Home Hunter May 26, 2013

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CYAN-AOOO MAGENTA-OAOO YELLOW-OOAO BLACK 012908

Cool spaces:Outdoor kitchens are heating upBy SuSan M. SelaSky

Detroit Free Press/MCT

DETROIT _ The unofcialgrilling season is under way,and one of the hottest trends isbringing the kitchen outdoors,

literally.Once thought only practicalin warmer climates, outdoorkitchens in Michigan are heat-ing up.

Makers of high-end grillsand outdoor appliances _distributors, landscape compa-nies and home builders _ haveseen this trend grow.

Built-in grills that spew outmore than 50,000 BTUs andcost $7,000 and up. Outdoor-ready pizza ovens for $12,000.Dishwashers that cost $4,000.Outdoor kitchens, even inMichigan, are trendy and partof the planning stages of somenew construction.

Trevarrow, an Auburn Hills,

Mich.-based distributor ofWolf and Sub-Zero appliancesincluding ones for outdoors,has seen double-digit growthin its outdoor appliances busi-ness.We are seeing them become

more popular, says Don Coo-per, Trevarrows corporatesales manager.What wasonce thought of done only inwarmer climates, like Ari-zona, ideally you can get eightto nine months out of it here(in Michigan).

Cooper says its easy to dealwith the winter cold with out-door heaters.

Russ Faulk, vice presidentof design and marketing for

Kalamazoo Outdoor Gour-met, says outdoor kitchensare more rivaling the indoorkitchen than they used to.

The company specializes inoutdoor cooking and enter-taining. It has a manufacturingfacility in Kalamazoo, and itsheadquarters are in Chicago.We are the upper end of the

upper end, Faulk says. Our

average outdoor kitchen orderis in the $30,000-$50,000range in the appliances andcabinetry.

Faulk says the outdoor pizzaoven is the top seller.

Outdoor kitchens can include

cooking areas with refrigera-tors and ice makers designedand built for outdoor use thatcost several thousand dollarseach. There also are shinybuilt-in stainless steel kitchensinks and even dishwashers.Theyre all designed to beweather-resistant.Its been growing for the

last ve-six years, says Dom-inick Tringali, staff architectfor Moceri, a custom homebuilder. We are seeing moreof those kinds of spaces.

A Moceri-built home un-dergoing reconstruction hasa covered space with a stonebase island with a Sub-Zerobuilt-in dishwasher, storage

drawer and a warming drawer.It features another base with arefrigerator, cupboard storageand a Wolf grill. Moceri esti-mates theres at least $35,000in appliances.Theres more interest in im-

proving outdoor space, FrankMoceri says. People arending a better investment inoutdoor space and somethingthey can enjoy after the kidsleave home.

What you spend depends onwhat you want or need. Build-ers and designers peg pricingfrom $15,000 to upward of$50,000, depending on size,materials and appliances.

The Hearth, Patio and Barbe-

cue Association (HPBA) putsoutdoor rooms in the leisurelifestyle category and says itsa $6.2 billion industry.The options are enormous

and for all weather, even inDetroit, says HPBA spokes-woman Leslie Wheeler.Youcan custom make it to t yourlifestyle. If pizza is your favor-ite, plan on a pizza oven.

One of the hottest trends in home design is bringing the kitchen outdoors to make grilling more than just for burgers. Thismodel home in Oakland Township, Michigan, features an outdoor k itchen area with pizza oven. (Jessica J. Trevino/DetroitFree Press/MCT)

This model home in Oakland Township, Michigan, features anoutdoor kitchen area with a Wolf oven with warming drawers.(Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit Free Press/MCT)

This model home in Oakland Township, Michigan, features anoutdoor kitchen area with a Wolf oven with warming draw-ers and a Sub-Zero mini fridge. (Jessica J. Trevino/Detroit FreePress/MCT)

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Diggin In: Try these new plants to perk up your landscapeBy Kathy Van

MulleKoM

Daily Press (Newport News,Va.)/MCT

Tired of ivy that claims toomuch of your yard, or boxwood

that looks brown and dead in-side?

Trade those yesteryear plantsfor something that adds drama,color and eye-catching elementsto your yard. Here are somenew and lesser-known plants toconsider:

Perennial Plant of the Year:Large plantings of ground coverscan be as benecial and beauti-ful as beds of shrubs. SolomonsSeal, variegated, striped and fra-grant, is one of the nicest groundcovers you can grow in part tofull shade. It looks stunningstanding alone or mixed in withother plants.

I have it planted under theshade of a Japanese red maple

tree mixed in with a ground-cover of radicans (groundcovergardenia), golden euonymous,hostas and Japanese painted

ferns, says landscape designerPeggy Krapf of Hearts EaseLandscape and Garden Designin Williamsburg, Va. _ www.HeartsEaseLandscape.com.

Its a carefree plant that al-ways looks fresh and clean in

the garden, and the bell-shapedowers and variegated leavesbring a sparkle of white to ashady area.

Solomons Seal, Polygonatumodoratum Variegatum, owerslate spring, turns yellow in thefall and grows well in moist soil.It grows 18 to 24 inches tall,and spreads by undergroundrhizomes to form colonies. Itssweetly fragrant blooms formunderneath the arching stems;good companion plants includehostas, ferns and astilbes, ac-cording to the nonprot Peren-nial Plant Association (www.perennialplant.org).

Flower arrangers will want togrow the perennial because its

foliage works so well in springoral arrangements.

The perennial has no seriousdisease or insect problems, and

can be divided in spring or fall;rhizomes should be planted justbelow the soil surface. Its coldhardy in zones 3-8.

Multi-season shrub: Blue Cas-cade Distylium is compact, ever-green, disease- and insect- resis-tant shrub for full sun to partialshade. Clusters of reddish-ma-roon owers appear along stemsin winter; blue-green foliagecovers the plant, which grows3-4 feet tall and wide. Its cold

hardy in zones 6-9.They are heat and drought

tolerant, wet soil tolerant, andare an excellent replacement for

cherry laurels, junipers, hollies,Indian hawthorn, says TishLlaneza of Countryside Gardens

in southeastern Virginia _ www.countrysidegardens.biz.

Plum pretty hydrangea: NewPlum Passion hydrangea, or

Hydrangea aspera, is the rstever purple-leaved hydrangea,according to Monrovia, a brandcarried at many garden centersnationwide. The foliage is darkpurple on the upper side and rosypurple on the top. Wispy, mid-

sized lacecap owers are notsignicant in contrast with thebold foliage. The shrub reaches5-6 feet tall and spreads wider;it looks good in full to partshade with blue-leaved hostasas companion plants, accordingto Monrovias growers _ www.monrovia.com. Although mosthydrangeas are cold hardy inzones 5-9, this one is cold hardyzones 7-10; it can be grown ina pot and taken indoors duringcold weather.

Glorious vine: Blue My Mind,a new dwarf morning glory, orEvolvulus, from Proven Win-ners, loves hot weather _ thehotter the better. It prefers funsun, tolerates drought when

established and produces hun-dreds of denim-colored blooms;its 12- to 24-inch spread makesit perfect for pots and window

boxes. Learn more about it andother summer-owering annu-als by Proven Winners at www.provenwinners.com.

Sensational salvia: SummerJewel Red salvia, or Salvia coc-cinea, grows 12 to 24 inches,

and features blush pink bloomsthat attract hummingbirds andbutteries; needs full to partsun; makes nice cut ower; andworks good in containers andbed borders. It was a 2011 All-America Selection; a paler ver-sion called Summer Jewel Pinkwon the honor in 2012. Learnmore about other All-AmericaSelections at http://aaswinners.com.

Red yucca: Vivid red owerson Brakelights, a red yucca, orHesperaloe parviora, bringshummingbirds to your gardens.Its succulent texture means itneeds minimum water to thrive;use it as a stand-alone plant in apot or as a 2-foot tall and wide

shrub in a bed of mixed, sun-loving perennials. Grown as aMonrovia brand; learn more atwww.monrovia.com.

Blue My Mind is a dwar morn-ing glory that looks bestgrown in pots or windowboxes. (Courtesy Proven Win-ners/MCT)

Plum Passion hydrangea isknown or its eye-catchingfowers and oliage. (CourtesyMonrovia/MCT)

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Tips for Buying a Home in Todays MarketIf youre considering

buying a home, someexperts think you shouldget a move on it. Interest

rates are at 65-year recordlows and national homeprices have nally hitbottom and are on therise. Despite what youmay be hearing, loans areavailable for those withgood credit histories,stable income andsufcient savings.

But dont jump rightin unprepared. Whetheryoure a seasoned buyeror a newbie, there arestrategies that can helpyou throughout the home-

buying process:

STick To Your

BudgeT

Determining how muchhome you can afforddepends on severalfactors, including yourannual gross income,credit history, currentmortgage rates and theamount of your down

payment.In todays market,

you can expect a down

payment to generally bebetween 5 to 20 percentof the purchase price fora conventional mortgage.Lenders recommend thatyour mortgage payment(principal, interest, taxesand mortgage insurance)

be less than 28 percentof your monthly grossincome.

Before looking for ahome, consider calling aDepartment of Housingand Urban Development-approved housing

counselor for free andcondential nancialassistance.

Avoid Borrowing

PiTfAllS

Unscrupulous lenderscan damage your creditand cause you nancialhardship. Here are someways to avoid becoming avictim:

Say no to easy money.Beware if someone claimsthat your credit problemswont affect the interestrate. If a solicitation isreally appealing, get it in

writing and seek a secondopinion.

Talk to several lendersto nd the best loan.

Know if the loanoffered to you charges afee if you pay it off early.If its a requirement ofthe loan, ask about other

products that dont containthis type of penalty.

Ensure documents are

correct and complete.Beware of anyone offeringto falsify your incomeinformation to qualifyyou for a loan. Neversign documents that haveincorrect dates or blankelds.

Ask for writtenestimates that include all

points and fees. When youget to the closing table, ifany fees or charges differfrom what was previouslydisclosed, delay closing

until all terms areunderstood.

If youre taking equity

out of your property,only take the minimum.Equity typically buildsslowly over time, soits important to try to

preserve it.

If youre not sure, dontsign! Get advice rst froma reputable consumercredit counseling agencyor housing counselor.

know THe

MorTgAge ProceSS

Mortgages are seriouslong-term nancialcommitments. Selectingthe right mortgage maymake a big difference inyour monthly paymentsand overall cost of yourloan.

To determine the bestterm for your personalsituation and one thataligns with your nancialgoals, talk with yourlender or nancial

professional for guidance.More home-buying tips

can be found at www.FreddieMac.com.

The prospect of makingsuch a big investmentcan be intimidating,

especially if youre a rsttime homebuyer. Do yourresearch, reach out to the

professionals, stick toyour budget and be sure

youre ready to take on thenancial responsibilitiesof being a homeowner.


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Home Hunter May 26, 2013