Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E1

• •www.homeandrealtyguide.com Saturday, December 18, 2010 Reporter-Herald

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Inside this week’s Home & Real Estate

Featur edHome Plan

Mesa Verdeexudes

simplicity

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Front RangeGar dening

Carol O’Meara onthe psychological powerof floral arrangements

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Real EstateMatters

Work withlender forexact rate

� See GLINK/Page E3

ILY C E GLINKTRIBUNE MEDIA SE RV I C E S

Question: I am struggling tofind some of the rates youhave discussed forrefinance. Do you mind

passing me a couple of sites?Answer: All of the major lenders

are now offering similarly greatrates, although they jumped upquite recently. But to get the bestinformation, you’ll need to call sev-eral different types of lenders inyour area, as well as searching on-line.

Call your real estate agent andask for some referrals to greatmortgage brokers. Talk to at leastfour or five different types oflenders, including a credit union (ifyou belong to one or can join one),a big box lender and a small localbank, and then compare loans,costs, fees and interest rates.

If you’re searching the internetfor rates on home mortgages, youcan take a look at the big boxlender sites, along with aggregatorsor mortgage portals likeBankRate.com or Zillow.com orQuickenLoans.com. These sitescan be a guide for you, but remem-ber that the rates on these sitesmight be stale by the time you calla local lender, mortgage broker orcredit union, or you may not quali-fy for the best loan programs.

Finally, watch out for lenders thatadvertise mortgage interest ratesthat seem way below rates quotedelsewhere; it’s possible that theirrates are that low because you paytons of other fees to get the loan.In effect, you get the lower rate,but you’re paying up front for theprivilege of getting that low rate.Make sure you shop, compare andbecome knowledgeable about themortgage process.

Homeowners interested in refi-nancing need to understand thatinterest rates on home loans canfluctuate from day to day, and evenseveral times in a day. On a recentWednesday, the bond market expe-rienced a massive selloff and mort-gage interest rates jumped morethan a quarter of a percent in a sin-gle day.

So if you read one of my columnsand it mentions an interest rate,that rate may have gone up ordown between the time I wrote itand the time you read it.

In general, if you have a greatcredit history and a high creditscore, you’ll get a lower interestrate than if your credit history andcredit score are worse. When Iquote an interest rate, it’s general-ly the interest rate for those withthe best credit history, sufficientcash and income, and a propertywith at least 20 percent in equity.

Question: I have a 30-year mort-gage held by the former owner ofmy house that is at 8 percent inter-est. I paid $63,000 for the propertyoriginally, and my year-end loan

Wav e r i n g

ALAN J. HE AV E N SMCCL AT C H Y-TRIBUNE

The housing downturn thatbegan in 2005, 2006 or2007 — depending on loca-

tion — has tested the mettle ofthe economists whose job it is tofigure out when and how the cri-sis will end.

Some economists argue, andwith considerable justification,that government interference inthe real estate market has madepredicting the date of recoveryfrom difficult to impossible.

That government interferencemanifested itself primarily in theFederal Reserve’s purchase ofmortgages from Fannie Mae andFreddie Mac, which affected in-terest rates until the programended March 31.

The federal tax credits forhome buyers, which boosted salesfor more than a year, added tothe confusion. The tax benefitkicked housing sales into gear;the end of the credit put thehousing market back on life sup-port.

“We misjudged the impact ofthe two tax credits,” saideconomist Patrick Newport ofIHS Global Insight Inc. “We ex-pected the credits to both shiftdemand and increase sales andstarts. It appears that the taxcredits mostly shifted activity.”

The level of interference is nowmuch lower, and a clearer pictureof the market is emerging, allow-ing economists, as well as civil-ians, the opportunity to predictwith a bit more accuracy.

The “when” remains difficult topin down, although the nonpro-fessionals — typical homeownersand renters — believe they havethe answer.

Recovery will occur anywherefrom 2012 to 2015 and even lat-er, according to most of the2,000 homeowners and renterssurveyed by Harris Interactive inN o v e m b e r.

The survey, commissioned byreal estate search engine Truliaand foreclosure-tracker Realty-Trac Inc., found that just 4percent thought the markethad recovered already.

“Sellers and buyers aretamping down their expecta-tions for a swift recovery inthe housing market andbracing themselves for along, slow climb back toa healthy real estate mar-ke t , ” said Trulia Chief Ex-ecutive Officer PeterFlint.

“Government incen-tives have come and gone, andhistoric lows in interest rateshave done little to spur recovery,”he said.

From the responses, Flint saidconsumers have a “What’s next?”attitude, “since they have lostfaith in banks and their govern-ment to make good decisions.”

What it will take for a marketturnaround is a much easierquestion to have answered by theeconomists.

“On the face of it, getting thehousing market to recover isquite easy, since it’s well-estab-lished what drives housing,” saideconomist Kevin Gillen, vice pres-ident of Econsult Inc., ofPhiladelphia.

That is, “You take a reasonablelevel of home building costs,combine household incomegrowth with job growth, throw ina good dash of accessible mort-gage credit, and presto: You have

a robust housing mar-ke t , ” Gillen said.

All the governmentneeds to do is reduceunemployment, growthe economy and keepinflation — and henceinterest rates — incheck, and housing willbegin to recover.

“Of course, this should remindyou of Steve Martin’s old routineabout his foolproof two-step planto make a million dollars tax-free. ’Step One: Get your handson a million dollars,’ “ Gillensaid.

So, given that unemploymentrose in recent weeks, credit re-mains tight for buyers as well asthe typical home builder, and 30-year fixed-interest rates haverisen in the past few weeks, Mar-tin’s way is still the better bet.

Rates rose, said Freddie Macchief economist Frank Nothaft,“after Europe made strides in itsdebt situation,” allowing in-vestors to leave the security ofU.S. Treasury debt, causing bondyields and mortgage rates to rise.

“Key macroeconomic drivers ofthe economy — such as incomegrowth, unemployment rate, andinflation — will affect the perfor-

Foreclosures intriguehomebuyers, but risksmay prevent a deal

Outlook

GR E TA GUESTMCCL AT C H Y-TRIBUNE

Last spring in the waningdays of the first-timehomebuyer tax credit,

Stephen Ploski, 24, made an of-fer on a foreclosed home.

He said the 1,400-square-foothome was livable, but neededserious updates. He was willingto do the work and take therisk.

In exchange, he got a deal. Thethree-bedroom, one-bathroomhome was his for $49,000. Helives in the home with his wife,Ashley, 22, and their daughterLana, 2. And they are expectingtheir second baby.

“I wanted to buy one becausethe market conditions wereright,” he said. “This is my firsthome for my family. But if youdo it with an investor’s mindinstead of getting emotionally

attached, you can get money outof it.”

Despite strong interest in buy-ing foreclosures, supply is ex-pected to continue to outstripdemand in the coming year.

In a survey released last week,nearly half, or 49 percent of U.S.adults surveyed for two real es-tate websites, are at least some-what likely to consider buying aforeclosed property. That’s upfrom 45 percent in May.

Results from the online surveyconducted Nov. 2-4 by Harris In-teractive for Trulia and Realty-Trac also indicated that Ameri-cans are still uncertain about thehousing market and the majori-ty, or 58 percent, expect the re-covery to take at least two moreyears.

“2010 will be another recordyear for foreclosures,” said RickSharga, senior vice president of

2010 Larimer housingmarket similar to 2009

“Economic recovery should accelerategradually over the year, with the secondhalf of 2011 exhibiting more growth andjob creation than the early part of the year.”

— Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft

Economists’housing forecasts

are skewed bytax credits

� See OUTL OOK/Page E5

� See RISKS/Page E5

JADE CO DYSPECIAL SECTIONS EDITOR

As 2010 comes to an end,the Loveland/Berthoudreal estate market

shaped up much as it did in2009. Through November,there were 1,250 detachedlistings sold; compared to1,205 sold through theNovember in 2009. FortCollins looked much thesame, as 2,093 detachedlistings were sold throughNovember this year in compar-ison with 2,091 the year prior.

The median sales price is up6.1 percent at $206,819 com-pared to the same time lastyear ($194,900). Year-to-dateaverage days on the market is122 days, last year it came inat 127. Detached listing salesvolume in Loveland throughthe year is up 9.9 percent, at$326,892,244.

The number of foreclosurefilings in Larimer County

through October dropped sub-stantially by 16.2 percentfrom last year at this time,while foreclosure sales in-creased by 17.2 percent, ac-cording to the Colorado Divi-sion of Housing’s MonthlyMetropolitan Foreclosure Re-port released on November22. The report noted that theslowdown in foreclosure pro-cessing influenced the num-ber of sales, which is expectedto be cleared up by the end ofthe year.

As a state, Colorado is onpace to end the year below2009 totals in terms of fore-closure sales. Denver, Weldand Larimer Counties experi-enced the largest decrease inforeclosure filings comparedto the rest of the state. WeldCounty experienced the high-est rate of foreclosure saleswith 679 households per fore-closure sale. Larimer countyhad one foreclosure sale per2,067 households.

Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E2

Mortgage rate update

30-year fixed

15-year fixed

5/1 ARM

This week Last week Tre n d

4.87%

4.24%

3.53%

5.07%

4.45%

3.80%

Regional Snapshot for Loveland/Berthoud Residential

September October

Active Listings 1,027 969 903Previous Year Active Listings 1,031 963 882

Sold Listings 114 105 90

Median Sales Price $196,000 $211,000 $206,819Previous Year Median $187,500 $201,500 $194,900

Average Days on the Market 133 121 131Previous Year ADOM 126 127 127

Year to Date Listings Sold 1,055 1,160 1,250Previous Year YTD Listing Sold 984 1,110 1,205

Monthly Volume $29,834,886 $27,400,541 $24,289,790Previous Year Monthly Volume $22,669,842 $32,560,029 $22,476,776

Home & Real Estate isproduced every Saturday

by the Loveland DailyReporter-Herald.

EDITORIAL INFORMATION635-3656

DISPLAY ADVERTISING669-5050

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING635-3650

For home and real estateadvice, features and

information, visitwww.homeandrealtyguide .com

H& Real Estate TransactionsRE

L oveland• Quintin Mese

from RandolphCruz, 475 Lyra Pl,Loveland, $222,000,home

• Gregory &Rochelle Teal fromWells Fargo Bank,4189 Divide Dr,Loveland, $180,900,home

• Jeremiah & Jes-sica Strong fromRobert Hensel, 222Cardinal Ave, Love-land, $220,000,home

• Phil & JeanWhittaker fromDavid Hurst, 1715Hitch Wagon Dr,Loveland, $440,000,home

• Deborah & Ger-ald Wilson from OakValley Homes LLC,315 Carina Cir Unit104, Loveland,$162,200, condo

• Katherine Ringlefrom Oak ValleyHomes LLC, 315 Ca-

rina Cir Unit 105,Loveland, $151,000,condo

• Bettie Green-berg from Richard FKekar Living Trust,2304 Estrella Ave,Loveland, $175,500,home

• Taylor Reindlfrom Jeffrey Ander-son, 4928 W Eisen-hower Blvd, Love-land, $191,500,home

• R LLC from Mer-ritt Davis, 827 S Lin-coln Ave, Loveland,$400,000, home

• Russel Durrettfrom Federal HomeMortgage Corp,1029 Tamarix Pl,Loveland, $191,000,home

• James Herman-son from DennyHaskew, 1230 IncaDove Cir, Loveland,$299,000, home

• Doreene &Robert Keep fromShane Skott, 1416 S

California Ave, Love-land, $162,500,home

• Alessandro Ma-grin from RobertLabayne, 4139 LostCanyon Dr, Love-land, $315,000,home

• Michael & TeresaLewis from LovelandMidtown Develop-ment I, 927 PegasusCt, Loveland,$174,400, home

• Carol Woodwardfrom RoanldThomas, 3128 KyleCir, Loveland,$515,000, home

• Craig & KeriHannaford fromRobert Victor, 2514Glendevey Dr, Love-land, $193,000,home

Berthoud• David Steffen

from Shirley Kardok,1716 Riverview Dr,Berthoud,$305,000, home

• I Wetzler fromWAMU, 1801 NCounty Road 15c,Berthoud,$382,400, home

• Travis & AmySchluessler fromChester Saul, 3719Coyote Trl,Berthoud,$159,500, home

• Epic LLC fromFoothills Self Stor-age Inc, 372 Moun-tain View Rd Unit15, Berthoud,$162,000, condo

Estes Park• William & Karyn

Obrien from AneitaWeaver, 1309 DevilsGulch Rd, EstesPark, $572,900,home

• Gene & BiancaThompson fromRocksey Powell, 651Laurel Ln, EstesPark, $266,500,home

• David & CathyCreagh from Leroy

Kleinsorge, 315 BigHorn Dr Unit A,Estes Park,$340,000, condo

• Roger & Rose-mary Shultz fromHoward Farrar, 351Virginia Dr, EstesPark, $405,000,home

Johnstown• Todd & Debra

Ruflin from DanielSchmierer, 2116Blue Wing Dr, John-stown, $199,600,home

• Gary & PaulaHegner from MelvinSussman, 1662 Mal-lard Dr, Johnstown,$279,000, home

• David Halpainfrom Shane Mazur,3669 Claycomb Ln,Johnstown,$237,000, home

• Shari Helmsfrom US Bk, 125Sandstone Dr, John-stown, $167,900,home

• Geneva Dereusfrom OakwoodHomes LLC, 5205Ridgewood Dr, John-stown, $382,800,home

• Cesar Mendozafrom OakwoodHomes LLC, 3936Cedarwood Ln,Johnstown,$161,800, home

• Thinh & TuanDo from OakwoodHomes LLC, 3931Blackwood Ln,Johnstown,$181,000, home

• Vernon Stewartfrom Poudre InvestHoldings LLC, 331Sloan Dr, John-stown, $215,000,home

• Joann Petersonfrom Tucker Peddi-cord, 1117 SandraDr, Johnstown,$220,000, home

M i l l i ke n• Michael & Wilda

Collins from Lynda

Moore, 610 S RachelAve, Milliken,$163,000, home

Windsor• Jason Collins

from Debra Single-ton, 233 Wood DuckCt, Windsor,$280,000, home

• Walter Morrisonfrom StephenJuengst, 140 Sun-flower Dr, Windsor,$154,500, home

• Todd & CynthiaSutherland fromMark Morton,1572 Yonkee Dr,Windsor, $450,000,home

• Rg LLC from1290 Main LLC,1290 Main St Unit7, Windsor,$554,600, condo

• Robert & CindyPatterson fromChristopher Boyd,8391 Morning StarLn, Windsor,$515,000, home

N ov e m b e r

JENNIFER LEHMANSPECIAL SECTIONS RE P O RT E R

Loveland Water and Power is offering lottery re-bates to participants in their Partnering withPower program as a thank you for the contribu-

tion of savings in money and energy during the peakcycle months.

Participants in the program are eligible to win a$25 credit on their utility bill. Two winners will bedrawn each month, and the number will increase tofour during the peak cycle months — May throughS e p t e m b e r.

Residents or businesses that volunteer have smallboxes attached to the compressors on their air condi-tioners that allow the city to shut off the compressorsfor about 15 minutes via remote control during peri-ods of high demand that cost the department themost money. The fan on the air conditioner will con-tinue to cycle air through the home, but for that peri-od no new chilled air will be cycled through, saidLindsey Bashline, Administrative Specialist with theCity of Loveland. The temperature of the building orhome is only lowered by a degree or two, but the jointeffort of 3,300 people makes a difference, Bashlinesaid.

It made a particular difference in the summer of2010 when Loveland Water and Power experienced arecord power demand due to high temperatures andincreased use of air conditioners.

Despite the record demand, Loveland Water & Pow-er saved $101,110, reducing power usage by 66,370kilo-watt hours according to the city’s latest newslet-t e r.

Power during peak times is more expensive and iscostly for the department, Bashline said. The pro-gram helps keep the city’s utility rates low.

The Colorado Association of Municipal Utilities2009 Rate Survey ranked Loveland as having the sec-ond lowest residential utility rates in the state behindLongmont. Loveland ranked fourth in rates for smallcommercial, third for large commercial and fourthamong industrial utility costs.

L oveland’s program has been going for a few sum-mers, Bashline said. A similar program is also used inFort Collins and is popular in places with high de-mand in peak cycles like southern Colorado, Bashlinesaid.

Bashline said the department has gone back andforth on whether or not to offer a flat rebate for par-ticipation — Xcel Energy offers a $48 rebate for par-ticipants, Bashline said.

But because so many people have volunteered to beinvolved at this point, it doesn’t make sense for thep ro g r a m .

“How do you compensate them for the effort

they've already put forth?” Bashline said.Also, from the number of volunteers it is obvious

that the community wants to help out, Bashline said,and contribute to keeping their utilities low withoutexpecting a rebate, and Loveland Water and Powercustomers pay a much lower rate than they wouldthrough Xcel, she said.

Participating in PWP is free, and residents and busi-nesses can volunteer to sign up through Loveland Wa-ter and Power.

Loveland Water and Power has several new pro-grams in the works focused on improving energy us-age. The program portfolio of eight new programs ap-proved by the City Council in August will includehome energy reports, energy audits, low income ener-gy audits and education programs with schools. Peo-ple should start to see the programs in action earlynext year, Bashline said.

To learn more about PWP and to volunteer to par-ticipate, go to www.ci.loveland.co.us/wp/power/pwp/main.htm

PWP to reward participantsfor energy savings

ThinkStock Photo

ANNA SAC H S ECTW FE AT U R E S

Finding that perfecthome — and then navi-gating the necessary

steps to buy it — can leave ahomebuyer with a headache.Picking the right agent canmake all the difference infeeling calm and confidentthroughout the home-hunt-ing journey.

There are many benefits toenlisting an expert. Realtors— agents who are membersof the National Association ofRealtors and adhere to itsCode of Ethics and Standardsof Practice — are versed inwhich homes are a good valuein the current market, whatlocations are most desirable,and how real estate laws andcontracts work. “If a buyerdoesn’t have extensive knowl-edge of all the aspects of a re-al estate transaction — suchas negotiating price termsand conditions of purchase —they can easily be taken ad-vantage of,” said Mark Minnis,a broker/owner and buyer’sagent with InSight Real Es-tate in Portland, Ore. “But aRealtor is obligated by law toprotect your interests.”

Retaining an agent usuallyrequires no out-of-pocket ex-pense on the part of the buy-er, said Brady Moore, a Dallas-based Realtor with Dave Per-ry-Miller and Associates. Anagent’s commission will de-pend upon the listing and thecontract.

To find a licensed agent,your best bet is to start withreferrals from friends or fami-ly, Minnis said , especially ifthey are located where you

are looking. If new to a city,use the “Find a Realtor” func -tion at Realtor.org. Some-times new buyers are temptedto call listing agents for prop-erties they like, but be cau-tious. Working with an agentwho represents the seller maynot be in your best interest.Consider finding a buyer’sagent and have that personhelp you find properties,Moore said.

To ensure this process goessmoothly, the experts agreethat it’s important to findsomeone who is a good per-sonality fit. “Buying a houseis probably the biggest finan-cial transaction most peoplewill make in their lives,”Moore said. “You should do itwith someone you can trust[and] enjoy spending timewith.”

A good way to find that outis by interviewing potentialagents in person. Ask abouttheir areas of expertise, theneighborhoods in which themajority of their sales occur,if they own any real estatethemselves and how longthey’ve been in the business.

Keep in mind that someagents may require you tosign an exclusive-representa-tion agreement, said Moore,the details of which can vary.In addition to reading overthe contract yourself, have afriend who understands realestate read it over. Know thata good agent will work hardto meet your needs. Theywon’t get paid until the sale,so when they see you arecommitted, they know theycan dedicate their effort tohelping you find your dreamhome.

Choose the rightreal estate agent

sfuller@amfam.com • 593-5620

Stacia A. Fuller Agency10th & Lincoln, Loveland

Auto? Home? Life? Yes!

51-321362

Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E3

balance is $41,485. My paymentsare about $403.

I’d like to refinance this loan andtake advantage of the still-low inter-est rates, but I can’t seem to findanyone that will refinance me. Everyplace I’ve checked has not wantedto refinance for less than $100,000.I am able to pay up to $100 extra amonth, but do not want to paymuch in refinancing fees, and I’dlike to pay my house off as soon aspossible.

I am 56 years old and divorced,and I’m trying to get my finances inshape. Can you point me in theright direction?

Answer: You may not find a lenderwilling to do a loan for $40,000. It’sjust not worth the lender’s while.And that’s a good thing. You’re al-ready so far into your loan that itwouldn’t really pay for you to refi-nance unless you were going to cutyour loan term to 10 years.

In fact, the amount of interestyou’re paying is so much less now,with a lot more of your mortgagepayment going toward your loanbalance.

Yo u ’re far better off taking yourextra $100 per month and using itto prepay your mortgage. You’llwind up making nearly three extrapayments per year, which will cutthe term of your loan significantly.

You might also ask your lender ifhe’d be willing to lower the interestrate remaining on the loan to 6 or 7percent. Since he isn’t getting morethan 1 percent in the bank (if that),he might be willing to negotiaterather than face the prospect of los-ing his income stream entirely.

I’d start the conversation this way:“I’m thinking about refinancing,and I’m being offered around 5 per-cent. Would you be willing to lowerthe interest rate on what’s left of myloan to 6 percent?” If your lender issmart, he’ll recognize a good dealwhen he sees it. Just make sureyour amortization table gets workedout correctly.

In some cases, a seller that is giv-ing you financing may be happierknowing that he or she has the cashin hand from you rather than stillbeing a lender. In that case, yourseller won’t be very willing to cutyou a better deal.

But keep this in mind: Even if youwere able to find a lender to refi-nance your loan at a lower rate, youmight find out that the fees andcosts to get that new loan would betoo high to benefit from the lowerrate.

Question: My nephew is underwa-ter with his mortgage. He owes$115,000 on a townhome worthabout $85,000. He just lost his job,but is current on the mortgage pay-ment. Can he quit-claim the property tothe bank that holdsthe mortgage andavoid foreclosure?

Answer: Yo u rnephew can avoidforeclosure on hishome in any of sever-al ways. The first is tosell the home to abuyer and have his

lender to agree to the short sale.The second is to work with thelender and give the property to thelender in a deed-in-lieu of foreclo-sure. The last way to avoid foreclo-sure is to continue to make pay-ments on the mortgage.

It seems very unlikely yournephew can maintain his paymentswithout a job. However, if he finds ajob quickly and continues to makehis mortgage payments on time,foreclosure won’t be an issue.

But if his job prospects seembleak, he should find a good real es-tate broker to list his home as ashort sale. If he prices the home ag-gressively, he may find a buyer. Oncehe does, he will need to see if hislender is willing to accept theamount offered by this buyer to al-low the sale to continue.

If the lender agrees to the shortsale, your nephew can see if thelender will agree to waive any claimon the deficiency. In some states, alender can’t go after the borrower ifthe property is sold through foreclo-sure, even if the sale doesn’t coverthe borrower’s debt. However, if theborrower volunteers the propertyback to the lender, in some statesthe lender may be able to go afterthe borrower for the deficiency.

Finally, if your nephew can’t sellthe property, and the lender is un-willing to take a deed in lieu of fore-closure, your nephew may lose theproperty through foreclosure.

More borrowers are falling intoforeclosure these days, and theircredit histories and credit scoresare falling. But while a good credithistory is important, it shouldn’t bethe driving factor behind what yournephew decides to do.

Most borrowers generally get intotrouble with their credit historiesand credit scores well ahead of aforeclosure. Usually, a borrower failsto make three or more payments ona mortgage before the lender beginsforeclosure proceedings. The longerthe payments remain unpaid, thegreater the affect on the credit his-tory and credit score.

While it’s better for your credithistory to avoid foreclosure, a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure or short sale isonly marginally better. In either ofthose alternatives, a consumer’scredit score and credit history willtake a hit, albeit perhaps less of ahit than in a foreclosure.

Your nephew should consider allof these options carefully before de-ciding what to do with his property.There will be some impact on hiscredit history and score, but if hewon’t need access to credit in thenext few years, he’ll have time tobuild it back.

He may also want an attorney orcertified nonprofit credit counselorto walk him through the optionsavailable in the state where he lives.

GLINKFrom Page E1

Mesa Verde exudes simplicity

H& Featured Home PlanRE

AS S O C I AT E D DESIGNS

Inspired by the sun-warmed Native Americanpueblos of the Southwest,

the Mesa Verde exudes an airof freshness and simplicity.

Its bright, stuccoed wallsare softly rounded at theedges. The flat roof is rimmedby eye-catching stepped para-pets, and accentuated by dec-orative log ends. Exposed lin-tels and smooth posts add ad-ditional eye appeal.

Inside, the sense of open-ness is totally contemporary.Light washes into the high-ceilinged great room througha wealth of windows at theback, and another on theside. If desired, a fireplacecould nestle into the far cor-ner, and a wet bar could ex-tend along the nearby wall.

Triple sliders access a coveredpatio that spans most of ther e a r.

A two-foot drop in ceilingheight marks the transitionfrom great room to kitchenand dining room. In thekitchen, a long work islandfronted by a raised eating baralso provides partial visualseparation. Other than thesetwo indicators, this spaciousroom is entirely open.

Standing at the cook top,you can stay fully involvedwith family activities and keeptabs on backyard goings-on aswell. Laundry appliances aremere steps away, in a fairlylarge utility room that con-nects to the garage. A gener-ously sized pantry adds to thestorage space, and a utilitysink can easily be built intothe long counter.

Bedrooms and bathrooms

line up along the left side ofthe home. Interesting anglesshape the Mesa Verde’s own-ers’ suite. Sliders offer directpatio access, which will beeven more appreciated if theowners install an outdoor hottub or spa.

Bedrooms two and threeshare a two-section bathroomthat can also be reached fromthe entry.

For a review plan, includingscaled floor plans, elevations,section and artist’s concep-tion, send $25 to AssociatedDesigns, 1100 Jacobs Dr.,Eugene, OR 97402. Pleasespecify the Mesa Verde 11-126and include a return addresswhen ordering. A catalog fea-turing more than 550 homeplans is available for $15.For more information, call(800) 634-0123 or visitw w w. A s s o c i a t e d D e s i g n s . c o m .

For more information, callGlink’s radio show at800-972-8255 on Sundaysfrom 9 to 10 a.m., write to RealEstate Matters Syndicate, P.O.Box 366, Glencoe, IL 60022 orvisit www.thinkglink.com.

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Call Bob Skillman631-2257

$241,500MLS#634231

SATURDAY 1:00 - 3:001506 Farmland, Loveland� 0� ������ ��)��� ����$� 5���� "��������$�?'������������)��!�������)���@A@�����������/����������������������������������������������������0�����������$�C�������������� ���������������� �����$� >���� ������������ !� �����������)�����!�������������$�����D���������!�������������$�:������������������������005��

Call Mark Moran218-1891

$279,000E�:F�;����������G��

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 12:00 - 3:0010818 Cimarron Street, Firestone� 0� E@I7JD7@7%D� >�DD��KNK�P� �I+I7�$� 5��)� Q� ������ �� $� � � /����� � /������ � �����������$� � R0R'� ������� &���� �����$� � E���� ������ ����������� ����)�������������/��$� �E��)� ��*��)� &������������ ���������������G��$�%������������$�%����<����:�������QUR0RV�����������X����VV'0?VR'$

Call John Simmons481-1250

$160’s - $170’sE�:F'YVR

;�I%DA�>�5E�ZR':�0�ZR[:

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 12:00 - 3:001849 Chesapeake Circle A,B,C, Johnstown�0�?�����������������!� R� ������ ��������G��$� E����������� &���� ���������� ������� "���� �����$� >�������� ���)� ��������\� �������� @�%������������G�������)��������G����������*��������&��������������/����������/����&����/���!�����$�%����J���)�]������V'[0Y[����<����:�������QUR0RV$

Call John Simmons481-1250

$170’s - $190’sE�:F'QQ[?

;�I%DA�>�5E�ZR[:�0�ZRY:

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 1:00 - 4:00610 Moonglow Drive, Windsor - 7D]� X5ED:� ����G��� ���ZRY���� ?/��?/�� '[� ��$� $� ;��������=�� )���� �����&����&����������������������)���������*��������������������AI�D%JI57:\�%�����?Y�������&�]��������^7_����V[��^]_����:������������E�����������:�����%�����$�:�������������������:]���������&�E������������:�������$

Call Jim Watson219-5219

$220,000MLS#643941

7D]�X5ED:

SATURDAY/SUNDAY 12:00 - 5:007409 Pimlico Drive, Windsor� 0� ������ 5������� ��� C��������������C���G&���������������������������&���������������)��������0����)�������&����R[����V�����������$�&��������������&����U����V����$�&���$�:���G�������������0�(�$�@����/��������������/������������G�����;������&����ZVV�$

Call Carole Newberry443-4047

$308,500MLS#640496

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Northern Colorado

Real Estate Sourcew w w . t h e g r o u p i n c . c o m

Online version of publication at www.thegroupinc.comcontaining links to detail pages for most listings.

SUNDAY 11:00 - 2:00577 Candelaria, Loveland�0���������)��������/��������R��&�?������$�7����)����� ��������������$�?�����������&�������������f���RY���� ����������/�������$�����������G������������)������)�������\�@%�����������������������&������)��������������������!������

Call John Simmons481-1250

$269,000MLS#

51-319850

Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E4

Price: $284,900Built in: 2005Square feet: 3,686Bedrooms: 4Bathrooms: 2.5Open House: 1-3 p.m. to-

day

This home is the Mt.Evans plan by LennarHomes, located in the

Hunter’s Run subdivision inLoveland. It was built in2005. It features four largebedrooms, two-and-one-halfbathrooms, a main-floorstudy with glass French doorsand a three-car tandemgarage all tucked in 3,686square feet. The kitchen hashardwood floors, silestonecounters and island, a built-indesk and a pantry. There is atwo-story great room withbuilt-ins, surround sound anda gas log fireplace. The backyard is small and fenced, andfeatures a nice sized concretepatio and a separate flagstonepatio. You can also enjoy thecovered front porch.

Contact: Randy Ewen,RE/MAX Alliance, call970-206-8282 or e-mailRandy_Ewan@remax.net.

3343 Sedgwick Circle, Loveland

H& Property of the WeekRE

Keep your home dust-freeGENE AUSTINMCCL AT C H Y-TRIBUNE NEWS SE RV I C E

Question: We have a seriousdust problem in our house,even though we dust and mopregularly. Can you advise us

how to get rid of this stuff?— V. Camilli

Answer: Dust control in a house is anever-ending battle because dust hasso many sources. Some experts saymuch of the dust in homes comes fromoutside, carried inside on shoes andclothing. But there are also many in-side sources of dust, including our ownbodies, which shed hair and bits ofskin.

Fabrics also contribute by sheddingbits of material. Other commonsources include forced-air heating andcooling systems, pets and paper, all ofwhich shed bits of material. Accordingto some experts who have studied dustcontrol, the most important thing youcan do is vacuum regularly using a vac-uum equipped with a HEPA (high effi-ciency particulate air) filter. Ordinaryvacuums spew much of the dust theypick up back into the air through theirexhaust. You should not only regularlyvacuum floors and rugs, but also up-holstery and bedding.

If you have a duct system for heatingand/or cooling, use high-efficiency fil-ters in the furnace or air conditioner;cheap fiberglass filters trap only thelargest particles.

Put door mats at every entrance anduse them to wipe your shoes before en-tering; better yet, remove shoes at theentrance. Keep closet floors clean —they are major dust collectors.

When dusting furniture, shelves andso forth, use damp cloths or specialdust-collecting wipes, not dry rags or afeather duster, which simply move thedust from one surface to another.

Area rugs should be taken outdoorsand shaken out regularly, or hangthem on a line outdoors and use a car-pet beater to knock out the dust.

Filter-type air cleaners, sold at mosthome centers and department stores,can also help. If all this sounds like alot of trouble, it is. But dust is so insid-ious there is no easy way to control it.

Question: I have toilets and sinks in-stalled in the 1950s. After 60 years ofcleaning the shine has dulled. I wouldlike to regain the shine, but I’m notkeen about reglazing. Any ideas?— J. Carino

Answer: These old fixtures undoubt-

edly are finished with porcelain, a verytough glazing. But even porcelain canbe dulled by strong cleaners, especiallythose with abrasives. I don’t know ofany practical way to restore the shineexcept refinishing, and I don’t thinkrefinishing is practical on bath fixturesso old unless they have some specialvalue.

Toilets installed in the 1950s use atleast five gallons of water every timethey are flushed; some use seven gal-lons. This is three or more times theamount of water used by modern toi-lets when flushed, and if you have amunicipal water supply these toiletsare costing you dearly. My advice is toreplace the fixtures, especially the toi-lets. The savings on your water bill willpay for them in a few years.

QUICK TIP:

Reader Paul Holland, who owns aplumbing company in Connecticut, of-fers some tips for people shopping fornew toilets. Holland said he can “per -sonally vouch” for the effectiveness ofsome high-quality, high-efficiency toi-lets that use only 1.28 gallons of waterper flush (the legal maximum for toi-lets sold in the United States is cur-rently 1.6 gallons).

Holland said he installed a 1.28-gal-lon toilet (Toto brand) in his homemore than a year ago and has had noproblem with flushing. His main com-plaint is that the small amount of wa-ter left in the bottom of the toilet bowlbetween flushes — what he calls thewater spot — means that the toiletneeds more frequent cleaning than toi-lets with larger water spots.

Holland also cautioned against buy-ing some of the cheaper brands of wa-ter-saving toilets sold at home centers.He said these lower-cost brands, whiletouted as high-efficiency, are not equalto the Kohler and American Standardtoilets also sold at home centers. HisToto brand of toilet is not sold at homecenters, but information is available byusing a search engine and the wordsToto Toilets or visiting the websitewww.totousa.com. Holland’s website,www.paulsplumbing.org, has a chartcomparing the amount of water usedby high-efficiency toilets versus oldertoilets; to view the chart, click on Ser-vices.

Questions and comments should bee-mailed to Gene Austin atgaus17@aol.com. Send regular mailfor Gene Austin to 1730 Blue Bell Pike,Blue Bell, PA 19422.

Photos courtesy of Randy Ewen

51-321326

Hosted by: Ruth Wheeler 970-231-8420RE/MAX Alliance 970-226-3990Listed by Randy Ewan970-481-5102

4 bed, 3 baths, 3 car tandem garage, 2 story in Hunter’s Run. Almost 3700 sf, hardwood fl oors & 2 story great room. Directions: W on 29th past Wilson, right on Hudson, left on Sedgwick. $284,900

3343 Sedgwick Circle, Loveland

OPEN SATURDAY 1-3 P.M.

Move in by Christmas! This former show home is ready to go! Spacious, open fl oor plan w/upgrades galore throughout! Enjoy numerous walking paths and lake rights. Easy living, maintenance-free patio home.

2963 Purgatory Creek Drive

OPEN HOUSE SATURDAY 12 - 2

Don MackeyPrudential Rocky Mountain, REALTORS970-667-2510dmackey@prurmr.comhttp://www.circlepix.com/home/B5LEUM

Kurt Albers Century 21 Humpal, Inc.970-231-1224kurtd57@msn.comwww.allcoloradohomes.com

OPEN Saturday 11AM-2PM. 2+ Acre Lake front & horse lots starting $199,000. Surface rights, walk paths, parks, boat docks, fi shing and peace garden.

Warberg Farm at Chapman Reservoir

OPEN - SATURDAY 11AM-2PM

3 bed/3 bath home on a beautifully landscaped corner lot! Newer stainless steel appl., roof & paint. Hot tub room & sunroom. Large family room and oversized garage. MLS#634133 $209,900

4629 N Franklin Avenue

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OPEN HOUSE SAT. & SUN. 1PM-4PM

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970-456-46001/4 mi. So. of Hwy 34 on Boise Ave. - 1899 East 11th Street

www.newmidtownhomes.com

Homes priced from the

$140’s - $220’s

ModelsOpen Daily 10am-6pm

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51-3

2195

7

$$174,900

174,900

$$188,900

188,900

2,406 SF 2 Bd, 2 Ba Ranch

2,072 SF 3 Bd, 2 Ba Ranch

1

1

Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E5

OUTL OOKFrom Page E1

RealtyTrac, an Irvine, Calif.-based foreclo-sure Web site. He said that 3 millionhomes would likely be listed in a foreclo-sure filing this year, up from 2.8 millionlast year.

RealtyTrac data shows that banks wouldrepossess 1.2 million properties this year.Less than 1 million foreclosed propertiesare being absorbed annually in the marketnow, he said.

“The pipeline is continuing to exceed them a r ke t ’s appetite for these properties,”Sharga said. “The inventory is going tocontinue to depress home prices for thenext couple of years.”

While the market recovery may be threeyears off, buyers should not be lulled into a

false sense that the current low prices willbe around forever.

While there is more interest in buying aforeclosed home, 81 percent of U.S. adultsrecognize there are downsides to the deal.Top concerns about buying a foreclosurewere hidden costs, a risky process and thatthe home may lose value.

Carol Wagner, a Realtor with Real EstateOne in Commerce Township, Mich., saidthat one of the biggest drawbacks in a buy-ing a foreclosure is that it comes withoutseller’s disclosures.

“So some people don’t want to buy thembecause they don’t know what’s involved,”she said. “Most people looking at foreclo-sures now are investors.”

Kevin Suksi, a financial services industryrecruiter by day and real estate investor bynight who lives in Dearborn, Mich., saidthat investors rarely buy the move-in readyforeclosures. Those largely go to owner-oc-

cupants, who are willing to offer morem o n e y.

Instead, investors look for houses withbruises that they can fix and sell or rent forincome.

“Everyone wants a deal right now, butwhat will they deal with?” Suksi said. “Ithink people will deal with paint and carpetand things like that, but when it comes tomajor structural problems they steerc l e a r. ”

Two-thirds of survey respondents saidthey expected to pay 30 percent less for aforeclosed home when compared with asimilar home not in foreclosure.

The online survey of 2,034 adults includ-ed 1,329 homeowners and 652 renters.The survey also found that 48 percent ofhomeowners with a mortgage admittedthey would consider walking away if theirmortgage was underwater.

RISKSFrom Page E1

MELISSA KOSSLER DU T TO NTHE AS S O C I AT E D PRESS

When Laura Barnett’sdaughter comes to vis-it, the Chicago mother

has to improvise a guest room.Barnett sets her daughter up

in a corner of the living roomand clears out space in the hallcloset for her clothes and suit-case.

Providing space for a houseguest’s things is as importantas providing a place to sleep,because it will help you main-tain order in the home, saidBarnett, an interior designer.You have to strike a balance be-tween “making the guest feelwelcome and not making youfeel like your home’s been tak-en over,” she said.

That’s especially true duringholiday visits, when there tendsto be extra clutter and activity,said Randi Destefano of Au-thentic Living Interiors in At-lanta. Before guests arrive,think about where they will

store their luggage, and howmuch space they may need forclothes and personal items.

If possible, empty a drawer ora shelf in the bathroom forguests to use during their stay,she said. Otherwise, provide abasket or plastic container inwhich guests can store toi-letries and things they need toaccess throughout the day.

If your home is small orthere’s not much extra storage,Destefano recommends buyingan ottoman with a storagecompartment.

“It’s a great place to storethe bedding and pillows,” shesaid. “They’re available at alldifferent price points.”

Try to locate your guest in aspot that allows some privacy,Destefano said. She suggestsplacing air mattresses or sleep-ing bags in nooks or low-trafficareas of the house.

It’s acceptable to ask gueststo put away their bedding orclose up a sleeper couch eachmorning, particularly if theyare sleeping in a home office or

other room that family mem-bers need to use, Barnett said.

“Make a rule that they maketheir bed or move stuff off thefurniture,” she said.

If an adult is going to sleep ina child’s room, try to clear outtoys and clutter, said Hoyt Dot-try, president of the South Car-olina Bed and Breakfast Associ-ation.

“Put away as much as possi-ble to make it feel like a guestro o m , ” said Dottry, owner ofWalnut Lane Inn in Lyman, S.C.When furnishing a child’sroom, consider how often it willdouble as a guest room. If a lotof company is expected, choosea double or queen-size bed forthe room.

“Don’t buy bunk beds,” Bar -nett said. “Nobody’s grandmawants to be climbing up a lad-der to get in somebody’s bunkbed.”

Regardless of where guestsare sleeping, provide them withan alarm clock and night light,added Kevin Sharkey, executiveeditorial director of decorating

for Martha Stewart Living.Guests also need a place

to plug in cell phones andother electronic devices, hesaid.

Filling a basket with snacks,candy and bottled water is anice touch, Dottry said. A guestwill feel more comfortable tak-ing something from the basketrather than going into the cup-board or refrigerator. Still, it’s agood idea to give guests a tourof the kitchen, and let themknow what there is to eat anddrink, Dottry said.

“Take them to the refrigera-tor and say, ‘This is what I’vegot. This is all for your use ifyou get hungry,’” he said.

Don’t forget to provide houseguests with a key to the frontdoor, Dottry said. Having onemakes them feel more comfort-able about coming and going asthey wish. And it’s OK to insistthat they return it.

“Tell them, ‘This is so-and-so’s key and I need to get itback,’” he said.

Help house guests feel at home

“The problem with the housingsector is that, historically, it isn’tso much an input to the econo-my, as an outcome of it. Whenthe economy is generally doingwell, so too is housing, but thereverse is not so clear.”

— Freddie Mac chief economist Frank Nothaft

mance of the housingand mortgage marketsin 2011,” he said.

“Economic recoveryshould accelerategradually over theyear, with the secondhalf of 2011 exhibitingmore growth and jobcreation than the earlypart of the year,”Nothaft said.

Employment is im-portant because po-tential home buyersneed a job, income,and savings to qualifyfor a mortgage, hesaid.

Improved consumerconfidence is another,since if consumers areworried about theireconomic future, orwhether house priceswill fall, then they willbe reluctant to buy.

Nothaft believes 30-year fixed rates willstay below 5 percentin 2011 and homeprices will bottom inthe first half and rise 1percent for the year,combining to keephomeownership af-f o rd a b l e .

With rising rates,and because most peo-ple able to refinancehave done so already,mortgage originationswill drop in 2011, al-

though there will bean increase in loans tobuy houses, he said.

Conventional wis-dom says, since hous-ing’s bust led theUnited States into thisdownturn, then a truerecovery cannot beginuntil housing recoversfirst.

“The problem withthe housing sector isthat, historically, itisn’t so much an inputto the economy, as anoutcome of it,”Nothaft said. “Whenthe economy is gener-ally doing well, so toois housing, but the re-verse is not so clear.”

Government inter-vention simply delayedfurther house-price de-clines, “while at thesame time, blowingthe taxpayers’ m o n e y, ”he said.

“The governmentshould tend to reduc-ing the national debt,lowering and simplify-ing the tax burden,promoting job growth,and keeping the cur-rency and macroecon-omy sound,” Gillensaid.

“If it takes care ofthat, housing willeventually take care ofi t s e l f. ”

To add a listing or speak to an advertising representative, call the Reporter-Herald at 669-5050

For details about these open houses, see the ads in this section. For additional open house listings, please check the “Real Estate Classifi eds” section of this publication. This guide is brought to you

by the Daily Reporter-Herald, local real estate agents and area builders.

WWW.HOMEANDREALTYGUIDE.COM•CLICK ON OPEN HOUSE MAPS

saturday sunday

51-320332

PRICE LOCATION ADDRESS HRS OFFICE PHONE

FROM THE $140’S NW LOVELAND 43RD & WILSON AVE. THE COTTAGES AT

ENCHANTMENT RIDGE 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

140’S-220’S SE LOVELAND BOISE VILLAGE NO., ¼ MI. SO. OF HWY 34 ON N BOISE AVE., 1899 E. 11TH 10-6 MIDTOWN HOMES 970-456-4600

$169,900* NW LOVELAND 4403 ELLIOT PL 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

$170,000 BERTHOUD 10818 CIMARRON ST #204 12-3 THE GROUP INC 970-556-3516

$172,500 SW LOVELAND 541 SHERRI DR 3-5 THE GROUP INC 970-231-0234

$179,900 JOHNSTOWN/ MILLIKEN 1849 CHESAPEAKE CIRCLE A, B, C 12-3 THE GROUP INC 970-567-0907

$220,000 WINDSOR 610 MOONGLOW DR 1-4 THE GROUP INC 970-219-5219

$232,000 NW LOVELAND 4496 HAYLER AVE 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

$241,500 SW LOVELAND 2102 FARISITA DR 1-3 THE GROUP INC 970-631-2257

STARTING @ $250’S NE LOVELAND 1563 LA JARA ST/LAKES POINT 1-4 BURNS

CONSTRUCTION 970-669-8386

$279,000 NW LOVELAND 1506 FARMLAND 1-3 THE GROUP INC 970-218-1891

$298,664 NW LOVELAND 4355 RIDGWAY DR 1-4 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

$308,500 WINDSOR 7409 PIMLICO DR 12-5 THE GROUP INC 970-443-4047

$323,400 SW LOVELAND¼ MILE WEST OF WILSON ON 14TH ST. SW/HWY 402 TO THE DAKOTA GLEN SUBDIVISION

12-4 GLEN MARKETING TEAM, ERA 970-663-4522

$358,700 NE LOVELAND 2963 PURGATORY CREEK DR 12-2 PRUDENTIAL RKY MTN REALTORS 970-290-8309

$389,750 SW LOVELAND 975 PRISM CACTUS CIRCLE 12-4 GLEN MARKETING TEAM, ERA 970-663-4522

PRICE LOCATION ADDRESS HRS OFFICE PHONE

FROM THE $140’S NW LOVELAND 43RD & WILSON AVE. THE COTTAGES AT

ENCHANTMENT RIDGE 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

140’S-220’S SE LOVELAND BOISE VILLAGE NO., ¼ MI. SO. OF HWY 34 ON N BOISE AVE., 1899 E. 11TH 10-6 MIDTOWN HOMES 970-456-4600

$169,900* NW LOVELAND 4403 ELLIOT PLACE 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

$170,000 BERTHOUD 10818 CIMARRON ST #204 12-3 THE GROUP INC 970-556-3516

$179,900 JOHNSTOWN/ MILLIKEN 1849 CHESAPEAKE CIRCLE A, B, C 12-3 THE GROUP INC 970-567-0907

$220,000 WINDSOR 610 MOONGLOW DR 1-4 THE GROUP INC 970-219-5219

$232,000 NW LOVELAND 4496 HAYLER AVE 12-5 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

STARTING @ $250’S NE LOVELAND 1563 LA JARA ST/LAKES POINT 1-4 BURNS CONSTRUCTION970-669-8386

$269,000 SW LOVELAND 577 CANDELARIA 11-2 THE GROUP INC 970-481-1250

$298,664 NW LOVELAND 4355 RIDGWAY DR 1-4 THE COTTAGE REALTY 970-532-5900

$308,500 WINDSOR 7409 PIMLICO DR 12-5 THE GROUP INC 970-443-4047

$323,400 SW LOVELAND¼ MILE WEST OF WILSON ON 14TH ST. SW/HWY 402 TO THE DAKOTA GLEN SUBDIVISION

12-4 GLEN MARKETING TEAM, ERA 970-663-4522

$389,750 SW LOVELAND 975 PRISM CACTUS CIRCLE 12-4 GLEN MARKETING TEAM, ERA 970-663-4522

Saturday Reporter-Herald D ecember 18, 2010 E6

FlowerH& Front Range GardeningRE

Give the gift ofg a rd e n i n g

PowerBenefit from thepsychologicaleffects of floralarrangements

CA RO L O'MEARACSU EXTENSION

If the guests you’re expectingbring more stress than hap-piness, consider using your

décor to keep them in line.Through the help of modern psy-chology and strategic arrange-ments, your gathering can be acivilized affair. But it’s not theseating charts or furniture thatwill save you; it’s your bouquets.

Two studies, one conducted byNancy Etcoff, Ph.D., of Mas-sachusetts General Hospital andHarvard Medical School, the oth-er by Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones, Professor of Psychology atRutgers, show that there really ispower in flowers. Looking at thelinks between humans and blos-

soms, both studies suggest thathuman behavior can be im-proved by the presence of flow-ers. Here are a few of their find-ings to help you keep the holi-days cheerful.

Place flowers in rooms wherethey’ll have the most impact:kitchens, dining rooms and liv-ing rooms. Their presence isenough to soothe the savagebeast, or at least make them tol-erable for an hour or two. Bytriggering the feeling of happi-ness, flowers increase connec-tion between people, bringingthem together in a positive man-n e r.

In both studies, people felt lessnegative after being around flow-ers, and Etcoff’s study foundthat flowers improve compassionand kindness for others, some-thing that should come in handywith judgmental visitors. Seatthe pessimists near a display ofbrightly colored posies; perhapsthey’ll overlook their feelings onyour cooking this year.

Have someone who loves to ar-gue in the group? Hand them aflower whenever they warm up to

a topic; it will bring a smileand better behavior. Ac-cording to Haviland-Jones, people entering anelevator — a place of socialawkwardness — acted ina more socially posi-tive way when hand-ed a flower, as op-posed to another giftor nothing at all.

At the very least,handing them flowersone by one over theevent will keep theirmind on your men-tal stability and offof debates.

Want to show offyour antique end tablewithout running the risk of care-less water rings left by the drinksof distracted guests? Let a floralarrangement of holly provideprotection for the table. Thedeep green, glossy leaves be-decked in berries look gloriousin a winter bouquet, but a fewnips from their razor-sharpspines will have your guests look-ing elsewhere to set their glasses(this advice is not part of thestudies. It’s a trick I’ve picked upover the years).

For best effect, spread the hol-ly along the lower and middlesection of the display, keepingthe size of the arrangement wideenough to discourage drinks butshow off the table.

If you’d like to tamp down yourguests’ baser instincts, whip up afew floral arrangements. Oasisblocks, found at local hobby

stores, hold water and fresh flow-ers or branches when you’re notusing a vase. Soak the oasis in wa-ter for a half hour before use,then place in a shallow bowl ort r a y.

Choose a variety of materialfrom your garden and the localflorists’ shop. If using fresh ever-greens, snip the ends before in-serting them into the oasis, cutstems at differing lengths to keepthe arrangement interesting.Strip off leaves or needles fromany part of the stem thatwill be inserted into the oa-sis.

When inserting anythinginto the oasis, take care topush the stem only once;avoid pulling it back out toreseat it. This causes an airpocket between the stemend and the foam, and theplant won’t get water from

the oasis.Begin at the bottom of the

display, layering greenery in acircle as a foundation for thedesign. Work around the ar-rangement in an upward circleto place material into the foam.If arranging for the center of atable, keep the design low toavoid obstructions to conversa-tions with those on the otherside of the table. Mist your ar-rangement daily.

Carol O’Meara is withCSU Extension inBoulder County.Contact her at303-678-6238 orcomeara@co. b o u l d e r. c o . u s .

Front Range Gardening

LEE REICHTHE AS S O C I AT E D PRESS

December is a lowpoint in the garden-ing year, but a high

point for giving gifts to gar-deners. Most obvious wouldbe a plant. Every gardener,no matter how long they’vebeen gardening, gets athrill when opening a boxwith a plant in it.

SPECIAL PLANTS

The plants that most gar-deners would be thrilled toreceive this time of yearwould be those providingwinter fragrance or blos-soms, or both. A good placeto start looking would be alocal nursery.

Gardenia, jasmine,camellia and citrus fit thebill for anyone with a greenthumb and a cool, brightroom. Where heat, humidi-ty and sunlight create amore tropical atmosphere,choose from such beautiesas bougainvillea, abutilonand allamanda.

A lack of sunny windowsshould not present a prob-lem. Just shift gears andthink foliage: ferns, such asthe dainty maidenhair orthe eerie rabbit’s-foot, withits furry “foot” attemptingescape over the edge of thepot; or rosemary, pretty andfragrant whether or not itflowers; or cute baby’s-tears, always lush andgreen.

NEEDED GIFTS

Shift gears again now andmove beyond plants to ex-pendable items:

A good pair of gardeninggloves — either soft leather,cotton with rubber-coatedpalms and fingers, perhapsgloves made of some inno-vative material — are es-sential, and rarely last morethan a year or two.

Potting soil is an expend-able gift that you can buyor, like cupcakes, makeyourself. For homemadepotting soil, mix togetherequal parts peat, perlite,compost and garden soil,then put the mix throughsome quarter-inch meshhardware cloth.

Plant labels, which couldbe nothing more than

Popsicle sticks or tonguedepressors, are also alwaysneeded.

One of the best expend-able gift items is twine, use-ful for such things as tyingup tomato, delphinium andpea plants, laying out gar-den rows or beds, and lash-ing together bamboostakes. Natural twines, suchas cotton, jute and hemp,are best for gardening be-cause they can be tossed,along with tied plants, intothe compost pile at sea-son’s end.

GIFTS THAT LAST

Enduring gifts can be aswelcome as expendableones. Tools are an obviouschoice, but choose careful-ly. Too many gadgets endup gathering dust in theback corner of a garage orshed.

Some gadgets that aresure to get used include anelectronic moisture probe,a rain gauge, a compostthermometer, and a ther-mometer that records mini-mum and maximum as wellas current temperatures.

Self-watering seed flats(the APS Starter Kit fromG a rd e n e r ’s Supply Compa-ny, www.gardeners.com)will free a gardener fromdaily watering chores inspring. (Watering is stillneeded, but weekly, per-haps, rather than daily.)

For a decorative pot for alarger plant, consider plas-tic ones that look just liketerra-cotta but dry out lessreadily and stand up toweather better.

Something even bigger?A rain barrel, for catchingand making good use of wa-ter from a gutter’s down-spout.

AND, OF COURSE, BOOKS

The best gardening booksprovide both informationand inspiration, or at leasta healthy dose of one. Justas with garden tools, don’tbe enticed too quickly bywhat is splashy, colorful andmost promoted. Some ofthe best gardening bookswere written decades ago.Step into a used bookstore;you might find a gem of anold gardening book there.

2 BDRM in LOVELAND$715 + deposit. Heat,water, trash paid.

970-214-2057 or 970-266-0206

2 BDRM, $695/mo +elec, free heat & basiccable. New carpet &vinyl, fresh paint,newly remodeled ba.No pets. 970-663-6787 or

970-430-0859

2 BDRM, 1 BA, gardenlevel, lg LR/DR, close todowntown, lndry on site.

1145 E 5th St.$550, wtr/swr/gas pd. N/P$250 move-in special!

Faith Property 970-377-1626

2 BDRM, 1 BA, bsmt apt,hkups, 1705 1/2 E 8th St,$725/mo Faith Property

970-377-1626

2 BDRM, 1 BA, $650/mo.WTR. PD! 2346 S Colorado,

Quiet. No smk/pets.970-218-0510

2 bdrm 1 ba, 311 N. 1st St,Johnstown H20, sewer,trash pd, spacious livingareas, great location!$510/mo Must see!

Faith Property 970-377-1626

2 BDRM, 1.5 ba, remod-eled! Hkups, $800/mo, wtr/sewer pd. 1842 E 17th St,Faith Property 970-377-1626

✭ 1 BDRM apt, $500,Mobile Home $550,

rent includes utilities.430 E Eisenhower.

Estate Builder 970-667-3400

1 BDRM- 341 N. Garfield$425. Main level, open kitchCall rmpm.com 669-0842

1 BDRM/1 BA ground levelend unit w/ coin-op laun-dry, no pets, 558 10th StArmadillo 970-416-RENT.

rentfortcollins.com

1 Bath Studio, $410/mo220 E. 2nd, full kitchenCall rmpm.com 669-0842

”0“ UTILS! 1 or 2 roomstudios, vintage apts. On-site mgmt. W/D, WiFi,DirTV $335-$630 970-219-6353

Apartments/Unfurnished 4030

Kitchenettes. Weekly,monthly rates. Util. pd.Satellite TV, laundry rm.

970-663-0400

Apartments/Furnished 4010

To place an ad, call 970-635-3650 or go to www.ReporterHerald.com/classifieds and place yourad any time of the day or night. Fax: 970-635-3677…email: classifieds@reporter-herald.com

3 BDRM- 2212 SW 3rd$925- Fin bsmt, 1 car garCall rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM- 1.5 bath, 1 cargar. 521 W. 39th St. $800/mo. Call Tom 970-679-8567

2 BDRM 1.5 ba, W/D hkup,wtr/ht incl, $600/mo, 1721 E16th. No dogs. 970-420-2227

Condos/Townhouses 4050

6000 SF Retail/Warehouseon Hwy 287. Overhead door.970-593-2401 or 970-227-7447.

1900 sq ft Warehouse/retailin Loveland. 2105 E 11th St,Unit 140. 970-396-1165.

CommercialIndustrial 4040

BDRM, 1 BA, hw flrs, $495211 W. 8th St, Avail now!Faith Property 970-377-1626

$950/Mo, 1⁄2 Mo Rent Free2 Bdrm /2 Full Ba, W/Dinc, new carpet, built 2000,balcony. 970-667-7000x106

1043 Eagle Dr Lvld

LUXURIOUS UPSCALEAPARTMENTSSTUDIO, 1, 2, & 3

BEDROOMS- Pool, hot tub,24 hr. fitness center,business center, coffeeshop, salon, pizza & deli.OPEN HOUSE, Mon-Fri9am-6pm, Sat. 10am-5pm.325 E. 5th St., Loveland.

1-888-822-9346

3 BDRM 1 BA apt, spaciousand bright, 910 N Douglas$695 www.FTCRENT.com

970-226-5600

3 BD or 2 BD- Free rent!Pets nego. Quiet & spac.$625-$795. 970-223-1349

2 BDRM apt in SW Lvld isbright & cozy warm. Newcarpet, W/D hkkups, offstreet prkg, low utils. Privow n e r / q u i e t 4 - p l e x .

Avail NOW. $625Wil 970-690-5261

2 BDRM, 1 BA,top level,corner unit, new carpet.lndry on site. 1155 E 5th St.$575, wtr/swr/gas pd. N/P$250 move-in special!

Faith Property 970-377-1626

2 BDRM, 1 BAth APTAll utilities incl, quiet area,huge living room. Only$665/mo. Call 970-669-1375

2 BDRM, 1 BA, spaciousliving & dining, A/C closeto shops! 1707 CheyenneAve #7. R/D $550, H20,

Sewer & gas pd,Faith Property 970-377-1626

Apartments/Unfurnished 4030

STORAGE 20 x 40with 14´ overhead door.

$325/mo. Call (970)481-5899

1 CAR GARAGE- $75/mo.Great for storage.

rmpm.com. 970-669-0842

Garages/StorageSpaces 4070

Country duplex, 2 bdrm,1 ba, animals OK, on CR 13.$850 inc utils. 970-219-3107

AVAIL IMMED! 1200 SF- 3bdrm, 1.5 ba, fncd bkyd &carport. $850 + $850 dep +utils. Lvld, (303)772-7390

3 BDRM- 3407 Ash, $8251 car gar, fncd yard.

Call rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM, 2 ba, gar, W/Dhkps, $700. No pets/smk. 8Birkley Ct Lvld 970-667-3353

3 BDRM, 1 bath 502-504Jocelyn, Lvld, 2 car gar,fncd, N/P, N/S $775/mo +

dep. 1 Avail 12/10 &1 Avail 1/1. 970-586-1669

3 BDRM- 1416 W. 25th, $895Deck, fncd yd, 1 car garCall rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM- 1100 N. Taft,$1095/mo. 55+ communityCall rmpm.com 669-0842

2 BDRM- 2343 SW 10th,$795/mo. Frplc, 1 car garCall rmpm.com 669-0842

2 BDRM, 1 ba, 703 36th St,Evans, wtr/swr/trsh pd,

pets neg $650/moFaith Property 970-377-1626

2 BDRM- 1624 E. 17th, $625.Patio, shared garage.Call rmpm.com 669-0842

2 Bdrm- 141 Glenda, $775NICE! Big Kitchen

Call rmpm.com 669-0842

Duplexes 4060

OWN your own home forwhat you pay in Rent!

Lowest rates,$0 - $1000 Down

Free Prequalification.Western Plains Realty

Ken or Tammy970-663-5008

Loveland ranch home,$1100. 3 bdrm, 2 ba, formalliving/dining, den w/frpl,garage close to city park!

2112 N Empire.Faith Property 970-377-1626

$99 MOVE IN SPECIAL3 bdrm, 1.5 ba, located inMilliken. $995, 970-310-3855

4 BDRM- 568 Mesa Dr,$1350/mo. Fin bsmt, deckCall rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM- 517 E. 50th, $1125Pets nego, firelplace

Call rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM, 2 ba, Tri-level,frpl, gar, 766 21st St SW,

$1250/moFaith Property 970-377-1626

3 BDRM- 222 SW 42nd, $850Newer carpet, BIG!

Call rmpm.com 669-0842

3 BDRM, 1.75 BA ranch,new carpet & paint, 2 cargar. 2514 N Empire, avail1/1, $1100/mo. 970-690-1211

3 Bdrm- 1216 Hilltop, $1125MUST SEE! So Nice!Call rmpm.com 669-0842

2 BDRM- 925 Lincoln,$995. Old Town, GREAT!Call rmpm.com 669-0842

2 BDRM- 124 W. 10th,$750/mo. Pets nego, CUTE!Call rmpm.com 669-0842

EQUAL HOUSINGOPPORTUNITYAll real estate

advertised in thispaper is subject to thefederal and state FairHousing Act whichmakes it illegal toadvertise “any

preference, limitationor discrimination

based on race, color,religion, sex, handicap,familial status or

national origin, or anintention to make anysuch preference,limitation, ordiscrimination.”

The newspaper willnot knowingly acceptany advertising for

real estate which is inviolation of the law.All persons are herebyinformed that all

dwellings advertisedare available on anequal opportunity

basis.

Houses 4080

Retail & Office Spaces.Starting at $225. UtilitiesIncluded. 970-613-1477

Retail Space 4135

Roommate Wanted- housein Old Town Fort Collins,1 mile N. of CSU. $325/mo.+ utils. Female, under 21preferred. (720(560-7258

1 ROOM AVAIL in Jan.Quiet 5 bdrm home. Shareba, lndry. No smoke. Clean& responsible. Need creditreport. $225. 970-481-2222

RoommatesWanted 4120

West Eisenhower Office4 room office suite.Eisenhower Frontage.Plently of off-street

parking. Elegant historicbuilding. $1250/per monthplus utilities for all or

will subdivide. 970-481-7580

Downtown corner loc, bldgw/ 3 ofcs/recept area. 4 carprkg. $1000/mo 970-667-5145

Office Space 4100

Move Your Home FREE!LOT RENT STARTING @$199. 250+ Communities tochoose from. Offer expires1/10/2011. 970-377-0990

LIKE NEW HOMESDBLWIDES & SINGLESEasy Credit. Low Down!Buy or Rent. Call now.

970-420-8488

✭ 2 BEDROOM HOMES ✭$575 to $650 + dep.

W. Hwy 34. Pets on apprSe Habla Espanol

970-685-8573

✭ 3 BDRM, 1 BATH ✭W. Hwy 34. $675/mo + dep.Pets on appr. Se HablaEspanol, 970-685-8573

2 Bdrm- 2704 Mallow, $595Pets nego, 1 car garageCall rmpm.com 669-0842

Mobile Homes/Spaces 4090

✔✔✔✔To ensure you receive

the best response to youradvertisement, pleasecheck your ad the first

day of publication.We regret we cannot be

responsible for morethan one day´s incorrect

insertion. Billinginquiries can be

initiated within 30 daysof ad expiration.

Houses 4080

2 BDRM, 2 ba mobile homeAll new winds, vinyl siding.$7000/obo. 970-669-0865

14´X70´ in Adult Park ●Very well kept in greatcondition! 3 bedroom, 2ba, all appliances.

Asking $33,500. 1351 SylmarPark. (970)667-5868, lv msg.

✭ MOBILE HOMES ✭BUYING/SELLING

Beautiful Home in LvldSunset Retirement Park,only $14,900. We´re buyingtoo! Big Sale! Many single& dbl wides. Fin avl, autoapproval on owner fi-nanced homes. 970-222-1473✭ 690-2725 or 690-3283 ✭

Mobile/ManufacturedHomes/Spaces 5130

A picture is wortha thousand wordsTry a classified picture

ad! Call for details970-635-3650

$1,150/Month, 3 Bdrm, 2 BaRanch, built 2009. Fullbsmt, lg gar. 970-402-6432

1899 E 11th St Lvld

Loveland 5110

WOW WHAT VIEWS!2.8 acres, water tap in &paid. Electric close, septicneeded & Ish res irrig wtr.$100K, just SE of Berthoud.Call Mark Sullivan at ERATradewind (303)684-6335

Farms, Ranches,Acreages 5050

LEASE 2400 SF Shop with300 SF Office, $980/mo

Also avail, 3 bdrm house w/3 car gar, additional $900/mo. Call (719)433-5095

Commercial 5030