The Oklahoman Real Estate

FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

INDEX

Barry Stone 4FHandy @ Home 7FBuilding permits 10F

HOUSE PLAN

Bold BeamsTaking in the bold woodenbeams of the Woodcliffe’sporte cochere and entry,what springs to mind is anupscale hunting lodge.PAGE 3F

LISTING OF THE WEEK

Pool partyThe Listing of the Week isa large 1½-level homewith a heated pool withwaterfall and diving boardin the gated Oakmondneighborhood.

PAGE 3F

Big loansdefaultingPrime jumbo bor-rowers who oncewere thought to beamong the safestbets now are themost likely to opt fora strategic defaultand walk away fromtheir homes.

PAGE 6F

KennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

IN BRIEF

DINNERWARESETS STYLEShax Riegler setsthe table for someappetizing explora-tion with his newbook, “Dish: 813Colorful, WonderfulDinner Plates.” Rie-gler, features editorat House Beautiful,explores the historyand appeal of din-nerware, which hasinfatuated collectorssince at least thelate 1600s. The bookincludes iconic linessuch as Meissen’sBlue Onion andHomer Laughlin’sFiesta, as well assuch curiosities asplates influenced byfashion and thespace race, platesdesigned by RoyLichtenstein andFrank Lloyd Wrightand even a grimdepiction of Joan ofArc being burned atthe stake. “Dish” ispublished by ArtisanBooks and sells for$35 in hardcover.

TREES TAKE A STANDIt seems mankind istireless in its questto design the perfectChristmas treestand. One of thelatest entries in thebase race is theWonderStand, atwo-part foundationthat tilts and rotatesfor perfect treepositioning. Thedevice has a sep-arate cup that fitsonto the tree trunkbefore the tree islifted into the stand,so you don’t have tocrawl under the treeto tighten bolts. Thetree can be tilteduntil it’s straight androtated as you deco-rate. A foot pedallocks the mecha-nism. The stand fitstrees less than 10feet tall with trunkdiameters of 2 to 6inches. Its reservoirholds 1 gallon ofwater and has anoverspill feature. Thestand, from DalenProducts Inc., can beordered at www.thewonderstand.com or(877) 990-9967. Theprice is $79.99through the holidays.Shipping is extra.

FROM WIRE SERVICES

A couple in their early30s, a manufacturingcompany manager mar-ried to an elementaryschool teacher, is search-ing for a first home wherethey can raise a family.Originally, they thought ahouse with two or threebedrooms would suffice.But now they’re convinceda four-bedroom homewould be better.

“I told them houseswith more bedrooms do alot better on the resalemarket,” said John Rygiol,a veteran real estate brokerworking with them.

Is a home with four bed-rooms affordable for manybuyers?

Surprisingly yes, saidJon Boyd, a real estate bro-ker and former presidentof the National Associ-ation of Exclusive BuyerAgents (www.naeba.org).

Boyd said that homevalues are determined bylocation as well as square

footage, and the squarefootage of many four-bed-room homes is often nogreater than three-bed-room homes in the sameneighborhood.

Because of that, he saida fourth bedroom alsodoesn’t usually add much,if anything, to the home’sutility costs.

Are you a homebuyertrying to buy a house withthe right number of bed-rooms? If so, these point-ers could prove useful:

I Buy ahead for yourfamily’s future needs.

Boyd, who heads hisown independent real es-tate company, said it’s not

unusual for young coupleswho plan to have a baby tofail to factor this in whenchoosing a home.

Maybe you’re expectingyour first child in two orthree years. In this case, hesaid that purchasing aplace with a bedroom thatcould serve as a nursery is abetter bet than changinghouses after the baby ar-rives.

I Don’t rule out roomsharing for young school-age children.

By the time they reachkindergarten, if not before,most children want a bed-room of their own. How-ever, if your family is large,and you would like to con-vert at least one bedroomto a home office, it mightnot be possible to furnisheach child with a privatebedroom.

But Boyd said home-buyers needn’t worry if thehouse they purchase hastoo few bedrooms to meet

their children’s wishes. Hesees some benefits to roomsharing, especially for pre-adolescent children.

I Look for a first-floormaster suite for an elderparent.

Boyd estimated that atleast 20 percent of allhomebuyers “are nowtalking about an elder par-ent moving in with them atsome point in the future.”

If this is a possibility inyour case, he said youshould consider buying aone-level, ranch-stylehome or a place with afirst-floor suite, completewith a private bath.

Even if your parents caneasily scale the stairs now,they might find it a lot har-der later. Having easy ac-cess to a bedroom with afull bath can be especiallyimportant to those who areelderly or have a disability.

I Make sure that anyroom counted as a “bed-room” meets the defini-

tion.Given the popularity of

properties with plenty ofbedrooms, Rygiol said it’snot unusual for home sell-ers to sometimes stretchthe definition whencounting their bedrooms.

On occasion, for exam-ple, some sellers will placean armoire and a bed in asmall den or another spareroom and then will call it a“bedroom.” Or they’llcount a sitting room off amaster suite as a “bed-room.” But Rygiol saidhomebuyers shouldn’t befooled.

“If the room doesn’thave a built-in closet of itsown and a window or doorfor egress, it’s not a bed-room. The same goes for aroom that can only be en-tered through anotherbedroom. Neither one ofthese rooms should countas a bedroom,” he said.

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

Number of bedrooms important choice for buyersEllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

NORMAN — When it comes toliving up to its name, the Universi-ty of Oklahoma’s Institute forQuality Communities isn’t neces-sarily restricted to the city.

“We can make a better versionof suburban life, too,” said BlairHumphreys, who came on as theinstitute’s first full-time directorin July.

But refining suburban lifemeans answering a number ofquestions, ones the institute couldface in the coming years.

“How do you go into a suburbthat’s never had a downtown,never had a heart of the communi-ty, and how do you create a placethat people identify with?” Hum-phreys wondered. “Even a subur-ban community that might be 20to 30 minutes from downtown,they also have a heart, a center of

activity, a place where people go toeat or where people go to shop. It’snot just a destination that youhave to drive to.”

And for Oklahoma City and itssuburbs, it’s important not to letthe issue get bogged down in afalse perception of the metro areaas a “car culture,” he said.

“That sounds nice, but in real-ity, not everyone has a car, not ev-erybody can afford a car,” he said.“So if we continue to think that’sthe minimum threshold we haveto hit, we’re leaving a lot of peopleon the sidelines who aren’t gettingto experience a full life within thecity and everything it has to offer.”

Leading the Institute for Qual-ity Communities is a natural movefor Humphreys, son of formerOklahoma City mayor Kirk Hum-phreys, part of a family known forreal estate development.

Blair Humphreys spent two

OU’S NEW INSTITUTE FOR QUALITYCOMMUNITIES GETS SOLID START

BY DYRINDA TYSONFor The [email protected]

Blair Humphreys, director of the University of Oklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities, and Ronald Frantz, associate professor in theSchool of Architecture, look at a model of downtown Oklahoma City at the University of Oklahoma. PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN

The Montgomery, apartments and condos at 500 W Main St., is anoption for urban living in downtown Oklahoma City.

PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMANSEE QUALITY, PAGE 2F

2F SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE

years at the MassachusettsInstitute of Technologybefore returning in 2009to Oklahoma City, a citythat fell in the bottom fiveof the country’s mostwalkable cities in one sur-vey the year before.

The way cities and sub-urbs function isn’t justabout getting from point Ato point B, he said.

“We also have to be real-istic about the link be-tween how we’ve built ourcities, our towns and howit is impacting our health,”he said. Oklahoma, for ex-ample, consistently rankshigh in obesity rates.

Institute starts strongAnd that’s one element

the institute, which is get-ting its feet on the groundthis year, will tackle. Theidea is to pull students intocommunities, giving thema chance to work on real-life issues and come upwith real-life solutions.

The ball gets rolling thissemester with a series ofspeakers — most recentlyFernando Costa, assistantcity manager in FortWorth, Texas — with itsfirst courses starting in thespring.

“We’ll be getting stu-dents from a variety of dis-ciplines throughout thecampus and get them in-volved in projects in one ormore Oklahoma commu-nities,” Humphreys said.

The approach isn’t newfor the college of architec-ture, which has lent out itstalents in the past. Ele-ments of Oklahoma City’sCore-to-Shore project, forexample, first took shapein the OU studios, said As-sociate Professor Hans E.Butzer.

“Obviously, public enti-ties have limited funds,and so one of the thingswe’ve been able to do iscollaborate with the plan-ning department to kind ofstay a couple of stepsahead of where things are,”Butzer said. “In a certainsense, we’re the scouts;we’re the scouting agencyfor the planning depart-ment.”

Housing is just onepiece of the puzzle, but itcould be the most chal-lenging piece. Take, for ex-ample, a recent housingstudy that stated a quarterof respondents wanted tolive in downtown Okla-homa City. But that hasn’ttranslated into an increasein housing sales down-town.

“Everyone says theywant to live downtown,but in the end what it reallycomes down to is no onereally is,” Butzer said. “Allthose folks aren’t buying.”

But they are renting. Arecent analysis found de-mand for rental propertiesoutpacing sales, keepingbusiness brisk at placessuch as the Park Harvey, aformer office buildingconverted into apart-ments. And that analysis,delivered to the OklahomaCity Council in Septem-ber, indicates at least an-other 1,000 units could bein place by 2020.

Flexible approachButzer, also director

with Butzer-Gardner De-sign in Oklahoma City,said he prefers not toguess, and his class studiois looking at more flexibleapproaches.

“The attitude we’re tak-ing is less about trying toread the market but ratherto create, to start designingneighborhoods in such away that the way thebuildings are used can ad-just to where the markethappens to be,” he said.

And the need for flexi-bility goes beyond down-town.

“In the upper-endhousing, the preferredthing is to rent, which is awhole new market,” saidRonald H. Frantz, an asso-ciate professor who joinedthe institute in Septemberafter a stint with Okla-

homa Main Street.Renting provides up-

per-end market flexibility,he said, and if a job is lost,no one is stuck trying tosell a house.

Still, almost 15 millionhomes stood empty in theUnited States when theU.S. Census was taken in2010, up from 10 million in2000.

“We’ve never had thatmany vacant houses in thehistory of the country, sothere’s some real challeng-es happening out there,”Frantz said.

And people are stillflocking to the suburbs —some 40 million morewere living in suburbs in2010 than in 2000, ac-cording to Census figures.

Poverty grew in the sub-urbs as well, though. The

Census Bureau’s 2010American CommunitySurvey released in Sep-tember showed povertygrew 53 percent in majormetropolitan suburbsfrom 2000 to 2010, com-pared to 23 percent in thecities.

But that doesn’t changeone fact: People are stilllooking for quality homes,Frantz said.

The vacant housing inthe suburbs mirrors thesituation seen in inner-city neighborhoods in thepast, he said.

“It’s just crept out an-other ring — in 40 years ofgrowth, it’s just crept out.But people will move towhere there are qualityhousing, quality commu-nities. It gets back to thequality community.”

FROM PAGE 1F

Quality: Students see real-life issues

Left: Blair Humphreys, director of the University ofOklahoma’s Institute for Quality Communities, andRonald Frantz, associate professor in the college ofarchitecture, talk about urban and suburban planningat the University of Oklahoma.

PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY,THE OKLAHOMAN

The Park Harvey Center, 200 N Harvey, provides high-rise apartments as a livingoption in downtown Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

Deep Deuce Apartments was one of the first options for walkable living in thepost-2000 inner-city renaissance. This building is at 300 NE 2 north of Bricktownnear downtown Oklahoma City. PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2011 3FREAL ESTATE

Taking in the boldwooden beams of theWoodcliffe’s porte cochereand entry, what springs tomind is an upscale huntinglodge. Or maybe a North-western-style chalet. Ei-ther designation couldeasily fit this expansiveCraftsman-style home. All3,500-plus square feet of itare on one level.

Behind the vaulted portecochere is a vaulted bree-zeway that leads to an evenloftier vaulted porch.Handsome squared wood-en posts support and ac-cent the entire passage-way. Entering the home,you step into a breathtak-ing vaulted great room,richly windowed at therear. A fireplace and homeentertainment center lineone wall.

Two of the great room’sfive window sets slideopen to provide air flowand access to a patio, partof which is covered andvaulted. On the left, a long,multi-angled eating barmarks the kitchen’sboundary.

More light washes intothe kitchen through a sky-light. Working at thecooktop or handy prepsink, you face into thegreat room and can enjoythe rear vista as well. Abayed nook is at one endand a roomy pantry is atthe other, right around thecorner from a large homeoffice with a freestandingwoodstove. Counters,shelves and a desk with filedrawers are all built intothis skylit space, as is awide closet that fills therear wall.

Storage closets line thehallway on the right,

which leads to a vaultedden and the Woodcliffe’sdeluxe owners’ suite. Lux-uries here include a dou-ble-wide walk-in closet,plus a skylit bathroomwith a deep soaking tuband an oversize walk-inshower. Two more bed-rooms, a vaulted familyroom and a double-entrybathroom are in the leftwing.

A review plan of the Woodcliffe,including floor plans, elevations, sectionand artist’s conception, can bepurchased for $25 by phone, mail oronline. Add $5 for shipping and handling.Associated Designs, 1100 Jacobs Drive,Eugene, OR, 97402. www.associateddesigns.com. (800) 634-0123.

HOUSE PLAN

Craftsman-style homeoffers lodgelike living

The Listing of the Weekis a large 1½-level homewith a heated pool withwaterfall and diving boardin the gated Oakmondneighborhood near NW150 and Santa Fe Avenue.

The 3,878-square-foothome at 404 NW 147 Ter-race has four bedrooms,3½ baths, three livingrooms, two dining roomsand an attached three-cargarage. The family roomhas a fireplace and ceiling

fan. The kitchen has awork island, eating spaceand pantry. The masterbedroom has a walk-incloset and bath with dou-ble vanities and whirlpooltub.

All secondary bedroomshave walk-in closets andceiling fans; one has itsown bath; the others sharea jack-and-jill bath. Thehome has a large gameroom upstairs, woodfloors, custom landscaping

front and back and a circledriveway.

The home, built in2003, is listed for$475,000 with Ryan Litz ofKeller Williams Realty.The home will be openfrom 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.For more information, call330-2626 or 245-7812.

Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send information onsingle-family homes to The Oklahoman,Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, OklahomaCity, OK 73125. Nominations may befaxed to 475-3996.

LISTING OF THE WEEK

Large home featurespool with waterfall

The Listing of the Week is at 404 NW 147 Terrace. PHOTO PROVIDED


DEAR BARRY: I pur-chased a brand-new homeless than one year ago andexpected to be covered bythe builder’s warranty. Butthe builder refuses to re-pair any of the defects I’vereported to him.

For example, black mas-tic has seeped through thetile joints in my bathroomcounter. He said I shouldhave noticed these condi-tions during my final walk-through inspection, beforepurchase. Since I did notsee this condition then, hesaid it’s not covered by thewarranty. What should Ido?

CathyDEAR CATHY: Your

builder appears to have alarge number of soiledneurons — a conditioncommonly known as dirtynerve. Since when is a war-ranty of any kind limited tothe defects that you noticeat the time of purchase?When you buy a new com-puter, does the warrantyonly apply to defects thatyou notice at the cash reg-ister?

What does your builderthink a walk-through in-spection is, a reality gameshow? He needs to wake upto the laws and businesspractices that apply to hisprofession. He is responsi-ble for construction de-fects that took place on hiswatch, as prescribed bystate law. That includes alldefects that occurred dur-ing construction or thatwere manifested during thewarranty period, not justthe ones you spotted byyou during “game time.”

This situation illustratesthe importance of hiring aqualified home inspectorwhen buying a brand-newhome. Even when buildersare more honest and for-thright than yours, the bestway to take advantage ofthe warranty is to discoverthe defects before you buy.A professional inspector ismore likely to find the war-ranted problems than is theaverage homebuyer, and

builders are more likely toaddress a problem as acondition of the sale.

My advice is to find themost thorough and experi-enced home inspector inyour area. A qualified in-spector will find additionaldefects for the builder torepair. If the builder doesnot agree to repair all ofthese, you can hire an at-torney to emphasize theseriousness of the matter.

DEAR BARRY: We’vebeen very concerned aboutsloped floors and crackedwalls in our condominiumand have asked the home-owners association to havethem evaluated. Theycalled the carpenter-handyman who does mostof the repairs in our com-plex. He said the building

looks structurally sound,but we’re not reassuredand would like someonewith more expertise to re-view the condition of ourproperty. How should weaddress this situation?

DarinDEAR DARIN: Asking a

carpenter or handyman torender an opinion regard-ing structural defects in abuilding is equivalent toasking a nurse’s aid to di-agnose a malignant carci-noma. In either case, anopinion would be unrelia-ble, and its renderingwould be illegal.

Structural evaluationsand medical diagnoses canbe lawfully and reliablyprovided by qualified pro-fessionals only. Yourhomeowners associationshould have a licensedstructural engineer eval-uate the floors, walls andany related irregularities inyour home to determinewhether the problem iscosmetic or structural.

To write to Barry Stone, go towww.housedetective.com.

ACTION COAST PUBLISHING

BarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

Builder plays warrantygames with homeowner

Just as the lights weredimming on the incandes-cent bulb, its future isflickering with hope onceagain.

This year, Congress reo-pened the debate overwhether the shift to ener-gy-efficient alternatives issmart environmental poli-cy or merely governmentintrusion into citizens’lives. Never mind that a2007 law signed by then-President George W. Bushalready called for all incan-descent lightbulbs to bephased out nationally be-tween 2012 and 2014.

Making the situationmore confusing for con-sumers: California beganimplementing its ownphaseout this year, aheadof the national mandates.The 100-watt incandes-cent bulb already isbanned here.

Consumer choices seemto expand with every pass-ing month. Considerationsfor shoppers trying to sortout what they see on storeshelves:

Energy efficiencyThe reason why incan-

descent bulbs were to bephased out is energy effi-ciency. The purpose of the2007 act was “to move theUnited States toward grea-ter energy independenceand security.” Lighting ac-counts for 10 percent ofU.S. household energy use,and the incandescentbulbs traditionally used inour homes are simply inef-ficient. Ninety percent ofthe energy that they pro-duce is lost as heat.

Three alternative tech-nologies are currentlyavailable. Halogen incan-descent bulbs use about 25percent less energy thantraditional incandescents

and last up to three timeslonger. Compact fluores-cent lamps, or CFLs, useabout 75 percent less ener-gy and last up to 10 timeslonger. Light-emittingdiodes, or LEDs, use 80percent less energy andcan last the longest — up to25 years.

Cost comparisonsThese alternatives cost

more up front. Go to a big-box hardware store and a60-watt incandescentbulb — the most common-ly purchased bulb in theU.S. — is about 60 centswhen bought in a multi-pack. A halogen bulb thatgenerates an equivalentamount of light might costas little as $1.50. An equiv-alent CFL might cost $2 to$5 apiece, depending on

the brand and style. Anequivalent LED is about$34 to $40.

However, all three alter-natives deliver great sav-ings in the cost of oper-ation. A 60-watt incan-descent bulb costs about$4.80 per year to light, ac-cording to the U.S. De-partment of Energy. Theequivalent halogen bulbcosts $3.50 per year. Theequivalent CFL costs $1.20.The equivalent LED costs$1.

The typical Americanhome has 50 light sockets.Upgrading just 15 of thosesockets from incandescentbulbs to CFLs would savemore than $50 per year inelectricity expenses, onaverage, according to theDepartment of Energy.Though CFLs and LEDs

require a larger investmentup front, they save moneyand reduce energy usage inthe long run.

How they workIncandescent bulbs

work with a filament, orwire, that is heated withelectricity inside a tube ofair until the filamentglows. A halogen bulbworks similarly, except thefilament is heated inside ahalogen gas capsule, whichprolongs its life.

CFLs generate light bydriving an electric currentthrough a phosphor-coat-ed glass tube that containsthe gas argon and a smallamount of mercury —about as much as would fiton the tip of a ballpointpen. The mercury is nec-essary to absorb electrical

current and to prompt thephosphor to glow, creatinglight. That chemical reac-tion needs extra electricitywhen the bulb is first turn-ed on, which is why CFLstake some time to reachfull brightness. The base ofeach bulb must be outfit-ted with electronics thatcontrol the flow of elec-tricity.

LEDs are electronics.They’re illuminated by themovement of electrons in-side a diode, usually a formof aluminum that can con-duct electric current andgenerate light.

Light qualityThe majority of Ameri-

cans have grown up withincandescent lights, whichmimic natural sunlightand have a golden hue.

They are dimmable.Halogen bulbs have an

almost identical lightquality because they oper-ate using filament tech-nology similar to incan-descents. Halogens alsoare dimmable.

CFLs have long been as-sociated with light that ismore blue — some wouldsay unnatural or harsh.Many companies now of-fer bulbs with differentcolor phosphor blends de-signed to look more natu-ral, bringing out the redand yellow tones of skin,paint or furniture. Dim-mable CFLs are increas-ingly available.

LEDs are able to mimicthe hue of incandescentsbecause their color istuned electronically. LEDsare also dimmable.

VarietyIncandescent bulbs

come in all sorts of shapes,wattages and colors. Con-sumers have fewer optionswith CFLs and even fewerwith LEDs, but choices aregrowing and prices aredropping.

DisposalIn many U.S. cities, in-

cluding Los Angeles, in-candescent and halogenbulbs can be thrown in thetrash.

CFLs and LEDs requirespecial treatment. CFLscontain the hazardous ma-terial mercury; in Los An-geles, they need to be takento a Solvents/Automotive/Flammables/Electronicscenter, also called a SAFEcenter, or dropped off at arecycling center that ac-cepts CFLs. LEDs are elec-tronics and need to be dis-posed as electronic waste,much like an old computeror television.

MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES

Marek Luce, manager at Lightbulbs Unlimited, looks at a display of old and new lightbulbs with incandescentbulbs, seen in the front row, and CFLs, seen in the back two rows, at the store’s showroom in Ft. Lauderdale,Fla. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO

BY SUSAN CARPENTERLos Angeles Times

Future shines with bulb replacements

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Homebuyers face un-precedented hurdles in qualifying for amortgage, but getting a loan is possible forthose who know how to overcome the ob-stacles, according to a presentation on“Cracking the Credit Code” at the 2011Realtors Conference & Expo.

Some 18 percent of Realtors have re-ported contract failures in recent months,double the levels of a year earlier. Con-tract failures are cancellations caused bydeclined mortgage applications, failuresin loan underwriting from appraised val-ues coming in below the negotiated price,or other problems.

In many cases, understanding how thecredit system works would help buyersavoid problems, said Chandra Hall, a Re-altor and real estate instructor from Col-orado Springs, Colo. A person’s creditscore is the key to personal economichealth, she said.

“Your credit score can affect where youwork, what car you can drive, how muchyou pay for insurance and where you live,”Hall said. “It’s imperative to know howcredit scoring works and how to achievethe highest possible score.”

Even so, Hall said many homebuyerswith good credit are challenged by tightlending restrictions.

“We need to get back to reasonablelending standards,” said Ron Phipps,president of the National Association ofRealtors and broker-president of PhippsRealty in Warwick, R.I. “That’s why NAR,as the leading advocate for homeowner-ship and real estate issues, is workingclosely with policymakers and lenders toensure that mortgages are available andaccessible for qualified buyers and real es-tate investors.”

Credit scores matterCredit scores are derived from payment

histories using a wide range of creditors,including credit card companies, homeloans, car loans and department stores.Information also is obtained from courtrecords, which can include bankruptcyfilings, tax liens and judgments.

“A credit score is simply a numericalrepresentation of your statistical likeli-hood to repay credit that has been extend-ed to you,” Hall said.

The most widely used model for as-signing the statistical probability of re-paying debt was developed by Fair Isaac &Co. and is called a FICO score. The scoresrange from 300 to 850; the higher thescore, the better the credit rating. A newersystem called VantageScore, developed bythe credit reporting bureaus, has gainedtraction in recent years, with scores rang-ing from 501 to 990.

The Realtors’ analysis shows the aver-age credit score for homebuyers usingconventional mortgages rose to 760 in2010 from 717 in 2007. A score of 640 isconsidered to be a minimum score to get amortgage, but varies among lenders.

Weighted average FICO scores for con-ventional loans purchased by Fannie Maeand Freddie Mac eased a bit in the secondquarter of 2011, declining to 755, but re-main well above historic norms. Less than1 percent of loans were offered to buyerswith credit scores of 620 or below, and 70percent of loans were provided to borrow-ers with credit scores of 740 or higher.

Twenty-five percent of Americanshave credit scores below 599, almost dou-ble the level of two years ago.

Homeowners who have experienced aforeclosure on a conventional loan can ex-pect to have a negative credit score for atleast seven years, while a foreclosure on aFederal Housing Administration loan canhave a three-year impact. The impact foran owner in a short sale can vary widely,but is much less severe if the owner wascurrent on the mortgage payments.

Ways to improveRealtors can help educate buyers on im-

proving their credit score, Hall said.“Many credit reports have detrimental

errors, such as duplicate items or incor-rect credit limits, so it’s important tocheck yours,” Hall said. “If you’re plan-ning to apply for a mortgage, don’t closean account within six to 12 months in ad-vance. Keep older accounts, even ifthey’re unused, because the average age ofcredit accounts is a factor in scoring per-formance over time.”

Obstacles complicate getting mortgageFROM WIRE REPORTS

Your credit score canaffect where you work,what car you can drive,how much you pay forinsurance and where youlive. It’s imperative toknow how credit scoringworks and how to achievethe highest possiblescore.”

CHANDRA HALLREALTOR AND REAL ESTATEINSTRUCTOR

Homeowners who haveexperienced a foreclosureon a conventional loan canexpect to have a negativecredit score for at leastseven years, while aforeclosure on a FederalHousing Administrationloan can have a three-yearimpact.


ANAHEIM, Calif. — Recenthomebuyers are stayingwell within their meanswith notably higher in-comes and modestly high-er down payments thanbuyers last year due to therestrictive mortgage creditenvironment, a study re-leased at the 2011 RealtorsConference & Expo re-veals.

The 2011 National Asso-ciation of Realtors Profileof Home Buyers and Sell-ers is the latest in a long-running series of nationalsurveys evaluating demo-graphics, preferences,marketing and experiencesof recent homebuyer andsellers.

Financing obstacleswere more challenging forentry-level homebuyers,said Ron Phipps, presidentof the trade group and bro-ker-president of PhippsRealty in Warwick, R.I.

“First-time home-buyers fell to a 37 percentmarket share in the pastyear from a record high 50percent in the 2010 study,”Phipps said.

“Although last year’sfindings were boosted bythe homebuyer tax credit,long-term survey averagesshow that 4 out of 10buyers are typically first-time buyers. This segmentis critical to a housing re-covery because they helpexisting homeowners selland make a trade.”

Seventy-eight percentof recent homebuyers saidtheir home is a good in-vestment, and 45 percentbelieve it’s better thanstocks.

According to survey re-sults, most buyers believein the long-term value ofhomeownership.

The study shows themedian age of first-timebuyers was 31 and themedian income was$62,400, up from $59,900in the 2010 study.

The typical first-timebuyer purchased a 1,570

square foot home costing$155,000; the estimatedmedian monthly mortgageprincipal and interest pay-ment was $794.

The typical repeat buyerwas 53 years old andearned $96,600, notablyhigher than the $87,000median reported in the2010 profile.

Repeat buyers pur-chased a median 2,100-square-foot home costing$219,500, with an estimat-ed median payment of$1,006.

Freer lending urgedPaul Bishop, the Real-

tors’ vice president of re-search, clarified the im-pact of unnecessarily re-strictive mortgage credit.

“The bar has been raisedto qualify for a loan. Buy-ing your first home hasnever been particularlyeasy, but with record-highhousing affordability con-ditions and a pent-up de-mand, we normally wouldexpect a stronger per-formance,” he said.

“This underscores howimportant it is to open thecredit spigot for credit-worthy buyers. Bankssimply need to get backinto the business of lend-ing. Higher home saleswould help create jobsthrough related economicactivity.”

The median down pay-ment for all homebuyerswas 11 percent, rangingfrom 5 percent for first-

time buyers to 15 percentfor repeat buyers.

“The down paymentsize for both repeat buyersand first-time buyers wasa full percentage pointhigher than in the 2010study, another indicationof tighter lending require-ments,” Bishop said.

Although overall homeprices have trended lower,other survey data show themedian price paid by own-er-occupants is notablyhigher than paid by inves-tors, who are underrepre-sented in the study andlargely use cash to pur-chase heavily discounteddistressed homes.

Funding sourcesFirst-time buyers who

financed their purchaseused a variety of resourcesfor the down payment: 79percent tapped into sav-ings; 26 percent received agift from a friend or rela-tive, typically from theirparents; and 7 percent re-ceived a loan from a rela-tive or friend.

Nine percent sold stocksor bonds and 8 percenttapped into a 401(k).

Ninety-four percent ofentry-level buyers chose afixed-rate mortgage.

Fifty-four percent offirst-time buyers fi-nanced with a low downpayment FHA mortgage,and 6 percent used theVeterans Affairs program,which requires no downpayment.

Report underlines realitiesof tougher loan environment FROM WIRE REPORTS

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Otherdata from the 2011NationalAssociation of RealtorsProfile of Home Buyersand Sellers shows:

BuyersI Sixty-four percent of

all buyers were marriedcouples, 18 percent weresingle women, 10 percentsingle men, 7 percent un-married couples and 1 per-cent other. Last year, 58percent were married cou-ples, 20 percent singlewomen, 12 percent singlemen, 8 percent unmarriedcouples and 1 percentother.

I Buyers searched amedian of 12 weeks andvisited 12 homes, both un-changed from 2010. Ninepercent of recent buyersalso own one or more in-vestment properties, and 4percent own at least onevacation home.

I Seventy-seven per-cent of respondents pur-chased a detached single-family home, 9 percent acondo, 8 percent a townhouse or row house, and 6percent some other kind ofhousing. The typical homehad three bedrooms andtwo bathrooms.

I Fifty-one percent of allhomes purchased were in asuburb or subdivision, 18percent were in an urbanarea, 18 percent in a smalltown, 11 percent in a ruralarea and 3 percent in a re-sort or recreation area. Themedian distance from theprevious residence was 12miles, the same as in the2010 study.

I More than half of

buyers considered pur-chasing a foreclosure butdidn’t buy one for a varietyof reasons: 29 percentcouldn’t find the righthouse; 15 percent each re-ported poor condition anda difficult process.

I Eighty-nine percent ofrespondents used real es-tate agents and brokers;this was the most commonmethod to purchase ahome. Other methods in-clude directly from abuilder, 7 percent; and di-rectly from the previousowner, 4 percent. Sixtypercent of buyers workingwith real estate profes-sionals were representedby a buyer’s agent.

I As demonstrated inprevious studies, buyersuse a wide variety of re-sources in searching for ahome: 88 percent use theInternet, 87 percent usereal estate agents, 55 per-cent yard signs, 45 percentattend open houses and 30percent review print ornewspaper ads. Whilebuyers also use other re-sources, they generallystart their search processonline and then contact anagent.

I The biggest factors in-fluencing neighborhoodchoice were quality of theneighborhood, cited by 67percent of buyers; conve-nience to jobs, 49 percent;overall affordability ofhomes, 45 percent; andconvenience to family andfriends, 39 percent. Otherfactors with relatively highresponses include neigh-borhood design, 32 per-cent; convenience toshopping, 28 percent;quality of the school dis-

trict, 27 percent; conve-nience to schools, 22 per-cent; and convenience toentertainment or leisureactivities, 21 percent.

I Commuting costscontinue to factor stronglyinto decisions regardinglocation, with 73 percentof buyers saying transpor-tation costs were impor-tant.

I The biggest reasonpeople buy a home is thesimple desire to own ahome of their own, citedby 27 percent of respon-dents, including 60 per-cent of first-time buyers.The next biggest primaryreasons for buying weredesire for a larger home ora job-related move, eachcited by 10 percent of re-spondents; a change infamily situation or the af-fordability of homes, 8percent each; and desire tobe closer to family, friendsor relatives, 7 percent.

SellersI The typical home sell-

er was 53 years old with in-come of $101,500. Sellersmoved a median distanceof 20 miles, and theirhome was on the marketfor nine weeks, up fromeight weeks in the 2010profile. Forty-six percentmoved to a larger home, 31percent bought a compa-rably sized home and 23percent downsized.

I While sellers had beenin their previous home fora median of nine years, upfrom eight years in the2010 study, first-timebuyers plan to stay for 10years, and repeat buyersplan to hold their propertyfor 15 years.

More from the Realtors’profile of buyers, sellersFROM WIRE REPORTS


WASHINGTON — Do youhave a big mortgage andgood credit scores but notmuch equity — maybeyou’re even underwater?Do you see little chancethat your home’s marketvalue will improve a lotduring the coming threeto seven years?

If you answered yes toboth questions — andthousands of homeown-ers across the countrycould do so — new re-search suggests that youare in a category thatlenders need to worryabout most: Prime jumboborrowers who once werethought to be among thesafest bets, but who noware the most likely to optfor a strategic default andwalk away from theirhomes.

In a study released Oct.31, the ratings agencyMoody’s said that basedon its analysis of mort-gage-backed bond port-folios, homeowners withjumbos now constitute“greater strategic defaultrisk” than any other typeof borrowers, includingsubprime.

That’s because an ex-ceptionally high numberof jumbo owners — manyin high-cost markets hitby real estate deflationover the past several years— are stuck with persist-ent negative equity. Morethan half of the jumbosanalyzed by Moody’swhere owners are stillmaking payments havehome market values lowerthan their outstandingloan balances.

Jumbo loans are thosethat exceed the conven-tional limits of FannieMae and Freddie Mac.Nationally, that ceiling is$417,000, but in high-cost areas between 2008

and Oct. 1 of this year,conventional limits rang-ed as high as $729,750.The maximum in thosehigh-cost areas is now$625,500.

Meanwhile, Fair IsaacCorp., developer of theubiquitous FICO creditscore, says strategic de-faults — where ownerswho can afford to keeppaying their loans but seeno economic rationale fordoing so — continue to bea “growing problem.”More than an estimated 12million mortgages arenow underwater, and 30percent of all defaults onloans are strategic, ac-cording to Joanne M.Gaskin, FICO’s predictiveanalytics director.

Fair Isaac recently cre-ated a new type of scoredesigned solely to spotpotential strategic defaul-ters before they hand backthe house keys. At leastfour of the top 10 largestlenders and servicers

already are using it, con-tacting high-risk borrow-ers, offering financialsolutions plus informa-tion about the costs asso-ciated with strategicwalkaways. The companyclaims its score can spotthe riskiest homeowners,some of whom show tell-tale characteristics thatmake them as much as 110times more likely to walkaway than the least-riskyborrowers.

Though FICO has notdisclosed the specific riskcombinations in themathematical modelssupporting its proprietaryscore, the company con-firms that among themare good credit scores andpayment performance ondebts, low balances ofoutstanding revolvingcredit, and a relativelyshort period of ownership

of their current homes.In an interview, Gaskin

lifted the lid on the FICOblack box a smidgenmore. Using a wide varie-ty of data — includingproperty values, historicalvaluation trends alongwith standard FICOscores and other informa-tion in credit bureau files— the strategic defaultscore essentially tries toget inside homeowners’heads in order to predicttheir future behavior.

“We’re trying to under-stand (the situation) fromthe consumer’s perspec-tive,” she said. “Howmuch have I lost on thevalue of my home? Whatis the velocity of change”— that is, how fast have I

lost market value, and ismy situation gettingworse? How long will ittake to recapture whatI’ve lost?

When the answers aregrim and the prospectsfor equity recovery dis-tant, the probability thatthe owners will plot astrategic departure —often characterized by anabrupt halt to mortgagepayments while stayingcurrent on credit cardsand car payments — goesup sharply.

“Most consumers havea pretty good idea of whatthe market is doing” intheir local neighbor-hoods,” Gaskin said.

What they often don’tknow, however, are thepenalties they face forwalking away. These in-clude triple-digit drops intheir credit scores, whichwill hamper their abilityto rent a house or obtaincredit for years, plus thepossibility that lenderswill find a way to seekrecovery of whatever theyowe after foreclosureproceedings. About adozen states, includingCalifornia, restrict “defi-

ciency” recoveries. But inmost states, lenders arefree to pursue whateverassets they can locate,and often do so if theamount of unrecovereddebt is large enough tojustify the legal expenses.

Ultimately, strategicdefault for many ownersboils down to a calcula-tion: Are the costs, fi-nancial and otherwise,worth the relief from analbatross house andmortgage? If the Moody’sstudy is accurate, thou-sands of jumbo borrowersare struggling with thatvery calculation rightnow, and a lot of them arelikely to bail.

Ken Harney’s email address [email protected].

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

KennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

In a study released Oct. 31, theratings agency Moody’s said thatbased on its analysis ofmortgage-backed bond portfolios,homeowners with jumbos nowconstitute “greater strategic defaultrisk” than any other type ofborrowers, including subprime.

Prime jumbo borrowers most likely to default


Q: I have a small (12-foot-by-10-foot) woodendeck in my backyard. Itwas stained in redwoodfinish about three yearsago. Some areas of thedeck have weatheredand faded. I am planningto re-stain the deck. Anyadvice on preparationand staining techniques?

A: If it’s been only threeyears, it sounds like theoriginal material used tostain the deck might nothave been of the highestquality. I would suggestcleaning and prepping thedeck using a product suchas Wolman’s DeckStrip(www.wolman.com),which will remove the oldstain and prep the wood toreceive new material.

It’s pretty easy to use;just follow the package di-

rections. Then apply anew, high-quality, UV-re-sistant stain that’s formu-lated for deck use. De-pending on the weatherconditions where you are,if you plan on reapplyingthe stain every two yearsyou shouldn’t have anyfurther weathering prob-lems.

Q: I have a poured blockfoundation under myhouse that has devel-oped a few thin verticalcracks. I was wondering

how to go about fixingthem. I had bad guttersand poor grading aroundthe house. Both issueshave been fixed and nowI need to fix the cracks.

I’ve heard of a poly-type injection systemthat a homeowner canuse as a do-it-yourselfproject, which consists ofan epoxy paste that’smixed and spread alongthe crack after adheringabout eight to 10 portsalong the crack. Then youlet that dry and inject thepoly substance into theports, thus sealing thecrack.

I wondered if thatwould work in my situa-tion, and, if so, where canI purchase the product?

A: Unfortunately, whenit comes to foundation

cracks, I always want to erron the side of caution.There are a number ofgood products for repair-ing cosmetic cracks, butthe cracking can also be anindicator of deeper struc-tural problems. As such, Iwould advise you to con-sult a licensed concrete ormasonry contractor or astructural engineer to firstbe sure there are no struc-tural or settling issues. Ifthere aren’t, then the con-tractor or engineer can al-so advise you on the properepoxy crack filler for yourparticular situation.

Q: We have a ranchhome with an attic fan onthe east side of thehouse. We have a vent atthe peak of roof and a fanabout 14 to 16 inches in di-ameter with screening

and a louvered cover onthe outside. We noticedthat underneath the fanis a board that appears tobe rotted. There is nomold on the outside, butthe wood seems porous,and we also saw whatlooked like water streakson the wood. Our bed-room below this area hasa musty smell, and I amwondering if it is comingfrom the area under thefan.

Who would I contact tocome and determinewhether there is moldbehind it and replace it?Do I have to call a moldspecialist? How about ahome inspector? I am notsure if a regular carpen-ter would be able or wantto deal with this issue.

A: I would suggest a

contracting company thatdeals with insurance res-toration work. It will havemoisture detection equip-ment that can read the ex-tent of moisture and howfar it’s traveled, which willhelp you determine howextensive the damagemight be and perhapstrack down the source.Such companies typicallyare well educated in moldissues and can help youwith any remediation workthat needs to be done, aswell as any health issuesthat might be present.

For a good source ofqualified, licensed insur-ance restoration contrac-tors, ask your local home-owners insurance agent forrecommendations.

INMAN NEWS

Re-stain deck to better handle weatherPaulBianchina

HANDY @ HOME

What do trees have to do with energy?Trees and other plants are energy.

They are the ultimate collectors of solarenergy, using the power of the sun to pro-duce food through photosynthesis. Plantsjump-start the entire food chain with thisenergy, synthesizing carbon-based foodby taking carbon dioxide and water andthat power from the sun and producingcarbohydrates for their own metabolism.In turn, this food feeds animals such as us,or animals that eat animals that ultimate-ly ate plants.

Second, trees are leafy friends that payus back by conserving energy in ourhomes. For example, according to treebe-nefits.com, a 30-inch diameter pin oak inmy yard provides $371 in annual benefitsin terms of stormwater remediation, airquality benefits, carbon sequestration,enhanced property value and energysavings.

According to estimates of the Tree Ben-efit Calculator and the i-Tree suite ofsoftware (www.itreetools.org), those en-ergy benefits for this one tree include es-timated savings of 362 kilowatt-hours ofelectricity and reduced consumption ofoil or natural gas by 49 therms (one thermis equal to 100,000 Btu). The estimatedvalue of these benefits from this one treeis $75 a year.

How so? According to treebenefits.com, trees modify climate and conservebuilding energy use in three principalways:

I Shading reduces the amount of heatabsorbed and stored by buildings.

I Evapotranspiration converts water tovapor and cools the air by using solar en-ergy that would otherwise result in heat-ing the air.

I Tree canopies slow down winds,thereby reducing the amount of heat lostfrom a home, especially where conduc-tivity is high (e.g., glass windows).

Strategically placed trees can increase

home energy efficiency. In summer, treesshading east and west walls keep build-ings cooler. In winter, allowing the sun tostrike the southern side of a building canwarm interior spaces. If southern wallsare shaded by dense evergreen trees, theremay be a resultant increase in winterheating costs.

Check out the Tree Benefits Calculatorfor trees in your yard, your business oryour school. It was developed by the Da-vey Tree Expert Co. of Kent, Ohio, and theCasey Tree Foundation in Washington,D.C. They developed this simple-to-usetool from research that is continually im-proving the models that are collectivelyknown as the i-Tree suite of software. Thei-Tree software is a partnership of the U.S.Forest Service, the National Arbor DayFoundation, the International Society ofArboriculture and the Davey Tree ExpertCo.

To use the Tree Benefits Calculator foran estimate of the economic value of theenvironmental services your tree or trees

provide, you need the ZIP code of thetree’s location (Arizona is different fromOhio), the tree species (a drop-down me-nu), a measurement or estimate of the di-ameter of the tree, and a bit more about itslocation (for example, whether it is infront of a home or in parkland). Direct en-ergy savings relative to heating and cool-ing a house differ if the tree is in your yardor in a park.

As noted at the treebenefits.com web-site: “The Tree Benefit Calculator is in-tended to be simple and accessible. Assuch, this tool should be considered astarting point for understanding trees’value in the community, rather than a sci-entific accounting of precise values. Formore detailed information on urban andcommunity forest assessments, visit thei-Tree website.”

So, enjoy your trees. Recognize theirsolar power and recognize how they payus back with energy savings and other en-vironmental benefits.

MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

Tools calculate how much energy trees can save youBY JIM CHATFIELDAkron Beacon Journal


ANAHEIM, Calif. — A diverse setof buyers and property typescomprise the second-home sec-tor and opportunities for sec-ond-home buyers exist in nearlyevery market, even in nontradi-tional, non-resort markets.

That was the message deliver-ed at the Resort and SecondHome Forum at the 2011 RealtorsConference & Expo. Attendees atthe forum heard from several ex-perts about how to identify sec-ond-home sales opportunities intheir local markets.

Investment and vacationproperties made up 27 percent ofall home sales last year, accord-ing to the National Associationof Realtors.

Realtor Daniel Webster John-son, of Breckenridge, Colo., gavean overview of his local market,

which is largely a second homecommunity; more than 80 per-cent of residences in the area arevacation homes. He offered tipson how agents can successfullymarket and differentiate them-selves from other agents in themarket and identified commonfinancing challenges often en-countered by second-homebuyers, especially in high-cost

markets. “Primary residences and va-

cation homes can frequentlychange throughout the owner’slifetime,” Johnson said. “A homethat is currently considered asecondary home could easily be-come a primary residence to thatfamily sometime in the future.”

Richard Mendenhall, of Co-lumbia, Mo., a former president

of the Realtors association, saidthat while his hometown isn’t atraditional resort town, it has athriving second-home market,mainly driven by the universityand hunting communities. Thecommunity has a large universi-ty, and many families opt to buya home for their children whilethey attend school to live in rath-er than pay rent. Research showsthat one in five second-homebuyers buy the home for familymembers to use.

Mendenhall said that secondhomes aren’t just for the wealthyand that homes in many non-re-sort communities are affordablefor people who want to get awayor be closer to natural attractionsor recreational activities theyenjoy. The national median pricefor a vacation home in 2010 was$150,000 according to the Real-tors.

Bob Waggoner, a Realtor fromDonegal, Penn., noted thatpending legislation and regula-tions could have a devastatingeffect on the local resort com-munity. The Realtors associationbelieves that proposals callingfor the elimination of the mort-gage interest deduction for sec-ond homes should be rejectedbecause it would devastate allhome values in those communi-ties.

Waggoner said his area, likemany other communities with alarge stock of second homes, hassuffered from the downturn. Thehigh inventories of homes avail-able for sale is depressing homeprices and values, but creatingmore opportunities for potentialbuyers who have been priced outof the second-home market inthe past.

FROM WIRE REPORTS

Primary residences and vacation homescan frequently change throughout theowner’s lifetime. A home that is currentlyconsidered a secondary home could easilybecome a primary residence to that familysometime in the future.”

REALTOR DANIEL WEBSTER JOHNSON

Opportunities seen for second-home buyers

ANAHEIM, Calif. — TheU.S. will not become a na-tion of renters — there aretoo many benefits, both fi-nancial and otherwise, toown rather than rent.

That’s according to thecombined findings of sev-eral recent studies pre-sented during the “Buyeror Renter Nation?” sessionat the 2011 Realtors Con-

ference & Expo. An analysis over a 31-

year period across 23 met-ropolitan areas comparedthe ownership benefits interms of appreciation andinterest deductibility andthe costs homeowners in-cur with down payment,taxes, insurance andmaintenance.

When it was assumedthat renters reinvested anysavings in rent (versus a

higher monthly mortgagepayment), maintenanceand down payment, rent-ers had a greater portfoliothan buyers in 91 percentof the areas examined.However, when the modelallowed renters to spendany savings rather than re-invest those savings, 84percent of buyers came outahead.

“We knew that home-owners, on average, accu-

mulate more wealth thanrenters,” said Ken Johnson,editor of the Journal ofHousing Research at Flor-ida International Universi-ty. Johnson spoke at thesession and conducted theanalysis with Eli Beracha.“These findings indicatethat homeownership is aself-imposed savings plan.Not everyone should own ahome, but from a financialperspective, people who

are planning to stay in aproperty over the longterm can benefit frombuying.”

According to the mostrecent data from the Fed-eral Reserve, a homeown-er’s net worth is 45.9 timesthat of a renter’s.

Another analysis con-ducted by Johnson, Bera-cha, Hilla Skiba and MarkHirschey determined thathousing affordability is at

record levels. Twenty-three states are at 30-yearrecord levels of affordabil-ity based on price-to-in-come ratios, and all 50states are at 30-year re-cord affordability levelsbased on mortgage pay-ment-to-income ratios.

“Homeownership ismore affordable todaythan at anytime over thelast 30 years,” Johnsonsaid.

Study touts benefits of owning rather than rentingFROM WIRE REPORTS


SACRAMENTO, Calif. — As homeoffices go, Dianna Lovelace’swork space wasn’t the messiest.But every time the Rancho Cor-dova, Calif., mother and pastor’swife wanted to pay a bill, dosome writing or work on a pro-ject, the clutter crowded out herability to concentrate.

Like many of us, the energeticmom, who also runs a women’sministry and teaches motiva-tional workshops, could neverfind the time to get on top of herhome office clutter.

And in her otherwise spotlesshome, it showed. The desktopwas covered with family photos,piles of paper, bills, school no-tices. The wall-to-wall shelveswere crammed with books,binders, old phone books, familymementos, magazines, even awedding bouquet.

And the floor? It was a holdingstation for accumulated house-hold stuff: last year’s Christmaswreath, a bedroom comforter,the vacuum cleaner, Goodwilldonations, a bag of to-be-shredded papers and 15 years’worth of women’s conferencematerials.

“All I want is peace … and tobe able to multitask a little eas-ier,” exclaimed Lovelace, whosaid she procrastinated severalyears before hiring Tonya Piper, aprofessional organizer.

That’s a typical response. “It’soverwhelming for many people.Sometimes they just need per-mission to get rid of their ‘stuff,’”said Piper, owner of ControlC.H.A.O.S., a former engineerwho has been a professional or-ganizer for churches, homes andoffices the past five years.

A home office, whether it’s acorner table or an entire room, isthe place where every documentof your life, from bills to healthcare to school, needs a place toroost.

Getting it organized can freeup usable space and result in lesstime and money spent lookingfor lost items or buying replace-ments.

The mantra of every personalorganizer: Everything in yourhouse needs its own home, in-cluding every piece of paper youkeep. And even then, we keep toomuch.

“People like to pile, instead offile,” said Ann Nagel, the ElkGrove, Calif., owner of Organize

With Ann, who has seen clients’homes with paper piled on win-dow sills, dining room tables,bathroom floors and just aboutany flat surface. The most typ-ical — but worst — place, shesaid, is the kitchen counter,where papers easily get wet orspilled on.

“About 95 percent of what wefile, we never look at again. Butit’s taking up valuable real estatein our home office,” said Nagel,who turned to professional orga-

nizing after 30 years as a legaland corporate secretary.

When tackling a home officeorganization, there are two ne-cessities: a good filing cabinetand a commitment to purge pa-per.

To begin, spread your piles onthe bed or floor and sort by cate-gory: taxes, insurance, bills,owners’ manuals, etc. Use stickynotes to label piles.

Once they’re sorted, createsubcategories. For instance, un-

der “Insurance,” you might haveseparate files: “Insurance-Health,” “Insurance-Life,” “In-surance-Home.”

Ultimately, those piles shouldgo into a permanent home insidelabeled folders in a filing cabinet.

Create a filing system thatworks for you. Some people needa file for resumes, airline re-wards, gym memberships, SocialSecurity. Some like organizingfiles alphabetically, by color orcategory.

Sloppy home offices make work harderBY CLAUDIA BUCKMcClatchy News Service

Dianna Lovelace hired professional organizer Tanya Piper, right, to do a makeover of her home of-fice in Rancho Cordova, Calif. MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE PHOTO

PRO ORGANIZERSIf you want outside

help in organizing yourhome, office or garage,check the National Asso-ciation of ProfessionalOrganizers’ website forlinks to local organizers.WWW.NAPO.NET/.

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2621 NW 50th 2bd 2ba1car 1200sf, $950, $800dep, no Sec 8 409-7989

3br 1.5ba 1car, ch&a, re-model, $650/mo $600dep$35 app fee 721-6601

Luxury Town Homes2-3 bed, 2 bath, 2cargaran full size w/d, gat-ed from $800. 789-3705

Duplexes, 3 bed, 2 bath, 2car, some new, some gat-ed, call Rick, 405-830-3789.

SW OKC, Furnished eff.,$450/month. Bills paid.

Call 405-236-8257.


5907 NW 40th, 3bd, 1ba,ch&a, fncd yrd, W/D hkup,$650, no Sec 8. 921-6981

Houses All Areas-Free List4 bed from $595-12953 bed from $495-9952 bed from $395-795

605-5477 2545 SW 59th

1920 Karen Dr 2/1 $4252208 Doris 2/1 $4503921 Pearl Way 3/1/1 $650837 Scott St 3/2/1 $750

681-7272

3420 Lazy Lane 4/3 +sunroom. $750/mo $350dep, Sec 8 ok, 324-2611.

Nice brick home, 3/1.5/2,fenced bkyrd, ch&a, newpaint, sec 8 ok, 990-6016

4100 Kim Dr. 3 BR, 1.5 BA,ch&a, gar, large yard, nopets, $725+dep, 672-8996

2 bd, W/D hkup, stove,refrig, 1428 Mallard,

$450, $200 dep. 202-5180

2629 Teal Dr. 2bd 1bath,$475 a month 408-5836

2256 Melody 4/2/2 $14502109 Gebron 3/2/2 $9501105 Jamestown3/2/2$119521922Hmsteadrs3/2/2$1095Express Realty 844-6101www.expressrealtyok.com

Summit Park lowest rent15612 hyde parke150th&penn 2190sf 4b/2b tshel-ter $1595 302-5318171

3/2/2, very beautifulhome in nice area,

all ceramic, EdmondSchools. 749-0603

3/2/2, 1400sf mol, all elect,ch/a, 308 Cherryvale Rd$995mo $995dep 370-1077

3bd 2ba 2din or liv beautsml yard, Edm Schls

$1500+ dep. 651-9914

Beautiful home!!3BD/2BA/2Car Excellentnghbrhd.$950.593-1432

3 bed, 2 bath, 2 car,1450 sf, $1000 mo.Call Alex 990-0488

3bd 2ba 1car fncd yardch&a 20900 SE 59 $675-

mo + dep. 412-7013

408 Babb, 1 bed duplexnear TAFB, Mid-DelSchls, 1ba, CH&A, W/Dhkup, fenced backyard,$445/mo. 405-413-1834.


605-5477 2545 SW 59th

1305PinewoodCt3/1/1 $550321 Silverwood 3/1/2 $650

681-7272

1016 Willowbrook3bd 1.5 baths w/den$750/mo 408-5836

3 Bd, 2 Ba, 2 car, big yrd,Carl Albert schls, $750/mo.972-222-9656, leave msg.

4bd, 1K ba, 1 car, 2 car-port, fp, 1400sf, walk toschool, $850/mo + $850dep. Background & incomecheck. No pets. 473-6400

1004 Nail Parkway 3/1/1+ den. $695/mo $350dep,Sec 8 ok, 324-2611.

Nice 4bd, 2ba, brick, 2200sf,Moore Schools, $1,400mo/$1,000dep. 833-5510

8713 Woodbend 4/2/21840sf fp$1275+dep WACHome&RanchRlty794-7777

220 S. Norman, 3 bd,1 bath, 1 car garage,$695/mo 408-5836

909 SE 14th 3/1/1 $625681-7272

17456 Blackjack Rdg 3/2/21600sf $1000+dep WACHome&RanchRlty794-7777

1020 Clover Ln 1200sf3bed 2ba $775 mo, $600dep 409-7989 no sec 8

1215 NE 46 3/1.5/2 $795681-7272

4810 Casper, Nice 3/1/1CH/A $600 • 732-3411

7525 NW 134 3/2/2 $1495808 Markwell 3/2/2 $82512304WalnutCrk3/2/2 $99514329 N Penn 1/1 $550Express Realty 844-6101www.expressrealtyok.com

3232 Brushcreek in QuailCreek on the golf course,3 bd, 2.5 ba, 2 cr, 1 FP,$2275 mo, $2000 dep,

831-0825.

2930 NW 12th large 1bdduplex, water paid $3953232 NW 28th 2/1 $4751445 N Bradley 3/1.5/2$900

681-7272

3220 NW 33rd sharp 2bdhome, 1car, nice area,fresh paint. Only $495

Fidelity410-4300, 692-1661

New Home 8604 NW 1253/2.5/3, 2620sf, study,bonus, $2200mo $2200dp$500 pet 245-6857

Nice, quiet area, 3 bed,1K bath, nice pool, dou-ble carport, $975 month+ $975 deposit. 728-1589

1333 NW 105 St. 3bd,2ba, 2car gar, ch&a, w/dhkup, $800+ $800 dep, nopets, no sec 8, 519-2845

3325 NW 26th Clean up-stairs 2bed 1.5 bath

ch&a $600mo + $300dep+ app fee. 602-0603

3b 2b 2c, FP, new crpt&paint, big kit, 4317 Holi-day Pl. $1000 830-3399

712 Anita $750mo 3/2/2No Section 8, ch&a

313-4839 or 495-1389

1018 N. Lackey2bed, 1ba, $475 Call

903-523-9060--No Sec.8

4204 NW 53 1bd 1ba $550RedbudRealEstate.com

or 748-8520

432 NW 116th 3bd 2ba2car 1300sf $850mo $800dep, no Sec 8 409-7989

9417 N. McKinley 2bd1 bath $550 a month.

408-5836

Sect 8 accepted!1135 NW 9th, 4bd, 2baHomes4lease 917-9002

2/1/1, $500/month,CH&A, washer & dryerhook up. 405-831-0207

NW 123rd St, 3 bd, 2 ba,2 car, office, living, laun-dry, $1250mo 850-6085

Nice 3 bd 1 ba 1 car,CH/A, 1037 Hoyt

732-3411

4 bed, 2 bath, 1825 NW22nd, ch&a, $1000 mo +

dep, 822-4271.

3009 Somerset Pl. 5bd,3ba, ch&a, remod. $1500mo. $1000dep. 812-4299

3bed & office 2bath 9rooms $750, 1137 NW 26

205-3379 or 396-8608.

Lovely 3BR home 1700sf inclassy area $965 255-4300

Picnic in backyard! 3bd du-plex 1800sf $845 255-4300

Exceptional 3bd 2ba home1900sf $1075 255-4300

•3324 SE 57, 3 or 4 bd1.5 ba $700•5533 Huddleston, 3 bd2 ba 2 car $900•4201 SE 45, 3/1 $550

732-3411


605-5477 2545 SW 59th

522 SE 48th,3 bed, 2 bath, CH&A,

washer/dryer hookup w/appliances, 405-501-6570

1404 SE 41st, 3 bed,1 bath, large backyard,

W/D hkup w/appliances,ch&a ¡ 501-6570

2 bed Trailer, 1bed house$400mo ea, $150dep.

water/garbage pd.Refs req'd. 321-4773

29 SE 33rd 1/1 $350824 SE 22nd 1/1 $375

681-7272

528 SW 102nd Spacious3bd home 2ba 2car, largekitchen w/center island,fireplace, great area,Westmoore Schls. Only$1250 Fidelity Real Est410-4300, 692-1661

325 SW 92nd Extrasharp spacious 2bd patiohome w/2ba 2car garage,ch/a, fp only $950 FidelityRE 410-4300, 692-1661


605-5477 2545 SW 59th

8504 Wakefield Spacious2bd home 2ba 1car brickch/a Westmoore Schools$650 Fidelity Real Estate410-4300, 692-1661

2909 SW 40th sharp 3bdhome, ch/a, fresh paintnice well kept area, only$550 Fidelity Real Estate410-4300, 692-1661

3 bed, 1 3/4 bath, largedining area, 2 car garage,large backyard, $850 mo+ deposit, 605-9338

1420 Williams Dr. Realnice 2bed 1bath, gar, no

pets no section 8 $575mo$500 dep. 691-5479

1709 SW 16th, 2bd1 bath, garage, $425 a

month 408-5836

2504 SW 32, 3 bd,1.5 bath, $575/mo

408-5836

Rental List at 4524 S May1-4 Beds from $325-950

SWHome Rentals 681-7272

3205 Independence 2/1$5503700 SW 42nd 3/1.75 $750

681-7272

3br 2ba, ch&a, $700 +$700 dep 3009 SW 60

no pets no Sec 8 691-4528

1342 Broderson Cir. 3bd1.5 bath 1 car garage,$625 a month. 408-5836

3304 SW 50th St. 4bed(NO SEC 8) new remodel,good area $750mo 721-3757

2905 SW 52, 3bd,1 bath, $575/mo

408-5836

3315 1/2 SW 28th2bd apt upstairs, all bills

pd $575/mo 408-5836

1-3 bed houses & apts,SW & SE Okc, Best WayNow Realtors, 634-1100.

House Available Now2bed, 1ba, Garage, Cen-

tral heat and air; NOpets; $625 rent, $625 de-posit; call 405-249-7496

1119 Park Manor 3 bed, 2full & 3 half baths, 2car,office, wd flrs, $1650mo,$1500dpTMS Prop348-0720

1229 Sumac, 2000+ sfexecutive home, 3bd 2ba2 living, 2 car, on nicelylandscaped cul-de-saclot, $1350 mo Fidelity RE410-4300, 692-1661

1724 Marian 3bd + bonus1bath $775+dep WACHome&RanchRlty794-7777

408 Walnut, 3bd, 1 3/4ba2c garage, $800+$600

deposit, no pets, nosection 8, 405-830-1223

Rent to Own: Nice 2&3bdMWC $350&up 390-9777

Open minded Femalewants roommate to

share house, smokingokay, $400 mo utilities

included, 326-9114

Moore-Room for RentFor details call405-799-0071.

BOAT STORAGE4131 NW 23rd Street

Enclosed Secure405-365-3889

LAND IS BESTDEER ARE BETTER

For Sale Western Okla.DeerFarm-EmergencySale80 acres with ponds,water creek & Deer.

Camera says 9 does &3 1/2 buck but leased

2011 hunting alsoholding 20 acres withlots of building if you

want a great getaway home later

someday. I'm planningto move near daugh-ter in SA. No Miner-als. 5 trucks, 2 buseson Bluff, & archery at

head of little pond,you plant 5 acres of

peas usually with myfree equipment. Manyat all time low. Inter-est will probably goup per experts. 30

miles North of Clintonon Hwy 183 K mile

off Hwy 183. Call Joeat 580-582-6305 or lv.msg. Best offer over

$125,000 with right tohunt on my 20 acres,100 acre all cedar &

grass. Seven perseven, land is 80%-90%accessible by driving

over dam. Cedar CreekRanch. You Must seethis! Also has Indian

Spring on Land.

HUNTING HUNTING40A Caddo Co. $40,00040A Caddo Co $60,000160A Irrigation potentialTillman Co $1700/acre160A Caddo Co $200,000255AnearChickasha$565,000320A Caddo Co $384,000320A Kiowa Co, mountain& valley. Scenic $480,000320A Wichita Mtn, remote& refuge like $480,000320A KingfisherCo$480,000910A Excellent Hunting& Pasture $795/acreHUNTING LAND LEASE

40A Caddo Co $500160A Tillman Co $2000

2 GIRL SCOUT CAMPS1 Near OKC ExceptionallyGorgeous $770K-$990K

Tumbleweed Terr. REJohn McElroy 580-569-4213

35 ac in Sherman TX onUS 75

3500 sq ft stone/cedarbldg. Former golf center.Divorce forces sale - 1/2market valuation. Owner

Financing. www.cedarbrook-texas.com

PIEDMONTOPEN SAT 2-4 & SUN 2-5Model home. New hms

on 1/2 ac lots. From NWExpwy & Sara Rd go 4.5mi N Cleaton & Assoc

373-2494

1N to 10A, E. of OKC,pay out dn. before 1st pmt.starts, many are M/H readyover 400 choices, lg trees,some with ponds, TERMS

Milburn o/a 275-1695paulmilburnacreages.com

HOMES WITH LAND2bd 4O A 1O bath cellar4bd 1N A 1O bath trees2bd M/H 3O A large trees2-3bd 2K A animal shed2bd unfin 5A privateMilburn o/a 275-1695

OWNER FINANCING1-10 Acres

Many LocationsCall for maps405-273-5777

www.property4sale.com

9481 Lakeridge DrGuthrie, OK

3bd/2bth Mobile Homeon 2.5 acres (m/l)

Woodlake Properties273-5777

Norman: Extra Sharp 2bdHome w/1car garage,tastefully decorated, ch/a,park like O acre lot, nicearea, only $93,900 FidelityRE 410-4300, 692-1661

480 acres in Cimarron Co.OK. Pasture & CRP. Huntingoppty. Income producingCRP contract. $425/acre.Call Jay at 405-613-7948.

Call for Maps! See whywe sell more acreagesthan anyone in Okla.

E of OKC. o/a 275-1695

5 ACRES FOR SALEin Jones, Ok. Pleasant

area, 631-3385

2 tracts: 40 and 80 acres,will divide, Tuttle SchoolDistrict, 405-574-2414.

Condo NW 51 & Portland2bed, 1.5ba, 990sf, 2nd

floor, carpeted, A/C,pool. Water, gas heat,trash paid. Quiet, nopets. $27k to buy or

$580/m to lease.210-1724.

VINYARD/FRUIT/VEGETABLE FARM

ON-GOING BUSINESS.Well loc. on old Rt 66You can make your dreamshappen here! 405-820-0884

185ac. pasture land, livecrk, 3 ponds, 30% wooded,$1500/ac. S. of Lindsay,

Ok. Bob, 405-830-1473

1891 Lime-stone

Home on184 Ac.

Chase Co, Elmdale,Kansas 647 Middle Creek

Rd. 3 story limestonehome with 4 bed, 3baths,2592 sq. ft. Fully refur-bished, Furnished in pe-riod style. Outbuildings.Middle Creek, wildlifehabitat, #1 cropland

acres. Selling at AUC-TION on DECEMBER 1,

2011 @7pm. Swope ParkCottonwood Falls, Ks.

Showing anytime-OpenHouse Sat. and Sun Nov

12-13 1-5pm.Griffin Real Estate &Auction Service LC

305 Broadway Cotton-wood Falls, Ks.

Rick Griffin, broker andauctioneer.

office 620-273-6421, cell620-343-0473.

see www.GriffinRealEstateAuc-

tion.com for full salebill,terms and photos.

2/3 bed, 1bath, ch&a,clean, $38,500. 606-5024www.myhouseokc.comWill consider lse purch. opt.

Tri-level 4/3/2 workshop.80 acre 1969sf, 2008 roof,outbuildings. Closing costs$97K Rlty Exprts 414-8753

FHA/VA Financing AvailUpdated 4/2/1 near Tinkerch/a, new paint, carpet.Warranty + closing costs$69.9KRlty Exprts 414-8753

FSBO NICE QUIET AREAin Valhalla between

15th & 2nd off Western.3 bedroom, 2 bath, largeliving area, kitchen withcustom cabinets. 1555sqft. Back patio & real

nice back yard, $153,000405-330-1625, 834-8126

•1710 N Douglas,3/1, 30K,

•508 Christine 3/1 + 800’bldg, 27.5K 417-2176

www.homesofokcinc.com

Home for Sale121 Leonard Ln LR&Denw/FP CH/A 2B 1.5b 2-C-Gar $120K 405.802.1525

OWNER CARRY 3bd 1ba1car ch&a fncd $3K dwn1301 Mcgregor 348-2108

OPEN SUN 2-5 926 WGriggs Way 3bd 2ba 1car

934sf Many updates.$83,900 1st United OK

Realtors, Becky 834-6568

5 Acres 4500sfDeercreek Schls.

Custom Swimming pool.$219,000¡ 301-6495

3bed Stone w/hardwoodflrs. det. gar. good cond$33,500 cash 301-6495

Beautiful 2bd 2ba 2carwood fire. fncd yd. Wet-bar, wood deck Xtras!Like new Bob 410-5413Be smart dont miss $164K

Nice 3bd Brick Home 2ba2car in excellent wellmaintained area. Only$69,900 Fidelity Real Est410-4300, 692-1661

Bank Owned 3/2/2 2035sf+ enclosed patio/sauna,corner lot, PC Sch $104.9kRealty Experts 414-8753

Owner carry 4621 NW 33TR 4/2.5/2 • 417-2176www.homesofokcinc.com

OWNER FINANCING$2000 down No Credit Ck2509 SW 39 3/1 $51,000596-4599 » 410-8840

Rent to own 2-3 bed, OkcCall for appt. Best WayNow Realtors 634-1100.

2 separate houses on3/4 acre lot. Good roofs.$37,900 cash 301-6495

5824 S. Shartel AvenueVery Nice 2 bed, 1 bath,1 car $43,500 ¡ 550-2145

Just listed 4/3K /3approx 4863' on 1 ac mol

great buy @ $399,0003/2/2 approx 2001'

cul-de-sac approx 1729'on 1 ac mol big trees

$155,000 CarmenCleaton & Assoc 373-2494

Beautiful home onacreage in Newcastle. 15min to OKC or Norman2239 Park Ave 5bed,2.5ba, 2717sqft 2006

1.04 ac., $295,000Jami WoodallMLS#470666405-274-2161

PIEDMONTOPEN SAT 2-4 & SUN 2-5Model home. New hms

on 1/2 ac lots. From NWExpwy & Sara Rd go 4.5mi N Cleaton & Assoc

373-2494

PRIME HUNTINGDewey County - 185acres for sale, has 8'

steel with woven wirefence. Great commercial

or personal hunting.Berny Sander Real

Estate 580-922-4951

40 ACRES HUGHES CO.$30,000 or best offer.

405-886-1643

S. Texas ranch, 11000+/-ac, great hunting & fishing,

Broker 254-770-8770

$100 lot rent for6 months. Move

Your MobileHome FREE!

Or...$5000 towards aNew Home. 9 Communi-

ties in NW, SW, SE(Moore), MWC,

Choctaw...Offer Expires10-31. Call for details

405.326.5728

Special Gov't Program!Own Land/Family LandZERO DN! Instant Rebatesup to $10,000. Use forlower price, furniture,land improvement. HugeSavings! New & RepoHomes avail. E-Z process& app by phone. WAC

405-631-7600

$5000 Towards YourNew Home! You Pick theHome, You Pick the Lot!

9 MH Communities inSW/NW/SE (Moore)

MWC/Choctaw. Call forDetails 405.326.5728

**$549/mo Including Lot**3bed/Quiet Area/GreatSchools 405-324-8000

THCOK.COM

About to Repo2bd/2bth, Large Living,Fenced Yard $324/mo.

readynowwac.405-577-2884

14x66 2 BED, 1 BATHbig fenced in yard, allelectric, good wood

heat stove, ArrowheadEstates, Canadian, Ok

918-339-6375

312 S. CarneyCarney, OK

3bd/2bth Mobile Homeon large lot

Woodlake Properties273-5777

3 Bed, 2 Bath ready!Granada Village MHP

Cash Sales Price $9,999!www.midstatehousing.com

405.527.5669

Abandoned D/W set up on3.3 Acres All improvements& huge deck. Ready tomove in!! 405-631-7600

Zero Down! Rent to ownBeautiful 3bd/2ba, $750

OKC, 940.343.5826

Over 70 Foreclosures onLand or 0 down w/ yourland. wac 405-631-3200

Repo DW 32x70 4 or 5bdCall 517-5000, 517-5003

Doublewide 3/2, $8900Call 517-5000, 517-5003

Rent to Own: Nice 2&3bdMWC $350&up 390-9777

REAL ESTATEAUCTIONS

Sat. Nov. 19, 2011#1: 700 N. Rockwell, OKC,10:30 A.M. On Location

Two Tracts of Unde-voloped Residential

property offered in twotracts and then in

combination.#2: 3100 S. Frisco Road,

Yukon, Ok. 1:30 P.M.On Location. 5.2 Acresof Agriculturely ZonedProperty. 40X60 MetalBuilding w/1 Bdrm Apt,(Never Lived In), WaterWell Septic, and Great

Building Site.For Info on either

Property call or see:REDING'S AUCTIONredingsauction.com

405-262-2412

AUCTIONNICE BRICK HOME - OKC

6024 N Meridian PlaceHousehold Furnishings,

Pinball MachinesMON., NOV. 28th 10 AMPreview: 11/13, 27 2-3pm

& 11/22 5:30-6:30pm866-874-7100

LippardAuctions.com

I BUY HOUSESAny condition. No cost

to U 410-5700

I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667

HOMESOFOKCINC.COM

3 Unit bldg zoned Commcl4000+ sf» recent updates.9312, 9314; 9316 N FrancisOKC 73114. » 848-3377

Commercial Property

AUCTION$25,000Opening Bid

Fri,Nov18th1pmI-35 & Hwy 33

Guthrie1.89 Acres CommercialZoned Land facing I-35with additional access bycul-de-sac. Located atthe NW corner of I-35 &Hwy 33. Land is visiblefrom the south boundexit ramp of I-35.RE Terms: 10% Down dayof Auction, Close in 30days. Directions: FromI-35 & Hwy 33, West to2nd right (HeatherRoad), 3rd right, justNorth of Pizza Hut

20bid30.com918/639-7653Keller Williams Realty

Bid Loud Auctions

3300sf Robinson&Berrycafe/med/etc Lease/SaleNorman 918-636-4645

Brand new luxury house,3020 Brookstone LakesDrive, 3 bed, 2 bath, 3car, granite counter tops,fireplace, stainless appli-ances, corner lot, $1550month, $1550 dep, ready12/1/11, 405-816-7020.

$200 OFF RENT1&2bedrooms. Spring TreeApartments. 405-737-8172.

$79 SPECIAL!! Newlyremodeled 12&3beds

Putnam Green 405-721-2210

FREE ONE MONTH!2 Bed, Carports/Gated

While it Lasts! 416.5257MOMENTUM PROP MGMT

2/1+bonus rm 900sf, 2.5acno horses$625+dep WACHome&RanchRlty794-7777

Own your own home for le$$than you pay in rent

3 bd Double on CornerLot $428/mo financing

avail. 405-324-8010

Yukon 438

Condominiums,TownhousesFor Rent 441

Duplexes

MWC 446

OKCNortheast 452

OKCNorthwest 453

OKCSoutheast 454

Yukon 460

Garage Apartments 461

Hotels/Motels 462

RE for rent

Bethany/Warr Acres 464.5

Del City 465.5

Del City 465.5

Edmond 466

Business Property For Rent 360

Industrial PropertyFor Rent 361

Offi ce SpaceFor Rent 363

Apartments

Bethany/Warr Acres 420.5

Edmond 422

MWC 424

OKCNortheast 430

OKCNorthwest 431

OKCSouthwest 433

Harrah 466.5

MWC 468

Moore 469

Newalla 471

OKCNortheast 474

OKCNorthwest 475

OKCNorthwest 475

OKCSoutheast 476

OKCSouthwest 477

OKCSouthwest 477

Village/Nichols Hills 481.5

Norman 473

Yukon 482

Mobile HomeRentals 483

Rooms For Rent 489

Storage Units 489.7

Acreage For Sale 302

Condominiums,TownhousesFor Sale 304

Acreage For Sale 302

Farms, RanchesFor Sale, Okla. 308

Farms, RanchesFor Sale Out-of-State 309

RE for sale

Blanchard 311.5

Choctaw 312

Del City 313

Edmond 314

MWC 317

Mustang 319

OKCNortheast 323

OKCNorthwest 324

OKCSouthwest 326

Piedmont 327

Tuttle/Newcastle 329

Open Houses 334.2

IndustrialProperty 336

Mobile Home Parks Community/Acreages 338

Mobile Homes, Manufactured Houses 339

Real EstateAuctions 342

Real EstateNotices 345

Real EstateWanted 346

Commercial RE

Business Property For Sale 351

Commercial Property For Sale

Established Business For Sale


Oklahoma CitySmith & Pickel, 6201 N

Shartel Ave., parking, erect,$25 million.

Smith & Pickel, 6000 NShartel Ave., office-ware-house, erect, $23 million.

Smith & Pickel, 6140 NWestern Ave., office, erect,$15 million.

Holder Flintco, 333 WSheridan Ave., restaurant,remodel, $11 million.

Hornbeek Blatt Archi-tects, 8400 Greystone Ave.,school, add-on,$2,998,000.

Savannah Builders LLC,11301 E Memorial Road,residence, erect,$1,400,000.

Hobby Lobby, 3700 SCouncil Road, warehouse,remodel, $1,049,430.

Triad Design Group, 636NE 41, assembly hall, re-model, $917,000.

Hixon Construction,6601 W Wilshire Blvd.,office-warehouse, add-on,$900,000.

Coleman Homes Inc.,12100 Slash Pine Drive,residence, erect, $889,000.

Art Jillson General Con-struction, 12478 Trail OaksDrive, apartment, erect,$800,000.

Flintco, 535 NW 9, hos-pital, remodel, $650,000.

Katleron ConstructionInc., 13915 Lago Strada,residence, erect, $550,000.

The Roberts Group,16320 Morningside Drive,residence, erect, $535,000.

Candelaria Foster LLC,2737 Guilford Lane, resi-dence, add-on, $520,000.

Onpoint Construction,8916 Legacy CrossingDrive, residence, erect,$400,000.

Johnston Builders, 9204N Kelley Ave., office, erect,$350,000.

Jason Powers Homes,11100 Sturbridge Road,residence, erect, $250,000.

Landmark Construction,1200 E Interstate 240 Ser-vice Road, accessory, erect,$250,000.

4 Corners ConstructionLLC, 14616 Almond ValleyDrive, residence, erect,$235,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 5621 NW 121Circle, residence, erect,$230,000.

Claud Cypert Construc-tion Co., 11405 NW 113Court, residence, erect,$226,000.

Claud Cypert Construc-tion Co., 9700 RussellDrive, residence, erect,$225,000.

McDermott ConstructionCo. LLC, 9221 NW 99,residence, erect, $220,000.

4 Corners ConstructionLLC, 5825 SE 144, resi-dence, erect, $220,000.

Seagull Homes, 13105Cottingham Road, resi-dence, erect, $210,000.

The RLA Co. Inc., 7405Noah Parkway, residence,erect, $210,000.

Oklahoma DiamondGroup LLC, 11808 CherryPoint Lane, residence,erect, $200,000.

R&R Homes LLC, 13116NW 1 Terrace, residence,erect, $200,000.

First Star Homes, doingbusiness as Turner & SonHomes, 16300 S HarrahRoad, residence, erect,$198,350.

Coy League Homes Inc.,12713 NW 5, residence,erect, $190,000.

John Davis CustomHomes LLC, 8700 AcreView Drive, residence,erect, $190,000.

League Custom HomesLLC, 12721 NW 6, resi-dence, erect, $190,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,19220 Blossom Court, resi-dence, erect, $190,000.

Duane Smith, 15525 Col-onia Bella Drive, residence,erect, $185,000.

RW Custom Homes LLC,1813 NW 195 Circle, resi-dence, erect, $185,000.

Worthington HomesLLC, 3216 Wexford Ave.,residence, erect, $185,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,19216 Blossom Court, resi-dence, erect, $180,000.

D.R. Horton, 4208 Shel-ton Terrace, residence,erect, $178,300.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 3105 SW 135 Terrace,residence, erect, $177,200.

Worthington HomesLLC, 3000 ChesterfieldPlace, residence, erect,$170,000.

Woods United HomesLLC, 28 SW 174, residence,erect, $165,000.

Gary Owens Carpet &Construction Inc., 11917 SW18, residence, erect,

$160,000.Denise Patterson Custom

Homes, 3408 NW 164Terrace, residence, erect,$156,500.

Sun Contracting LLC,216 SW 174, residence,erect, $155,000.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 17225 Aragon Lane,residence, erect, $150,000.

Midtown Builders LLC,425 NW 7, office, remodel,$150,000.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 3001 SW 139, resi-dence, erect, $144,000.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 2929 SW 139, resi-dence, erect, $144,000.

Jeff Click Homes LLC,17704 Black Hawk Circle,residence, erect, $138,000.

Home Creations, 15816Crane Way, residence,erect, $134,200.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 18533 Las MeninasDrive, residence, erect,$126,000.

Sun Properties LLC,11728 SW 19, residence,erect, $125,000.

Sun Properties LLC, 11737SW 22 Terrace, residence,erect, $125,000.

Sun Properties LLC,11724 SW 21, residence,erect, $125,000.

Sun Properties LLC,2308 Makaila Way, resi-dence, erect, $125,000.

D.R. Horton, 11017 SW40, residence, erect,$113,800.

Home Creations, 16409Friar Court, residence,erect, $103,500.

D.R. Horton, 7505 Mead-ow Lake Drive, residence,erect, $102,200.

D.R. Horton, 11125 SW40, residence, erect,$100,300.

Alan Stuck CustomHomes, 7701 Meadow LakeDrive, residence, erect,$100,000.

No name provided, 1901Northwest Expressway,retail sales, remodel,$100,000.

D.R. Horton, 7509 Run-ner, residence, erect,$94,500.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 9540 SW 27, residence,erect, $92,000.

Home Creations, 15813Sonya Way, residence,erect, $90,600.

Home Creations, 1613NW 126, residence, erect,$89,400.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 13308 SW 4 Terrace,residence, erect, $89,000.

McBride Homes LLC,504 SE 48, residence, erect,$85,000.

Home Creations, 12716Nittany Drive, residence,erect, $84,900.

Home Creations, 11125NW 6 Terrace, residence,erect, $79,600.

Home Creations, 12712Nittany Drive, residence,erect, $79,600.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 9521 SW 27, residence,erect, $78,000.

Home Creations, 11121NW 6 Terrace, residence,erect, $77,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 2612 NW 186, residence,erect, $75,000.

PSC Homes Inc., 628NW 119, residence, erect,$75,000.

PSC Homes Inc., 632NW 119, residence, erect,$75,000.

Zi Construction LLC,8020 SW 3, retail sales,remodel, $75,000.

Armando Morales, 1615SW 23, residence, erect,$70,000.

Jonnie Myers, 18220 NE192, manufactured home,move-on, $45,000.

Remodeling Concepts,18716 Woody Creek Drive,residence, add-on,$40,000.

Dorothy Ranquist, 2001 SMacArthur Blvd., manu-factured home, move-on-mobile home park,$35,000.

Home First Inc., 14815 SE75, accessory, erect, $31,000.

AP Enterprises, 6405 SE48, manufactured home,move-on-mobile homepark, $30,000.

AP Enterprises, 5104Royal Lane, manufacturedhome, move-on-mobilehome park, $30,000.

Midwest Tile & Remod-eling LLC, 1300 GreenwayDrive, residence, remodel,$28,000.

Ben Gueke, 832 NW 41,accessory, erect, $25,000.

Bobby Dennis, 13100Colonypointe Blvd., office,remodel, $20,000.

Ramey Steel, 11512 Pam-plona Way, accessory,erect, $20,000.

Jason Morrison, 17205Vitoria Drive, residence,add-on, $20,000.

Maccini Construction,701 N Broadway Ave., of-fice, remodel, $18,000.

Misty Walters, 9009 NW10, manufactured home,move-on-mobile homepark, $15,000.

Santolin Perez, 1521 SW32, residence, add-on,$15,000.

Juan Hernandez, 1321Regatta Drive, manufac-tured home, move-on-mobile home park, $12,900.

Davenport Homes LLC,1505 NW 186, accessory,erect, $10,000.

Mark Kesner, 9145 NRockwell Ave., tower-antenna, install, $10,000.

Silvercliffe ConstructionCo., 5701 SW 5, temporarybuilding, move-on, $10,000.

No name provided, 232SW 25, retail sales, remod-el, $7,000.

Gary L. Mantooth, 15204Misty Park Drive, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $4,500.

Clarence Fagan, 11617Way Cross Road, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $4,400.

Jeff Hoke, 10729 NW 42,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $4,300.

Timothy E. Higgins, 2812SW 135, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $4,300.

Dylan and Rachel Cole,1424 SW 135, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$4,295.

Julie Sauer, 11109 S RossAve., storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $4,295.

Phat Tran, 9916 NW 137,

storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $4,295.

Bill Durant, 15609 Bren-ner Pass, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$4,200.

Keith Brawe, 12732Knight Hill Road, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $4,200.

Tony Martin, 1312 SW 126,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $4,200.

James L. Grigsby Jr., 12317Val Verde Drive, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $4,050.

Shawn Steele, 10108Millspaugh Way, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $4,000.

Arcenio Fraire, 3812 SW27, residence, add-on,$3,900.

Robert Villareal, 3237 SW42, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,700.

Beverly Fentress, 6112Winchester Drive, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $3,395.

Miquel Romero, 704 NW160, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $3,395.

Alan Byrnes, 10700 St.Michel Circle, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$3,295.

Heather Munzuris, 13004Elrond Drive, residence,install-storm shelter,$3,200.

Larry Hooks, 5420 SE 81,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $3,200.

Janice Fitzpatrick, 5413SE 88, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $3,000.

Brian Dubroff, 18009Arbor Lane, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,

$2,995.Phillip Brandt, 7700

Marathon Lane, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,995.

Chima Nzewunwah,6428 NW 134, storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$2,900.

Dung Troung, 8433 NW106, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Jim Neugent, 5405 SE 87,storm shelter, install-stormshelter, $2,800.

Patreshia Johnson, 2606NW 42, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,800.

Tuyen Troung, 8604 NW106, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,800.

Randi Shoepeo, 16104Evan Shaw Court, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,795.

Phredd Evans, 7910 Bob-white Trail, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,750.

Jimmy W. Smith, 5113 SW125 Place, storm shelter,install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Randy K. Lewis, 8810 SRobinson Ave., storm shel-ter, install-storm shelter,$2,700.

Sebastian de Valcourt,2712 SE 92 Circle, stormshelter, install-storm shel-ter, $2,600.

Rick George, 5801 NW83, storm shelter, install-storm shelter, $2,500.

Brass Brick III LLC,19000 Meadows CrossingDrive, storm shelter, in-stall-storm shelter, $2,395.

Edwina L. Smoker, 3216NW 32, residence, remodel,

$2,097.Richard Saiz, 8513 NW 91,

residence, remodel, $1,500.Marie Smith, 2904 SW 25,

residence, add-on, $1,300.

DemolitionsMidwest Wrecking, 6565

W Wilshire Blvd., carwash.M&M Concrete &

Wrecking Inc., 1516 NW49, residence.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 1526 NW49, residence.

Midwest Wrecking, 739NE 17, single-family resi-dence.

Kendall Concrete, 2032NE 13, residence.

Terry Scrivner Con-struction, 9500 NW 4,security booth.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 1522 NW49, residence.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 1518 NW 49,residence.

Kendall Concrete, 916NE 2, residence.

Kendall Concrete, 333SE 19, residence.

Ray’s Trucking, 616 NW88, residence.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 1542 NW49, house.

M&M Concrete &Wrecking Inc., 1521 NW 49,house.

Midwest Wrecking, 1126NW 5, accessory.

Midwest Wrecking, 1118NW 13, garage.

Midwest Wrecking, 812N Peniel Ave., single-family residence.

Midwest Wrecking, 624NE 34, demolition, single-family residence.

Permits

The Oklahoman Real Estate

Documents

Transcript of The Oklahoman Real Estate