Palouse Living, May 2019

Palouse LIVING Your resource for buying, selling and enjoying your home on the Palouse.

May 2019

Palouse Living is an advertising supplement of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News

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2 | May 4, 2019 | Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune

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Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune | May 4, 2019 | 3

Potential culprits behind thinning grass T

Courtesy of Metro Editorial

hick grass is often a hallmark of a healthy lawn. If grass begins to thin, homeowners may feel as though all the time and effort they spent tending to their lawns was for naught.

Thinning grass can be caused by any number of things. And while it might take a little effort to address, thinning grass can be treated if homeowners correctly identify that cause of the problem.

LEAF SPOT The Center for Agriculture, Food and the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Amherst notes that leaf spot diseases affect both cool- and warmseason turfgrasses. Various

fungi can cause leaf spot.

Symptoms and the timing of the appearance of leaf spot will vary depending on which fungi is causing the problem.

For example, bipolaris sorokiniana, which affects grasses in warm, wet summer months, produces small spots that are dark purple to black.

Dreschslera poae is another fungi that causes leaf spot, and it also produces dark purple to black spots. However, it tends to appear in the spring when the weather is cool and moist. Understanding the different fungi and when they typically strike can help homeowners identify what is causing their grass to thin. In such situations, professional landscapers can be invaluable resources as well.

ENJOY PALOUSE LIVING

Palouse LIVING Your resource for buying, selling and enjoying your home on the Palouse.

May 2019

Palouse Living is an advertising supplement of the Lewiston Tribune and Moscow-Pullman Daily News

IN PRINT: Palouse Living is published monthly, with 7,000 copies distributed in the Moscow-Pullman Daily News and Lewiston Tribune, and at participating advertiser locations.

ONLINE: Check out the latest digital edition online at DNews.com — just click on the Special Sections tab.

To advertise your business or service, contact Sally Imel at simel@lmtribune. com or call your local marketing consultant today!

STRIPE SMUT The University of Maryland Extension notes that stripe smut primarily poses a threat to Kentucky bluegrass that is older than three years. Pale green streaks that run parallel to the veins in the leaves and leaf sheaths are symptomatic of stripe smut, which tends to be noticed in spring and fall, when weather is cool.

As the disease progresses, stripes turn black or a silvery gray, causing the leaf blade to shred and curl. After the blades have shred, they turn brown and die. The grass thins because stripe smut makes it vulnerable to problems like drought.

ASCOCHYTA LEAF BLIGHT Lawns suffering from ascochyta leaf blight will become straw-colored.

According to the lawn care and pesticide experts at Ortho®, when a lawn is affected by ascochyta leaf blight, its healthy grass blades will be mixed in with diseased grass blades. Most prevalent in the spring, this disease can affect grass at any time during the growing season. That’s because the ascochyta fungi invade leaf blades through wounds, such as those that can result from mowing. Ortho® notes that dull lawn mowers can contribute to the disease, which might disappear on its own and can even return after it’s seemingly been cured.

Various issues can cause grass blades to thin. Working with a landscape professional is a great way to combat such issues before they compromise the look of a lawn.

PALOUSE LIVING

4 | May 4, 2019 | Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune

5 strange things that can stop a home from ever selling E

By Daniel Bortz Courtesy of realtor.com

ver wonder what could keep a home from selling? Just ask a listing agent. They’ve seen some doozies.

Listing agents, as the professionals who help prep a home for sale, are often tasked with telling home sellers why their house might not sell in its current condition. It’s a tough job, but it sure beats saying nothing and then watching a home sit indenitely.

While most corrective tweaks are small—say, a fresh coat of paint

or a solid decluttering—sometimes the things that stop a home from selling take everyone by surprise.

Here are a few that listing agents have dealt with, and the solutions that saved the day.

1. THE ‘GREEN MONSTER’ Seth Lejeune, real estate agent with Berkshire Hathaway in Collegeville, PA, coined this phrase to describe a “horrendously colored hunter-green carpet” in his home seller’s living room. This home had already been listed once with another agent with no offers; Lejeune was quite sure this carpet

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Seattle real estate agent Matt Parker recalls meeting with a was the culprit. landlord who was looking to sell “So I told the seller to replace the his rental property. The problem? carpet with something neutral,” The home had been rented to, as Lejeune says. The seller “was Parker puts it, a couple of “pet surprised, but receptive. I explained enthusiasts.” the importance of rst impressions, “They had about 30 injured and he got it after a few minutes.” birds, squirrels, dogs, cats, lizards, Replacing the carpet cost only $1,500. “We got four showings within two weeks, and it was the fastest townhome sale of the year,” Lejeune says. In fact, the home buyers mentioned at settlement that they especially loved the living room.

Take-home lesson: Even simple

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snakes, and dozens of sh in a 910-square-foot house,” he says.

The snakes were in cages and the sh were in bowls, of course, but the rest of the animals roamed free.

“You can imagine what the home smelled like, how stained the oors were, and how many

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PALOUSE LIVING ‘hidden treasure’ land mines there were throughout the house,” Parker says.

Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune | May 4, 2019 | 5 open house to try to cover it up.”

specializes in oil tank location and decommissioning before putting your house on the market.

The x? “Since we were not getting the offers we wanted The carpet, ooring, after the rst couple of weeks, we subooring, walls, and exposed built a 12-foot fence, incorporated 5. MOLD wood throughout the house had canvas sun shades, installed No word strikes fear into the been permeated with a foul odor, twinkle lights, and made the hearts of home buyers and sellers Parker says. outdoor space much more more than mold. private,” Poulos adds.

Parker told the home seller “It is a four-letter word, and that his odds of selling were The costs tallied up to $3,000, most denitely has been the issue slim, unless it were a teardown. but it was a modest expense of greatest magnitude for my Thankfully, the seller accepted considering “this backyard home sellers,” says Michael Edlen, the news without much drama. solution ultimately helped sell the a real estate agent in Pacic Take-home lesson: We love our property.”

Palisades, CA. furry friends, but that doesn’t Take-home lesson: No one likes One particularly bad experience mean potential buyers want noisy neighbors, especially those sticks out: Before listing a house, to see our pets (or any of their who can see right in your house Edlen spotted mold in a relatively traces) when looking at a home without effort. So, if your home is small area of the garage, but that they’re thinking of buying. located adjacent to an apartment was just the start. building or another home, you’ll 3. NOISY NEIGHBORS “[Mold] remediators found want to take steps to provide Homeowners value privacy, but, yourself some privacy. that the mold had gotten into alas, they don’t always get it. the wall framing, so they had to 4. AN UNDERGROUND open walls up behind and next to Courtney Poulos, a broker at OIL TANK ACME Real Estate in Los Angeles, “I sold a home earlier this year experienced this rsthand with that an investor had purchased a client who was looking to sell through a foreclosure auction,” a stylishly remodeled threesays Christopher Pagli, associate bedroom home. Unfortunately, broker at William Raveis Legends the house “was right next to a large apartment complex,” Poulos Realty Group in Tarrytown, NY. But a presale inspection turned says. up some unwelcome news.

“When you were in the “There was a buried oil tank on backyard, you felt that the the property,” Pagli says. “This occupants of the apartment complex were looking right down came as a surprise, because the home was fueled by natural gas.” on you,” she adds.

primary areas,” Edlen says. “By the time the work was done, it took two full months and nearly $60,000.”

Fortunately, the sellers didn’t freak out over the bill—or Edlen.

“One way or another, they would have had to deal with it— and better to x it upfront than leaving it to later,” he explains.

Take-home lesson: Mold can put a homeowner’s health at risk, which explains why it’s one of the most common fears among home buyers. Make sure you check your house for mold and address any issues before listing it.

Daniel Bortz has written for the Times, Washington Post, Money Consumer Reports, Entrepreneur and more. He is also a licensed Virginia.

New York magazine, magazine, Realtor in

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Poulos agreed to list the house, but remembers a couple of troublesome open houses.

During one, a couple living in the apartment building out back “were ghting and you could see them and hear them from the backyard,” she says. At another open house, “one of the neighbors had his TV on so loud that we had to blast music of our own in the

Altogether the testing, removal, and backll for the oil tank cost the seller about $8,000. The good news? Once the oil tank was removed, the home sold in three weeks.

Take-home lesson: Underground oil tanks are rare, but if you suspect your property has one, you’ll want to have the land tested by an inspector who

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Is a breakfast nook practical?

PRO: IT’S GREAT FOR KIDS Bar stools at an island may be too tall for small kids to sit on, but a kitchen nook is the perfect height. vice president of design at “Also, letting the kids use Case Design/Remodeling, in kitchen counter space when Charlotte, NC. cooking can be a nightmare,” says Breyer. “But with a And the proximity to the breakfast nook, the kids can kitchen makes the nook a great place for kids to do their be in the kitchen but not in thing while Mom or Dad looks your way.” on with a watchful eye while CON: IT’S NOT DESIGNED prepping dinner.

FOR ENTERTAINING “It’s advantageous for kids Unless you’re entertaining to do their homework close kids, a breakfast nook might be to their parents, in case they counterproductive. need help,” says Shawn Breyer “Clients are moving of Breyer Home Buyers, in away from breakfast nooks Atlanta. because they are leaning CON: IT TAKES UP toward counter dining and VALUABLE SPACE more formal gathering dinner places,” says Valerie Unless you have a really Burmester, a real estate broker big kitchen, a breakfast nook with Marketplace Sotheby’s can be a waste of space. And even though you could build a International Realty in Redmond, WA. “Dining rooms nook with storage (say, inside are making an impact with big a bench seat), are you really replaces and grandeur.” going to store canned goods or pots and pans there? The For most people, that’s the area might be better used as a type of place you want when pantry or a place to put more hosting dinner parties and cabinets.

Thanksgiving.

“In recent years, we’ve seen PRO: IT’S COMFORTABLE a lot of homeowners opting to A banquette seating area remove their breakfast nooks,” feels more casual than a says Jody Finglas, co-founder of dining table.

NYC Fine Finishes. “And other “Breakfast nooks provide homeowners, rather than a comfortable atmosphere adding nooks, are extending out their kitchen to include an to enjoy a meal in a cozy, island or another workstation, casual ambiance,” says Julie Fisher, principal architect because they’re interested in and partner at fcSTUDIO, in more cabinet space.”

Pros and cons of this quaint kitchen feature

B

By Terri Williams Courtesy of realtor.com

reakfast nooks are an acquired taste. They were vastly popular in Craftsman homes of the 1920s and 1930s, and now, as with many design trends, they’re making a comeback. But is this one of those kitchen features that shouldn’t be revived? Breakfast nooks are quaint, but they’re hardly the denition of practicality.

We reached out to experts, including architects, builders, designers, and real estate

agents, for honest opinions about breakfast nooks—and whether or not they’d advise homeowners to invest in building one.

PRO: IT’S NOT JUST FOR BREAKFAST You can do a lot more in a breakfast nook than just eat oatmeal and Pop-Tarts.

“Breakfast nooks have become a place for the kids to do their homework and art projects, and for the adults to answer emails on their laptops,” says Chelsea Allard,

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Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune | May 4, 2019 | 7

George Bevan, architect and founder of Bevan + Associates, in Sonoma, CA. “Often, people don’t allow enough space and jam it into a small corner.”

PRO: IT’S A COOL DESIGN FEATURE A breakfast nook can also be a place for you to make a design statement. Fisher encourages homeowners to add this type of feature if they want to show architectural variety across the oor plan.

It can be an extension of the decor in your kitchen or a simply unique area of the home. You can make it elegant, fun, or retro like an old-fashioned diner.

“It’s a great way to add a splash of color in a custom cushion,” says Bevan.

CON: IT CAN MAKE YOUR KITCHEN LOOK MESSY The breakfast nook is often located in a great location, but this can make it the unofcial dumping ground for clutter.

“It may become the perfect place to drop keys, mail, magazines, and other things that nd their way from your car to the house,” Bevan says.

So instead of making your kitchen look more organized, a breakfast nook could make it look junkier.

Terri Williams is a journalist who has written for USA Today, Yahoo, the Economist, U.S. News and World Report, and the Houston Chronicle.

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CON: IT CAN BE CRAMPED There’s a reason why breakfast nooks are great for kids—it’s because kids are small. Plus, they actually like the idea of sliding around or even under the table. Adults?

Not so much.

“Breakfast nooks are difcult to maneuver as an adult,” says Finglas.

You also need to be realistic about whether or not you have enough space to actually accommodate this feature.

“A breakfast nook needs to be designed well,” says

PALOUSE LIVING

8 | May 4, 2019 | Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune

Does writing an offer letter to the seller help?

Not always—here’s why.

By Terri Williams Courtesy of realtor.com

You’ve spent months— perhaps years—searching for the perfect house, and you’ve nally found it. But you’re not alone; there’s a very strong chance that other home shoppers are vying for it, too.

So how can you stand out?

Many experts recommend writing a personal offer letter to the seller.

“If there are multiple offers, we always suggest buyers write a letter of introduction as a way to put a personality behind the number,” says Josh Rubin, a broker at Douglas Elliman in New York City.

After all, selling is an emotional process. But does this strategy work? We explored the pros and cons of writing a letter to nd out whether it helps or hurts your

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chances of having your offer accepted.

WHY YOU SHOULD WRITE A PERSONAL LETTER It can appeal to a seller’s soft side: Some buyers use a letter to tell a personal story in the hope that it will resonate with the seller.

Tracey Hampson, a real estate agent with Realty One Group in Valencia, CA, says she currently has a listing with three offers, but the offer she likes best is from a couple explaining how they are having their rst child and want to raise him in a safe neighborhood.

“This is the exact same scenario my husband and I were in when we rst moved,” she says.

Touching stories like this can strike a chord with sellers and make them feel comfortable about passing on their home to you.

It helps clear up any confusion about nancing: A personal letter can also answer any questions or concerns that a seller might have about your ability to nance the home.

For example, Hampson once had a buyer who was in the Air Force and was planning on using a Veterans Affairs loan.

“VA loans have some stigma attached to them because of the loan fees the veteran borrower is not allowed to pay, so the seller has to pay for them,” she says. “Also, VA

loans usually take longer to close.”

So Hampson included a letter explaining the myths about VA loans. She says it apparently worked; the sellers accepted the offer.

It helps get a seller to work with you in a buyer’s market: A personal letter can also be used to help explain your nancial situation.

“Back when it was a buyer’s market, letters were useful in getting the seller to accept a lower price, especially if the buyer had nancial hardships,” says Vivian Cobb of Cobb Real Estate in Colorado Springs, CO. WHY WRITING A PERSONAL LETTER CAN HURT YOU It can undercut your power during negotiations: Believe it or not, letting a seller know how much you want to buy their house could hurt you if you make it to the bargaining table.

“There’s a belief that a letter tips the scales to the seller when negotiating the price and the inspection,” says Karen Kostiw of Warburg Realty in New York City. “The seller may interpret the letter as the buyers ‘showing their hand,’ and it could weaken their position to negotiate.”

It could make the seller uncomfortable: Sometimes a personal letter can veer into TMI territory. An anxious buyer may divulge more details

PALOUSE LIVING than the seller is comfortable knowing and ruin their chances of getting the home.

“Or, the buyer could inadvertently come off as insensitive, or say something in the letter that turns off the seller,” Kostiw says.

It could bias the seller: Perhaps the biggest con of writing a personal letter is that it could lead to discrimination, which is why some agents prefer to steer clear of them.

“Most letters consist of the buyers explaining their lives to add a touch of emotion to their otherwise dry contract, which is why it has worked for so long,” says April Macowicz, broker associate and team lead at the MAC Group RE in San Diego.

But the buyers might reveal personal information that prejudices the sellers against them. “The Fair Housing Act states that buyers and sellers cannot discriminate on the basis of race or color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or familial status,” Macowicz explains.

But this doesn’t mean that

Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune | May 4, 2019 | 9

discrimination won’t occur.

“And buyers who nd out can sue for discrimination,” she says.

That’s why Tory Keith, president of Natick, MA– based real estate rm Board and Park, says some seller’s agents don’t even share a personal letter if it contains certain information like a photo or information about the potential buyers’ status in any protected class, “because rejection of such an offer could be interpreted as a Fair Housing Act violation.”

Terri Williams is a journalist who has written for USA Today, Yahoo, the Economist, U.S. News and World Report, and the Houston Chronicle.

TEAM IDAHO

PALOUSE LIVING

10 | May 4, 2019 | Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune

Flower power! Floral decor is growing wild again—and we are here for it I

By Jane Chertoff Courtesy of realtor.com

f your grandma’s house was anything like my grandmother’s, you probably remember walking into a foyer covered in bright yellow daisy wallpaper, and then found yourself in rooms with pink owers on everything, from the pillows to the hand-embroidered “Family Is Everything” wall hanging.

feminine, more edgy.

“Florals are being used in interesting ways right now,” says Sarah Cousins, an interior designer in New York City. “For example, I’m seeing huge wall coverings with bold, graphic orals all over the place, and dark orals are a great way to go to keep the pattern looking modern and fresh.”

says. “Bathrooms are smaller spaces that you spend less time in, so you can really go bold without worrying about getting tired of it.”

“This way you’re not committing to too much noise in your seating area, and it’s fun for guests to come over and choose which chair they want to sit in,” she says.

Want to do more, but afraid to plaster your walls with paper? Hang some graphic oral prints to add some drama to your dining space without spending too much money.

IN THE LIVING ROOM

She recommends a botanical If your living room is in need of a print with a dark background, face-lift, oral wallpaper could be which makes the design seem like the answer for a dramatic new look. it came straight out of a biology textbook. Think eucalyptus, greens, If you prefer a vintage touch, and other owers. oral chinoiserie wallpaper is an old-school trend that has made a Here’s a look at how to If you aren’t into wallpaper, Well, it’s time to forget comeback. incorporate the oral look into there’s another option that will everything you know about every room so that it’s more stylish, certainly make a statement, says “These days, I am doing more Grandma’s blooms and blossoms. less old maid.

Mark Polo, designer at The Urban chinoiserie than I have in years for These days, designers are once Dweller, in New Jersey. my clients,” Polo says.

IN THE BATHROOM again using oral decor in homes, “Mosaic oors and mosaic For your 21st-century living “Put orals on the walls,” Cousins but with a modern twist—think less shower walls are exciting again,” he room, pair your chinoiserie says. “These come in big and bold wallpaper with modern furniture graphics in cool and subtle colors, and graphic-print art. But if you Come see Moscow’s oldest Real and are a wow.” really like a traditional style, you Estate Company, for all of your can look for vintage chests and IN THE DINING ROOM even a grandfather clock at your family’s Real Estate needs in 2019 Florals in the dining area can local ea market. easily look over the top, but there If vintage isn’t your style, a are several ways to incorporate them so they won’t clash with your graphic oral mural wallpaper will elevate your living room, too. design scheme.

“Use oral patterns that are One option is a beautiful runner fresh and abstract,” recommends for your table. (Runners are the Tracy Lynn, an interior designer new tablecloths, by the way.) in Southern California. “Adding “For the dining room, a cool table this season’s current color trends runner with oral embroidery from the fashion industry—such as can wow guests,” Cousins says. hunter greens, pinks, and earthy “I suggest something either mushroom hues—is a great way superbright and kitschy, or dark to take the traditional concept of and moody to stay away from that Front Row: Paula Bartlett, Deanna Kiblen, Jessica Johnson, Jeanne Jones Harriman spring orals and update it.”

Back Row: Elizabeth Hierschbiel, Stacy Tunnicliff, Broker Joe McGurkin, grandmother oral vibe.”

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Or you can cover a few chairs with a funky oral pattern to create a mismatched—but cohesive—look, Cousins suggests.

Jane Chertoff is a lifestyle writer based in San Francisco.

PALOUSE LIVING

Moscow-Pullman Daily News & Lewiston Tribune | May 4, 2019 | 11

Coping with an empty nest oftentimes makes them feel a little lost. any people nd it rewarding to start a Moms who are feeling the family and raise children. pangs of sadness due to an Watching kids grow through empty nest can employ some the years and sharing in their strategies to alleviate these experiences can bring life to a feelings. household.

• Keep friends close. Use Mothers spend 18 years this opportunity to spend or more devoted to their more time with close friends children, and often their and put yourself rst. identities are dened as Schedule all of those activities “Mom” above all else. As a you may have temporarily result, it can be difcult to put on hold while caring for think ahead to life without children through the years. kids in the home, especially • Make time for travel. when children are toddlers or New experiences can broaden school-aged. But children will anyone’s horizons. Travel someday grow up and move as a couple or with a group out, and the emotions that of friends. Put the focus resonate when that day comes on fun and then share the can be overwhelming. experiences later on with your Many parents feel a sense of adult children. sadness and loss when their • Redene yourself. The last child leaves the family experts at Psychology Today home. Referred to as “empty suggest nding new roles nest syndrome,” these feelings and interests to explore, or are not ofcially labeled as a spend more time exploring clinical mental health issue, existing hobbies. For example, but they are very real for if you’ve thought about doing many people. While parents community theater, do so now encourage their children to that you have some free time. become independent and Or maybe you’ve always had a branch out in their own lives, goal of going back to school? not every parent can cope Now may be the time to make with an empty nest. The that happen. parenting and family resource • Reconnect with your Verywell Family states that partner.

Recall the years mothers with empty nest before you had children when syndrome experience a it was only the two of you and deep void in their lives that devote time to making more

M

Courtesy of Metro Editorial

memories as a couple.

Plan date nights, go to sporting events, attend a summer concert, or pursue other shared interests.

• Change things up at home. Turn children’s rooms into spaces you can use for your own interests. One can be a crafting room or a home ofce. Another may be a home theater. No longer labeling

those rooms as the kids’ spaces can help the transition.

Empty nest syndrome is real, but there are many ways to move past the mixed emotions synonymous with this phenomenon.

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