LISTING OF THE WEEK
HOUSE PLAN
Entertain outdoors
Space for gatherings
The Listing of the Week is a large traditional home with an outdoor living area in The Abbey at Fairview Farm addition in northwest Oklahoma City.
Linked gathering spaces create an environment for family living at the heart of the contemporary ranch-style West Creek.
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REAL ESTATE
Kenneth Harney
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THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
Couple built home to be model of energy-efficient lifestyle
THE NATION’S HOUSING
FHA costs questioned Could the Federal Housing Administration mortgage program be forcing homeowners to pay tens of millions of dollars of extra interest charges when they sell their houses or refinance their loans? Critics say yes. The government says the critics aren’t providing the full picture. PAGE 4F
IN BRIEF MANUALS AVAILABLE
Jeff and Suzy Lytle worked with builder Mike Gilles and his Savannah Builders on every green detail of their home at 17515 Prairie Sky Way in northwest Oklahoma City’s Rose Creek neighborhood. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN BY DYRINDA TYSON Special Correspondent dyrinda@gmail.com
They haven’t even fully moved into their dream home, but Jeff and Suzy Lytle are already dreaming ahead. “We would really love to have a wind turbine,” Jeff Lytle said. “We’d love a wind turbine!” Suzy Lytle chimed in. “A vertical-axis wind turbine back here, we think, would power the whole thing and make it a zero-energy house,” Jeff Lytle continued. The house, perched on a ridge at 17515 Prairie Sky Way in the Rose Creek addition, already distinguishes itself in ways that might not be immediately obvious to the naked eye. Its style could be described as a heady fusion of Santa Fe-Mediterranean Revival with a dash of whimsy thrown in. Wooden boards creak underfoot. Glass
IF YOU GO ECO-TECH HOME TOUR I 17515 Prairie Sky Way, in Rose Creek addition, west of May, north of NW 164. I Through April 17 I Weekdays 2-6 p.m. I Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. I Tickets: www.eco techhometour.com or metro-area Westlake Ace Hardware stores.
Crews work on the final stages of Jeff and Suzy Lytle’s “Eco-Tech Home,” a “green” home by builder Mike Gilles open to the public to demonstrate ways that energy savings and environmental consciousness can be stylish. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN
doors look out toward the windswept west. Look below the surface, though, and the Lytles’ home takes on a new character. The 2,500 square feet of wood flooring? All reclaimed wood, some out of a barn in Smithfield, Mo. “They told me this floor came out of the Jack Da-
niels distillery,” Jeff Lytle, 51, joked as he ushered a tour through the master bedroom. “But there’s probably one plank in here that came out of there.” The beams overhead are likewise reclaimed. The gleaming counters in the kitchen and bathrooms — all recycled glass. And the smooth, rounded walls
hold their own secrets: 10 inches of concrete shot through with a foam thermal barrier, all of which combine to keep the home’s temperature constant. “I will have smaller bills for this house than for my current 1,700-square-foot home,” Lytle said. And the public can see
for itself this month. The Lytles have opened their home for public tours through April 17. For ticket information, go to www.ecotechhometour.com or metro-area Westlake Ace Hardware stores. Jeff Lytle admitted a few reservations. SEE HOME, PAGE 2F
Couples should agree before buying property For years, a couple in their 40s — an attorney married to a plant manager — talked of selling their cramped city townhouse to buy a much roomier suburban place with more elbow room for their kids, ages 8 and 10. But after an agonizing six-month search, they still couldn’t agree on what to buy. “Every time the wife found a house she liked, the husband threw up an objection and vice versa,” recalled Ashley Richardson, the veteran real estate agent who worked with the couple. Unfortunately, the tale didn’t end well. The couple never reached agreement. Instead, they filed for divorce, sold the townhouse and bought separate properties. Richardson doesn’t attribute the couple’s breakup to their failure to agree
The website Managemylife (www.managemylife.com) has owner’s manuals for more than 11 million products, including home appliances. Just go to the manuals section and type the model number in the search box. The manuals appear in PDF versions that can be printed in whole or in part, saved to a computer or sent to FedEx Kinko’s to be printed. Most appliance manufacturers also have manuals for their products on their websites. Usually they’re in a section called “customer service,” “owner center,” “product support” or something similar. If you can’t find the manuals, call the company’s customer service number.
Ellen James Martin SMART MOVES
on a home. She surmises their marriage had deeper problems. But she allows that disputes over real estate can needlessly tarnish a marriage. “No human relationship is worth ruining over a structure, which is what a house really is,” she said. Real estate specialists recommend that couples go out of their way to understand each other’s preferences. “Step back, catch your breath and listen to the other person’s thoughts and feelings. Repeat what you heard to be sure your impression is accurate,”
said Ronald Phipps, a real estate broker and president of the National Association of Realtors (www.realtor.org). Here are pointers for couples trying to agree on the right home: I Make cost your first point of decision. “Price has got to come first because it dictates how much of your wish list is doable,” said Richardson, who’s sold homes since 1993. Richardson said it’s easier for couples to reach consensus if they obtain mortgage preapproval because those who know their spending limits are more realistic, which makes compromise easier. I Choose your neighborhood as your next step. “You can save a lot of time by identifying your favorite neighborhood early and then finding a real estate agent who truly
specializes in that community,” Richardson said. She recommends that couples discuss the neighborhood features most important to them. They need to decide, for example, whether it’s more important to live close to work or in an area with lots of pristine open space. I Decide what features you’re willing to trade off. Many couples in their 30s and 40s with young children are anxious to move up from a small starter home to a place with more bedrooms and bathrooms. They typically find it easy to agree on their space needs. But beyond these basics, couples argue about the next most important property features. For example, is it more important to buy a place with a large lot or one with a two-car garage? Because few couples can afford a
home with every feature they want, Richardson encourages the partners to give each other a list of priorities. That way both husband and wife will probably get more of what they want. I Consider a home that needs some updating. Susan Graves, a broker affiliated with the Council of Residential Specialists (www.crs.com), recommends that couples who can’t afford a place with all the features they both want look for one that could be updated to meet their top priorities. “So buying a wellpriced home that needs only a limited amount of work to ensure that both husband and wife are happy could be a reasonable plan,” Graves said. To contact Ellen James Martin, e-mail her at ellenjamesmartin@gmail.com. UNIVERSAL UCLICK
REPLACE LINE ON TRIMMER A new retrofit kit lets you replace your string trimmer’s monofilament line with a four-line blade-cutting system. The line blades in the Aero-Flex Universal Kit are made of copolymers and are touted as lasting 50 times longer than traditional nylon monofilament line. The company says they’re tough enough to cut through heavy weeds and vines that strings can’t, but flexible enough that they can glance off hard surfaces without breaking. The Aero-Flex Universal Kit sells for $29.97 at Lowe’s, or it can be ordered for $29.95 plus shipping at http://www.aeroflex.com. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
INDEX Stone Permits
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SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
REAL ESTATE
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Home: Tour will benefit metro area literacy coalition FROM PAGE 1F
“I don’t want 3,000 to 5,000 people tramping through my new house before I move into it,” he said. “And I’m not so egotistical that I want the whole world to know I have this house.” But the money raised through ticket sales goes to area literacy efforts through Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition. Suzy Lytle, 43, has worked in literacy projects for years. “So for literacy, I’ll open the house up and let 3,000 people come through,” Jeff Lytle said, laughing. “I’ll teach about green building and literacy because those are two things that are really important for society.” The green home project has spanned years and quietly taken on a life of its own, often straying from plans. Savannah Homes owner Mike Gilles, 51, who signed on as contractor in 2008, pointed overhead in the kitchen. “These skylights — they’re nowhere in the plan,” he said. “That was just a design criteria because we have a flat roof with solar panels up on top.” That kind of flexibility is normal for what he called the design-build process. “Changes are made to enhance the beauty of the house on the job without going back to an architect or a designer — we work with the customer,” he said. “So we change the The huge master closet is just one feature that belies the conservation built into plans, add beams, add the Lytles’ 6,000-square-foot home, which they say is more energy-efficient than woodwork, add different the 1,700-square-foot home they are leaving. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN things to add to the architectural beauty of the Force, couldn’t afford the house.” toll road out of the state, so And so what was origi- I was stuck here,” he said nally a flat wall in the din- with a laugh. ing room gained a double He and Suzy Parker arch flanked by rustic crossed paths at a New shelves hewn from the Year’s Eve party in 1997, same barn wood accenting and they got married alother parts of the house. most two years later. And handcrafting trans- When he proposed, he formed a picture in a mag- promised one ring and one azine into the gently house, he said. The plan rounded fireplace dom- was to save and “maybe inating a corner of the build our dream house kitchen-family area. within the next 10 years.” “Again, stuff you can’t They broke ground in buy anywhere — just the Rose Creek on Dec. 17, little elements,” Gilles 2009 — 10 days before said. their 10th anniversary. “So Suzy Lytle said she lost she really wasn’t living in it The doors to the Lytles’ home office were carved in track of the hours spent on our 10th anniversary,” India and bought from an importer in Santa Fe, N.M. online researching. Lytle said. “But we’d start- Suzy Lytle says they built the doorway to fit. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN “Thousands, literally ed on it.” thousands,” she said, laughing. “We couldn’t have done it without the Internet.” She said she spent three years researching tile alone. The Lytles and Gilles threw ideas back and forth and even traveled to two International Builder Shows together in search of more. “That’s what it’s all about,” Gilles said. “It’s about teamwork.” The Lytle team began to coalesce in 1983 when the Air Force sent Jeff to Oklahoma for a four-year stint at Tinker Air Force Base. The Lytles’ theater room, under construction. It has since been completed. “Got out of the Air PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN
Couple gives O’Connell’s back bar new home BY DYRINDA TYSON Special Correspondent dyrinda@gmail.com
The bar dominating one side of Jeff and Suzy Lytles’ downstairs party area might look familiar to people who’ve haunted Norman after hours. After O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille closed its original Lindsey Street location after 42 years, the dark wooden back bar has been given a new lease on life. It was among the many nostalgic items auctioned off in January as O’Connell’s owners prepared to make way for new development. “They’d used it the night before,” homebuilder Mike Gilles said. Years of wear and tear left the front bar in too bad a shape to move, so Gilles’ team constructed a slightly smaller version complete with gleaming foot rails and carved clover leaves gracing the panels.
A familiar sight to some Sooner fans and others familiar with Norman nightspot O’Connell’s Irish Pub & Grille. The back bar from the original O’Connell’s is now in the Lytles’ game room. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN
The back bar survived intact, though an effort to cut a space for an electrical plug cracked the original mirror, Gilles said. Crews replaced the mirror, and the original pieces were turned into bathroom mirrors.
“So there are pieces of the original O’Connell’s mirror throughout the house,” he said. Family barkeepers will be dispensing sodas instead of suds, though. It’s retrofitted as a soda fountain for the couple’s
daughters, Lydia, 9, and Sally, 7, as well as anyone else with a sweet tooth. “They have no idea what it used to be like,” Jeff Lytle said, “What a real soda fountain was, to mix the flavors together to make your own drink.”
Left: Mike Gilles of Savannah Builders says the secret to the stylish “greenness” of Jeff and Suzy Lytle’s home isn’t obvious from looking at its parts. The time and energy that went into making it all work can’t be seen in the finished product, he says. PHOTO BY STEVE GOOCH, THE OKLAHOMAN
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
REAL ESTATE
Marisa Crowl joins Churchill-Brown’s Edmond office
LISTING OF THE WEEK
FROM STAFF REPORTS
The listing of the week is at 1409 NW 158.
PHOTO PROVIDED
Home in gated community features outdoor living area The Listing of the Week is a large traditional home with an outdoor living area in The Abbey at Fairview Farm addition in northwest Oklahoma City. The 3,228-square-foot home has three bedrooms, 3 ½ baths, two living areas, two dining rooms and an attached rearentry, three-car garage. The main living area has a fireplace, built-in entertainment center, a walk-in bar and wine storage closet. The extra-large kitchen has a work island, Sub-Zero and Wolf appliances, a walk-in pantry and eating space. The master bedroom has a bath with double vanities, whirlpool tub and walkin closet. The home has a covered patio, outdoor
stone fireplace and security system. The home is in a gated neighborhood with security patrol and total lawn care paid for with homeowners association dues. The home, built in 2009, is listed for $785,000 with Lark Dale of Paradigm AdvantEdge Real Estate. The home will be open from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday. From NW 150 and Western Avenue, go west to Fairview Farm Boulevard, then north through the gate to Chapel Ridge, which leads to The Abbey. For more information, call 990-4061or 348-4422. Nominations for Listing of the Week are welcome. Send information on single-family homes to The Oklahoman, Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125. Nominations may be faxed to 475-3996.
HOUSE PLAN
West Creek is contemporary ranch-style house for family Linked gathering spaces create a congenial environment for family living at the heart of the contemporary ranch-style West Creek. This large home offers plenty of private spaces as well. Slender posts highlight the covered porch, which extends to the right. Muted natural light washes into the entry through sidelights and a high window in the front door. Double doors on the entry’s right open into what could be a dining room, parlor or home office. Light washes in through a rectangular bay. The opening to the hallway and kitchen at the rear could have a sliding door. Angling off to the right, the entry leads into a kitchen and nook that flow on into the spacious great room. At that same juncture, a left hallway leads into the bedroom wing. Another hallway, on the right, heads to a guest suite, bathroom, garage access, a utility room and a huge hobby room. A roomy walk-in pantry fills one of the kitchen’s corners, and a nook extends out
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
on the left. Standing at the kitchen sink, you can keep tabs on activities outside on the partially covered patio or gaze out across the flush eating counter into the great room, where tall windows flank the gas fireplace. The spacious owners’ suite fills half of the bedroom wing. Amenities include two basins, a walk-in shower, private toilet, and walk-in closet. One of the other bedrooms also has a walk-in closet. Built-in desks line two side walls of the front bedroom, joined by a hutch on the front wall. These two bedrooms share a full bathroom that is available for all to use, while yet another general-use bathroom is situated adjacent to the West Creek’s guest room. For a review plan, including scaled floor plans, elevations, section and artist’s conception, send $25 to Associated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive, Eugene, OR, 97402. Please specify the West Creek 30-781 and include a return address when ordering. For more information, call (800) 6340123.
EDMOND — Marisa Crowl has joined ChurchillBrown & Associates Realtors as a broker associate in the Edmond office, 201 N Bryant Ave. She is a 30year resident of the metro area and has 27 years of experience selling real estate. Previously, she operated her own real estate brokerage since 1995. She holds a Bachelor of Architecture
degree from the University of Oklahoma and has worked in space planning, design and construction.
Marisa Crowl
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THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Critics say FHA charging too much interest WASHINGTON — Could the government’s booming Federal Housing Administration mortgage program be forcing homeowners to pay tens of millions of dollars of extra interest charges when they sell their houses or refinance their loans? Critics say yes. The government says the critics aren’t providing the full picture. Those critics include Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., who is sponsoring legislation that would prohibit FHA lenders from collecting a full month’s worth of interest from sellers and refinancers who pay off their mortgages — go to settlement — before the final day of the month. No other major source of financing — not Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac or even the Veterans Administration — requires interest payments from borrowers beyond the date they pay off their loans. On an FHA loan, however, if you sell your house and go to closing early in the month, you are charged interest through the rest of the month. To illustrate: Say you pay off a $200,000 FHAinsured mortgage on the fifth day of April. You’ll be charged an extra $820 to cover interest for the remaining days of the month, according to estimates prepared by the National Association of Real-
Kenneth Harney THE NATION’S HOUSING
tors, which supports Cardin’s bill. If you pay off the same loan on April 15, the additional interest levy would total $492. Where does the money go? Ted Tozer, president of the Government National Mortgage Association, which bundles FHA loans into bonds and sells them to investors, says it flows to the bondholders, who are guaranteed payment of interest for the full month even if the balance is paid off much earlier. Tozer maintains that the direct payment approach has afforded FHA borrowers a slight discount on their initial interest rates — probably in the range of 0.10 percent to 0.15 percent, compared with conventional loans. But critics charge that the extra interest taken from FHA sellers and refinancers exerts a far greater personal economic impact — often cutting their proceeds by hundreds of dollars — than the barely perceptible rate break they received on the mortgage itself. “This is an issue of fairness,” Cardin said.
“Homeowners should not have to pay interest on loans that they have fully repaid.” His bill, the Reduce Excessive Payments Act, would prohibit the practice and require FHA lenders to compute payoffs on a per-diem basis rather than a full-month basis. Real estate agents are especially critical of FHA’s interest prepayment policy because they say it squeezes money out of sellers who have little or no control over the timing of their closing transaction. Many have no idea of the FHA’s requirement, realty agents say, but even if they do, the buyers of their houses generally are in a better position to control the date of settlement since they are dealing directly with title and escrow companies. The National Association of Realtors says the out-of-pocket costs to unwary consumers are huge. Citing the most recent statistics on early payoffs it claims it could obtain from FHA, the group says that during the year 2003 alone: I FHA borrowers paid $587.4 million in “excess interest fees” because of the full-month rule. I Only 16 percent of loans were prepaid during the final five days of the month. I The average “excess interest” payment from borrowers to lenders and
Bethany Siwicki and Bill Schramm stand outside a foreclosed home they hope to close on soon in Round Lake Beach, Ill. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
Banks fix up foreclosures to boost sale possibilities BY MARY ELLEN PODMOLIK Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — Bill Schramm and Bethany Siwicki scoured property listings for three months before agreeing to see a home in Round Lake Beach, Ill., even though its online pictures didn’t look good. “It looked like a pinata blew up in there,” Schramm said. Every room was a different color, and the only way to tell the carpet once had been white was looking at the furniture marks. But the home they visited bore little resemblance to the pictures. The walls were white, new carpet had been installed, and repairs made. The recently engaged couple immediately submitted an offer and are waiting to close on their first home purchase. Sprucing up a home to sell it faster and for more money is a strategy frequently advocated by real estate agents. In this case, though, the seller is Wells Fargo Bank, and the home Schramm and Siwicki are buying is a foreclosure. There are plenty of dilapidated foreclosures on the market marred by water damage, mold, broken windows and missing plumbing fixtures, properties with little appeal except to investors and professional rehabbers. But as the quality of foreclosures and the communities where they are located has improved, so, too, has interest in them by consumers. To entice those buyers and lessen their inventory of real-es-
tate owned foreclosed homes, commonly known as REOs, some banks are spending thousands of dollars on some foreclosures. In addition to new paint and carpet, floors are being refinished, old windows are being replaced, and leaky roofs are being repaired. The strategy benefits the banks and home buyers, who otherwise would have trouble securing mortgages on homes that a lender could term “uninhabitable” because of needed repairs. At the same time, it helps the broader real estate market because while the foreclosures still sell at a discount, it is not at the fire sale prices of unlivable properties. For traditional home sellers, the trend of banks plowing money into foreclosures means they will have to be more realistic in their pricing, because the foreclosure for sale down the street may look a lot more inviting to prospective buyers. “Foreclosures used to be fewer and far between,” said Ray Millington, an agent at Century 21 Roberts & Andrews. “The problem is, we say we’ll concede that sale, but what happens when another one pops up? It becomes an ongoing thing. It’s not like you have (only) one in the subdivision anymore.” Real estate agents say they are having the same conversation with banks that they have with any seller, and it starts by identifying the target customer for a property. If the an-
swer is an owner-occupant, agents recommend fixes that can range from a few thousand dollars of paint to $25,000 of kitchen upgrades. In the past, banks rejected such suggestions, viewing them as throwing good money after bad, but now some are heeding the advice. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
investors was $528, but 425,000 homeowners paid an average $622 in extra fees. Between January 2000 and January 2004, according to the Realtors’ analysis of FHA data, borrowers paid more than $1.375 billion in excessive interest. The corresponding amounts today could be significantly higher since FHA has a much larger market share. Asked for comment, Vicki Bott, who heads FHA’s single-family mortgage office, acknowledged the controversy, and said
that the agency is “examining this issue very closely” and actively considering a regulatory change. In an interview, Tozer said the entire issue is up to FHA, and that his agency could readily sell its mortgage-backed bonds using the per-diem payoff approach that is standard in the conventional mortgage marketplace. But investors would still need to be compensated for the full month’s worth of interest, he said, and that would probably require a slightly higher rate on the mortgage.
Where’s this headed? With pressure coming from Congress — notably from an influential Democrat who tends to be supportive of the Obama administration’s policies — FHA may move off its disputed practice. In the meantime: If you have an FHA loan and plan to refinance or sell your house, try hard to schedule the closing at the end of the month. You could save a bundle. Ken Harney’s email address is kenharney@earthlink.net. WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
REAL ESTATE
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
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Neighbors at odds over shed
Actor John Schneider has listed his home in Agoura Hills, Calif., for sale at $2,199,000. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO
One of the ‘Duke boys’ is sellin’ his home place BY LAUREN BEALE Los Angeles Times
John Schneider, whose career has spanned “The Dukes of Hazzard” in the ’80s, “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” in the ’90s and the still-running “Smallville,” has listed his Agoura Hills, Calif., home for sale at $2,199,000. The actor raised his three children on the 3acre spread, which has a creek that leads to the area where “Dukes” (1979-85) and “Dr. Quinn” (1993-98) were shot. Schneider described the English-style, ivy-covered house of nearly 7,000 square feet as having “an East Coast kind of flair.” “We have fall at the house,” he said. “You have to rake leaves. I’m defaulting toward an easier life,” he said, referring to the upkeep of the large house. “I’d rather deal with a fairway in my backyard than a creek.” The family home, the site of annual Christmas parties and a tour benefit for hospice care, has a large dining room with a fireplace and a game room. The gated property includes detached offices, a guesthouse, an outdoor entertainment center, an infinity pool, a fenced pasture for horses and threeand two-car garages. Besides adding the pool and pool house to the property, Schneider also soundproofed a recording booth in the office and set up a studio for editing. “I did my Home Depot voice-overs from there,” he said. But his favorite parts of the house are the grand entry, the poured stoneand-concrete fireplace and the handmade bar next to it. “The first thing I did when we got the house was put up the largest mirror you can buy,” he said of the piece over the mantel. “That’s where everyone would congregate around the piano.” Schneider, 50, com-
mutes to Vancouver, Canada, for episodes of “Smallville,” which is in its final season after first airing in 2001. He is in preproduction on a film to be shot in Louisiana in the fall and recently sold a sitcom to Nick at Nite. Public records show he purchased the house in 1999 for $1.25 million.
Groucho’s marks The Beverly Hills home where former owner Groucho Marx left his marks — initials carved into concrete on the driveway and near the pool — has sold for $5.8 million, the Multiple Listing Service shows. The 1927 Spanish-style estate had been maintained by the same family for the past half-century. The two-story residence has about 6,000 square feet of living space on more than an acre of grounds with a swimming pool and mature trees, including some fruit trees that Marx planted. The house, which had come on the market in June at $6,995,000, has eight bedrooms and 6 ½ bathrooms. Marx made more than a dozen movies as part of the Marx Brothers. He died in 1977 at age 86.
Seven-level party pad A Hollywood Hills party palace owned by English glamour photographer Richard Franklin is listed at $7.5 million. The renovated 1990 house has been rented long- and short-term to a string of entertainment figures including actor Fabio, hip-hop label Def Jam cofounder Russell Simmons and rapper Sean Combs. Designed as a bachelor pad and photo studio, the 6,500-square-foot home features a two-story disco, a theater with a floor-toceiling movie screen, a casino, a gym and an eagle’s nest deck at the top of the house. The seven-level house was built in 1990
and updated over the years. Outdoor amenities at the four-bedroom, 5 1 ⁄2-bathroom house include a grotto with a hot tub, a pool and a deck. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES
DEAR BARRY: My neighbor has a storage shed that is built against the side of my garage. It encroaches onto my property and prevents me from painting the garage wall. I’d like him to remove it, but he refuses because it was there before I purchased the property two years ago. The city building department sent him a notice, but he won’t tear it down. What should I do? George DEAR GEORGE: The oppositional purposes of neighbors are chief sources of so many difficulties in life. But your concerns are practical, not philosophical; so let’s examine the circumstances and possible solutions. Clearly, your neighbor is trespassing where he has no permission or reasonable rights. On the other hand, you purchased an existing problem, and the number of years it has existed could have a significant legal bearing on the case. For clarification in this regard, you should consult an attorney. The city building department, however, seems to have rendered an opinion in this regard, but there remains the question of whether it will exert any degree of enforcement. The best time to have addressed this situation
Barry Stone INSPECTOR’S IN THE HOUSE
was while you were purchasing the property. Had you considered the matter at that time, you might have specified removal of the shed as a condition of the sale. That would have obliged the sellers and their agent to negotiate a solution with the neighbor. But that was then. A possible solution for today is to formally request that the building department enforce the order to remove the shed. If that doesn’t work, here is a more creative approach: Begin by building a fence along the property line, and connect it to both sides of the shed. Next, install a door in the wall of your garage, providing direct entry into the shed. The neighbor cannot rightfully complain because it is your garage. If you choose to install a door in the wall of your garage, that is strictly your business. Then, construct a partition wall inside the shed, on your side of the property line, of course. Now you
have a private storage closet on the side of your garage. If you decide to remove the closet, the remaining portion of the neighbor’s shed will be attached to the fence, not to your garage. But don’t try this without first consulting an attorney. DEAR BARRY: I have a simple question. Is a home inspection a legal requirement when a home is sold, or are home inspections optional for home buyers? Sandi DEAR SANDI: No states have made home inspections a legal requirement. Professional property inspections are available to home buyers at their own discretion, as an elective means of consumer protection, as a way for buyers to beware. When performed by a truly qualified inspector, a home inspection protects buyers from negative surprises after the sale. But a thorough inspection benefits the sellers and agents as well, by reducing the likelihood of conflicts after the sale. A state requirement to compel home inspections should not be necessary. Buyers should have the common sense to do this for themselves. To write to Barry Stone, visit him on the Web at www.housedetective.com. ACTION COAST PUBLISHING
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SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Architectural tour shows notable buildings FROM STAFF REPORTS
The American Institute of Architects Central Oklahoma Chapter’s 10th annual Architectural Tour will be from noon to 5 p.m. April 16. The self-guided tour includes residences and commercial buildings. Tickets are $12 in advance through Thursday at www.aiacoc.org/tour, as well as HSE Architects, 914 N Broadway, Suite 200; Boynton Williams Associates, 900 36th Ave. NW, in Norman; and the AIA Central Oklahoma office, 3535 N Classen Blvd. in Oklahoma City. Tickets will be $15 the day of the tour at any of the tour stops. Tour stops are: I Accel Financial Staffing. 811 N Broadway. Owner: Accel Financial Staffing/Meg Salyer. Architect: HSE Architects. I Oklahoma Case Study House/Lovallo Residence. 825 NW 7. Owner: Dr. William Lovallo. Architect: Fitzsimmons Architects Inc. I Design Resources. 7720 N Robinson, Suite B3. Owner: Design Resources/Michael Smith. Architect: Randy Floyd Architects. I Founders Tower Condominiums. 5900 Mosteller Drive. Owner: Founders Tower Condominiums. Architect: Richard R. Brown Associates. I Wells Home. 843 NW 7. Owner: Dennis and Shellee Wells.
Century 21 honors broker, sales associate FROM STAFF REPORTS
MIDWEST CITY — Century 21 Real Estate Corp. has recognized Judy Hester and Shawna Stephens of Century 21 Beacon, 1390 S Douglas Blvd., Suite 100, as Multi Million Award Winners for 2010. Receiving a 2010 Quality Service Producer Award was Tonua Hulette, broker-owner of Centure 21 Beacon. Stephanie Matthews was recognized by the Oklahoma City Brokers Council as a Top 21 Realtor, as well with the Masters Ruby Award given to sales associates earning $129,999 in adjusted gross commissions or 39 units.
Judy Hester
Shawna Stephens
Stephanie Matthews
Tonua Hulette
530 Eufaula, Norman.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AIA CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
City Place Tower Penthouse, 204 N Robinson Ave. PHOTO PROVIDED BY AIA CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
Architect: Dennis Wells. I City Place Tower Penthouse. 204 N Robinson Ave. Owner: City Place LLC. Architects: Architecture Inc. and Butzer Gardner Architects.
I 530 Eufaula. 530 Eufaula, Norman. Owner: Christopher and Emily Meazell. Architect: Butzer Gardner Architects. For more information on the tour, go to www.aia coc.org/tour.
Interior, Founders Tower Condominiums, 5900 Mosteller Drive. PHOTO PROVIDED BY AIA CENTRAL OKLAHOMA
THE OKLAHOMAN
NEWSOK.COM
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
7F
8F
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
Permits Oklahoma City GSB Inc., 5201 N Lincoln Blvd., office, erect, $6 million. Clark Construction, 401 SW 80, shell building, erect, $2.1 million. Fite (Roger) Homes LLC, 10724 Pond Meadow Drive, residence, erect, $900,000. Russel Baker, 6000 N Lottie Ave., residence, erect, $606,650. Silvercliff Construction, 6301 N Western Ave., office, remodel, $500,000. Justice Homes Inc., 7612 NW 130 Terrace, residence, erect, $400,000. Cornice Unlimited, 2300 NE 63, assembly hall, add-on, $330,000. 4 Corners Construction LLC, 5817 SE 144, residence, erect, $323,000. 4 Corners Construction LLC, 15116 SE 59 Terrace, residence, erect, $300,000. Allenton Homes & Development LLC, 13205 Blue Canyon Circle, residence, erect, $300,000. MA Architecture, 2413 N Kentucky Ave., parking, install, $300,000. MA Architecture, 2413 N Kentucky Ave., parking, install, $300,000. Michael Love, 16200 Sonoma Park Drive, office, erect, $300,000. Blackledge & Associates Architects, 1401 SW 89, apartment, erect, $296,000. Blackledge & Associates Architects, 1401 SW 89, apartment, erect, $296,000. Eric Cheatham Construction Co., 12600 Olivine Terrace, residence, erect, $289,000. Johnston Builders LLC, 12416 Deep Wood Creek Drive, residence, erect, $287,000. Justice Homes Inc., 7608 NW 135, residence, erect, $275,000. Justice Homes Inc., 4705 NW 153 Terrace, residence, erect, $275,000. 4 Corners Construction LLC,
5917 SE 145, residence, erect, $250,000. Elliot Architects, 1121 NW 23, restaurant, add-on, $250,000. Jeff Click Homes LLC, 15712 N Pennsylvania Ave., office, erect, $250,000. Silvercliffe Construction Co., 4050 W Interstate 40 Service Road, warehouse, erect, $250,000. Vesta Homes Inc., 12412 Horsepen Road, residence, erect, $250,000. Pam Bradford, 15708 N Pennsylvania Ave., office, erect, $250,000. Jason Powers Homes, 12828 NW 5, residence, erect, $240,000. Cory Green, 4701 Old Lantern Way, residence, erect, $240,000. First Star Homes, doing business as Turner & Son Homes, 17609 Sparrowhawk Lane, residence, erect, $239,000. 4 Corners Construction LLC, 15101 SE 59 Terrace, residence, erect, $235,000. Allenton Homes & Development LLC, 7009 NW 161, residence, erect, $230,000. Billy R. Agry, doing business as Billy Boy Construction Inc., 13204 Alexandria Drive, residence, erect, $225,000. Sheppard & Sons Construction Inc., 13217 NW 1Terrace, residence, erect, $219,000. Cedarland Homes LLC, 5116 SW 125 Place, residence, erect, $218,900. Fleming & Fleming Inc., 12436 Hidden Forest Blvd., residence, erect, $207,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 19232 Blossom Court, residence, erect, $200,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 4901 NW 152, residence, erect, $200,000. Vintage Custom Homes LLC, 5120 SW 126 Place, residence, erect, $200,000. Dave Zimmerman, 7300 N Western Ave., restaurant, remodel, $200,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 5001 NW 152, residence, erect, $185,000. New Generation Homes LLC, 11301 SW 38, residence, erect, $184,000.
REAL ESTATE New Generation Homes LLC, 11217 SW 38, residence, erect, $183,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 4800 NW 155, residence, erect, $180,000. E-Z Living Homes Inc., 13200 NW 4, residence, erect, $175,000. E-Z Living Homes Inc., 12509 Lexington Drive, residence, erect, $175,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 2405 NW 154, residence, erect, $175,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 2401 NW 154, residence, erect, $175,000. Taber Built Homes LLC, 15505 Cardinal Nest Drive, residence, erect, $175,000. Gary Owens Carpet & Construction Inc., 11941 SW 18, residence, erect, $170,000. Quality Designed Homes LLC, 12105 SW 13, residence, erect, $169,400. Authentic Custom Homes LLC, 2300 NW 194, residence, erect, $160,000. Gary Owens Carpet & Construction Inc., 11937 SW 18, residence, erect, $160,000. Vesta Homes Inc., 9013 Misty Lane, residence, erect, $160,000. Vesta Homes Inc., 9112 Lolly Lane, residence, erect, $159,000. Gary Owens Carpet & Construction Inc., 12009 SW 18, residence, erect, $150,000. Russell Erin Baker, 2815 NW 33, residence, erect, $150,000. Vesta Homes Inc., 5001 SW 124, residence, erect, $135,000. Lester H. Busch Jr., 914 NW 73, retail sales, remodel, $133,825. Oklahoma Diamond Group LLC, 10908 NW 118, residence, erect, $130,000. The Hawkeye Group LLC, 1405 Forest Ridge Way, duplex, erect, $130,000. The Hawkeye Group LLC, 1407 Forest Ridge Way, duplex, erect, $130,000. Westpoint Homes, 6224 NW 158, residence, erect, $130,000. Westpoint Homes, 6208 NW 158, residence, erect, $130,000. Westpoint Homes, 6105 NW 151, residence, erect, $130,000. Massey (Rex) Construction
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM Inc., 2413 NW 55 Terrace, residence, erect, $120,000. Cutter Homes, 11733 SW 16, residence, erect, $118,000. Home Creations, 1232 Greenfield Ave., residence, erect, $105,800. Home Creations, 6228 SE 80, residence, erect, $104,500. D.R. Horton, 10813 NW 118 Place, residence, erect, $102,400. D.R. Horton, 3432 NW 176, residence, erect, $100,400. Gary Lee, 12225 N Santa Fe Ave., office-warehouse, erect, $100,000. Jeff Beardsley Custom Homes LLC, 12730 Oakdale View Drive, residence, erect, $100,000. Kevin Wilkerson, 12201 S Pennsylvania Ave., retail sales, remodel, $100,000. Ideal Homes of Norman LP, 524 Glass Ave., residence, erect, $99,000. Home Creations, 1013 Cimarron Creek Drive, residence, erect, $96,000. Vanity, 1901 Northwest Expressway, retail sales, remodel, $95,000. Home Creations, 6221 SE 80, residence, erect, $94,800. D.R. Horton, 11805 Charleston Way, residence, erect, $93,400. Home Creations, 901 Cimarron Creek Drive, residence, erect, $91,900. Corey Gaines, 12215 Stonemill Road, residence, add-on, $90,000. Gabe Woolery, 1604 Sunset Lane, residence, add-on, $90,000. D.R. Horton, 7501 Meadow Lake Drive, residence, erect, $88,300. D.R. Horton, 7525 Meadow Lake Drive, residence, erect, $88,300. Central Oklahoma Habitat for Humanity, 1333 NE 7, residence, erect, $80,000. Home Creations, 924 Denmark, residence, erect, $77,600. Home Creations, 1205 Denmark, residence, erect, $77,500. Home Creations, 1213 Norway Ave., residence, erect, $77,000. Home Creations, 1217 Norway Ave., residence, erect, $76,900. Home Creations, 1117 Norway Ave., residence, erect, $76,900.
Ideal Homes of Norman LP, 2816 NW 185, residence, erect, $75,000. Michael Love, 16200 Sonoma Park Drive, accessory, erect, $75,000. D.R. Horton, 3420 NW 176, residence, erect, $74,900. Carpentry Unlimited, 609 NW 117, residence, fire restoration, $70,000. Woodgate Properties LLC, 3313 S Byers Ave., storage, erect, $70,000. Ideal Homes of Norman LP, 15401 Calm Wind Drive, residence, erect, $69,000. Legend Builders LLC, 5820 N Classen Blvd., retail sales, remodel, $60,000. Oak Leaf Custom Homes, 10655 Pond Meadow Drive, cabana-gazebo, erect, $60,000. Howell Felsenthal, 220 NW 19, residence, erect, $60,000. Caston Construction, 2700 NW 178, office, erect, $55,000. Bohanon & Son Construction, 10309 N McKinley Ave., residence, fire restoration, $50,000. Gibraltar Construction Co., 2700 Manor Road, residence, add-on, $50,000. Gilcraft Construction Inc., 5813 S Broadway Ave., residence, fire restoration, $50,000. Chesapeake Energy Corp., 6301 N Western Ave., office, remodel, $50,000. Jesus Amaya, 601 NW 111, residence, erect, $50,000. Carol Patnaude, 633 Moore Estates Drive, manufactured home, move-on-mobile home park, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 809 SE 50, residence, erect, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 805 SE 50, residence, erect, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 817 SE 50, residence, erect, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 813 SE 50, residence, erect, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 806 SE 50, residence, erect, $35,000. Justin Rhodes Homes LLC, 801 SE 49, residence, erect, $35,000. Berryman Enterprises Inc., SEE PERMITS, PAGE 9F
REAL ESTATE
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
9F
Foreclosures offer new twist on flipping houses BY ADVA SALDINGER McClatchy News Service
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. —
What started as a hobby for Keith Gamble is now a risky, exciting, full-time job — buying properties at the monthly foreclosure sale and flipping them. Gamble and others like him are a new generation of property flippers who buy at low prices at a foreclosure auction, clean up a property and sell it for a profit.
Permits FROM PAGE 8F
6109 N Brookline Ave., apartment, fire restoration, $30,000. Florida Construction, 12200 Biltmore Drive, residence, erect, $30,000. Alvin Reed, 7301 S Douglas Ave., residence, addon, $30,000. David Christensen, 2611 Lost Lake Lane, accessory, erect, $21,500. Four Seasons Sunrooms, 9507 Horseshoe Road, residence, add-on, $20,276. Caston Construction, 2700 NW 178, greenhouse, erect, $20,000. Quality Renovations LLC, 11021 Folkstone Drive, residence, fire restoration, $20,000. Scott Copeland, 401 NW 150 Court, accessory, erect, $20,000. Craig Brdzinski, 3821 NW 64, residence, addon, $20,000. Miguel Rojas, 1506 NW 45, residence, remodel, $18,000. Westpoint Homes, 5928 NW 158, residence, erect,
“I know that sounds callous. … I know people doing what I’m doing at the courthouse each month are there to take advantage of that opportunity, but I also feel we provide a backstop to the market,” Gamble said. Today’s flippers differ from those during the real estate boom, said Tom Maeser, a real estate analyst with the Coastal Carolinas Association of Realtors. When the market collapsed, many of those
flippers were stuck with properties they couldn’t afford, he said. The flippers during the market peak often would buy a property before construction, wait for it to be built, hold onto it for a few months and then sell it for a profit. Today the flippers are buying at low prices, doing some minor repairs and then trying to sell the properties quickly. The profits aren’t as large, but the flippers may be selling more properties in a year,
said Penny Boling, the broker-in-charge of Century 21 Boling and Associates in Myrtle Beach. Boling said she sees some differences between today’s flippers and those during the boom, including their knowledge of the market. “Many of the foreclosure flippers will attest to the hours of work they put in. Unlike a typical property purchase where a buyer can see the property and get a home inspection, of-
ten a buyer of a foreclosure at auction has little access to a property and sometimes must bid without seeing the inside of it. “There’s just a lot of research involved in it,” said Johnny Buxani, a Realtor who also flips foreclosure properties. He will look through a list of properties for sale, identify the ones he is interested in and then try to drive by them to see them. Once he narrows down the list, he looks at the market value and estab-
lishes how much he would be willing to pay and how much he thinks he could make on each property. The flippers are helping fix up foreclosure properties that are often left in bad shape and hard to sell, which is good for the market, Maeser said. “Anyone who depletes the foreclosure inventory is helping the marketplace because we will not see appreciation or increases in values until foreclosures go away,” he said.
$13,000. Dale Pace, 4418 SE 118, accessory, erect, $12,500. Hallman Properties, 109 NW 142, retail sales, remodel, $12,000. Atanacio Gramajo, 1016 Flamingo Ave., residence, add-on, $10,000. CBR Commercial Contracting LLC, 13801 N Western Ave., office, remodel, $10,000. Jeff Click Homes LLC, 15708 N Pennsylvania Ave., business, remodel, $10,000. Jeff Click Homes LLC, 15708 N Pennsylvania Ave., office, remodel, $10,000. Ladonco Inc., 16201 Drywater Drive, equipment, install, $10,000. Wesley Wheeland, 17009 Bedford Drive, residence, remodel, $10,000. 7-Eleven, 2912 NW 122, retail sales, remodel, $9,500. Creedo House, 109 NW 142, storage, remodel, $8,000. Bryan Williams, 18921 Twilight Road, manufactured home, move-onmobile home park, $7,500. Amelia Canny, 9717 NW 10, manufactured home, move-on-mobile home park, $7,000.
Jeremy Toubl, 14001NW 150, residence, erect, $6,000. Jose Guadalupe Gonzalez, 1327 SW 52, residence, remodel, $6,000. Juan Molina, 501 SE 44, manufactured home, move-on-mobile home park, $5,000. Maria Mendieta, 2009 NW 11, residence, fire restoration, $5,000. Juan Canedo, 2241 SW 22, residence, fire restoration, $5,000. Wali Mohammad, 2020 NW 150, retail sales, remodel, $5,000. Steve Velletta, 9000 NW 81, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,500. Maria or Ruben de Loera, 2720 NW 64, storage, install, $4,000. Ground Zero Shelters, 425 NW 139, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,000. Shelldon Mills, 1525 SW 131, storm shelter, installstorm shelter, $3,950. Rolf Heitzer, 1409 N Miller Blvd., storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,900. Structural Systems of Oklahoma City, 8901 NW 10, office-warehouse, re-
model, $3,500. Robert Enriquez, 2416 SW 137, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,250. Aaron Wilkerson, 9013 NW 147 Place, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,000. Old World Plaza, 501 S Mustang Road, retail sales, remodel, $3,000. Jason Hall, 7821 Frye Lane, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,000. Ground Zero, 2713 SW 139, storm shelter, install, $2,800. Hau Do, 5913 Bent Creek Drive, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800. Jason Perry, 6708 Edgewater Drive, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800. Juan Guerrero, 7920 Duane Drive, storage, erect, $2,500. Kerry Hall, 2812 NW 23, accessory, remodel, $2,000. Dimensional Construction Inc., 1600 W Interstate 240 Service Road, canopy-carport, add-on, $1,500. Lee and Sandy Blalach, 3608 Sagebrush Place, storage, erect, $1,500.
T&L Construction, 322 SW 30, residence, remodel, $1,400.
ty Ave., residence. L&S Demolition, 1312 NE 19, garage. Kendall Concrete, 1133 SE 19 Terrace, house. LG Construction Co. Inc., 240 SW 46, garage. Michael Torres, 1126 NW 96, residence.
Farms, Ranches For Sale, Okla. 308 Northern Okmulgee County 1500 acres less than 10 minutes from Bixby. Consider the long term value. Rolling topography, native/improved grasses, timber, recreation fishing lake with cabin, many ponds, caretaker home, barn, owners minerals pass. $2500/acre. John Williams Co. 918-341-5757
Acreage For Sale
302
PIEDMONT OPEN SAT 2-4 & SUN 2-5. Model home New hms on 1/2 ac lots. Info also available for new hms in other additions From NW Expwy & Sara Rd go 4.5 mi N Cleaton & Assoc 373-2494 1N to 10A, E. of OKC, pay out dn. before 1st pmt. starts, many are M/H ready over 400 choices, lg trees, some with ponds, TERMS Milburn o/a 275-1695 paulmilburnacreages.com
276 Acres
River frontage, farming, hunting, house, 30 min. so. of Norman. $499,000. 405-202-3531 OWNER FINANCING 1-28 Acres Many Locations Call for maps 405-273-5777 www.property4sale.com 20 +/- acres, east of Shawnee with 1440 sq ft home, large kitchen & living area, 3 bed, 2 bath, barn, pond, good fencing $210,000 405-837-6412 PRIME BUILDING SITES -PIEDMONT Eastwind Estates II, 3/4 and 1 Acre lots, Priced from $38,900 Leon 373-4820 OVERLAND EX REALTY Payout dn pmt before 1st pmt starts. Your opportunity to own land, 40 areas, E, NE, SE of OKC 1N A. Milburn o/a 275-1695 terms 40 ac. hay meadow with water rights & water, close to deer hunting. Remote location. Best offer. 580-927-0496 Call for Maps! See why we sell more acreages than anyone in Okla. E of OKC. o/a 275-1695 2 bd Log Cabin on Lake + 3/4 ac. NEW, 1hr fr. OKC $74,999 ¡¡ 405-210-7022 40 ACRES 2 bd, 1 ba, well, hunting, 1mi off HWY $98K. 405-714-8210
Farms, Ranches For Sale, Okla. 308
Farm/ranch for sale in Osage County 700 Acres on the Arkansas River. Hunters dream. Pasture, cultivation, woods. Remodeled 2 bedroom home, pipe corrals, wheat bins and metal barn. $950,000. 580-716-2956/ 580-763-4303.
548 ACRES FOR SALE Pasture, Cropland, Timber, Hunting in Comanche County, OK. Can be divided. 918-786-3433
314
Lease purchase, seller fin. 2500 Rockford Ln. 3400sf 4/3/3 $2495mo 413-4735
MWC
317
Super nice 3bd home 2ba 2 car. Great area, huge living w/skylights, mint condition. Price reduced. $119,500. Fidelity RE 692-1661, 410-4200 Rent to Own 1501 Marydale 3bd 1.5ba Call for maps Easy Approval 405-273-5777 www.property4sale.com 5628 Lanceshire 3/2/2 By Tinker, Mid-Del Schools 732-3638 www.homesofokcinc.com
Mustang
319
OPEN SAT-SUN 2-4 9929 BIRKENHEAD CT YUKON, OK 73099 Mustang Schls 2300sf 3/2.5/ofc/lg open liv & din., custom kitchen $195K. 306-3907 OPEN HOUSE BY OWNER 10716 SW 21 St., Mustang Creek; Sunday, 4/10/11, 2-5 p.m.; 2027547; 919-4802. 4bed, 2ba, 3 Car 1,992 sf Bank Owned updated 3/2/2 + study, built 2006, 1663sf $124.9K ArleneCB 414-8753
Norman
322
Super sharp 3bed 2bath 2car home, 2 dining, large open living area with fireplace, jacuzzi tub, sprinkler system, great area, excellent condition. Only $175,000 Fidelity692-1661, 410-4200
OKC Northeast
323
Rent to Own 212 NE 15th 3bd 1 ba Call for maps Easy Approval 405-273-5777 www.property4sale.com
OKC Northwest
324
3/2/2, FP, PC Schls, 1789 sf, New carpet, tile, paint, roof, handicap access. $118K 330-1880 3b 2b aprx 1700sf 2story in Summerfield. Very nice $136,000. 249-7302 BANK OWNED Move in ready 3bd 1ba ch/a 1332sf $77K Arlene CB 414-8753
OKC Southeast
325
$14,900 CASH ONLY 4336 SE 43 Fixer-Upper ¡ 596-4599 410-8840 ¡
RE for sale Edmond
OKC Northwest
324
OPEN HOUSE, Sat & Sun 12-4, 6205 N Styll Road, near Baptist, Hefner Lake & Trails, move in ready, 3 bed, 3 bath, 2 living, 2262 sf, for sale or L/P, $149,000, great price, great area, 405949-5638, 405-361-6661.
OKC Southwest
326
Just Reduced $6000! Nice 3bd 2 living (or 4th bed) ch/a, nice area, excellent condition, only $79,900 Fidelity 692-1661 410-4200 Updates GALORE 3/1.5/2 2 liv, roof 09, fp, brick, $99.9K Arlene CB 414-8753 21 SW 65, 3bd 2 ba 2 liv, lrg Florida room. Owner finance poss. 921-0206
Piedmont
327
CHISHOLM CROSSING PIEDMONT 2187 E Trail Dr. 5+ Acres, 3 BD, 3K BA, 2 Liv, 1 Din, Home is Loaded! Leon 373-4820 Overland Ex Realty NEW HOME 3/2.5/3 approx 2168' on 1/2 ac MOL $216,800 Richard 313-1726 Cleaton & Assoc 373-2494 MOVE-IN READY new 3/2/2 approx 1452' w/sod & fenced backyd 139,900 Richard 313-1726 Cleaton & Assoc 373-2494
Yukon
330
3br 2ba, 1300 sf, El Reno. Wood frame, total remod, CH &A, gar $68,000 262-4204
Suburban, NW
(El Reno, Guthrie, Cashion, Deer Creek,
Etc.)
332
Rent to Own El Reno - 615 N. Evans 2bd 1 ba - Call for maps Easy Approval 405-273-5777 www.property4sale.com
Open Houses 334.2 PIEDMONT OPEN SAT 2-4 & SUN 2-5. Model home New hms on 1/2 ac lots. Info also available for new hms in other additions From NW Expwy & Sara Rd go 4.5 mi N Cleaton & Assoc 373-2494
Lots For Sale 337 Bank Owned lot for sale 4920 Stag Horn Dr. Yukon, Deer Run Addition Asking $29,900 Call to make an offer (580) 255-1810
Mobile Homes, Manufactured Houses 339 Huge clearance sale!! Special Program. Own Land/Family Land ZERO down. Financing avail. for most everyone. Turnkey, we do it all. 1000 Furniture package w/purchase. Free Phone Application/ EASY.WAC 888-878-2971 405-204-4163 ’ $281mo. ’ Refurbed doublewide ready NOW! 3 bd/Island/ Decks/Shop/Fence 405-470-1330 89 Fleetwood 16x80' 2ba 3bd pitched roof SW OKC floor/ext need minor work $9000. $5000 dn ownr fin 632-6069 »» 317-7606 Mustang Schools Huge Discounts Singles & Dbls. Financing Available 405-470-1330 McLoud area. Abandoned D/W on 5 acres. Ready to move in. Brick foundation with all utilities. 405-631-7600 405-635-4338 Moving Sale Huge Mark-Down Trade-ins ok Rates as low as 6.25% 405-787-5004 thcok.com $0 Down Payment!! A Land Deed is What You Need! Free Phone Application. Call Today 405-631-3200 WAC **NEW** 1216 sq ft $25,995 - 1 only Maxeys Homes 631-3600 Repo 28x84 Solitaire 301-2454, 517-5000 Repo 28x56 Solitaire 918-617-7742 2bd 1ba $14,900. Delivered to you 301-2454, 517-5000 Rent to Own: Nice 2&3bd MWC $350&up 390-9777
Real Estate Auctions
342
Real Estate Auction 702 N. Chisholm Rd., OKC, 73127 Saturday, April 23 at 11:00 a.m. (Reno & Rockwell, N. to Melrose, E. to Chisholm Rd., N. to Auction) 3 bd, 2 ba, 1,966 sq. ft., 2 car gar, Nice Loft Area, Fire Place & Bar in Kitchen, Excellent Character! Info & Pics at WilliamCook.com Cook Auction Company 405-412-2013
Vacation Property For Sale 347 Shawnee Lakefront Home $149,500 visit shawnee-realty.com 420-2135 Marquee Rlty
Commercial RE Established Business For Sale Sterling's Produce @ the Old Okc Farmer's Market Interested only, 659-4604
Investment Property For Sale 355 Nichols Hills Duplexes on Avondale, we have 3 for sale. Choice location. All rented, 405-409-7779 Seabrooke Realty Several Mortgage notes for sale, 8%-12% Interest paid, 4plex near OCU $169K -6units hrdwd flrs $225K Seabrooke Rlty 409-7779
Business Property For Rent 360 Small Business/Storage 1250sqft, 28Wx50L, 14x14 O/H door, $500 month. 89th St. & I-35 S. OKC, 631-4447
Industrial Property For Rent 361 6000sf Warehouse Ofcs 13825 N. Harvey Ave Oklahoma City,OK 73114
Office Space For Rent
363
GREAT Space OFFICE Various NW locations MOVE IN SPECIALS 300-6000sf 946-2516
1, 2 & 3-Room Offices $175 & up ‘ 50th & N Lincoln area 235-8080
Warehouse Space For Rent 363.5 6000sf Warehouse Ofcs 13825 N. Harvey Ave The Best In OKC, 73114
345
I BUY HOUSES Any condition. No cost to U 495-5100
422
TOP LOCATION! Pd. wtr/garb. Near malls. Try Plaza East 341-4813 1 & 2 bd, 1 bd w/ all bills paid & sec 8 ok $475$550 397-9075, 205-2343
MWC
424
1 & 2 BEDROOMS, QUIET! Covered Parking Great Schools! 732-1122
OKC Northwest
431
$200 off
1 & 2 BEDROOMS Furnished & Unfurnished NEWLY REMODELED GATED COMMUNITY
CAVE CREEK ON ROCKWELL 3037 North Rockwell
495-2000 $100 off
First Month’s Rent LARGE TOWNHOMES & APARTMENTS • Washer, Dryers, pools • PC Schools, fireplaces
Williamsburg 7301 NW 23rd
787-1620 Walford Apts-Midtown518 NW 12th 1bd 1ba Studio 700sf, all electric, $600/mo $475/dp OR basement studio $425mo $325/dp Large 1 bed 1 bath 1100sf washer & dryer conn $875/mo $700/dep 409-7989
$200 OFF
Washer/Dryers, Fireplaces PC Schools-Townhouses
PARKLANE
8100 N. MacArthur Blvd. »»» 721-5455 »»» Florence Apts-Midtown1bd 1ba Studio 600sf, Granite Counter tops, wood floors, CH/A, All Elect, Free laundry $675 $400 dep. 409-7989 $149 First Month Your Choice, any apartment ALL BILLS PAID 293-3693 Drexel on the Park $98 First Month 18 Floor Plans 416-5259 Wilshire Village Soon to be Tuscany Village
2528 NW 12th 1bd 1bath 900sf $450mo $300dp no sec 8, garage extra 409-7989 Lovely 2 Bedroom Great NW location. www.parkmanorapts.net 842-1766
157 Acres
Real Estate Notices
Edmond
1419K NW 17th 2bd 1ba wood floors, 1200sf, $575 mo, $250 dep, 409-7989 no sec 8
OF PRODUCTIVE FARMLAND SOLD AT AUCTION SATURDAY APRIL 16 1 Hr. West of OKC United Country Entz Auction Hydro, OK
405-663-2200 entzauction.com
Apartments
Plaza Apts 1740 NW 17 1bed 1ba wood floors or tile $450-$500 $250dp 409-7989 no sec8
Acreage For Rent
Furnished/Unfurnished Bills Paid » Wkly/Monthly Wes Chase Apts, Elk Horn Apts, Hillcrest 943-1818
400.5
Large 2-3 bed 2 bath lrg kit/din on 25Ac w/barn & pond, Jones Schools $1100mo »» 250-8466 2 bd Log Cabin on Lake + 3/4 ac. NEW, appls, 1hr fr. OKC $675 ¡¡ 405-210-7022
No dep, No app fee. Nice clean 2bd 2ba. 23rd & Mac Ready now 943-0907
OKC Northwest
Demolitions L&S Demolition, 904 NE 20, garage. Exchange Avenue Baptist Church, 1323 Daugher-
431
Clean, not fancy 1 bed duplex from $300, 3rd & Virginia 820-2464
1 Month Free!
Lg 2bd $550 Casady751-8088 800 N. Meridian 1bd All bills paid 946-9506 1bd 1ba $295-325 Stove, fridge garage405-818-4089 •ABC• Affordable, Bug free, Clean » 787-7212»
OKC Southeast
432
SPRING SPECIALS COME SEE WHY WE'RE ALMOST FULL 1, 2 & 3bd apartments & townhomes for rent in our SE OKC gated community. We are a family friendly community w/outdoor & indoor children's play areas. We are offering SUPER MOVE-IN SPECIALS. Call 619-0541
OKC Southwest
433
1 & 2 beds, D&S Apts., 6101 S. Klein Ave., ch&a. No Sec 8. No Pets. 631-2383 $99 SPECIAL Lg 1bdr, stove, refrig., clean, walk to shops. $325 mo. 632-9849 Furnished/Unfurnished Bills Paid » Wkly/Monthly Wes Chase Apts, Elk Horn Apts, Hillcrest 943-1818 $99 Move In Special!!! Lg 1 and 2 Bdr, $325 to $395 mo. 632-9849
Suburban
436
The Aldridge
20 East 9th St. Shawnee Affordable living designed for active seniors 62+ or disabled of any age with an address of distinction! ALL BILLS PAID starting at $596 month. Call today for a tour of your new home. ''Equal Housing Opportnity'' Handicap Accessible
405-275-9500
Yukon
438
»»»»»»»»»»»»» » Yukon All Bills Paid » » 1 bd From $495 Move» » 2 bd From $595 In» » 3 bd From $695 Today» » Open7days/wk354-5855 » »»»»»»»»»»»»
Condominiums, Townhouses For Rent 441 Copper Chase TH/Condo 3bd 3ba 2car private patio, pool, tennis ct. $500 dep $1500mo 623-1443 3536 NW 51st #305 2 Bd, 1.5 Ba, Gas & Water Pd. $600 748-8520 www.redbudrealestate.com Summerfield Townhouse 3bd 2ba, FP. Remodeled 12208 Banyon Ln, $1145 mo. 755-2362, 659-1507
» MOVE IN SPECIAL » LARGE 1, 2 & 3 BEDS Rockwell Arms, 787-1423
Hemingway Condo, 1bd, 1ba, appls, FP, newly remod. No pets 348-3500
MAYFAIR 50th/May 1/2bd W/D hdwd flr quiet secure ngbrhd No sec 8 947-5665
Hemingway Condo, 1bd, 1ba, appls, FP, newly remod. No pets 348-3500
MWC
Duplexes MWC
446
OLDETOWNE 3 bed, 1.5 ba, 2 miles to Tinker »» » 769-7177
OKC Northwest
453
914 N Gardner, 3bd, 1.75 baths, Fireplace, w/d hookups, Water & garbage paid $525/mo 408-5836 2623 NW 50 2bd 2ba 1car 1100sf $1000/mo $800dp Amazing Granite Counter tops fireplace wood floors 409-7989 1501 NW 17 Lg 1bd, all appl + w/d, wd flrs newly redec. no pets. $450, $250dep. 314-9511 Remodeled 1bd, $425mo. $300dep. 405-760-7473 1911 N. Brookline 3/2/2 9907 Mashburn Blvd. $875mo, No Sec. 8 412-8540 jjcrent.com 7712 NW113 Pl 2/2/1 ch&a fncd, new remd, all appl, no sec 8 $725+dp 301-4695 106 NW 20th. New carpet, paint, 1bd $380.232-9101
Yukon
460
Duplexes, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car, some new, some gated, call Rick, 405-830-3789.
Garage Apartments
461
Nichols Hills Room for rent 6521 Avondale 200sf $400 mo, $200 dep 409-7989 no sec 8
468
9317 NE 14th 3/1.5/1 $550 1112 Sycamore 3/1/1 $495 1300 McDonald 3/1/1 $495 681-7272 136 W. Lilac, 3 bd, 1 ba, ch&a, W/D, $600mo $450 dep. 701-1722 3bed 1.5 ba 1car washer dryer, 604 Woodland $600mo + dep 412-7013 134 W. Lilac, 3 bd, 1 ba, ch&a, w/d hkup, $600mo $450 dep. 701-1722 Duplex $500 all bills paid 550-2970 text or call 206 W Jacobs, 3bd 1ba $600 mo. • 732-3411 Rent to Own: Nice 2&3bd MWC $350&up 390-9777
Moore
469
1505 MeadwRun3/2/3 $1275 1817 Bel Air 4/2/2 $1100 609 SW 155 Pl 3/2/3 $1200 1808 Sunrise 3/1.5/2 $800 Home&RanchRlty 794-7777 Rent, Rent to Own605-5477 2bd from $395-595 3bd from $450-895 4bd from $595-995 housesforrentofokc.com 3 bd, 1 ba, new ch&a, new carpet, tile & paint $750+ $600dep. No pets. 108 S Janeway 677-1428 105 Barbour, 3bd, 1ba, 1car, large backyard, $550/mo. 405-329-3076 Beautiful Home!! 3BD/2BA/2Car Excellent nghbhood.$950.593-1432 136 SE 2nd, $325 mo + dep, 1 bed, fenced, East of Broadway 685-6817 co
OKC Northeast
474
1 BR Clean, New Appls, 3031 NW 14th, $395mo. $200dep. 405-748-6830
Hotels/Motels 462
3 bed, 1bath, ch&a, 1212 NE 42nd St. Sec. 8 Ok. 405-816-5466
Furnished/Unfurnished Bills Paid » Wkly/Monthly Wes Chase Apts, Elk Horn Apts, Hillcrest 943-1818
OKC Northwest
RE for rent Del City
465.5
3bd, 1.5ba, FP, fncd yard $750mo ¡ Sec. 8 OK. 1524 Hampton 330-1880 3 bed, 1.5 bath, ch&a $650+$500dep. 517-1047 3801 Mallard Dr. 3108DentwoodTr3/1/1 $600 681-7272 2bd 1ba clean, big yard, stove fridge $595 818-4089
Edmond
466
1615 Ten Bears 2/2/2 $1095 1808 Parklane 4/2/2 $1200 1808 Geeta 3/2/2 $925 1006 Washington 3/2/2 $995 Express Realty 844-6101 www.expressrealtyok.com Cozy 2bd, W/D hkup fncd yard, near UCO $400dep, $600mo. ¡ 706-3972 ¡
MWC
468
3 bed, 1.5 ba, ch&a, new carpets, ceiling fan, 1 car fncd yard. $620 + dep 3801 Parkwoods Lane 769-8800 1820 Sandra 3/1/2 $850 1034 Holly 4/1 $795 5209 Eden 4/2.5/2 $1295 Express Realty 844-6101 www.expressrealtyok.com
475
Rent, Rent to Own605-5477 2bd from $395-595 3bd from $450-895 4bd from $595-995 housesforrentofokc.com 3017 NW 29, large 2bd home, 1O ba, oversized detached garage, new carpet, only $650 Fidelity 410-4200, 692-1661 3409 N. Shartel 2bd 1.5ba 1200sf, $750 mo, $500 dep, Fridge & Stove, 409-7989 no sec 8 14323H N Penn 2/2.5 $775 437 NW 91 3/1.5/1 $550 2037 NW 34th 4/2 $550 681-7272 525 NW 114 St. 3 bd, 2 car gar, stv, frig, $800 + $600 dep, No pets, Sec. 8 ok »» 748-6129 »» 6021 NW 58th Terr 3bed 2bath 1car, PC Schools, $1100/mo, $1100/dep 1600sf 409-7989 no sec 8 1 bed, $525/mo bills paid + dep. ¡ 1321 NW 2nd ¡ Others avail. 639-0556 400 NW 120th 3bd 2ba 2car $900/mo $800/dep 1300sf 409-7989 No Sec8 121 NW 17th, 3bd, 2ba, ch&a, fncd yard $650mo, $650dep. ¡‘¡ 524-0887 2122 NW 32nd 2bd 1ba 1car $700/mo $500/dep 900sf 409-7989 no sec 8 3508 NW 11th 2bd 1bath $475/month • 408-5836
OKC Southeast
476
Rent, Rent to Own605-5477 2bd from $395-595 3bd from $450-895 4bd from $595-995 housesforrentofokc.com 4721 SE 50 3/1.5/2 $700 681-7272
OKC Southwest
477
Rent, Rent to Own605-5477 2bd from $395-595 3bd from $450-895 4bd from $595-995 housesforrentofokc.com Rent to own. 4bd, 2ba Low down payment! contact@enlargedhorizon .com or 405-602-3530 Park side 2 bed, mint cond., new paint, tile, carpet. $525. 596-8410 Nice 3b 2b 2c FP W/D hk ups ch&a Moore Schls no pets $750mo 503-5742 3 bd, 1car, CH&A, appls, 505 SW 26th $550mo No Pets. ¡ 721-3757
Yukon
482
4605 JayMatt 4/2/2 $1295 925 Danbury Pl 3/2/2 $875 Express Realty 844-6101 www.expressrealtyok.com
Rooms For Rent
489
Moore-Room for Rent For details call 405-799-0071
10F
SATURDAY, APRIL 9, 2011
PERMITS
THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM
Making kitchen cabinets user-friendly Cleaning and organizing
BY STACY DOWNS McClatchy News Service
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It’s
easy to get kitchen cabinet envy when you see the latest models with their shiny car-lacquer exteriors and hidden hinges. It’s no wonder painting cabinets or replacing the fronts is all the rage. But it’s what’s behind the doors that matters most. This is where we store food, cookware, utensils and more. If you really want to get jealous, open drawers and doors of new cabinets with their fancy-pants slide-out pantries and dish racks. “The problem with older cabinets is that they look like black holes inside,” said Krista Williamson, owner of K2 Workshops in Overland Park, Kan., which offers homeimprovement classes. “No one wants to crawl through a dungeon.”
Krista Williamson, owner of K2 Workshops in Overland Park, Kan., gives helpful hints for retrofitting older cabinets with new drawers and pullouts, both wood and wire systems.
Modifying old cabinets However, simple modifications, such as adding sliding shelves and rolling pullout drawers, can give existing cabinets new life, Williamson said. Upgrading what you have can save thousands of dollars versus replacement. She demonstrates the theory on a decades-old cabinet from Habitat ReStore, a nonprofit that sells previously owned building materials. “This base cabinet had an upper shelf that just came out halfway,” she said. “It was for storing small appliances like a mixer and a blender. But the cabinet was kind of useless, because you still had to get down on your hands and knees. And a fourth of the storage space wasn’t being used.” So Williamson removed the worthless shelf. She measured the width and depth of the cabinet interior and had a new shelf and reinforcements made with ¾-inch plywood cut at a home-improvement warehouse, securing it with silicone. She found Rev-aShelf wooden and metal pullouts from Lowe’s that would fit inside.
A pull-out and removable cleaning caddie is available at the Peak at Home Showroom in Kansas City, Kan. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTOS
Space-saving organizational racks installed in a kitchen cabinet at the Peak at Home Showroom, Kansas City, Kan.
“It’s important to have the right measurements,” she said. The pullouts should be a half-inch less wide than your doors on
either side. Sometimes they have to be special ordered. “Someone was returning some of the systems because they weren’t
the right fit.” In less than an hour, Williamson installed glides and turned the cabinet into a more useful one with pullouts that can be used for stacks of dishes or pots and pans. She prefers wooden drawers (“they’re
more furniture-like”), but metal ones can be more economical and space-efficient. “Just be sure to get the sturdier metal ones,” Williamson cautions. “They’re not all created equally.”
Before investing in any products, take the time to clean and organize your kitchen cabinets. Kristi Pelzel, owner of the Organization People, categorizes everything into zones: spices, linens, foil/wrap. Consider it an opportunity to pare down. “People usually have way too many glasses,” Pelzel said. “Donate the ones you don’t use. They shouldn’t be crammed inside. Leave breathing-room space between them.” The same goes for leftover containers (limit two per person). And Pelzel suggests storing occasional pieces elsewhere, especially in a space-crunched kitchen. “Put the turkey platter and the silver you use once a year in a box marked ‘Thanksgiving,’ ” Pelzel said. Pelzel advocates using what you have for storage before buying more stuff. She likes using clear baggies because they’re spaceefficient, and you can easily see what’s inside. They’re good for storing coupons, for example. Kitchen cabinet organization systems have become a popular category. Materials include white polymer, brushed aluminum wire with chrome plating, birch and maple hardwoods, bamboo and rattan basket drawers. One of the main things people struggle with is spice storage, said Geri Higgins, owner of Portfolio Kitchen & Home, a kitchen showroom in Kansas City. There are doormount systems and drawer inserts, which can be good as long as they’re not placed above the cooktop, where the humidity will shorten the spice life. Higgins separates the spices by sweet and savory and then arranges them alphabetically. “They need an app for spice expiration by bar code,” Higgins said. “They have wine-storage apps and new technology for expired food in the refrigerator, so why not for spices, too?” MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE INFORMATION SERVICES