faded relics. She wanted them the way they looked originally. So she figured out how to make them herself. She shares that information in “Have Yourself a Very Vin- tage Christmas: Crafts, Decorating Tips, and Recipes, 1920s-1960s” (Stew- art, Tabori & Chang, $19.95 hardcover). She offers instruc- tions for all sorts of vintage decorations such as postcards from the 1920s, cellophane candle wreaths from the ’40s and sequined tree ornaments from the ’60s, to name a few. She also included a few easy candy recipes to satisfy a holiday sweet tooth. TVS HAVE CHILD APPEAL Who says a TV has to be a boring black box? Hannspree makes high-defini- tion TVs in animal shapes for a child’s room — or a childlike adult’s. The TVs come in crab, zebra, polar bear, giraffe and camel designs with a 19-inch screen. They’re among a selection of novelty TVs the company makes in shapes including apples, footballs and golf balls. The animal TVs are available at Amazon.com. Regu- lar price is $349.99. MCT INFORMATION SERVICES Many people seem to move smoothly through life. Focus and order come without difficulty. And projects, no matter how large, are pursued on a step-by-step basis. Then there are those who find even relatively simple tasks, such as cull- ing through a cluttered closet, to be difficult. These include the estimat- ed 4 to 5 percent of the U.S. adult population who suf- fer from attention-deficit disorder. For many with ADD, the process of preparing their homes for sale and making a housing transition can seem overwhelming, said Linda Anderson, immedi- ate past president of the Attention Deficit Disorder Association, a professional group focused mainly on ADD in adults. ADD (also known as at- tention deficit hyperactiv- ity disorder when it in- cludes overactivity), is a problem that typically in- volves habitual distrac- tion, impulsivity or both. Many people with ADD are able to pursue successful careers. Yet complex pro- jects that require sustained attention can seem daunt- ing to them. When it comes to selling a property, the to-do list for all homeowners is long. Choosing the right listing agent is just the first step. Sellers also must decide how much to ask for the home and complete the often-arduous process of de-cluttering the place and ensuring it’s in good repair. Then, too, there’s the move itself. “Moving is a huge prob- lem for those with ADD. It’s terribly important for them to connect and re- connect with people throughout the process,” said Anderson, who works as a life coach assisting adults trying to cope with ADD in their daily lives. Here are a few tips for homeowners with ADD who need to prepare their property for sale and then move to another locale: I Consider hiring a pro- fessional organizer or a “move manager.” Judy Rough, an organiz- er who’s worked with many home sellers, said people with ADD should be careful choosing some- one to ask for help. “It’s horrific to hire someone who is judgmen- tal. We all remember how upsetting it was when we were kids and a teacher or counselor was critical. And it’s no different when you’re an adult,” said Rough, who’s affiliated with the National Associ- ation of Professional Or- ganizers (www.napo.net). By visiting this associ- ation’s website, you can find an organizer in your area who’s skilled in as- sisting clients with ADD. You also can use classified ads to find someone who’s naturally organized — per- haps a college student or a retired individual with free time. I Stay focused on your tasks as much as possible. Anderson encourages clients to plan their sched- ules on the Google Calen- dar that’s available free online (www.google.com/ calendar). Also, when they’re in the midst of a project, such as de-clut- tering their kitchen cabi- nets, she encourages them to avoid time-consuming digressions by shutting down TV, phones and email until a chunk of work is done. I Allow ample time for all your tasks. In addition to the cus- tomary to-do list, one tool Anderson favors is a not- to-do list. How do you use such a list? On a day when you must paint a bath- room, for instance, it could be wise to place grocery shopping on your not-to- do list. This will free your mind from the temptation to pack too much into your day. To contact Ellen James Martin, email [email protected]. UNIVERSAL UCLICK Tips for sellers with attention-deficit disorder Ellen James Martin SMART MOVES People involved in the Miller Mantels & Trees Tour might share more than an address in Oklahoma City’s historic Miller neighbor- hood. “Christmas is like my favorite, so I tend to go crazytown,” said Jordan Higgins, showing vis- itors through the 1926 bungalow at 1615 N Mill- er Blvd. that she has called home for six years. Strains of “White Christmas” waft through the house, a tree glows softly in a darkened bedroom nearby, and an eclectic collection of Christmas decorations appears very much at home even amid the living room’s thoroughly modern lines. One ceramic tree, a gift from her mother, holds some sentimental value, Higgins said. “A lot of this stuff, though, honestly, I found at the thrift store and changed it up,” she said. The Higgins home is one of six Miller neigh- borhood homes throwing open the doors Fri- day for the third annual Miller Mantels & Tree Tour. It will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance at Garden Gate An- tiques, 1307 N May Ave., and 23rd Street An- tique Mall, 3023 NW 23. Money raised during the tour will go for more lighting in the neighborhood’s medians. The tour “was just something I thought of because every home has a gorgeous mantel,” said Mickey Barnard, who serves as tour chair- man and lent his design talents to spots along the tour. Mike Stuart and Bruce Hall will open their entire home at 1221N Miller Blvd., which Bar- nard helped them transform into a glittering world for the season. “My mom grew up in a Catholic orphanage, so holidays when I was growing up turned into huge, huge events, and Christmas was her fa- vorite,” Stuart said. Stuart and Hall moved into the two-story manor in 1997, but it dates back to 1915 when developer George Miller built it for his own family. Miller was a gentleman farmer, Stuart said. “That’s why there are medians,” he said. “The trolley tracks here carried them from the country — this was the country — downtown.” Miller is far from rural now, centered north of bustling NW 10 just a few miles from State Fair Park. But the neighborhood and its homes, many dating from the early 20th century, maintain a timeless tranquility as well as the perfect canvas for holiday decorating. MANTELS INSPIRE HOLIDAY TOUR OF MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD HOMES This peacock is part of the Christmas decor in the home of Scott Ellis at 2517 NW 12, one of six homes decorated for the historic Miller neighborhood’s third annual Miller Mantels & Trees home tour. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN BY DYRINDA TYSON For The Oklahoman [email protected]Jordan Higgins stands beside a Christmas tree at her home at 1615 N Miller Blvd. The home is decked out for the Miller Mantels & Trees home tour. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN SEE TOUR, PAGE 2F
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FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
INDEX
Permits 4FStone 6F
HOUSE PLAN
Small footprintThe Aldridge is compact fora four-bedroom home. Itsfootprint, just 38 feet wideand 40 feet deep, allows it tofit on a small city lot.PAGE 3F
LISTING OF THE WEEK
Site has5 acresThe Listing of the Weekis a large, two-storyhome on 5 acres inOklahoma City.
PAGE 3F
Agingin place“Aging in place” —making changes toyour home to makeit more comfortableand more adaptedto your needs as youage — has beengaining popularity inthese tough eco-nomic times.
PAGE 5F
PaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
IN BRIEF
VINTAGECHRISTMASTIPS OFFEREDSusan Waggonerloved the home-made Christmasdecorations of dec-ades past, but shedidn’t want wornand faded relics. Shewanted them theway they lookedoriginally. So shefigured out how tomake them herself.She shares thatinformation in “HaveYourself a Very Vin-tage Christmas:Crafts, DecoratingTips, and Recipes,1920s-1960s” (Stew-art, Tabori & Chang,$19.95 hardcover).She offers instruc-tions for all sorts ofvintage decorationssuch as postcardsfrom the 1920s,cellophane candlewreaths from the’40s and sequinedtree ornamentsfrom the ’60s, toname a few. Shealso included a feweasy candy recipesto satisfy a holidaysweet tooth.
TVS HAVECHILD APPEALWho says a TV hasto be a boring blackbox? Hannspreemakes high-defini-tion TVs in animalshapes for a child’sroom — or a childlikeadult’s. The TVscome in crab, zebra,polar bear, giraffeand camel designswith a 19-inchscreen. They’reamong a selection ofnovelty TVs thecompany makes inshapes includingapples, footballs andgolf balls. The animalTVs are available atAmazon.com. Regu-lar price is $349.99.MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Many people seem tomove smoothly throughlife. Focus and order comewithout difficulty. Andprojects, no matter howlarge, are pursued on astep-by-step basis.
Then there are thosewho find even relativelysimple tasks, such as cull-ing through a clutteredcloset, to be difficult.These include the estimat-ed 4 to 5 percent of the U.S.adult population who suf-fer from attention-deficitdisorder.
For many with ADD, theprocess of preparing theirhomes for sale and makinga housing transition canseem overwhelming, saidLinda Anderson, immedi-ate past president of theAttention Deficit DisorderAssociation, a professionalgroup focused mainly onADD in adults.
ADD (also known as at-
tention deficit hyperactiv-ity disorder when it in-cludes overactivity), is aproblem that typically in-volves habitual distrac-tion, impulsivity or both.Many people with ADD areable to pursue successfulcareers. Yet complex pro-jects that require sustainedattention can seem daunt-ing to them.
When it comes to sellinga property, the to-do listfor all homeowners is long.Choosing the right listingagent is just the first step.Sellers also must decidehow much to ask for thehome and complete the
often-arduous process ofde-cluttering the placeand ensuring it’s in goodrepair. Then, too, there’sthe move itself.
“Moving is a huge prob-lem for those with ADD.It’s terribly important forthem to connect and re-connect with peoplethroughout the process,”said Anderson, who worksas a life coach assistingadults trying to cope withADD in their daily lives.
Here are a few tips forhomeowners with ADDwho need to prepare theirproperty for sale and thenmove to another locale:
I Consider hiring a pro-fessional organizer or a“move manager.”
Judy Rough, an organiz-er who’s worked withmany home sellers, saidpeople with ADD shouldbe careful choosing some-one to ask for help.
“It’s horrific to hiresomeone who is judgmen-tal. We all remember howupsetting it was when wewere kids and a teacher orcounselor was critical.And it’s no different whenyou’re an adult,” saidRough, who’s affiliatedwith the National Associ-ation of Professional Or-ganizers (www.napo.net).
By visiting this associ-ation’s website, you canfind an organizer in yourarea who’s skilled in as-sisting clients with ADD.You also can use classifiedads to find someone who’snaturally organized — per-haps a college student or aretired individual with freetime.
I Stay focused on yourtasks as much as possible.
Anderson encouragesclients to plan their sched-ules on the Google Calen-dar that’s available free
online (www.google.com/calendar). Also, whenthey’re in the midst of aproject, such as de-clut-tering their kitchen cabi-nets, she encourages themto avoid time-consumingdigressions by shuttingdown TV, phones andemail until a chunk of workis done.
I Allow ample time forall your tasks.
In addition to the cus-tomary to-do list, one toolAnderson favors is a not-to-do list. How do you usesuch a list? On a day whenyou must paint a bath-room, for instance, it couldbe wise to place groceryshopping on your not-to-do list. This will free yourmind from the temptationto pack too much into yourday.To contact Ellen James Martin, [email protected].
UNIVERSAL UCLICK
Tips for sellers with attention-deficit disorderEllenJamesMartin
SMARTMOVES
People involved in the Miller Mantels &Trees Tour might share more than an addressin Oklahoma City’s historic Miller neighbor-hood.
“Christmas is like my favorite, so I tend to gocrazytown,” said Jordan Higgins, showing vis-itors through the 1926 bungalow at 1615 N Mill-er Blvd. that she has called home for six years.
Strains of “White Christmas” waft throughthe house, a tree glows softly in a darkenedbedroom nearby, and an eclectic collection ofChristmas decorations appears very much athome even amid the living room’s thoroughlymodern lines.
One ceramic tree, a gift from her mother,holds some sentimental value, Higgins said.
“A lot of this stuff, though, honestly, I foundat the thrift store and changed it up,” she said.
The Higgins home is one of six Miller neigh-borhood homes throwing open the doors Fri-day for the third annual Miller Mantels & TreeTour. It will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets can bepurchased in advance at Garden Gate An-tiques, 1307 N May Ave., and 23rd Street An-tique Mall, 3023 NW 23.
Money raised during the tour will go for
more lighting in the neighborhood’s medians.The tour “was just something I thought of
because every home has a gorgeous mantel,”said Mickey Barnard, who serves as tour chair-man and lent his design talents to spots alongthe tour.
Mike Stuart and Bruce Hall will open theirentire home at 1221 N Miller Blvd., which Bar-nard helped them transform into a glitteringworld for the season.
“My mom grew up in a Catholic orphanage,so holidays when I was growing up turned intohuge, huge events, and Christmas was her fa-vorite,” Stuart said.
Stuart and Hall moved into the two-storymanor in 1997, but it dates back to 1915 whendeveloper George Miller built it for his ownfamily. Miller was a gentleman farmer, Stuartsaid.
“That’s why there are medians,” he said.“The trolley tracks here carried them from thecountry — this was the country — downtown.”
Miller is far from rural now, centered northof bustling NW 10 just a few miles from StateFair Park. But the neighborhood and its homes,many dating from the early 20th century,maintain a timeless tranquility as well as theperfect canvas for holiday decorating.
MANTELS INSPIRE HOLIDAY TOUROF MILLER NEIGHBORHOOD HOMES
This peacock is part of the Christmas decor in the home of Scott Ellis at 2517 NW 12, one of six homes decorated for the historic Millerneighborhood’s third annual Miller Mantels & Trees home tour. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
Jordan Higgins stands beside a Christmastree at her home at 1615 N Miller Blvd. Thehome is decked out for the Miller Mantels &Trees home tour.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMANSEE TOUR, PAGE 2F
2F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
Adorned for holidaysIn the Stuart-Hall
home, three reindeer, ref-ugees from the old John A.Brown Department Storethat dominated downtownOklahoma City for dec-ades, guard one corner ofthe dining room. A bed-room upstairs has beentaken over by a legion ofSantas and one life-sizenutcracker. Silver treesand accents gleam in a sunroom beyond.
Scott Ellis, who lives ashort distance away at 2517NW 12 with Gabriel RiveraRodriguez, isn’t shy abouthis affection for the seasoneither.
“I love Christmas,” hesaid with glee. “I’m aChristmas hoarder.”
Their 1929 Tudor revivalhome will feature fiveChristmas trees set up totake advantage of tall win-dows in a front bedroom.
In the dining room, darkwood accents offer a con-trasting backdrop forbright garland drapedoverhead.
“I’m obsessed with pea-cocks this year,” Ellis said,indicating the feathers in-corporated into the gar-land as well as the accentssurrounding a stag figu-rine on the nearby diningtable.
A peacock forms thecenterpiece of a coat ofarms above the diningroom entrance.
Participating in the tourtakes work — everyone hadto start decking out theirhouse even before theThanksgiving turkeys weretaken out of the freezer.But maybe any excuse willdo.
“I’ve been listening toChristmas music since Ju-ly, so it’s kind of like a sick-ness,” Higgins said.
Homes in the tour are:I 2517 NW 12, Scott Ellis.I 2536 NW 12, Jenni and
Jason Duncan.I 2532 NW 13, Tonja and
Basil Martin.I 2605 NW 13, Gregory
Wyatt.I 1221 N Miller, Mike
Stuart and Bruce Hall.I 1615 N Miller, Jordan
and Jeff Higgins.
FROM PAGE 1F
Tour: Homes reveal Christmas spirit
Left: A room at the home of Mike Stuart and BruceHall at 1221 N Miller Blvd. is its own winter wonder-land.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN,THE OKLAHOMAN
Yuletide greenery decorates the front door of MikeStuart and Bruce Hall’s home at 1221 N Miller Blvd.The home, dubbed the Miller Mansion, was built in1915 by neighborhood developer George Miller.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
Left: Scott Ellis deco-rated his formal diningroom with an emphasison peacocks for the Mill-er Mantels & Trees hometour.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
Right: A table decorationadds a warm touch tothe Jeff and Jordan Hig-gins home at 1615 NMiller.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN,THE OKLAHOMAN
Left: Formal dining roomof Mike Stuart and BruceHall’s home at 1221 NMiller Blvd.
PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN,THE OKLAHOMAN
Simple decorations give a niche an elegant air forChristmas in the Jordan and Jeff Higgins home at1615 N Miller Blvd. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 3FREAL ESTATE
The Aldridge is sur-prisingly compact for afour-bedroom home. Itsfootprint, measuring amere 38 feet wide and 40feet deep, allows it to fiton a small city lot.
Another plus factor, ifbuilt in proximity to otherhomes, is that the planhas no side windows.This feature maximizesprivacy. At the same time,numerous windows onthe front and rear providean abundance of naturallight throughout.
Family living spacesand the owners suite fillthe lower level. Threemore bedrooms and an-other bathroom are up-stairs. Entering, you havetwo choices: Climb thestairs, or go into the livingroom, which flows on intothe dining room andkitchen. A coat closetnestles under the stairs.
Designed for efficiency,the C-shaped kitchenmakes cooking and cleanup easy. The sink, stove
and refrigerator are set ina tight triangle so nothingis more than a few stepsaway. At the same time,cupboard and counterspaces are quite ample,wrapping around threesides of the room.
Standing at the kitchensink, you can gaze out therear window to appreciatethe passing seasons orkeep an eye on children atplay. The kitchen is alsoentirely open to the din-ing room, where slidingglass doors provide patioaccess.
The Aldridge’s owners’suite has a step-in closet
and direct access to abathroom with combina-tion tub and shower.
Laundry appliances anda walk-in storage closetline the pass-throughspace that connects thehouse to its two-car ga-rage. This arrangementcomes in handy for enter-ing safely at night or un-loading groceries instormy weather.
A review plan of the Aldridge, includingfloor plans, elevations, section andartist’s conception, can be purchased for$25 by phone, mail or online. Add $5 forshipping and handling. ContactAssociated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive,Eugene, OR, 97402 or go to www.associateddesigns.com or call (800)634-0123.
HOUSE PLAN
House is designed to maximize space
The Listing of the Week is a large, two-story home on 5 acres in Oklahoma City.
The 5,289-square-foot home at 7017Aurelia Road has five bedrooms, threebaths, two half-baths and an attachedthree-car garage. The main living roomhas a cathedral ceiling and fireplace. Thefamily room has a fireplace. A third livingarea has a wet bar. The kitchen has abreakfast bar, work island and pantry. Themaster bedroom has a cathedral ceiling,walk-in closet and bath with whirlpooltub. Three secondary bedrooms have
ceiling fans and walk-in closets. Thehome has a covered patio, open patio,decorative pond, security system and un-derground sprinkler system.
The home, built in 2007, is listed for$1.475 million with Karen Blevins ofChurchill-Brown & Associates Realtors.For more information, call 330-0031 or203-4663.
Nominations for Listing of the Week are welcome. Sendinformation on single-family homes to The Oklahoman,Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.Nominations may be faxed to 475-3996.
LISTING OF THE WEEK
Home features manyspacious living areas
The Listing of the Week is at 7017 Aurelia Road in Oklahoma City. PHOTO PROVIDED
Homeowners andbuilders can get tips onhow to lower energy usagein the home and create lesspollution by attending afree presentation, “How toHack your Home,” from 7to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday onthe second floor of the En-gineering TechnologyBuilding at OklahomaState University-Okla-homa City, 900 N Port-land.
Trey Parsons, founder ofOklahoma City consultinggroup Enersolve, will givethe presentation. Parsonsis a certified Home EnergyRater and building analystwho assists homeownersand builders in retrofittinghomes to make them moreenergy efficient.
The workshop is spon-sored by Oklahoma City’sOffice of Sustainabilityand OSU-Oklahoma City’sSchool of EngineeringTechnology.
Funding was madeavailable through an Ener-gy Efficiency and Conser-vation Block Grant.
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 5FREAL ESTATE
It’s something we’d alljust as soon avoid, butthere’s no getting aroundit: We’re all getting older.And that’s somethingworth keeping in mind asyou plan and remodelyour home.
The concept of “agingin place” — making changes to yourhome to make it more comfortable andmore adapted to your needs as you age— has been gaining popularity, especial-ly in these tough economic times.
There are a number of things you cando, large and small, that will help makeyour home work for you instead ofagainst you as you age. Many manu-facturers are taking note of this trend,offering a wide range of innovative andattractive products so your home alsocan remain every bit as stylish as you’dlike.
DoorsDoors can be one of the biggest obsta-
cles to easy movement in the home.Consider opening up smaller doorwaysto create 34- or 36-inch doorwayswherever possible. Another alternative isto use a pair of 18- or even 24-inchpocket doors to make a nice wide open-
ing that’s also very attrac-tive.
To make doors easier toopen, replace doorknobswith levers. Replace exte-rior steps with simpleramps, or combinationsteps/ramps. With moreextensive remodeling
projects, also consider making hallwayswider — ideally 48 inches.
ToiletsMany companies offer “comfort-
height” toilets, which are about 2 inchestaller than standard toilets. These areeasier to get on and off, especially forpeople with sore backs or weaker legs.Wherever possible, plan on more freespace in front of and to the sides of thetoilet to allow for easier movement,especially for a walker or wheelchair.
Grab barsGrab bars are a useful addition in the
bathroom, in the tub, shower andaround the toilet. For safety and securi-ty, they need to be properly anchored tosolid wood, so if you’re remodeling yourbathroom, be sure to install some block-ing in the walls; it’s a simple and in-expensive thing to do, even if you’re not
planning on installing grab bars rightaway.
Don’t like the institutional look ofchrome grab bars? A growing number ofcompanies are offering them in colors,ranging from bright white to shiny blackand everything in between, in acrylics aswell as powder-coated metal. There alsoare some sleek new styles available.
Tub and showersThere are some simple things you can
do to make it easier to use your tub orshower. In addition to grab bars, a seatcan be a real plus, whether portable or afold-up version that attaches to the wall.There are many styles available, in ev-erything from plastic to stylish teak.
Lever-handle controls are easier togrip and turn than ones with smoothknobs. That applies to sinks as well asshower and tub controls. Think aboutwhere you’ll be standing — or sitting —in the tub or shower, and place the con-trols at a convenient location. Make sureyou install anti-scald valves and hand-held spray heads. Also, install a shelf at aconvenient location for soap and sham-poo, to prevent dangerous reaching orstooping over.
Barrier-free shower stalls are wellworth considering if you’re redoing your
bathroom. One company I spoke with atthe recent Pacific Coast Builders Showwas demonstrating an innovative, dam-free shower pan that’s installed on thefloor, then sealed in place with a mem-brane. The entire bathroom floor andpan are then tiled over, creating a seam-less, barrier-free installation that’s sleek,attractive and anything but institutional.You can check it out at www.designwithoutbarriers.com.
Another innovative idea comes fromthe folks at Kohler, with the new Ele-vance bathtub. This tub has a verticallysliding wall in front. The wall dropsdown to create a chair-height seat foreasy access. Sit down, swing your legsin, then raise the wall — it takes only 5pounds of force to lift. Fill the tub, andthe special double seals snap into placeto seal the wall against leakage.
When you’re done enjoying your bath,drain the water, then lower the wall foreasy access to get out. You can see ithere and also get a link to a video of it inaction: www.us.kohler.com/onlinecatalog/detail.jsp?item=15185102&prod_num=1914-GR.
Remodeling and repair questions? Email [email protected]. All product reviews are based on the author’sactual testing of free review samples provided by themanufacturers.
INMAN NEWS
Innovations meet ‘aging in place’ demand PaulBianchina
HANDY @ HOME
SAN FRANCISCO — Thefederal government hasshut down dozens of In-ternet scam artists whohad been paying Google torun ads making boguspromises to help desperatehomeowners scramblingto avoid foreclosures.
The crackdown renewsquestions about the rolethat Google’s massive ad-vertising network plays inenabling online miscon-duct. It may also increasethe pressure on the com-pany to be more vigilantabout screening the mar-keting pitches that appearalongside its Internetsearch results and otherWeb content.
The criminal investiga-tion into alleged mortgageswindlers comes threemonths after Googleagreed to pay $500 millionto avoid prosecution inRhode Island for profitingfrom online ads from Can-adian pharmacies that ille-
gally sold drugs in the U.S. A spokesman for the
U.S. Treasury Departmentdivision overseeing theprobe into online mortgagescams declined to com-ment on its scope other tosay it’s still ongoing. Goo-gle Inc. also declined tocomment.
No company wants to betainted by a criminal in-vestigation, but the pros-pect is even more nettle-some for Google because ithas embraced “don’t beevil” as its corporate mot-
to. That commitment may
make it difficult for Googleto fend off a call by Con-sumer Watchdog to donatethe revenue from fraudu-lent mortgage ads to legiti-mate organizations thathelp people ease theircredit problems. Consum-er Watchdog is an activistgroup that released a re-port in February assertingthat Google was profitingfrom ads bought by mort-gage swindlers.
“Google should never
have published these ads,but its executives turned ablind eye to these fraud-sters for far too long be-cause of the substantialrevenue such advertisinggenerates,” said ConsumerWatchdog’s John M.Simpson, a frequent criticof the company.
To fight future abuse,Google has suspended itsbusiness ties with morethan 500 advertisers andagencies connected to thealleged scams, accordingto the U.S. Treasury De-partment’s Office of theSpecial Inspector Generalfor the Troubled Asset Re-lief Program.
The evidence collectedin the current investiga-tion led to the govern-ment’s closure of 85 al-leged mortgage scams. Theidentities of the businessesand people involved in thescams weren’t immediate-ly disclosed.
The con artists are ac-cused of duping people in-to believing they could
help lower their home loanpayments under govern-ment-backed mortgagemodification programs.The alleged rip-offs typi-cally relied on collectingupfront fees or getting vic-tims to transfer theirmonthly mortgage pay-ments to the scam artists,officials said.
In some cases, the swin-dlers passed themselvesoff as being affiliated withthe government.
Google’s name poppedup because the scam art-ists relied on the compa-ny’s vast advertising net-work to bait their victims.
About two out of everythree Internet search re-quests are made throughGoogle, making its ad net-work a prime outlet forfinding people hoping tosave their homes, accord-ing to Christy Romero,deputy special InspectorGeneral for the TroubledAsset Relief Program.
“The first place manyhomeowners turn for helpin lowering their mortgageis the Internet through on-line search engines, andthat’s precisely where theyare being taken advantageof and targeted,” she said.
INTERNET SCAMMERS PLACING ADS PROMISING FORECLOSURE HELP TARGETED IN CRACKDOWN
Government shutters scams tied to GoogleBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
The crackdown renews questionsabout the role that Google’s massiveadvertising network plays in enablingonline misconduct. It may alsoincrease the pressure on thecompany to be more vigilant aboutscreening the marketing pitches thatappear alongside its Internet searchresults and other Web content.
Q. I heard that you couldgive up on your secondmortgage if you are currentwith your first mortgage.My wife and I are currentwith both of our loans andhave good credit scores,but this sounds attractive.Is it a good idea?
A. No. A second mort-gage, just like a first mort-gage or a third mortgage,can be foreclosed by yourlender, causing your houseto be repossessed. The firstmortgage holder will getpaid from the sale pro-ceeds before the secondmortgage holder does, butthe end result is the same— you lose your house.
But in a Chapter 13bankruptcy, it is possibleto strip or remove yoursecond or third mortgage,if those mortgages arewholly unsecured. Thismeans that if the amountowed on your first mort-gage is greater than howmuch your house is worth,the bankruptcy court can,in effect, make your othermortgages go away.
Outside of bankruptcy,it may be possible to nego-tiate with your secondmortgage lender to allowyou to pay off the mortgagefor a reduced amount,sometimes even as low as10 cents on the dollar.
All of these methodswill hurt your credit.
Q. I am a senior citizenand need to downsize now.My mortgage paymentsare up to date. Can I do ashort sale without being in
foreclosure?A. Absolutely. Despite
almost everything youhear, it is possible to short-sell your property or obtaina mortgage modificationwhile you are current onyour payments. The key ineither case is that you needto show that you have hada change in circumstances,making the short sale orloan modification neces-sary.
I have repeatedly heardthat borrowers are told bytheir lenders that theyneed to be behind on theirpayments in order to getrelief, but this is rarelytrue. Usually the lender’srepresentative will say thisjust to get you off thephone. If that happens toyou, hang up and call backand get a rep who is willingto take the time to give youcorrect answers.
If you still have trouble,as is sometimes the case,then at least you tried yourbest.
Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney andboard-certified as an expert in realestate law by the Florida Bar. Send himquestions online athttp://sunsent.nl/mR20t7 or follow himon Twitter@GarySingerLaw.
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Giving up onsecond mortgagecould be disastrous
GaryM.Singer
REAL ESTATE LAW
6F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
DEAR BARRY: Thehome I’m buying is occu-pied by the owners and willremain so until the day be-fore the sale is completed.With all of the furnishingsand personal effects cov-ering walls and floors andfilling the closets and ga-rage, how can my home in-spector possibly do a thor-ough job?
DerekDEAR DEREK: Home
inspections typically occurwhile a home is occupiedby owners or renters. Thisis one of the obstaclesaround which home in-spectors must work, and insome instances propertydefects can escape discov-ery. A hole in a wall may beconcealed behind a sofa,
moisture damage might becovered by storage in a ga-rage, someone’s “bootleg”plumbing work might behidden behind a stack ofsuitcases, or an unground-ed outlet behind a pianomight go untested.
In the majority of cases,furnishings do not preventdiscovery of major defects,but exceptions are un-avoidable. This is why finalwalk-through inspections
are conducted by buyersand agents just beforecompleting a sale, whenpersonal possessions havebeen removed from thepremises.
It is also one of the rea-sons why sellers are re-quired to disclose allknown defects. Sellers of-ten are aware of conditionsthat might not be apparentto a home inspector. Withall parties working togeth-er in good faith — buyers,sellers, agents and inspec-tors — significant defectshave a good chance of be-ing revealed. But no onecan guarantee perfectionin these processes.
DEAR BARRY: We weresurprised when our homeinspector didn’t mention
the refrigerator or thewasher and dryer in his re-port. But our surpriseturned to shock when wemoved in and found thatthose appliances weregone.
Are these items sup-posed to be included in thesale of a home, or are theyconsidered as personalproperty, to be taken by thesellers when they move?
MelanieDEAR MELANIE:
When appliances arefreestanding, rather thanbuilt in, they are not re-garded as components ofthe property and are onlyincluded in the sale if thereis a specific agreement be-tween buyers and sellers.This is why such items as
refrigerators and laundryappliances are not includ-ed in a home inspection.
On the other hand,built-in appliances such ascooktops, ovens and dish-washers are regarded asfixtures. These are gener-ally included as part of thesale of a home and, ac-cordingly, as subjects of ahome inspection report.
DEAR BARRY: Theseller of the home I’m buy-ing disclosed that thehouse was treated for ter-mites about two years ago.I was already nervousabout buying a home, butthis has me really worried.Is past termite infestationa reason to back out of apurchase?
Lisa
DEAR LISA: If past ter-mite infestation were a ba-sis for canceling a pur-chase, few homes wouldbe worth buying. Sooneror later, nearly every homewith wood componentshas termite infestation,except in those rare cli-mates where termites donot exist.
As long as the termiteproblem in this home wasadequately addressed by aqualified professional,there should be no need forworry. Just be sure to get aclear termite report beforecompleting this transac-tion.
To write to Barry Stone, go towww.housedetective.com.
ACTION COAST PUBLICATION
Personal items shouldn’t stall inspectionBarryStone
INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE
Preregistration for theannual InternationalBuilders Show is up nearlya quarter over last year,and dozens of exhibitorshave snapped up remain-ing booths in the past twoweeks, organizers said.
The trade show, orga-nized by the National As-sociation of Home Build-ers, will be Feb. 8-11 at Or-ange County ConventionCenter in Orlando, Fla.Expert speakers, opportu-nities for networking andentertainment, nearly 175education sessions, hometours and more than 700exhibitors of products andservices combine to makeit the largest light com-mercial construction showin the world.
Homebuilders, remod-elers, designers, architectsand developers will fill theclassrooms and trade showfloor to examine the latestenergy-efficient applianc-es and insulation products,technical improvementand innovation in roofing,decking and other buildingsupplies, new designtrends for the kitchen,bath and outdoor living ar-eas — and everything inbetween.
“I do about 10 shows ayear, but if you said to me Icould only do one, it wouldbe this one,” said BrianStowell, president ofCrown Point Cabinetry inClaremont, N.H. Thecompany is exhibiting atthe International BuildersShow for the third year in arow.
In a still strugglinghousing market, Stowellsaid, “unless you are there,you are not going to be infront of the people who aredoing the jobs.”
Attendees also can gaina better understanding ofthe country’s economicoutlook at a special pre-sentation by Federal Re-serve Chairman Ben Ber-nanke open to all creden-tialed attendees on Feb. 10.
Thirteen tracks of edu-cation — from “Remodel-ing” and “Green Buildingand Sustainability” to“Business Opportunitiesand New Markets” — willoffer information to pro-fessionals in all segmentsof the industry. Sessionswill detail tools for projectfinancing in a tough lend-ing market, social mediatactics specific to newhomebuyer and othermarketing tactics, ad-vanced framing tech-niques, consumer prefer-ence surveys for the 50-plus buyer, among othertopics.
“Outstanding network-ing opportunities, specialdisplays and product in-formation for niche mar-kets such as universal de-sign and custom building,and the signature educa-tional events that only theNational Association ofHome Builders can provide— each of those is reasonenough to make plans toattend the InternationalBuilders Show,” said asso-ciation chairman BobNielsen, a homebuilderfrom Reno, Nev.
Interestbuildingin showFROM WIRE REPORTS
Sales of newly built, single-family homes inched up 1.3 per-cent to a seasonally adjusted an-nual rate of 307,000 units in Octo-ber, according to the U.S. Com-merce Department.
The gain is from a downwardlyrevised rate in September andmarks the best pace of new-homesales activity since May.
“Builders have been seeingsome marginal improvement insales activity over the past fewmonths, particularly in selectmarkets where consumer confi-dence is higher due to improvedeconomic conditions,” said BobNielsen, chairman of the National
Association of Home Builders anda homebuilder from Reno, Nev.“While this trend is encouraging,overall sales activity is still wellbelow normal due to the effects ofoverly tight credit conditions for
builders and buyers, the continuedflow of distressed properties onthe market, and inaccurate ap-praisal values on new homes.”
The report is “right in line withour forecast for modest and grad-
ual improvement in sales activitythrough the remainder of theyear,” said David Crowe, the build-ers’ chief economist. “Particularlyencouraging is the fact that build-ers continue to hold down theirinventories to match the currentsales rate, with the number of newhomes for sale now down to a sus-tainable 6.3-month supply.”
New-home sales held un-changed in the Northeast andgained 22.2 percent in the Mid-west and 14.9 percent in the Westin October. The South posted adecline of 9.5 percent.
Meanwhile, the nationwide in-ventory of new homes for sale heldat an record low of just 162,000units in October.
New-home sales reported at best pace since MayFROM WIRE REPORTS
Builders have been seeing some marginalimprovement in sales activity over the past fewmonths, particularly in select markets whereconsumer confidence is higher due to improvedeconomic conditions.”
BOB NIELSENNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOME BUILDERS CHAIRMAN
SAN JOSE, Calif. — LakeTahoe-area real estateagents, hungry for sales inthe aftermath of the hous-ing bubble, are countingon the Bay Area’s boomingtech industry to help gen-erate the next crop of mil-lion-dollar vacationhomebuyers.
The market for vacationhomes costing more than$1 million, though downover the year, turned in astrong third-quarter per-formance, according toColdwell Banker. That waspartly due to buyers fromSilicon Valley, vacationhome developers and realestate agents said.
“People are starting tofeel a little bit better aboutthings. Silicon Valley iskind of spearheading thatrevival. We’re seeing thosefolks make their way into
the Tahoe market,” saidJim Telling of East-WestPartners, the developer ofHome Run at Northstar,Calif.
Some buyers from thetech industry havesnapped up vacationhomes recently that runfrom $1 million to $4 mil-lion or more.
For example, more than20 parcels at Martis Camp— a 2,100-acre custom lotdevelopment betweenTruckee and Northstar —have been scooped up byemployees of tech compa-nies such as Google, Face-book, VMware and Apple,the development’sspokesman said.
One Apple employeebought at Home Run, asmall mountainside ski-in, ski-out village of town-homes, where luxury realestate sells for $1.75 millionto $2.2 million. AnotherApple employee sold some
stock and purchased aplace at Incline Village re-cently, reportedly for $3million.
Last, but not least, Ora-cle CEO Larry Ellison isputting the finishing tou-ches on a lakefront com-pound at Incline Village.Ellison reportedly spent$58 million to assemble an8-acre spread. The site hasseveral buildings, a pond, awaterfall, tennis courtsand a sandy beach withtwo piers.
“I think the world’sstarting to right itselfagain,” Telling said. Hisdevelopment’s first eighthomes are under con-struction on the mountainnear the 170-room Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which
opened in 2009.The Bay Area has always
supplied a big portion ofTahoe vacation home-buyers.
“It’s good for a longweekend,” said AndyBechtolsheim, who is oneof Ellison’s neighbors atIncline Village. Bechtol-sheim, an angel investorand co-founder and chair-man of Arista Networks,said he’s been going to Ta-hoe for 20 years.
But until recently, theeconomic downturn haddiscouraged many buyers,while falling prices keptmany sellers off the mar-ket.
Now, according to Ernst& Young, 25 Bay Area techcompanies are preparing
initial public offerings,providing new hope to lo-cal real estate agents.
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Tech-rich buyers help Tahoe market reboundBY PETE CAREYSan Jose Mercury News
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 7FREAL ESTATE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ifyou’re looking for cluesabout someone’s decorat-ing style, Becky Berg sug-gests starting with a book-shelf.
Anthologies like “Cow-boy Poetry” share shelfspace with novels by LarryMcMurtry and LouisL’Amour in one client’s co-zy condo.
The condo, perched on ahill on the Country ClubPlaza, offers a view to ametropolis. Inside, how-ever, Berg has created aspace anyone who lovesthe West would be proudto call home.
“For Western or moun-tain design, it starts withnatural colors and tex-tures,” said the owner ofBecky Berg Design. “Thisclient had a home in themountains of Colorado,and he wanted that feelinghere.”
Beyond the foyer, an an-tler chandelier that drawsthe eye to a dining areaachieves that goal. Thoughthe room is small, the siz-able light fixture seems inbalance with the room.
“One big piece like thisreally makes a statement ina small space,” said Berg,who has been a designerfor more than 20 years.“The antler piece actuallymakes the space appearlarger.”
Antlers have been apopular design feature forthe past few years.
“They add a warm touchto many types of decor,”said Gordon Andahl, pub-lic relations director of ZGallerie.
Though they are tradi-tionally used in Westerndecor, Andahl points to thewhite, pewter and chrome
finishes on resin-basedantler objects that fit rightin with contemporary de-cor.
“They’re a chic, decora-tive way to convey a look,”he said. “Contrastingwhite and silver finisheswork well with the warmneutral tones that are pop-ular now.”
Study artwork or roomdecor that incorporatesantlers and you may beseeing what was once thecrowning glory of a deer,elk or moose; the animalsshed those antlers annual-ly, to the delight of collec-tors who use them in homedecor. Most likely, howev-
er, when you spot antlerlight fixtures or other de-cor, you’re looking atcarved wood or resin im-pressions.
“We use real antlers asmolds for our replicas,”said Deb Severinson, anassociate manager ofhome furnishings for Ca-bela’s, which has a locationat Village West in KansasCity, Kan. “Faux antlersare much more cost-effec-tive.”
Chandeliers that canrange from those with sixto more than two dozenantlers have sold well formany years, Severinsonsaid.
When you walk intoWilson Lighting in Over-land Park, where Bergshopped, an antler chan-delier is one of the firstthings you’ll see.
She also found twolamps with bases made ofantlers.
While such shops mightbe a fine place to start yoursearch for antler merchan-dise, don’t stop with light-ing fixtures, said Jill Tranwith Tran + Thomas De-sign Studio. Think table-top stands, door pulls, coatracks and candle holders.
“Whatever they’re usedfor, what’s important isthat they’re in good
shape,” Tran said.She suggests also hunt-
ing down antler decor atantique shops and estatesales.
“As with any home de-cor, study it to be sure it’sin good shape. If it’s fauxand painted, be sure it’sdone well, as there aresome really awful ones out
there,” she said.It would be a shame,
Tran said, not to acknowl-edge the season when us-ing antlers.
“Decorate for the holi-days with them,” Transaid. “Hang glass bulbs onthem, or decorate themwith pinecones. Incorpo-rate them with real hollyand candles, or use themas stocking holders.”
Whether designing theinterior of a vacation homein the mountains or addinga bit of the Old West toyour home in the city, Tranpoints out that antlers un-questionably serve onepurpose in the home.
“They add an element ofthe great outdoors,” shesaid. “So many people lovethat touch of nature.”
Antlers bring home a bit of great outdoors
A condo in Kansas City, Mo., features antlered light fixtures and lamps. MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE PHOTO
BY MARIA COTEMCT Information Services
A lamp features antlersin a condo in Kansas City,Mo. MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE PHOTO
8F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
BALTIMORE — SabrinaOliver looked forward togood schools and saferstreets when she movedher family from her crime-ridden and trash-strewnWest Baltimore neighbor-hood to the suburbs, butwas surprised to discoveranother benefit as well — adramatic improvement intheir health.
The asthma that afflict-ed daughter Nyla, 9, andfrequently kept her out ofschool just about disap-peared when the family re-located to Parkville, Md.,and most recently to Or-chard Beach, Md., wherethere were no roaches andmice, and less dust be-cause the houses weremore modern. Althoughchronic depression hadonce mentally paralyzedOliver — keeping her out ofwork and on disability —the 38-year-old no longertakes antidepressants andhas a job sitting with se-verely ill patients at hospi-tals.
“I feel transformed,” Ol-iver said. “I feel like Imoved to a whole otherworld.”
Sociologists and publichealth officials have longthought a ZIP code is atleast as important as race,age and genetics in deter-mining a person’s health.Now, a growing body ofmore advanced research isbringing the issue to theforefront once again andopening up the debateabout how the nationlooks at health care.
In one recent study, re-searchers at the JohnsHopkins BloombergSchool of Public Healthfound racial disparitiesnormally associated with
hypertension, diabetesand obesity weren’t asstrong when they took intoaccount where peoplelived.
The researchers lookedat racially integrated,working-class neighbor-hoods, including in South-west Baltimore, and foundthat blacks and whites hadsimilar health outcomes.They also compared healthoutcomes in the neighbor-hoods to national healthsurveys. Across the coun-try, blacks are more likelyto suffer from hyperten-sion, but when looking atthe Baltimore neighbor-
hood, the disparity de-clined by 29 percent.Blacks and whites in theneighborhood also showedsimilar odds of beingobese.
The researchers attri-buted the difference towhites in the neighbor-hood having higher ratesof disease than whites onaverage nationwide.“When whites are exposedto the health risks of achallenging urban envi-ronment, their health sta-tus is compromised simi-larly to that of blacks, whomore commonly live insuch communities,” the
researchers wrote.“When people are living
in a similar type of envi-ronment and they behavesimilarly, they tend to havesimilar health outcomes,”said Thomas LaVeist, di-rector of the Center forHealth Disparities Solu-tions at Hopkins and leadauthor of the study, whichwas released last month.
A different social exper-iment started by the U.S.Department of Housingand Urban Development inthe 1990s is now alsoshowing evidence thatwomen in five cities, in-cluding Baltimore and Los
Angeles, had a lower riskfor diabetes and extremeobesity when they movedto better neighborhoods.
Under the program,HUD looked at the healthimpact a ZIP code playedin the lives of 4,500 fam-ilies, some who were givenvouchers that allowedthem to move out ofneighborhoods with pov-erty rates of 40 percent ormore. The other familiesstayed. Researchers revi-sited the families whomoved over two years be-ginning in 2008, testingtheir blood levels, check-ing body mass index levels
and having the familiestake a survey. They com-pared the results to a groupof families who hadn’tmoved.
The study, publishedlast month in the New En-gland Journal of Medicine,found that the longer peo-ple lived in a lower-pover-ty neighborhood, the moretheir body mass index anddiabetes symptoms im-proved.
People who stayed in theold neighborhoods had aprevalence rate of 18 per-cent for extreme obesity,while women who leftwere one-fifth less likely tosuffer from extreme obes-ity. They were also one-fifth less likely to have dia-betes than women whodidn’t move.
Jens Ludwig, a professorat the University of Chica-go and lead author of theHUD study, said he hopesresults like this will helpthe health industry see im-proving neighborhoods asa form of preventive care.
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Where you live may affect your health
Joseph Walker, 12, left, doodles as his mother Nicole Davis, right, helps Jamel Davis, 12, with homework at thefamily’s home in Laurel, Md. Davis says her family’s health has improved since moving from West Baltimore,Md. MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE PHOTO
BY ANDREA K. WALKERThe Baltimore Sun
When peopleare living in asimilar type ofenvironmentand theybehavesimilarly, theytend to havesimilar healthoutcomes.”
THOMAS LAVEISTDIRECTOR OF THECENTER FOR HEALTHDISPARITIESSOLUTIONS AT JOHNSHOPKINS
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 9FREAL ESTATE
MINNEAPOLIS — Paul Brazeltonwill soon move his family into a1935 Tudor in south Minneapolisthat has no furnace.
He’s just finished a massiverenovation of the family homeand with winter bearing down,he removed the boiler and plansto use that basement space forhis daughters’ home-schoolclassroom.
He also took out the fireplace.If this sounds like the most
uninviting house (and class-room) in Minneapolis, there’ssomething else to know: Brazel-ton, a software engineer andpassionate environmentalist,has nearly finished a retrofit ofhis house to the stringent engi-neering standards of the Passiv-haus model, a German system ofhomebuilding that uses insula-tion and highly efficient doorsand windows to save energy.
The finished 2,000-square-foot home could be warmed evenin the dead of winter with a pairof small space heaters, Brazeltonsaid, though the family plans topiggyback on their water heaterand use an in-floor heating sys-tem in the basement.
“We’re really nervous,” saidBrazelton, half-joking, “becausewhen it’s 20 degrees below andyou can feel your house con-tracting and cracking like it’s justtrying to resist the cold, it’s hardto believe that two space heatersfrom Target will do the trick forus.”
The finished project is ontrack to be certified by the Pas-sivhaus institute of Darmstadt,Germany, as the first “Ener-PHit” home in North America,according to their architect TimEian of TE Studio in Minneapo-lis.
The EnerPHit standard, de-signed for existing homes, hasbeen used thousands of times inGerman-speaking and Scandi-navian countries, said Eian, aGerman native. Such homes seetheir energy use fall from 75 to90 percent.
Brazelton and his wife, Desir-ee, have remodeled two otherhomes before, but never on thescale of the house he’s workingon now, nestled in a neighbor-
hood near Lake Nokomis.When they found it more than
four years ago, the three bed-room house had outdated me-chanical systems and an awk-ward layout. A year ago they had“one-time” money and decidedon an addition, but their plansquickly grew.
Brazelton, looking for ideas,toured a Passive House in Hud-son, Minn., and came away im-pressed. Six months into the de-sign, Eian, the architect, calledto say he had run their latest planthrough a computer programand it showed that the Brazeltonhome could meet the EnerPHitstandard.
“That kind of captured our
imaginations and short circuitedthe logical part of our brain andwent directly to the emotionalexcited part and we were like,‘Let’s do it,’ ” Brazelton said.
The core idea of a PassiveHouse is that it’s so well insulat-ed that it doesn’t require a lot ofenergy.
Triple-pane windows, highlyefficient doors and loads andloads of insulation make thehouse incredibly airtight. A me-chanical ventilator blows freshair in and stale air out. A heat ex-changer takes the heat out of theoutgoing air and adds it to the in-coming air to minimize heat loss.
A heavy duty retrofitting ofthis type can run $50 to $100 per
square foot, Eian said. A new1,750-square-foot house built toPassive House standards wouldtake about 15 years to pay off theextra cost of insulation, windowsand doors, Eian estimated.
Desiree and the Brazelton’sthree daughters moved in withrelatives as the work started thissummer. Stucco was removedfrom the exterior. The rottingchimney was torn down. Heavymachinery dug a trench aroundthe basement foundation.
What followed was a compli-cated process of adding insula-tion so that the home’s shell —everything from the attic to theexterior walls to the basementslab — would be wrapped in in-
sulation. The slab was broken upso that EPS foam could be laidunder the house. The exteriorwalls were given vertical woodenribs every few inches to hold the9.5 inches of cellulose that wouldbe required. The exterior wallswill have an R44 rating. The atticwill hit R80.
A website (www.minnephith-ouse.com) lists the companiesinvolved. Brazelton blogs thereabout the home’s progress, whenhe’s not building, being a fatheror tending to his day job.
“I told my wife after this isdone I’m going to check myselfinto a psych ward to decom-press,” he said.
MCT INFORMATION SERVICES
Family plans house as engineering marvelBY MATT MCKINNEYStar Tribune
Al Stegora fits insulation around windows ofthe Brazelton family home in Minneapolis.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
Paul and Desiree Brazelton, Madeline, 3, held by Paul, Amelie, 7, and Penelope, 5,are shown in front of their home in Minneapolis. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
Amelie and Penelope Brazelton play in the walls of their home, which are morethan 9 inches thick. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
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10F SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE
HACKENSACK, N.J. —There are certain spacesthat home buyers crave,like giant kitchens andexpansive walk-in closets.
And then there are thespaces that turn up un-expectedly, especially insome older homes —spots like bomb shelters,smokehouses and out-houses.
These can open a win-dow into history, giving afresh sense of how peopleonce lived. The bombshelter recalls a timewhen Americans fearednuclear attacks from theSoviet Union, and imag-ined how to survive in ascorched landscape. Thesmokehouse tells of atime when Americansdidn’t buy their meat atthe supermarket, butbutchered it and smokedit to preserve it.
And the outhouse tellsabout life before indoorplumbing, when … well,you know.
Quite often, homeown-ers find new uses foroddball spaces.
Tom Johnson of Liberty100 Realty in Waldwick,N.J., recalls selling ahouse where a secretstaircase connected acloset on the first floorwith a closet on the sec-ond. The owner lined upher shoes on the steps.
A Ridgewood, N.J.,Tudor listed by BethFreed of Prominent Prop-erties Sotheby’s Interna-tional Realty includes an
elevator, which the own-ers use as a linen closet.
Old bomb shelters aresometimes converted towine cellars. Ruby andBobby Kaplan of Teaneck,N.J., store old clothes,toys and household itemsin theirs. In Bobby Ka-plan’s words, it’s “a nice,cool place for junk.”
The shelter is a surprisein the Kaplans’ large stuc-co house, which has beenso extensively renovated itlooks nearly new. (Theseven-bedroom home ison the market for justunder $1.5 million becausethe Kaplans’ three chil-dren have grown. RubyKaplan, a real estate agentwith Vera & NechamaRealty in Teaneck, is list-ing the home.)
The Cold War hideouthas thick concrete wallsand a 2 ½-foot-diametercorrugated-metal tunnel,which leads beneath thelawn to the outside. Bob-by Kaplan recalls thatwhen the couple firstmoved into the house, hewas in the yard with thedog when the dog sud-denly vanished. He hadfallen into the bomb shel-ter tunnel, which thefamily later closed up.
Bomb shelters werebuilt in the 1950s and1960s as places to escapenuclear fallout. A photofrom the National Ar-chives shows a cozy mod-el, with a table covered bya checked cloth, twoneatly made bunk beds,and shelves stacked withcanned food. Magazinesare piled on the table, to
help pass the time under-ground.
And in 1960, PopularMechanics magazineoffered readers advice onhow to build a shelter,saying: “An undergroundshelter having at leastthree feet of earth or sandover it, plus adequatedoor and air filter, willgive you almost completeprotection.”
Nickie Lisella’s Allen-dale, N.J., house camewith a bomb shelter.
“I thought it was coolwhen we first saw it,” saysLisella, a manager withTerrie O’Connor Realtorsin Allendale. “I figured ifanyone dropped a bomb,we could save our family.”
Buyers often are drawnto extra spaces, especiallyif they’re big enough for avariety of uses. Ann Ma-tri, a Coldwell Bankeragent in Saddle River,N.J., recently listed an1890 two-bedroom housein Midland Park that soldalmost immediately, andover asking price, largelybecause it included asmall backyard stonebuilding with a potbelliedstove. It was originallyused as a summer kitch-en, when it was too hot tocook indoors. The buyerplans to use the space,roughly 12 feet by 14 feet,as an art studio.
“I advertised it forhobbyists, artists, musi-cians,” Matri said. “I can’ttell you how many peoplecame. A lot of people liketo have some sort of stu-dio or a little privacy.”
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Oddball spaces stillaround, repurposedHOMES | OUTHOUSES, SMOKEHOUSES, BOMB SHELTERS FEATURED
BY KATHLEEN LYNNThe Record
Homeowner Ruby Kaplan stands in the bomb shelter with a tunnel leading out-side her Teaneck, N.J., home. MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE PHOTO