The Oklahoman Real Estate

FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

INDEX

Permits 9F, 10FBianchina 10F

HOUSE PLAN

CharmingA-FrameDesigned as a vacationretreat home for acouple or single, theArnett is as charming asit is compact. PAGE 8F

LISTING OF THE WEEK

TraditionalhomeThe Listing of the Week is atraditional home in a gatedneighborhood with a pool andyard maintenance covered by thehomeowners association fee innorthwest Oklahoma City.

PAGE 3F

CHECKPERMITHISTORYDon’t worry aboutsomeone attackingyour home overbuilding code issues.If you want to knowthe status of anaddition, go to thebuilding departmentand ask for the per-mit history of theproperty.

PAGE 6F

IN BRIEF

SPRAY-ON LEAKSEALRust-OleumLeakSealpromisesto stopleaks in-stantly.The spray-on coatingis designedto fillcracks andgaps while remain-ing flexible. It driesto a black finish andworks on metal,vinyl, plastic, PVC,concrete and othersurfaces. Among theitems it will seal aresunroofs, skylights,gutters, roofs, duct-work, vents andflashing, the compa-ny said. Rust-OleumLeakSeal is availableat stores that sellhardware or paint.You can search atwww.rustoleum.comfor a nearby retailerthat carries Rust-Oleum products, butcall first to makesure the storestocks LeakSeal. Thesuggested retailprice is $9.99.

CLEANINGSLIDING DOORTRACKQ: How do youclean the metaltracks of slidingpatio doors?A: Remove the loosedirt with a vacuumcleaner outfittedwith a crevice tool,or brush it out witha paintbrush. Thenyou can remove thesticky residue with acloth dampenedwith mineral spirits,window manufac-turer WindowProsaid. Stretching thedampened clothover a putty knife orsimilar blade mayhelp you reach intothe tracks better.WindowPro recom-mends spraying thetracks with spraysilicone after they’recleaned to help thedoors slide better.Don’t use a pet-roleum-based prod-uct such as WD-40,because it will at-tract dirt.MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

Nearly all homeowners musthire contractors for repairs andcosmetic upgrades before theirproperty goes up for sale. Some-times the jobs are small, like re-painting a front door or repairing ashaky stair railing. Other timesthey’re large, like replacing a leakyroof or rebuilding a broken deck.

“Your home is your biggest as-set, and if you hire the wrong con-tractors that could be very expen-sive,” said Cheryl Reed, communi-cations director for Angie’s List, afee-based website that maintains adatabase of consumer reviews onservice providers throughout theU.S. and Canada (www.angieslist.com).

Besides the fiscal hazards ofbotched contracting, homeownersalso face the danger of “(busting)their budget on unwarranted over-charges for the work done,” saidSid Davis, a veteran real estate bro-ker and author of “A SurvivalGuide to Selling a Home.”

Davis said there are plenty ofreputable contractors willing towork for a reasonable rate, buthomeowners must often work to

find them.Here are several pointers for

home sellers who need contrac-tors’ services:

I Book your contractors in ad-vance if possible.

For many contractors, the flowof work is lumpy. Perhaps onemonth they’re overbooked, andthen the next they have no work atall. If you can fit your jobs intoholes in their schedule, they mightgive you favorable terms, said EricTyson, a personal finance expertand co-author of “House Sellingfor Dummies.”

I Reach out broadly in searchof the best contractors.

Ask for referrals from friends,neighbors or work associateswho’ve had recent work done.

Along with names gathered

from your immediate circle, Tysonsaid it’s often wise for home sellersto collect referrals through the realestate agent they plan to hire to listtheir property. Contractors hiredat the recommendation of a realestate agent are likely to be moreattentive to your job, fearing thatbotched work could tarnish theirreputation within the local real es-tate community.

I Get ample estimates to helpensure that you don’t overpay.

“Time-consuming though it is,I recommend you get at least threeto five estimates for any job ex-pected to cost $1,000 or more,”Davis said. “The surprising thingis that there’s often little correla-tion between price and quality. Sopeople who cast a wide net can of-ten get both low cost and top-quality work.”

I Preview contractors’ workby visiting customers’ homes.

Once you’ve created a shortlistof contractors based on pricingand reputation, you might assumethe next best step is to ask for ref-erences. But Davis said this isn’talways the most informative way

to determine the quality of theirworkmanship. Rather, he sug-gests you go and visit the homesof a few recent clients to judge foryourself.

“Who knows? The references acontractor gives you could be hiscousins or someone he paid to saynice things,” Davis said.

The photos shown on a com-pany’s website can also give you adeceptive picture, he said, be-cause they might have been al-tered electronically.

I Make sure you get all themajor details of your jobs inwriting.

“A good contract should con-tain a description of the work tobe done, the contractor’s startand completion dates and a fulloutline of the costs — includingpenalties for missed completiondates,” she said. “Without a con-tract, it’s very hard to make yourcase in court,” if something goesawry.

To contact Ellen James Martin, email her [email protected].

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

EllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

Quality contractors can be crucial

Don’t let the elegantly paddedbathroom walls fool you — thatwas not part of the original plan.

“It started off as a paint job gonewrong,” said homeowner BrockHarrison. Once he and co-ownerAbel Beck moved into the cozyTudor revival at 2536 NW 12, oneof several stops on the Miller inMay home tour from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday, they decided to re-paint chocolate-colored walls inthe hall bathroom.

“It was supposed to be gray,”Harrison said with a grimace.“Baby blue is what it turned out tobe.”

“And I said, ‘I’m not painting itagain!’ ” Beck added with a laugh.

So Harrison put his professionalsewing skills to work, layeringpadding and elegant striped fabricover the walls. The result, pairedwith a dark wooden vanity andelegant hardware, is miles awayfrom baby blue horrors.

Harrison’s creative touch is evi-dent throughout the house, fromrich, layered draperies to decora-tive pillows to the aqua-and-blackMedusa painting dominating thefireplace mantel in the living

room. Bold colors and mixed tex-tures create a look that’s bothgrounded and modern.

And despite the baby blue de-bacle, the 1,400-square-foothome, built in 1925, didn’t requiremajor work.

“We only made changes wewanted to make,” Beck said.

More work has gone into Grego-ry Wyatt and Ashely Chambers’Tudor revival a few blocks away at2605 NW 13, where modern andantique elements mix with ease.The first challenge after he boughtit in 2009, Wyatt said, was simplybuying furniture.

“I lived here a long time withnothing, just a bed,” he said.

Sharing the beautyTickets for the 14th annual

Miller in May Home & GardenTour can be bought for $10 at anyof the participating homes. Pro-ceeds go toward beautifying theneighborhood as well as specialevents throughout the year. Newstreetlights in the neighborhoodare among the beautification pro-jects.

“We’ve put in 13 new lights inthe past year,” said Mike Stuart,whose home is also on the tour.

Established by developerGeorge Miller in 1907, the Millerneighborhood has a mix of homesheavy on Tudor revivals andCraftsman bungalows, and tree-lined medians along NW 12 coverthe tracks where street cars onceran.

Renters and homeowners areactive in the Miller NeighborhoodAssociation. Tour chairmanMickey Barnard is among therenters. His duplex is on the tour,and Barnard, an interior designer,helped Wyatt and Chambers gettheir home ready for the tour aswell.

“There seems to be a lot of coloron this tour,” Barnard said.

Other homes on the tour are:

Neighbors display creativityMILLER IN MAY | HOME AND GARDEN TOUR SHOWS HANDIWORK, VISION OF RENTERS AS WELL AS OWNERS

Brock Harrison and Abel Beck’s Tudor revival-style home at 2536 NW 12 is one of several stops on the 14th annual Miller in May Home &Garden Tour from 10 to 4 p.m. Saturday. PHOTOS BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

BY DYRINDA TYSONFor The [email protected]

The dining room at the home of Brock Harrison and Abel Beckhome at 2536 NW 12.

Brock Harrison Abel Beck

SEE MILLER, PAGE 2F

BarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

2F . SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE

I 2719 NW 11 — DustyPeck and Dr. Darin Stock-ton (home and garden).

Peck and Stockton, pastparticipants in the tour,will show off a renovatedkitchen and their re-vamped backyard.

I 2533 NW 13 — Dr.Deanna Ward (home andgarden).

On her first tour, Wardwill show off her restoredhome — down to meticu-lous details such as thedoorknobs — as well as hercollections such as theBerkey & Gay bedroomfurniture dating from the1920s and WedgewoodQueensware china.

I 2617 NW 14 — DoreneShadid (home).

Shadid has renovated 16homes in the Miller neigh-borhood, and this is one ofher latest projects. Workincludes an enlargedkitchen and many updates.

I 2537 NW 15 — GregGroenke (home).

Formerly home to aschoolteacher who livedthere 50 years, the housewas remodeled last fall be-fore Groenke, also a teach-er, moved in. This is thesecond property he hasrented in the Miller neigh-borhood.

I 1114 N Miller Ave. —Mickey Barnard (duplex).

Barnard channeled hiscreative energies intoturning his one-room du-plex into a special retreat.

I 1215 N Villa Ave. —Stuart Hall Properties(apartment).

This joint effort be-

tween Mike Stuart andBruce Hall was on the 2011tour, when it had beenstripped to the studs. Thisyear finds the studioapartment more finishedwith a new bathroom andkitchen.

I 1221 N Miller Ave. —Mike Stuart and Bruce Hall(hospitality garden).

Originally the home todeveloper George Millerand his family, the statelyMiller Mansion has beenon the tour several times.

This year the backyard willserve as the hospitalitygarden where guests canenjoy refreshments aroundthe pool. The yard this yearfeatures a new elevateddeck.

LEFT: Dusty Peck and Dr. Darin Stockton’s home at2719 NW 11 is on the Miller in May tour.

PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

Miller: Tour shows homes, gardens FROM PAGE 1F

Greg Groenke’s home at 2537 NW 15 is on the Miller in May Home & Garden Tour taking place from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. Saturday. PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

Mickey Barnard, chairman of the Miller in May Home & Garden Tour, shows a gar-den that is on the tour. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

ABOVE: Gregory Wyatt shows the living room of hisand Ashely Chambers’ home at 2605 NW 13 in theMiller neighborhood. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN

Mickey Barnard, chairman of the Miller in May Home & Garden Tour, rents a du-plex at 1114 N Miller Ave. Renters and owners are active in the Miller NeighborhoodAssociation. PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

LEFT: Stuart Hall Properties (Mike Stuart and BruceHall) presents a renovated studio apartment at 1215 NVilla Ave. on the Miller in May Home & Garden Tour.

PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 . 3FREAL ESTATE

EDMOND — PrudentialAlliance Realty, 3434 SBoulevard, has hired Chel-sea Fischer as a customercare specialist in the e-comm department. Sheworks for Jared Kennedy,director of strategic oper-ations.

She is responsible forcustomer developmentand correspondence withonline visitors.

Chelsea Fischer

Prudentialhires Fischer

MIDWEST CITY — AthenaParker has joined KellerWilliams Realty, 1716-A SPost Road, as a residentialreal estate sales associate.

She works for IntegrisSouthwest Medical and re-cently obtained her realestate license. She majoredin sociology at the Univer-sity of Central Oklahomaand lives in Midwest City.

Athena Parker

Parker joinsKeller Williams

Carla Brannon has recently joined Paradigm Advan-tEdge Real Estate’s north office at 16301 N May Ave. as aresidential real estate sales associate.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in language and literaturefrom Sterling College in Sterling, Kan., and furthered herstudies of biblical history and literature at World HarvestBible College in Ohio. Previously, she worked as an officeadministrator for medical billing and management com-panies.

Paradigm adds Brannon

MIDWEST CITY — KellerWilliams Realty, 1716-A SPost Road, has added Cas-sie Dodd as a residentialreal estate sales associate.

She previously workedfor homebuilding compa-ny Home Creations as anew homes sales consult-ant. She studied businessat Rose State College andgraduated from the Uni-versity of Central Okla-homa.

Cassie Dodd

Keller Williamsadds Dodd

Chanda Davis, manag-ing broker at ChurchillBrown & Associates Real-tors, recently attended theannual by-invitation-only2012 REAL Trends Gather-ing of Eagles conference inDallas.

This year’s event at-tracted more than 250principals and CEOs fromthe nation’s 500 largestresidential real estate bro-kerage firms, plus seniormanagement of the largestreal estate franchise orga-nizations.

Chanda Davis

Davisattends topconference

First American Title, 133NW 8, has added KirstenOlsen to its sales team.

She has a state real es-tate license and previouslyworked in First AmericanTitle’s Home Warranty Di-vision.

First American adds Olsen

Kirsten Olsen

Michelle Luong hasjoined Churchill-Brown &Associates Realtors’ northoffice at 4401 W MemorialRoad, Suite 109, as a resi-dential real estate sales as-sociate.

She has lived in theOklahoma City area for 24years. Michelle Luong

Churchill-Brown adds Luong

Connor Ross has joinedthe Linda Almaraz salesteam at Paradigm Advan-tEdge Real Estate’s northoffice, 16301 N May Ave.,as a residential real estatesales associate.

Previously, he worked ina restaurant. He is a gradu-ate of Putnam City NorthHigh School in OklahomaCity, where he played onthe top-performing 2010soccer team.

Ross joins Almaraz sales team

The Listing of the Week is a traditionalhome in a gated neighborhood with a pooland yard maintenance covered by thehomeowners association fee in northwestOklahoma City.

The 1,786-square-foot home at 6532NW 109 Place has two bedrooms, twobaths, one living room, a formal diningroom and an attached two-car garage.The living room has a vaulted ceiling and afireplace. The kitchen has a breakfast barand eating space. The master bedroom

has a bath with whirlpool tub, doublevanities and walk-in closet. The home hasa covered patio, open patio and securitysystem.

The home, built in 1994, is listed withPaul and Fran Brooks of RE/MAX Pre-ferred Properties. For more information,call 990-0548.

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

The Listing of the Week is at 6532 NW 109 Place PHOTO PROVIDED

Traditional 2-bedroom homesecure in gated neighborhood


A construction crew ofwomen volunteers workedalongside Oklahoma stateschools SuperintendentJanet Barresi on May 4 toraise the walls of a newCentral Oklahoma Habitatfor Humanity house at8537 Durland Way as partof Habitat’s Women Buildprogram.

The house, in Habitat’sHope Crossing addition atNE 83 and Kelley Avenue,is being purchased, at costand interest-free, by afamily of five. They arelooking forward to owningtheir own home in a safeneighborhood and beingable to provide their chil-dren a safe environment togrow up in and call homefor many years to come,Habitat officials said.

The Women Build pro-gram, underwritten byLowe’s, recruits and edu-cates women to build andadvocate for simple, de-cent and affordable housesin their communities. Thefour-week build runs toJune 2.

Participating are volun-teers from Lowe’s, CentralOklahoma Home BuildersWomen’s Council, Salva-tion Army Auxiliary, Okla-homa City RepublicanWomen’s Club, Word ofFlame, Texas Roadhouse,Oklahoma Gas and ElectricCo., Oklahoma ChristianUniversity softball teamand Tinker Air Force Base.

Central Oklahoma Hab-itat for Humanity is a non-profit, ecumenical Chris-tian housing ministry thatprovides affordable hous-ing for hardworking, limit-ed-income families. Theorganization has builtmore than 600 homes incentral Oklahoma since

www.CentralOklahomaHabitat.org or call 232-4828.

1990, all sold at cost andwith no interest charged.For more information, visit

TOP: State Schools Superintendent Janet Barresi,honorary chairman, works at a wall raising for a Cen-tral Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity Women Buildproject in Habitat’s Hope Crossing addition at NE 83and Kelley Avenue. ABOVE: Barresi, second from left,poses with a few of the project volunteers.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Barresi aids Habitat’sWomen Build program

ELDON, Iowa — Beth Ho-ward sits at her kitchen ta-ble on a Sunday morningand pulls back the curtainto peer at a group of rosy-cheeked youths takingpictures on her front lawn.They pair off to stand sideby side in the pose familiarto millions — the dourfarmer with a pitchfork,the unsmiling woman be-side him in front of thewhite house.

No one notices thewoman in flannel pajamassitting inside.

“People seldom knowthat people live here, muchless that there’s someonewatching them from theother side of the curtain,”said Howard, who rentsthe house made famous inGrant Wood’s painting“American Gothic.”

Living in a tourist desti-nation means shruggingwhen some of the 13,000annual visitors catch hermoisturizing in the nudeor in the bathroom. Theinterior of the house is offlimits to visitors, but Ho-ward’s lease with the own-er, the state historical so-ciety, includes a clausestating that she has to benice to interlopers.

Those who peek insidesee hardwood floors deco-rated with throw rugs,brightly colored couchesand a collage depicting theGothic house above thekitchen sink.

The house, which hasappeared in countless par-odies, including those fea-turing Klingons and MissPiggy, has captivated Ho-ward. She misses it whenshe’s away and said thatwhen she went to seeWood’s painting at the ArtInstitute of Chicago, shewanted to jump into thepainting and go home (asecurity guard had to askher to step away from theartwork).

“You can smell the his-tory,” she said of heradopted home. “It’s verysoothing — I feel connect-ed to my ancestors.”

Howard said the houseand its place in art historymoved her to sit down andwrite a book about her life,“Making Piece: A Memoirof Love, Loss and Pie.” Thedwelling had inspiredGrant Wood, just returnedfrom making art in Franceand Italy, to paint a tributeto his native state.

The 700-square-foothouse was built in 1881 andsold to Charles and Cathe-rine Dibble, who lost it af-ter failing to pay taxes. It isnow creaky and old.Square nails poke out ofthe wooden floorboards,the paint is peeling and thestairway is so small it’s abetter fit for a child than anadult.

It was the big gothicwindow on the secondstory that struck Wood in1930, when he was drivingthrough Eldon with afriend. The intricate win-dow, ordered from a Searscatalog, looked out ofplace in the modest houseon the prairie. Wood im-mediately wanted to paintthe plain house and itsfancy frill.

“He saw it as humor-ous,” said R. Tripp Evans,author of “Grant Wood: ALife.” “It embodied every-thing that was both com-

ical and endearing aboutMidwestern culture.”

For Howard, 49, em-bracing the Midwest hasbeen a bit more of a chal-lenge. Living in a century-old house miles from thenearest city is a new expe-rience for Howard, whospent her 20s and 30s inthe faster-paced world ofthe West Coast.

Last summer, a 6-foot-long bull snake crawled in-to the bathroom anddraped itself over thedoorknob. Howard ran andgot her neighbors, Don andShirley, Bob and Iola. Themen took it out of thehouse, bashed in its headwith a rake and then threwit in a tree. Howard also ranover a snapping turtle inher Mini Cooper, another

occasion to summon theneighbors.

“It’s always ‘Bob, getyour boots on. I needyou!’ ” Howard said.

Tourists sometimestramp into the house, ig-noring the sign that says“Private residence. Pleasedo not disturb.” At night,they’ll train their head-lights on the house andpose for pictures.

Then again, the rent isjust $250 a month.

“We’ve always lookedfor the right renter becauseof the historic nature,” saidJerome Thompson of theHistorical Society. “Some-one who can stand a littlebit of being in the publicspotlight.”

MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

Beth Howard stands in front of her home, the house featured in the 1930 painting“American Gothic” in Eldon, Iowa. MCT PHOTOS

Turning an iconic houseinto home as easy as pie

Beth Howard makes a banana creme pie in the housein Eldon, Iowa, that inspired Grant Wood’s 1930 paint-ing “American Gothic.”

BY ALANA SEMUELSLos Angeles Times


Things are hummingright along at the 2012Symphony Show House asit enters its final weekend.

“Sales for the openingweekend were epic,” saidMichelle Winters, spokes-woman for the OklahomaCity Philharmonic.

The new Musical Mys-tery Tour, which has vis-itors scouting each roomfor musical elements and achance at prizes, has beena big draw, she said.

The 39th annual showhouse, christened the JazzAge Manor, at 440 NW 15in Heritage Hills, openedto the public May 5 andwill be open from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Saturday andfrom noon to 5 p.m. Tick-ets are $15 at the door oronline at www.symphonyshowhouse.com.

Organizers from theOklahoma City OrchestraLeague went into thisyear’s show house withhopes of selling 10,000tickets over its three-weekrun and 1,000 the openingweekend alone, Winters

said. A winner will be se-lected from the correct en-tries Saturday.

The manor, echoing En-glish-style elements in itsarched windows and intri-cate red brickwork, wasbuilt in 1925. Thoracic sur-geon Marvin Peyton andhis wife, Sandra, bought itin 1983 and lived there 28years, raising their twochildren there and workingto restore the old home toits former glory.

Designers amped it upfor the fundraiser, layeringtextures and colors

throughout the house tocreate an atmosphere bothelegant and comfortable,with unusual touches.

Designer Nora Johnsonof Gold N Design layeredcopies of foreign currencybehind the shelves of thebar area downstairs, trans-forming a butler’s pantryinto a “Cash Bar.”

Designer Paige Lam-merts-Brown of RampaigeDesign added cross-stitched pillows to chairsin the “Green Room” justbeyond the kitchen tohonor her mother, Dottie

Lammerts, a former showhouse chairman.

Even the public res-troom tucked under thegarage apartment out backgot a makeover. DesignersAngel Peck and KristinFord of Fancy Like That!juxtaposed an earthy pal-ette with brightly coloreddoors and accents to openup the space, turning it in-to a “Fancy-Full! Bath-house.”

League President Rhon-da White has workedthrough her share of showhouses.

“It’s a very different ex-perience every year,” shesaid, “Different kinds ofproblems and differentkinds of rewards.”

Proceeds from the showhouse fund the philhar-monic’s education pro-grams. The project entailsmany hours of work andmany volunteers, said co-chairman Debbie Minter.

“But at the end of theday, it’s about what you’vereally done for the philhar-monic and public musiceducation, and it’s a reallygood feeling to knowyou’ve had some part in it,”she said.

The 39th annual Symphony Show House, christened the Jazz Age Manor, at 440 NW 15 in Heritage Hills, willbe open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. to close a three-week fundraiser for publicmusic education. PHOTOS BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Symphony Show Houseenters its final weekendBY DYRINDA TYSONFor The [email protected]

Nora Johnson of Gold N Design designed Room 17 atthe Symphony Show House.

Colorful pool balls accent Room 21, by Rosinna Giesand Tony Webb of Amini’s Galleria, in the basement.

Steve Calonkey, Susie Pickett and Katelynn Calonkeyof Mister Roberts Fine Furniture designed Room 19.

MILWAUKEE — Well-qualified borrowers withsterling credit, Eva andDaryl Lehman didn’t ex-pect to have a problem get-ting a mortgage when theyset out to build their dreamhome in Wisconsin’s She-boygan County.

They soon found thatlanding the mortgage forthe green-built home wasakin to running headlonginto a 12-inch-thick insu-lated concrete wall.

“On my best day, Icouldn’t make this up,” EvaLehman said of the mort-gage process. “I’m not thatcreative.”

The Lehmans areamong those beingsqueezed by a mortgagemarket that for certaintypes of new residentialconstruction — includingenvironment-friendlyconstruction — has be-come difficult to navigate.

A variety of factors arecontributing to the situa-tion: government regula-tion, cutting-edge “green”construction technology,risk-averse lenders, and adearth of comparablehome sales on which tobase an appraisal.

And it’s not just envi-ronment-friendly buildingat issue. Real estate ap-praisers say the housingmarket remains stubborn-ly weak. And finding com-parable sales data onwhich to base appraisals isa challenge.

“We have the worst res-idential real estate markethere in over 20 years,” saidRichard Larkin, owner ofLarkin Appraisals in ElmGrove, Wis. “I was activein the early ’80s, and this isquite possibly worse.”

In fall 1981, single-fam-ily home mortgage interest

rates were 19 percent, hesaid. “There was almost nolending going on. It effec-tively shut down the mar-ket. Now we have an econ-omy that has effectivelyshut down the market.”

Green construction isnot immune from thehousing downturn. Green,or sustainable, building isthe practice of creatingand using healthier andmore resource-efficientmodels of construction.

The problem is often alack of comparable salesnumbers, a necessary andscrutinized portion of realestate appraisals that aredone every time a mort-gage is granted.

If there are few compa-rable sales, Fannie Maeand Freddie Mac won’t buythe mortgages from lend-ers for resale to investors.The companies make upwhat’s known as the sec-ondary mortgage market.

“You’ve got to havecomparables, particularlyif you’re a bank that’s may-be going to sell the loan toFreddie or Fannie,” saidKurt Bauer, president andCEO of the WisconsinBankers Association.“They’re not going to buythe loans unless you canjustify the price, and howyou do that is by compara-ble sales.”

That’s become difficult.Never mind something

that is green-built, such asthe insulated concreteform house built for theLehmans.

“We’re even running in-to problems on traditionalhomes, where the under-writing standards have be-come so strict,” DonaldChudnow, co-owner ofChudnow Druck ValuationInc., a residential real es-tate appraisal service.

MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

Tighter creditstymies intentionsto build ‘green’BY JOE TASCHLERMilwaukee Journal Sentinel

6F . SATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMTHE OKLAHOMAN

DEAR BARRY: Wherehave you been all my life,or at least since we boughtour home? Here’s ourproblem.

A den was added to thehouse some time in thepast, and we don’t know ifthe work was permitted.We’re afraid to ask about apermit because we don’twant someone to order theaddition torn down. Howcan we find out if the addi-tion is legal without risk-ing a bulldozer invasion ofour property?

GinaDEAR GINA: Don’t

worry about someone at-tacking your home overbuilding code issues. If youwant to know the status ofthe addition, go to thebuilding department andask for the permit historyof the property. This is notan unusual request andshould not raise any eye-brows.

The documents theygive you will include theoriginal building permitand any subsequent per-mits for additions or alter-ations. If the addition wasnot permitted, it might bepossible to obtain an as-built permit. That is a

building permit that al-lows the municipal in-spector to review the addi-tion and either approve itor make demands for up-grades.

If the addition is unper-mitted and you prefer toleave it as-is, that is also anoption, but you’ll need todisclose the lack of a per-mit when you sell theproperty.

DEAR BARRY: Afterbuying our home, welearned that there are as-bestos floor tiles under thecarpets in every room inthe house. Shouldn’t ourhome inspector havelooked under the rugs?Shouldn’t he have knownthat old 9-by-9 tiles in-stalled up until the mid1970s may have been madewith asbestos?

BillDEAR BILL: Home in-

spections do not includethe raising of carpet. That

is something that homeinspectors simply do notdo. If your inspector hadknown about the 9-by-9tiles, he might have men-tioned the possibility ofasbestos, but that is un-certain because environ-mental hazards are notwithin the scope of a homeinspection.

In most cases, 9-by-9tiles do contain asbestosfibers, but this type of as-bestos-containing materi-al is not regarded as a sig-nificant health hazard be-cause the fibers are em-bedded in a hard asphaltmedium. The fibers can-not be released into the airwithout shredding thematerial. If the tiles remaincovered by carpets or byother types of flooring,they should never pose ahealth problem.To write to Barry Stone, visit him on theweb at www.housedetective.com.

ACTION COAST PUBLISHING

BarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

Buyer questions addition,fears possible teardown

Joshua Barry knows thatwipeouts are inevitablewhen children are climb-ing and sliding on outdoorplay sets. So he placedshredded rubber underand around the climbingtoys his two children use inthe backyard of their homein Aurora, Ohio.

“It gives me peace ofmind knowing there’s a lit-tle bit of cushioning,” hesaid.

Safety experts say it’simportant to address thearea around a swing set orclimbing equipment.

“Each year hundreds ofthousands of children aretreated in emergencyrooms for playground in-juries, and these are pre-ventable,” said Dr. Brunil-da Nazario, senior medicaleditor at WebMD, a healthinformation website.

The key to avoiding in-juries is adding surfacematerials that will cushiona fall, said Kate Carr, presi-dent of Safe Kids, a Wash-ington, D.C.-based orga-nization dedicated to pre-venting childhood injuries.

Asphalt and concreteare too hard, as are grassand turf, Nazario said,since normal wear and teardestroys their quality andabsorption properties.

Good options includerubber mulch, woodmulch, sand, fine gravel orsafety-tested rubber mat,which are more forgivingthan grass and dirt arewhen a child falls, Nazariosaid.

How deep you shouldlay the ground materialdepends on what you useand how high the playequipment is. The U.S.Product Safety Commis-sion recommends using atleast 9 inches of mulch orshredded rubber forequipment up to 7 feethigh. For sand or pea grav-el, the commission recom-mends at least a 9-inchlayer for equipment up to 5feet.

Mulch — either wood orrubber — is a better choicethan sand or gravel be-cause it provides moreshock absorption, saidRick Jess, vice president ofmerchandising for lawnand gardening at Lowe’sheadquarters in Moores-ville, N.C.

Wood mulch is less ex-pensive than rubber, but itdecomposes and fades andhas to be added to eachyear, he said. Rubbermulch, which is increas-ingly popular, lasts muchlonger. It also is more thandouble the price of tradi-tional mulch, he said.

“It holds its color,” hesaid. “It doesn’t washaway. It doesn’t decom-pose.”

Although cheaper thanmulch, sand and pea gravelhave become less popularsurfaces for backyard playsets because they don’tstay put as well, said AceHardware’s Lou Manfredi-ni in Chicago.

“With sand and peagravel, it’s a mess issue.Sand moves around theyard quite a bit and caneven get tracked into thehouse on kids’ shoes.”

Parents also shouldcarefully choose the loca-tion of their set, Nazariosaid. She recommendsshady areas where the

ground is level and thereare no low-hangingbranches or wires.

Play set safety tips: I Place the equipment

at least 6 feet in all direc-tions away from obstruc-tions such as fences,buildings, trees, electricwires or laundry lines.Keep as far away as possi-ble from streets and drive-ways. Consider erecting afence between the equip-ment and traffic.

I Maintain equipmentproperly, following manu-facturer’s guidelines.Check often to make surebolts are tightly anchored,and cut off or cap protrud-ing bolt ends, which cancause cuts or catch onclothing. Caps or nutsshould be flush with thesurface, with no gaps orspaces that could create ahook.

I Inspect wood equip-ment for splinters andcracks. It’s also a good ideato round off edges of woodwith a sander. Sand it andapply a wood sealer ac-cording to the manufac-turer’s recommendations.Make sure hooks andchains on swings aren’tworn or too rusty.

I Don’t allow a free-swinging rope on equip-ment or trees. Loose ropescan form a loop or nooseand strangle a child. Ropesthat are securely anchoredto the ground are OK aslong as they aren’t frayed.

Children are shown playing on a Swing N Slide set upwith rubber mulch to reduce injuries in this photofrom Lowe’s. PHOTO PROVIDED

Safer ground:lots of optionsfor play surfacesBY MELISSA KOSSLERDUTTONFor The Associated Press

Don’t worryaboutsomeoneattacking yourhome overbuilding codeissues. If youwant to knowthe status ofthe addition,go to thebuildingdepartmentand ask for thepermit historyof theproperty. Thisis not anunusualrequest andshould notraise anyeyebrows.

7FSATURDAY, MAY 19, 2012THE OKLAHOMAN NEWSOK.COM


Designed as a vacationretreat home for a coupleor single, the Arnett is ascharming as it is compact.Windows, stacked threehigh, fill most of its A-frame rear wall, offering apanoramic view of the sea,lake, mountains or othernatural landscape.

This plan is economicalto build, heat and main-tain. Its footprint, includ-ing porches, is only 31 feetwide and 38 feet deep.Clean-lined batt andboards cover the exterior,while sleek twin columnssupport covered porcheson both the front and side.

A lofty, two-story,vaulted ceiling adds to theexpansive sense of open-ness in the great room.Warmth radiates out fromthe traditional wood stoveto dry damp clothing andease the chill out of icy fin-gers and toes.

And owners who installa stove with a glass frontcan indulge in the relaxingpleasure of watching mul-ticolored flames and thedancing shadows theycast.

The kitchen is compara-tively large for a home thissize. It has a roomy walk-in pantry, and plenty ofcounter space. A raisedconversation bar rims theouter edge of the angledpeninsula.

Sitting here on a coldday, you can soak up heatfrom the wood stove whilechatting with folks in thekitchen and breathing inall the delightful cookingaromas.

Storage closets line thehallway that leads to thefront porch, bathroom,and combination utility-hobby room. Laundry ap-pliances hide behind fold-

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.

ASSOCIATED DESIGNS

ended loft or sectioned offbehind the landing formore privacy. The owners’bathroom boasts a luxuri-ous spa tub.

A review plan of the Arnett 30-419,

ing doors, so this spacecould also double as aguest room.

The sleeping area of theArnett’s owners’ suitecould be an entirely open-

HOUSE PLAN

A-frame offers panoramic view

LOS ANGELES — A newlystreamlined governmentplan to reward homeown-ers who diligently pay theirunderwater mortgages isproving a bonanza forbanks, which by one esti-mate may pocket $12 bil-lion in extra revenue by re-financing loans.

The revisions to theObama administration’s3-year-old Home Afford-able Refinance Programhave yielded mixed resultsfor homeowners, accord-ing to analysts and mort-gage professionals.

Some responsiblehomeowners are indeedgetting lower-interestloans despite owing farmore than their homes areworth. But others haveloans that don’t qualify, ormust jump through hoopsthe plan was supposed toeliminate, such as on-siteappraisals and extensivepaperwork.

What’s more, home-owners who get new loansare being stuck with high-er rates than necessary, of-ten half a percentage pointor more, according to crit-ics, because banks are refi-nancing only their ownborrowers, instead ofcompeting against one an-other..

“The banks shouldcharge lower than themarket interest rate be-cause the new version ofthe program means lesswork and less risk forthem. Instead, they arecharging more,” said Am-herst Securities analystLaurie Goodman, who ti-tled a recent report on theprogram “And the Winner

Is … the Largest Banks.”The program is a key

part of President BarackObama’s efforts to bolsterthe ravaged housing mar-ket. Administration offi-cials including Housingand Urban DevelopmentSecretary Shaun Donovanare pressuring Congress topass a law enabling theprogram to be used to helpmore homeowners.

“There’s a real urgencyhere because interest ratestoday are at the lowest lev-el they have ever been,”Donovan testified recentlybefore the Senate BankingCommittee.

In response, Sens. Rob-ert Menendez, D-N.J., andBarbara Boxer, D-Calif.,said that they would intro-duce legislation to extendstreamlined refinancing toall underwater Fannie andFreddie borrowers andeliminate appraisal andupfront fees for home-owners using the programto obtain new loans.

The Home AffordableRefinance Program is lesscontroversial than reliefplans for delinquent bor-rowers. Few have objectedto its goal of helpinghomeowners who paytheir loans on time butcan’t refinance at today’srecord low rates becausetheir home values haveplummeted.

To qualify, borrowersmust owe more than 80percent of the currenthome value. They can’thave missed a payment forthe past six months andare allowed to have beenlate by 30 days only once inthe last year. As this yearbegan, nearly 1 millionloans had been replacedusing the program.

Mortgage aidpays off for someBY MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES


Oklahoma CityMinal Hotel LLC, 4601 SW 15,

hotel-motel, erect, $4,000,000.Paul Aughtry Architect, 12201

N May Ave., bank, erect,$1,500,000.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, apartment, erect,$1,462,500.










City of Oklahoma City, 9600N Oklahoma Ave., recreationcenter, erect, $1,000,000.

Homeworks Design Co., 8100NW 134 Terrace, residence,erect, $944,283.

Lingo Construction Services,123 Robert S. Kerr Ave., canopy-carport, erect, $750,000.

Pop Holdings, 7612 S WesternAve., restaurant, erect,$450,000.

JAH Realty LP, 2229 NW 138,business, remodel, $438,000.

Adam Wallace, 14105 N East-ern Ave., office, erect, $425,000.

Natalie Young-Schneider,13201 SE 104, residence, erect,$415,000.

The Roberts Group, 16800Little Leaf Lane, residence,erect, $400,000.

CSRS Inc., 2501 W MemorialRoad, restaurant, remodel,$400,000.

Shops @ Quail Springs SCLLC, 14220 N Pennsylvania Ave.,shell building, erect, $386,000.

Avalon Homes & PropertiesLLC, 7201 NE 121, residence,erect, $379,000.

Diversified Construction,4634 Enterprise Drive, office-warehouse, remodel, $365,000.

Chris Ryan Homes LLC, 15550SE 44, residence, erect,$300,000.

Crossings CommunityChurch, 14600 N Portland Ave.,parking, install, $300,000.

Hadlock Fine Homes LLC,1504 SW 113 Place, residence,erect, $300,000.

Ron Walters, 3501 NE 63, of-fice, erect, $275,000.

The Roberts Group, 17300Clove Hill Place, residence,erect, $265,000.

Jeff Click Homes LLC, 19404Fieldshire Drive, residence,erect, $260,000.

Terry Covey Custom Homes,

8621 NW 70, residence, erect,$260,000.

City of Oklahoma City, 9600N Oklahoma Ave., canopy-car-port, erect, $250,000.

Manchester Green HomesLLC, 18801 Chestnut Oak Drive,residence, erect, $242,100.

Remington Builders Inc., 9312NW 133 Court, residence, erect,$238,000.

J.W. Mashburn DevelopmentInc., 14104 Cadorna Strada, resi-dence, erect, $230,000.

Timber Craft Homes LLC,17309 Ridgewood Drive, resi-dence, erect, $229,300.

E-Z Living Homes Inc., 4808SW 127, residence, erect,$225,000.

Brookshire Homes LLC, 11304SW 37, residence, erect,$220,000.

Mike Gray, 7200 S HudsonDrive, residence, erect,$214,000.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, accessory, erect,$208,810.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, accessory, erect,$208,810.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, cabana-gazebo, erect,$208,810.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, cabana-gazebo, erect,$208,810.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, clubhouse, erect,$208,810.

Brookshire Homes LLC, 11220SW 37, residence, erect,$200,000.

Earl Austin Construction Co.,doing business as Austin Homes,8412 NW 124 Circle, residence,erect, $200,000.

Earl Austin Construction Co.,doing business as Austin Homes,8413 NW 123 Circle, residence,erect, $200,000.

McCoy Architects, 12001 SE104, school, add-on, $200,000.

Merryfield (M.D.) Inc., 2136Pine Creek Ave., residence,erect, $200,000.

Katleron Construction Inc.,19105 Pinehurst Trail Drive, resi-dence, erect, $195,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC, 19213Blossom Court, residence, erect,$190,000.

Architects Collective, 2737NW 140, 11 permits, apartment,erect, $186,930.

S&D Homes, 716 EveningDrive, residence, erect,$186,000.

Two Structures LLC, 8328NW 142, residence, erect,$182,000.

Med Tech Construction Inc.,3000 SW 104, medical clinic-of-fice, remodel, $180,370.

Central Precast, 131 NE 37,warehouse, erect, $180,000.

Ed Scribner, 8401 S Interstate35 Service Road, office-ware-house, erect, $180,000.

Ed Scribner, 8405 S I-35 Ser-vice Road, office-warehouse,erect, $180,000.

Samples (Mark) Homes LLC,7416 Jack Drive, residence, erect,$178,000.

Dodson Custom Homes LLC,3213 NW 192 Terrace, residence,erect, $177,200.

New Generation Homes LLC,13225 NW 1, residence, erect,$175,000.

Ideal Homes of Norman LP,18600 Mesa Road, residence,erect, $165,000.

Merryfield (M.D.) Inc., 2205Sycamore Creek Ave., residence,erect, $165,000.


Gary Owens, 12129 SW 17, resi-dence, erect, $160,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC, 19100Butterfly Blvd., residence, erect,$160,000.

Vesta Homes Inc., 9009 MistyLane, residence, erect, $156,000.

Bobby Judy, 16401 ShadybrookDrive, residence, erect,$150,000.

Caymus Homes LLC, 8513 NW127 Circle, residence, erect,$150,000.

Western Construction, 2401NW 23, office, remodel,$150,000.

Paul Odom Jr., 8201 S Penn-sylvania Ave., retail sales, relo-cate, $150,000.

Cutter Homes, 2332 ChaseWay, residence, erect, $145,000.

M&D Homes LLC, 2405 ColesCreek Lane, residence, erect,$140,000.

Dodson Custom Homes LLC,18217 Haslemere Lane, residence,erect, $137,200.

R&R Homes LLC, 10704 SW35, residence, erect, $135,000.

J&A Homes LLC, 19201Grassmere Way, residence,erect, $130,000.

Oklahoma Affordable HomesLLC, 1504 Asher, residence,erect, $130,000.

Dodson Custom Homes LLC,18400 Haslemere Lane, resi-dence, erect, $127,600.

Anthony McDermid, 829 WCalifornia Ave., retail sales, re-model, $125,000.

Oklahoma Affordable HomesLLC, 12012 SW 14 Court, resi-dence, erect, $125,000.

Jim Earp, 8504 St. ElmoCourt, residence, erect,$120,000.

Tanya Turner, 5740 N ClassenBlvd., restaurant, remodel,$115,000.

Morton Builders, 12950 NMorgan Road, barn, erect,$110,000.

Home Creations, 18123 Grove-ton Blvd., residence, erect,$103,700.

Rausch Coleman Homes LLC,8528 SW 44 Court, residence,erect, $100,000.

Rausch Coleman Homes LLC,9608 Kylie Drive, residence,erect, $100,000.

Rausch Coleman Homes LLC,9609 Lauren Drive, residence,erect, $100,000.

Ideal Homes of Norman LP,9528 SW 27, residence, erect,$84,000.

Home Creations, 12104 NW 133Terrace, residence, erect,$82,800.

Ideal Homes of Norman LP,11433 NW 131, residence, erect,$82,000.

Home Creations, 12100 NW133 Terrace, residence, erect,$78,400.

Ideal Homes of Norman LP,1808 NW 143, residence, erect,$78,000.

Roberts (Corbyn) Homes Inc.,

7000 Aurelia Road, residence,add-on, $75,000.

Tom Spector, 2720 N Robin-son Ave., apartment, remodel,$75,000.

Paul Odom Jr., 8301 S Penn-sylvania Ave., retail sales, re-model, $75,000.

Gerson Flores, 1317 SW 26, res-idence, erect, $70,000.

McCoy Architects, 5301 Dim-ple Drive, canopy-carport, add-on, $60,000.

Allen Porter, 3 E Main, office,remodel, $54,120.


Showmart Transport, 3308 SE89, manufactured home, move-on-mobile home park, $50,000.

Raymondo Salazar, 2433 NW1, residence, add-on, $50,000.

Wynn Construction Co Inc.,321 N Harvey Ave., office, re-model, $50,000.

Bobby Wiley, 19816 SE 92,manufactured home, move-on,$40,000.

J. Howell Construction Inc.,12616 Old Country Road, resi-dence, add-on, $40,000.

RGD Signature Homes, 5609N Ross Ave., residence, add-on,$35,000.


Callahan Steel Buildings, 3625Frisco Ranch Drive, accessory,erect, $25,000.

The J Group ConstructionLLC, 5309 N Everest Ave., resi-dence, add-on, $25,000.

Vanguard Development, 7313 SWestern Ave., retail sales, re-model, $25,000.

Traywick Construction, 608NW 9, medical clinic-office, re-model, $20,000.

No name provided, 18825 RedOak Drive, accessory, erect,$20,000.

Christopher Williamson, 720NE 73, accessory, erect, $19,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,19004 Butterfly Blvd., residence,erect, $18,000.

Santos Lujan, 3233 SW 45,residence, fire restoration,$15,000.

Turnage Construction Inc.,14401 S Blackwelder Ave., stormshelter, add-on, $15,000.

Severo Zamora, 9009 NW 10,manufactured home, move-on-mobile home park, $12,000.

Charles and Monica McClure,2220 NW 48, storage, erect,$5,700.

Dale Garrison, 11117 SW 7 Cir-cle, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $5,000.

Elias Rivera, 2645 SW 26, resi-dence, add-on, $5,000.

Kathy E. Jones, 9301 ShadyGrove Road, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $4,895.

Barbara Ebert, 821 NW 117,storm shelter, add-on, $4,700.

No name provided, 5117 SW123, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $4,595.

Bob Reese, 6333 HardenDrive, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,500.

Dale and Connie Bettes, 1216NW 194, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,500.

Jorge Cruz, 19433 CurrantDrive, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,500.

Robert Lucas Jr., 624 SW 103

Place, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,295.

John and Patricia Marks, 7420NW 132, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,050.

Daniel Fox, 12200 CantleRoad, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,000.

Darrel Bradley Fruit, 3224Rockhampton Ave., storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$4,000.

Rodrick Norwood, 4837 SE 87Terrace, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,800.

No name provided, 11441 La-keridge Run, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $3,800.

Vortech Storm Shelters, 5708NW 162, residence, install-storm shelter, $3,500.

Vortech Storm Shelters, 9608Misty Hollow Lane, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter, $3,500.

Vortech Storm Shelters, 10225Fawn Trail Road, install-stormshelter, install-storm shelter,$3,500.

Shoma Lb Sumar, 13100 RockCanyon Road, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $3,450.

Derrick Hamilton, 7324 NE116, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,395.

Marc Despiau, 5317 NW 115,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,395.

No name provided, 11004 RockRidge Road, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $3,395.

Christopher Stuart, 2620 NW163, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,300.

Lawrence Tricano, 3036 NW70, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,300.

Wilbur Butler, 8833 NW 114Circle, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,300.

Duane Stark, 7416 NW 104,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,250.

Casey Lee, 4817 Jay MattDrive, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,200.

Shane Helterbrand, 6017 NW155, residence, install-stormshelter, $3,200.

Johnnie Brazeal, 10704 NW 38,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,195.

Michael Hohmann, 1212 NW196, storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,195.

Scott Bentley, 13913 Briarwyck,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,195.

Jimmy Dewayne and DanielleS. Lankford, 12701 S HarrahRoad, manufactured home,move-on, $3,150.

Chris James, 17212 HawksRidge Lane, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $3,100.

Dale Slaughter and LanieJames, 2328 NW 158, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter, $3,100.

Janis Yearout, 2209 SW 93Place, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,100.

Jeffery W. and Gina M. Yea-rout, 3224 SW 104 Terrace,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,100.

Pam Koenig, 4017 NW 70,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,100.

Damon and Jessica Musick,3312 Rockhampton Ave., stormshelter, install-storm shelter,$3,000.

Building permits

SEE PERMITS, PAGE 10F

804 SW 1st 3bd 1ba 1150sf$750 mo $650 dep WACHome&RanchRlty794-7777

BY OWNER 3BR near LakeBest area $123.9K 603-4775

Complete Rebuild brickhome & property $5500

Call 512-239-8435

FSBOOPEN HOUSE Sun 2-4,

4240 Old Farm Rd.2080sfmol, 3/2/2, $184K,

641-2950

Updated Brick 3/1 extraparking, newer roof &ch/a, wood floors $84,000Realty Experts 414-8753

Bank Owned 3bd 1ba 2 livPC Schls, .23 acre $62,900Realty Experts 414-8753

KAT Properties-Apt &Homes for rent. Scan

this with your phone app

Near NW 63 & May verynice 2bed 1bath 1 car garch&a $695 mo, $650 dep.no pets no sec 8 691-5479

609 NW 110th 3bd 2ba2car gar, $850mo $800dp1200sf 409-7989 no Sec8

2, 3 & 4 bd House/Apt,All elec. W/D/ Hook-up

Sec 8 Welcome 235-4328

7032 Stony Creek, 3/2/2fp, fenced, $975mo $900dep

TMS Prop 348-0720

Exec Home-Greens 2liv 2din3bed 2ba 2car FP 15316

Inverness $1250 830-3399

1033 Hoyt 3/1/1 $595Free List 681-7272

3 bed, 2 bath, detachedgarage with shop, diningrm, kitchen, 210 SE 70th,$800 mo, 405-685-6151.

3bd 1ba, 1152 SE 18th St$750+ $650dep Sec 8 OkAvail Now 405-812-0096

5 acres, clean/nice, readynow, ch&a, 3/2/2, new

paint, $1500 mo + $1000dep + 2studiosfree.15601S. May Ave., 410-9751.

3212 Dumas Lane nice2bd home with 1cargarage, fresh paint, newcarpet, only $495 FidelityRE 692-1661, 410-4300

3bed 1.5bath 2liv areas,RENT TO OWN,

down pymt negotiable$750mo 606-6655

3000 SW 37th 3bd 2ba,den and carport $625

Free List 681-7272

1304 SW 81st, 3 bed,2 bath, ch&a, $950/mo,$600 deposit, 631-5695.

GUTHRIE2509 W Okla 3/2/2 $825Express Realty 844-6101www.expressrealtyok.com

For rent/sale, McLoud,3 bd, 2 ba, MH, 12 acres,

$900/mo, 414-4004.

3 bed, 2 bath, new appls9809 Waverly Ave.

$825mo Call 229-7437

725 Eastridge 3/2/2 $1195Express Realty 844-6101www.expressrealtyok.com

1021 Hyacinth Hollow3/2/2 hardwd flrs in bdr.$995 285-0305, 823-6550

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

Great for investor orfirst time homebuyer!3bd home, fenced yard,ch/a $32,900 Fidelity RE692-1661, 410-4300

Nice 3bd brick home 1.5bath, 2 living areas, ch/a,completely remodeled,only $67,250 Fidelity RE692-1661, 410-4300

Nice 3bd home, 2 livingareas, carport, freshpaint, nice area, only$64,900 Fidelity Real Est692-1661, 410-4300

Rock home, wood floors,nice yard, 2340 SW 20th,

steal for $17,900 cash,405-301-6495.

OWNER FINANCING$5000 down No Credit Ck2728 Texoma 4/1, 66,000¡596-4599 ‘ 410-8840¡

5824 S. Shartel AvenueVery Nice 2 bed, 1 bath,1 car $43,500 ¡ 550-2145

Open 2-4 3/2/2 Moore Sch11817 Cedar Valley Ter.

NM Rlty 613-9739

8017 SUNNY POINTE LNclose to TINKER

near HEART HOSPITAL4bed, 2ba, 2 Car 2010

$145,000 580-682-0440

Special Gov't Program!Own Land/Family landZERO DOWN! New andRepo homes avail. E-Zqualify by phone. Top

dollar for your TRADE in.$2,000 furn allowancewith purchase. WAC

405-631-7600 405-834-8814

3bd 2ba open floor plan98 Ridgecrest dbl wide innice ElReno Park $40,000

295-2559 leave msg.

Cash 4 Clunkers!Guaranteed $5,000 forany trade towards downpymt of new home. WAC405-631-7600 405-834-8814

DEER CREEK SCHOOLS27x44 mobile home on1 ac 3 spacious bd/2ba$28,000 Call or text405-570-9547 for info

Abandoned D/W Reposet up on 5 Acres!! Readyto move in. Free phone

application 405-631-7600

NEW 3bd/2bth$1500 down, 7.5%

$281mo. 405-324-8010

REPO REPO REPO4bd/3bth $648MO. wac

405-324-8000

Double Wide REPOLike New $395mo. wac

405-577-2884

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

AUCTION: 160 Ac. nearHinton, OK. Great hunt-ing/farm with nice small

cabin, pond, treesMay 24, 6pm 405-376-4551kencarpenterauction.com

775 acres sold in 5 tractsWashita County, OK.Excellent farmland &

grass. May 26th.www.putmanauction.com

or 580-660-1149

Owner carry with down.Nice homes & fixers.

417-2176.www.homesofokcinc.com

I BUY HOUSESAny condition. No cost

to U 410-5700

I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667

HOMESOFOKCINC.COM

C-Store lease or sale.$40K + inv. $2500/month

405-474-1249

Liquor Store For Sale$70,000 + Inventory

405-226-9870

7608 N Western AveRetail/Office space,

1200sf avail, 370-1077

GREAT Office SpaceVarious NW locations300-6000sf 946-2516

VERY, VERY QUIETNear mall, schls, hosp,

Try Plaza East 341-4813

Free Month Rent! 1&2bdQUIET! Covered ParkingGreat Schools! 732-1122

$100 Off1st Mo Rent 1&2 BedroomsFurnished & Unfurnished

NEWLY REMODELEDGATED COMMUNITYCAVE CREEK

ON ROCKWELL3037 North Rockwell

495-2000

Florence 429 NW 11thMidtown Studio, GraniteCounters, CHA, FreeLaundry $675mo $400dp;downtown view $750 mo409-7989 No section 8

ALL BILLS PAID$239 - 1st Mo 1 Beds

Quiet, Park, Pool293-3693

DREXEL ON THE PARK

$249 FIRST MONTHSchool is Out Special14 Huge Floor Plans

416-5259TUSCANY VILLAGE

Quiet CasadyLarge 2bd $575 751-8088

The Plaza 1740 NW 17th1bd 1ba, 800sf, ch/a,wood floors, $550 mo$250 dep 409-7989

1 BEDROOM APT.ALL BILLS PAID

$480/MO. $400 DEPOSIT405-200-5818

Oakwood Apts 5824 NW34th St. 1bd 1ba 800sf,all electric, $350mo $175dep, no Sec 8 409-7989

Furnished/UnfurnishedBills Paid» Wkly/MonthlyWes Chase Apts, Elk HornApts, Hillcrest 370-1077

MAYFAIR Great location!1/2 bd W/D hdwd flr quietsecure ngbrhood¡947-5665

SEC 8 - Duplex16th & Ann Arbor $510-2bdr-$350 dep. 694-3634

Putnam Heights Plaza1bed, ch/a, Dishwasher

1830 NW 39th 524-5907

800 N. Meridian 1bdAll bills paid 946-9506

•ABC• Affordable, Bugfree, Clean » 787-7212»

$99 SPECIALLg 1bdr, stove, refrig.,clean, walk to shops.$345 mo. 632-9849

Furnished/UnfurnishedBills Paid» Wkly/MonthlyWes Chase Apts, Elk HornApts, Hillcrest 370-1077

$99 Move In Special!!!Lg 1 and 2 Bdr, $345 to

$420 mo. 632-9849

2720 SW 74th unit 18nice 2bd townhome 1.5bach/a washer dryer hkupsonly $550 Fidelity RealEst 692-1661, 410-4300

3615 NW 51st 2bd 2bath2 car, 1300sf, $925 mo$925dp 409-7989 no sec8

Bills PaidFurnished/Unfurnished

Weekly/Monthly 370-1077

3BD in elite area, walk tolake & trails $965 603-4775

12901 NE 10th Unit 1spacious 2bd mobilehome, clean, fenced $495Fidelity692-1661, 410-4300

Nice 3 room Cottage ongated acreage in SouthEdmond $500 740-8061

Exec 3bd 2.5ba 2storyCopperfield. strm shel

fp. $1500 + dep 822-1960

3 bed, 2 car 1.5 bathSec 8 OK. Near NE 12 &Douglas $650+$650dep

408-4620 » » 818-5360

3 bedroom. 1 bath,cent/air, Sec. 8 welcome.

No pets. 405-672-0877

4308 Meadow Prk3/1.5 $725Free List 681-7272

1012 Jet - Nice 2/1/1$550 » 732-3411

1412 SW 24th St 4/3/22-story Pets Ok $1300+

dep. 285-0305, 823-6550

Super Nice, quiet area2bd, appls, Sec 8 Ok $6502217 NE 19¡424-2201pm

2212 NE 26, Nice brickhome. 2/1/1 $500/mo

732-3411

833 E Eubanks 3/1 $495Free List 681-7272

1N to 10A, E. of OKC,pay out dn. before 1st pmt.starts, many are M/H readyover 400 choices, lg trees,some with ponds, TERMS

Milburn o/a 275-1695paulmilburnacreages.com

BY OWNER, 5 ACRES,TENKILLER LAKE andIllinois River area. Will

finance with small downpmt. and $169 mo.

918-774-3741

OWNER FINANCING1-10 Acres

Many LocationsCall for maps405-273-5777

www.property4sale.com

1.7 acres with 2200 sq ftbrick home, near I-35, 140ft frontage on NE 23rd,$69,000 cash, 301-6495.

Call for Maps! See whywe sell more acreagesthan anyone in Okla.

E of OKC. o/a 275-1695

5 ACRES in Blanchard2 miles West, 1K South.McClain Bank 527-6503

AUCTION: 160 Ac. nearHinton, OK. Great hunt-ing/farm with nice small

cabin, pond, treesMay 24, 6pm 405-376-4551kencarpenterauction.com

$99 Move Inon Selected Units

LARGE TOWNHOMES& APARTMENTS

• Washer, Dryers, pools• PC Schools, fireplacesWILLIAMSBURG

7301 NW 23rd

787-1620

Offi ce Space For Rent

Established Business For Sale

Farms, RanchesFor Sale, Okla. 308

Commercial RE

Houses for rent

HomesFor Sale 309.9

Condominiums,TownhousesFor Rent 441


Dustin Demory, 11621Hastings Ave., storm shel-ter, erect, $3,000.

James Cottrell, 2640NW 168 Terrace, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $3,000.

Jeremy Long, 8040Sunny Pointe Lane, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $3,000.

Jerry and Jody Prince,co-trustees, 4113 NW 48,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,000.

Pratima K.C., 5401 NW23, retail sales, remodel,$3,000.

Richard and SherriHooper, 1500 SW 122,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,000.

Stewart Jones, 12520Clarence Court, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $3,000.

Tim and Tina Stewart,17117 Bridle Ridge Circle,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,000.

Ward Combs, 3112 Buck-ingham Place, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,000.

Maria del Rosaro Mo-rales, 1129 SW 62, resi-dence, fire restoration,$3,000.

Allen Ellis, 2804 SW 138,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,995.

Emily Whittington, 2252NW 197, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter,$2,995.

Jeremy Warren, 19409Vista Ave., storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,995.

Mary Richardson, 3412Windsor Blvd., stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,995.

Tom and Sondra Mount,3829 NW 69, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$2,995.

Two Structures LLC,8308 NW 141 Circle, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,995.

Udayakiran Modugu,18305 El Greco Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,995.

No name provided, 15512Summit Parke Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,995.

Tobias Miller, 14100 Pe-can Hollow Terrace, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,900.

Nick Morrison, 712

Greenfield Drive, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,895.

No name provided, 9921S Brookline Ave., stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,895.

Nicholas Clements, 1513SW 134 Terrace, install-storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,825.

Taber Built Homes LLC,15213 Western Vista Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Paul Copeland, 10205SW 28 Circle, residence,install-storm shelter,$2,780.

Edward and Lisa Miles,15416 Milanese Ave., stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,700.

Marisa Ridley, 3440Oakcliff Drive, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Norma Riffle, 12305Whispering Hollow Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,700.

Tom Newton, 6445 SDrexel Ave., storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Michael Dean Ingram,18705 Chestnut Oak Drive,storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,500.

Nekda Marie Minick,3413 NW 23, business, re-model, $2,500.

Griffin Properties, 9024SE 29, supplement, sup-plement, $2,500.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 9501 SW 26, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,300.

Gladys Cook, 3213 SW37, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,250.

Sooner Carports, 2533NW 40, canopy-carport,add-on, $1,700.

Dao Nguyen, 617 SW 68,canopy-carport, add-on,$1,500.

DemolitionsMCC & Associates, 6233

Northwest Expressway,bank.

MCC & Associates, 7612S Western Ave., auto ga-rage.

K&M Wrecking LLC,2600 Drakestone Ave.,residence.

K&M Wrecking LLC,8300 S Hiwassee Road,residence.

Bobby Wiley, 19816 SE92, residence.

Memo Construction,2644 SW 44, single-fam-ily residence.

James Pfenning, 1035Harris Ave., garage.

PermitsFROM PAGE 9F

There’s nothing quitelike the sound of waterbubbling in your backyard.

A water feature can be-come an eye-catchinglandscaping feature, or acool and tranquil backdropthat also helps block un-wanted traffic or neigh-borhood noise. A waterfeature can also be a greatdo-it-yourself project thatjust about anyone cantackle.

The term “water fea-ture” can mean differentthings to different people.But if you want a stunning,low-maintenance optionthat’s customized to youryard and your style, con-sider going “pondless.”

Also known as a “disap-pearing pond,” pondlesswater features eliminatethe open pond that re-quires periodic mainte-nance to prevent algae andother problems, alongwith potential safety is-sues for small children. In-stead, they use a water res-ervoir, a recirculatingpump and some type ofrock or other feature fromwhich the water flows. Thewater filters down througha rock base over the reser-voir and disappears, to berecycled endlessly.

Basic componentsPondless water features

can be large or small, sim-ple or elaborate. Their de-sign is pretty much limitedonly by your imagination,ambition and budget. Butthey all share the samefour basic design ele-ments:

I The reservoir: This issimply a big, relativelyshallow round or squarebox made of a tough, high-impact resin. The box issolid on the bottom andsides to retain the water,and is perforated or slottedon the top to hold the rockwhile allowing the water todrain through. The top alsohas a removable plate toaccess the pump. Reser-voirs come in a few differ-ent sizes, depending onhow much water you wantthe system to process.

I The pump: This is asubmersible, 110-volt elec-tric pump specifically de-signed for these applica-tions. It sits inside the res-ervoir, with a filter on theinlet side to filter out im-purities, and a hose on theoutlet side that’s routed towherever you want thewater to come out. Thereare several different sizesavailable, depending onthe amount of flow desir-ed.

I The water outlet:The water coming fromthe pump exits throughsome type of visible outlet,and this is where your cre-ativity can have free rein.Many water features uti-lize a natural piece of bas-alt as the center piece ofthe design, which is drilledto receive the hose comingfrom the pump. You canfind basalt in many sizesand shapes, and you canuse one piece alone or agrouping of several pieceswith the water tumblingover all of them. Other op-tions include decorativejugs, vases of any size orshape, actual water foun-tains, cherubs and othergarden statues, pieces ofdiscarded masonry, andmany other objects.

I Base rock: Finally,you’ll want to cover thereservoir with a layer ofrock where the water flowsand disappears. There aremany different types, sizesand colors of rock tochoose from, dependingon your personal prefer-ences. You can mix andmatch sizes and colors, aswell as incorporating piec-es of natural wood, metalsculptures and other ob-jects you might like.

Putting it togetherSelect an area for the

water feature, and lay outthe general size and shapeyou want. Remember thatthe overall size of the rockbase can be the same sizeas the reservoir, or it can besubstantially larger.

Next, excavate a hole for

the reservoir itself. Thehole should be a littlewider and a little deeperthan the reservoir, to allowfor leveling and backfill-ing. Place a layer of sand inthe bottom of the hole tomake it easier to level theunit and protect it fromrocks. Check the level in alldirections; pack some ad-ditional sand into the holearound the base to stabilizeit; and then backfill up tothe level of the top lip.

If you’re installing aheavy water feature suchas a piece of basalt, it’stypically installed next, di-rectly on top of the reser-voir for stability. Be sureyou have adequate help forlifting this into place; somelarger pieces will even re-quire a forklift or othermachinery. Route the hosethrough the hole in therock, and seal it with anapproved sealant.

Install the pump in thereservoir and connect the

from there.For basalt and other

rock, check with any localretailer of rock supplies.They can also drill rock foryou if you find a specificpiece that you like, and canassist you with deliveryand placement. As far asthe electrical wiring isconcerned, consult with alicensed electrician to havethe proper GFCI outlet in-stalled near the water fea-ture.

Remodeling and repairquestions? Email Paul [email protected]. All product re-views are based on the au-thor’s actual testing of freereview samples providedby the manufacturers.

INMAN NEWS

hose. Route the wire fromthe pump to an exterior-approved, GFCI-protected(Ground Fault Circuit In-terrupter) electrical outlet,but don’t plug the pumpyet. Make sure the insideof the reservoir is clean,then fill it with clean wa-ter. Activate the pump andtest all the connectionsand the flow rate. If every-thing looks good, installthe access door on the topof the reservoir, then coverthe top of the reservoirwith the base rock.

ShoppingYou can sometimes find

small water feature kits,with a reservoir, pump andall the other components,at home centers, ware-house stores and other re-tailers. For larger pumpand reservoir equipment,check with any local re-tailer that handles land-scaping supplies, includ-ing nurseries or sprinklerdealers. They’ll either havethe materials you need instock or they can easily or-der them for you. They canalso work with you on theproper sizing of the pump.You can also find what youneed online; start with asearch for “disappearingwater features,” and go

Child safety, easy upkeepbenefits of pondless water

A pondless water feature has numerous benefits.PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

PaulBianchina

HANDY @ HOME

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The Oklahoman Real Estate