The Oklahoman Real Estate

EREAL ESTATESATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

INDEX

Handy 4EPermits 6EStone 7E

HOUSE PLAN

TheCopperfieldFamilies looking for acompact home with afeeling of spaciousnesswill find much toappreciate.PAGE 8E

LISTING OF THE WEEK

Two-levelhomeThe Listing of the Week is alarge home on 0.43 acre innorthwest Oklahoma City.

PAGE 5E

PROVIDINGROOM FORGRANDKIDSWith thoughtfulplanning and flexibil-ity, you won’t haveto worry that down-sizing could put yourrelationships withgrandkids in jeopar-dy.

PAGE 3E

IN BRIEF

AUGUST HOMESALES PACEUNCHANGEDFollowing a sub-stantial gain in July,the pace of new-home sales heldvirtually unchangedat a seasonally ad-justed annual rate of373,000 units inAugust, according toU.S. Census Bureau.“New-home sales inAugust effectivelytied the pace theyset in the previousmonth, when theywere the strongestwe’ve seen in morethan two years, saidBarry Rutenberg,chairman of theNational Associationof Home Buildersand a builder fromGainesville, Fla.“Looking at the bigpicture, sales havebeen trending gradu-ally upward sincethe middle of lastyear as favorableinterest rates andprices have drivenmore consumers toget back in the mar-ket for a newly builthome.”

REPURPOSINGTIPSRepurposing is allthe rage, but some-times it’s hard toenvision a new usefor an old object.Rebecca Proctorhelps with “RecycledHome: TransformYour Home UsingSalvaged Materials.”The book has 50projects, some usingcommon materialssuch as old newspa-pers and othersusing such flea-market finds asprinting blocks.Among the projectsare a Shaker peg railmade from scrapwood, a child’s playmat crafted from oldfabric and a towelladder made fromdriftwood. Proctorencourages readersto use the projectsas starting pointsfor their own ideas.“Recycled Home” ispublished by Lau-rence King Publish-ing and sells for$19.95 in softcover.

FROM STAFF ANDWIRE REPORTS

WASHINGTON — If you have apressing need to raise some cash,here’s some good news: Risinghome values are encouraginglenders to revive a product thatimploded during the housing bustyears: second mortgages.

Researchers at Equifax, one ofthe three national credit bureaus,said total outstanding balances ofsecond home mortgages at banksrose in the latest month for thefirst time in nearly five years.

Though the jump was relativelysmall — about three-tenths of apercent — analysts said any in-crease in the amount of secondmortgages is a bellwether event,indicating major lenders areshowing growing confidence thatthe real estate market has finallymade the turn to recovery.

The Federal Reserve recently re-ported that American homeown-ers’ equity stakes rose by $406billion in the second quarter, a 5.9percent increase over the previousquarter and the highest it’s beensince 2008.

Second loans, which includefixed-payment mortgages as wellas floating-rate home equity lines

of credit, put the bank in secondposition in the event of a fore-closure.

Say you have a house worth$250,000 with a $200,000 firstmortgage and a $20,000 secondmortgage. The proceeds of anyforeclosure would initially be usedto pay off the lender in the firstposition. Any remainder wouldpay off the holder of the secondlien. Because lenders assume a“junior” position when they makea second loan, these mortgages aregenerally considered to be higherrisk and carry higher interest ratesand fees than a first.

Second loans can be used for avariety of purposes — paying forkids’ college tuitions, injectingcapital into a small business, fi-nancing a home improvement andpaying off credit card debts are

among the most popular.Equifax, which receives infor-

mation from virtually every majorbank and mortgage lender, com-piles data on a variety of loanproducts. In its latest NationalConsumer Credit Trends study, itfound that home equity lendingappears to be rebounding fastestin New Mexico and California,where outstanding balancesjumped by 2.3 percent, along withNevada (2.1 percent), Colorado (2percent) and Florida (1.6 percent).

In an interview, Equifax chiefeconomist Amy Crews Cutts saidincreases in equity lending “arereally a healthy sign” for the econ-omy overall because in the yearsfollowing the housing bust, manybanks had little confidence thathome prices were stable enough tolend against in second position.

Now when Cutts speaks withbankers, she finds them “prettywilling to do (second) loans whentheir customers need them —they’re much more open” thanthey’ve been in years. Though un-derwriting standards are tougherthan they once were, banks arelending again, and they are expe-

riencing smaller losses. In themost recent study, Cutts said,second mortgage write-off ratesfell to just 2.7 percent, the lowestthey’ve been since February 2008.

Matt Potere, home equity exec-utive for Bank of America, calledsecond loans “an important ele-ment” in his company’s “custom-er relationship strategy” and said“we expect growth to occur asmarket conditions continue toimprove.”

James Chessen, chief econo-mist for the American BankersAssociation, agrees that “it’s goodnews that finally there’s some up-ward movement” in home equitylending but said he isn’t yet con-vinced it’s a long-term trend, inlarge part because of slow jobgrowth and uncertainty about theeconomy. Also, notwithstandingEquifax’s finding that bank equityloan write-offs are down, Ches-sen’s own surveys indicate thatdelinquencies on home equityloans rose from 4 percent to 4.09percent in the latest quarter.

Ken Harney’s email address [email protected].

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

Second mortgages make a comebackKennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

NORMAN — In a quietcul-de-sac in Norman’sTrail Woods addition, en-vironmental research isunder way, though mostpeople won’t notice.

Sets of monitoringequipment tucked in atground level will samplestormwater runoff for thenext two years, comparingthe pollutant levels fromone side of the cul-de-sacto levels from the otherside. A team from the Uni-versity of Oklahoma over-sees the sampling.

The main difference be-tween the two sides? Onefeatures standard frontyards with grass extendingto the curb while the otherhas rain gardens installedby the street — or, as mostcasual passers-by mightsee it, “Oh, what a prettygarden.”

That’s fine with IdealHomes’ Richard and Ver-non McKown, who are lev-eraging their family’s 42-year reputation in home-building to explore andperfect low-impact build-ing methods — those thatlimit the effect on the en-vironment. Their father,Gene McKown, is a long-time fixture in Norman’sland development scene.

A drive through Car-rington Place, where Idealinstalled test rain gardenssix years ago, proves thepoint, Richard McKownsaid.

“The thing is, when youdrive through there, theyjust look like beautiful,landscaped areas,” he said.“They don’t look like any-thing. So from a commer-cial standpoint, they’re anice amenity. They looknice like a well-plantedfront flower bed in a frontentry.”

But the landscaping atthe entrance serves doubleduty: Its strategic combi-nation of plants and soilmaterials is supposed tosoak up rainfall as it rollsoff rooftops and acrossconcrete and herbicide-

laced lawns. The aim is toreduce the amount ofchemicals flowing intosewer systems and ulti-mately into watershedsthat drain into streams,lakes or aquifers.

“By the time (rainwater)gets to your gutter andthrough your yard, it’s al-ready not the cleanest wa-ter,” Richard McKownsaid.

Ideal Homes joined withthe University of Okla-homa, the Oklahoma Con-servation Commission andthe Environmental Protec-tion Agency on the TrailWoods project. The condi-tion of Lake Thunderbird,Norman’s source of drink-ing water, adds a sense ofurgency to the work.

“Lake Thunderbird isvery impaired with nutri-ents, and we’re starting totackle that,” said JudithWilkins, environmentalprojects coordinator in theconservation commis-sion’s water quality divi-sion. Phosphorus in fertil-

izer is the biggest culprit,she said.

The Trail Woods site is“a demonstration projectto show what we can do,”she said.

Wilkins said she haswatched Ideal Homes ex-periment in other neigh-borhoods, including therain gardens in Norman’sCarrington Place additionand several thousand dol-lars’ worth of carefullychosen plants along theedges on the main pondthere.

“And the maintenancecrew came through andmowed them all down,”she said. “So it’s an educa-tion process.”

Ideal worked with ReidCoffman, a former assist-ant professor with OU’sDivision of Landscape Ar-chitecture, in setting upthe Trail Woods project.Though he is now at KentState University in Ohio,Coffman is still involved.

Rain gardens pass curb test HOUSING | IDEAL HOMES, PARTNERS SEEK MIX OF FORM, FUNCTION TO EASE STORMWATER RUNOFF POLLUTION

Special landscaping provides a natural system for stormwater runoff filtration in the Trail Woods addition byIdeal Homes in Norman. PHOTOS BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

BY DYRINDA TYSONFor The [email protected]

Vernon McKown, president of sales for Ideal Homes,left, and his brother, developer Richard McKown, lookat a natural system for runoff water filtration in theTrail Woods addition in Norman.SEE GARDENS, PAGE 2E

EllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

“In fact, this projectwould never have beenpossible without him,”Richard McKown said.

Not all rain gardens,though, are created equal.

“Some of the early raingardens we saw, like pic-tures in other market-places, looked like deten-tion ponds,” VernonMcKown said.

“The water was floodedinto an area, and it waskind of quasi-rain garden,but it wasn’t an asset to thecommunity.”

Richard McKown add-ed: “We had friends inChicago who had to putout signs saying, ‘It’s sup-posed to look weedy.’ ”

Ideal is striving to pro-vide both form and func-tion, Vernon McKownsaid. And it’s working.“Every rain garden that wecurrently have on theground is aestheticallypleasing and in harmonywith the residence.”

But is it affordable?“I’m not going to tell you

we’ve cracked the code onthat,” he said with a laugh.“We’re in the early stagesof the learning.”

Meeting challengesThere are plenty of chal-

lenges. What works in theporous soils around Ches-apeake Bay isn’t going towork in Oklahoma’s den-ser clay soil. Plus, most ofthe work falls outside citycode, forcing theMcKowns to visit with cityofficials on a regular basis.

“The city of Normanhas been very gracious towork with us,” RichardMcKown said.

And the undergroundelements have to be wovenaround sewer pipes, cablelines and other utility con-duits already in place. ZacRoach, Ideal’s vice presi-dent of development, hasprobably gained a few grayhairs in the course of theTrail Woods project, Rich-ard McKown said.

Once the OU team hascompleted its monitoring,the findings will be com-piled into a report. Thestatistics will give the Idealteam something concreteto work from as they con-tinue to refine their raingardens.

“At the end of the day,it’s all theoretical until youprove it,” Vernon McKownsaid.

Meanwhile, they get theword out about rain gar-dens, making presenta-tions wherever they can.Richard McKown recalledone presentation he madewith Reid Coffman in Tul-sa, where a speaker saidlow-impact buildingwouldn’t work in Okla-homa — the clay soil won’tpercolate water throughinto the aquifer, plus ex-treme drought and flashflooding play havoc withthe plants.

When he and Coffmantook the stage, they bothadmitted to the crowd thatwas all true; they’d seen itplay out in various testprojects, McKown said.

“And we just keepadapting and failing for-ward,” McKown recalledtelling them. “We use thatterm a lot. We just keepfailing forward.”

So the challenge hasbeen to create a rain gardenthat will work with Okla-homa’s soil and extremes inweather but won’t radicallyincrease the home’s price.

“That’s been a very im-portant piece of our puz-zle,” Richard McKown said.

“Zac’s the one who’s ac-tually boots on the ground,making sure everybodytalks to everybody, makessure no sewer lines, phonelines, Cox Communicationlines get cut, and that it allgets done as close to onbudget as possible.”

Left: A water collection container, under construction,will be used in comparing runoff from a street inNorman.

PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

This drawing illustrates the rain garden concept: Stormwater from a lawn is di-rected to the specially landscaped area where materials in the soil help collectpollutants to keep them out of groundwater.

Gardens: Providing form, function

A trough will be used to measure and compare waterrunoff against a comparable nearby street using anatural system for runoff water filtration in Norman’sTrail Woods addition. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

A rain garden can appear somewhat unkempt compared to what people are used to seeing along the streets ina suburban neighborhood. PHOTO PROVIDED BY IDEAL HOMES

Attractive cisterns are a part of a natural system forrunoff water filtration in the Trail Woods addition inNorman. PHOTO BY PAUL HELLSTERN, THE OKLAHOMAN

Among the plants Ideal Homes uses in its rain gar-dens are, clockwise from top left, Arcadia Juniper,Purple Cone Flower, Autumn Sage, Russian Sage andStone Crop. PHOTOS BY PROVIDED BY IDEAL HOMES

FROM PAGE 1E

2E SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012 NEWSOK.COMTHE OKLAHOMAN

Stacy Lyons has movedto Paradigm AdvantEdgeReal Estate’s north office at16301 N May Ave. as a resi-dential real estate sales as-sociate.

Lyons has sold real es-tate for 11 years and hasearned seven professionaldesignations: GRI (Gradu-ate, Realtor Institute), e-Pro (for online and socialmedia proficiency), SFR(Short Sale and Foreclo-sure Resourse Certifica-tion), AHWD (At Homewith Diversity), CHMS(Certified Home Market-ing Specialist), ABR (Ac-credited Buyers Represen-tative) and SRS (SellersRepresentative Specialist).

Lyons, who grew up in amilitary family, graduatedfrom Yukon High Schooland has lived in Yukon eversince.

Stacy Lyons

Lyons movesto Paradigmnorth office

Sandra Dawson,relocation-corporateproperties director, andDebbie Schreppel,relocation-referrals direc-tor, for Prudential AllianceRealty, recently attendedthe Brookfield Global Re-location Services and Pru-dential Relocation Ser-vices Forum in Phoenix.

This year’s conferenceconcentrated on the relo-cation industry’s trends,opportunities and chal-lenges.

“Energy and enthusi-asm ran high at the forumas attendees exchangedideas, shared experiencesand discussed best prac-tices,” Schreppel said. “Itseems everyone is antici-

pating and preparing forbetter times in our indus-try.”

The event drew morethan 600 relocation andreal estate professionals,client representatives, ser-vice providers and others.The theme was “MovingForward,” symbolizing themomentum generated byBrookfield’s December2011 acquisition of Pru-dential Relocation. Thetransaction created theworld’s second-largest re-location services provider.

“Brookfield Relocationis committed to providingexceptional customer ser-vice, and the strong at-tendance and participationwe witnessed demon-strates this commitment,”Dawson said.

Prudential agents attend forumFROM STAFF REPORTS

Are you a retired ornearly retired personwhose life revolves aroundthe grandkids? Do yourfriends joke that you’vescaled back your career tobecome a “professionalgrandparent”? Yet are fi-nancial concerns forcingyou to sell the big housethat’s accommodated somany family gatherings?

If so, you might worrythat your need to downsizecould put your relation-ship with grandkids injeopardy.

But with thoughtfulplanning and flexibility,that needn’t be the case,said Sue Johnson, co-au-thor of “Grandloving:Making Memories WithYour Grandchildren.”

“Children are like puppydogs. It doesn’t matterwhere you live. What mat-ters most is what you givethem from your heart,”Johnson said.

After retiring from full-time careers, she and herhusband downsized to alower-cost area withindriving distance of all sev-en of their grandchildren.There they selected amodest ranch-style houseon a creek where the wholefamily can fish and play.

“We call this house ourgrandchild magnet. That’sbecause the grandkidswere a huge part of why wemoved here, and they loveto visit,” Johnson said.

Originally, the couple’sthree-bedroom house wasa one-story place with justa single bathroom.

But to accommodatefamily gatherings, theybuilt on a second story,adding two more bath-rooms and an extra bed-room and doing much ofthe construction workthemselves to save money.Despite the addition, thehouse is still a tight fitwhen many family mem-bers visit.

“The kids are sleepingon cots or sleeping bags onthe floor. But everyone haslots of fun,” said Johnson,who co-authors a blog onthe art of grandparenting(www.grandloving.com).

Sue Patton Thoele, asemiretired psychothera-pist and author of a num-

ing crafts and games.I Don’t worry if you live

a distance away.Johnson said many

grandparents can’t affordto make a long-distancemove to be closer to theirgrandchildren — especiallyif the kids live in an areawith high-cost housing.And there’s no guaranteeyour grown children mightnot make another movelater, should their careerscause them to relocate.

Johnson said there aremany ways to stay con-nected with grandchil-dren, even if you live aplane ride away and don’thave the funds or goodhealth to travel often.Through the book and blogshe co-authors, she pro-vides low-cost strategiesfor staying in close touch.

“There is a multitude ofways to stay connectedlong distance. You justhave to have the rightframe of mind and a bigheart,” she said.

To contact Ellen James Martin, emailher at [email protected].

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

quiet street if they have achoice. Not only is thatbetter for children and petsbut it also means less noiseand stress,” she said.

Protecting childrenfrom road hazards is par-ticularly important if thegrandparents are provid-ing care for young childrenor if the kids live with themfull-time. As Johnsonnotes, the number ofgrandparents who raisechildren now numbersmore than 8 million and isincreasing.

I Seek a home with anextra bedroom or suite.

West also encourageshomebuyers with large ex-tended families to shop fora property with an extrabedroom, particularly forthose with families sepa-rated by distance.

“It’s much better to putyour family up at yourhome rather than at a ho-tel. It’s way more relaxedthat way. And because noone prefers to share abathroom, it’s great tohave a guest suite with itsown bathroom,” she said.

Even homeowners wholive near their grandchil-dren can benefit from abedroom the kids can calltheir own. For instance,West has an extra bedroomwith three twin beds and acloset full of toys that hergrandsons use duringovernight visits.

I Realize that living in aresort area is optional.

Some homebuyinggrandparents pick a neigh-borhood with easy accessto a recreational venue,such as an ocean beach oran amusement park. Oth-ers move near cities withsightseeing opportunities.They hope such lures willprompt their offspring tovisit often.

But Thoele said grand-parents who plan to moveshouldn’t select a propertybased on its tourist attrac-tions. That’s because mostresidential areas offer suf-ficient leisure activities tokeep the kids entertained,and grandparents need tothink first about their ownlifestyle preferences. Inaddition, families can cre-ate their own fun activitiesaround the house, includ-

ber of books on family is-sues, said that althoughmost grandparents wouldlike to own a home thatprovides recreational at-tractions for their offspr-ing, that’s not always anaffordable option.

“Many of us have tre-mendous financial con-cerns we didn’t have be-fore the recession,” Thoelesaid. “And when you’re re-tired, you don’t want tohave a big mortgage thatstrangles you and makesmoney concerns such ahuge stressor. So you’vegot to work within yourmeans.”

She urged grandparentsto select a place that’s bothaffordable and well suitedto their lifestyle — notingthat children adapt easilyto new environments.

Here are a few pointersfor homebuyers seeking aproperty that will servetheir needs and those ofthe extended family:

I Question whetheryou need a big yard.

Kay West, a longtimereal estate agent and a pastpresident of the Council ofResidential Specialists(www.crs.com), spends asmuch time as possiblewith her three grandsons,ages 3, 6 and 10, who livenearby.

As West tells her home-buying clients with grand-kids, they don’t need a lotof outside space to keepthem happy. One goodsubstitute is to buy a homein an area with a park near-by. West chose to live threeblocks from a park with alarge and colorful play-ground set that her grand-sons enjoy.

I Find a location on aquiet street, if possible.

West advises homebuy-ing clients with grandchil-dren to think of the kids’safety when consideringthe street on which theyplan to live.

“Most families prefer a

EllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

Grandchild-friendly homeshould also suit the owners

WASHINGTON — Thenumber of Americans whosigned contracts to buypreviously occupiedhomes fell in August froma two-year high in July.

The National Associ-ation of Realtors said thatits index of sales agree-ments dropped to 99.2. InJuly, the index rose to 101.9.That was the highest levelsince April 2010, when themarket benefited from afederal homebuying taxcredit.

A reading of 100 is con-sidered healthy. The indexis 10.7 percent higher thanit was a year ago. The indexbottomed at 75.88 in June2010 after the tax creditexpired.

Contract signings typi-cally indicate where thehousing market is headed.There’s generally a one- totwo-month lag between asigned contract and acompleted deal. Lastmonth, completed saleshit a two-year high.

Sales of new homes re-mained near a two-yearhigh in August, the gov-ernment said.

Builder confidence is at

a six-year high and con-struction of single-familyhomes rose last month tothe fastest annual rate inmore than two years.

Sales have been boostedby ultralow mortgagerates. The average rate onthe 30-year fixed mort-gage fell to a record low of3.40 percent. The averagerate has been below 4 per-cent all year.

A limited supply ofhomes for sale has alsohelped drive prices up.Higher prices could boostmore sellers to list theirhomes.

Even with the gains,home sales and construc-tion remain well belowhealthy levels. And manyhomebuyers, particularlyfirst-time buyers, aren’table to qualify for mort-gage loans.

Purchase contractsfall from July highBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

RICHARD MIZE

http://blog.newsok.com/ok-propertylinesand in Saturday’s Business

Oklahoma Property Lines

3ESATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012THE OKLAHOMAN NEWSOK.COM

The leaves are turning,the mornings are gettingchilly and winter isn’t toofar away. It’s time onceagain for my annualchecklist of importantthings that I recommendyou do to get your homeready for the comingchange of seasons.

On the insideI Check smoke detec-

tors: Change your smokedetector batteries, andcheck for proper oper-ation. Also, check the dateon the bottom of thesmoke detector. Smokedetectors have a life span,and if yours is more than 10years old, it may not workproperly in a fire, so re-place it with a new one.Also, make sure you have asmoke detector at eachsleeping room, and onecentrally located on eachlevel of the home.

I Install a carbon mon-oxide detector: If youhave a furnace, fireplace,

water heater or other ap-pliance that’s fueled bypropane or natural gas, orif you have an attached ga-rage, install a carbon mon-oxide detector. They justplug in, and you can getthem inexpensively frommost home centers andother retailers. If your ex-isting carbon monoxidedetector is more than 5years old, replace it with anew one.

I Check gas applianc-es: Speaking of gas ap-pliances, consider havingyour utility company orheating contractor inspectflues, fittings and othercomponents of your natu-ral gas or propane ap-pliance and heating sys-tems for potential prob-lems.

I Change furnace fil-ters: Always put in newfurnace filters in the fall.It’s a simple and inexpen-sive way to add to yourhome’s efficiency and yourfamily’s comfort.

I Check and seal heat-ing ducts: Crawl a little,save a lot. Check the ductsin your attic, basementand crawl space for gapsbetween ducts and fit-tings, and seal them with aquality metallic tape, notregular duct tape, whichdoesn’t last. Also, check tobe sure that all of the ductsare off the ground and ad-equately supported.

I Check insulation lev-els: Increased insulationcan make a huge differencein both your comfort andyour heating bills, so don’tput off having your insula-tion levels inspected. Callyour local utility companyor building department tolearn what levels are opti-

mum for your area. Checkthe attic, underfloor,kneewalls, skylight shaftsand ductwork. Upgradeunderinsulated areas asneeded, either as a do-it-yourself project (homecenters and hardwarestores have all the suppliesyou need) or with the helpof a licensed insulationcontractor.

On the outsideI Check the roof: A roof

that leaks not only has thepotential to cause signifi-cant structural damage, italso wets insulation,which causes a drop in theinsulation’s ability to resistheat loss. Examine roofingshingles and flashings andrepair or replace them asneeded. It’s easier andsafer to take care of theseproblems now than duringwinter’s ice and rain.

I Seal masonry surfac-es: Apply a sealer to con-crete driveways and walk-ways, brick patios and

other exterior masonry.Masonry sealers preventwater from penetrating in-to cracks and creviceswhere it can freeze andcause serious damage. Youcan find sealers at homecenters, paint stores andmasonry supply retailers.Apply with a brush, rolleror sprayer.

I Check weather-strip-ping: Gaps around doorsand windows waste ex-pensive heated air and cre-ate chilling interior drafts.Check and replace or ad-just weatherstripping anddoor sills to create an air-tight seal. Everything youneed can be found at homecenters, hardware storesand many other retailers.

I Handle yard chores:Many plants require prun-ing this time of year, andlawns should be fertilizedwith a fall-winter fertilizerto feed them through thewinter and get them readyfor a fast green-up whenspring returns. Clean up all

your yard tools and putthem away for the season.

I Close foundationvents: You should haveopened your foundationvents for the summer toallow any accumulatedcrawl space moisture toescape, so now’s the timeto close them up again forwinter freeze protection.Also, install exterior faucetcovers.

I Trim trees: Over-hanging trees deposit de-bris on your roof, scrapeand damage shingles, pro-mote the growth of mildewand, worst of all, have thepotential for devastatingdamage if they snap duringa wind storm. Considerhaving a professional treeservice inspect overhang-ing trees, and safely cutthem back as needed.

Remodeling and repair questions?E-mail Paul at [email protected]. All productreviews are based on the author’sactual testing of free review samplesprovided by the manufacturers.

INMAN NEWS

12 steps to winterizing your homePaulBianchina

HANDY @ HOME

ATLANTA — Marquita Shealeyis having a tough time after thehouse she bought lost more thanhalf its value in two years.

The loss put the 29-year-oldfirst-time buyer in the same po-sition as about 31 percent of U.S.homeowners, according to Cali-fornia real estate and data firmZillow: She is upside down, orowes more on the mortgage thanthe worth of the home.

For younger buyers, especiallythose trying to relocate or justsell a home, it is a financial hard-ship that ripples through theeconomy, cutting into sales atdepartment stores, stifling hiringand pulling down other homevalues.

In Shealey’s case, she can’t selland take a loss and has also suf-fered some other financial hits,such as expensive home repairsand a split with the man withwhom she bought the house inLithonia, Ga. So she is stuck in ahome that suppresses her abilityto flex with new financial con-straints. She cut back spendingand is considering pulling herdaughter out of private school.

“I thought once I closed, ev-erything would be smooth sail-ing,” Shealey said. “Now every-thing is on me.”

Zillow economist Stan Hum-phries said younger buyers typ-ically paid low down payments,have little equity in the home andare more likely to have purchasedin the past 10 years as home pric-es hit a peak. Home values drop-ped on average about 35 percenthere since 2006.

Younger buyers typically are atthe beginning of their careers,earn less than older counterpartsand have amassed fewer assetsthat could help them get throughtough times.

Humphries noted that beingunderwater on a loan can pro-hibit a young worker from mov-ing to a new location for a better-paying job, because they can’tafford to sell at a loss.

If owners can’t sell, it creates a

secondary effect up and downthe economic ladder. There arefewer available homes on themarket for willing buyers. Beingunderwater retards the ability ofhomeowners to sell and moveup, a traditional strong sector ofthe housing market.

“It does gum up the innerworkings of the housing market,”Humphries said.

The frustration of being stuckin a house encourages home-owners to default to get out ofthe payment, causing more fore-closures in the housing marketand depressing everyone’s homevalues.

Georgia real estate investorBob Massey said he has friendswith one child who want to selltheir small house and move to amore spacious home, but theycannot because they are under-water. The couple is holding offhaving a second child.

Another friend in the militarymoved here from Maryland butcannot sell his underwater homethere. If they are able to rent it,the income will still be less thanthe mortgage payment and thecouple will have to make up thedifference.

“Here is a young couple

spending an extra $400 or $500a month and trying to keep hiscredit clean because it affects hisjob,” Massey said.

“If he did a short sale, it wouldaffect his credit and he can’t getloan for another three or threeyears,” he said.

Humphries said despite thedifficulties, about 92 percent ofhomeowners are staying currenton their payments. Being under-water does not mean that thosehomeowners will soon be amongthe foreclosed-upon.

And being underwater maynot be a big deal to older home-buyers. They typically boughtyears ago when prices were lowerand have built up equity, whichlowers what they owe.

If older owners don’t have adisaster such as a job loss andhad no plans to move, they areless affected because they canwait for prices to come back,Humphries said.

Zillow got its mortgage data bygiving estimated home values tocredit information companyTransUnion, which matched theestimated values against knownmortgage balances at those ad-dresses.

MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

Treading water with upside down mortgages

Marquita Shealey, left, and her 4-year-old daughter GabrielBlount are shown in their home in Lithonia, Ga. MCT PHOTO

BY CHRISTOPHER QUINNAtlanta Journal-Constitution

Joseph and Kayla Simons aren’t yourtypical first-time homebuyers.

Armed with low interest rates, bargainprices and good income, the young couplesidestepped a starter home and bought a3,000-square-foot house on a tree-linedstreet in Maple Grove, Minn.

“Since we knew we could easily affordto buy more than we were initially lookingto spend, the choice was quite simple,”said Joseph Simons. “Why not buy a for-ever home with everything we want?”

Real estate agents say more twenty-something, childless buyers are snappingup sprawling homes instead of startingout small. It’s a trend that’s gaining mo-mentum as young buyers seize on some ofthe best housing deals in history.

While the shift is unlikely to kick-startconstruction of new subdivisions filledwith McMansions, it’s helping to revivesales of midpriced and upper-brackethouses. The Simonses, for instance, ini-tially planned to spend about $200,000on a town house, but ended up spendingtens of thousands more once they startedshopping.

“The more starter homes we saw, theless impressed we became,” Joseph Si-mons said.

Clearly, most first-timers don’t havethe financial muscle to buy their dreamhouse, but with rents on the rise, the Si-monses and other young buyers facecompetition from investors who can paycash for inexpensive properties they canuse for rentals.

For the Simonses, increasing their bud-get increased their options, even thoughthey bought a house that has far morespace than they need.

“At this point the house still feels a littlebig, but we love it,” Joseph Simons said.“And when we decide to start a family, wedon’t have to go anywhere.”

This shift to larger homes runs counterto buying trends in recent years thatshowed higher demand for smallerhouses. When the recession hit, manybuilders decreased square footage andtouted their homes as more efficient and

economical for buyers.But Walter Maloney, spokesman for the

National Association of Realtors, saidmany of today’s buyers are realizing that itcould take many years to gain enough eq-uity to trade up to a costlier house, somany are planning to stay longer. Lastyear, the typical buyer expected to be intheir house 15 years compared with 10years in 2010, he said.

Mike and Anne Jewison learned thatlesson the hard way. Before they weremarried, Anne Jewison bought a townhouse near peak prices, and now owesmore on the mortgage than the house isworth. That’s why when they decided tobuy a house together, the twenty-some-thing couple opted for a place they’d enjoyfor years. They’re building a 4,500-square-foot house in the Enclave, a newsubdivision in Medina, Minn., whereprices range from $420,000 to more than$500,000.

While they’re building a bigger housethan they need, they say they’re notstretching their budget. They’ve evenmade sure they can afford the house evenif one of them wants to take a break fromwork after they start having children.

Lennar sales agent Jeremy Berg said theJewisons are not unusual. He has severalyoung, childless buyers who are building3,500-square-foot houses that will servetheir needs for at least a couple of dec-ades.


Some young, first-time buyersare skipping the starter home

Mike and Ann Jewison, both in theirtwenties, are taking advantage of lowinterest rates to make the four-bed-room home under construction behindthem their first home. MCT PHOTO

BY JIM BUCHTAStar Tribune


The Listing of the Weekis a large, two-level homeon 0.43 acre in the gatedCanyon Lakes addition innorthwest Oklahoma City.

The 4,753-square-foothome at 7625 NW 133 Placehas five bedrooms, threebaths, four living rooms,three dining rooms and anattached three-car garage.The home has a walkoutbasement leading to alarge, fenced backyard; the

lower level also has a largeden, hobby room, theaterroom, bistro bar and twobedrooms. The main levelhas the master suite andtwo other bedrooms,chef’s kitchen, study, bal-cony, hand-scraped woodfloors and plantation shut-ters. The home has a cov-ered porch, covered patio,security system and un-derground sprinkler sys-tem.

The home, built in2008, is listed for$614,900 with Ed Collinsof Churchill-Brown & As-sociates Realtors. For moreinformation, call 330-0031or 203-3747.

Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send a copy of the MLSinformation sheet on a single-familyhome to The Oklahoman, Richard Mize,P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK73125. Nominations may be faxed to475-3996.

LISTING OF THE WEEK

The Listing of the Week is at 7625 NW 133 Place. PHOTO PROVIDED

Two-level home in gatedaddition has 5 bedrooms

BALTIMORE — After yearsof watching Lynn Weisb-erg purchase garment aftergarment, boutique man-ager Karen Ciurca-Weinerfinally told her loyal cus-tomer a hard truth: Sheneeded to stop buying andstart looking at what shehad.

Ciurca-Weiner suggest-ed that what Weisberg re-ally needed was to organizeher closet.

“She kept buying allthese clothes,” Ciurca-Weiner said as she stoodinside her client’s closet, a9-by-12-foot convertedoffice space that now hasshelving and drawers toaccommodate Weisberg’sclothes. “I told her to stopbuying items and makeoutfits out of clothes” shealready had.

Since their initial ses-sion five years ago, the twohave come together twice ayear to organize Weisberg’sclothes — once at the be-ginning of spring and onceat the beginning of fall.The nearly four-hour ses-sions allow Weisberg tomaximize her closet spacewhile planning her outfitsfor the upcoming season.

“She cleans out and re-freshes my closet everyseason,” the Pikesville,Md., resident said aboutCiurca-Weiner. “It’s atime-saver and a hugemoney-saver.”

Professionalorganizers

More and more peopleare seeking the help ofcloset organizers to create

order and save money, ac-cording to experts. In ad-dition to purging closets ofspace-eating out-of-dategarments, the experts areusing their knowledge toidentify hidden gems tocreate fresh looks for theirclients.

Although more atten-tion is being paid to thecloset, it still remains oneof the least-used rooms inthe home, according to Ci-urca-Weiner, who works atthe Baltimore women’sclothing boutique Jones &Jones.

“The biggest problem isthat people don’t knowhow to utilize their space,”she said. “They don’t haveenough cube space. Andthey don’t stack thingssuch as sweaters.”

You don’t have to have alavish “Sex And TheCity”-type closet to usethe services and suggesti-ons of a closet organizer,

according to experts. Withthe addition of severalhooks for clothes and jew-elry, a few shelves forshoes and even a curtainrod to hang scarves, any-one can maximize theircloset space, said Ciurca-Weiner.

“It’s very important tocreate closet and drawerspace,” she said. “Youmust utilize every space.You have to have a need foreach space.”

Ciurca-Weiner organiz-es closets by garments andcolors — arranging itemsfrom light to dark. “I orga-nize a closet like it’s like astore. I make it easier toshop your closet,” she said.

Weisberg’s closet re-veals Ciurca-Weiner’shandiwork. Behind thesliding door is a spacefilled with outfits piecedtogether by Ciurca-Wein-er. One wall is lined withcustomized shelving and

stacked with 100 heels andwedges by designers suchas Jimmy Choo and StuartWeitzman. On the samewall, drawers are neatlyorganized by items includ-ing jewelry and exerciseclothes. A hanging rack onthe back of the door isfilled with assorted balletflats and sandals. A vanityand comfy, plush chair al-low Weisberg to coordi-nate her makeup with herensemble for the day.

Not for storage“I use every little bit of

space there is,” Weisbergsaid. “This is not storage.”

Image consultant JudyPressman would agree thatclosets shouldn’t be usedjust for hanging clothesthat get little wear.

As the founder of theBaltimore-based J.P. Im-ages, Pressman has fine-tuned her closet organiz-ing over the past 30 years.

“After you work withme, you’ll feel great. Theconfusion is gone. It willtake you two seconds to getdressed in the morning,”said Pressman, whose ros-ter of clients includes pro-fessional women in Balti-more, Washington andVirginia, and can swell toup to 100 at the start of thespring and fall seasons.

Pressman’s sessions,which run $150 per hourfor an average of threehours, include a consulta-tion, an overall cleaningand organization of thecloset, a mission state-ment where she assignsclients labels such as “ele-gant chic” and “glamourspice,” and creation of a

“look book” charting ev-ery item of clothing in thecloset.

Pressman then makes alist of items her clientsneed.

“After we’re done, noitem is bought unless it hasa purpose,” Pressman said.“My clients are profes-sionals. They don’t havetime to waste. Image is im-portant to them.”

Upon completion of thecloset reorganization, Ci-urca-Weiner provides cli-ents with a list of clothesthey need.

“That way, they’ll go inthe store with a list of ba-sics they need to fill in,”she said.


Organizing your closet can help your wallet

Heels and wedges have their own dedicated space inLynne Weisberg’s closet. MCT PHOTOS

BY JOHN-JOHN WILLIAMS IVThe Baltimore Sun

For the past six years, Karen Ciurca-Weiner, left, has been helping her clients orga-nize. Here she assists Lynne Weisberg with her closet in Pikesville, Md.


Oklahoma CityTimberlake Construc-

tion, 3600 S Sara Road,school, erect,$15,800,000.

Freels & Associates Inc.,1629 S Prospect Ave., ho-tel-motel, erect,$6,000,000.

Fuller Miller, 1101 SE 34,erect, erect, $6,000,000.

W.S Bowlware, 1220 SE82, office-warehouse,erect, $1,190,000.

Sheppard & Sons Con-struction Inc., 713 SW 119,medical clinic-office,erect, $750,000.

DK Mullin Architects-Teresa Heitmann, 9118 SWestern Ave., recreationcenter, remodel,$450,000.

Larry Russell Homes,2609 Guilford Lane, resi-dence, add-on,$400,000.

McCaleb Homes Inc.,13120 Rock Canyon Road,residence, erect,$400,000.

Noble Contractors LLC,8338 SW 15, warehouse,erect, $400,000.

Dodson Custom Homes1 LLC, 9009 Bella VistaLane, residence, erect,$370,000.

4 Corners ConstructionLLC, 5817 SE 142, resi-dence, erect, $300,000.

Thomas Neal Hall III,13001 SW 47, residence,erect, $293,000.

RJ Designs Inc., 5400Lazy Fawn Trail, resi-dence, erect, $280,000.

Mary Candice Cox,10916 San Lorenzo Drive,residence, erect,$260,000.

Mike Metcalf Con-struction LLC, 12605Quartz Place, residence,erect, $260,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 5620 NW 119Circle, residence, erect,$252,000.

Greg and Dianna Allen,3921 NW 44, residence,erect, $250,000.

Rice Custom HomesLLC, 17121 Royal TroonDrive, residence, erect,$250,000.

Seagull Homes, 5509NW 130, residence, erect,$250,000.

Anthony & Blatt, 5100 SInterstate 35 Service Road,office, remodel,$250,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 3141 SW 136Terrace, residence, erect,$240,000.

TLP Custom HomesLLC, 1505 SW 134 Terrace,residence, erect,$240,000.

Woodland Homes LLC,1804 NW 195 Circle, resi-dence, erect, $240,000.

Vintage Custom HomesLLC, 12641 WilliamsonFarms Blvd., residence,erect, $231,900.

Jason Powers Homes,12605 NW 7, residence,erect, $227,000.

Authentic CustomHomes LLC, 8305 NW 141Circle, residence, erect,$225,000.

Cutter Homes, 15517Park Lake Road, residence,erect, $220,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 3116 SW 136Terrace, residence, erect,$210,000.

Arensdorf Investments,3021 NE 50, automotiverepair-wash, install,$200,000.

Craftsmanship HomesInc., 13724 SE 95, resi-dence, erect, $200,000.

Remington BuildersInc., 5328 Starling Way,residence, erect,$200,000.

Seagull Homes, 5504NW 130, residence, erect,$200,000.

Stone Creek HomesLtd, 4804 SW 126, resi-dence, erect, $200,000.

D&R Development,4401 SW 44, warehouse,erect, $185,000.

R&R Homes LLC, 3509Tecumseh Drive, resi-dence, erect, $180,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,3433 Stone Brook Court,residence, erect,$180,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,3441 Stone Brook Court,residence, erect,$180,000.

Autotainment VenturesLLC, 14201 Broadway Ex-tension, automotive re-pair-wash, add-on,$180,000.

Tom VorderlandwehrInc., 9113 NW 90 Circle,residence, erect,$165,000.

Fuller Miller Construc-tion, 12231 S May Ave., of-fice, add-on, $157,300.

4 Corners ConstructionLLC, 14808 Almond ValleyDrive, residence, erect,$150,000.

Woodland Homes LLC,4012 Chesterfield Place,residence, erect,$150,000.

The McKinney Partner-ship Architects, 201 NW10, restaurant, remodel,$150,000.

Cliff Marical HomesInc., 10628 SW 34 Terrace,residence, erect,$140,000.

Cliff Marical HomesInc., 10633 SW 36, resi-dence, erect, $140,000.

Authentic CustomHomes LLC, 8021 WatersEdge Way, residence,erect, $130,000.

Cliff Marical HomesInc., 10624 SW 34 Terrace,residence, erect,$130,000.

Jim Abernathy Con-struction, 11905 MapleRidge Road, residence, re-model, $125,000.

Structural Systems ofOklahoma, 10701 W Gar-nett , warehouse, erect,$125,000.

Don Chesser HomesInc., 2918 NW 21, resi-dence, erect, $120,000.

J&A Homes LLC, 3513NW 176, residence, erect,$120,000.

Myers & Associates,444 W Wilshire Blvd.,equipment, remodel,$120,000.

Myers & Associates,444 W Wilshire Blvd.,equipment, remodel,$120,000.

Home Creations, 3608Morgan Creek Road, resi-dence, erect, $117,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 14112 Wagon BossRoad, residence, erect,$115,000.

Croft & Associates, 20 SMartin Luther King Ave.,retail sales, remodel,$109,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 18620 Abierto Drive,residence, erect,$104,000.

Home Creations, 1233Greenfield Ave., resi-dence, erect, $103,200.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 16412 Drywater Drive,residence, erect,$102,000.

Alan Stuck CustomHomes, 7609 MeadowLake Drive, residence,erect, $100,000.

Alan Stuck CustomHomes, 7705 MeadowLake Drive, residence,erect, $100,000.

AMF Development,5612 Sanderling Road, res-idence, erect, $100,000.

AMF Development,5616 Sanderling Road, res-idence, erect, $100,000.

AMF Development,5708 Sanderling Road,residence, erect,$100,000.

A Karen Black Co.,19000 Terra Place, resi-dence, remodel,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 3112 SE 96,residence, erect,$100,000.

AMF Development,5704 Sanderling Road,residence, erect,$100,000.

Home Creations, 1009Laurel Creek Drive, resi-dence, erect, $93,100.

Scott’s Constructiion,4521 S Brookline Ave., res-idence, fire restoration,$90,000.

Home Creations, 617Inverleith Circle, resi-dence, erect, $86,500.

Home Creations, 11100NW 6 Terrace, residence,erect, $84,200.

O’Hagan Building Co.,11801 SE 134, residence,erect, $80,000.

Home Creations, 2413NW 197, residence, erect,$78,400.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 1048 SW 156, resi-dence, erect, $77,000.

JJ’s of Edmond, 5900 WMemorial Road, restau-rant, remodel, $75,000.

Westpoint Homes,6208 NW 158 Terrace, res-idence, erect, $70,000.

Onpoint Construction,14901 SW 65, accessory,

erect, $55,000.Covenant Renovations

Inc., 3240 SW 51, resi-dence, fire restoration,$50,000.

Nehemiah Shopteese,12022 SW 16, manufac-tured home, move-on-mobile home park,$44,000.

Tim Hughes CustomHomes LLC, 1400 NW164, six permits, storage,erect, $44,000.

Tim Hughes CustomHomes LLC, 1400 NW164, storage, erect,$43,560.



One Architecture-JoshCarel, 1901 Northwest Ex-pressway, retail sales, re-model, $40,000.


Randy Betts, 14200 SW59, accessory, erect,$35,750.

Trinity Group Archi-tects, 200 NW 66, office,remodel, $35,000.

James Milburn, 4421 SE147, accessory, erect,$33,500.

Mary Candace Cox,10916 San Lorenzo Drive,accessory, erect, $30,000.

Tommy Haines, 11911 NPennsylvania Ave.,church, remodel,$30,000.


Remington BuildersInc., 5324 Starling Way,residence, erect, $20,000.

Trinity Group Archi-tects, 1500 W Interstate240 Service Road, restau-rant, remodel, $20,000.

AAA Construction,21101 SE 98, barn, erect,$15,000.

Dimensional Construc-tion, 11701 S Portland Ave.,manufacturing, remodel,$12,850.

Jose Alfredo Ochoa,4333 NW 15, residence,add-on, $10,000.

CSE, 208 N WillowoodDrive, accessory, erect,$10,000.

Unlimited Storm Resto-ration, 2504 NW 27, ac-cessory, erect, $9,410.

Luis Meza, 1408 S Sulz-berger, residence, erect,$8,000.

B.D. Eddie Enterprises,2903 NW 36, business,remodel, $7,100.

Kerry Laws, 1912 OaksWay, residence, add-on,$7,000.

Thomas Mulkey, 3234SW 121 Terrace, accessory,erect, $6,000.

Cody Pepper, 2000 WMemorial Road, recre-ation center, remodel,$5,000.

Fuller Miller Construc-tion, 1101 SE 34, temporarybuilding, move-on,$5,000.

City of Oklahoma City,649 SE 6, land mark, in-stall, $4,500.

Michael and ChristinaLindsay, 3812 WindscapeCourt, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$4,295.

Laura Chong and MarkGodish, 11700 BravadaDrive, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$4,200.

Deborah S Maytle,14524 S Broadway Ave.,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,995.

Gene and Jackie Mayo,12412 Horsepen Road,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,995.

Ground Zero, 14508 Al-mond Valley Drive, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $3,995.

Kitty Porter, 19824 Cor-ral Place, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$3,995.

Leland Laubach, 7820NW 102, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$3,995.

Louis A. Rainge, 9009N May Ave., storm shelter,install storm shelter,$3,995.

Ronnie and Toni Hays,7325 SW 112, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$3,995.

Shane Lovett, 3409Wayfield Ave., storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,995.

Thomas McCullough,5808 Holly Brooke Lane,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,995.

Sandy Morrison, 6425NW 28, residence, add-on, $3,845.

Western Portable Build-ings, 4829 NW 19, cano-py-carport, erect, $3,500.

Tristand Stuart, 13 SW171, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,350.

John B. Luton, trustee,16617 La Paloma Lane,residence, install-stormshelter, $3,300.

Billy Mabray, 11751 Silver

Maple Drive, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,200.

David Hoft, 19125 GreenSprings Drive, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,200.

Derrick Strickland, 1213NW 101, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$3,200.

Blake Eaton, 3109 Can-ton Trail, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$3,195.

Cheryl Causey, 10801 SCemetery Road, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $3,100.

No name provided, 1509SW 134 Terrace, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $3,100.

Jessica Simmons, 3220N Roff Ave., storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$3,095.

Chris Brock, 9001 NW148 Place, storm shelter,remodel, $3,000.

Juan Cortez, 1448 NW29, canopy-carport, erect,$3,000.

Keith Bradley, 8412 SW26, accessory, erect,$3,000.

Randy Fisher, 10020NW 134, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$3,000.

Steve Pistole, 12212 Ri-vendell Drive, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,000.

Alloy Building Co., 11932SE 32, canopy-carport,add-on, $3,000.

Susan Williams, 4928NW 164 Terrace, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $2,900.

Elvus and Safia Sasseen,4421 NW 32 Place, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $2,800.

Heather Susanne Pres-ton, 4412 Rankin Road,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Jackie Crossley, 6406College Ave., storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$2,800.

Jeff Gonzales, 6213 NW162, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Kathleen Lennedy,15909 Traditions Blvd.,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Larry Ortega, 12000Kimberlyn Road, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $2,800.

Minh Nguyen, 513 Har-vest Trail, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,800.

Phillip and Carrie Orth,8704 NW 114, storm shel-

ter, install-storm shelter,$2,800.

Richard Hofsteter, 11613NW 6, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$2,800.

Robert and Cathy Foote,10633 Daryl Drive, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $2,800.

Trand Steven Handy,16901 Autumnwood Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

W. R. Lierman, 13125 St.Andrews Drive, stormshelter, install-stormshelter, $2,800.

William Fields, 10913NW 37, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$2,800.

Debbie Anderson, 6000NW 160, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$2,700.

James Hamm, 5805 NW117 Terrace, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Joanie Eckert, 8017 NW113, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,700.

Lois White, 6105 NW151, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,700.

Nathan Johnson, 13321Marsh Lane, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Stewart Joslin, 5401Keith Drive, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,695.

Gary Dewing, 8812 NW86, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,650.

Sandra Cook, 4902 SPost Road, manufacturedhome, move-on, $2,500.

Vinh Do and Tam Bui,17608 Prairie Sky Way,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,500.

Sooner Carports, 3512 NTulsa Ave., canopy-car-port, erect, $2,200.

Sooner Carports, 3516 NTulsa Ave., canopy-car-port, erect, $2,200.

City of Oklahoma City,301 W Reno Ave., accesso-ry, install, $2,000.

James Johnston, 8712NW 87, residence, add-on, $1,775.

DemolitionsCrosby Construction,

1615 NE 12, residence.Randel Short, 3517 S

Magnolia Ave., residence.Unlimited Storm Resto-

ration, 2504 NW 27, ga-rage.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 3906 NW10, storage.

Building permits6E SATURDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2012 NEWSOK.COMTHE OKLAHOMAN

DEAR BARRY: We arebuying a home that wasforeclosed by the bank.Our home inspector ad-vised us to hire a roofingcontractor, an electricianand air-conditioner spe-cialist. The real estateagent for the bank said wemust pay for roof repairs.We agreed to this, but theagent said nothing to thebank about electrical andair-conditioning defects.

Neither did he permit usto hire contractors of ourown. To make thingsworse, a neighbor has in-formed us that there wasan explosion in the airconditioner when the pre-vious owners lived here.We don’t know what to do,and we don’t want to loseour deposit. What do youadvise?

Alba

DEAR ALBA: If yourhome inspector recom-mended an electrician andan air-conditioning spe-cialist, this should havebeen clearly discussedwith your Realtor.

After a home inspec-tion, it is customary forbuyers to sit down withtheir agent and considerrepair requests for the sell-ers. Even when banks sell aproperty as-is, there aretimes when they make ex-ceptions and agree to payfor repairs.

In evaluating this situa-

tion, it is important toknow the kinds of electri-cal and air-conditioningproblems that were foundby your home inspector.Were these major defects,or was the inspector rec-ommending routine main-tenance and further eval-uation?

If the issues are signifi-cant, then someone shouldfollow the inspector’s ad-vice before you closeescrow, and the listingagent should not preventyou from hiring contrac-tors to do this. Either youor the bank should hire ex-perts to determine the ex-tent of potential problems.

Don’t let anyone rushyou into this deal. Housesare expensive, and youhave a right to know asmuch as possible about thehome you are buying.

DEAR BARRY: Ourhome inspector told us thetoilet was loose, so we hadit reset by a plumber afterwe moved in. When theplumber lifted the toilet,he discovered that thereare old floor tiles under thelinoleum, and he said theycontain asbestos. Thisworries us, and we don’tknow what to do about it.The sellers never said aword about asbestos intheir disclosure statement.What do you think weshould do?

Audrey

DEAR AUDREY: Theplumber has no way ofknowing whether the floortiles contain asbestos un-less he had a sample of thematerial tested by a labo-ratory. If the tiles measure9 inches square, they mostlikely do contain asbestos,but that type of asbestos isnot regarded as a signifi-cant health hazard becauseit is non-friable material.Friable asbestos is materialthat is easily crumbled andcan readily release fibersinto the air. Besides this,the floor tiles are entirely

encapsulated by the toplayer of flooring and arenot in contact with the airin your home.

In all likelihood, theprevious owners were un-aware of tiles under theflooring or that the tilesmight contain asbestos,which would account fortheir lack of disclosure.

If you do any remodel-ing that involves removalof old flooring, you shouldsend a sample of the tilesto an asbestos lab. If thematerial is determined tocontain asbestos fibers,you can hire an asbestoscontractor to have it re-moved. Otherwise, youcan leave the tiles wherethey are without worry.

To write to Barry Stone, visit him on theweb at www.housedetective.com.

ACTION COAST PUBLISHING

Buyers fear losing deposit on foreclosureBarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

Don’t let anyone rush you into thisdeal. Houses are expensive, and youhave a right to know as much aspossible about the home you arebuying.


Families looking for acompact home with a feel-ing of spaciousness willfind much to appreciate inthe Copperfield.

This small ranch-stylehome is as economical tobuild as it is to maintain,and could easily be adapt-ed for wheelchair accessi-bility. As such, it’s equallywell-suited to young fam-ilies buying their firsthome, or empty nesterseager to reduce theirmaintenance work.

From the street, it’spleasantly symmetrical.Multipane windows, setunder the low-profile rightgable, echo the wider gableon the left and its griddedgarage door. The recessedentry porch opens into avaulted entry brightenedby a sidelight.

Inside, bedrooms are tothe right and shared livingspaces are to the left. Aconvenient coat closet sitsat the juncture of the entryand sleeping wing.

The entry’s vaulted ceil-ing rises higher as you pro-ceed forward, reaching itsapex at the far edge of thevaulted kitchen, then slop-ing down toward the liv-ing-dining room’s richlyglassed rear wall. Slidingdoors in the dining roomopen out onto a patio,which could be screened ifbugs interfere with out-door meals.

An eating bar fronts thepeninsular counter thatbounds the kitchen. Whiletending pots on the built-in range, the cook canserve up snacks at the eat-ing bar, supervise home-work and keep tabs on ac-tivities inside and out. Thelaundry appliances are alsoconveniently close, hiddenbehind folding doors, and

a pantry adds to the al-ready generous cupboardspace.

In the owners’ suite, apocket door links thesleeping area to the bath-room and walk-in closet.

Secondary bedroomsshare the Copperfield’smain bathroom, and eachhas a wide rectangularwindow bay that could beoutfitted with a windowseat.

A review plan of the Copperfield 30-801,including floor plans, elevations, sectionand artist’s conception, can bepurchased for $25 by phone, mail oronline. Add $5 for shipping and handling.Associated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive,Eugene, OR, 97402. www.associateddesigns.com. (800) 634-0123.

HOUSE PLAN

Compact home has spacious feeling

Steve Maddox of Ads-Factory reported the 2012Central Oklahoma HomeBuilders Association Pa-rade of Homes People’sChoice Award winners.

Results were tabulatedfrom each home’s activityduring the parade Sept.29-Oct. 7, ratings andtraffic originating from theParade of Homes app, mo-bile web app and website.

I $250,000 and below:First, Eric Cheatham Con-struction Co, 13125 NW 1;runner-up, AllenstyleHomes, 7025 NW 161.

I $250,001-$350,000:First, Sun Custom Homes,9032 NW 147 Terrace;runner-up, McCalebHomes, 3116 Wind CallLane.

I $350,001-$450,000:First, Jeff Click HomesLLC, 17325 Park GroveDrive; runner-up, SilverStone Homes, 14209 Ter-razza Crossing.

$450,001-$550,000:First, Manchester GreenHomes, 8209 NW 147;runner-up, JohnstonBuilders, 12508 Deep WoodCreek Drive.

I $550,001-$650,000:First, Tommy HuelskampHomes, 716 NewportDrive.

I $650,001-$750,000:Tommy HuelskampHomes, 2216 Lone OakWay; runner-up, CrabtreeCustom Homes LLC,17800 Prairie Sky Way.

I $750,001-$850,000:First, Silver Stone Homes,2217 Lone Oak Way; run-ner-up, Allenton, 3201NW 177.

I $850,001 and up:First, Allenton, 17501Egrets Landing.

I Most visited: First,Allenton, 17501 EgretsLanding; runner-up, Sil-ver Stone Homes, 2217Lone Oak Way.

I Most Social Media:First, Silver Stone Homes,2217 Lone Oak Way; run-ner-up, Allenton, 17501Egrets Landing.

Parade of HomesPeople’s ChoiceAwards releasedFROM STAFF REPORTS

ENERGY TEAMhttp://newsok.com/business/energy

and in Friday’s Business


LOS ANGELES — CraigEhrlich didn’t particularlywant a modern house. Buteverything he valued —light, air, indoor-outdoorliving, sustainable build-ing materials — has led tothis: a recently completed1,150-square-foot house inSanta Monica, Calif., thatfeels much larger thanks toits modern sculptural de-sign.

With its exterior woodscreens and expanses ofglass, the house is imme-diately intriguing, but theinterior elements — thegeometric cutouts in thearchitecture and the dy-namic double-heightspaces — are what makethe small house feel sub-stantial.

The design is essentiallya square, but each cornerof the second floor haswhat architect John Fried-man described as unex-pected “bites,” like a blockof cheese with wedgessliced off. The move deliv-ers more than sunlight tothe first floor. It providesan artful surprise.

“You get joy and plea-sure from the way the lightenters the house,” said

Friedman, who designedthe house with partner Al-ice Kimm.

The large triangularcutout above the two-sto-ry-tall living room adds tothe sense of spaciousness.An adjoining Zen gardenjust outside glass doors isfull of peace and privacy,extending the footprint ofthe modest floor plan. Anupstairs bedroom, twobathrooms, loft-likekitchen, two-car garageand outdoor dining tableset under a pergola com-plete the new design.

Motorized skylights al-low hot air to escape insummer; radiant-heatflooring will keep rooms

comfortable in winter.Rooftop solar panels thatprovide hot water and oth-er environmentally friend-ly features put the houseon track to earn gold certi-fication in LEED forHomes, the U.S. GreenBuilding Council’s Leader-ship in Energy and Envi-ronmental Design pro-gram.

For the architects, someof the biggest challengescame from the unusualnature of the property.Ehrlich already owned ahouse on the street. Whenthe lot next door becameavailable, he bought it andcalled on Friedman andKimm to design the new

house as guest quarters forvisiting family and friends,some of whom stay formonths at a time. The en-trepreneur said the new

living room also serves ashis home office.

The two houses are in-tegrated by a powerfulopen landscape that in-

cludes a saltwater pool, awood deck that serves asan arresting bridge be-tween the two structuresand the new outdoor din-ing terrace, which istopped with photovoltaicpanels. The pool sits off tothe side, leaving moreroom for a lawn whereEhrlich’s daughter, Leah, 7,can run and play.

“He was really thinkingabout his daughter,” archi-tect Friedman said. “Hewanted to give that tradi-tional American backyardexperience to his kid.”

A retaining wall on oneside of the pool creates ahigher plateau that looksout over the main yard andalso provides some sepa-ration from the Zen gardenoff the living room.

Having lived in Asia parttime since 1987, Ehrlichsaid his exposure to multi-generational living influ-enced his own desire for afamily compound.

“It’s more than justphysically living together,”Ehrlich said of the envi-ronment he was hoping tocreate. “It’s an attitudethat families living togeth-er is a good thing. It’s con-sidered an honor to takecare of your family.”


A compound designed with light in mind

A view of Craig Ehrlich’s accessory house, yard andswimming pool in Santa Monica, Calif. MCT PHOTOS

An interior view of Craig Ehrlich’s accessory house inSanta Monica, Calif., is shown. The original house wasawarded an American Institute of Architects/LA Dec-ade award as one of the best buildings of the last 10years.

BY LISA BOONELos Angeles Times


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410-5700

Investment land mortgage. 12yrsleft @ 7% $66,000 in Payne Cty.

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11211 Stewart Nicoma Park 3/1detached garage on 2.5 acres$750

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Luxury Duplex 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 cargarage. Lots of extras. Pets OK.

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719 & 717 NE 14th, 2bd 1ba, up-dated, all bills paid 405-409-0462

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2322 NW 20 -2bed 1ba remodeled1000sf, near OCU, no sec 8$750/mo $400/dep 405-409-7989

5826 Hefner Village Ct 3bed 2.5ba2 car 1548sf all appls, $1175/mo$1000/dep, no sec 8 409-7989

2/2/1, W/D, 8406 Wakefield Ave,Moore Schl, $600/mo, 834-6328.

Edgewood Manor Btw SW 15 &Mustang Rd nice 3bds 2ba 2car.

starting $1000 no sec 8 618-0563

New duplexes, 3 bed, 2 bath,2 car, call Rick, 405-830-3789.

Bills PaidFurnished/Unfurnished

Weekly/Monthly 370-1077

3 bed, 4204 SE 46th, $600/mo,$300/dep, 826-7545 or 381-4841.

4237 Sunnyview Dr 3/1.5/1 $695681-7272

Cute 3bd, 1.5ba 2liv, FP $8754737 SE 41st ¡ No pets 990-6797

2 bed, ch&a, $550 mo + $500 dep,no pets, no section 8 » 677-7492

612 Reynolds Rd 3/1.5/1 $795681-7272

RENT TO OWN1501 Marydale

Very Nice Brick House3bd - 1.5 ba - 2 car garage

Easy approval 405-273-5777www.property4sale.com

7412 SE 15, 3/1/1 Wood floorsCH/A Nice $650 mo. 732-3411

www.homesofokcinc.com

3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 car,CH/A., Sec. 8 Ok, 405-417-3333

4bd, 2ba plus bonus room. Newlyremodeled appx. 1645 sq. ft., lgfenced yard. Great location nearschls. $950 PMO. 1 year lease.

Call Michael Methvin M-SatBroker/Owner 823-0843

3bd 2ba 2car 1650sf $1200+dep4/2/2, 1750sf fireplace $1300+depWAC Home&Ranch Rlty 794-7777

4909 SE 86th Terr 3/2/2, hard-wood & tile floors, sunroom

$1200 + dep. 285-0305, 823-6550

2bd $550 + $500 dp w/app NP/NSDetached Garage 794-8056

CLEAN 3 BED BILLS PD, SMFAMILY $700 MO +DEP 721-0296

2646 NW 34 2/1/1 $6506717 NW 131 3/2/2 $12505911 N Ross 3/2/2 $109514415 N Penn Ave 1/1 $55012817 Burlingame 4/3/2 $195012305 Cedar Springs 2/2.5/2 $975Express Realty 844-6101

www.expressrealtyok.com

KAT Properties-Apt & Homes forrent. Scan this w/your phone app

3 bd, 2 ba, 2 car, FP, no sec 8, nosmoking, no pets, 7911 NW 14th,

$950 mo, $950 dep, 831-1197.

3bd 1K ba 1car hrdwd flrs $8753916 NW 59 St No pets 990-6797

2529 Lee Lane, 2bd 2ba 2car,$800 dep $700, agent 936-9058

2/1/1, CH&A, $500/mo, $200 OFF1ST MONTH RENT. 831-0207

3410 Cameron Court, 2/2/1 Appl$695 no pets JW Rlty 755-2510

3/1.5/2, fireplace, on cul-de-sac, 5min to Tinker, 5704 Shalimar,$800+dep, No Sec 8, call 417-9998

FSBO, 4 bed, 3 bath, extras,large storage building,

$225,000 obo, 405-481-9424.

Immaculate 3/1.5/2c new hdwdflrs & granite kitchen 1yr lse $990mo $1200d 2528 El Toro 627-3791

4108K S Robinson nice 1bd homewith 1car gar, fenced yard, freshpaint, clean, $375 mo, water &garbage paid Fidelity 410-4200

4 bed, 2bath, ch&a, rent to own,low down payment, $850 month,

405-481-9424.

» $100 Off 2nd Month Rent! »1404 S Youngs Newly built 2/1

total electric $550 ¡ 681-7272

1417 SW 35TH 2Bed 1BathStorage $450mo

call about special » 408-9769

2820 SW 39, Nice LARGE 3bd/1btfncd bkyd, No pets/No Sec 8

$500+ $500dep 703-4713

Near SW Integris Medical 2bd1ba 1car, rock, very nice.

$595 + $500 dep 691-5479

3220 SW 49th sharp 2bd house1car gar, fresh paint, new carpet$575 mo . Fidelity 410-4200

2136 SW 66th 3/1/2 $850Free List ¡ 681-7272

2601 SW 30th 2bd duplex1bath $435mo 408-9769

3116 SW 20th 2bd 2ba$395mo »» 408-9769

11431 NW 9 Trail 3/2/2 $875Express Realty 844-6101

www.expressrealtyok.com

4/2/2 fenced yard, no smoking/no pets $975/mo 354-6418

Nicoma Park area, 3bd, 2ba,fenced, small quiet park, water,

garbage, sewer paid$550mo. + $300dep ¡ 769-2328

Rent to Own: Nice 2 & 3bedMWC $350 & up 390-9777

ROOM: share kit, bath, laundry,cable incl. $375/mo + food.

405-979-9399

RENT TO OWNVery Nice 3bd 2ba

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available NE of HarrahMilburn o/a 275-1695

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Immaculate log home on 160 ac,creek, wildlife, barn, corrals1115 acre Ranch w/3bd, 31 ponds,barn, corrals, grazing/hunting320 acres in Wichita Mntn veryscenic & remote $1000/acre40 acres on black top 1 hr fromOKC, excellent home site/hunting160 acres near Gracemont goodhunting, soil, home site2 Beautiful Girl Scout Campswest of I-35, in Binger & Granite320 Acres near Hennessey & riverTumbleweedTerrRE 580-569-4213

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www.homesofokcinc.com

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2bd 1ba w/dining room, 2car wgarapt above-1bd 1ba, needs work,$35K 5 SE 33rd 830-3682 for appt

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Malone's Prop670-1411, 640-8550

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OWNER FINANCING $2000 down1212 SW 56th, 3/1, $54,000,

No Credit Check ‘ 596-4599 ‘

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Mini-RanchSoutheastern Oklahoma. 2 bed-room 2 bath 1700 sq. ft. brickhouse with gas fireplace on 10acres. Central AC/Heat and 1.5car garage, 2-bay tin barn andstorage/workshop in Talihina,

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pond and creek in back. Two sidesare national forest. Asking

$140,000. Call 918-413-0691.

KEYSTONE LAKEFRONT 2/2/2+loft, water access, 800-380-9140.

AUCTION 120 ACRE FARMwith a Brick Home and

Improvements, Barn andPond. Sat. 10/13/2012 - 10a.m.

The Farm has been in theGriffin Family for over 70

years. Route 1 - Box 268, Co-manche, Ok. Directions: In Co-manche, Ok, from the Intersec-tion of New Highway 81 South

and Highway 53, go 3 milesEast on Highway 53 and 2.2miles. South on Tucker Road

(CO. RD. NS 285).Gary Criswell Auction Service

& Real Estate Inc.580-467-2248/580-255-8162

(Preview 10/12/2012 from 1-6)

Real-estate Auction 2 primereal estate properties, Great

location. Exceptionalopportunities in ElK City, OkSaturday OCt 13, 2012 10amfor brochure call Gene Cobb

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I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667

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Lucrative Convenience Store SWOklahoma. Call Bob Alexander

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Gas station in SW OKC for saleby owner, $975K obo, owner fi-nance, 405-481-9424.

5 Acres with 3 bed, 2 bathManufactured Home $94,900

Country Living at its Finest. Easyaccess to schls and freeways.

Financing Available.Call Bob at Titan Factory Direct

www.titanfactorydirect.com405-634-4812

Double Wide REPO Like New$395mo. wac 405-577-2884

North Highland, 4 Bed, 1.5 Bath,Fenced, Section 8 only, $775.00,

0 deposit. 678-588-1063

REPO REPO REPO 4bd/3bth$648MO. wac 405-324-8000

NEW 3bd/2bth $1500 down,7.5% $281mo. 405-324-8010

NEW YORK — Scott Elyanow had clung to the red, long-sleeved sweatshirt with the words “Marblehead HighSchool” for 20 years. It had softened with age, like thememory of the long-ago love who had given it to him.

But Elyanow was nearing 40, and what he had gainedin years and wisdom he hadn’t gained in living space —his apartment measures 275 square feet, including thebathroom, kitchen and an entryway with overhead clear-ance of 5 feet, 7 inches. So he took a picture of the sweat-shirt for a keepsake, then tossed the worn piece of cloth-ing into a “purge” pile, a system Elyanow has adoptedduring his seven years living in a so-called micro-studioapartment in New York City.

“I really, truly don’t accumulate stuff,” said Elyanow, areal estate agent with Citi Habitats. He lives and works inManhattan’s West Village, where the crooked, cobbles-toned streets are lined with 19th-century buildings fa-mous for charming but cramped apartments.

If Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has his way, the citysoon will have far more tiny apartments to accommodatea burgeoning need for smaller, cheaper living spaces.

“Today there are about 1.8 million one- and two-per-son households in the city, but there are only about 1 mil-lion studio and one-bedroom apartments. You notice themismatch,” Bloomberg said in July as he announced acompetition for designing a building dominated by mi-cro-studios.

The building will be part of a pilot program calledadAPT NYC, which could create a new housing model forAmerica’s biggest city — showing that small doesn’tnecessarily mean dark, dismal and musty. The winningdesign must include apartments no larger than 300square feet, including a kitchen, a bathroom with a tuband windows that look out on air, not air shafts. The citywon’t pay for the construction, but will provide thespace: a city-owned lot on Manhattan’s East 27th Streetcurrently used for parking. The winner will be an-nounced later in the year.

Trend toward solo livingNationwide census figures bear out what New York of-

ficials say is a trend toward solo living. In 2010, 28 per-cent of U.S. households were single-person; in 1950, itwas 9.5 percent. In New York City, the percentage of sin-gle-person households is 32 percent.

New York isn’t the only city to experiment with micro-units. San Francisco is considering shrinking the mini-mum for rental units from 290 to 220 square feet. At theurging of Boston’s mayor, some new buildings containingthat city’s version of a micro-studio — smaller than 450square feet — are being built.

New York’s plan has grabbed special attention becauseof the city’s reputation as a place where people alreadylive in minuscule homes, and because of Bloomberg’sreputation as a social engineer bent on transformingGotham from a chaotic metropolis into a more Europe-an-style model of civility. He has turned Times Squareinto a pedestrian mall, replaced precious parking spaceswith bike lanes, banned smoking in most public places,and cracked down on trans fats in restaurant foods.

Now comes this, a plan that by virtue of New York’ssize and influence could prompt other high-density ur-ban areas to address the need for “right-sized housing,”as the city’s Department of Housing and Urban Devel-opment puts it.

“It makes sense to try this out,” Bloomberg said beforewalking over to a mock-up floor plan for one of the NewYork units and demonstrating the ease with which onemight step from bed to bath in a 10-by-30-foot space.

That’s only six times larger than the average jail cell, orabout the size of some ATM vestibules in Times Square,local media pointed out as they noted the irony of thebillionaire mayor, who lives in a spacious town house,singing the praises of diminutive dwellings.

What’s tiny to some, though, is grand to people likeRyan Mitchell, who advocates drastic downsizing on hiswebsite, www.thetinylife.com, and offers tips on how tosqueeze yourself happily into 100 to 200 square feet.

“I realize that is an extreme,” said Mitchell, 28, ofCharlotte, N.C. He currently occupies what he calls a“normal-sized” home while he saves to build himself atiny house there that will have 130 square feet of livingspace on two levels.

“I don’t expect and I don’t think the majority of us willget to a point where we’re living in that type of dwelling,”Mitchell said. “But I think it’s important to show there’san alternative to McMansions.”


Scott Elyanow lives in a 275-square-foot apartmentin New York City. He spends a lot of his time on thefront stoop people watching. MCT PHOTOS

Residents extolvirtues of livingin tiny homesBY TINA SUSMANLos Angeles Times

A small mirror reflects Scott Elyanow as he works inhis 275-square-foot apartment in New York CIty’sWest Village.

SAN FRANCISCO — The tiny apart-ments are touted as “affordable bydesign.”

New York City has launched a pi-lot project to test them out. Boston isdoing it too. But in San Francisco,where a growing number of residentsare being priced out of the housingmarket by a revived tech economy,city leaders are considering thesmallest micro-units of all.

At a minimum 150 square feet ofliving space — 220 when you add thebathroom, kitchen and closet — theproposed residences are being hailedas a pivotal option for singles. Oppo-nents fear that a wave of “shoe boxhomes” would further marginalizefamilies of modest means who aredesperate for larger accommoda-tions.

Recently, the city Board of Super-visors tabled until at least Novembertweaking the city’s building code,which requires newly constructedunits to be at least 290 square feet.

The number of micro-units thatcould be built under the proposalwould not be capped, although crit-ics are pushing for controls on theexperiment. New York Mayor Mi-chael R. Bloomberg, for instance, hassigned off on just 60 apartments thatwould be 275 to 300 square feetsmall.

Patrick Kennedy, a Berkeley, Cal-if., developer in November will un-veil a building with 300-square-footunits in San Francisco’s South ofMarket neighborhood. He has saidhe hopes to build several thousandeven smaller models.

The mini-apartments’ schematicsinclude window seats that convert tospare beds and beds that transforminto tables. Bay windows offersweeping views.

“You could obviously build moreof them if you don’t have to do themas large,” said Kennedy, adding thatpricing would be determined after hesees “what the market does with our300-footers.”

Supervisor Scott Wiener, whodrafted the legislation, said smallerunits will mean cheaper and moreplentiful housing options. With atech boom underway, thousands ofnew hires have been snapping up San

Francisco’s rental stock.The micro-units will probably go

for $1,200 to $1,500 a month, Wienersaid. According to the real estate ser-vice RealFacts, an average studioapartment in San Francisco now goesfor $2,075.

So in a metropolis where 41 per-cent of residents live solo, Wienersaid, the units would fill a niche byallowing people to stay who mightotherwise have to take on room-mates or leave town.

“Although in our fantasy worldeveryone would live in a single-fam-ily home or a huge spacious flat, thereality of life is that not everyone canafford that,” he said, noting the mi-cro-units with shared commonspace would be ideal for students,artists and seniors.

Grimmer versions?But some critics worry that the

swank model units getting kudosfrom officials might not be the norm.What’s to stop other developers,tenants’ rights advocates ask, frombuilding grimmer versions, with lowceilings and poor light?

“I say no shoe box legislation,”Carmelita Perez, 67, told demon-strators at a recent news conference,where a small child sat inside a mockunit taped to the sidewalk in front ofCity Hall. “We are humans, not spi-ders.”

Supervisor Jane Kim, whose dis-trict includes South of Market, saidshe feared the push for ever-smaller

apartments would do nothing tobenefit families that already are be-ing driven out of town.

The price per square foot of Ken-nedy’s proposal, she and other skep-tics said, was less affordable thancurrent rentals. And buildings full ofmicro-units could cause a spike inpopulation density that might strainpublic transit and already limitedparks and public spaces.

In Singapore, where thousands ofshoe box homes for families — someas small as 500 square feet — are ei-ther completed or in the pipeline, re-development authorities recentlyraised the minimum size to 755square feet because of congestion.The revised approach is fodder fordoubters here.

“This has to be a pilot project andallow for further study before we endup like Singapore,” said Sara Shortt,executive director of the HousingRights Committee of San Francisco,a tenants’ rights group that is part ofa coalition negotiating with Wiener.

Not all affordable-housing advo-cates, however, are against the pro-posal.

Sherilyn Adams, executive direc-tor of Larkin Street Youth Services,said she viewed the proposed micro-units as an opportunity “for peoplewho would have been otherwisepushed out of the market” — al-though she would like to see housingwith support services for those withlow incomes.


San Francisco experiments with300-square-foot micro-apartments

This artist’s rendering depicts a 300-square-foot apartment in San Fran-cisco by developer SMARTSPACE. MCT PHOTO

BY LEE ROMNEYLos Angeles Times


Documents

The Oklahoman Real Estate