The Oklahoman Real Estate

FREAL ESTATESATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM

INDEX

Permits 3FStone 3FPoole 6F

HOUSE PLAN

Simple lookLooking at the Ambridge puts theviewer in mind of simpler times.More than anything, it’s probablythe full front porch: If a porch swingsuits your fancy, this is the place.PAGE 5F

LISTING OF THE WEEK

Traditionalbrick homeThe Listing of the Week is atraditional 1½-level brick homeon a 1½-acre lot on a woodedcul-de-sac in Mustang’s FawnValley addition.

PAGE 4F

TAX LAWMIXEDBAGThe $858 billionfederal tax bill re-cently signed intolaw by PresidentObama was a mixedbag for Americanhomeowners, withelements of boththe Grinch and San-ta squeezed into thesame bulging pack-age.

PAGE 6F

IN BRIEF

HANGERS HAVEA PLACE TO GOThe Hanger Hamperis a simple storagebox designed tomake it easier tocollect wire clotheshangers for recy-cling. The triangular,collapsible box issized for most stan-dard hangers, so youcan collect up to 100of them and returnthem to a dry clean-er. The box can fit inthe corner of a clos-et or laundry roomand has strap han-dles for easy carry-ing. Most plastichangers fit in it, too.The product sells for$9.95 plus shippingfrom Solutions,www.solutions.comor (877) 718-7901, ordirectly from HangerHamper at (888)880-9205. You cansee the color choicesat www.hangerhamper-retail.com.

GROW FOOD INYOUR HOUSEImagine pickinggrapefruit in yoursunroom for break-fast. Laurelynn G.Martin and Byron E.Martin, co-owners ofLogee’s TropicalPlants, tell how todo it in “GrowingTasty Tropical Plantsin Any Home, Any-where.” The bookprofiles plants thatproduce both famil-iar foods such asbananas and coffeeand less commonfruits such as naran-jilla and peanut but-ter fruit. The authorschose plants theysay will produce areasonably abun-dant crop whengrown in containersand can be keptsmall enoughthrough pruning togrow indoors. Itsuggests goodplants for beginners,plants that producecrops with the bestflavor and plantssuited for green-houses. The book isfrom Storey Publish-ing and sells for$18.95 in paperback.

MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNEINFORMATION SERVICES

KennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

For a couple of decades,a widow in her 70s livedalone in a stucco-sidedColonial in an upscalesuburban neighborhood.Long plagued with healthproblems, she recentlypassed away, leaving theproperty to her banker son,who decided to sell imme-diately.

From the outset, thebanker’s real estate agentleveled with him abouthow much the housewould fetch. Given its poorcondition — with peelingpaint, rotting windowsillsand ancient appliances —it would have to be deeplydiscounted to find a buyer.Also, he would have toclear away the voluminousclutter his mother left be-hind.

“She was living with asea of clothing 2 feet deepin many rooms, along withendless old newspapers.Besides that, there werecanned goods stacked onthe kitchen countertops allthe way to the ceiling. Allthat mess hid the home’sinherent beauty,” recalledAshley Richardson, the

agent hired to sell theproperty.

Richardson, who’s affil-iated with the Council ofResidential Specialists(www.crs.com), helpedthe banker devise a plan tomake the house market-ready for a minimal cost.

He hauled his mother’sclothing to Goodwill. Thecanned goods went tohomeless shelters.

Old newspapers andother throwaways weretossed.

Still, the seller took theagent’s recommendationand priced the property 20percent below the sellingprice for comparableneighborhood homes ingood condition. At theright price, it sold in aweek.

“The young family who

bought the house lovedthat it was located in afriendly, tight-knit neigh-borhood with its own ele-mentary school and swim-ming pool,” Richardsonsaid.

This story illustrates theneed for a realistic ap-proach when selling aproperty in poor condi-tion.

“Today’s buyers wantboth a great deal and ahouse that’s beautiful. Soprice is especially impor-tant if the property hasproblems and people haveto compromise on theirwish list,” Richardson said.

Here are a few otherpointers for those planningto sell a home in poor con-dition:

› Look to a seasonedagent for candid adviceand guidance.

Seek out a listing agentwilling to serve as a projectmanager, said Eric Tyson,a personal finance expertand co-author of “HouseSelling for Dummies.”

“Not all agents will giveyou unvarnished adviceand direction on steps you

should and shouldn’t taketo get your house ready formarket. But the right agentwill spare you costly er-rors,” Tyson said.

Richardson said a solidagent will also give you arealistic list of doabletasks.

“For example, youwouldn’t want to puthigh-end cabinets into thekitchen of a house that’s inoverall poor condition. Butyou might want to haveyour current cabinets re-painted,” she said.

As the first step in theagent-selection process,Richardson recommendedyou interview three candi-dates, asking each to cri-tique your home and item-ize cost- effective stepsthat would make it moresaleable.

› Seek out help to de-clutter efficiently.

Richardson said manylongtime owners trying tosell a home in poor condi-tion feel overwhelmed bythe sheer magnitude of thetasks they face. De-clut-tering is a daunting pros-pect for those with health

problems, so she recom-mends asking family andfriends to help.

If no volunteers stepforward, Richardson sug-gests that owners maywish to hire students orothers looking for tempo-rary, part-time work.

“Take out a classified adthat asks for help ‘pre-packing for a move.’ Andbe sure to check back-ground references on anystranger coming into yourhouse,” she said.

› Help buyers pictureyour home’s possibilities.

“In these days of the In-ternet,” Richardson said,“most buyers want to pre-view a property online orthey won’t even get to seeit.”

So besides clearing outyour clutter, you’ll want toremove any outdated fur-nishings that make yourhome seem drab. In theirplace, your agent mightlend you a few attractivepieces to make your placelook better.To contact Ellen James Martin, e-mailher at [email protected].

UNIVERSAL UCLICK

Right approach can sell home in bad conditionEllenJamesMartin

SMARTMOVES

Homebuilding and home salesin 2009 were not for the faint ofheart or those lacking intestinalfortitude.

Builders, Realtors, buyers andsellers started the year a littleshell-shocked from the ChristmasEve blizzard — and January wasjust as wild, wintry and woolly,with storm after storm that keptconstruction stalled and sales onice into February.

Builders eventually managed torecover from the lows of 2009,taking out 3,262 single-familyconstruction permits throughNovember — the most recent sta-tistics available — a 7 percent in-crease compared with the first 11months of 2009.

In early 2010, a different kind ofstorm slammed the Multiple List-ing Service, the list of houses forsale kept by the Oklahoma CityMetro Association of Realtors.Buyers stormed the MLS, and thestreets, buying houses to beat adeadline for a deal of a lifetime: thefederal government’s tax creditsfor first-timers and certain exist-ing homeowners, which endedApril 30.

Maybe the tax credits merelysped up purchases that alreadywere in people’s plans, as criticsand others have grumbled. Re-gardless, the Realtors have credit-ed those sped-up sales with buoy-ing the market when it seemednothing else would.

With 2011 starting out with gen-uine optimism — judging by thering-ring-ringing of coin spentduring the Christmas shoppingseason — home sales could pick upon their own in 2011 with an econ-omy waking after a long reces-sionary winter’s nap.

Of course, continued foreclo-sures, including a wall of defaultsexpected to accompany resettingadjustable-rate loans later thisyear and in 2012, could mug therecovery before it gets a good run-ning start.

But that’s next year. For now,here are some highlights fromhousing last year in the OklahomaCity area:

January› The credit crisis hits home,

that is, the New American Home,

the widely anticipated and muchballyhooed showcase of the an-nual International Builders Showheld by the National Associationof Home Builders. If the economycan loot the builders’ crown jewel,no builder could remain untou-ched by the credit freeze. Okla-homa City builders complain thattightfisted lenders are making itunnecessarily difficult for them tomeet demand; bankers say it’swise to scotch speculative con-

struction.› Year-end statistics reflect

what everybody is talking about:During the Great Recession,McMansions are out, cozy is in,and builders here are respondingto the trend by building smallerand smarter.

February› Ideal Homes in Norman, in

106 hours of the muddiest, win-

triest, iciest weather imaginable,builds a 2,800-square-foot ranchhouse for the Brian and AudraSkaggs family outside Slaughter-ville, northeast of Lexington — 35miles south of downtown Okla-homa City. The new house re-placed a moldy, ramshackle houseunfit for little Jhett Skaggs, a tod-dler whose heart transplant at age

YEAR’S HOUSING HIGHLIGHTS MIXEDOBSTACLES WITH OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteers with Ideal Homes of Norman put the finishing touches on a new home for the Brian andAudra Skaggs family during recording of ABC’s "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" near Slaughterville.Ideal Homes’ construction of the 2,800-square-foot house in 106 hours the first week of February was abig highlight of housing news in 2010 in the Oklahoma City area. PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN

BY RICHARD MIZEReal Estate [email protected]

Bobbie Hartpence, a Realtor with Churchill-Brown & Associates,talks about the formal dining room of a house for sale at 13201 Tur-tle Pond Court. Home sales were strongest the first half of 2010when the effects of federal tax credits for home buyers were stillbeing felt. PHOTO BY NATE BILLINGS, THE OKLAHOMAN

Pedro Gomez and Adolfo Taverafix a roof at 2040 Mattern Driveafter the hailstorm May 16.

PHOTO BY PAUL B. SOUTHERLAND,THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

SEE YEAR, PAGE 2F

2F SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2011 THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COMREAL ESTATE

8 months captured the attention ofABC’s “Extreme Makeover: HomeEdition.”

› Ice damming returns for yet an-other encore despite its statisticalrarity in Oklahoma. Snow on top ofice is too much; on-and-off-againmelting causes ice to accumulatealong roof edges and back up undershingles and flashing, causing roofleaks when it melts for good.

March› Statistics show builders are

shaking off winter to start off 2010strong, a pattern that holds all year.

April› Metro-area Realtors join the Na-

tional Association of Realtors in anall-out push to get potential buyersto attend open houses the weekendof April 9-11 in hopes of them signingcontracts by the end of the monthand the end of federal tax credits ofup to $8,000 for first-timers and$6,500 for certain current home-owners. It adds to a rush already un-der way.

May› Tornadoes damage houses

across the metro area May 10.› An unusually widespread and

long-lasting hailstorm strafes themetro area May 16, leaving hugeswaths with houses and businesseslooking as if they were shelled. Fly-by-night roofers descend beforehailstone drifts can melt.

› Businesses by the end of themonth see the silver lining of themassive hailstorm: hundreds of mil-lions of dollars pouring into theeconomy from settled insuranceclaims to pay for new roofing andsiding and labor. Industrial propertybrokers get a piece of the action,leasing warehouse and yard space toout of-town companies.

June› Mortgage interest rates under 5

percent spur a summertime refi-nancing boom.

› The state attorney general’s of-fice investigates out-of-state roofingcompanies posing as Oklahomacompanies to get business.

› Gov. Brad Henry on June 4 signsthe Roofing Contractor RegistrationAct, which passed the Legislature inits closing days as the metro areadealt with swarms of questionableroofers. The law requires roofingcompanies to carry liability andworkers’ compensation insuranceand levies a $500 fine for failing toregister.

July› Second-quarter statistics show

that the tax credits combined withhistorically low interest rates workedtheir magic with a 9.6-percent in-crease in home sales compared withthe second quarter of 2009; the av-erage price eked out a 1.1-percentgain to $146,825, and the medianprice rose 5.7 percent to $113,021, ac-cording to the Oklahoma Associ-ation of Realtors.

› Quail Creek Golf & CountryClub and the surrounding neighbor-hood observe their 50th anniversarysince developer John W. “Jack”Johnston surprised everyone in 1960by talking up grand plans for themultimillion-dollar clubhouse andhundreds of homes. Quail Creek isnow 2 square miles bounded by Port-land and May avenues, Hefner Roadand Kilpatrick Turnpike.

August› The Central Oklahoma Home

Builders Association starts talkingup its “one of the first in the nation”iPhone app for the Parade of Homes.

Social media erupt. Buzz ensues.› Hot-and-dry weather brings in-

sult to the injury of spring floods,burning up lawns and relegating dis-cussions of “curb appeal” to therealm of philosophy.

› Fresh stats reveal a stale housingmarket, with sales plunging locallyand nationally with tax credits gonebut prices remaining firm.

September› The Southwest Showcase of

Homes, Sept. 11-19, opens about 50homes to the public, courtesy of theSouthwest Home Builders Associ-ation and Moore Home Builders As-sociation.

› Home sales statistics and TheOklahoman’s calculations show thatdespite the rush to get the tax credit,the local house inventory actuallyincreased from a 5.5-month supplyon Jan. 1 to a seven-month supply onSept. 1 — because of a rush of sellersand builders to put houses on themarket to meet the induced demand.

› The second annual Green Build-ing Summit Sept. 29-30 at MetroTechnology Center features Bostonengineer Joseph Lstiburek, who de-clares that LEED certification — forLeadership in Energy & Environ-mental Design — isn’t enough tomake a “green” building energy effi-cient; it takes building performance,too.

October› The government starts enforcing

a new federal lead-based paint ruleOct. 1. A delay in implementation hasgiven the handful of companies andschools able to provide new requiredtraining time to get up to speed.

› Central Oklahoma Habitat forHumanity moves from downtown toits new headquarters at 5005 S Inter-state 35 Service Road.

› The Oct. 9-17 Parade of Homes,organized by the Central OklahomaHome Builders Association, opens

several neighborhoods and 126 newhouses to the public, and gets ravereviews for its iPhone app.

November› The state Roofing Contractor

Registration Act goes into effect Nov.1, but the Oklahoma ConstructionIndustries Board, charged with ad-ministering it, says it will be Dec. 7before it can start taking applicationsand the first of the year before rulesand regulations are in place.

› The Oklahoman reports that af-ter three years of declines, Okla-homa, Cleveland, Canadian, Logan,Lincoln, Grady and McClain coun-ties ended October on pace to endthe year with about as many foreclo-sure filings as in 2006, at the begin-ning of the national housing bust.The metropolitan statistical area has7,015 foreclosure filings through Oc-tober, compared with 7,082 the first10 months of 2006, according to Ir-vine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac.

December› Third-quarter statistics show

home values in Oklahoma City firmand flat as the plains: Metro-areavalues ticked up 0.97 percent com-pared with the second quarter and1.15 percent year over year, accordingto the Federal Housing FinanceAgency — that’s 10.93 percent overthe past five years. The stats reflectpurchases and refinancing.

› Central Oklahoma Home Build-ers Association, three years afterselling its early-1960s-era head-quarters at 625 NW Grand Blvd. toChesapeake Energy Corp., and twoyears after starting to use office spaceat Gemini Builders at 3101 Tinker Di-agonal in Del City, moves into its ownnew, green, 14,000-square-foot,two-building campus at 420 E Brit-ton Road. The move comes just in thenick of time for the annual officer in-stallation and Christmas gala Dec.10.

FROM PAGE 1F

Year: Weather, economy played part

The Skaggs family — Brian, his wife, Audra, their daughter Merit, then 5,and son, Jhett, then 3 — get ready to talk to reporters at their new homenear Slaughterville in February. The home was on ABC’s “Extreme Make-over: Home Edition.” PHOTO BY STEVE SISNEY, THE OKLAHOMAN ARCHIVE

DEAR BARRY: Webought our home severalmonths ago, and our homeinspector found no specificproblems with the fur-nace. He said it was oldand should be serviced by aheating company.

When winter ap-proached, we hired anHVAC contractor. Hefound a large crack in theheat exchanger, easily seenwhen the front cover wasremoved from the furnace.So now we need a few fur-nace, which will costabout $3,500. When wecalled our home inspector,he refused to take respon-sibility for the crack.Shouldn’t he be liable formissing this defect?

MarkDEAR MARK: Home

inspectors specifically dis-claim heat exchangers infurnaces because cracksare often in locationswhere they cannot be seenwithout dismantling the

furnace. Without this dis-claimer, inspectors wouldbe liable for defects theycould not have seen. Un-fortunately, some inspec-tors take this disclaimertoo far, applying it tocracks that are readily vis-ible to an inspector whotakes the time to look.

If the crack was visiblewithout dismantling thefurnace, the home inspec-tor, in my opinion, shouldtake responsibility foroverlooking it. However,there are some variablesthat could influence thisopinion.

Your inspector advisedyou that the furnace was

old and should be profes-sionally serviced. The timeframe for this recommen-dation is critically impor-tant. If the inspector rec-ommended that it be ser-viced, without specifyingwhen, or if he advised hav-ing this done before win-ter, then his liability issubstantial. However, if herecommended having itserviced before close ofescrow, then you would beliable for having waiteduntil winter.

On the other hand, if thecrack was plainly visible bymerely removing the fur-nace cover panel, thehome inspector is liable,regardless of disclaimersfor heat exchangers be-cause defects that are vis-ible and accessible aregenerally considered to bewithin the scope of a homeinspection.

You should insist thatthe home inspector at leastlook at the crack before

disclaiming it. If he is un-willing to do so, some pro-fessional legal help maypersuade him.

DEAR BARRY: Ourhome is on city water, butit has an old well. Beforewe bought it, the sellersaid, “You don’t reallywant to hook up the oldwell.” When we asked why,he said, “You’ll find out.”At the time, this didn’tseem important, so wedismissed it and closed thedeal. Three months later,we received notice fromthe Environmental Protec-tion Agency that an oldgasoline tank leaked intothe well and we are re-quired to do an environ-mental cleanup. Whatshould we do?

MikeDEAR MIKE: When a

seller says, “You’ll findout,” rather than tellingyou the whole story, thatanswer is unacceptable.Your response should have

been, “What do you mean,I’ll find out? I want toknow now what is wrongwith the well.” Unfortu-nately, no one was there toadvise you accordingly.

The seller was appar-ently aware of the problemand chose to withhold thedetails. Failure to disclose

environmental contami-nation is a violation of lawin most states. You shouldconsult an attorney tolearn what recourse isavailable to you under law.

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

ACCESS MEDIA GROUP

Repairs costly as inspector misses furnace crackBarryStone

INSPECTOR’S IN THEHOUSE

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2011 3FREAL ESTATE

Oklahoma CityGardner Construction,

6001 S Air Depot Blvd.,office, remodel,$1,750,000.

Liberty Homes Inc.,4108 SE 89 Terrace, resi-dence, erect, $1,000,000.

The Villas Inc., 2323NW 59, residence, erect,$1,000,000.

Roadstar Holdings ILLC, 12121 NorthwestExpressway, shell build-ing, erect, $875,000.

MS Consultants Inc.,7004 SW 3, restaurant,erect, $750,000.




Savannah Builders LLC,13308 Carriage Way, resi-dence, erect, $505,000.

Todd Ellis, 2305 SE 94,residence, erect,$400,000.

Munsell (David) Inc.,11720 NW 111, residence,erect, $350,000.

Home First Inc., 5021SE 152 Court, residence,erect, $345,000.

G.L. Cobbs & Co. LLC,5400 NW 117, residence,erect, $325,000.

Chet Walters HomesInc., 17312 ParkgroveDrive, residence, erect,$240,000.

J.W. Mashburn Devel-opment Inc., 2721 SW 141,residence, erect,$235,000.

Remington BuildersInc., 9309 NW 133 Court,residence, erect,$234,000.

Onpoint Construction,7816 SW 85 Circle, resi-dence, erect, $230,000.

No name provided, 1201NW 178, business, re-model, $212,000.

Jason Powers Homes,12813 NW 5, residence,erect, $210,000.

Authentic CustomHomes LLC, 2713 NW 173Terrace, residence, erect,$201,300.

Kirk Brown Homes,5609 NW 11, residence,erect, $200,000.

Authentic CustomHomes LLC, 1601 NW163, residence, erect,$172,000.

League Custom HomesLLC, 604 Shamrock Cir-

cle, residence, erect,$170,000.

Cedarland Homes LLC,4720 SW 122, residence,erect, $149,900.

St. Croix LLC, 1220 SW85 Terrace, residence,erect, $145,000.

St. Croix LLC, 8509 St.Michael Court, residence,erect, $145,000.

Larry Toombs, 13904Canterbury Drive, resi-dence, erect, $140,000.

Larry Toombs, 13908Canterbury Drive, resi-dence, erect, $140,000.

Sun Properties LLC,11729 SW 19, residence,erect, $140,000.

McHughes EnterprisesInc., 4508 SW 122, resi-dence, erect, $135,000.

Ron Walters HomesLLC, 1725 NE 7, residence,erect, $130,000.

Vintage Custom HomesLLC, 5105 SE 79, resi-dence, erect, $130,000.

Ideal Homes of Nor-man LP, 18309 CarilloRoad, residence, erect,$120,000.

Home Creations, 10012Squire Lane, residence,erect, $104,100.

Alan Stuck CustomHomes, 14201 SE 44,residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 8409 SW 47Circle, residence, erect,$100,000.

Rausch ColemanHomes LLC, 4708 Caleb,residence, erect,$100,000.

Home Creations, 19812Adagio Lane, residence,erect, $91,500.

No name provided,13801 N PennsylvaniaAve., retail sales, remodel,$90,000.

Home Creations, 19712Adagio Lane, residence,erect, $85,600.

Ideal Homes of Nor-man LP, 1616 NW 144Terrace, residence, erect,$80,000.

No name provided,13321 N Meridian Ave.,medical clinic-office,remodel, $80,000.

Ideal Homes of Nor-man LP, 1609 NW 144Terrace, residence, erect,$78,000.

Ideal Homes of Nor-man LP, 1613 NW 143,residence, erect, $68,000.

Cornerstone GroupLLC, 10612 SW 33 Ter-race, residence, erect,$65,000.

Shelly Cook, 8301 Ce-dar Crest Road, barn,erect, $60,000.

William Morando, 7114W Reno Ave., warehouse,remodel, $39,400.

Glenening FamilyTrust, 1213 NW 107, resi-dence, fire restoration,$30,000.

Ramey Steel, 11720Little Lane, storage, erect,$30,000.

Tom Williams, 8719Sowell Road, manufac-tured home, move-on,$30,000.

Jerry D. Wagner, 13133Linden, residence, erect,$25,000.

Belfor USA, 2739 WEubanks, residence, re-model, $24,000.

J&J Building LLC, 2761SW 46 Place, residence,add-on, $14,400.

S&S Fabrications, 3601W Memorial Road, res-taurant, add-on, $11,000.

S&S Fabrications, 5301N Classen Blvd., restau-rant, add-on, $11,000.

S&S Fabrications, 104W Interstate 240 ServiceRoad, restaurant, add-on,$11,000.

S&S Fabrications, 8445N Rockwell Ave., restau-rant, add-on, $11,000.

No name provided, 1015N Broadway Ave., office,remodel, $10,000.

David Debord, 12409SW 10, storage, move-on-mobile home park,$10,000.

Westpoint Group, 857SW 119, retail sales, re-model, $8,000.

Western Hills BaptistChurch, 412 SW 43, daycare center, remodel,$7,000.

Kesa Delvalle, 622 SE30, residence, remodel,$4,000.

Derral G. Punneo, 2325SW 101, residence, add-on, $3,850.

Richard and MildredLemon, 11801 S Choctaw

Road, storm shelter, in-stall, $2,995.

Allen Contracting, 2451NW 164, temporarybuilding, move-on,$2,500.

Jose Aranda, 1017 SW34, accessory, add-on,$1,002.

Eulogio Ortega, 208SW 44, business, supple-ment, $1,000.

Eulogio Ortega, 208SW 44, business, supple-ment, $1,000.

DemolitionsK&M Dirt Services

LLC, 320 SW 5, post of-fice.

Ray’s Trucking, 429 SE52, residence.

K&M Dirt ServicesLLC, 5700 S High Ave.,warehouse.

Kendall Concrete, 2813S Youngs Blvd., house.

M&M Wrecking Inc.,1212 SW 59, restaurant.

Midwest Wrecking,6709 Danish Drive, apart-ment.

Midwest Wrecking,1016 NW 67, office.

Midwest Wrecking, 136Dean A McGee Ave.,parking garage.

Midwest Wrecking,6709 N Olie Ave., office.

Midwest Wrecking, 1712

NE 11, demolition, porch.Midwest Wrecking, 1712

NE 11, demolition, car-port.

Midwest Wrecking,1729 NE 11, demolition,garage.

Permits


WASHINGTON — Morepeople purchased newhomes in November,though not enough to sig-nal better times are aheadfor the battered housingindustry.

Sales of new homes rose5.5 percent to a seasonallyadjusted annual rate of290,000 units, the Com-merce Department report-ed. That’s less than halfthe rate that economistsconsider healthy. And theincrease follows a dismalOctober sales pace thatnearly matched the lowestlevel in 47 years.

Economists believe itcould take three years toget back to a more normalrate of 600,000 sales peryear given a continued glutof unsold homes and fall-ing prices.

The median price for ahome sold in Novemberfell to $213,000, 2.7 percentlower than a year ago.

Sluggish sales meanfewer jobs in the construc-tion industry, which nor-mally helps power eco-nomic recoveries. On aver-age, each new home builtcreates the equivalent ofthree jobs for a year andgenerates about $90,000in taxes, according to theNational Association ofHome Builders.

High unemployment,tighter bank lending stan-dards and uncertaintyabout home prices havekept people from buying

homes. Government taxcredits propped up salesearlier this year, but thosecredits expired in April.

The National Associ-ation of Realtors reportedthat sales in the far largermarket for previouslyowned homes rose to anannual rate of 4.68 millionunits in November. Still,economists expect 2010will finish as the worst yearsince 1997.

It could be two years ormore, economists say, forenough buyers to return tobring sales of previouslyoccupied homes back tothe more healthy level of 6million in sales annually.

One major problem fac-ing the entire housingmarket is the record num-ber of foreclosed proper-ties. Economists say a

large “shadow inventory”of such homes is waiting tocome on the market asbanks continue to clear outa huge backlog of proper-ties they are in the processof taking back.

The new-home sales re-port showed a downwardrevision to activity in Oc-tober. That month was re-vised to a rate of 275,000.The all-time low of274,000 units was hit inAugust.

For November, new-home sales were down themost in the Northeast, adrop of 26.7 percent, fol-lowed by a decline of 13.2percent in the Midwest.However, sales were up37.3 percent in the Westand 5.8 percent in theSouth.

New home sales increase 5.5 percent in NovemberBY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rick Peskar measures stone before cementing it to afireplace in a new home in Pepper Pike, Ohio. Morepeople purchased new homes in November, but notenough to signal better times are ahead for the hous-ing industry. AP PHOTO

The Listing of the Week is a traditional1½-level brick house on a 1½ acre lot on awooded cul-de-sac in Mustang’s FawnValley addition.

The 3,051-square-foot house at 10224Fawn Trail Road has four bedrooms, threebaths, three living rooms, two dining ar-eas and an attached three-car garage. Theformal living room has a ceiling fan. Thefamily room has a fireplace. The kitchenhas an eating space, a breakfast bar andpantry. The master bedroom has a fire-place, walk-in closet and bath with tuband shower. One downstairs bedroom and

bath meet the standards of the Americanswith Disabilities Act. The home has solid-surface counters and crown moldings.The home has a concrete safe room, cov-ered patio, a shop with concrete floor andattached shed, an underground sprinklersystem and security system.

Built in 1999, it is listed for $250,000with Joe Pryor of Redbud Realty & Associ-ates. For more information, call 590-2135.

Nominations for Listing of the Week are welcome. Sendinformation about single-family homes to The Oklahoman,Richard Mize, P.O. Box 25125, Oklahoma City, OK 73125.Nominations may be faxed to 475-3996.

LISTING OF THE WEEK

The Listing of the Week is at 10224 Fawn Trail Road in Mustang. PHOTO PROVIDED

Traditional Mustang homehas ADA-compliant bed, bath

Nathan Lowe has joinedParadigm AdvantEdge Re-al Estate, 16301 N MayAve., as a residential realestate sales associate.

The Oklahoma Citymetro-area native attend-ed Tabor College in Hill-

sboro, Kan., and studiedsecondary education. Af-ter college, he went intofood sales and was a salesexecutive for Sara Lee forseveral years. He earned areal estate license fiveyears ago.

Residential sales associate joinsParadigm AdvantEdge

THE OKLAHOMAN | NEWSOK.COM SATURDAY, JANUARY 1, 2011 5FREAL ESTATE

Looking at the Am-bridge reminds the viewerof simpler times. Morethan anything, it’s proba-bly the full front porch, ac-cented by slender woodenhandrails and columns. If aporch swing suits yourfancy, this is the place forit.

The plan’s symmetricaldesign and central dormeralso add to the Craftsmanbungalow effect. But thismidsize home is largerthan it looks from thefront. Indoor living spacecomes close to 1,800square feet, not includingthe larger bonus room overthe garage.

Family gathering areasfill the main floor, circlingaround a central stairway.Parlor and dining room areon the right, family roomand kitchen on the left.Storage closets, utilities anda small powder room are inthe middle, easily accessedfrom every direction.

Dining room and livingroom flow together, mini-mally bounded by slenderwall sections that could bejoined by an arch or ex-posed beam, if desired.The fireplace provideswarmth and color.

An eating bar with over-head cabinets is all thatseparates the kitchen andfamily room. Working inthe kitchen, you are neverisolated. From here youcan keep tabs on activitiesin the family room, frontyard, covered patio andfront porch. Sliding glassdoors brighten the familyroom and lead to a coveredpatio.

Upstairs, the Am-bridge’s owners suite hastwo good-size walk-inclosets and a private bath-room with dual vanities.The front bedroom issmaller but brighter thanthe second bedroom.

Access to the large bo-nus room is through a hall-way just past the bath-room, or via a secondstaircase entered throughthe garage.

For a review plan, in-cluding scaled floor plans,elevations, section andartist’s conception, send$25 to Associated Designs,1100 Jacobs Drive, Eugene,OR, 97402. Please specifythe Ambridge 10-323 andinclude a return addresswhen ordering. For moreinformation, call (800)634-0123.

HOUSE PLAN

Simpler timescome to mindwith Ambridge

MARICOPA, Ariz. — BristolPalin has bought a five-bedroom home in PinalCounty south of Phoenix.

Paperwork shows therecent “Dancing With theStars” diva and daughterof Sarah Palin, former gov-ernor of Alaska, is the solepurchaser of the house inthe town of Maricopa.

She bought it for$172,000 from a North Da-kota couple.

It’s not clear whetherBristol Palin will be a sea-sonal visitor or permanentresident at the home, in a

development called Cob-blestone Farms.

According to real estatewebsites, the residence is atwo-level, brown stuccohouse with a tile roof, alandscaped front andbackyard, and access to acommunity pool.

The Arizona Republicreported the 3,900-square-foot home wasbuilt in 2006 and wasbought for a little under$330,000 at the time. Ithas 2½ baths and a three-car garage.

Bristol Palin, 20, closedon the home in early De-cember, buying it from

Michael and CynthiaSmith, according to pa-perwork filed with the Pi-nal County Recorder’s Of-fice.

“I’m not sure why shewanted to buy that home,but we are real happy forher,” Michael Smith toldThe Republic.

Bristol Palin came to theforefront during hermother’s 2008 vice presi-dential run when the Palinfamily announced that thethen-17-year-old waspregnant.

After the birth of herson, Bristol Palin spoke outas a teen pregnancy pre-vention advocate. Bristol Palin

Bristol Palin buys Arizona home for $172,000BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Nice 3 bd, 1 ba, 1 car, lrgfncd yd w/ deck No petsNo Sec 8. $675 +$675dep222-7101 2534 SW 57 St

FSBO: 4008 acres inwestern Oklahoma inboth Beckham & Greer

Counties. Approx. 10 miSW of Sayre, OK. Haystack Creek and othercreeks run through the

property. Big trees, goodhunting, good cow opera-

tion, corrals, ponds.Price Reduced. 806-248-7224 or 806-676-6503 or

night 806-354-0253

RENT TO OWNOkCity-212 NE 15 3bd 1baPrague-3bd 1.5ba House

on 1.62acresHarrah-Fixer Upper

Mobile home on 5acresPrague-Fixer Upper

Mobile home on 20 acresCall for maps & locations

Easy Approval405-273-5777

www.property4sale.com

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

PIEDMONT 1 ac MOLcorner lot in Eastwind

Estates choose bld$42,000. Marian

850-7654 Cleaton &Assoc 373-2494

OWNER FINANCING1-28 Acres

Many LocationsCall for maps405-273-5777

www.property4sale.com

165 acres with 3600 sq ftbrick home, Noble, $3800/acre must sell 872-5457

Payout dn pmt before 1stpmt starts. Your opportuni-ty to own land, 40 areas,E, NE, SE of OKC 1N A.Milburn o/a 275-1695 terms

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

E of OKC. o/a 275-1695

HUNTING LAND/HOMECrescent area; 560

acres highly improvedland,approx 40 min to

OKC/Edmond,live water,creek,ponds,ideal hunt-ing,4 bdrm home,2 lrgmetal sheds, office,

wildlife hatchery,penswildlife, jkjauctions.com

JKJ REAL ESTATE580-233-9800

By Owner-320 acres,Ellis Co. Tower blinds,

feeders, food plots, etc.$1000/acre 405-627-1734

BANK OWNED 2/2/2, 2 liv,brick, ch/a, .33 acre,$49.9K Arlene CB 414-8753

BANK OWNED 2/2/2 shop,brick, 1826sf, .6 acres$104.9kArlene CB 414-8753

BANK OWNED 4/2 1550sf24x32 shop, .68 acres, brk,$34,900Arlene CB 414-8753

BANK OWNED like new3/2/2 built 06, 1456sf,$129.9kArlene CB 414-8753

Price reduced $10,000 forquick sale 414 PoppyLane extra nice 3bd 2ba2car ch/a excellent condOnly $104,900 FidelityRE 410-4200, 692-1661

4225 N Libby rock hmw/new a/c & heat, gardoor opener xtr parking2bd 1ba nice yd $65,000.Marian 850-7654 Cleaton

& Assoc 373-2494

JUST COMPLETED3/2.5/3 on 1/2 ac MOL

huge kit w/granite openflrplan lots of stg.$190,900. Marian

850-7654 Cleaton &Assoc 373-2494

NEW HOME on 1 ac MOL4/3/3 lrg master, hugeutility rm loads of stgapprox 2500' $265,000.

Marian 850-7654 Cleaton& Assoc 373-2494

WHY RENT WHEN YOUCAN OWN? Easy

financing. No creditneeded. Yukon Schools405-815-7245

REPO REPO REPO3bd. Vinyl Sided/Shingle/2x6 walls

Free del/set, Financingavailable @$335mo.

405-787-4035

Land/Home ForChristmas

We have homes on landready NOW!

Call today 405-787-5004

YEAR END CLEARANCEFree 60” HDTV w/ stockpurchase 405-470-1330

THCOK.COM

DW on Acreage, 4 Bed,2 Bath, 2350 sq ft, 2 cargarage ¡ 405-412-6236

Brand New16x80 3bd 2ba 631-3609

New, used & repos startingat $3000301-2454 517-5000

10 acres 2400sf 4x2 SE ofCity 301-2454 517-5000

Repo doublewides. $20Kdn. Owner carry517-5000

3 BDR BRICK HOMEW/SHOP on 2.39 +/-ACRES - JONES, OKESTATE AUCTION

Friday, Jan. 14th, 10 AM14270 Teresa Dr.

Jones, OKAdditional info:

LippardAuctions.com580-237-7174

DO NOT Call Unless…Foreclosure/Behind PaymtOverleveraged/Repairs

Call/Web 800-Sell-Now.com

I BUY HOUSESAny condition. No cost

to U 495-5100

Heard of a SHORT SALE?SELL YOUR HOUSE TODAY!Foreclosure/behind Pymts340-9879/HouseKings.com

I BUY & SELL HOUSES27 YRS EXP 650-7667

HOMESOFOKCINC.COM

Est. Consignment Store inNorman $29,900 Seriousinq. only 405-815-7332

Bank owned 18 units$350K, 4 plex near OCU$169K - 6 units hrdwd flr$225K, Income Property$200K 12% CAP, $1 MMearns $10,000 per month,Seabrooke Rlty 409-7779

Moore: 2216 N Pole Rd.3000sf office space w/1250sf bay ‘‘ 794-6914

GREAT SpaceOFFICE

Various NW locationsMOVE IN SPECIALS

300-6000sf 946-2516

1, 2 & 3-Room Offices$175 & up ‘ 50th &

N Lincoln area 235-8080

¡ Individual's 1 room ¡¡ Efficiency, furnished ¡

$92/wk No pets 672-0877

ROSEWOODMANOR

AFFORDABLE SENIORHOUSING 55 & OLDER1Bed Apts Call Today!405-348-4065

LARGE EFFICIENCY APTAll Bills Paid. Near UCO

RAJ 202-0176

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

1BED ALL BILLS PAID$500MO 405-397-9075

Best Realty

1 & 2 BEDROOMS,QUIET! Covered ParkingGreat Schools! 732-1122

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

$99 move in special Lg 1bdquiet, clean, coin lndry onsite, pool $365mo 794-5595

MOVE INSPECIAL $1991-2-3 Bed available.1 Bed deposit $150.

2 & 3 Bed deposit $200.1st month rent $199.

Call Village On The Lakeat 721-5744 for rates.

CANTERBURY GARDENMOVE IN SPECIAL

Big 2 Bedroom w/amplestorage, ch&a, sec. 8 ok,$495. Broker 677-9116www.hoppishomes.com

$149 FIRST MONTH17 Floorplans, U PickKids and Dog Friendly

Mention this ad 416-5259WILSHIRE VILLAGE

$1 FIRST MONTHYour choice of 1 Beds

ALL BILLS PAID2 Beds also 293-3693

DREXEL ON THE PARK

2, 3 & 4 bedroomsStarting at $599/monthOFHA & OCHA accepted.405-478-3260Putnam Heights Plaza

1 bed, ch/a, Dishwasher1830 NW 39th 524-5907

MAYFAIR 1 & 2 bds, shopssecure nghbrhd livg. washdryr hrdwd flrs 947-5665

’ $300 Deposit & 1stMonth FREE - 1 & 2bds

Sunrise Cove 943-0907

800 N. Meridian: 1bd, allbills paid & weekly ratesavailable. 946-9506

» MOVE IN SPECIAL »LARGE 1, 2 & 3 BEDS

Rockwell Arms, 787-1423

Quiet Casady!2 BD$525 751-8088

•ABC• Affordable, Bugfree, Clean » 787-7212»

$99 SPECIALLg 1bdr, stove, refrig.,clean, walk to shops.$325 mo. 632-9849

$99 Move In Special!!!Lg 1 and 2 Bdr, $325 to

$395 mo. 632-9849

Clean 1 bed FurnishedApt. You pay electric.

2328 SW 28th, 685-8278

»»»»»»»»»»»»»» Yukon All Bills Paid »» 1 bd From $495 Move»» 2 bd From $595 In»» 3 bd From $695 Today»» Open7days/wk354-5855»»»»»»»»»»»»»

1 bed, 1 bath NantucketCottage, no pets/smok-ing, $695, 405-850-7777

Quiet NW Townhome,1 bed + study, 1K bath

$500 mo ‘ 748-3868

OLDETOWNE2 bed, 2 bath, 2 miles to

Tinker, 769-7177.

Model Open 10-4New Luxury Duplex

13516 Brandon Place3/2/2, fp, Deer Creek

Schls, near Mercy842-7300

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

1321 Beachwood Drive3/1.5/2 $675

681-7272

1755 Tim Holt DrSharp 2bd home, carport

on K acre, only $575Fidelity410-4200, 692-1661

933CrabtreeCove3/1/1 $5959100 Jennifer Pl 3/1/1$4753605WoodsideDr3/1/1 $475

681-7272

3 bed, 2 bath 1 car, ch&a,W/D hkups, Mid-Del

Schls, Sec 8 Ok 417-3333

Nice 3/1/1 new paint& carpet. $595 mo

$500dep. 630-0649

13125 Moccassin 3bd 2ba2car Eastlake Estates,fireplace, ch/a, largeyard, Westmoore Schls$995 mo. Fidelity RE410-4200, 692-1661

Rent, Rent to Own605-54772bd from $395-5953bd from $450-8954bd from $595-995housesforrentofokc.com

4 br, 1.5 ba, ch&a, carpetstockade, 1705 City Ave$800+$800dep 691-4528

13100 Springcreek 3/2/31800sf, fp $1300+depHome&RanchRlty794-7777

535 Hillcrest Lane, 3 bed,2 bath, 2 car, ch&a,Mustang Schools, $1050month, $900 deposit,405-262-0179.

1236 NE 48th 3bed 1bath2 living 2car $725

681-7272

9701 Devore 3/2/2 $9253213 Orlando 3/1.5/2$9752612 NW 57 4/1.5 $7958344 NW 113 Tr 3/2/2 $9758300 NW 10 3/1.5/2 $700Express Realty 844-6101www.expressrealtyok.com

1811 N. Gatewood large2bd duplex with formaldining, ch/a, fridge, stove,washer & dryer hookup,garage. Water & garbagepaid. Only $550. FidelityRE 410-4200, 692-1661


3529 NW 21stSharp 3bd home, ch/a,

excellent condition.Only $650. Fidelity RE

410-4200, 692-1661

332 NW 81st4bd 1.5ba 1car brick ch/a$750 mo, Sec 8 ok FidelityRE 410-4200, 692-1661

Elegant 3BR ExecutiveHome. Marble, granite.Rare, never rented,2300sf $1645 255-4300

1033 Hoyt 3/1/1 $5753232 NW 28th 2/1 $475

681-7272

3750 N Geraldine 2 bed,1 bath, stove, no sec. 8$475mo » 755-1316

2 bd/2ba lg liv/din ch&a$825, $600 dep. 1517 N.

Bradley 501-2426

3817 NW 52nd, 3 bd, 1ba1 car, newly remodeled,$750/$500 dep, 831-8577

343 SE 49th spacious2bd home, ch/a, largecorner lot, completelyfenced $550 mo FidelityRE 410-4200, 692-1661


2414 SE 45th 3bd 2ba2car, brick, ch/a, Sec 8ok, corner lot $695 moFidelity 410-4200 692-1661

2525 SE 45th 3bd 1bagar converted to liv $550

681-7272

4 bed, 2bath 1car ch&a,section 8 ok $750deposit

387-2199 or 370-1060

1616 SW 68th 3/1/1$695600 SW 49th 2/1/1 $5751217 SW 50 2/1/1 $5501100 SW 38 2/1/1 $4753009 SW 20th 2/1 $450936 SW 35th 2/1 $3952401 SW 43rd #7 1bdapt, total elect, waterpaid $325

681-7272

605K SW 34th1bd home, ch/a, fridge,stove, washer/dryer hkp,water & garbage paid$375 mo. Fidelity RE410-4200, 692-1661

New Rivendell ExecHome 408-4168

Luxury indoor pool & spaFully equip'd media &wrkout rooms $5100/moOpenhouseok.com


2bd, fenced yard, 1 cargar. $550mo, $300dep.2608 SW 27th 631-5695

Elegant 3BR Exec HomePark-like yard on creek,cul-de-sac, never rented,1900sf, $1375 255-4300

Russell's Mobile Home Park405-677-5219 2or3bd Spe-

cial 1st moK price + dep. Or6 mo lease, get 7th mo Free

$ FREE RENT 1ST MO $2BR $350+, 3BR $450+,

MWC NO PETS 427-0627

ON GREENBELT! beautifulview. Lrg LR & DR

w/office. Eat in kitchen.Lrg 2beds upstairs &

large back deck $900 mo.691-3155 »» 872-9864

Rent To Own/Lease: 2/2Townhome, W/D hkup,

A/C, $500/mo 919-6827

1313 NW 104th Terrace3/1/2 $650 mo, $500 dep

TMS Prop 348-0720

$200.00 offFirst Month’s Rent

LARGE TOWNHOMES& APARTMENTS

• Washer, Dryers, pools• PC Schools, fireplaces

Williamsburg7301 NW 23rd

787-1620

Farms, RanchesFor Sale, Okla. 308

HomesFor Sale 309.9

Commercial RE

Established Business For Sale

Investment Property For Sale

Business Property For Rent

Offi ce Space For Rent

Yukon 438

Condominiums,TownhousesFor Rent 441

Houses for rent


CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Eliza-beth Edwards’ legacy in-cludes her passion for de-sign.

Last month, I was visit-ing my daughter in the Ra-leigh-Durham area ofNorth Carolina when onDec. 7 Elizabeth Edwardsdied.

The love and supportshe was shown by the folksof North Carolina upon herpassing, for her gooddeeds, many charitablecontributions, her work asan attorney and her publicbattle with breast cancer,were heartwarming.

Many said they admiredher because she refused tobe the victim of breastcancer and infidelity afterher husband, former U.S.Sen. John Edwards, admit-ted to having an affair that

resulted in a child.As a resident of Chapel

Hill and a graduate of theUniversity of North Caroli-na at Chapel Hill, ElizabethEdwards gave back to thecommunity and was toutedas the force behind herhusband’s political career.

What I didn’t knowabout her was that she hada passion for design, and in2009 she opened a furni-ture store called the RedWindow in Chapel Hill as atribute to her late mother’s

shop, the Red Door, a thriftstore she started in 1950while on the Marine basewhere they lived in Japan.

Edwards’ shop, at 400W Rosemary St., focuses

on high-end furniturefound at a deal and passeddown to the customer. Thestore carries HighlandHouse, Capel, British Tra-ditions and Chelsea

House, among others.Before leaving North

Carolina, I headed over tothe 700-square-foot shopto buy something for myhome, but it was open byappointment only. Thewindows were full of com-fortable sofas and interest-ing tables, chairs and otheraccessories. Red drapesframed one window. Anote was posted statingnew hours of operation.

Just a few days beforemy visit, reporters hadbeen camped out at theRed Window. Edwardsmade sure her home was

fully decorated for the ho-lidays even though she wasnearing the end of her life.

Although she will bemissed, she left behind alegacy to her and hermother at the Red Win-dow. And during the nextfew months her shop willcontinue to bring comfortto the community ofChapel Hill and a reminderof her passion for living toher family and friends.

For more informationabout Red Window, go towww.redwindow.net.

Now go out and createyour own unique comfortzone!

Mi-Ling Stone Poole is the author of“Ask Mi-Ling! When You Want theTruth About Decorating.” You can listento her radio show, “Mi-Ling’s ComfortZone,” from noon to 1 p.m. Sundays onKTOK-AM 1000. If you have adecorating dilemma, e-mail Mi-Ling atwww.Mi-Ling.com.

Elizabeth Edwards’ store shows design passionLeft: The late ElizabethEdwards started the RedWindow, a furniture shopin Chapel Hill, N.C.

PHOTO PROVIDED BYMI-LING STONE POOLE

Mi-LingStonePoole

ASKMI-LING

WASHINGTON — The $858 bil-lion federal tax bill signed intolaw by President Barack Obamaon Dec. 17 was a mixedbag for Americanhomeowners, withelements of both theGrinch and Santasqueezed into thesame bulging package.

The goodies for se-lect groups were well-publicized — unem-ployment benefits extension,payroll tax cuts, continuation ofthe Bush income tax rates and fa-vorable estate tax treatment forwealthy people, among others.The bill even pushed back theexpiration date for the tax de-ductibility of mortgage insur-ance premiums for another year.

But other provisions in the billcould be bad news for home-owners interested in remodelingprojects to conserve energy nextyear. The legislation slashed the

popular tax credits for energy-efficient remodeling from thecurrent 30 percent of an im-

provement’scost ($1,500maximumper taxpayer)to just a 10percentcredit with a$500 maxi-mum for ex-penditures

on insulation materials, exteriorwindows and storm doors, sky-lights and metal and asphaltroofs that resist heat gain.

The bill also clamped new dol-lar-specific limits on key im-provements that previously hadbeen eligible for 30-percentcredits. These include a $150 taxcredit limit on the costs of ener-gy-efficient natural gas, propaneand oil furnaces, and water boil-ers, plus a $300 credit limit on thecosts of central air-conditioning

systems, electric heat pump wa-ter heaters, biomass stoves forheating or water heating, electricheat pumps, and natural gas andpropane water heaters.

The legislation also limits al-lowable tax credits available forenergy-efficient windows in-stalled during 2011 to a total of$200 — down from the previous$1,500. On top of this, it prohib-its taxpayers who have taken to-tal tax credits in past years ex-ceeding $500 from claiming anyadditional credits on energy-conservation projects they un-dertake in the coming year.

The net effect of all this, ac-cording to homebuilding and re-modeling experts, will be to se-verely diminish consumers’ in-terest in energy-efficient homeimprovements. Donna Shirey,chairman of the RemodelersCouncil of the National Associ-ation of Home Builders andpresident of a contracting firm in

the Seattle area, said the guttingof energy-efficiency credits “is abig step backward. It’s bad forthe environment, bad for con-sumers, and of course bad forjobs in our industry.”

David Merrick, president ofMerrick Design and Build inKensington, Md., and govern-ment affairs chairman of the Na-tional Association of the Re-modeling Industry, said the ex-pired $1,500 credit was “openingpeople’s eyes to energy-con-serving features they could in-corporate” into home improve-ment projects that they mighthave previously ignored.

The credit, he said, has pro-vided incentives for homeown-ers to ask about the long-termsavings they could achieve byupgrading insulation, installingnew high-efficiency windowsand the like.

Now, with a $500 credit maxi-mum, Merrick said, “I doubt

that many people will see thingsthat way. They’ll just go back toremodeling their bathroom orkitchen” and be less willing tospend extra money on energy-saving improvements as part ofthe project.

The Alliance to Save Energy, aWashington, D.C.-based coali-tion of business, government, en-vironmental and consumergroups that lobbied unsuccess-fully for retention of the credits asthey were, said the forthcomingcutbacks in the homeowner creditprogram will be a loss felt far be-yond the remodeling industry.

The outlook for restoration ofthe credits in the new Congress?Call it lights out. There’s virtual-ly no chance of another big taxbill supporting energy-efficien-cy improvements moving aheadon Capitol Hill in the near future. Ken Harney’s e-mail address [email protected].

WASHINGTON POST WRITERS GROUP

New federal tax law mixed bag for homeowners

KennethHarney

THE NATION’S HOUSING

The Oklahoman Real Estate

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