The Premier Name in Real Estate185 Clinton Avenue, Cortland, NY 13045

HOURS: MON.-FRI. 8:30AM-5:00PM, SAT. 9AM-1PMOR CALL FOR AN APPOINTMENT!(607) 753-9644

For a complete list of homes for sale, visit:www.yaman.com

Custom home set on13+ acres.

MLS #S1131447$142,000

Call Tim Alger

SOLON

Fully rented3 unit.

MLS #S1237217$115,000

Call Pamela Williams

CORTLAND

Serene andpeaceful setting.MLS #S1197820

$399,999Call Terry Howell

LAPEER

HistoricBennett Hotel.MLS #S1231686

$84,500Call Ashley Warfield

CINCINNATUS

Large one floorliving.

MLS #S1251120$134,900

Call Pamela Cullip

CORTLAND

Brand new home with a view and acreage.

MLS #S1237805$265,000

Call Pamela Cullip

CINCINNATUS

Greatproject house.

MLS #S1238226$43,995

Call Pamela Cullip

FREETOWN

Great commuterlocation.

MLS #S1240471$159,900

Call Susan Briggs

CORTLAND

Views withprivate ponds.MLS #S1232124

$399,000Call Pamela Williams

HOMER

Covered porchto enjoy views. MLS #S1231648

$249,000Call Tracy Koenig

CINCINNATUS

Move-in conditionquality living.

MLS #S1250517$218,000

Call Tim Alger

CORTLAND

Cute Cape Codstyle home.

MLS #S1198996$69,900

Call Tim Alger

CORTLAND

Camp nestled on8+ acres.

MLS #S1232127$94,900

Call Pamela Williams

DeRUYTER

Lots ofstorage space.MLS #S1251924

$129,900Call Tracy Koenig

TULLY

Completelyremodeled ranch.

MLS #S1251516$139,900

Call Sandy Ludwig

CORTLAND

Absolutely gorgeouslog cabin home.MLS #S1244233

$249,900Call Jamie Yaman

CORTLAND

Extra largemaster bedroom.

MLS #S1196638$210,000

Call Pamela Cullip

VIRGIL

Easy walk toMain Street.

MLS #S1155826$86,500

Call Tim Alger

CORTLAND

Custom-builthome.

MLS #S1130258$499,000

Call Tim Alger

CORTLANDVILLE

Customizingthese plans.

MLS #S1176644$235,000

Call Jamie Yaman

CORTLANDVILLE

Enjoy the process of assisting in the build.

MLS #S1176641$245,000

Call Jamie Yaman

CORTLANDVILLE

Sits upon nearly70 fabulous acres.

MLS #S1243211$259,900

Call Tim Alger

RICHFORD

Bright andspacious living. MLS #S1249592

$124,900Call Karina Murphy

CUYLER

2 Car attachedgarage & a barn.MLS #S1247349

$265,000Call Connie Mack

CORTLAND

Our mission at Yaman Real Estate is to be the most respected, reliable, and effective real estate service provider available.

Wonderfulvillage home.

MLS #S1253420$179,900

Call Karina Murphy

HOMER

2 Unithome.

MLS #S1253968$70,000

Call Pamela Cullip

CORTLAND

Finished basementspace.

MLS #S1253964$95,000

Call Pamela Cullip

CORTLAND

NEW

LISTIN

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EW

LISTIN

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TOP AGENT OF PERFORMER THE MONTH

TracyKoenig

Salesperson423-9745

LindaMuirheadSalesperson423-4256

SandyLudwig

Assoc. Broker745-5181

SusanBriggs

Assoc. Broker745-3355

KarinaMurphy

Salesperson379-9815

JamieYaman

Principal Broker423-1369

SteveCinquantiAssoc.Broker/

Commercial Sales423-7800

NickiWynn

Assoc. BrokerSales Manager745-3942

CELEBRATING70 YEARS

WITH YAMAN REAL ESTATE

Great investmentproperty.

MLS #S1231253$64,900

Call Pamela Cullip

MARATHON

Two forone!

MLS #S1225408$146,000

Call Nicki Wynn

HOMER

PamWilliamsSalesperson745-3731

Pamela Cullip

Salesperson261-0439

Sue Sherman-Broyles

Salesperson227-0532

NEW

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NEW

PRICE

NEW

PRICE

Constance MackAssoc. Broker745-8802

JoanPlew

Assoc. Broker275-7072

AshleyWarfield

Salesperson745-8531

IngridDunham

Salesperson591-9216

Spaciousbrick ranch.

MLS #S1253316$189,900

Call Nicki Wynn

CORTLAND

True countryliving.

MLS #S1244041$68,000

Call Tim Alger

CINCINNATUS

Privately locatedproperty.

MLS #S1239083$59,000

Call Tracy Koenig

CINCINNATUS

NEW

PRICE

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TimAlger

Assoc. Broker423-6174

Terry HowellAssoc. Broker423-2385

EstateCortland StandardReal

Thursday, March 12,

2020

Featured HomeNestled in a park-like setting on nearly 4 acres, bordering the river is where you’ll �nd this spacious brick ranch offering lots of versatile living area. Currently offering an in-law suite with a separate drive and entrance that features one bedroom, a full bath, kitchen, living room and laundry, this space could be converted into additional living area, a master suite, home office, whatever you need. The main house offers 3 bedrooms with a master bedroom, an open kitchen and living room. All this with a three car garage with a half bath. Priced to sell, be sure to see it soon! $189,900 ~ MLS# S1253316. Call Nicki Wynn, Lic. Assoc. RE Broker, Sales Manager, at (c) 607-745-3942 for more information and/or an appointment. For more listings see our ad below.

– 2021 E. River Rd., Cortland

Featured Listings

YamanReal Estate

HageReal Estate

HeritageRealty

Howard HannaReal Estate

2A — Cortland Standard, Thursday, March 12, 2020 Real Estate

Jerry HartnettLic. Assoc. RE Broker

Jason HageLic. Assoc. RE Broker

Marie FerroLic. RE Slsp.

Deanna DaleyLic. RE Slsp.

Sean MackLic. Assoc. RE Broker

John AspinwallLic. RE Slsp.

Jaimie Beers Lic. RE Slsp.

Mike Hartnett Lic. RE Slsp.

Neb HagePrincipal Broker

4070 West Road (Rte. 281), Cortland, NY 13045607-753-6766

1037 OLD STAGE RD.2 Bedrooms/2 BathsCompletely remodeled!

Master suite, new appliances2-car garage, private 2+ acres

$79,900MLS# S1250935

Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

GROTON

23 PENDLETON ST.3 Bedrooms/2 Baths

Completely remodeledCeramic tile, new counters

1st �. laundry, 2-tier deck & more!$109,900

MLS# S1229801Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

CORTLAND

17 HAMLIN ST.4 Bedrooms/2.5 BathsRemarkable West-end home!

Big modern kitchen, 2nd �. laundryFinished attic w/BR & ½ BA

$125,000MLS# S1237715

Call Marie c. 607-423-0888

CORTLAND

44 MADISON ST.4 Bedrooms/2 BathsWest-end brick ColonialHW �oors, 1st �. laundry

Private yard, garage & more$129,900

MLS# S1247199Call Jerry c. 607-423-4278

CORTLAND

5 HICKORY PARK RD.4 Bedrooms/1.5 BathsBeautiful raised ranchNew appliances, office

Large deck & fenced yard$159,900

MLS# S1245494Call Jerry c. 607-423-4278

CORTLAND

3 PARKWOOD DR.4 Bedrooms/3.5 Baths

Stunning ColonialDreamy kitchen w/double ovenHuge patio, workshop & more!

$285,900MLS# S1248334

Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

CORTLAND

5 MARA LANE3 Bedrooms/2 BathsMove-in ready & pristine!Huge family room w/FP

1st �. laundry, tons of storage$175,000

MLS# S1253948Call Mary Lee c. 585-729-2645

MARATHON

HOMER VILLAGEN. WEST ST.

4.1 AcresEntrances from Rt. 41 & 281

So many possibilites!$102,500

MLS# S1238273Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

COMMERCIAL LAND

TEAM HAGE...Top Agents – Top Service

We Sell Results –Not Promises!

For Full Details ofHomes For Sale, Visit

www.hagerealestate.com

HAGEREAL ESTATE

SOLD on Cortland County!

JoAnn ZechLic. Assoc. RE Broker

Mary Lee FaucherLic. RE Slsp.

25 WEST MAIN ST.3 Bedrooms/1.5 Baths

Character & charm!Formal DR, LR & FR

Newer furnace & central air$120,000

MLS# S1252995Call John c. 607-745-8748

CORTLAND

1900 EAST RIVER RD.3 Bedrooms/2 Baths

Spacious open concept1st �. laundry, 500 sq. ft. addition

7 acres of wildlife views$149,900

MLS# S1253834Call Jaimie c. 607-283-6324

CORTLAND

NEW

LIST

ING

6917 N. GLEN HAVEN RD.3 Bedrooms/2 BathsRight on water’s edge!

Large LR, DR, eat-in kitchenBoat house, front deck,

2nd �oor deck & much more!MLS# S1212904

Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

SKANEATELES LAKE

434 SPAFFORD LANDING RD.4 Bedrooms/2.5 Baths

Spectacular lake homeYear-round living!

HW �oors, cozy �replace2 Decks, 2-car garage & MORE

MLS# S1210130Call Jason c. 607-283-6200

SKANEATELES LAKE

NEW

LIST

ING

NEW

LIST

ING

NEW

LIST

ING

NEW

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CONGRATULATIONSTo The Top Agents for February,

John and Jaimie!

Yaman Featured Property

NEW LISTING! 1 John St., Homer. Welcome to this wonder-ful village home on a quiet neighborhood street! Enter into a beautiful tiled breezeway. This room leads you to the area of your choice: the large 2 car garage, the expansive fenced-in backyard or the lovely updated kitchen with which you will immediately fall in love. The house boasts hardwood �oors, newer windows, 3 bedrooms and 2 full baths. A large base-ment provides even more room to enjoy. The sliding glass door in the dining room opens to a terri�c deck, perfect for your 3 season barbecuing! MLS# S1253420. $179,900. Call Karina Murphy, Lic. RE Slsp., 607-379-9815.

Howard Hanna Featured Property

AMAZING 3 BEDROOM, 1.5 bath, raised ranch, in a rural area with 2 acres. Enjoy the views and wildlife. Bonus room the size of the bedrooms. Detached workshop that includes 1 car space. There is an estimated 17 acres across the road up for sale for $35,000 (see vacant land listing) subject to Cayuga County subdivision approval. Furnace is a wood/oil combo. Taxes are not accurate because it’s based on the full 105.5 acres and home. MLS# S1241527 $245,000. Anita Bryan, Lic. RE Salesperson 607-220-4727. For other listings, call Howard Hanna Real Estate Services at 607-257-0800.

Real Estate CornerCortland CountyBoard of Realtors

Cortland County Board of Realtors® — The Voice of Real Estate

As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, your energy bill gets bigger. Take advantage of these tips to reduce the energy consumed in your home as spring and summer approach.

Daylight saving time is here. With it comes longer, hotter days that can drastically affect your energy bill. Here are some creative tips to help you save money for the spring and summer months ahead.

Take advanTage of The exTra Sun

Natural light is a great way to reduce your energy costs. Instead of hiding behind closed blinds, open them up and let the sunlight brighten your home. When your air conditioner is on, keep your blinds closed during the day to lower the temperature of your home.

keep Your Cool

Find your threshold for cool air and set the tem-perature accordingly. As a basis, 78˚ when you’re at home and 85˚ when you’re not is a good way to lower costs. Also, to maximize the effectiveness of your unit, don’t forget to change your air filters and clear any vent blockages.

fanS are Your friendS

One of the biggest contributors to your energy bill is your air conditioner. Turn it off completely and cool down your home with window, ceiling and whole-house fans for big savings.

Turn down The heaT

Water heaters account for about 18% of your home energy costs. Lowering the temperature on your unit to around 120˚ will help reduce how much energy it consumes.

Seal Your houSe

Weather stripping, caulking windows and sealing air leaks will keep the cold air in and the hot air out. This trick will benefit your heating costs in the cold

Energy tips for daylight saving time

American Home ShieldSimple steps can help you keep your energy bill down.See ENERGY, page 4A

By GARY M. SiNGERSun Sentinel (TNS)

Q: We purchased our home several years ago. The inspection found water damage to the floor, and the seller decided to replace most of the flooring in the house before closing. The laminate is now bubbling, and the tile is losing large chunks of the grout. We expect some issues in an older home but are concerned with all the prob-lems popping up. What can we do? — Jennifer

A: When you enter a purchase contract, you should always have a thorough inspection of the home you are going to buy.

Depending on the terms of your agreement, your seller may have the option to fix the problem, give you the funds to fix things at clos-ing, or decline and allow you to cancel the deal.

For most issues, I recommend taking a credit against the purchase price and fixing it yourself. When we bought our home, our seller insisted on fixing the few problems that we identified, and they did a great job — real pride of ownership — but people like that are rare in my experience.

Typically, they will fix the issues for as little cost as possible. If the seller does insist on fixing the problem, as might be their right, you

Who is responsible for damage to repairs made by home seller?

See SELLER, page 4A

++

Cortland Standard, Thursday, March 12, 2020 — 3AReal Estate

By R. Daniel FosteRlos angeles times (tns)

Who knows if the groovy 1963 and ’75 Volkswagen buses driven by twins Leslie Davis and Lyndsay Lamb con-tribute to their stellar success in real estate? Such vintage vehicles are trea-sured by hipsters (if sometimes ironi-cally) in the Pacific Northwest, home to their new HGTV show “Unsellable Houses.”

Or maybe they’re just reminders that something rehabbed and updated can look outta sight. The real estate mavens are experts in transforming tired homes that won’t bust out of listings into siz-zlers that sail off the market within days. They founded their Mill Creek, Wash., firm Lamb Real Estate in 2009.

The whip-smart sisters — Lamb handles design and renovation, while Davis negotiates and crunches numbers — banter, bicker and offer up blunt as-sessments to homeowners, always with good humor. The twins’ show premiered Feb. 4.

They also lead an exuberant car-pool karaoke in those classic VWs. We caught up with Lamb as she piloted the ’63 bus to an appointment; her sister joined in from their Mill Creek office.

Q: According to Zillow, the average days on market for U.S. homes is about 82. What’s the average for Snohomish County, north of Seattle, where you do business?

leslie: We’re at about 28 days, and for our company, it’s 13 days for list-ings across the board. Days on market is incredibly important, especially in a market like ours where it’s expected that your home will sell quickly. When you have a house that sits, buyers start to as-sume that something’s wrong so they discount things, ask for concessions.

Q: What’s your formula for ensuring that your homes sell in less than two weeks?

lyndsay: We are adamant about not rushing a listing. We get homeown-ers all the time that say, “Just throw my house on the market and then put up pictures, or then come in and stage it.” You only get one chance to make a first impression with a buyer. With the short days on the market, houses move

so quickly.Q: How does today’s swipe-right,

swipe-left culture affect home buying and selling?

lyndsay: We watch buyers do that constantly in our office. They sit there and say, “Oooh, I love this house.” Or they swipe right past if it doesn’t catch their attention. It’s that feeling they get from a first online look. That first im-pression is everything. Buyers feel em-powered to find a home themselves, do the research themselves, and it’s so fun and rewarding nowadays with all of the cool apps. We have to make sure list-

ings are going to stop and get their at-tention.

Q: You offer a sweet deal to cash-strapped owners: You front renovation costs, and also guarantee both a sales price and that the home will sell within 30 days. If it sells for more than the list price, you split that extra profit with the seller.

leslie: We’ve been doing this awhile and it’s worked out great. We show them the facts and comps and it’s kind of a no-brainer. More often than not, we’re able to sell homes for an extra $10,000 to $15,000, sometimes substantially

more, and that’s when it really pays off for all of us.

Q: Millennial buyers often look for daring decor elements, such as a risky color. How have you catered to that market?

lyndsay: Yellow and orange doors, and we just did one that was pink that people freaked out over. It was a really fun risk to take and it was a really good place to do it. The home sold in less than a weekend.

Q: Is it hard for sellers to detach from questionable decor, to realize that getting top dollar means treating their

home sale as a pure business transac-tion?

lyndsay: More often than not we get people who say, “Well, that’s so easy to fix, why can’t the buyer do it? It’s just paint.” We have to tell them, “Well, yours isn’t the only house they have an option to purchase. So you need to re-move that obstacle for them.” Now, a roof or foundation — they get that they have to fix that. But the cosmetic stuff they think, “What’s the big deal?” So we kind of just want to say, “Yeah. We know. That’s why we want you to fix it first.”

HGTV’s ‘Unsellable Houses’ isturning stale homes into sizzlers

HGTVTwins Lyndsay Lamb, left, and Leslie Davis have a new HGTV show, “Unsellable Houses.”

By J.D. Capeloutothe atlanta Journal-Consti-

tution (tns)Nestled in a wooded RV park

south of Atlanta, Larry Single-ton’s home stands out. With its beige wooden siding, exterior shutters and a metal roof, it’s technically not an RV. This is a tiny home.

Singleton lives his life in just 230 square feet, and at the fore-front of what he sees as a grow-ing real estate trend.

“I absolutely love it,” said Singleton, 67. “I have every-thing I need here.”

Construction is starting this month in Clarkston, Ga., on what developers said is the first “tiny home neighborhood” in the state: eight smaller-than-normal houses sharing a half-acre lot and surrounding a common yard area. The “tiny home move-ment” has not become wide-spread since it began more than 10 years ago, but proponents are hoping the time is coming for the industry.

“Everybody ran into the prob-lem that I had, with finding a place to park it,” Singleton said, explaining why he ended up sur-rounded by campers.

As home prices rise in met-ros across the country, some see downsizing as the answer. But analysts said developers will continue to face challenges as they navigate decades-old zon-ing laws written for large, sin-gle-family homes. Tiny homes also tend to be more expensive per square foot than bigger ones. But even with all that, little home neighborhoods present a possible avenue for addressing soaring home prices that leave some out of ownership.

“It’s going to become more popular. It’s going to be driv-ing a lot,” said Will Johnston, the founder and executive di-rector of the MicroLife Insti-tute, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that promotes minimalism and tiny houses. “We can make new rules.”

Johnston’s organization is be-hind The Cottages on Vaughan tiny home project in Clarkston,

which city officials approved last May. The homes range in size from 250 to 500 square feet, and could cost between $130,000 and $140,000, John-ston said. When it was given the green light, the MicroLife Institute said the development would be the first neighborhood of homes under 500 square feet to be sold in Georgia.

The houses will have cov-ered porches and a studio-like feel inside — one bedroom, one bathroom and an open space that includes a kitchen, dining area

and living space. They also have storage space in a loft. Outside, the homes have lawns and a shared green space and fire pit.

And they’re in very high de-mand. Johnston said they have 800 people on a list of those in-terested in the homes, and some have already been pre-approved for the eight under construction. Weather permitting, developers hope to have the neighborhood open in the next six months.

But some tiny home fans, like

Tiny homes, big ideas: Finding a place for downsized dwellings

see tinY, page 4a

4A — Cortland Standard, Thursday, March 12, 2020 Real Estate

CORTLAND

19 .48 A c r e sVery private, peaceful. Home needs

work, has good bones. Lot of wild life and back of home has beautiful views.

** Shuryl Menapacec.607.423.3842

MLS 401154/S1245435 $99,000

C O RTLAND

Looking for a quality o�ce space with some perks? Search no further.

�is Parcel consists of 3 buildings.***Kevin Brady & Amy Cobb***

c.607.220.8187MLS 401207/S1247673 $310,000

Qua l i t y O f f i c e

***Assoc. R.E. Broker **R.E. SalespersonMLS # IBR/CBR*Money Back Guarantee, certain restrictions apply.

Cayuga Lake Views & Access, this home has a touch of elegance, yet the

comfort of home.*** Jolene Rightmyer-Macolini

c.607.339.1559MLS 304594/S1041296 $798,000

A P r od uc t o f L o v e

C O RT LAND

Sp a c e f o r E v e r y one2.36 Acres of land & Garage/barn.

Converted from single family to mul-tiple rental or Student housing

*** Amy Cobbc.607.423.6766

MLS 316723/S1187456 $149,000

CORTLAND

Stunning Sunsets, Hope Lake and Valley Views. Year-around activities;

Skiing/Water Park. *** Jolene Rightmyer-Macolini

c.607.339.1559MLS 317664/S1201390 $290,000

Greek Peak Tow nh ome

CORTLAND

Recent metal roof, Granite counter, new cabinets, large over sized yard.

*** Brian DeYoungc.607.275.1234

MLS 400644 $147,750

More Space f o r L e s s

C O RTLAN D

Property with old manufacturing buildings and two ponds. Many

possible uses.** Charla Hayes c.607.279.0501

MLS 400998/S1239634 $230,000

3 5 + A c r e

36 Main Street, Cortland, NY 130452333 N Triphammer Road Suite 1 and 710 Hancock Street Ithaca, NY 14850

607-257-0800Dr yden

Custom built ranch situated o� the road on 32 acres. Views in every direc-

tion, and such a sense of peace *** Joan Portzline

c.607.227.4219MLS 401277/1248468 $280,000

Pr i v a c y i n Pa r ad i s e

Look for the "MBG" to indicate participating properties!

Look for the "MBG" to indicate participating properties!If the buyer of a guaranteed home listed by Howard Hanna is not satis�ed, we will buy back the home for 100% of it’s purchased price. *Certain restrictions apply.

�e Leader in Real Estate Technology.HowardHanna.com/GoGreen

CHOOSE #1Look for the “HSA” to indicate participating Home Warranty properties!

Look for the "MBG" to indicate participating properties!If the buyer of a guaranteed home listed by Howard Hanna is not satisfied, we will buy back the home for 100% of it’s purchased price. *Certain restrictions apply.

Look for the “HSA” to indicate participating Home Warranty properties!

FIND IT FIRST™Before it’s listed anywhere else,get exclusive access straight from the source.Move Faster at: HowardHanna.com/FindItFirst

LANSING DRYDENCORTLANDVILLE

NEWFIELD FREEVILLE GROTON McGRAW

Hage Featured Property

NEW LISTING – CHARMING WEST-END HOME You’ll �nd character galore in this 3 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom home located on the west end. Features include formal dining room, living room, family room, tons of natural woodwork, stained glass, central air, newer furnace & more! Must see for yourself. ~ $120,000 ~ MLS# S1252995. 25 West Main St., Cortland. Call John Aspinwall, Lic. RE Slsp., c. 607-745-8748, Hage Real Estate. For this listing and others visit www.hagerealestate.com or call 607-753-6766.

Heritage Featured Property

315 Southworth Rd., Dryden. $269,900. Welcome to this modern Cape Cod style home, situated on 5.05 acres with picturesque views! This Cape boasts a bright open �oor plan with beautiful views from every room. The front door welcomes you into the open LR, �owing into the eat-in kitchen, equipped with elegant cabinetry and a large island. Adjacent to the kitchen is the laundry room, one full BA and the spacious master suite. The master BR features a luxurious soaking tub with pillars for spa like relaxation in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy a cup of coffee, read a book, indulge in yoga and enjoy grilling all summer long on the large deck. The second level includes a half BA and two large BR that have been freshly painted. Conveniently located just minutes from Cornell, skiing, gol�ng, shopping and more. This home won’t last long, schedule a showing today! MLS#:S1254685. Call Carrie White, Lic. RE Salesperson, 607-299-0906, at Heritage Realty. For this listing and more visit www.hometoheritage.com. Heritage Realty, 607-428-0708 office.

Singleton, choose to take mat-ters into their own hands — liter-ally. Over the course of two sum-mers he built his home, which is on wheels but can be put on a foundation, designing it down to the half-inch. He had built and designed custom homes for 20 years, but his business failed during the 2008 recession so he began teaching construction at a high school.

Since moving into his tiny home in 2018, he now enjoys a fairly normal retirement, if on a smaller scale. He called his home a “labor of love” with a “man-cave-chic” design. The interior amenities in-clude a washer and dryer, full-size refrigerator, television and pullout couch. He’s gotten so passionate about the shift toward downsizing that he now serves on the board of the MicroLife Institute.

The “tiny house movement” began to gain mainstream mo-mentum about 10 years ago and even inspired television shows like “Tiny House Nation” and “Tiny House Hunters.”

But experts estimate tiny homes still account for a — well, tiny — percentage of U.S. home sales. The median size of a com-pleted single-family house in the county was almost 2,400 square feet in 2018, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates.

One roadblock is the current state of zoning laws. Many lo-cal ordinances are geared toward larger, traditional houses, making it more difficult for developers who want to build unconvention-al tiny home projects like the one in Clarkston, Johnston said.

“I know some builders that have been trying to get rezoning and approval from various municipali-ties, but it’s been slow-going,” said Eugene James, the regional direc-tor for real estate analysis com-pany Metrostudy. “They’re not sure how to handle it, so are the municipalities ready to tackle this issue? No, not in my opinion.”

While tiny homes and their lower prices offer more afford-able entry into home ownership, the price per square foot can be more expensive than their more spacious counterparts. But James thinks there is “enough demand to support more of these tiny homes cottages or villages.”

Since the Clarkston project was approved, Johnston has seen interest grow for similar projects. Last month, he said, 70 people from around the country at-tended a workshop where John-ston spoke about how to develop “pocket neighborhoods.”

But even the biggest tiny home fans know that downsizing is not for everyone.

“There need to be more op-tions,” Johnston said. “We are not telling anybody ... to live in a smaller box. We are trying to pave the way.”

TINYcontinued from page 3A

should have the repairs thor-oughly inspected before the closing and make sure that any warranty will transfer to you.

Unless you can show that your seller hid something from you, such as a leaking floor that was not disclosed, you will have a hard time holding them respon-sible.

You should check to see if the repairs had a warranty and if it is

transferrable to you. If you can-not find it, reach out to the seller and contractor for information.

If none of this works, and there were no hidden defects, you may need to make the re-pairs yourself.

I have also found that when things like this start to happen, it is better to get your home back in good shape sooner than later.

Waiting often causes a dom-ino effect making the eventual repair even more expensive.

———ABOUT THE WRITER

Gary M. Singer is a Florida attorney and board-certified as an expert in real estate law by the Florida Bar. He practices real estate, business litigation and contract law from his of-fice in Sunrise, Fla. He is the chairman of the Real Estate Section of the Broward County Bar Association and is a co-host of the weekly radio show Legal News and Review. He

frequently consults on gen-eral real estate matters and trends in Florida with various companies across the nation. Send him questions online at www.sunsentinel.com/askpro or follow him on Twitter @GarySingerLaw.

SELLERcontinued from page 2A

By JIm BUcHTAStar Tribune (minneapolis)

(TNS)MINNEAPOLIS — Apart-

ment developers in the Twin Cit-ies are accustomed to ginning up out-of-the-box amenities aimed at wooing renters and setting themselves apart in an increas-ingly competitive market. That includes decked-out dog spas, catering kitchens and refriger-ated drop boxes for package de-livery.

Twin Cities-based Newport Midwest hopes to offer some-thing unique in this market with its plans for Agra, an income-re-stricted 171-unit rental building in Minneapolis that will include a 5,000-square-foot hydroponic greenhouse to be run by a third-party operator who will return 40% of its harvest to residents and the neighborhood.

Claire VanderEyk, senior de-velopment associate at Newport

Midwest, an affiliate of Califor-nia-based Newport Partners, said the idea was driven by a need to innovate and a desire to “create what we know how to do best, and take it a step forward.”

Last year the company opened Hook & Ladder in northeast Minneapolis, which is being called the first apartment build-ing in the state built to Passive House Institute U.S. standards for energy efficiency.

The company took control of the site in November. In Janu-ary, VanderEyk and nearly a half-dozen associates, includ-ing a team of designers from Collage Architects, gathered in a conference room to discuss ways of reducing the limitations of the small site, which is now home to a shuttered Perkins res-taurant.

Key questions were how to maximize the density of the planned seven-story building

while including features that set the building apart and bol-ster the sense of community in Seward, a neighborhood that already has several community-minded businesses, including the Seward Community Co-op.

Pete Keely, president of Col-lage, initially suggested a gar-den.

“Then I built off that idea,” VanderEyk said.

In income-restricted build-ings, many residents are over-scheduled and already strug-gling to make ends meet, so the group expressed concern about creating what could become just another obligation for residents.

“But we wanted to do it in a big way,” she said. “The last thing I wanted to do was put more pressure on them to create gardens and maintain them.”

And then there was the issue of the small site. A large garden would mean a smaller building

footprint, so the group moved the garden to the roof. VanderEyk said she was inspired by Arbor House, an affordable project in the Bronx that also uses energy from the sun to grow vegetables in water rather than soil.

She started consulting with the team on that project to learn more about how it works. To avoid burdening residents and to make good on the promise to help supply residents and neigh-bors with produce, they decid-ed the farm would be run by a third-party operator. They have been consulting with Matt Weed of Weed’s Greens in Mendota Heights, who is also the pre-ferred operator. That selection won’t be made until later in the municipal approvals process, which has just begun. The group will present its plans to the Min-neapolis Planning Commis-sion’s committee of the whole this week.

Looking for next-level amenities with your rental? How about a rooftop farm? winter months as well.

Strategically run your

applianceSRunning the dishwasher and

dryer during the day increases the temperature of your home. Wait until the sun goes down to do the dishes and laundry so your air conditioner won’t have to work as hard to cool your home. Washing your clothes in cold water helps lower costs,

as does unplugging electronics when they aren’t in use.

Fire up the grill

Need an excuse to spend more time manning the BBQ? Grilling outdoors, as opposed to using your oven, also reduc-es the heat of your home.

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