The Oklahoman's Real Estate section: Sept. 29, 2012

EREAL ESTATESATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

INDEX

Handy 9EPermits 6EStone 2E

LISTING OF THE WEEK

Traditionalbrick homeThis traditional brick homeis on a cul-de-sac in a gatedarea of executive homes inthe Deer Creek area.PAGE 8E

HOUSE PLAN

CascadiaCraftsman-stylehomes, mostpopular in the early20th century, havestaged a majorcomeback in recentyears, and theCascadia is a primeexample.

PAGE 8E

HARNEY

TIGHTERLENDINGEven with mortgagerates at new lows,loan underwriting istightening evenfurther.

PAGE 3E

Five years ago, when abusiness executive in his50s was hired as the CEOof a suburban hospital, hissalary soared. To keep hiscommute short, he optedto live near his work, in aneighborhood of modestlypriced homes.

There, he and his wifefound a vacant lot wherethey built the most opu-lent house for milesaround.

The couple so relishedthe property that theycontinually expanded andimproved it. They addedseveral additions and or-dered multiple upgrades.They also brought in ex-pert landscapers.

Priced to recoupBut last year, after the

husband’s hospital wastaken over by a larger onein a nearby city, he wasgiven a new position at theacquiring hospital. Sud-denly, his commute be-came exhausting, and thecouple decided to move.So they called in a real es-

tate agent to list theirhome, insisting — againsther advice — that theirhouse be priced highenough to let them recoupevery dime they’d pouredinto it.

The property has hadnumerous showings, andbuyers are impressed. Butall have recoiled at theprice tag. As a result, thecouple’s moving planshave stalled. At this point,they’re frustrated, angryand uncertain what to donext.

This true story illus-trates the difficulties facedby folks seeking to sell aswank property located ina community of mid-levelhomes, said Sid Davis, areal estate broker and au-

thor of “A Survival Guideto Selling a Home.”

“Unless you bite thebullet and price it right, ahouse that’s over-im-proved for the neighbor-hood … can languish onthe market for manymonths or even years,” Da-vis said.

“Sure, people will comethrough your open housesbecause they’re curious tosee that big castle on thehill. But unless you pricefairly, they’ll soon disap-pear, never to be heardfrom again,” he said.

Remember locationThe reason owners of

over-improved housescan’t recoup their invest-ment is that location — notsize or features — is theprimary determinant of ahome’s value, said FredMeyer, a veteran real estatebroker and appraiser.

“The principle is that ina strong neighborhood thebig houses will pull up thevalue of a small house. Butif the neighborhood isn’t

strong, the small houseswill pull down the bighouse,” Meyer said.

How it happensWhy do some home-

owners spend more to ex-pand and upgrade theirproperty than is warrantedby neighborhood stan-dards? Davis said the mostcommon explanation isthat they anticipate livingin the property indefinite-ly. But life, as we’ve seen,often turns out differently.

Do you intend to sell ahome that has topped outneighborhood standards?If so, these few pointerscould prove useful:

I Avoid a “test the mar-ket” approach to pricing.

“Folks figure that if theystart high, they can alwayscome down later. Yet bythe time they’ve cut to afair price, their house is sostigmatized they can’teven get market value. Sothey’re punished in theend,” Davis said.

I To get a grip on value,Davis recommends you

hire a professional ap-praiser. In order to peg theprice of an over-improvedproperty, appraisers oftenvisit similar neighbor-hoods nearby, searchingfor information on whatother over-improvedhomes have fetched in re-cent transactions.

I Highlight features thatmake your over-improvedhouse a good deal.

He said that such en-hancements deserve to behighlighted in the market-ing materials prepared byyour listing agent.

“Good marketing won’tmake up for an overly highprice. But there’s no harmin touting the positives. Goahead and tell buyersabout the top-of-the-lineappliances in your kitchen,your fancy granite coun-tertops and that gorgeousfamily room with that ze-brawood mantel importedfrom Africa,” Davis said.

To contact Ellen James Martin, emailher at [email protected].

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

into 10 more homes in theparade than in last year’s.Most are in the followingneighborhoods: HiddenCreek, north of NW 122and east of MacArthurBoulevard; Pleasant Grove,west of Council Roadnorth of Memorial Road;Monterau, at NW 150 andCounty Line Road; RoseCreek, NW 164 and N MayAvenue; and Williamson

Builders are throwingopen the doors to usher inhome shoppers and likelybuyers with renewed en-thusiasm to 120 newhouses in the annual Pa-rade of Homes organizedby the Central OklahomaHome Builders Associ-ation.

The parade, sponsoredby Womble Co., state dis-tributor of Pella windowsand doors, has 120 homesopen free to the publicfrom 1 to 7 p.m. throughOct. 7. A smart app isavailable to help guideguests.

Free parade guides withmaps and home descrip-tions are available at met-ro-area Arvest Bank andBest Buy locations or goonline to www.paradeofhomesok.com.

“Building is kicking up alittle more, and everybodyis kind of excited,” saidbuilder Kenyon Woods,parade chairman and a co-owner of Authentic Cus-tom Homes.

That energy translates

Parade features more homes

Sun Custom Homes has this 2,300-square-foot home at 9032 NW 147 Terrace in the Parade of Homes, which runs through Oct. 7. PHOTOS BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

Timber Craft Homes built this home at 8400 NW 142 Terrace, one of 120 houses in the Parade of Homes.

Kenyon WoodsJack EvansKurt Dinnes

BY DYRINDA TYSONFor The [email protected]

SEE PARADE, PAGE 4E

EllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

Homes can be improved too much

ARCHITECTTELLS SECRETSArchitect Gil SchaferIII has built a reputa-tion on creatingclassic homes —both new homeswith the warmthand appearance ofold houses, and olderstructures renovatedfor today’s way ofliving. He shares hissecrets and takesreaders inside someof his projects in“The Great Amer-ican House: Traditionfor the Way We LiveNow.” Schafer ex-plains what he callsthe elements of agreat house: archi-tecture, decorationand landscape,which he considersparts of a gracious,livable whole. Thebook, illustrated withample photographsof his own homes orthose he’s designed,is published by Riz-zoli and sells for $55in hardcover.

BOTTLES HAVEHELPFUL SHAPEEver make a messtrying to refill aspray cleaner bottleor a travel-sizeshampoo bottle?Brincatti has a solu-tion. The companysells wide-mouthrefillable bottles thatare easier to fillwithout spills or afunnel. Two typesare available: a spraybottle that holds 22fluid ounces and atravel-size bottlethat holds threeounces, the Trans-portation SafetyAdministration’slimit for carry-onbottles. The travelbottle has either aflip-top pour cap forliquids or a spritz capfor things like hairspray. The bottlesare made of recycledplastic and are recy-clable at the end oftheir life. Brincattibottles can be or-dered at www.brincatti.com. The spraybottle costs $3.65and a package offour travel-size bot-tles costs $9.99.Shipping is extra.

MCT INFORMATION SERVICES

IN BRIEF

ENID — Water conservation in thehome is a practice to which most ofus are not accustomed.

Enid, like most parts of the coun-try, long has enjoyed more watersupply than demand required, en-abling consumers to use their waterresources at will.

As demand increases and droughtconditions persist, the situation ischanging to resemble less water-richparts of the country, where residentshave grown accustomed to conserv-ing water in the course of their dailylives.

Reva Garrett of Enid learned waterconservation practices out of neces-sity while living in California andNevada.

It was a drought that took Gar-rett’s family away from Oklahoma.Her grandparents moved the familywest to California at the height of theDust Bowl days. Garrett grew up inCalifornia and later moved to a sub-urb of Las Vegas, where water re-sources were even more scarce.

She moved back to Oklahoma inthe 1980s but never forgot the dailywater conservation habits she devel-oped living in more arid climates.

“You didn’t just turn on the waterand let it run,” Garrett said. “Youdidn’t do that, because if you did,you were going to deplete your watersupply.”

She said people in arid climateslearn to conserve water out of neces-sity.

“You learned from the littlethings, like having to pay for water ata restaurant,” she said. “It taughtpeople, you don’t just take a sip andwaste a glass of water. You learned toeconomize on everything.”

Garrett said simple measures liketaking shorter showers, turning offthe tap when not in use and plantingdrought-resistant plants in the yard

“made all the difference.”She said those simple habits now

are once again necessary, for herselfand all local residents.

“It’s something you have to learn,”she said. “The problem is, if peopledon’t learn those lessons beforethere’s a problem, it’s too late.”

Oklahoma Water Resources Boarddirector of information Brian Vanceoffered the following practical tipsfor household water conservation.

First, fix leaks. A U.S. home canwaste, on average, more than 10,000gallons of water every year due torunning toilets, dripping faucets andother household leaks.

In the bathroom:I Turn off the tap while shaving or

brushing teeth.I Showers typically use less water

than baths.

In the kitchen:I Plug up the sink or use a wash

basin if washing dishes by hand.I Use a dishwasher and make sure

it’s fully loaded.I Keep a pitcher of drinking water

in the refrigerator instead of lettingthe faucet run until the water is cool.

I Thaw food in the refrigeratorovernight rather than using a run-ning tap of hot water.

I Add food wastes to your com-post pile instead of using the garbagedisposal.

In the laundry room:I Wash only full loads of laundry

or use the washing machine’s appro-priate water level or load size selec-tion.

Outdoors, where in the hot sum-mer months, or in dry climates, wa-ter use can be as high as 70 percent oftotal household use:

I Don’t overwater. If you step onyour lawn and the grass springs back,it does not need to be watered.

I Water in the early morning (4-7

a.m.) to reduce evaporation.I Utilize runoff water, where pos-

sible.I Sweep — rather than hosing off

— driveways, sidewalks and porches.I Check your garden hose for leaks

at its connection to the spigot. En-sure a tight connection and, if need-ed, replace the hose washer.

I Wash the car with water from abucket, or consider using a commer-cial car wash that recycles water.

I If you have a pool, use a cover toreduce evaporation when it is notbeing used.

I Use native and drought-tolerantplants that require less water.

I Reduce the amount of turfgrass,or at least place it strategically.

“People need to understand theselittle things can make all the differ-ence,” Garrett said. “Maybe we can’taffect the world’s water, but we canaffect where our water goes in ourown homes.”

Garrett, like many Enid residents,said she’d like to see commercial wa-ter users also conserve water.

“But,” she added, “people are go-ing to have to tackle it in their homes,too. On my end, I do my part becauseI want to stop this before it becomestoo bad.”

Residents are asked to perform awater audit of their household andbusiness water use, and identify im-mediate and long-term ways to con-serve.

”We commend Enid for imple-menting their water rationing planand encouraging citizens to conservewater, not only in times of drought,but over the long term,” said JulieCunningham, chief of the planningand management division of theOklahoma Water Resources Board.”Stretching existing water suppliesand water rights is the most cost-ef-fective way to ensure water reliabilitythrough times of drought and allowgrowth of the local economy.”


Water conservation isn’t hard BY ROBERT BARRON AND JAMES NEALEnid News & Eagle

DEAR BARRY: If ahome inspector knewthere was asbestos in abuilding that was beingrenovated, shouldn’t hehave said something? Inthis case, a safety officerfinally shut down the pro-ject. Is the home inspectorliable for not warning usabout asbestos?

GeraldDEAR GERALD: The

answer to your question hassome complexities. First ofall, a home inspector cannotknow for certain that a par-ticular material containsasbestos. Some buildingmaterials may be suspect,but laboratory analysis isnecessary to conclude thatasbestos fibers are present.

Second, the standardsof practice for home in-spectors specifically ex-clude environmental haz-ards. Therefore, home in-spectors are not liable in alegal sense for not disclos-ing asbestos materials. Onthe other hand, experi-enced home inspectors areaware, or should be aware,of materials that are likely

to contain asbestos. Ex-amples include acoustictextured ceilings, oldforms of duct insulation,vinyl floor coverings, olddrywall mud, old asphaltcomposition roofing ma-terials, roofing mastic, oldpipe insulation, and more.

Some home inspectorsmight point out a materialas “may contain asbestos,”while recommending fur-ther evaluation by an as-bestos specialist. But mosthome inspectors avoid thesubject completely for fearof becoming liable for ma-terials that they do notdisclose as “may containasbestos.” The problemhere is fear of litigation, amajor threat to home in-spectors, as it is to mostpeople in business.

On the other hand, if ahome inspector is awarethat a client plans to re-model a home, or if an in-spector sees work in pro-gress, it would be wise forthat inspector to recom-mend a professional asbe-stos inspection prior tocommencing or contin-uing work on the property.Unfortunately, the subjectof asbestos disclosure is amine field for inspectors,giving rise to conflictingopinions when home in-spectors gather to discussand debate the details andprocedures of their work.

In any event, a home in-spector who says nothingabout asbestos is protectedby the standards of prac-tice for the profession andis not legally liable fornon-disclosure.

DEAR BARRY: Ourhome has two layers ofshingle roofing. When webought it, two years ago,the seller said the shingleswere 17 years old. Howmuch longer can we expecta second roof layer to last?

Julie

DEAR JULIE: The num-ber of roof layers shouldnot affect the longevity ofthe material.

What matters is thequality of the product.Shingles are rated accord-ing to the number of yearsthey are warranted by themanufacturer. You can buy20-year shingles, 30-yearshingles, 40-year shin-gles, and so on.

Longevity is also affect-ed by climate. Shingleswear out sooner in hot, drysummers than in localeswith cooler climates orwith overcast skies.

The only way to deter-mine the condition and re-maining longevity of yourroof is to have it inspectedby a qualified roofing con-tractor or a competenthome inspector. If you hada home inspection whenyou bought the home, theinspector should have giv-en you some idea of thecondition of the roofing.

To write to Barry Stone, visit him on theweb at www.housedetective.com.

ACTION COAST PUBLISHING

Should inspector report asbestos?BarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

You keep a pretty cleanhome. Sure, sometimesyour rigid cleaning sched-ule has to bend here andthere to accommodate life,but your house-apart-ment-condo stays prettydarn tidy.

You’re not bragging oranything, but you certainlyhave nothing to be asham-ed of. You clean all theusual suspects: kitchensinks, counters and floors.Bathroom countertop, toi-lets, showers. You vacuumthe carpets, dust the fur-niture, and maybe even hitthe blinds and curtainsnow and then.

Good to go? Maybe,maybe not. There’s awhole host of everydayobjects and high-usehome appliances that of-ten go overlooked duringcleaning jags. And failureto be a completist when itcomes to cleaning may nothave that many obviousrepercussions, but it cancost you in terms of ap-pliance and electronic per-formance, allergy attacks

and general hygiene.So go ahead. Grab a

bucket, a can of com-pressed air and a little ex-tra bleach. Roll up yoursleeves and get ready toexpand that householdchore list by a couple ofitems this weekend.

Ceiling and attic fansDifficulty: Varies, from

rather simple to a little bitcomplex.

Fans pose a little bitmore of a challenge thantoilet brushes becausethey’re quite a bit less ac-cessible.

That being said, “if youstay on top of keeping ceil-ing and attic fans clean, it’sa pretty easy process,” said

Bryan Dunning, assistantstore manager of theLowe’s in Gladstone, Mo.

Ceiling fans are rathersimple, though you mayneed a long duster or step-ladder to really get the jobdone (“with a vaulted ceil-ing, it may not be as feasi-ble,” Dunning said).

The key is dedication.Hit the ceiling fan bladeswith disposable dustingpads every couple ofweeks, and you should befine. Naturally, if you waitsignificant stretches be-tween cleanings, expect alot of dust falloff when youfinally do get around to it.For $3 a pack, you could al-so invest in a filter that sitson top of the blade, but

cleaning is still recom-mended, Dunning said.

Attic fans are a bit trick-ier.

“Step 1 is to definitelymake sure you have yourbreaker turned off. Sincethe switch is usually belowthe fan, you don’t want tobe near one when someoneturns it on,” Dunning said.“They can put out a lot ofpower.”

Cleaning attic fans isfairly similar to ceilingunits.

“You can use a mildcleaning solution and wipeoff the metal blades,” Dun-ning said. “And with themotor, you can use a can ofcompressed air to cleanout any dust and dirt in themotor.”

Dunning suggests syn-cing attic fan cleaning withyour furnace filter chang-ing schedule.

Cleaning both kinds offans gives the same bene-fit: less debris in the airand a longer appliance lifespan. Dunning also notesthat dirty and dusty mo-tors run hotter, meaningless efficient cooling.

“If you work these

things into your cleaningroutine, you should befine,” he said. “It’s like pre-ventive medicine. It headsoff problems down theroad.”

Home audio speakersDifficulty: Simple. And

a light touch is definitelypreferred.

Fans aren’t the onlyhousehold staple wheredust may affect perform-ance. Consider your hometheater and stereo speak-ers.

Jennifer Braniff-Har-mon, local covert oper-ations agent with BestBuy’s Geek Squad, said ifnoticeable dust is buildingup on the exterior of yourspeakers, it’s time to cleanthem.

It’s not just for aesthet-ics. “Keeping your speak-ers clean will help keep thesound quality in tip topshape,” she said.

Gentleness is the key.“Remember not to spray

the speaker case or grill di-rectly and especially avoidusing harsh chemicals,”she cautioned. “A dry orwater-damp cloth is the

ideal cleaning method.”If you actually have to go

under the grill to get atdust buildup, do not useanything abrasive. Braniff-Harmon recommends afeather duster.

Ice makerDifficulty: Involved. Va-

ries with model.Dust isn’t likely to be a

significant issue with yourrefrigerator ice maker, butother concerns may arise.

“If you look at your ice,and it’s getting discolored,that’s a sign that it’s a goodidea to clean your ice mak-er,” Lowe’s Dunning said.

First, check your own-er’s manual for step-by-step guides.

Typically, Dunning said,it will involve turning offthe ice maker and shuttingoff the water to the waterline. You’ll probably haveto let the water runthrough, then use a milddetergent to clean the line.A mild detergent solutioncan also be used on thevarious parts of the icemaker.


Homes may be hiding grime, germsBY JOHN SHULTZMcClatchy Newspapers

If you work these things into yourcleaning routine, you should be fine.It’s like preventive medicine. It headsoff problems down the road.”

BRYAN DUNNINGASSISTANT STORE MANAGER OF THE LOWE’S INGLADSTONE, MO.

2E SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012 NEWSOK.COMTHE OKLAHOMAN

WASHINGTON — With30-year mortgage rateshitting new lows and re-cent borrowers’ paymentperformance the best byfar in decades, you’d thinkthat banks and other lend-ers might be loosening upon their hyper-strict un-derwriting standards.

But new national datafrom inside the industrysuggest this is not happen-ing. In some key areas, infact, standards appear tobe tightening even further,and the time needed toclose a loan is gettinglonger.

The average FICO creditscore on all new loansclosed in August was 750,fully nine points higherthan it was one year earlier,according to Ellie MaeInc., a Pleasanton, Calif.-based mortgage technolo-gy firm whose software isused by many lenders. Thesurvey sample representsapproximately one-fifth ofall new loans — roughly 2million mortgages.

At Fannie Mae andFreddie Mac, the dom-inant players in the con-ventional mortgage mar-ket, the average FICO

score was even higher. For refinancings in Au-

gust, the average approvedborrower had a 769 FICOscore, up six points fromAugust 2011. The averagescore for borrowers pur-chasing homes was 763,one point higher than theyear before.

FICO scores are used byvirtually all mortgagelenders to gauge the creditrisk posed by a borrower.Scores range from 300 to850, with low scores rep-resenting higher probabil-ity of default, high scoresindicating low risk.

Fair Isaac Co., developerof the FICO scoring mod-el, said 78.5 percent of allconsumers currently havescores between 300 and749.

Barely one in five, inother words, scores highenough to meet today’s FI-

CO score averages at Fan-nie and Freddie.

Other signs of howstrict lenders’ standardshave become:

I The average purchaserof a home using a Fannie-Freddie loan made a downpayment of 21 percent inAugust and had a squea-ky-clean debt-to-incomeratio, with total monthlydebt payments, includingthe mortgage, amountingto just 33 percent of in-come. Refinancers had anaverage equity stake intheir houses of 30 percent.

I People who were re-jected for Fannie-Freddiemortgages also had seem-ingly solid credit profilesby historical standards.The typical buyer whoseapplication was declinedhad a 734 FICO score — uptwo points from a year be-

fore — and was prepared toput down 19 percent.

I Federal Housing Ad-ministration (FHA) bor-rowers’ credit profileswere also impressive, es-pecially in view of thatagency’s statutory missionto serve consumers withmodest incomes, lowdown payments and lessthan perfect credit histo-ries. In August, accordingto Ellie Mae’s survey, theaverage FICO score forFHA refinancers was 717,up 11 points from the yearearlier.

FHA home purchasershad average scores of 700— four points below whatthey were 12 months ago —but still far beyond histor-ical norms. FHA officiallyaccepts FICOs as low as500 and requires 10 per-cent down payments for

borrowers below 580 butdoes little business atthese score levels.

I In addition to, or may-be because of, the tougherstandards, the mortgageprocess itself appears to beslowing down. The aver-age time from applicationto closing for all loans dur-ing the time cycle in theEllie Mae survey was 49days, nine days longer thanthe previous August. Forrefinancings, the averageprocessing time was 51days, up from 37 days ayear earlier.

What’s going on here?Given the Federal Reserve’srepeated interventions tolower the cost of money tobanks, why are they keep-ing their credit require-ments so high?

Are there any prospectsfor relief for prospectivebuyers who simply don’thave 20 percent or 30 per-cent to put down and don’thave elite-bracket FICOscores?

Doug Duncan, the chiefeconomist for Fannie Maeand former chief econo-mist for the MortgageBankers Association, has aunique perspective on all

this. He readily acknowl-edges that big banks — andFannie and Freddie them-selves — are seeing theirhighest-quality “books ofbusiness” in decades,maybe ever, thanks in largepart to their strict creditstandards and rigorousdocumentation rules.

He believes, however,that the underwriting cy-cle could start to loosen upas banks begin to paredown their post-housingbust pricing add-ons forborrowers, their fears ofcostly “buy backs” of ex-isting loans recede, andlong-awaited rules onmortgage lending are un-veiled by the federal gov-ernment.

That’s somewhere onthe horizon. But in themeantime, don’t look forany dramatic relaxations.To get a mortgage, you’llgenerally need high scores,big down payments — ex-cept for FHA, which ac-cepts 3.5 percent down —plenty of time and reamsof documentation.

Ken Harney’s email address [email protected].

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

Despite new, low mortgage rates,lenders have grown more strict

KennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

To get a mortgage, you’ll generallyneed high scores, big down payments— except for FHA, which accepts 3.5percent down — plenty of time andreams of documentation.

They’re knocking on thelender’s door. As mortgagerates have tumbled to all-time lows, demand for re-financing has fired uphomeowners nationwide.

And it’s not just thosedrowning in underwatermortgages. With rates for30-year mortgages hover-ing below 4 percent sincelast October, all kinds ofhomeowners are trying toget their monthly mort-gages reduced, accordingto lenders and mortgageexperts.

“It’s huge. It’s buriedour staff and every otherlender in town,” said O.J.Vallejo, mortgage consult-ant with First Priority Fi-nancial in Sacramento,Calif. He said his three-person staff has beenworking six days a week forthe past four months.

Nationally, refinancevolume “has been runningat a three-year high in re-cent weeks, as mortgagerates remained extremelylow,” Mike Fratantoni, vicepresident of research forthe Washington, D.C.-based National MortgageBankers Association, saidin an email. “With refi-nances, the No. 1 driver isinterest rates.”

Along with months ofrecord-breaking low inter-est rates, other factors aredriving the refinancingboom: a competitive lend-ing market and changes insome federal refinancingprograms for strugglinghomeowners.

It’s prompted many es-tablished homeownerswith old-school, high-in-terest mortgages to decideit’s time to refi.

Generally the primaryreasons for refinancing amortgage are to:

I Lower monthly mort-gage payments.

I Eliminate the unpre-dictability of an adjusta-ble-rate mortgage byswitching to a fixed rate.

I Free up home equitycash for home improve-ments, college costs orother expenses.

I Shorten the loan term,say from a 30- to a 15-yearmortgage, which can savethousands in interest pay-ments.

Saving money is usuallythe biggest incentive.

Calling the low rates“historic,” John Winters, awealth adviser with Mor-gan Stanley Smith Barneyin Sacramento, said he re-cently advised all his cli-ents to consider a refi. Es-pecially for those “findingit difficult to live with” theanemic returns on low-in-

terest CDs and bonds,freeing up monthly in-come by refinancing canmake sense, he said.

Should you refi?It’s a personal calcula-

tion that varies. Generally,homeowners should lookat how long they plan to bein their current home andwhether the upfront costsoutweigh the monthlysavings.

“If you’re not going tobe in your home anotherone or two years, you’renot going to recoup theclosing costs,” said GregMcBride, senior financialanalyst with Bankrate.com.

“Everybody’s situationis different,” said mortgageconsultant Vallejo.“There’s no right or wronganswer. The only answer iswhat works for your fam-ily.”

Some couples who refi-

nance are looking ahead toretirement.

Pay it off?“Paying off the mort-

gage is now back in vogue,”Vallejo said, especially forthose in their late 40s or50s who want to be mort-gage-free at retirementage.

That doesn’t necessarilymean they’ll lower theirmonthly payment by refi-nancing. For example, acouple with a $250,000,30-year loan at 5.25 per-cent three years ago wouldhave been paying about$1,380 a month. If they re-financed their current bal-ance to a 20-year, 3.5 per-cent loan today, their pay-ments would increaseslightly, to $1,405.

“Their payment goes up$25, but they just took sev-en years off their mort-gage,” said Vallejo. “That’salmost $116,000 in inter-

est. That’s huge.”On the other hand,

younger homeowners withkids might choose a 30-year mortgage when theyrefinance because theyneed the lower monthlycash flow to save for col-lege or pay off debt. Orthose with adjustablemortgages due to reset tohigher rates may want tolock in single-digit rates.

What you’ll payThe mortgage rate you’ll

be offered depends on nu-merous factors, including:your credit score, loanamount, loan-to-valueratio (how much you owecompared to the home’sappraised value), length of

your loan term and type ofhome (rates on condos,rentals and vacationhomes are typicallyhigher).

Lots of mortgage adspromise “no-cost” loans.According to some lend-ers, that’s a misnomer.

“It really means ‘no cashout of pocket,’ ” said Valle-jo. “There’s no free lunch;somebody is paying for it.”

Typically, in a no-costloan, all closing costs andpre-paid items (such asappraisal fees and creditchecks) are paid by thelender and built into theinterest rate.

Shop aroundIt pays to compare

quotes from several lend-ers because they offer dif-ferent rates and fees. Startwith your current lenderor sit down with a localloan originator. You canalso do refinance compari-sons online, using mort-gage calculators at siteslike Bankrate.com or thoseof individual banks andlenders.

Struggling homeownerscan ask lenders aboutchanges in the federalHome Affordable Refi-nance Program and FederalHousing Administrationrefinance programs thathave made refinancing op-tions more plentiful.


New low rates spur refinancing effortsBY CLAUDIA BUCKThe Sacramento Bee

RICHARD MIZEhttp://blog.newsok.com/ok-propertylines

and in Saturday’s Business

Oklahoma Property Lines

3ESATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 2012THE OKLAHOMAN NEWSOK.COM

Farms, SW 119 and Merid-ian Avenue.

Woods said he is pleasedwith this year’s turnout.

“That’s a good numberof homes. Hopefully wecan grow, but I’m just ex-cited about having 120homes,” he said.

Builders have good rea-son to be optimistic, saidKurt Dinnes, senior part-ner at Sun Custom Homesand association president.Dinnes was freshly backfrom the National Associ-ation of Home Builders fallboard meeting, where, hesaid, there was plenty ofgood news.

“On a national level,homebuilding is starting toturn the corner,” he said.

Housing starts rose na-tionally 2.3 percent in Au-gust, according to the U.S.Commerce Department,the strongest pace of sin-gle-family home con-struction in more than twoyears.

Oklahoma’s slow-and-steady approach to build-ing helped blunt the blowwhen the housing marketslid in 2008.

“We were pretty con-servative here with ourgrowth,” Dinnes said, sowhen the bottom fell out,Oklahoma didn’t fall as farand didn’t have as far toclimb back up.

Recovery has implica-tions beyond homebuild-ing, he said: “The home-building recovery is theprelude to the economicoverall recovery of our na-tion.”

Sun Custom Homes’Tuscan-inspired paradehome at 9023 NW 147 Ter-race in the Monterauneighborhood reflects theOld World, timeless style.Dinnes said it was inspiredby his travels around theworld.

But it also fits in withmore recent homebuildingtrends, which find con-sumers looking at smallerhomes with more to offer.At 2,300 square feet,which Dinnes called “rela-tively small,” it is “packedwith beautiful amenities.”

Fine touches include acustom iron door at theentry, a wine cave com-plete with stone entry andan iron gate, a master baththat doubles as a mini spaand an outdoor living areathat effectively blurs theline between indoor andoutdoor.

But the round stone tur-ret out front is hard tooverlook.

“It’s very seldom doneon a house this size,”Dinnes said. “You’ll typi-cally do this on a muchbigger home. But wepulled it off and incorpo-rated it into the architec-ture of this home.” Theturret houses a study witha soaring 14-foot ceiling.

On the other hand,TimberCraft Homes’ cre-ation at 8400 NW 142 inthe Pleasant Grove neigh-borhood draws its exteriorinspiration from the sim-pler Prairie-style andFrank Lloyd Wright-in-spired designs prevalent inearly 20th-century Amer-ica. The interior, however,is thoroughly contempo-rary.

TimberCraft has justbegun working with thosedesigns, said Jack Evans,managing partner. “This issort of refinement of acouple of other houses,and so we think this is go-ing to catch on quite well,”he said.

The prairie motif carriesthrough exterior with cus-tom-made trim and over-sized front and backporches. Inside, the teamtook to heart lessons

learned at the Internation-al Builders Show in Orlan-do, Fla., in January, incor-porating more flex spaceinto the designs that couldoperate as an office, an-other bedroom or whatev-er a family might require.

They also took into ac-count the home’s “flow” tomaximize its 1,860 squarefeet with clean, straightlines and open spacesmade even more open byhigh ceilings. Every inchcounts, Evans said.

“We try to minimize ourhallway space becausethat’s just wasted space,”he said.

Parade: Industry sees national economy getting betterFROM PAGE 1E

Homebuilder Kurt Dinnes of Sun Custom Homes shows the kitchen at 9032 NW 147 Terrace. PHOTOS BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND, THE OKLAHOMAN

The kitchen at 8400 NW 142 Terrace is thoroughly modern.

The study at 9032 NW 147 Terrace, by Sun CustomHomes, has a soaring 14-foot ceiling thanks to itslocation inside a turret.

An iron grate door leads to the wine caveat 9032 NW 147 Terrace.

A drop zone for mail and a chargingstation are near the front door at8400 NW 142 Terrace, by Timber-Craft Homes.

The ceiling of the master bedroom at 9032 NW 147Terrace provides an abundance of textures.

INFORMATIONThe Parade ofHomes features 120homes open free tothe public from 1 to7 p.m. through Oct.7. A smart app isavailable help guideguests. Free paradeguides with mapsand home descrip-tions are available atmetro-area ArvestBank and Best Buylocations or go on-line to www.paradeofhomesok.com.



Oklahoma CityCornerstone-Midtown,

1325 N Walker Ave., apart-ments, erect,$34,000,000.

W.S. Bowlware Con-struction, 515 W Interstate240 Service Road, retailsales, remodel,$1,000,000.

Wynn Construction,1600 NW 27, school, re-model, $800,000.

Denise Patterson Cus-tom Homes, 11917 BravadaDrive, residence, erect,$585,650.

Redbud ContractorsLLC, 17808 Prairie SkyWay, residence, erect,$400,000.

Beacon Homes LLC,15917 Angie Kaye Lane,residence, erect,$320,000.

Gil Wright PropertiesLLC, 3320 NW 170 Court,residence, erect,$300,000.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 11705 Bellhurst Ave.,residence, erect,$300,000.

Beacon Homes LLC,15913 Angie Kaye Lane,residence, erect,$275,000.

Renaissance CustomHomes LLC, 13637 RachelCourt, residence, erect,$271,000.

Renaissance CustomHomes LLC, 3112 SW 140,residence, erect,$270,000.

Poff (Doug) Homes,11400 Sundance Drive,residence, erect,$260,000.

TPC Construction Inc.,12612 NW 6, residence,erect, $250,000.

Richmond SignatureHomes, 1405 NW 174Court, residence, erect,$245,900.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 3204 SW 137Court, residence, erect,$245,000.

D.R. Horton, 16204Wynchase Drive, resi-dence, erect, $242,990.

D.R. Horton, 6013 NW162, residence, erect,$242,990.

RW Custom HomesLLC, 15313 Grayson Drive,residence, erect,$240,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 2504 SW 141,residence, erect,$230,000.

Red Door CustomHomes LLC, 8808 Hal-brook Manor Lane, resi-dence, erect, $230,000.

Bonadeo Building Co.,1405 NW 175 Court, resi-dence, erect, $225,000.

Lesley Morgan, The Di-mension Group, 14220 NPennsylvania Ave., restau-rant, remodel, $220,000.

Permits Today, 1901Northwest Expressway,retail sales, remodel,$215,000.

Eirwin ConstructionLLC, 10200 Green ValleyRoad, residence, add-on,$210,000.

Brighton Fine HomesLLC, 13905 Georgian Way,residence, erect,$207,000.

Quality DesignedHomes LLC, 6413 BentleyDrive, residence, erect,

$207,000.D&D Construction,

12700 SW 54, residence,erect, $200,000.

D.P. Odom Construc-tion LLC, 12612 JacinthCourt, residence, erect,$200,000.

Homeside LLC, 11905Sawgrass Road, residence,erect, $190,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,408 SW 175 Terrace, resi-dence, erect, $190,000.

Gary Owens Carpet &Construction Inc., 1704Augusta Circle, residence,erect, $180,000.

R&R Homes LLC, 10620SW 36, residence, erect,$180,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,17408 Murcielago Court,residence, erect,$180,000.

Taber Built Homes LLC,17500 Murcielago Court,residence, erect,$180,000.

Vintage Custom HomesLLC, 416 SW 175 Terrace,residence, erect,$180,000.

Dodson Custom Homes1LLC, 3120 NW 181Terrace,residence, erect, $175,600.

Homeside LLC, 11909Sawgrass Road, residence,erect, $170,000.

Tiffany EnterprisesLLC, 11901 Sawgrass Road,residence, erect, $170,000.

Bradbury Homes Inc.,2101 Mark J Ave., resi-dence, erect, $167,500.

Griffin Homes LLC, 9112NW 83, residence, erect,$160,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 18437 Las MeninasDrive, residence, erect,$143,000.

Mashburn Faires HomesLLC, 9500 Shallow LakeCourt, residence, erect,$142,700.

Bockus Payne Associ-ates Architects, 12777 NRockwell Ave., canopy-carport, erect, $130,531.

W&W Homes & Con-struction LLC, 11200 SW37 Court, residence, erect,$130,000.

Westpoint Homes,15700 Hatterly Lane, resi-dence, erect, $130,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 18401 Bodegon Road,residence, erect, $127,000.

Timbervalley Con-struction, 600 NW 23,restaurant, remodel,$120,000.

Krittenbrink Enterpris-es LLC, 2900 PelhamDrive, residence, add-on,$110,000.

VP Homes, 804 EveningDrive, residence, erect,$110,000.

VP Homes, 808 EveningDrive, residence, erect,$110,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 11820 NW 131,residence, erect,$109,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 18604 Agua Drive, res-idence, erect, $106,000.

Home Creations, 19725Vista Ave., residence,erect, $103,900.

Home Creations, 15820Carriage House Road, res-idence, erect, $103,200.

Galen Fout, 19500 RockSpring Drive, residence,erect, $100,000.

Rausch Coleman

Homes LLC, 8517 SW 48,residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 4813 HunterBlvd., residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 4808 HunterBlvd., residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 7805 BennieTerrace, residence, erect,$100,000.



Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 9609 KylieDrive, residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 9637 KylieDrive, residence, erect,$100,000.


Star Construction, 2820Melina Drive, residence,erect, $99,000.

Star Construction, 5121SE 45 Terrace, residence,erect, $99,000.

Star Construction,9808 SW 28, residence,erect, $99,000.

Star Construction, 9816SW 28, residence, erect,$99,000.

Star Construction, 2812Melina Drive, residence,complete, $99,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 421Parsons Drive, resi-dence, erect, $95,000.

Simon Property Group,1901 Northwest Express-way, retail sales, remodel,$95,000.

Central Oklahoma Hab-itat For Humanity, 8512 NLindsay Ave., residence,erect, $85,000.

Home Creations, 1001Redwood Creek Drive, res-idence, erect, $85,000.

Home Creations, 11941SW 8, residence, erect,$83,000.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 2708 NW 186, resi-dence, erect, $72,000.

Daniel Ray, 4816 NW 30,residence, add-on,$70,000.

400 N. Walker LLC,400 N Walker Ave., busi-ness, remodel, $45,000.

Brown Development,10600 San Lorenzo Drive,accessory, erect, $45,000.

RK Enterprises, 14517 NSanta Fe Ave., business,remodel, $35,000.

Ainshiv Rai Madahar,7640 Northwest Express-way, restaurant, remodel,$26,000.

Fitzgerald & Associates,1024 SW 104, medicalclinic-office, add-on,$25,000.

K. Jones Construction,3821 Oakdale Forest Road,residence, add-on,$20,000.

Jose Rodriguez, 336 SE50, residence, add-on,$14,500.

Kirkpatrick Forest Cur-tis PC, 7007 SW 44, tem-porary building, move-on,$10,000.

Wynn Construction,729 SE 6, temporarybuilding, move-on,$10,000.

Lawn Master Outdoor

Living LLC, 3101 WexfordAve., residence, add-on,$8,000.

Total Inc., 1804 N BrauerAve., school, remodel,$7,500.

Integrity Builders & De-sign Group Inc., 6393 NW63, apartment, remodel,$7,300.

Clint Squires, 2612 NW153, residence, add-on,$7,000.

Zalon Williams, 1019Shamrock Road, resi-dence, add-on, $7,000.

Marie Sterling Revoca-ble Trust, 12400 DutchForest Place, residence,remodel, $6,400.

Donald Heckstall, 5048Burntwood Drive, resi-dence, add-on, $5,000.

No name provided, 1325N Walker Ave., apartment,erect, $5,000.

Gary Bollingmo, 2304Sorrento Lane, storm shel-ter, install, $4,250.

Terri L. Davis, 712 SW 155Place, residence, remodel,$4,000.

Michael Craig, 8133 NW81, storm shelter, install,$3,995.

Stephanie Strogny, 9216NW 77, storm shelter, in-stall, $3,995.

Amanda Cook, 2709SW 97 Court, storm shel-ter, install, $3,800.

No name provided, 401NW 150 Court, storm shel-ter, install, $3,695.

Loretha Davis, 729 SW153, storm shelter, remod-el, $3,500.

Michael Bordes, 1808NW 195 Circle, storm shel-ter, install, $3,500.

Bryan Baldwin, 2234NW 55, storm shelter, in-stall, $3,395.

Robert Hill, 15309Pleasant Cove Lane, stormshelter, install, $3,350.

Coy Glenn, 11801 SW 18,storm shelter, install,$3,200.

Byron Linkous, 6400Sudbury Drive, stormshelter, install, $3,195.

Bobby Ercanbrack, 1425Straka Terrace, stormshelter, install, $3,000.

Chris and Joni Schroed-er, 6001 NW 162, stormshelter, install, $3,000.

Lawrence and WendyRevocable Trust, 10504Bayberry Drive, stormshelter, install, $3,000.

Mike and Krista Bates,17220 Woodvine Drive,storm shelter, install,$2,995.

Connie Brasier, 12060Czech Hall Circle, stormshelter, install, $2,800.

Daniel Wortham, 19225Butterfly Blvd., stormshelter, install, $2,800.

Debra Perry, 829 GoldenPond Drive, storm shelter,install, $2,800.

Ground Zero, 9028 NW84 Terrace, storm shelter,install, $2,800.

Janet S. Kitchen, 8238NW 11, residence, remodel,$2,800.

Thu Phan, 2201 SW 78,storm shelter, install,$2,800.

William Duncan, 3701NW 46, storm shelter, in-stall, $2,800.

Raymond Sawaya, 10817NW 95, storm shelter, in-stall, $2,799.

Kathleen Johnson, 2816SE 90, storm shelter, in-stall, $2,795.

Tien Ngo, 9904 SBrookline Ave., stormshelter, install, $2,775.

Mark Thompson, 6100Saddleback Drive, stormshelter, install, $2,700.

Felix Cantu, 2104Dansmere Ave., stormshelter, install, $2,695.

Ground Zero, 2852 NW184, storm shelter, install,$2,695.

John Poe, 3108 SW 130,storm shelter, install,$2,695.

Diem Nguyen, 2833Morgan Trace, storm shel-ter, install, $2,600.

Hien Nguyen, 3720 NSt. Clair Ave., storm shel-ter, install, $2,600.

Joseph Nguyen, 1709NW 164 Circle, stormshelter, install, $2,600.

Taber Built Homes LLC,

19000 Butterfly Blvd.,storm shelter, install,$2,600.

Ideal Homes of NormanLP, 400 Durkee Road,storm shelter, install,$2,300.

Mapp Construction,14100 N PennsylvaniaAve., temporary building,move-on, $2,000.

No name provided, 1325N Walker Ave., apartment,erect, $2,000.

Penn Square Mall andEric Smith, 1901 North-west Expressway, retailsales, remodel, $1,800.

DemolitionsRay’s Trucking, 3025 NE

15, residence.

Building permits

LOS ANGELES — The malecast members of “Friends”are keeping a score of LosAngeles real estate agentsin Gucci loafers.

David Schwimmer, akaDr. Ross Geller, sold hisgated home in HancockPark this summer for$8.865 million, public re-cords show. He bought the11,000-square-foot Medi-terranean in 2001 for $5.5million and listed it in No-vember at $10.7 million.

The restored house, seton more than an acre on apalm-tree-lined street,was built in 1926 by Koer-ner & Gage, an architectu-ral firm that also contrib-uted to the design of thedome-topped BeverlyHills City Hall.

The main house in-cludes a grand living roomwith 15-foot ceilings, a

wood-paneled library, aden, a state-of-the-artscreening room, a formaldining room, nine bed-rooms, six full bathrooms,two powder rooms, fivefireplaces, a wine cellarand a butler’s pantry. Adetached guesthouse con-tains a bedroom, livingroom, bathroom andkitchen.

Mature trees and land-scaping, a swimming pool,spa, north-south tenniscourt and a pavilion com-plete the grounds. There isa three-car garage.

Schwimmer, 45, direct-ed the movie “Trust”(2010), as well as episodesof “Friends” and “Joey.”He has been on the series“Web Therapy” this yearwith “Friends” co-star Li-sa Kudrow and is in thethriller “The Iceman.” Heplays half of a friendlesscouple in the off-Broad-way show “Detroit.”

Joey’s place for rentHoping to re-up as a

landlord is actor Matt Le-Blanc — that’s Joey Trib-biani to “Friends” fans. Hehas put an unfurnishedhouse in Pacific Palisadesup for lease at $12,995 amonth.

The 1930s Spanish-stylehome features a step-down living room, a panel-ed dining room, a library-den, an updated kitchen,four bedrooms, four bath-rooms and nearly 4,000

square feet of living spacein two stories. Architectu-ral details include beamedceilings, wood floors andoriginal fixtures, ironworkand tile. The half-acretree-filled lot has canyonviews.

LeBlanc, 45, playedTribbiani starting in 1994in the decade-long en-semble series and a spinoffcalled “Joey” in 2004-06.He has starred in “Epi-sodes” since last year.

No doubt his real estate

agent, David Offer of Pru-dential California Realty inBrentwood, or a propertymanager will handle thelandlording details. Le-Blanc spends his workinghours in London shootingthe comedy series eventhough it is set in L.A.

Chandler tries a rerunReturning to the market

after a half-year hiatus isactor Matthew Perry’s chichouse in the HollywoodHills West area, for $5.295

million.Built in 1955 and rein-

vented as a contemporary,the 4,100-square-foothouse features white ter-razzo floors, retractablewalls of glass, a home the-ater, a media room, threebedrooms and 31⁄2 bath-rooms. A pool with spa,lawn, an outdoor fireplaceand patio space completethe third of an acre ofgrounds. There are cityand canyon views.

Perry, 43, played Chan-dler Bing on the sitcom“Friends” from 1994 to2004. He stars as a sports-caster on the new comedy“Go On.”

Public records show theproperty last changedhands in 2008 for $4.475million. The current priceis a slight drop from the$5.695 million asked lastyear.


‘Friends’ male co-stars sell, rent in L.A. BY LAUREN BEALELos Angeles Times

David Schwimmer Matt LeBlanc Matthew Perry

RICHARD MIZEhttp://blog.newsok.com/ok-propertylines

and in Saturday’s Business

Oklahoma Property Lines



Craftsman-stylehomes, most popular inthe early 20th century,have staged a major come-back in recent years, andthe Cascadia is a primeexample of this phenom-enon.

This home is a treat forthe eyes. Corbels accentthe peaks of all threefront-facing gables, andan array of multipane win-dows sparkle across thefront. Stone veneer fillsthe triangular area thatfronts one of the gables,while shingles add theirtexture to the other two.Stone veneer also serves aswainscoting and coversthe bold column supportthat highlights the archedentry porch.

Vaulted ceilings give anexpansive feel to many ofthe rooms, including thefoyer, living room, diningroom, den and front bed-room.

From the foyer, doubledoors open into a den orhome office on the left,while an arched openingon the right leads to themain bathroom and twobedrooms. The vaultedfamily living area is aheadand to the left, just past thecoat closet.

Windows fill most of therear wall, creating a natu-rally bright environment.Sliding glass doors in thedining area offer easyaccess to a wide coveredpatio.

A fireplace and homeentertainment center lineone interior wall.

The kitchen is open tothe great room, across acounter with a range andoven on one side and agently curved eating bar onthe other. A deep pantryextends under the stairway

to the bonus room, whichis over the garage. Laundryappliances are nearby, in apass-through utility roomthat links with the Casca-dia’s two-car garage.

A tray ceiling lends a

touch of elegance to theowners’ suite. Other luxu-ry amenities include alarge walk-in closet, dou-ble vanity, deep soakingtub, and enclosed toilet/shower.

A review plan of the Cascadia 30-804,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 homes return

The Listing of the Weekis a traditional brick homeon a cul-de-sac in a gatedarea of executive homes inthe Deer Creek area.

The 2,615-square-foothome at 2060 Deer HavenCourt has four bedrooms,2½ baths, one livingroom, two dining areasand an attached three-cargarage.

The main living roomhas a stacked-stone fire-place and ceiling fan.

The gourmet kitchenhas a large center island,granite counters and stain-less appliances.

The formal dining roomhas wood flooring and abrick accent wall withsconces.

The master bedroom

has a walk-in closet andbath with double vanities,a walk-in Travertineshower and whirlpool tub.

Two secondary bed-rooms have walk-in clos-ets and the other has aceiling fan.

The home has a coveredpatio, security system andan underground sprinklersystem.

The home, built in2008, is listed for$375,000 with Ryan Litz ofKeller Williams Realty.

For more information,call 245-7812 or 330-2626.

Nominations for Listing of the Weekare welcome. Send a copy of the MLSinformation sheet on a single-familyhome to The Oklahoman, Richard Mize,P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK73125. Nominations may be faxed to475-3996.

LISTING OF THE WEEK

The Listing of the Week is at 2060 Deer Haven Courtin Deer Creek. PHOTO PROVIDED

Traditional brickhome is in gatedDeer Creek area


Q: I just had a paverdriveway installed lastmonth. Unfortunately,while installing the pav-ers, the company tookout a chunk of my foun-dation. I had a structuralengineer look at the dam-age and he said it isstrictly cosmetic — nodamage to the structureof the house or founda-tion.

Since I live in the Chica-go area, with the freeze-thaw situation, I am won-dering if there is any bet-ter product out there.The company responsi-ble said it would send anemployee out to patchthis with concrete. Also,am I better off having thecompany send out some-

one in the concrete foun-dation repairing busi-ness? I ask this because Ican envision that this willjust keep falling out.

A: First of all, let me ap-plaud you for doing every-thing right in this situa-tion! You had an inde-pendent structural engi-neer examine the damageto make sure there were nostructural issues, and youhave a healthy skepticism

about having the pavercompany do the repairs.

I suspect, as you do, thatif the paver company wereto do the repairs, it wouldprobably use a standardpatching material that isnot as durable on verticalexterior repairs such as astem wall, and would in-deed be subject to crackingand possibly falling outover time. Your best bet isto use a company that spe-cializes in concrete repairs,and to use an epoxy prod-uct for making the repair.

Be aware that manystates give the originalcontractor the opportunityto make the repairs, sowhile I agree that youshould use a specializedcompany instead of the

original contractor, youmay get a little resistanceto this idea from the con-tractor.

Q: How can I perk upsome dark kitchen cabi-nets that I do not want tocompletely refinish? Iconsidered some darkOld English scratch coveroil, but wondered if somedark oil stain would workbetter. I have washed thecabinets with some Mur-phy’s oil soap. They needsomething to freshenthem up. What wouldyou suggest?

A: First of all, you’llneed to determine if thecabinets have a clear fin-ish, such as polyurethane.You can probably tell thisby looking closely at the

cabinets to see if they havea slight sheen, especiallycompared to how the inte-riors look.

If they don’t have a fin-ish, my recommendationwould be to wipe themdown with a stain that isthe same or a little lighterthan the existing color,which should brightenthem up a little and evenout the appearance. Whenthat is dry, apply a coat ofclear polyurethane to pro-tect the wood, which willalso give the cabinets abrighter, fresher look.

If they do have a finishon them, which is likely,nothing is really going topenetrate the finish. Yourbest bet is going to be towipe the cabinets down

with very fine steel wool toremove any traces ofgrease, dirt, and remainingsoap or oil, wipe themagain with a tack cloth(available at any paintstore) to remove dust, andthen apply a fresh coat ofpolyurethane. This willbrighten up the cabinets.

Because there are somany variables, before do-ing all the cabinets with ei-ther of these techniques Iwould try it out on a small,out-of-the-way spot tosee if you like the finishedappearance.

Remodeling and repair questions? EmailPaul at [email protected]. Allproduct reviews are based on theauthor’s actual testing of free reviewsamples provided by the manufacturers.

INMAN NEWS

PaulBianchina

HANDY @ HOME

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3bd, 2ba, dbl gar, on 6 lots(25x150) $76,000 ¡ 405-412-4768

4bd 4ba study upstair bonusrm, outdoor fp & more!

$299,0004bd lrg corner lt, remodeledw/wkshp $99,900 MarianCleaton & Assoc 373-2494

2.5 AC w/huge shp 3 lrg bd$170,00

New hm on 1 ac 4bd 3ba bonusrm $319,500 Marian Cleaton &

Assoc 373-2494

PIEDMONT OPEN SUN 2-5Model home. New hms on 1/2

ac lots. From NW Expwy &Sara Rd go 4.5 mi N Cleaton &

Assoc 373-2494

AUCTIONSat. Oct. 13 ~ 7 PM

150 Acres Only 1 Hr. from OKCHUNTER'S PARADISE

orBEEF PRODUCER

An Opportunity To OwnOne of The BestFor details visit:

entzauction.comU C Entz Auction & Realty Inc.

Hydro, OK405-663-2200

Deer Hunting Lease600 acre deer hunting lease locat-ed on the South Canadian River in

Asher, OK (580)-759-2159

Huge Year End Savings! New &Repo Homes. Own land/familyland ZERO down. Don't prejudge,financing available. $2000 furnpackage w/purchase. Free phoneapp 405-631-7600, 602-4526 WAC

Abandoned D/W Repos set up on1-5 Acres. Many to choose from.Ready to move in. E-Z qualify byphone 405-631-7600, 590-2379

Repos/Used Homes starting at$15K + delivery 405-631-7600

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

COMMERCIAL/INDUSTRIAL

DEVELOPMENTUNIMPROVEDPROPERTIES

5 - PARCELSYUKON & OKLAHOMA CITY, OK

2- SELLING NO RESERVEAUCTION

FRI, OCT. 12THLippardAuctions.com

866-874-7100

400 ± ACRES NOBLECOUNTY LANDPerry , OK. Area

CATTLE & HUNTINGPOTENTIAL

ABSOLUTE AUCTIONThursday, Oct. 4th

580-237-7174LippardAuctions.com

I BUY HOUSESAny condition. No cost to U

410-5700

I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667

HOMESOFOKCINC.COM

We Buy Houses FastCash or Payments. 405-708-4833.

Porky's Pizza For Sale. Acceptingoffers. Call after 11:00. 681-0227

GREAT Office Space. Various NWlocations, 300-6000sf 946-2516

7600 N Western Ave. ShoppingCenter space for rent 370-1077

3928 E Reno $1750mo house & lg1500sf whse 601-5905 235-5028

Lg 1 & 2Bd close to SNU. Coveredparking. $345-$445mo 470-3535

MOVE IN NOW!Pd. water/garbage Quiet.Try Plaza East • 341-4813

Free Rent 'til Nov. 1 & 2 bed.Spring Tree Apts. 405-737-8172

Free Month Rent! 1&2bd QUIET!Cov. Parking Great Schls732-1122

3bd apt. available NOW! Low in-come 794-0201 » Moore Schools

$200 off1st Mo Rent Selected UnitsLarge Townhomes & Apartments

• Washer, Dryers, pools• PC Schools, fireplaces

WILLIAMSBURG7301 NW 23rd 787-1620

$200 Off1st Mo Rent Selected units

2 & 3 bed TownhousesWasher/Dryers,

Fireplaces, P.C. SchoolsPARKLANE 721-5455

8100 N. MacArthur Blvd

$99 Special1 & 2 BD & Townhouses•City bus route/Shopping•Washer/Dryer hookups

Valencia Apts2221 N. Meridian 946-6548

1 Month FreeLarge 2bd $575 Casady 751-8088

Oakwood Apts-5824 NW 34th1 bed 1 bath 800sf $350/mo

$175/dep u pay electric405-409-7989 no sec 8

813 N Brauer 1bed 1 bath 800sf$550/mo $250/dep All bills

405-409-7989 no sec 8

Putnam Heights Plaza1 & 2bed, newly remodeled, ch/a,1830 NW 39th 524-5907

Furnished/Unfurnished. Bills Paid» Wkly/Mnthly. Wes Chase AptsElk Horn Apts, Hillcrest 370-1077

800 N Meridian - 1bd All bills paidBrand New 2bd 2ba 946-9506

•ABC• Affordable,Bug free, Clean » 787-7212»

MAYFAIR Great loc! 1&2 bd W/Dhdwd flr quiet secure ¡ 947-5665

1bd Apt Furn. $350, $150dep; 2bdtrailer $390, $150dep. 321-4773

Large 1 & 2 beds. Stove, refrig,3 SW OKC Locations$345 to 420 mo 632-9849

Furnished/Unfurnished. Bills Paid» Wkly/Mnthly. Wes Chase AptsElk Horn Apts, Hillcrest 370-1077

Seminole Apts $450-$495. Offer-ing New Tenants Job Placement& Onsight Training 866-233-6368

2 Bedroom Townhomes NW OKCALL major appliances » Gated

» 1 Covered parking included »»» Starting at $854 mo »»CALL FOR SPECIALS » 751-9390

6105 N Brookline 2bd 1ba lowerlevel. all appls $650mo

748-8520 redbudrealestate.com

1 bed, $550/mo, ALL BILLS PAID,Sec 8 OK, $50 MOVE IN SPECIAL,

716K NE 25th. 204-4308

2 bed, $550/mo, Sec 8 OK,$50 MOVE lN SPECIAL,722 NE 25th. 204-4308

Casita Blanca 2614 NW 50thContemporary 2bed 2bath 2car1200sf $1150/mo $1150/depStainless Steel Appliances, Patio,Washer/Dryer 409-7989 no sec 8

2613 NW 11th St 3bd 2ba 2car1700sf $950/mo $800dep

wash/dryer hook up, wood floor,amazing 405-409-7989 no sec 8

OPEN TODAY- RENNOVATED2bd, 1ba, 1car, W/D, ch&a, 3529NW 51st NO PETS. 918-607-5564

» 7119 NW 115th, $975 »» 12111 Windmill Road, $900 »» 3bd, 2ba, 2car, 721-1831 »

2 bed 1 bath. w/d hk ups all appls$475mo $250 dep 326-3370

BROOKSTONE LAKES Adn 3/2/23225 Tenkiller Ct btwn SW 32 &Sara Rd. NO SECTION 8 $1200mo, $900 dep. Maria 618-0563

Edgewood Manor Btw SW 15 &Mustang Rd nice 3bds 2ba 2car.

starting $1000 no sec 8 618-0563

New duplexes, 3 bed, 2 bath,2 car, call Rick, 405-830-3789.

3/2/2, ch&a, 409 Birch $850mo,$850dep. Call David @ 850-4005

Bills PaidFurnished/Unfurnished

Weekly/Monthly 370-1077

3/1/0, new interior, 6803 NW 53,ch&a, fridge, $750/$500 788-9077

Lovely 3br brick home – elite areaWalk to park/lake $965 603-4775

4817 SE 19th St., 3bd 1ba 1car,ch&a, nice $650 413-6204

Sec 8! Nice 3bd, spacious kit,cent. heat, walk to elem. school.Call or come by! Malones Prop SE41 & Sunnylane 670-1411

Very Nice 2/1/1, lrg liv, ch&a, Nopets $595+dep 650-9684 No Sec 8

Contemporary 1 story, 4 bed, 2bath, 3 car, formal dining, fire-place, close to community play-ground, shops and schools, $1600month + deposit, by appointmentonly, 405-478-2264.

205 W. 10th 2/2/2 $89510512 Chisholm Trl 2/1 $59516417 Old Oak Dr 3/2/2 $1895Express Realty 844-6101

www.expressrealtyok.com

Close to UCO! Updated & nice!3bd brick, 2 ba, hardwood floors,frpl, 2 car. Call! Malones PropMgt 670-1411 M-F

6125 Stonegate Pl. Oaktree 3bed3.5 bath 4200' Gated $2600mo

748-8520 redbudrealestate.com

612 Reynolds Rd 3/1.5/1 $795681-7272

RENT TO OWN1501 Marydale

Very Nice Brick House3bd - 1.5 ba - 2 car garage

Easy approval 405-273-5777www.property4sale.com

418 Moiselle Nice home 2/1/1CH/A $650 mo. 732-3411www.homesofokcinc.com

3 bedroom, 2 bath, 1 carCH/A. Sec. 8 Ok, 405-417-3333

» 3/1.5/2, CH&A, $700/mo+dep»» No Section 8 » 405-341-5584»

3.5 miles to Tinker! Spacious 3bd,lg liv w/frpl, lg. master, 2ba, allstainless appl, storm shelter,2car $1095 mo. Call! MalonesProp Mgt. 670-1411 M-F

3bd 2ba 2car 1650sf $1200+dep4/2/2, 1750sf fireplace $1350+depWAC Home&Ranch Rlty 794-7777

2bd, 1ba, carport, storage w/W/D hkup, Moore Schls 793-7311

4 bed 2 bath section 8 only.3341 NE 11th 405-412-8083.

4008 NW 14th 2/1/1 $6256500 N Grand #106 2/1.5/2 $9952646 NW 34th St 2/1/1 $6503513 N Kentucky 3/1/1 $85014415 N Penn Ave B 1/1 $55012817 Burlingame 4/3/2 $195012305 Cedar Springs 2/2.5/2 $975Express Realty 844-6101

www.expressrealtyok.com

Very nice 3 bed 1 bathcentral heat & air, W/D hook up,

$700/month, $350 dep. Sec 8 OK.3823 NW 11th St. 405-255-8832

KAT Properties-Apt & Homes forrent. Scan this w/your phone app

225 NW 79th, 4 bedroom,$800/mo+ $700dep. 405-229-7437

1721 NW 1st 1bed 1bath $385681-7272

7705 NW 116th, 3/2/2, PCN Sch$1095 mo, $1095 dep 370-1077

Luxury 4 bed home, $1,000/mo,Sec 8 ok, 409 NW 85th. 204-4308

3410 Cameron Court, 2/2/1 Appl$695 no pets JW Rlty 755-2510

Great condo, 3bd 2K ba, FP, $9759719 HefnerVillage Blvd 830-3399

IMMACULATE 3bed 1.5bath 2 car,new hdwd flrs $990mo $1200dep1yr lse: 6401 S Villa; 2528 ElToro.

627-3791 » WE LOVE TFA

3/1.5/2, fireplace, on cul-de-sac, 5min to Tinker. 5704 Shalimar$800+dep. No Sec 8 Call 417-9998

1121 SE 21 2bed 1bath $425681-7272

2437 SE 51st, 3/1.5/2 $750 rent,$500 dep, Sec 8 ok, 324-2611

2 bed, garage, W/D hook up,$525 mo + $300 dep

416 SW 44th ¡ 631-8039

» $100 Off 2nd Month Rent! »1404 S Youngs Newly built 2/1

total electric $550 ¡ 681-7272

605 SW 25th 2bd 1ba $4502136 SW 66th 3/1/2 $895

Free List ¡ 681-7272

Section 8 Only, 4bd, 2ba, ch&a,3409 S. Liberty, $750 + $750 dep,

694-1570 or 685-8240.

4108 S Robinson spacious 2bdhome fresh paint $495 mo water& garbage paid. Fidelity 410-4200

3bd 1.5 ba 1car, carport, ch&a,$650/mo, others avail. 733-8688

Executive Home in Blanchard1527 Fox Run Lane: 3bed, 2ba, 2

car garage, 2033 sqft, $1550.Please call 405-366-RENT (7368).

Or visit www.bpmok.com

Large Remod 2bd All Bills Paid.ride bike to OU $650mo

interested call Ed 405-365-1666

1205 Briar Patch Way, 3/2/2,hrdwd flrs, near OU, $925 + dep.Pets Ok. 285-0305 or 823-6550

2124 White Oak Circle3 bed 2ba 2 car 1369sf $985/mo$800/dep 405-409-7989 no sec 8

Very nice 4/2/2, total elec, 1 blkto elem schl, no pets/smoking,fenced yard, $975 mo, 354-6418.

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

PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATESERVICES » SINCE 1982

Mgmt » Leasing » Sales

Spectrum Management848-9400 usespectrum.com

SENIORS!Unique Opportunity

Efficiency apartmentWith Section 8All utilities paidCALL TODAY!Charles Atkins405-424-3142

1917 NE 20th Street

Condo on Table Rock Lake, sleeps8, full kitchen & laundry, multiplepools, shuffleboard, Fri 11/23-Fri11/30, $185/night, 405-808-5456.


Documents

The Oklahoman's Real Estate section: Sept. 29, 2012