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This Oct. 19 photo shows a pergola used to enhance a front entry at a home near Langley, Wash. Many of these structures are being upgraded with lighting and retractable shades to cover outdoor entertainment areas. (AP photo)
This 2018 photo shows Joanna Teplin, left, and Clea Shearer of The Home Edit at the Nashville home of Shearer. The founders of the Nashville-based company, The Home Edit, believe in streamlining your belongings to get organized, but say it isn't realistic to expect people to pitch most everything. (AP photo)
Pergolas: Ancient garden structures are getting updated
By DEAN FOSDICK Associated Press Pergolas have been part of home gardens for a long time, but they’re getting some modern upgrades because of trends toward backyard sanctuaries and entertaining. Historically, pergolas were simple, overhead structures used to protect garden walkways. They were characterized by long linear shapes, said Gail Hansen, an associate professor and Extension specialist in landscape design with the University of Florida. Today, pergolas are customized for use covering outdoor patios and elaborate entertainment areas. “Many homeowners like to spend more time outdoors, and the relaxed ease of outdoor entertaining is more suited to our lifestyle and less formal entertainment activities,” Hansen said. Backyard pergolas are usually attached to houses or, if they’re freestanding, are near indoor kitchens for easy access, she said. “Homeowners are updating their outdoor entertainment areas with fully appointed kitchens and luxurious patio furniture,” Hansen said. “In addition to the traditional gas grill, nearly every kitchen appliance has been modified for outdoor use,” including sinks, refrigerators, wine coolers, griddles, ice makers, pizza ovens and warming drawers, she said. “Stainless steel is the preferred material.” Pergolas sometimes are confused with arbors, which often are arch-shaped, with a continuous run of latticework from side to side, said Missy Henriksen, vice president of public affairs for the National Association of Landscape Professionals. “Traditionally, arbors shade gates, walkways or a bench, are only a few feet wide and provide the perfect support for climbing plants,” she said. Both landscape-design structures support climbing plants, she said, but pergolas are more elaborate and help shade entire outdoor spaces. When designed and oriented correctly, a pergola can cast enough shade to make even a hot afternoon enjoyable, or if homeowners need additional protection from the elements, they can install a retractable shade, Henriksen said. “The increase we are seeing in homeowners’ requests for pergolas is another example of how people are investing in their outdoor living spaces to create ‘staycation sanctuaries,’ add sizzle to outdoor entertaining and personalize their individual home environments,” she said. You can tailor your pergola with everything from chandeliers and ceiling fans to strings of lights, fabric, space heaters and sound systems. “Add color and excitement to an outdoor space with thriller, filler and spiller container gardens,” Henriksen said. “With the perfect planting combination and unique container, homeowners can add rich color and texture to a stunning pergola.” Landscape professionals can help you understand the pros and cons of different materials used for pergolas. Options include pressure-treated woods, cedar wood, vinyl and fiberglass, Henriksen said. Pressure-treated wood generally looks best if it’s painted or stained, she said. Cedar is insect-resistant and looks great right from the sawmill. “You can leave it untreated to turn a soft silver gray, or stain and seal it to hold its color,” she said. Vinyl requires little maintenance while fiberglass can be painted, spans longer distances without posts and, due to its light weight, doesn’t require the same deep footers that other materials dictate, Henriksen said.
CUT THE
CLUTTER
Meet the organizing pros who let you keep more stuff By ALICIA RANCILIO Associated Press NEW YORK — Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer of the Nashville-based company The Home Edit believe in streamlining your belongings to get organized, but they say it isn’t realistic to expect people to pitch so much of their stuff. “We definitely are more lenient in purging than Marie Kondo’s method,” said Shearer, referring to the author of the best-selling book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.” Kondo also has her own series on Netflix, “Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,” and has sparked the verb “Kondo-ing,” meaning purging anything that doesn’t “spark joy.” “In our consumer-driven culture, we do understand peo-
ple are going to own a few more things than she would suggest,” said Shearer. “We just try and coach (clients) to think through it.” The questions they ask are: Do you love it, do you use it, or is it special? “A plunger brings nobody any joy, but you must own one,” added Shearer. “People sometimes get so excited they cleaned out everything and now they’re left with three tank tops and a pair of leggings.” Teplin and Shearer are sharing their philosophy in the New York Times best-selling book “The Home Edit: a Guide to Organizing and Realizing Your House Goals.” “To hire us is a luxury service just like hiring a personal
BEFORE
AFTER
See Organize p. 2D
Online: For more about pergolas and other garden structures, see this fact sheet from the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/EP/EP43200.pdf You can contact Dean Fosdick at deanfosdick@netscape.net
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These 2017 photos provided by The Home Edit show before and after shots of a kitchen pantry in Nashville. The Home Edit founders Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer advise to take advantage of each shelf. Once you understand which pieces fit the best, you can look at your options and determine the aesthetic you prefer, say Teplin and Shearer. Consistency is key. Choose matching products that coordinate with your home’s aesthetic. You’re much more likely to maintain a space you are proud of and have invested in and reflects your personal style and the way you really live, say Teplin and Shearer. (AP photos)
2D The Mining Journal
House to Home MARKET WATCH
Thursday, April 4, 2019
Mortgage Index 30-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pts.
15-YEAR Rate-Fee/Pt.
High rate
4.375
1
4.875
1
Low rate
4.000
1
3.625
1
Average rate
4.187
1
3.969
1
BEFORE
This graphic represents a Tuesday survey of regional lending institutions. Figures are based on rates at Range Bank, mBank, First Bank of Upper Michigan and Marquette Community Federal Credit Union.
AFTER
In this Feb. 21 photo a newly constructed homes sit near a sign in Natick, Mass. On Friday, the Commerce Department reported on sales of new homes in February. (AP photo)
US new-home sales increased 4.9 percent in February By JOSH BOAK AP Economics Writer WASHINGTON — Sales of new U.S. homes climbed 4.9 percent in February, an indication that falling mortgage rates have given a boost to demand from buyers. The Commerce Department said Friday that new homes sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 667,000 in February, an increase from an upwardly revised 636,000 in January. New-home sales are running 2.8 percent higher through the first two months of 2019 than during the same period last year. This initial rebound in sales after a weak end to 2018 bodes well for the traditional Spring homebuying season that began this month. Recent gains suggest that the combina-
tion of a solid job market and rising wages has encouraged more people to purchase both new and existing homes, especially as lower mortgage rates have made their money go further. “This trend supports the fact that lower mortgage rates have started to entice buyers this Spring and foreshadows a potential strengthening of existinghome sales in the months to come,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. A sharp drop in mortgage rates has eased affordability pressures and aided homebuying. The average 30year mortgage rate climbed for much of 2018 to roughly 5 percent in November, only to dip to nearly 4 percent this week, according mortgage buyer Freddie Mac.
The median sales price of a new home in February fell 3.6 percent to $315,300. New-home sales jumped in the Northeast and Midwest in February by more than 20 percent, while posting a more tepid gain of 1.8 percent in the South. Accounting for about 60 percent of new-home sales, the South is the largest U.S. housing market. Sales were unchanged in the West. The housing market has also shifted slightly to new construction for entry-level buyers. The proportion of properties sold between the prices of $200,000 and $299,999 was 35 percent in February, up from 31 percent in 2018. This move has corresponded with a downward shift in sales of homes priced above $500,000.
Butterflies abound in Mexican winter habitat By KIM CURTIS Associated Press CERRO PELON MONARCH BUTTERFLY SANCTUARY, Mexico — As the group made its way up the rugged mountaia path toward the clearing, their heavy, crunching bootsteps turned to near-silent tiptoeing, their friendly chitchat dropped to whispers, giddy smiles appeared on faces and eyes brimmed with tears. The first-time visitors to this mountain monarch butterfly reserve were, in a word, gobsmacked. It’s challenging to convey the sheer magic of witnessing tens of thousands of butterflies hanging from trees in giant clumps, sunning themselves on the hillside or fluttering in the sky like snowflakes. But after experiencing it, it’s easier to understand folks like these, most of whom had traveled from the U.S. to Mexico solely to see the monarchs. “Our trip was amazing,” said Denise Siraco, who was visiting from New Hampshire. “There are really no words to describe it. When we found the colony, it seemed to go on forever.” In the U.S., two separate populations of monarchs are divided by the Rocky Mountains. While the western population primarily sticks to the California coast, the eastern population makes its way down from southern Canada and the northeastern United States across thousands of miles to spend the winter at one of about 20 colonies in the Mexican states of Michoacan and Mexico. No single insect completes the entire journey as the average butterfly only lives about a month. Instead, it takes three or four generations to make the trip, with each one traveling part of the way. The exception is a “supergeneration” of monarchs that lives eight times longer than their relatives. These supermonarchs can travel 50 or 100 miles a day, riding on thermal air currents as high as a mile above the ground, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. When they reach Mexico, they roost in trees, like the
In this Jan. 23 photo, numerous butterflies can be seen at one of their annual wintering spots in Cerro Pelón Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary near Macheros, Mexico. (AP photo) cedar and oak at Cerro Pelon, and cluster together to stay warm. A recent group of butterfly watchers saw thousands clumped together in what looked like huge hornets’ nests hanging from branches that can break from the weight of the insects, explained guide Ellen Sharp, who, along with her husband, Joel Moreno Rojas, runs a butterfly business in nearby Macheros. “No one is entirely sure why they choose these trees,” Sharp said. “But one of the reasons is the microclimate. The old-growth trees radiate heat, so they stay warm through the winter.” The monarchs generally arrive at the beginning of November and are headed north by mid-March. The western population has declined dramatically in recent years. Last November, surveyors at 97 sites found 20,456 monarchs compared to 148,000 at the same sites in 2017, according to Xerces, a nonprofit conservation group. Reasons for the decrease include climate change, habitat loss and pesticide use. But the eastern population is rising. Several rangers at Cerro Pelon who were born and raised in the area said they haven’t seen butterflies in their current numbers since they were children. And the latest numbers support their observations. At the end of January, Mexican officials announced that the overall population of monarch butterflies wintering in central Mexico was up
144 percent over the previous year. The monarch population, like that of other insects, fluctuates widely depending on a variety of factors, but scientists say the recoveries after each big dip tend to be smaller, suggesting a decline in the number migrating from Canada and the United States. This winter’s population figure, however, was the largest since 2006-2007.
These 2017 photos provided by The Home Edit show before and after shots of a kitchen storage area in Nashville. The Home Edit founders Joanna Teplin and Clea Shearer say labeling is a large part of company’s signature style, whether it’s with a handwritten font or color-coded system. Shearer and Teplin believe that clearly identifying the contents of a container give directions for where items go, making it secret to long-term success. (AP photos)
Organize from 1D trainer,” said Shearer. “Our book allows our way to be accessible for people who want to do it themselves.” In this interview with The Associated Press, lightly edited for length and clarity, they talk more about their technique, celeb clientele and more. AP: Your Instagram and book show you using multiple containers — like baskets or bins — that look the same. What do you think about organizational hacks like using empty tissue boxes or toilet paper rolls to bunch items together? SHEARER: That’s just not who we are. I totally respect if people want to do that. ... We pick items that look beautiful. While I know people want to reuse an empty shoe box, it’s just not our thing. TEPLIN: Uniformity of product is so important to us. To make it look a certain way, it’s important to keep the uniform. If you have one basket that looks one way and another one that looks totally different and another one off over here, you lose that aesthetic that is so pleasing to the eye. AP: What’s your advice for people who have collections? SHEARER: We love to honor a collection. If someone really loves something, we will find a way to highlight it and make something that they are happy to look at. We’ll say, is this a collection because you love it,
or do you get a souvenir cup every time you go to the zoo? Let’s dig a little bit deeper and figure out what we’re working with. TEPLIN: There are things that people have accidentally collected that can be paired down. AP: What about keeping track of your kids’ artwork? SHEARER: What I do is each kid has a sentimental box throughout the school year or calendar year. When schoolwork comes home, you slip it into the box. At the end of the year, you go through it and weed out what you don’t want. You don’t know what you need to keep until you look back with some perspective, so you kind of put it in a holding pattern. AP: You’ve organized for celebrities including Christina Applegate, Tiffani Thiessen, Gwyneth Paltrow and Khloe Kardashian. Please say celebrities are like regular people who have messy closets. SHEARER: We’ve never walked into a home and said, “We’re not needed here.” Well, Khloe Kardashian’s was pretty close. TEPLIN: It really isn’t organizing for her. It’s more like a collaboration. She’s like 99.9% there. If she wasn’t busy, we would love to have her work for us. SHEARER: We’ve done her pantry, her kitchen, her
Online: https://thehomeedit.com/ https://start.att.net/exclusive/hello-sunshine/masterthe-messa
1900 Presque Isle Ave.
228-7255
FEATURED PROPERTY
BIG C REALTY (906) 387-3074 321 E. Munising Ave., Munising www.bigcrealty.com office@bigcrealty.com
1082905 1.4-acre wooded corner lot with several building sites located in Whispering Pines Subdivision. Lot 15 is one of six lots having exclusive access to Lost Lake through a 20’ wide platted private park. Phone and power available with road being privately maintained but used on a year-round basis. Also listed as MLS #1082906 and #1082908 $19,900
Les & Judy Thatcher
laundry room, her home office. We just adore her. She gets us in a way that no one really does. AP: Reese Witherspoon produces a show with you both for DirecTV called “Master the Mess.” How did that come about? SHEARER: Reese found us on Instagram and her company, Hello Sunshine, DM’d us. ... I remember the moment. They said, “Reese suggested we reach out” and I pulled my car over to the side of the road and I said, “I need you to repeat that.” AP: Have you organized for her? SHEARER: No! We have offered so many times. I feel like she feels bad like she doesn’t want to take advantage. I’m like, “Let us in! Let us into your messiest space!” I think she’s saving it for the TV cameras.
1091135 Great get-a-way property - Hickey Creek runs through it with gorgeous views, State property to the North and corporate borders the East. Mostly wooded, frontage on county-maintained blacktop H-15 just minutes from snowmobiling, hunting, fishing! Power is already on the property, so come build your special place!! $26,900 1107429 This little camp sits on 4 acres with 420’ lake frontage on Peacock/ Paquette Lake. Open floor plan with enough space to set up beds and furniture, with a pull-down staircase to access loft with skylight. Includes 2500-watt generator, cute wood stove for heat, sauna, located at the end of a 2 track. Plenty of woods, no neighbors, calm and quiet picturesque scene. $59,900 1103038 Vacant commercial building on busy H-58, previously a convenience/gift/ party store. Beer-wine take out license is in escrow, coolers, display racks, shelving, and more - just waiting for you to start your own business. Includes a 27 x 32 detached garage. $110,000 1107807 Cute home nestled close to schools and walking distance to downtown. Great neighborhood with spacious backyard, garage and basement. Option for Bedroom 4 to be converted back into more living space if not needed. Home features hardwood flooring, solid oak kitchen cabinets, updated bathroom, solid wood doors and trim. Move in ready! $115,000 1105064 Looking for that perfect hunting spot? This is it!!! 190 acres with DEXTER CREEK meandering through - blinds set up throughout the property - select cut a few years ago making it excellent for deer habitat! A 3-bedroom hunting cabin (third bedroom is the loft) featuring a full basement, bath, kitchen-living area with cathedral ceiling, fireplace, wrap around deck and year-round access. $199,000
2013 Cherry St, Mqt Turn key 4 bedroom ranch home on a huge double lot in Trowbridge township. Spacious living room, eat in kitchen, new windows, and newly remodeled bathroom. Fenced in backyard, nice deck, finished basement and heated workshop connected to the attached oversized one car garage! (1112897) $175,000 TBD Old 553, Gwinn About 3 acres of land, perfect for a fresh start on a new business or home! (1109858) $11,900 246 W Hewitt St, Mqt Conveniently located, you can bring this party store, laundry mat and 2 bedroom apartment back to life! The party store has the fixtures and large walk in cooler. The laundry mat comes with 20 dryers and 26 washers and most of them are new! (1112947) $575,000 1530 N Second St, Ish Commercial building, presently occupied by The Clipper, Bridal Boutique and an apartment. Other rental space with the 2 garages with 1622 Sq. Ft! (1104470) $150,000 2905 Island Beach Rd, Mqt From the lighting to the beautiful wood beams, this cozy building is a perfect place to start or expand your next venture. Complete with a loft that has a bird’s eye view of the studio, a 3/4 bath, a kitchenette and a beautiful working studio. On Leased Land. (1112488) $75,000
www.lookrealtyinc.com
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Thursday, April 4, 2019
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Thursday, April 4, 2019
FEATURED LISTINGS
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NEW LISTING!
180 Co Rd KR, Marquette
34851 M95, Republic
Recent custom construction three bedroom, two bath home on a beautiful, rolling 40 acres in Northern Marquette County MLS#: 1113199 $399,900 ROB SULLIVAN
TBD Silver Creek Rd, Marquette
Nice residential 2.5 acre lot with almost 450 feet frontage on Silver Creek. $70,000 MLS#: 1106565 BOB SULLIVAN
N10368 Lake Road, Ironwood
Lovely three bedroom/two bath turnkey home in a great Ironwood location
$106,000 MLS#: 1109786 SUE FELDHAUSER
3304 Castile Road, Wakefield
Nearly 40 acres located on M95 with a scenic overlook of the area that could make it a very nice site for your home or recreational building $37,000 MLS#: 1112675 BOB ANDERSON / DON WILLSON
23 Acres, Co Rd KCB, Big Bay
23 acre parcel just across the road from Lake Independence near Big Bay. It lies on a County Road that is paved with power and maintained year round.
40 Acres, Whitefish Access Road, Kiva
40 acre parcel of upland terrain with a nice mix of woods and a secluded location with good road access
$33,500 MLS#: 1107617 BOB SULLIVAN
$39,500 MLS#: 1111574 ROB SULLIVAN
W9614 US-2 Highway, Naubinway
39 Acres, Shultz Road, Ralph
Remodeled and renovated three bedroom home with gardens galore with new oversized garage
Stunning turnkey home situated on the Black River just east of Naubinway on US2
$105,000 MLS#: 1110852 SUE FELDHAUSER
$199,900 MLS#: 1111006 SUE FELDHAUSER
2082 Dishno Road, Champion
TBD Dalton Road, Skandia
Great home or cabin site featuring frontage on both Shultz Road and County Road 426 bordering thousands of acres of State land
$35,900 MLS#: 1105367 BOB SULLIVAN
NEW LISTING!
34 Acres, M95, Republic
Excellent building site just south of Republic on over 34 acres with highway frontage and utilities on M-95 that used to be old pasture land.
14490 Taylor Dam Road, Seney
$39,000 MLS#: 1113121 ROB SULLIVAN
Gorgeous Retreat/Cottage/ Home on pristine Brocky Lake. $249,900 MLS#: 1110548 BRIAN OLSON
Outstanding Skandia hunting property or affordable big acreage building site adjoining a large tract of CFA Land and cornering USA Forest Property
Secluded cabin 12 miles North of Seney overlooking a semi private lake with 90 acres for year around outdoor enjoyment.
$39,000 MLS#: 1107779 BRIAN OLSON
$199,000 MLS#: 1112622 DON WILLSON / BOB ANDERSON
Lot D, Perch Lake, Republic
2500 Co Rd 557, Arnold
TBD Co Rd CCT, Ishpeming
1168 N Winters Road, Trenary
330 feet of frontage and 6 acres on Perch Lake near Republic
$74,900 MLS#: 1079882 BOB SULLIVAN
Camp with point well, septic, indoor bath and adjoining sauna, shower, and two bunk rooms on 30 acres near Arnold, ATV trails, the migration trails, and the famous Ford River.
$79,900 MLS#: 1111325 BOB SULLIVAN
Modified ‘A’ Frame style camp/cottage on a 26 acre wilderness setting overlooking the meandering Escanaba River. The perfect getaway for hunting or just spending quiet time relaxing.
$84,900 MLS#: 1112884 BOB ANDERSON / DON WILLSON
Certified organic sugar bush / country farm with a spacious log home on 110 acres!
$519,000 MLS#: 1110497 BRIAN OLSON
280 acre Southern Menominee County hunting acreage with a cabin and pole building with 1/2 mile of road frontage on Million Dollar Road, a paved year round County Road, with power $438,000 MLS#: 1111504 PRICE ROB SULLIVAN REDUCED
W4349 Million Dollar Road, Menominee
Love the Land!
Bob Sullivan
Associate Broker/ Owner Cell: 906-361-4212
Rob Sullivan
Associate Broker, Office Manager Cell: 906-362-3337
Brian Olson
Associate Broker Cell: 906-869-6446
Sue Feldhauser Agent Cell: 906-360-2891
Charles Drury Agent Cell: 906-235-3198
Bob Anderson Agent Cell: 906-362-8388
Don Willson
Agent Cell: 906-202-0457
Toll-free 1-866-231-LAND • www.northernmichiganlandbrokers.com • 2552• 2552 USUS 4141West, Marquette 906-225-LAND (5263) • www.northernmichiganlandbrokers.com • www.premiumupproperties.com West, Marquette